Looking to take your push-ups to the next level? Here are several ways to make this classic exercise more challenging and effective for building upper body strength and endurance. From adding weight to trying explosive variations, there’s a push-up variation for every fitness level.
Push-ups are a great bodyweight exercise that can be done anywhere, anytime, without any equipment.
They are an excellent way to build upper body strength and endurance, but if you’ve been doing them for a while, you might be looking for ways to make them more challenging. Keep reading to learn more about how to make push-ups harder.
Here are some ways to make push-ups harder: Try decline Push-Ups: Place your feet on an elevated surface such as a bench, chair, or step. Do Diamond Push-Ups: Place your hands close together under your chest so that your thumbs and index fingers form a diamond shape. One-Arm Push-Ups: This variation requires a lot of strength, balance, and control. Plyometric Push-Ups: This is an explosive variation of push-ups that will increase your power and speed. Weighted Push-Ups: You can make push-ups harder by adding weight. You can do this by wearing a Slow-Motion Push-Ups: This variation requires a lot of control and is great for building endurance. Close-Grip Push-Ups: This variation works your triceps more than your chest.
Remember to always listen to your body and progress gradually. If a variation is too difficult, start with an easier one and work your way up. With consistency and dedication, you’ll be able to perform advanced variations in no time.
Decline Push-Ups
Decline push-ups are a great variation of the traditional push-up exercise that can help you to build strength and muscle in your chest, shoulders, and triceps.
By elevating your feet onto a bench, chair, or step, you are increasing the resistance of the exercise, which makes it more challenging and effective.
To perform a decline push-up, start by placing your hands on the ground in a shoulder-width apart position, and your feet on the elevated surface.
Make sure your body is in a straight line from your head to your heels, and engage your core and glutes to maintain stability.
Lower your body down towards the ground by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your body, and then push back up to the starting position.
The main benefit of decline push-ups is that they target your upper chest muscles more effectively than traditional push-ups.
This is because the higher angle places more emphasis on the upper portion of your chest, which is often neglected in standard push-ups.
The increased resistance also works your triceps and shoulders more intensely, leading to greater strength gains and muscle development.
Another advantage of decline push-ups is that they require more stabilization from your core and lower body.
This means that you will also be working your abs, obliques, and glutes to a greater extent than regular push-ups.
This can help to improve your overall body composition and posture, as well as reduce your risk of injury during other exercises and activities.
Decline push-ups are an excellent exercise for building upper body strength, muscle, and endurance.
By increasing the resistance and targeting specific muscle groups, they can help you to achieve your fitness goals more quickly and efficiently. Give them a try and see the results for yourself!
So, here is a chart table outlining different ways to modify and progress decline push-ups:
| Method | Description |
|---|---|
| Increase the height of the elevation | Start with a lower elevation, such as a step, and gradually increase the height to a bench or other elevated surface |
| Change hand position | Place hands closer together (close-grip decline push-ups), farther apart (wide-grip decline push-ups), or staggered (one hand forward, one hand back) |
| Add weight | Wear a weighted vest or hold weights in your hands during the push-up |
| Change tempo | Slow down the lowering (eccentric) portion of the push-up, pause at the bottom, or perform explosive decline push-ups |
| Change the type of push-up | Try variations such as diamond decline push-ups or decline plyometric push-ups |
| Use unstable surfaces | Perform decline push-ups on a stability ball or suspension trainer (such as TRX) |
| Do more reps or sets | Increase the number of push-ups you perform in each set or the number of sets you do overall |
| Increase frequency | Perform decline push-ups more frequently throughout the week, such as every day or multiple times per day |
These methods can be combined to create even more challenging variations of the decline push-up. It’s important to gradually increase the difficulty of your push-up routine to avoid injury and ensure proper form. Consider working with a personal trainer or fitness professional for guidance on how to safely progress your decline push-up routine.
Diamond Push-Ups
Diamond push-ups are a challenging variation of the traditional push-up exercise that can help you to build strength and muscle in your triceps and chest.
By placing your hands close together under your chest in a diamond shape, you are increasing the activation of your triceps and chest muscles, making the exercise more difficult and effective.
To perform a diamond push-up, start by placing your hands on the ground in the diamond shape position, with your fingers pointing towards each other.
