This Local Fitness Invention Is Perfect For Home Workouts
Working out with The Pushup Machine Photo courtesy The Pushup Machine
Last year, Noblesville trainer Matt Shade invented The Pushup Machine ($120) that corrects form and increases intensity while doing the Old Faithful of exercises. It’s the only patented device with an incline, and the handles rotate 360 degrees and slide in and out. Sales have bulked up since at-home workouts became the norm, so we asked Shade to weigh in on fitness in the time of COVID-19.
How has staying healthy changed in isolation?
Eating healthy is just as important as exercise right now, if not more. And with the mental side, making sure you stay connected. My wife is doing Zoom workouts, and it’s the connecting with others that she looks forward to. For the working-out part, just find some way to move that you enjoy. There’s no perfect workout.
Any local recommendations for online classes?
The people who come to mind are Anna Newcomb, who has been doing free barre classes online, and Matt Brooks for online yoga. For strength and sports performance, Graham Wilkerson and Brian Clarke. They all have a passion for their craft.
Why do you like the age-old pushup?
Because there’s a push and a pull movement for the upper body and you’re using your own body weight. When you do them correctly, you’re working your chest, core, and triceps.
How many can you do?
I never really burn out on them. I do them as parts of workouts. I can probably knock out about 65. They’re challenging, though. People say they are about three to four times harder than a traditional pushup.
Do pushups give women better boobs?
I’m not an expert there. It will add strength. With functional exercise, you’re not going to bulk up. It’s going to make you lean and ripped, give you athletic muscles. The positive feedback from females is that it sculpts the shoulders and arms.
What’s in your home gym?
The Pushup Machine, a pull-up bar, a TRX type of band, and a set of dumbbells. It’s pretty simple. I break down fitness into four parts, and that’s the strength. For cardio, it’s bike-riding, running, walking, or swimming. The third part is flexibility, any type of yoga. And the fourth is balance. I never thought about that when I was younger, but balance is a big part of our lives as we get older.
