How to do a Push-up: 5 best variations
Push-ups are probably the most important exercise in calisthenics and bodyweight training because no matter your level, you will always find a variation that fits your current level. They’re a staple in every fitness routine and are used to train athletes in sports and military programs. They target multiple muscle groups, improving overall strength and endurance.
Push-ups consist of two phases:
Eccentric Phase: where you lower the body towards the ground, lengthening the main muscles involved during the push-up, such as triceps, pectoralis major, and deltoids
Concentric phase: this is the phase where you push your body away from the floor, contracting the main muscles involved during this movement
In this article, I will break down 5 push-up variations and how to perform them.
STANDARD PUSH-UPS
The muscles involved during the standard push-up are :
Primary Movers
Pectoralis Major: The main chest muscle responsible for the pushing motion.
Triceps Brachii: This muscle extends the elbow joint during the push-up.
Synergists
Anterior Deltoid: The front portion of the shoulder muscle that assists in lifting the body.
Serratus Anterior: Stabilizes the scapula and supports arm movement(scapular protraction )
Stabilizers
Rectus Abdominis: The primary abdominal muscle, maintaining a rigid plank position by resisting spinal extension.
Transversus Abdominis: A deep core muscle that aids in spinal stability.
Obliques: Help stabilize the torso and prevent rotational imbalances.
Erector Spinae: Maintains back extension and prevents sagging during the push-up.
Gluteus Maximus: It stabilizes the hips and aligns the lower body.
Obviously, depending on the type of push-ups chosen, there is more emphasis on some muscles and less on others.
HOW TO PERFORM PUSH-UPS
Start on the floor: Place your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Also turn your hands slightly outwards. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your heels. Engage your core to avoid sagging or arching your lower back. Place your feet together. If you don’t feel stable, you can keep your feet slightly apart
Bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the ground. Keep your elbows at about a 45-degree angle to your body (not flaring out wide) and lower yourself until your chest is just above the ground or until your elbows are at about a 90-degree angle.
UP: Push through your palms to straighten your arms and return to the starting position, keeping your core engaged and body straight throughout.
Breathing: Exhale as you push up and inhale as you lower down
Push up top position
Push up bottom position
KNEE PUSH-UPS
Despite their apparent simplicity, many novices struggle to perform standard push-ups effectively. One of the main limitations includes:
body composition ( leverage and body weight)
joint stability
strength and endurance in upper body muscles
One of the easiest variations, accessible to almost anyone, is the knee push-up. This is because knee push-ups shorten the lever, reducing bodyweight loading from 50 to 60% and reducing the requirements on the prime movers and core musculature.
Knee push up top position
Knee push up bottom position
However, at the same time:
Improve Muscle Activation: knee push-ups target the pectoralis major, deltoids front and side ), triceps, and the rectus abdominis at a lower intensity than traditional push-ups, and for this reason you can focus on technique
Reducing the risk of injury by improving technique and decreasing the stress on joints and tendons, which in turn will minimize the risk of injury.
Build Confidence: performing knee push-ups can build the necessary strength and self-efficacy to transition to full push-ups over time.
HOW TO PERFORM
Start in a kneeling position ( you can put a mat under your knee if it’s uncomfortable)
Place your hands shoulder-width apart, directly under your shoulders, and ensure your fingers are spread for stability. Turn the hands slightly outward.
Shift your knees slightly back so that your torso forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
Engage your core muscles to prevent sagging or arching of the lower back
Slowly bend your elbows, keeping them at about a 45-degree angle from your body.
Lower your chest toward the ground, maintaining a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
Press through your palms to return to the starting position.
If the knee push ups it’s still too hard, you can adapt the push-ups by piking your body.
Knee push-ups in a pike position .
INCLINED PUSH-UPS
According to some studies, in a 45-degree incline push-up, the load on the upper body is reduced by approximately 36% compared to a standard push-up, and for this reason, this exercise can be used for
rehabilitation in those people who are recovering from shoulder injuries and
beginner training: as well as the knee push-ups, they are an even more effective solution for beginners to learn the push-ups
HOW TO PERFORM
Find an elevated surface like a bench, sturdy box, step, or even a countertop.
Place your hands shoulder-width apart on the edge of the elevated surface. Keep your fingers pointing forward.
Step your feet back so your body forms a straight line from head to heels. Engage your core to avoid sagging hips or an arched back.