Keep your elbows close to your body and your feet together, and make sure your body is in a straight line from your head to your heels.
Lower your body down towards the ground by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your body, and then push back up to the starting position.
The main benefit of diamond push-ups is that they target your triceps and chest muscles more effectively than traditional push-ups.
This is because the narrow hand placement increases the activation of these muscles, leading to greater strength gains and muscle development.
The close hand placement also requires more stabilization from your core and shoulders, which can help to improve your overall body composition and posture.
Another advantage of diamond push-ups is that they can help to reduce the risk of injury.
By placing your hands in a diamond shape, you are reducing the amount of stress on your wrists and elbows, which can be a common problem with traditional push-ups. This can make the exercise more comfortable and safe, especially for those with pre-existing joint issues.
Diamond push-ups are an excellent exercise for building upper body strength, muscle, and endurance.
By targeting specific muscle groups and requiring more stabilization, they can help you to achieve your fitness goals more quickly and efficiently. Give them a try and see the results for yourself!
Here is a chart table outlining different ways to modify and progress diamond push-ups:
| Method | Description |
|---|---|
| Change hand position | Move your hands closer together or farther apart to vary the intensity |
| Elevate feet | Place your feet on an elevated surface, such as a bench or step, to increase the difficulty |
| Add weight | Wear a weighted vest or hold weights in your hands during the push-up |
| Change tempo | Slow down the lowering (eccentric) portion of the push-up, pause at the bottom, or perform explosive diamond push-ups |
| Change the type of push-up | Try variations such as decline diamond push-ups or diamond plyometric push-ups |
| Use unstable surfaces | Perform diamond push-ups on a stability ball or suspension trainer (such as TRX) |
| Do more reps or sets | Increase the number of push-ups you perform in each set or the number of sets you do overall |
| Increase frequency | Perform diamond push-ups more frequently throughout the week, such as every day or multiple times per day |
These methods can be combined to create even more challenging variations of the diamond push-up. It’s important to gradually increase the difficulty of your push-up routine to avoid injury and ensure proper form. Consider working with a personal trainer or fitness professional for guidance on how to safely progress your diamond push-up routine.
One-Arm Push-Ups
One-arm push-ups are a variation of the traditional push-up, which involves lifting your body weight up and down with your arms. In one-arm push-ups, you will lift yourself up with one arm while keeping the other straight at your side.
While there are many variations of this exercise that can be performed in different ways (such as on an incline or decline), we’ll focus on the standard version here:
Benefits of One-Arm Push-Ups
One-arm push-ups are a great way to build strength, muscle activation and improve your body composition. They can also help you reduce your risk of injury.
One-arm push-ups require you to use more muscles than regular push-ups do because they involve more muscle groups in the arms, shoulders and chest.
This means that one arm is doing all the work while the other arm is resting on its side or behind your back.
This makes it an excellent exercise for developing strength in these areas as well as improving posture by strengthening back muscles such as the erector spinae (a group of muscles that run along either side of spine).
How to Perform One-Arm Push-Ups
To perform a one-arm push-up, position your hands and feet as if you were about to do a standard push-up. Keep your elbows close to your body, lower yourself down slowly until they’re at about 90 degrees of flexion (or just below parallel), then press back up with control.
To make this exercise more challenging, try doing it on an elevated surface such as a bench or box. You can also add weight by holding something heavy in the hand opposite from where you’re pushing up from-for example, holding dumbbells or kettlebells while performing this exercise with one arm will make it even tougher!
Tips for Doing One-Arm Push-Ups
The first thing you should do is start with a modified version of the one-arm push-up.
If this is your first time trying it out, or even if you’re just not ready for full-on one-arm pushups yet, try using both hands on the floor and then lift one arm off at a time to perform half reps.
This will help build up strength in both sides of your body and make sure that your form is correct before progressing further.
Once you’ve mastered this step, move on to alternating arms during each rep (or even going from left to right).
This helps keep things balanced as well as making sure that both sides get equal training time without having any extra rest periods between sets!
if necessary use a spotter so that they can help keep control over how far down their partner goes during each rep by gently pushing against their shoulders when needed–this way there won’t be any risk injury due lackadaisical effort or sloppy form!
