Movement Pattern: Push - How We Meet Resistance
- Surimi
- Dec 6, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 11, 2025
If the squat teaches you how to lower yourself, and the hinge teaches you how to lift the world without breaking, the push teaches you something different:
How to meet resistance, without collapsing or overgiving.
Physically... and metaphorically.
We push every single day: doors, shopping carts, suitcases, strollers, heavy thoughts, and sometimes, people who take up too much space in our lives. You know who I'm talking about.
But the mechanics of pushing? Most of us never learned them.
Instead, we brace, flare our ribs, shrug our shoulders. Or let the lower back do all the work. And then we wonder why something feels "off".
Pushing, at its core, is a conversation between your chest, shoulders, arms, and most importantly, your core. It's your body saying: "I can move something in front of me, and stay stable doing it."
Simple... but rarely easy.
The Most Neglected Pattern
When I train new clients, I often hear:
"My push is weak."
"My shoulders burn in 2 seconds."
"I feel this in my neck... why my neck?"
"I literally can't do one push-up, don't judge me."
I never judge.
Most adults don't push intentionally. We push automatically, reactively, or tensely.
And because we sit so much, typing, leaning forward, rounding inward, the push becomes a pattern the body forgets how to organise.
But pushing isn't about arm strength.
It's about position, tension, breath and control.
The arms only finish what the torso stabilises.
What Push Actually Is
If I were to sum it up in a single sentence:
A push is the act of generating force forward while your body stays steady behind you.
That means:
Your shoulder blades glide and stabilise.
Your ribs stay stacked over the pelvis.
Your core resists extension.
Your wrists, elbows, and shoulders share the load.
Your breath supports the effort.
Your spine remains calm and long.
A good push feels organised.
A messy push feels... like your body is filing a complaint.
Push in Everyday Life
Unlike the squat or hinge, which we notice when they go wrong, the push silently makes life easier.
You push when you:
open a heavy door
get up from bed (yes, that's a push)
stop yourself from falling
wrestle a suitcase into the overhead compartment
push a stroller or shopping trolley
carry groceries and stabilise them against your torso
hold a yoga plank
do any upper-body strength work
pick yourself up from the ground
Pushing is not about the gym.
It's about autonomy, safety, and the ability to create forward force without sacrificing your joints.
What Push Really Works
Push is a chain, not a chest exercise.
When you do it well, these muscles work together:
Chest (Pectorals)
Producing the forward force.
Shoulders (Anterior Deltoids)
Helping initiate the movement.
Triceps
Extending the elbows and finishing the push.
Serratus Anterior
Your 'anti-winging' muscle; the reason your shoulder blade doesn't stick out like a bird trying to escape
Core & Obliques
Preventing your ribs from flaring and your lower back from sagging.
Upper Back
Organising the shoulder girdle so your push stays strong and pain-free.
When this system works in harmony, pushing becomes strong, powerful, and effortless.
Form Follows Function
The push teaches your body:
scapular control (shoulder blade movement)
humeral alignment (how the arm sits in the socket)
rib–pelvis stacking
breath-controlled power
stability under load
safe shoulder mechanics
how to resist collapsing through the chest or lower back
“Position is power.”
In pushing, this is everything.
If your position collapses, your power collapses with it.
If your position holds, your strength becomes limitless.
Relearning the Art of the Push
For many people in Rebound, the push pattern brings an emotional shift.
After illness, chronic inflammation, or long periods of pain, the front of the body often feels weak, as though life has been pressing inward for too long.
But the first clean push, even a wall push-up, tells a different story.
The push becomes a metaphor:
for boundaries,
for support,
for uprightness,
for reclaiming your space.
Push teaches your body, and your mind, how to meet pressure without collapsing.
Try This
A simple push check you can do anywhere:
1. Wall Push-Up
Hands on a wall, shoulder height
Lower your chest toward it
Push away gently
Notice if your shoulders shrug, your ribs pop, or your elbows flare.
Those aren’t mistakes, they’re messages.
2. Serratus Glide
Stand tall
Gently push the wall away
Feel your shoulder blades slide forward
If your neck takes over, your serratus is asleep.
If the glide feels smooth, you’re on the right track.
3. Incline Push-Up Test
Hands on a bench or counter
Lower slowly
Push up with intention
Notice your core:
Did it stay with you, or did it abandon the mission halfway down?
Awareness first.
Strength second.
Why It Matters
The push isn’t just an upper-body exercise.
It’s how you support yourself, literally and symbolically.
A strong push pattern:
stabilises the shoulders
reinforces posture
helps you rise from the floor
protects your neck
gives your spine front-body support
makes everyday life feel easier
And yes, it also helps you push open heavy doors without doing that awkward hip-bump we all pretend we don’t do.
Your Free Push Progression Program
Just like the squat and hinge programs, your Push Progression Program will guide you from:
Level 1: Wall and incline variations
Level 2: Full push-up mechanics
Level 3: Dumbbell and kettlebell pressing
Level 4: Strength patterns; bench, overhead, dips, landmine press
All in the same warm, clear, Rebound style you know.
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