Whether it’s toning muscles or enhancing strength, push-ups are beneficial for both purposes.
In the realm of home workouts, few exercises rival the effectiveness of push-ups. They serve as an excellent bodyweight regimen for sculpting the chest, triceps, shoulders, abs, and obliques while also fortifying the core. While the conventional push-up is widely recognized, there exist several variations capable of fostering a physique akin to Thor’s with proper execution. So, prepare your pre-workout fuel, cue up your favorite podcast, and prepare to explore these five push-up variations.
Spiderman Push-ups
Spiderman push-ups engage all the upper body muscles. To execute them, start in a plank position with feet shoulder-width apart, ensuring your body forms a straight line from head to toe. Maintain a 45-degree angle bend in your elbows without fully lowering your chest to the ground. While descending, lift your right leg and draw your knee toward your elbow. Pause briefly in this position before returning your leg and raising your torso. Repeat the movement with the opposite leg.
Pro Tip
Engage in Spiderman push-ups only once you can comfortably complete 15 to 20 traditional push-ups.
Plyo Push-ups
Plyo push-ups, also known as clapping push-ups, represent an advanced variation targeting the chest, triceps, abs, and shoulders. Primarily favored by athletes, plyo push-ups serve to enhance strength and endurance. To execute clapping push-ups, mastery of traditional push-ups is essential. With sufficient force generated from the hands, propel yourself off the ground to perform the clap. Maintain tight core engagement throughout the movement and land softly, seamlessly transitioning into your next repetition.
Diamond Push-ups
If you’re grappling with weak arms, diamond push-ups, also known as triangle push-ups, offer an effective solution for toning. Targeting primarily the triceps while also engaging the chest and shoulders, diamond push-ups are straightforward to perform. Simply position your hands forward, forming a triangle in front of your face. Unlike traditional push-ups where hands are positioned sideways, diamond push-ups require bringing both hands together in front and executing the movement similarly to traditional push-ups.
Pro Tip
Diamond push-ups primarily target the triceps, so it’s crucial to maintain engagement in your triceps throughout the exercise rather than relying on your shoulders.
Pike Push-ups
Pike push-ups stand out as the sole push-up variation that engages the entire body. This exercise effectively targets both upper and lower body muscles while serving as an excellent calorie-burning activity. To perform pike push-ups, begin in the traditional push-up position. Then, lift your heels off the ground and draw your legs closer to your upper body. Next, raise your buttocks into the air, maintaining straight arms and bending your hips to create an inverted V-shape. Finally, smoothly slide forward using your shoulders and execute the push-up motion.
Single-arm push-ups
Undoubtedly, mastering one-arm push-ups presents one of the most challenging variations. Throughout the motion, 70% of your body weight rests on a single arm. This exercise serves as an excellent gauge of your fitness level, as few individuals can lift their entire body weight with just one arm.
One-arm push-ups engage your arms, shoulders, chest, core, and even your hips. To execute them, assume the traditional push-up position. Next, while maintaining this posture, raise one arm and position it behind your back. Proceed to lower yourself in the same manner as with traditional push-ups. Repeat the movement with the opposite arm.