Modified Versions of One-Arm Push-Ups
If you’re not quite ready for the full one-arm push-up, there are some modified versions that can help you build up strength and get closer to your goal.
- Knee push-ups: These are a great way to start working on this movement pattern if you haven’t done any other kind of pressing before. They still involve a lot of core engagement and upper body strength, but they don’t require as much balance or stabilization in the shoulders.
- Wall push-ups: Another good way to practice the one-arm version without having to worry about falling over! You can also use an incline bench if it’s too difficult at first–just make sure you keep your feet planted firmly on the ground so that they don’t slide out from under you when doing these exercises!
- Incline push-ups: This variation is similar in difficulty level as wall presses since both involve using more than one limb for support during exercise execution; however, inclines allow for greater range of motion (ROM) than walls do because they allow more freedom within each repetition cycle due largely due their higher elevation above ground level compared with walls which tend towards being lower than most people’s heights unless someone stands on something else nearby such as chairs/stools etcetera.”
One-arm push-ups are a challenging and effective exercise for building upper body strength and endurance. Give them a try, and see the results for yourself!
Here is a chart table outlining different ways to modify and progress one-arm push-ups:
| Method | Description |
|---|---|
| Use a progression | Start with an easier variation, such as one-arm push-ups with your hand elevated on a step or bench, and gradually work your way up to the full one-arm push-up |
| Use a counterbalance | Use a towel or resistance band wrapped around a stable object to assist with the pushing motion |
| Elevate feet | Place your feet on an elevated surface, such as a bench or step, to increase the difficulty |
| Add weight | Wear a weighted vest or hold weights in your free hand during the push-up |
| Change tempo | Slow down the lowering (eccentric) portion of the push-up, pause at the bottom, or perform explosive one-arm push-ups |
| Change the type of push-up | Try variations such as decline one-arm push-ups or one-arm plyometric push-ups |
| Use unstable surfaces | Perform one-arm push-ups on a stability ball or suspension trainer (such as TRX) |
| Do more reps or sets | Increase the number of push-ups you perform in each set or the number of sets you do overall |
| Increase frequency | Perform one-arm push-ups more frequently throughout the week, such as every day or multiple times per day |
These methods can be combined to create even more challenging variations of the one-arm push-up. It’s important to gradually increase the difficulty of your push-up routine to avoid injury and ensure proper form. Consider working with a personal trainer or fitness professional for guidance on how to safely progress your one-arm push-up routine.
Plyometric Push-Ups
Plyometric push-ups are a type of exercise that uses explosive power to strengthen the muscles in your upper body.
They’re also known as clap push-ups, because you’ll often hear the sound of your hands slapping together when you perform them correctly.
Plyometric exercises are designed to improve muscle elasticity and provide an intense workout for all those who practice them regularly. If you want to get started with plyometric training, here’s what you need to know:
- Plyometric push-ups involve moving from a static position into an explosive one–for example, lowering yourself down into a normal push-up position and then using your arms’ momentum to launch yourself back up again (as opposed to simply lowering yourself slowly). This process requires more effort than just doing regular old push ups!
- Plyometric movements can help build strength throughout all areas of your body by increasing muscle mass while improving flexibility at the same time. They also promote balance between opposing muscle groups so that one doesn’t overpower another during movement; this helps prevent injury when performing other sports activities later on down the road too!
Benefits of Plyometric Push-Ups
Plyometric push-ups are a great way to improve strength and muscle activation, as well as improve body composition.
They also reduce injury risk, which is always a good thing!
Plyometric exercises are designed to build explosive power in the muscles by using the stretch reflex mechanism.
When you perform an action that causes your muscles to contract forcefully (like jumping), they store energy in their elastic components (such as tendons).
When you then relax those muscles and allow them to stretch again, this stored energy is released back into your body as force–and voila! You have just performed a plyometric exercise!
If you’re looking for more ways to improve your fitness level at home, check out our other articles on how to get fit with dumbbells or kettlebells!
How to Perform Plyometric Push-Ups
To perform a plyometric pushup, start in the standard plank position with your feet together and hands on the floor under your shoulders. Your body should be straight from head to toe, with no sagging or arching in either direction.
