Table of Contents
Get ready to supercharge your core with these 8 unique push up variations! push ups aren’t just about your chest and triceps; they’re the secret sauce for a superhuman core. From pike push up to Renegade push up, these variations add a twist to your routine, targeting different areas and making your core rock-solid.
Say goodbye to boring workouts; these bodyweight exercises bring the energy and excitement you need to level up your fitness game. No fancy equipment needed – just you, the floor, and a determination to build that powerhouse core. It’s time to redefine your workout, one push up variation at a time. Let’s make that core superhuman!
8 Push Up Variations
8 Unique Push Up Variations to build rock solid core with defined six packs are as follow.
1. pike push up 2. hand release push up 3. One arm push up 4. diamond push up 5. Archer Push Up 6. Decline Push Up 7. Renegade Push Up 8. Plyometric Push Up
So let’s dive in each push up variation:
1. Pike Push Up:
The Pike Push Up is a game-changer in your push up repertoire, offering a unique angle to target the upper chest and shoulders. Departing from the classic push up position, this inclined variation adds an exciting dimension to your upper body workout.
Form:
- To execute a Pike push up, bring your hands close together and position your body in an inverted V shape.
- Elevate your hips towards the ceiling while keeping your core engaged, creating a challenging yet effective form.
Benefits of Pike Push Up:
- Stronger Upper Body: The primary focus on the upper chest and shoulders promotes strength in these areas, contributing to a more robust upper body.
- Improved Core Stability: The inclined position engages the core, intensifying the workout and enhancing overall stability. This engagement is crucial for maintaining proper form and control throughout the exercise.
- Shoulder Health: Pike push ups actively involve and strengthen shoulder muscles, fostering better shoulder health. This targeted engagement contributes to both strength and flexibility in the shoulder region.
Muscles Worked:
Pike push ups engage multiple muscle groups:
- Chest: The pushing motion activates chest muscles.
- Shoulders: The inclined angle targets and strengthens shoulder muscles.
- Core (Abs, Obliques): The engaged core is essential for stability, providing support and control.
Incorporating Pike push ups into your routine not only diversifies your workout but also offers a focused approach to building upper body strength, core stability, and promoting shoulder health. It’s a dynamic addition to your fitness regimen, challenging different muscle groups and contributing to a well-rounded upper body workout.
2. Hand Release Push Up:
The Hand Release Push-Up is a variation that emphasizes full-range motion and deliberate engagement. This variation involves releasing your hands from the ground at the bottom of the push-up, adding an extra challenge to the standard push-up.
Form:
- Begin in a standard push-up position, lower your body to the ground, and, at the bottom, lift your hands slightly off the ground before pushing back up.
- This reset at the bottom ensures a complete range of motion and emphasizes strength through the entire push-up.
Benefits:
- Full Range of Motion: Releasing the hands forces a reset at the bottom, encouraging a complete range of motion and engaging muscles throughout the movement.
- Deliberate Engagement: The hand release component requires intentional engagement, promoting muscular control and strength.
- Enhanced Push Up Form: By focusing on a deliberate release, this variation encourages proper push-up form and technique.
Muscles Worked:
The Hand Release Push Up targets:
Chest: Engages chest muscles during the pushing motion.
- Triceps: Actively involves triceps in the push-off phase.
- Shoulders: Requires shoulder stability throughout the movement.
- Core: The deliberate release intensifies core engagement for stability.
Incorporating Hand Release Push Ups into your routine adds a layer of intentionality to your push-up practice, ensuring a full range of motion and promoting deliberate engagement for enhanced upper body and core strength.
3. One Arm push up:
The One Arm push up is an advanced variation that takes your push up game to the next level, challenging both balance and core strength. It’s a move that demands precision and control, offering a true test of upper body strength.
Form:
- To perform a One Arm push up, begin in a standard push up position.
- Lower your body to the ground while balancing on one arm, keeping your core tight and engaged throughout the movement.
