Spice Up the Push up: 8 Variations to Try

Contrary to popular opinion, the push up is not just a chest exercise. Although the push up works mainly the chest, triceps and core, it also works your legs, shoulders and stability muscles. Thus, the push up is a great full body exercise. There are several types of push ups that one can perform.

The Basic Push up: Lay face down on the floor with your feet together. Place your hands directly below your shoulders. Raise yourself up using your arms while simultaneously breathing out. Your weight should be fully supported by your hands and the balls of your feet. Make sure that your body is in one straight line from head to heels – the plank position. Do not dip or lift your hips out of the plank position; make sure that your core is tight. From this point, lower your torso to the ground keeping your elbows close to your body and your head facing forward.  As you lower yourself simultaneously breathe in.

The Wide Grip Push up: This is a basic push up, but with your hands placed wider than shoulder width apart. Your elbows will flare outwards as you lower yourself to the ground. This variation focuses on the chest and front shoulder muscles.

The Close Grip Push up: This is a basic push up, but with your hands placed directly below your collar bone, thumbs touching. Make sure to keep your elbows close to your body. This variation focuses more on the triceps.

The Staggered Push up: This is a wide grip push up, but with your hands placed in a staggered position; one hand is placed near the shoulder and the other hand is placed 6 inches lower. This variation is more challenging since the lower hand is forced to work harder than the upper hand.

The Decline Push Up: This is a basic push up, but with your feet raised up on an object (chair, bench, bosu ball, etc). This variation is more advanced as it allows for a greater range of motion than the basic push up. Note: if done on an exercise ball, it utilizes your stability muscles in your core.

The Incline Push up: This is the opposite of the decline push up. Here, your feet are on the ground and your hands are raised up on an object (bench, bosu ball, exercise ball). This variation focuses on the shoulder muscles and is easier than the basic push up. It is a great exercise for beginners.

The Clap Push up: This is a basic push up with an added power bonus. In this variation, you forcefully push your body off the ground so that you can clap your hands together in front  of your body and then go back into the downward part of the push up.

The One Arm Push up: This is an advanced variation that requires a lot of strength compared to your weight. To perform this variation, assume the wide grip push up position, but place your feet as wide apart as possible; next, place one arm behind your back and perform the pus h up.  Note: this variation puts a lot of strain your shoulders and elbows so you must make sure you are thoroughly warmed up before performing this exercise.

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