Keep your core engaged throughout this movement as well as during all other exercises in this article!
Explode upwards by pushing with both arms at once while keeping them straight.
This will help create more power and improve strength when compared to doing an ordinary pushup where you bend one arm at a time (which is still great!).
Land softly with bent knees so that only about half of your weight is on each foot; don’t let all of it come down on one leg or else it will hurt! Alternate between sides every rep until all reps are completed for that set – do not rest between sets!
Tips for Doing Plyometric Push-Ups
The first thing to do is to start with the modified version of this exercise. This will help to build up your strength and endurance over time, so that you can eventually perform full plyometric push-ups without any assistance.
Once you’re ready for the real thing, try alternating arms instead of doing them both at once. This will make the exercise much easier on your joints and allow for better control over how much force is being applied during each repetition.
if neither of these options work for you (or if they do), use a spotter! The spotter can help keep track of how many reps have been completed so far by counting out loud or tapping their foot against yours every time there’s a rep changeover point–just make sure they don’t get too excited about their new role as personal trainer.
Modified Versions of Plyometric Push-Ups
Modified versions of plyometric push-ups include:
- Knee Push-Ups – This is a great way to work your chest, shoulders and triceps without putting as much pressure on your lower back. If you’re not ready for full body weight plyometric push-ups yet, this is a good option!
- Wall Push-Ups – If you want to take it up another notch without adding weight (or if there’s no room for incline) try wall push-ups instead! They’ll still give you an intense workout without straining your joints too much.
Plyometric Push-Ups are a great way to build explosive power and strength in your chest, shoulders and triceps.
If you want to improve your overall athletic performance, then plyometric push-ups should be part of your training program.
here is a chart table outlining different ways to modify and progress plyometric push-ups:
| Method | Description |
|---|---|
| Use a progression | Start with an easier variation, such as plyometric push-ups with your hands elevated on a step or bench, and gradually work your way up to the full plyometric push-up |
| Change hand position | Place your hands closer together or farther apart to vary the intensity |
| Elevate feet | Place your feet on an elevated surface, such as a bench or step, to increase the difficulty |
| Add weight | Wear a weighted vest or hold weights in your hands during the push-up |
| Change tempo | Slow down the lowering (eccentric) portion of the push-up, pause at the bottom, or perform explosive clap push-ups |
| Change the type of push-up | Try variations such as decline plyometric push-ups or diamond plyometric push-ups |
| Use unstable surfaces | Perform plyometric push-ups on a stability ball or suspension trainer (such as TRX) |
| Do more reps or sets | Increase the number of push-ups you perform in each set or the number of sets you do overall |
| Increase frequency | Perform plyometric push-ups more frequently throughout the week, such as every day or multiple times per day |
These methods can be combined to create even more challenging variations of the plyometric push-up. It’s important to gradually increase the difficulty of your push-up routine to avoid injury and ensure proper form. Consider working with a personal trainer or fitness professional for guidance on how to safely progress your plyometric push-up routine.
Weighted Push-Ups
Weighted push-ups are exactly what they sound like: push-ups that use weight to increase the difficulty of the exercise. The most common way to do this is by holding a dumbbell or kettlebell in each hand, but you can
also use weights on your back or even just wear a backpack with some heavy items inside it (like books).
Weighted push-ups are great for building strength in your arms and chest muscles, as well as improving overall body composition by increasing muscle mass while decreasing fat stores.
Tips for Doing Weighted Push-Ups
- Start with a modified version.
- Alternate arms.
- Use a spotter.
Modified Versions of Weighted Push-Ups
There are three main types of modified weighted push-ups:
- Knee push-ups
- Wall push-ups
- Incline push-ups
Benefits of Weighted Push-Ups
Weighted push-ups are a great way to build strength and muscle activation. They also improve body composition, reduce injury risk, and help you feel more confident in your own skin.
One of the most common reasons people choose not to do weighted push-ups is because they don’t think they can do them properly or safely.
But with some practice (and maybe a little guidance), anyone can learn how to do this exercise correctly!
Weighted push-ups are a great way to build strength and muscle activation. They’ll help you get more out of your regular push-up routine, as well as make it easier for you to perform other exercises that require chest strength.
