The push up is one of the most celebrated and polarizing movements in the gym.

Pushing yourself up off the floor is a pretty liberating feeling, and from a Trainers' perspective, there are a lot of good things that happen with a push up.

Core strength (it's a moving plank...).

Pelvic control (amazing for a strong lower back).

And of course, defined arms. Specifically, your triceps (everyone loves strong arms!).

So, if you're looking to spice up your push up game, give these variations a try

No fancy intro this week, just right to the point.

Over time we forget about exercises and I am here to remind you of these three!

For those who don't know, along with online personal training I train people in real life as well. All of the 'real life' personal training happens in my studio so eloquently named "The Rave Cave". Complete with LED lights, black out blinds, and the music to match, the Rave Cave is home to many awesome workouts, and of late, a finisher that my clients are LOVING.

For those who may not know what a 'finisher' is...these are short, somewhat intense, periods of exercise that either 1) get your heart rate up 2) exhaust the muscles you just worked out or 3) both!

Training people with 'Body Baggage' is kind of my thing.

I've had the privilege of working with individuals who have had joint replacements, old and outdated surgical procedures, strains and sprains, and of course the "it only hurts when I do ____" folks.

Through hundreds of training sessions there have been 3 major commonalities. These traits have become the 7 commandments that have helped guide me through pain-free training sessions and hopefully after reading this article, will help you rethink and navigate your own training to alleviate your "body baggage".

"My hip pops during ab exercises...is that normal?"

This is a question that I get asked every month. My rule of thumb is when a question surfaces with more than one of my personal training clients, then it probably would make a decent article on my website or newsletter for lovely humans such as yourself.

So your hip pops...normal? No. Common? Yes.

Does that answer help? Absolutely not.

From a Personal Trainer's point of view, if it pops and it doesn't hurt, business as usual. If the popping is persistent with each rep, you should probably ditch that exercise (for now) and find something that is a little bit more comfortable.