I’ve always enjoyed body weight exercises more than any other kind of exercise. Why? Because they’re fun, and I think real strength means having total mastery over your body weight, which is also why I have a lot of respect for gymnasts. Still, doing the same body weight exercises over and over for months or years can get tedious, which is why it’s important to incorporate new exercises to mix up your routine every once in awhile.

Which is what brings us to the Chinese Push Up, also known as “The Dive Bomber.”

[Monkeys are a great example of how much fun can be had when you have total control over your body weight. That being said, I would NOT suggest you try taunting tigers at home!]

How To Do Chinese Push Ups or “The Dive Bomber”

Doing the Chinese Push Up or Dive Bomber is pretty straight forward. You get in normal push up position, but with your butt in the air like you might do when you’re in a push up competition and can’t do anymore but are trying to hang on without falling down. Then “dive” into a normal push up, arching your back and putting your head up, and then return to your normal position to complete one repetition. Here’s a video showing you how to do it:

These essentially work the same muscles as a normal push up, although I find that they do pinpoint your outer chest and shoulders better than the normal push up. They also can function well as an endurance exercise when doing many of them consecutively, allowing your heart to get going.

Just as a tip, I wouldn’t suggest doing this exercise in public unless you want to get a lot of funny looks!

There You Have It…

There you have it. Go ahead and try Chinese Push Ups, or “The Dive Bomber” to help mix up your body weight exercise routine and to help keep your workouts enjoyable.

What’s YOUR #1 exercise you like to do to spice up your normal routine?