When you think about the most effective bodyweight exercises, push-ups should come to mind. As a total-body exercise, push-ups challenge your entire upper body, core, glutes, and legs. That's right - it takes every major muscle group to lower and lift your body from the ground.
"They're [push-ups] great for building strength without equipment. In a traditional wide grip, the chest is the major muscle group worked. If done properly, push-ups are also a really great core exercise because you have to keep your abs and back tight and supported through the whole repetition," explains personal trainer Larysa DiDio.
No matter your fitness level, you can easily intensify or dial down a push-up by changing the placement of your hands, lifting your hands or feet, and incorporating more movement in your legs.
If you're a beginner, for instance, you want to start with a modified push-up on your knees until you're able to build greater upper body and core strength. And if you're a seasoned athlete, maybe you'll challenge your balance and core stability by incorporating shoulder taps.
"As you progress in push-up variations, strength is increased through increased core engagement, increased engagement of minor muscle groups-namely triceps-and the introduction of balance," DiDio says.
"The more unstable the push-up, the harder it is to perform, and the more you have to draw on increased strength," she adds.
To ensure you're challenging your body in new ways, we put together the best push-up variations to try as you progress. Incorporate a variety of them into your current workout routine for eight to 12 reps each.
"Consistency is key. The more consistent you are in doing them, the stronger you’ll get," DiDio says.
1. Modified push-up
A modified push-up is a great way to introduce the exercise to your workouts, especially if you're new to fitness or just getting back into into a routine. It forces you to keep your core tight and to engage your chest, back, and arms.
How to do a modified push-up: On a yoga mat, get into a plank position and place your hands a little wider than shoulder-width apart. Drop your knees to the mat, rolling to the top of your knee caps. Keeping your core tight and maintaining a straight line with your upper body, lower your body toward the floor, then lift your body back up until your elbows are fully extended. This is one rep.
2. Standard push-up
As you get stronger and progress, you can try a standard push-up by keeping your knees off the ground. Mastering a proper push-up comes down to the placement of your shoulders and wrists. You want your hands to be shoulder-width apart or just outside of shoulder-width. Having your hands farther apart makes the move more difficult and harder to engage the right muscles.
How to do a standard push-up: Get into a high plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart and shoulders directly over your wrists. Keep your spine neutral and look down on the floor. Tightening your core and glutes, lower your body toward the floor, aiming to have your elbows pointing back at 45 degrees. Avoid letting your hips dip below shoulder height when you lower your body toward the floor. This means you aren't engaging your core, and it can lead to an arched back. Then, press your hands on the floor to lift your body back up to the starting position.
3. Hand-release push-up
Trainers love this variation of the push-up because it emphasises the "push" part of the movement and forces you to engage your chest because you bring your entire body down to the ground.
How to do a hand-release push-up: Get into a high plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart and shoulders directly over your wrists. Tightening your core and glutes, lower your body to the floor, keeping a straight line from your shoulders to toes. Lift your hands off the floor to the sides. Then, bring your hands back to the mat and press them on the floor to push your body back into a high plank position. The goal is to lift your entire body in a straight line, which is done by tightening your core and glutes. This is one rep.
4. Chaturanga push-up
As a classic yoga flow, this variation of the push-up, also known as a dive bomber, forces you to recruit your shoulders, triceps and core, while improving your range of motion.
How to do a Chaturanga push-up: Get into a downward facing dog position with your toes on the mat and your hips up and back. Place your hands shoulder-width apart on the yoga mat with your arms straight. As you lower your hips, keep your legs straight but bend your arms to roll your chest forward, arching your back and lifting your thighs off the ground. Then, roll your body back to a downward facing dog. This is one rep.
5. Tricep push-up
This push-up variation calls for a narrower grip to engage your triceps, the three-headed muscles in the back of your arms. Building strength in your triceps is important because they provide shoulder stability, which is essential push-and-pull movements like opening a door.
How to do a triceps push-up: Get into a high plank position and place your hands together directly under your shoulders with your index fingers and thumbs touching to form a diamond. Keeping your body in a straight line, lower your body towards the floor, widening your elbows out to the sides. Using your triceps, press your arms back up to straighten. This is one rep.