If you’ve never done weighted push-ups before, try them out and see the results for yourself!
| Method | Description |
|---|---|
| Use a progression | Start with an easier variation, such as weighted push-ups with your hands elevated on a step or bench, and gradually work your way up to the full weighted push-up |
| Change hand position | Place your hands closer together or farther apart to vary the intensity |
| Elevate feet | Place your feet on an elevated surface, such as a bench or step, to increase the difficulty |
| Add weight | Wear a weighted vest or hold weights in your hands during the push-up |
| Change tempo | Slow down the lowering (eccentric) portion of the push-up, pause at the bottom, or perform explosive weighted push-ups |
| Change the type of push-up | Try variations such as decline weighted push-ups or diamond weighted push-ups |
| Use unstable surfaces | Perform weighted push-ups on a stability ball or suspension trainer (such as TRX) |
| Do more reps or sets | Increase the number of push-ups you perform in each set or the number of sets you do overall |
| Increase frequency | Perform weighted push-ups more frequently throughout the week, such as every day or multiple times per day |
| Use accessories | Utilize resistance bands, suspension trainers, or other accessories to increase the challenge and intensity of the exercise |
| Use bands for assistance | Use a resistance band wrapped around a stable object to assist with the pushing motion |
| Change grip | Use a narrow, wide, or neutral grip to vary the difficulty of the push-up |
| Increase range of motion | Increase the range of motion by decreasing the base of support or by performing decline or incline weighted push-ups |
| Isolate body parts | Focus on specific muscle groups by changing the hand or leg position during the push-up |
Slow-Motion Push-Ups
Slow-motion push-ups are a variation of the traditional push-up that involves lowering yourself down to the ground as slowly as possible, and then pushing yourself back up as quickly as you can.
This exercise is great for building endurance and control, as well as improving overall body composition by increasing muscle mass while decreasing fat stores.
Slow-motion push-ups require a lot of focus and control, making them a great challenge for anyone looking to improve their strength and fitness level.
Benefits of Slow-Motion Push-Ups
Slow-motion push-ups are a great way to build endurance and control over your body movements.
They also improve body composition by increasing muscle mass while decreasing fat stores, and can help reduce injury risk by improving postural stability and alignment.
Slow-motion push-ups are also a great way to challenge yourself mentally, as they require a lot of focus and concentration to perform correctly.
How to Perform Slow-Motion Push-Ups
To perform slow-motion push-ups, start in the standard plank position with your feet together and hands on the floor under your shoulders. Your body should be straight from head to toe, with no sagging or arching in either direction.
Slowly lower yourself down to the ground, taking as long as possible to do so. This will challenge your muscles and help build endurance over time.
Once you’ve lowered yourself all the way down, push yourself back up as quickly as you can. This will challenge your muscles in a different way, building explosive power and strength.
Tips for Doing Slow-Motion Push-Ups
- Start with a modified version.
- Keep your core engaged throughout the exercise.
- Don’t sacrifice form for speed.
Modified Versions of Slow-Motion Push-Ups
If you’re not quite ready for full slow-motion push-ups, there are some modified versions that can help you work up to them over time:
- Knee push-ups – These are a great way to start building strength and endurance in your upper body without putting too much pressure on your joints.
- Wall push-ups – These are another great option for beginners or anyone who wants to work on their form before moving on to more challenging exercises.
Slow-motion push-ups are a great way to build endurance and control over your body movements.
They require a lot of focus and concentration to perform correctly, making them a great challenge for anyone looking to improve their strength and fitness level.
If you’re interested in trying out this exercise for yourself, start with a modified version and work your way up over time. With consistent practice, you’ll be able to perform full slow-motion push-ups in no time!