- Maintain proper alignment and control as you push back up to the starting position.
Benefits of One Arm Push Up:
- Increased Core Activation: Balancing on one arm requires intense core engagement to stabilize the body, resulting in enhanced core strength and stability.
- Unilateral Strength Development: The One-Arm push up focuses on one side of the body at a time, promoting balanced strength development and addressing any muscle imbalances.
- Impressive Feat: Mastering the One-Arm push up is a testament to your strength and control, making it a highly impressive accomplishment in the realm of bodyweight exercises.
Muscles Worked:
The One-Arm push up targets a variety of muscle groups:
- Chest: The pushing motion engages the chest muscles, promoting chest strength and development.
- Triceps: The triceps are heavily involved in the pushing phase of the exercise, contributing to arm strength and definition.
- Shoulders: Shoulder muscles are activated to stabilize and control the movement.
- Core (Intensely): The core muscles are intensely engaged throughout the exercise to maintain balance and stability, resulting in a significant core workout.
Incorporating One-Arm push ups into your routine not only challenges your strength and balance but also helps build a strong and stable core, impressive upper body strength, and unilateral muscle development.
4. Archer push up:
The Archer push up introduces a dynamic twist to the classic push up, featuring a single-arm movement with alternating hand positions. This variation not only challenges your upper body strength but also enhances core stability and body awareness.
image credits; Men’s Health (via: Pinterest)
Form:
- Execute the Archer push up by starting in a push up position and stepping one hand forward while keeping the other extended.
- Lower your chest towards the ground on one side, maintaining a straight line, then alternate sides.
- Engage your core throughout to ensure stability and control.
Benefits of Archer Push Up:
- Increased Core Stability: The alternating hand positions of archer push up require heightened core stability, intensifying the engagement of abdominal muscles for enhanced strength.
- Improved Body Awareness: The unilateral nature of the Archer push up enhances body awareness, promoting better control and coordination during the exercise.
- Unilateral Strength Development: Like the One-Arm push up, the Archer push up focuses on one side at a time, contributing to balanced strength development and muscle engagement.
Muscles Worked:
The Archer push up targets various muscle groups:
- Chest: The pushing motion engages chest muscles for strength and development.
- Triceps: Both arms are actively involved, emphasizing triceps engagement.
- Shoulders: Stabilization of the body requires shoulder muscles to maintain control.
- Core (Intensely): The alternating hand positions intensify core engagement, providing a comprehensive core workout.
Incorporating Archer push ups into your routine adds diversity to your upper body workout, emphasizing unilateral strength development, core stability, and increased body awareness. This challenging variation contributes to a well-rounded and effective bodyweight exercise routine.
5. Decline push up:
The Decline push up is an advanced variation that ramps up the intensity by elevating your feet on a platform. This elevated position not only targets the upper body muscles but also increases the demand on your core for added challenge.
Form:
- Position yourself in a standard push up stance with your feet elevated on a platform, such as a bench or sturdy surface.
- Keep your hands shoulder-width apart and your core tight to maintain a flat back throughout the movement.
Benefits of Decline Push Up:
- Stronger Upper Body: The Decline push up primarily targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps, promoting strength and muscle development in these areas.
- Improved Core Engagement: Elevating the feet increases the demand on the core muscles to stabilize the body, resulting in enhanced core strength and engagement.
- Advanced Challenge: The Decline push up provides an advanced challenge for those looking to take their push up game to the next level, offering increased intensity and difficulty.
Muscles Worked:
The Decline push up targets several muscle groups:
- Chest: The pushing motion engages the chest muscles, promoting chest strength and development.
- Triceps: The triceps are actively involved in the pushing phase of the exercise, contributing to arm strength and definition.Shoulders: Shoulder muscles are engaged to stabilize and control the movement.
- Core (Intensely): The elevated position intensifies core engagement, requiring strong core muscles to maintain stability throughout the exercise.
