Top 16 Push-Up Variations (Part 2)
Push-ups give you a full body workout, burn fat and build muscle, and you can do them anywhere. Learn Get-Fit Guy’s top 16 push-up variations, plus get an instructional video.
In last week’s episode, you learned the first 7 variations of the push-up exercise, which can be changed in many ways to work different muscles or help you achieve different fitness goals.
Let’s jump right into the next 9 variations of the push-up, and remember that you can get a Top 16 Push Up Variations.
#8. Narrow Grip Push-Up. In the episode /health-fitness/exercise/how-to-tone-the-backs-of-your-arms, narrow grip push-ups are highlighted as a fantastic triceps exercise. This is true, but only if you focus on keeping your elbows in as you do it. To do a proper narrow grip push-up, simply move your hands slightly closer together, and as you perform the push-up, focus on ensuring that your elbows “brush” the sides of your rib cage, rather than flaring out.
#9. One Leg Push-Up. When you lift one leg off the ground during the push-up, you place a much higher amount of stress on the leg that is left on the ground, and you also shift more weight to your upper body muscles and abs. You can alternate legs, or simply leave one leg elevated during the entire set.
#10. Spiderman Push-Up. The Spiderman push-up is a great way to work the sides of your abs. To do it, simply perform a push-up, but as you lower yourself to the ground, drive your right knee to your left elbow, then push yourself back up as you bring that leg back. Then do another push-up, but this time drive your left knee to your right elbow. This exercise can be made even more difficult by doing it with your feet on a raised surface.
#11. Dive Bomber Push-Up. If you don’t have access to a weight that you can press overhead, but you still want to work your shoulders in a similar manner, then a dive bomber push-up can come in handy. To do a dive-bomber push-up (also known as a hindu push-up), begin with both hands about 12 inches in front of the body, imagine an electric fence above your hands, and “dive” under that fence in a swooping motion, and then reverse direction and swoop back. You may need to Top 16 Push Up Variations for this one. It’s also a fantastic flexibility exercise for your low back and hamstrings.
#12. Clapping Push-Up. Explosive push-ups outperform nearly every other variation in terms of the force requirements to push the body off the ground. Of course, the high impact nature of this variation can make it difficult if you have low back problems, as you place an enormous amount of stress on the lower spine when your hands “land,” so be careful with this one!
#13. Torso Forward Push-Up. When you shift your torso forward during the push-up, you use more of your chest and less of your triceps compared to a normal push-up position. Simply begin the push-up with your hands placed farther back (closer to your ribcage) than you normally would.
#14. Torso Back Push-Up. As you may have guessed already, the previous variation could be reversed. So when you shift your torso back during the push-up, instead of forward, you use less of your chest and more of your triceps. Begin this version with your hands about 6-12 inches farther out in front than you would normally place your hands.
#15. Weighted Push-Up. (put plates or backpack on back). If a body weight push-up is feeling too easy, and you need more of a challenge for your upper body or abs, then you’ll need to add weight to a push-up. One way to do this is to put weight plates on your back. But sometimes this can take some assistance from a partner – which is why a backpack filled with books (or weights) is a perfect way to add resistance to a push-up.
#16. Elastic Band Resisted Push-Up. If you don’t have weights or a backpack, or you want to experience resistance in both the lowering and raising phases of the push-up, then you can strap an elastic band or elastic tube with handles across your back, and put one end the elastic band or tube in each hand. When you do a push-up with an elastic band, you’ll find that the band accelerates you towards the ground, so to get the best strength or muscle building results, you should resist that acceleration and do this version in a slow, controlled manner.
There you have it – 16 variations of the traditional push-up that work the entire body. Once you get to know these push-up variations, you can implement them into your workout at the gym, begin your day (like I do) with a handful of your favorite variations, or even include them in the brief 10-minute workouts I described in .
you have more questions about Top 16 Push Up Variations, push-up tips, or your own push-up variations to add, then join the conversation at GetFitGuy on Facebook!
About the Author
Ben Greenfield received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from University of Idaho in sports science and exercise physiology; personal training and strength and conditioning certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA); a sports nutrition certification from the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), an advanced bicycle fitting certification from Serotta. He has over 11 years’ experience in coaching professional, collegiate, and recreational athletes from all sports, and as helped hundreds of clients achieve weight loss and fitness success.