Bend your elbows to lower your chest towards the elevated surface. Keep your elbows at about a 45-degree angle from your body.
Lower yourself until you touch the surface with your chest
Push through your palms to straighten your arms and return to the starting position.
PROGRESSION
In my opinion, the inclined push-ups are a way better option than the knee push-ups if you want to learn the standard push-ups. The reason is simple: The progression is much more linear than the knee push-ups, and there is less of a gap ( in terms of difficulty ) between the exercises in the progression.
Simply, once you can perform 10/12 repetitions with good form at a certain height, decrease the height
and keep doing it until you get very close to the floor; at that point, you’ll be ready for the standard push-ups
DIAMOND PUSH-UPS
Hand position can alter muscle activation. This is the case with diamond push-ups that are characterized by a narrow hand placement forming a diamond. Your thumb and index fingers should be touching, forming the opposite corners of the diamond.
In terms of muscle activations, some studies found ;
lower activation of pectoralis major
lower activation of the anterior deltoids
higher activation of triceps brachii
Diamond push-ups, however, tend to be a bit more injury-prone, and for this reason it would be better to take some precautions to make the exercise safer.
My first advice would be to not keep a too narrow stance but have some sort of a gap between the two hands. This will indeed cause less elbow flexion and extension, but at the same time, it will decrease the stress on the elbows and wrists. When you have good conditioning, you can decrease the stance.
Another mistake that is commonly made is that people tend to flare out the elbows too much, putting this time, too much stress on the shoulders. As well as with standard push-ups, during the eccentric phase, think about bringing the elbows towards the trunk.
The third mistake is not depress you shoulder throughout the entire movement. Think about keeping the shoulders away from your ears. In this way, you not only will preserve your shoulder health, but also activate the right muscles.
CLAP PUSH UPS
Clap push-ups are a dynamic and explosive variation of the traditional push-up.
This exercise requires a rapid push-off from the ground, enabling the hands to leave the surface and execute a clap before landing back in the push-up position. Beyond their impressive visual appeal, clap push-ups serve as a cornerstone in power-based training, offering numerous benefits.
As well as the standard push-ups, this exercise recruits:
Pectoral muscles (chest)
Deltoids (shoulders)
Triceps (arms)
Core stabilizers
Plyometric exercises like clap push-ups bridge the gap between strength and speed, making them ideal for power training.
Clap push-ups predominantly recruit fast-twitch muscle fibers, which are responsible for generating high force at rapid speeds.
The clap push-ups:
improve upper body explosiveness
cardiovascular and core benefits
enhance strength
Beginner to Advanced Progression
Clap push-ups can be challenging for beginners. Here’s a suggested progression:
Start with standard push-ups to build baseline strength.
Transition to explosive push-ups, focusing on lifting the hands slightly off the ground.
Progress to full clap push-ups once confident in your explosive strength and landing control.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Contreras, Bret & Schoenfeld, Brad & Mike, Jonathan & Tiryaki-Sonmez, Raziye & Cronin, John & Vaino, Elsbeth. (2012). The Biomechanics of the Push-up. Strength and Conditioning Journal. 34. 41-46. 10.1519/SSC.0b013e31826d877b
Ali Md Nadzalan et al 2021 J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. 1874 012016
Cogley RM, Archambault TA, Fibeger JF, Koverman MM, Youdas JW, Hollman JH. Comparison of muscle activation using various hand positions during the push-up exercise. J Strength Cond Res. 2005 Aug;19(3):628-33. doi: 10.1519/15094.1. PMID: 16095413.
Moore LH, Tankovich MJ, Riemann BL, Davies GJ. Kinematic Analysis of Four Plyometric Push-Up Variations. Int J Exerc Sci. 2012 Oct 15;5(4):334-343. PMID: 27182390; PMCID: PMC4738879.
Ebben WP, Wurm B, VanderZanden TL, Spadavecchia ML, Durocher JJ, Bickham CT, Petushek EJ. Kinetic analysis of several variations of push-ups. J Strength Cond Res. 2011 Oct;25(10):2891-4. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e31820c8587. PMID: 21873902.
Kowalski KL, Connelly DM, Jakobi JM, Sadi J. Shoulder electromyography activity during push-up variations: a scoping review. Shoulder Elbow. 2022 Jun;14(3):326-340. doi: 10.1177/17585732211019373. Epub 2021 Jun 6. PMID: 35599715; PMCID: PMC9121296.
