The 8 Best Push-Up Variations for Muscle Building

In this article, we’ll explore 10 different types of push ups to challenge your muscles and enhance your workouts.

Whether you want to smash your chest, blast your triceps, improve shoulder stability, or increase pushing power – there’s a push up variation that targets the exact results you want. Changing hand placement, adjusting body angle, altering tempo – small tweaks make a surprising difference in the muscles worked most.

8 Push-Up Variations

If you thought push ups were just standard hands shoulder-width apart pumping up and down, until you’re blue in the face- think again! There are actually tons of exciting push up variations to build upper body strength, power, and definition in unique ways.

From the standard push up, to the tricep-burning diamond push up- we’ll provide tips for proper form so you can perform each one effectively and safely. Proper technique is crucial to both maximize gains and reduce injury risk. Let’s hit every muscle in your upper body with new push up challenges! Expanding your push up repertoire will build serious functional strength. Let’s get to pressing!

Push Up Type	Benefits	Muscle Focus
Standard Push Up	Builds overall upper body strength	Chest, shoulders, triceps
Wide Push Up	Increases chest activation	Chest, front deltoids
Narrow Push Up	Challenges triceps more	Triceps, chest
Decline Push Up	Emphasizes lower chest	Lower chest, triceps
Incline Push Up	Targets upper chest	Upper chest, front delts
Diamond Push Up	Challenges triceps greatly	Triceps, chest
Clapping Push Up	Builds explosive power	Chest, shoulders, triceps
Single Arm Push Up	Tests stability and arm strength	Chest, shoulders, arms

#1. The Standard Push Up

Perfecting Your Standard Push Up Technique

The standard push up is excellent for building overall upper body pressing strength. By placing your hands shoulder-width apart and lowering your chest until elbows bend to 90 degrees, you can train the chest, shoulders, and triceps efficiently.

Proper form is key:

Place hands under shoulders, keep elbows tucked
Maintain rigid straight body alignment
Lower chest to elbows at 90 degree angle
Press fully back up through the chest

To keep challenging yourself:

Do push up variations like diamond, decline, or explosive push ups
Increase overall volume with more sets and reps over time
Add resistance by wearing a weight vest or placing a plate on your back
Increase time under tension by slowing the eccentric and pause at the bottom

With perfect form and progressive overload, the standard push up delivers serious strength gains!

#2. The Incline Push Up Variation

Perfecting Your Incline Push Up Technique

The incline push up is excellent for targeting the upper chest muscles. By placing hands on an elevated surface and angling body upward, you increase activation of the upper chest.

Form pointers:

Proper form is key:

Place hands shoulder-width apart on incline
Match hips and feet to hand elevation
Lower down until elbows bend to 90 degrees
Squeeze upper chest to press back to start

To make incline push ups more challenging:

Use higher incline angles over time
Add resistance by placing a weight plate on your back
Slow the tempo and hold the bottom position
Do push ups on unstable surfaces to engage stabilizers

The incline push up builds impressive upper chest strength when executed with proper form and progressions!

#3. The Decline Push Up Variation

Perfecting Your Decline Push Up Technique

The decline push up is excellent for directly targeting the lower chest muscles. By elevating your feet and angling the body downward, you can really isolate the lower chest.

Proper technique includes:

Proper form is key:

Place feet on elevated surface, hands on floor
Maintain straight body alignment
Lower until elbows bend to 90 degrees
Drive back up by squeezing chest

To keep increasing difficulty:

Use higher foot elevation over time
Add resistance by wearing a weight vest or backpack
Slow the tempo and pause at the bottom
Try unstable decline push ups to engage stabilizers

For serious lower chest gains, master the decline push up with perfect form and progressive overload!

#4. The Diamond Push Up Variation

Perfecting Your Diamond Push Up Technique

The diamond push up is great for intensely challenging the triceps muscles. By placing your hands together in a diamond shape, you isolate the triceps more.

Proper form cues:

Place hands together under chest in diamond shape
Keep elbows tucked in at 45 degree angle
Maintain rigid straight body alignment
Lower chest until elbows bend 90 degrees

To keep progressing:

Widen hand positioning to decrease difficulty
Try decline or incline diamond push ups
Slow eccentric tempo and pause at bottom
Use resistance bands or chains for added challenge

The diamond push up is excellent for building triceps strength and muscle definition!

#5. The Wide Push Up Variation

Perfecting Your Wide Push Up Technique

The wide push up increases activation of the chest muscles. By placing your hands wider than shoulder-width, you put more focus on the pectoral muscles.

Form pointers:

Place hands wider than shoulder-width
Descend until chest is 1-2 inches off floor
Keep elbows flared out at 45 degree angle
Maintain tight core and straight body
Press back to start with chest

Progressions:

Increase width of hand placement over time
Do wide decline or incline push ups
Slow tempo and pause at bottom
Use resistance bands or chains
Add weight plate on back

Go wide to build an impressive chest with this push up variation!

#6. The Narrow Push Up Variation

Perfecting Your Narrow Push Up Technique

The narrow push up variation emphasizes the triceps muscles more. Bringing your hands close together under the chest isolates the triceps.

Proper technique:

Place hands closer together under chest
Descend until elbows bend 90 degrees
Keep elbows tucked close to sides
Maintain rigid straight body alignment
Press back up fully through triceps

To increase challenge:

Decrease hand width over time
Do narrow decline/incline push ups
Slow tempo and pause at bottom
Use resistance bands or weight chains
Add backpack or weight plate

The narrow push up crushes your triceps when executed properly!

#7. The Clapping Hand Variation

Perfecting Your Clapping Push Up Technique

The clapping push up builds explosive pressing power. It involves pushing forcefully enough to lift your hands and clap at the top.

Tips to perform it well:

Set up in standard push up position
Bend elbows lowering into a deep push up
Explosively push up with enough power to lift hands
Fully extend arms and clap hands together
Absorb landing by bending elbows

To increase explosiveness:

Work on fast push up reps to build power
Practice plyometric push ups focusing on speed
Push harder with each rep to increase air time
Reduce clap distance to force more power

Execute the clapping push up slow and controlled at first focusing on technique. Over time, build explosive push strength!

#8. The Single Arm Push Up Variation

Perfecting Your Single Arm Push Up Technique

The single arm push up provides an intense strength challenge by removing one hand of support. Balance is also challenged.

Proper form:

Support your bodyweight with only one hand
Maintain rigid straight body alignment from head to toe
Keep your hips stable; do not rotate or sag
Bend elbow to 90 degrees lowering down
Press back up fully through your shoulder, chest, and arm

Progressing single arm push ups:

Start with knees on floor to reduce weight
Focus on slowing the eccentric tempo
Work towards full single arm push ups from toes
Try slight hand variations or unstable surfaces

The single arm push up builds tremendous upper body functional strength!

Conclusion

There you have it – 10 awesome push up variations with tips to perfect your form on each one. Now you can target every muscle in your upper body from multiple angles and levels of challenge. Remember to start any new push up type slowly, focusing on technique before adding speed or resistance. Progress gradually as it starts to feel comfortable. Mix up several variations in your push up routine 2-3x a week for complete pressing development.

Push ups may seem simple, but the many variations available open up a whole world of strength gains and sculpted muscles! So break out of the standard push up mold and give some new variations a try. Your chest, shoulders, arms and core will thank you!