6. Single-leg push-up
If you want to challenge your core strength, this push-up variation will test your stability. Lifting one foot off the ground forces you to use your core to keep your body lifted and in a straight line.
How to do a single-leg push-up: Get into a high plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart and shoulders directly over your wrists. As you lower your body toward the floor, lift one foot an inch or two off the floor. Be sure to keep the rest of your body lifted and in a straight line. Then, bring your foot back to the floor and press your hands down to lift your body back up to the starting position. This is one rep. Alternate legs.
7. Push-up to frogger
Incorporating a frogger into your push-up will get your heart rate up and fire up your core, shoulders, and calves. This push-up variation is also a great way to introduce plyometrics into your workouts because it activates your fast-twitch muscle fibres.
How to do a push-up to frogger: Get into a high plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart and shoulders directly over your wrists. Lower your body to the floor, aiming to have your elbows pointing back at 45 degrees. Press your hands on the floor to lift your body back up. As soon as you're in a high plank position, jump your feet toward the outsides of your hands, so you're in a deep squat. Then, jump your feet back into a high plank. This is one rep.
8. Blast off push-up
A blast off push-up will ignite your core and use momentum from your legs to lower your body toward the floor. It will also get your heart rate up to burn calories and rev up your metabolism.
How to do a blast off push-up: Start in a plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart and shoulders directly over your wrists. Press your butt back toward your heels. Then, pushing off your toes, use your core and legs to move your body forward and lower your body toward the floor. Next, press your hands on the floor to lift your body back up to the starting position. This is one rep.
9. Spiderman push-up
Your obliques, aka your side ab muscles, are put to work in this push-up variation. Aim to bring your knee to elbow as close as you can to really crunch those sides. This variation will also help you improve the depth of your push-up by forcing you to get lower.
How to do a Spiderman push-up: Get into a high plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart and shoulders directly over your wrists. As you lower your body toward the floor, lift your right foot and bring your right knee toward your right elbow. Then, bring your right leg back to the floor as you press yourself up to the starting position. This is one rep. Alternate sides.
10. Incline push-up with a BOSU ball
In case you haven't used a BOSU ball before, it's a rubbery ball on one side and a flat hard plastic on the other side. While it's a versatile piece of strength training equipment that can used for any type of exercise, it's main purpose is to test your core strength, like in this push-up variation.
How to do an incline push-up with a BOSU ball: Flip a BOSU ball so its rubbery side is on the floor. Get into a high plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart on the edges of the flat plastic side. Keep your spine neutral and look down on the ball. Tightening your core and glutes, lower your body toward the ball. Then, press your hands on the edges to lift your body back up. This is one rep.
11. Push-up with shoulder taps
Shoulder taps test your core strength and stability. To get the most out of this move, you want to move with control and avoid rocking your body from side to side when you lift your hand off the ground.
How to do a push-up with shoulder taps: Get into a high plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart and shoulders directly over your wrists. Tightening your core and glutes, lower your body toward the floor, aiming to have your elbows pointing back at 45 degrees. Then, press your hands on the floor to lift your body back up. Next, keeping your body lifted and in a straight line, lift your right hand off the floor to tap your left shoulder. Bring your right hand back down and then lift your left hand off the floor to tap your right shoulder. This is one rep. The key here is to avoid rocking your hips when you lift your hand is off the floor.
12. Scapular push-up
This push-up variation works your shoulders and back through retraction and protraction. If you sit at an office job all day, chances are your back is hunched over and stiff. Scapular push-ups work to un-hunch your back and improve mobility in your shoulders.
How to do a scapular push-up: Get into high plank position with your shoulders directly over your wrists. Imagining that there's a ball between your shoulder blades, pinch your shoulder blades together as if you're clutching the ball on your back. Then, lower your body towards the mat until your arms form a 45-degree angle. Then, press your hands on your floor to push your body back up and un-pinch your shoulder blades. This is one rep.
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