Incorporating Decline push ups into your routine adds variety and challenge to your upper body workout, helping to build strength in the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core muscles. This advanced variation is ideal for those seeking to push their limits and achieve greater overall strength and fitness.
6. Diamond push up:
The Diamond push up is a variation that places emphasis on the triceps by bringing the hands close together in a diamond shape. This targeted approach adds a unique challenge to your push up routine.
Form:
- To perform a Diamond push up, position your hands close together under your chest, forming a diamond shape with your thumbs and index fingers.
- Keep your elbows tucked in close to your body and engage your core throughout the movement.
- Lower your chest towards the ground while maintaining proper alignment.
Benefits Diamond Push Up:
- Stronger Triceps: The close hand position targets the triceps, promoting strength and development in this muscle group.
- Improved Core Stability: Engaging the core muscles throughout the exercise enhances stability and control, contributing to overall core strength.
- Unique Challenge: The Diamond push up offers a unique challenge compared to traditional push up variations, providing a fresh stimulus for muscle growth and development.
Muscles Worked:
The Diamond Push Up primarily targets:
- Triceps: The close hand position places greater emphasis on the triceps, making them the primary muscle worked during the exercise.
- Chest: While the focus is on the triceps, the chest muscles are also engaged to support the movement.
- Shoulders: Shoulder muscles assist in stabilizing the body throughout the exercise.
- Core: Engaging the core muscles is essential for maintaining proper form and stability during the Diamond Push Up.
Incorporating Diamond push ups into your routine is an effective way to target the triceps and add variety to your upper body workout.
7. Plyometric push up:
The Plyometric push up is a dynamic and explosive variation of the traditional push up, incorporating a powerful movement to propel the body off the ground between repetitions. This high-intensity exercise targets power and explosiveness while providing a fun and challenging variation to your workout.
Form:
- Start in a standard push up position with your hands shoulder-width apart and core engaged.
- Lower your body towards the ground in a controlled manner, then explosively push yourself upwards with enough force to allow your hands to leave the ground.
- Clap your hands together or tap them against your chest before landing softly back in the starting position.
Benefits Of Plyometric Push Up:
- Increased Power and Explosiveness: The explosive movement of the Plyometric push up helps to develop fast-twitch muscle fibers, increasing power and explosiveness in the upper body.
- Improved Core Stability: Engaging the core muscles throughout the exercise is essential for maintaining stability and control during the explosive movement, leading to improved core strength and stability.
- Fun Variation: The Plyometric push up adds a dynamic and exciting element to your workout routine, keeping it engaging and challenging.
Muscles Worked:
The Plyometric push up targets several muscle groups:
- Chest: The pushing motion engages the chest muscles, promoting chest strength and development.
- Triceps: The explosive movement requires significant triceps activation to propel the body off the ground.
- Shoulders: Shoulder muscles assist in stabilizing the body during the explosive movement.
- Core (Explosively): Engaging the core muscles is crucial for maintaining stability and control during the explosive push-off phase of the exercise.
Incorporating Plyometric push ups into your routine is an effective way to increase power, explosiveness, and core stability while adding a fun and challenging variation to your workout routine.
8. Renegade push up (Dumbbell push up):
The Renegade push up, also known as the Dumbbell push up, adds an extra layer of challenge by incorporating dumbbells. This variation not only targets the upper body but also intensifies core engagement for enhanced stability.
Form:
- Position each hand on a dumbbell, shoulder-width apart, in a plank position.
- Ensure a tight core as you lower your chest towards the ground, maintaining proper alignment.
- The dumbbells add an element of instability, requiring increased control during the movement.
Benefits of Rengade Push up:
- Increased Core Engagement: The use of dumbbells amplifies the need for core engagement to maintain stability throughout the exercise, leading to enhanced core strength.
- Improved Shoulder Stability: The Renegade push up challenges shoulder stability, promoting strength and control in the shoulder muscles.