| Method | Description |
|---|---|
| Use a progression | Start with an easier variation, such as slow-motion push-ups with your hands elevated on a step or bench, and gradually work your way up to the full slow-motion push-up |
| Change hand position | Place your hands closer together or farther apart to vary the intensity |
| Elevate feet | Place your feet on an elevated surface, such as a bench or step, to increase the difficulty |
| Add weight | Wear a weighted vest or hold weights in your hands during the push-up |
| Change tempo | Slow down the lowering (eccentric) portion of the push-up, pause at the bottom, or perform explosive slow-motion push-ups |
| Change the type of push-up | Try variations such as decline slow-motion push-ups or diamond slow-motion push-ups |
| Use unstable surfaces | Perform slow-motion push-ups on a stability ball or suspension trainer (such as TRX) |
| Do more reps or sets | Increase the number of push-ups you perform in each set or the number of sets you do overall |
| Increase frequency | Perform slow-motion push-ups more frequently throughout the week, such as every day or multiple times per day |
| Use accessories | Utilize resistance bands, suspension trainers, or other accessories to increase the challenge and intensity of the exercise |
| Use bands for assistance | Use a resistance band wrapped around a stable object to assist with the pushing motion |
| Change grip | Use a narrow, wide, or neutral grip to vary the difficulty of the push-up |
| Increase range of motion | Increase the range of motion by decreasing the base of support or by performing decline or incline slow-motion push-ups |
| Isolate body parts | Focus on specific muscle groups by changing the hand or leg position during the push-up |
| Change your environment | Find an outdoor area with uneven terrain to practice slow-motion push-ups on |
| Change your stance | Try wide stance, narrow stance, or staggered stance push-ups to vary the intensity |
| Use a spotter | Request assistance from a spotter to help you complete the push-up with correct form |
| Change the angle | Place your hands and feet on an incline or decline to increase the difficulty |
| Increase time under tension | Increase the duration of each repetition to increase the time under tension |
Close-Grip Push-Ups
Close-grip push-ups are a variation of the standard push-up.
They’re performed with your hands closer together than usual, which makes them more difficult and targets different muscles in your chest and arms.
Benefits of Close-Grip Push-Ups:
- They increase strength in the triceps (the back of your arm), shoulders, chest and core muscles.
- They challenge balance because you have to keep yourself from tipping over as you lower yourself down for each rep.
How To Do Them:
Modified Versions of Close-Grip Push-Ups
Modified versions of close-grip push-ups include knee push-ups, wall push-ups and incline push-ups.
Knee Push Ups: These are a great way to build up strength in your arms and shoulders before attempting the full exercise.
If you have trouble doing regular close grip push ups on the floor, try them with your knees on a soft surface like carpet or grass.
This will help take some of the weight off of your body so that you can practice getting into position without straining yourself too much at first!
Wall Push Ups: If there’s no room for an actual wall behind where you’re working out (or if there isn’t one nearby), then just make sure that whatever surface is available has enough space for both feet flat against it at once–that way when doing this modified version there’ll be no chance at slipping off while trying out those new moves!
Incline Push Ups: This variation involves using an incline bench instead of using flat ground as support during each rep; this means less work needed from muscles used during normal execution because gravity won’t be helping out quite as much when performing these movements which makes them great options for beginners looking forward towards progressing further down their fitness journey.”
| Method | Description |
|---|---|
| Use a progression | Start with an easier variation, such as close-grip push-ups with your hands elevated on a step or bench, and gradually work your way up to the full close-grip push-up |
| Change hand position | Place your hands closer together or farther apart to vary the intensity |
| Elevate feet | Place your feet on an elevated surface, such as a bench or step, to increase the difficulty |
| Add weight | Wear a weighted vest or hold weights in your hands during the push-up |
| Change tempo | Slow down the lowering (eccentric) portion of the push-up, pause at the bottom, or perform explosive close-grip push-ups |
| Change the type of push-up | Try variations such as decline close-grip push-ups or diamond close-grip push-ups |
| Use unstable surfaces | Perform close-grip push-ups on a stability ball or suspension trainer (such as TRX) |
| Do more reps or sets | Increase the number of push-ups you perform in each set or the number of sets you do overall |
| Increase frequency | Perform close-grip push-ups more frequently throughout the week, such as every day or multiple times per day |
| Use accessories | Utilize resistance bands, suspension trainers, or other accessories to increase the challenge and intensity of the exercise |
| Use bands for assistance | Use a resistance band wrapped around a stable object to assist with the pushing motion |
| Change grip | Use a narrow, wide, or neutral grip to vary the difficulty of the push-up |
| Increase range of motion | Increase the range of motion by decreasing the base of support or by performing decline or incline close-grip push-ups |
| Isolate body parts | Focus on specific muscle groups by changing the hand or leg position during the push-up |
| Change your environment | Find an outdoor area with uneven terrain to practice close-grip push-ups on |
| Change your stance | Try wide stance, narrow stance, or staggered stance push-ups to vary the intensity |
| Use a spotter | Request assistance from a spotter to help you complete the push-up with correct form |
| Change the angle | Place your hands and feet on an incline or decline to increase the difficulty |
| Increase time under tension | Increase the duration of each repetition to increase the time under tension |
Benefits of Close-Grip Push-Ups
- Build strength and muscle activation: Close-grip push-ups require you to use more muscles, which results in greater strength gains than regular push-ups.
