One of the best and most useful workouts you can do anywhere with your own body is the pushup. There is a type of pushup that is right for everyone, no matter how fit they are or how new they are to exercise. You can work out different muscle groups and get stronger, more durable, and more stable over time by changing the angles, body positions, and resistance.
This guide will show you seven powerful variations on the pushup, ranging from easier ones for beginners to more difficult ones that will get you results. There’s a good choice for everyone who wants to get stronger in their upper body and core because each one has its own pros and cons.
Type 1: Inclined push-ups
If you’re new to exercise or coming back after a break, incline pushups are a great place to start. Putting your hands on a stable surface, like a wall, bench, or box, lowers the amount of body weight you need to lift. This makes the push-up easier to do.
This version takes a lot of stress off of your arms, shoulders, and chest, so you can focus on form and get better at moving.
It gets easier to do the exercise as the slope goes up. As a person gets stronger, they can move down to lower objects like tables or steps. At first, beginners can start with wall pushups. When you do incline pushups, you work your chest, shoulders, and arms the most.
You also work your core to keep you stable. They are great for getting stronger at the basics and getting your muscles ready for more difficulth-up forms. Aim for three sets of ten to fifteen reps each, and make sure you can move freely and fully.
Variation #2: Knee Pushups
Along with slope pushups, knee pushups are another version that is good for beginners and helps bridge the gap between the two. By putting your knees on the ground instead of your toes, you shorten the lift and use less of your body weight to push it up.
This helps you do more reps with better form, which is great for people who are trying to strengthen their core and upper body.
This version still works the chest, shoulders, and arms well, and it helps you learn the right way to do a pushup, which includes keeping your body straight from the knees to the head and keeping your core strong. Knee pushups can also be used to warm up or finish a more difficult workout with a lot of repetitions.
You can slowly move on to full pushups on your toes as your power grows. To get the most muscle gains, start with three sets of 12 to 20 reps, and focus on control during the lowering part.
Variation #3: Bottom-Start Pushup
The bottom-start pushup is a strong version where you put your chest on the ground to begin. From this spot, you push yourself up until you’re in a full plank.
This move takes away the energy that you normally use in pushups, so your muscles have to do all the work. It helps build raw power in the chest, biceps, and shoulders the most.
Since you start from a complete stop, this version gives you more time under stress, which helps you get better at pushing quickly. Because it’s easier to fix your form when you’re on the ground, it also teaches you how to do a good pushup. It also requires more strength from the core muscles to stay stable while pushing up.
Focus on keeping your body straight and using your core as you press up hard from the floor for three sets of eight to twelve reps.
Variation #4: Traditional Pushup
Most people are familiar with the usual pushup, which is a great way to strengthen your whole body. You lower your chest toward the ground while keeping a straight line from your head to your feet in this version.
Your hands should be a little wider than shoulder-width apart. The chest, shoulders, arms, and core muscles are worked out by this move.
Doing traditional pushups can also help keep your shoulders stable and improve your balance. They don’t need any tools, which makes them a great way to build upper body power anywhere. Make sure your arms are about 45 degrees away from your body and don’t sag in the hips or arch your back when you do a good pushup.
Aim for three sets of 10 to 20 reps. As your power and endurance improve, add more reps. If you can’t do a full pushup, do the knee or slope forms instead until you’re strong enough.
Variation #5: Close-Grip Pushup
Another name for these is diamond or triceps pushups. Close-grip pushups are a more advanced version that focuses on the triceps and inner chest. In this version, your hands are either right under your shoulders or a little farther apart, and as you lower yourself, your arms stay closer to your body. The chest isn’t working as hard in this pose; instead, the arms and core are.
This version of the pushup is great for building arm strength and shape. It works the core muscles more because you have to control and stabilize yourself better.
This is an important exercise to add to your schedule if you want to get stronger arms. Start with three sets of six to twelve reps. During the move, keep your form tight and your body in a stable plank position.
Variation #6: Decline Pushups
If you want to make decline pushups more difficult, you can add more support and put more of the work on your upper chest and shoulders. For this version, keep your hands on the ground and put your feet on something raised, like a bench, box, or step. Because of the extra weight on the upper body, the movement gets harder as the slope goes up.
This version is great for strengthening your upper chest and making your shoulders more stable and strong. It also works the core harder to keep the body straight during the action. Watch out not to let your hips hang down, because that can put stress on your lower back.
Decline pushups are great for people who are good at regular pushups but want to push themselves even more. Aim for three sets of eight to fifteen reps, but this will depend on how strong you are and how steep the drop is.
Variation #7: Weighted Pushup
Weighted pushups are a more advanced version that are meant to help you get stronger and bigger. You can make the standard pushup harder by adding external support like a weight plate, weighted vest, or backpack. This will also help your muscles grow, especially your chest, shoulders, and arms. For beginner to advanced lifters who findight push-ups too easy, this version is great.
To avoid getting hurt, it’s important to keep perfect form while doing weighted pushups. To protect your lower back, make sure that the weight is spread out properly on your back and that your core stays tight. Start with a load that you can handle and slowly add to it as your strength grows.
If you want to get the most out of this version, do 3–5 sets of 6–10 reps and focus on moving slowly and steadily. Instead of bench pressing,hted push-ups can be used as part of strength-training exercises.