- Upper Body Strength: This variation targets the chest, triceps, and shoulders, contributing to overall upper body strength and development.
Muscles Worked:
The Renegade push up intensely engages various muscle groups:
- Chest: The pushing motion activates the chest muscles, promoting strength and development.
- Triceps: Both arms are actively involved, emphasizing triceps engagement.
- Shoulders: The instability introduced by the dumbbells requires shoulder muscles to stabilize and control the movement.
- Core (Intensely): Maintaining stability with the dumbbells under each hand intensifies core engagement, providing a comprehensive core workout.
Incorporating Renegade push ups into your routine adds a dynamic challenge, targeting the upper body while placing a significant emphasis on core engagement. The use of dumbbells not only enhances strength but also improves overall stability, making it a valuable addition to your bodyweight exercise repertoire.
Mistakes To Avoid
These are the some common mistakes people do while doing push ups, so here is the solution given to these common mistakes during Push Up.
1. Poor Form:
- Mistake: Allowing improper alignment during push-ups, like sagging or arching.
- Solution: Keep a straight line from head to heels, engaging the core for controlled movement, as emphasized in the various push-up variations.
2. Incomplete Range of Motion:
- Mistake: Neglecting the full range limits muscle engagement, counteracting the benefits of Plyometric and Renegade Push-Ups.
- Solution: Lower your body fully, ensuring a complete range for optimal results, aligning with the diverse push-up variations discussed.
3. Elbow Flare:
- Mistake: Allowing elbows to flare outward, risking shoulder strain highlighted in the benefits of the Diamond and Hand Release Push-Ups.
- Solution: Keep elbows close, forming a 45-degree angle, protecting shoulders and optimizing engagement, as seen in various push-up forms.
4. Neck Strain:
- Mistake: Holding the neck awkwardly, potentially causing strain during Archer or One-Arm Push-Ups.
- Solution: Maintain a neutral neck position, looking ahead as emphasized in proper form for a safe and effective push-up routine.
5. Overarching or Sagging Back:
- Mistake: Arching or sagging the back, reducing core engagement vital for Renegade and Decline Push-Ups.
- Solution: Sustain a straight line throughout, engaging the core for stability, a principle echoed in the various push-up variations explored for a comprehensive upper body workout.
By focusing on these simple adjustments, you ensure each push-up is effective, reduces the risk of injury, and contributes to building strength and muscle in the right way. Consistency with proper form is key for optimal results.
Conclusipn
To sum it up, incorporating various push up variations into your routine not only keeps your workouts interesting but also offers a well-rounded approach to building upper body strength and a solid core.
From the Diamond push up emphasizing triceps to the explosive Plyometric push up, each variation brings its unique challenge. The One-Arm push up and Archer push up add balance and body awareness to the mix. The Decline push up steps up the core demand, while the Renegade push up, involving dumbbells, intensifies both upper body and core engagement.
These variations collectively contribute to increased core stability, improved body awareness, and enhanced muscle development in key areas.
FAQs:
1. What is the best push up variation?
The best push up variation depends on your fitness goals. Diamond push ups target triceps, Plyometric push ups enhance explosiveness, and Renegade push ups engage the core. Choose based on what aligns with your specific objectives.
2. What are the benefits of different push up variations?
Each push up variation offers unique benefits. Diamond push ups emphasize triceps, Plyometric push ups enhance power, and Renegade push ups intensify core engagement. Including a variety ensures a comprehensive upper body and core workout.
3. What is the safest push up variation?
Standard push ups are generally safe for most individuals. Maintain proper form with hands shoulder-width apart, body in a plank position, and a straight line from head to heels. Consult with a fitness professional if you have specific concerns about safety.
4. Do push ups grow muscle?
Absolutely. push ups can contribute to muscle growth, especially in the chest, triceps, and shoulders. To stimulate muscle growth effectively, focus on progressive overload, maintain proper form, and stay consistent. Incorporating different variations helps target various muscle groups for overall development.