- Improve body composition: The close position of your hands forces you to engage more of your chest and triceps muscles compared to regular push-ups, helping you build a leaner upper body.
- Reduce injury risk: Because they work so many different muscle groups at once (including the core), close grip push ups are great for preventing injuries like rotator cuff tears or shoulder impingement syndrome by strengthening the entire upper body evenly.
How to Perform Close-Grip Push-Ups
To perform a close-grip push-up, start in the standard plank position. Place your hands close together and lower yourself down slowly. Push yourself back up quickly, using as much force as possible.
Tips for Doing Close-Grip Push-Ups
If you’re new to close-grip push-ups, it’s best to start with a modified version. The closer your hands are together, the more difficult it becomes to keep your body straight and aligned. This can lead to injury if you aren’t careful.
To get started with this exercise:
- Place your hands on the floor so that they’re slightly wider than shoulder width apart (about 6 inches).
- Keep your core engaged throughout all repetitions of this exercise; don’t sacrifice form for speed!
Modified Versions of Close-Grip Push-Ups
There are a few modifications you can make to close-grip push-ups to make them easier or more difficult.
- Knee push-ups: If you’re not ready for full body weight on your hands, try knee push-ups instead. This will help build up strength in the muscles that support your arms and shoulders while still working on the same motions as regular close-grip push-ups.
- Wall push-ups: Instead of placing both hands on the floor at once, place one hand at a time against a wall or other sturdy surface so that only half of your body is supported by gravity (the other half remains off). This will reduce some of the strain on your muscles while still working those same muscles hard enough to get results!
- Incline Push Ups: To make incline push ups easier or harder depending upon what level of fitness you’re currently at, simply change how steeply inclined they are by adjusting how high up from flat ground they are set up before starting out with this exercise routine today!
Close-grip push-ups are a great way to build strength and muscle activation. They also improve body composition, reduce injury risk, and can help you perform better in other exercises. If you’re looking for a new challenge in the gym or at home, close-grip push-ups might be just what you need!
So, here is a chart table outlining different ways to make push-ups harder:
| Method | Description |
|---|---|
| Add weight | Wear a weighted vest, place weights on your back, or hold weights in your hands during the push-up |
| Change hand position | Place hands closer together (close-grip push-ups), farther apart (wide-grip push-ups), or staggered (one hand forward, one hand back) |
| Elevate feet | Place feet on an elevated surface, such as a bench or step |
| Change tempo | Slow down the lowering (eccentric) portion of the push-up, pause at the bottom, or perform explosive push-ups |
| Change the type of push-up | Try variations such as diamond push-ups, decline push-ups, or plyometric push-ups |
| Use unstable surfaces | Perform push-ups on a stability ball, BOSU ball, or suspension trainer (such as TRX) |
| Do more reps or sets | Increase the number of push-ups you perform in each set or the number of sets you do overall |
| Increase frequency | Perform push-ups more frequently throughout the week, such as every day or multiple times per day |
These methods can be combined to create even more challenging variations of the push-up. It’s important to gradually increase the difficulty of your push-up routine to avoid injury and ensure proper form. Consider working with a personal trainer or fitness professional for guidance on how to safely progress your push-up routine.
Conclusion
In conclusion, push-ups are a versatile and effective exercise that can be modified to suit any fitness level or goal.
By incorporating these seven variations into your routine, you can take your push-ups to the next level and continue to challenge yourself and see results.
Remember to always listen to your body, progress gradually, and have fun with your workout. With dedication and consistency, you’ll be able to master these push-up variations and achieve your fitness goals.