Push-up variations — clean execution

Classic push-up with shoulder-width hand position and a straight body line.

Execution

1. Hands shoulder-width apart, directly under the shoulders, fingers pointing forward.
2. Body forms a straight line from head to heels — brace abs and glutes.
3. Elbows at roughly 45° to the torso, not flared out wide.
4. Lower the chest under control until it nearly touches the floor.
5. Press back up powerfully, do not lock the elbows at the top.

Tips

• Look slightly forward at the floor — do not crane the neck.
• Breathing: inhale on the way down, exhale on the press up.

Easier regression with the knees on the floor — ideal for beginners.

Execution

1. Place the knees on the floor, feet lifted or crossed.
2. Hands shoulder-width, keep a straight line from knees to shoulders.
3. Stabilise the hips — no sagging or piking.
4. Lower the chest under control, then press back up.

Tips

• Stay on knee push-ups until you can do 3×8 clean reps, then progress to the standard version.

Hands on a bench, table or wall — reduces the load on the arms.

Execution

1. Place the hands on a stable elevation (bench, table, stair).
2. Feet on the floor, body in a straight line.
3. Lower the chest under control to the elevation, then press up.
4. The lower the elevation, the harder the exercise.

Tips

• Step the elevation down once 3×10 reps feel clean.

Feet on an elevation, hands on the floor — extra load on the upper chest and shoulders.

Execution

1. Feet on a stable elevation (bench, chair, step).
2. Hands shoulder-width on the floor, keep a straight line from head to heels.
3. Lower the chest under control, keep the abs braced.
4. Press up powerfully — the higher the feet, the more shoulder involvement.

Tips

• Do not let the lower back arch — actively brace abs and glutes, especially with high feet.

Wider hand placement that emphasises the chest and offloads the triceps.

Execution

1. Hands set noticeably wider than shoulders, fingers angled slightly out.
2. Elbows track to the sides, opening further as you descend.
3. Lower the chest under control with a clear stretch sensation across the chest.
4. Press up consciously from the chest — do not "cheat" with the triceps.

Tips

• Shoulder health: keep the shoulder blades retracted, do not hang in the joints.

Hands form a triangle under the chest — maximum triceps engagement.

Execution

1. Thumbs and index fingers touch, forming a "diamond" triangle.
2. Hands directly under the lower chest, not too far down toward the belly.
3. Keep the elbows close to the torso, pointing back.
4. Lower the chest to the diamond, then press straight up.

Tips

• Beginners: get comfortable with knee-diamonds before attempting the full version.

Push-ups from a V-shape — near-vertical pressing, a stepping stone to handstand push-ups.

Execution

1. From a quadruped position push the hips up — the body forms an inverted V.
2. Hands shoulder-width, legs straight or slightly bent, hips high.
3. Lower the head between the arms toward the floor — elbows track back.
4. Press back up without dropping into a regular push-up position.

Tips

• Make it harder: put the feet on an elevation for a near-vertical position.

Done on the knuckles instead of flat hands — easier on the wrists and strengthens the forearms.

Execution

1. Make fists, support on the first two knuckles (index and middle finger).
2. Keep the back of the hand straight — do not bend the wrist.
3. Start on a soft surface (mat, towel), progress to hard floor later.
4. Otherwise execute like a standard push-up.

Tips

• Useful for sensitive wrists — load shifts from the joint into the knuckles.

Asymmetric push-up: one arm bends while the other stays extended — a stepping stone to the one-arm push-up.

Execution

1. Hands set noticeably wider than shoulders, fingers angled slightly out.
2. On the descent shift to one side: one arm bends, the other stays nearly straight.
3. The straight arm acts as support; most of the load lives on the bending arm.
4. Press back up under control, return to centre, then shift to the other side.
5. Count reps per side — the plan usually lists the per-arm number.

Tips

• Tempo 3-1-1 (3 s down, 1 s hold, 1 s up) builds noticeably more strength.

One-arm push-ups against a wall — a safe entry exercise for the one-arm progression.

Execution

1. Stand about an arm length away from the wall.
2. Place one hand on the wall at shoulder height; the other hand rests on the lower back or hip.
3. Tilt the body as a solid plank toward the wall, bending the elbow under control.
4. Lower with a slow eccentric (3 s) toward the wall, then press away powerfully.

Only the lowering phase done one-armed — a controlled eccentric builds the strength for the full movement.

Execution

1. Place one hand on a bench/elevation; feet wide for stability.
2. Other hand on the lower back or hip; hold the body as a plank.
3. Lower toward the bench over 3-5 seconds — no "crash" phase.
4. Press up with both hands or from the elevated position — the concentric is not done one-armed here.

Tips

• Build the eccentric time slowly: 3 s → 5 s → 8 s across multiple weeks.

One-arm push-ups over a reduced range of motion (e.g. from a low bench).

Execution

1. Place one hand on a low bench/step; feet very wide (at least hip-width).
2. Other hand on the lower back; hold the body as a plank — do not rotate the hips.
3. Intentionally only descend to the bench height (reduced ROM).
4. Press up one-armed; lower the bench height progressively.

Full push-up with a single hand — the king of bodyweight pressing.

Execution

1. Feet noticeably wider than hip-width for maximum stability (very wide at the start).
2. One hand under the centre of the chest; the other on the lower back or hip.
3. Hold the body intentionally as a plank — hips and shoulders must not rotate.
4. Lower the chest to the hand under control, then press straight up.
5. As strength grows, narrow the foot stance step by step.

Tips

• Reps are counted per side — start with the dominant side and match it on the weaker side.