Convict Conditioning - Paul Wade

74 COllVIOT COBDI!I!IOB'IBG
I1J.cline Tiger Bends
This is an exercise performed by a lot of bodybuilders who find themselves in prison and want
to maintain their arm size. Although it's a bodyweight exercise, it's more like a barbell triceps
extension than a true pushup, because it works the triceps but not the pectorals or shoulders. Lean
forwards at a forty-five degree angle, grabbing a solid object in front of you. In prison, wash
basins usually fit the bill, but if you are training at home you might want to use a kitchen counter
or a work surface You can even do the exercise with your palms flat on a wall, opposite your
chest. Keeping the elbows pointing down, bend at the elbows but not at the shoulders. Continue
moving forwards as far as you can or until your upper arms meet your torso, then press yourself
up. Plenty of strict reps will have your triceps screaming for mercy.
Maltese Pushups
These are an obscure variation of the pushup often used by gymnasts, because they partially
mimic training on the rings. Maltese pushups look a little like full pushups, but the hands are
placed in line with the hips, and quite far out from the body. Ifyou were to draw a line up the athlete's
torso and another from palm to palm in this position, the two lines would approximate a
Maltese cross, hence the name of the exercise. The movement required by this type of pushup is
difficult to appreciate unless you actually see an expert doing it. Maltese pushups work the biceps
as well as the triceps, but the technique can be rough on the inner elbows. Unless you are a gymnast,
I'd disregard them.