10 Best Push-Up Variations (Supercharged Strength)

The archer push-ups apply a greater amount of body weight to one arm while the other one assists.

This is an excellent technique to build up strength for the single-arm push-up.

How to perform:

1. Assume a regular push-up position with your hands wide and pointed outward at a 45-degree angle.
2. Lower your body at an angle to one side, bringing your shoulder down to the same-side hand while the other arm extends to full extension. (It's OK to rotate your hands throughout the action.)
3. Reverse the movement and return to the beginning position by pushing back up.
4. Repeat on the opposite side.

One-arm Push-Up

The most challenging version on this list is one-arm push-ups.

The one-arm push-up is a more difficult workout as it more or less increases the burden on your single working arm.

This is because the side of your torso with the non-planted arm needs to work harder to stay in a straight line and avoid falling to the floor, which also takes a lot of work from your side-ab muscles.

How to perform:

1. Begin in a high plank posture, with the hands slightly shoulder-width apart and feet anywhere between hip and shoulder width.
2. Draw your quadriceps up your body, clench your glutes, and crush your toes into the ground to produce stability throughout your body.
3. Shift your body weight into the working hand while releasing the non-working hand off the ground and placing it behind you on the lower back.
4. Bend your elbow back and drop your chest to the ground with control.
5. Squeeze your chest and triceps while pressing through your plant arm to return to the beginning position.
6. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

These resemble yoga push-ups in appearance, but the dive-bomber push-ups force you to bend the arms to return to the beginning position, thus reversing the motion and pushing the head back past both hands and elbows.

How to perform:

1. Start with both hands and legs shoulder-width apart and the hips elevated in an inverted V shape.
2. Bring the chest forward between both hands as you bend your arms, keeping the shoulder away from your ears.
3. Glide through while stretching your arms and raising your chest. Your hips should now be slightly above the floor. To complete the push-up, reverse the glide and raise your hips.
4. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Spiderman Push-Up

The Spiderman push-up is a more complex workout since it involves both upper body and core power to link many actions into one smooth movement.

How to perform:

1. Assume the standard push-up position.
2. Bend your left knee and drag it toward your left forearm as you drop your torso, holding briefly until your chest hangs near the floor.
3. Return the leg to the starting posture as you press yourself back up.
4. Maintain a firm core and avoid abruptly moving your hips to one side.
5. Repeat using your right leg.

The clapping push-up, also called the jumping push-up, incorporates a jumping component into the traditional push-up.

Because you must propel your body off the floor during this variant, it is beneficial to engage your fast-twitch muscle fibers in your chest and shoulders, which aids in the development of muscular growth, strength, and power.

How to perform:

1. Begin in a push-up high plank stance.
2. Bend your elbows and drop yourself to the floor while keeping tension throughout your body.
3. When your chest is near the ground, strongly push off the ground with your hands, causing your hands to leave.
4. Clap your hands beneath your chest before resting them directly underneath your shoulders on the floor.
5. Adjust your hand posture and contract the midline muscle groups again before repeating.

Pike Push-Up

Pike push-ups are a variation to the standard push-ups that strengthen the core and upper body, emphasizing the shoulders.

How to perform:

1. Start in a dog yoga pose, with your hands and feet wider than shoulder width.
2. Maintain an inverted-V posture as you bend the elbows and lower the head between your hands, keeping your hips high and heels low.
3. Reverse the motion to the initial position.
4. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

In contrast to incline push-ups, which are simpler than regular push-ups, decline push-ups are a far more difficult exercise that works more muscle groups.

How to perform:

1. Begin on all fours, facing opposite the support object for your feet, with your hands shoulder-width apart.
2. Place both legs back one at a time till you're in a plank position with your feet raised, and tuck the pelvis beneath your body to engage the midline.
3. Lower your body toward the ground, maintaining your elbows tightly to your ribs until your lower and upper arms form a 90-degree angle.
4. Push up through the hands to return to the starting position.
5. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Plyometric Push-Up

Plyo push-ups are any explosive push-ups that involve you descending and lowering with control yet exploding upward into a hop or clap.

Plyometric push-ups are a wonderful technique to improve upper body strength, whether you want to finish the clapping or thrust your body from the ground explosively.

How to perform:

1. Begin in a high plank or at the peak of a push-up. Your body should be upright, your core tightened, and your palms exactly beneath your shoulders.
2. Begin lowering your body as though performing a push-up until the chest nearly touches the floor.
3. Push yourself up with enough power that your hands leave the ground. Although this is optional, you can enhance difficulty by clapping your hands together.
4. Land softly on the ground and instantly begin your next rep.
5. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

You may also like: How To Do Plyo Jacks

The wall push-ups are a great push-up variation to progress to following the standard push-up since it most nearly replicates the same body posture.

It also utilizes the same muscle areas as a conventional push-up but is mostly used to improve your form.

How to perform:

1. Place your feet hip-width apart at an arm's length away from a strong wall.
2. Place both hands on the wall, wrists aligned with shoulders and fingers pointing up.
3. Consider screwing your pinkie and ring fingers into the wall to engage your lats.
4. Squeeze your core, glutes, and quads to activate your entire body.
5. Inhale as you straighten your elbows and drop your head toward the wall.
6. Exhale as you push yourself to the starting position.
7. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

If your spine does not remain neutral throughout the push-up, you will jeopardize joint safety, health, and efficiency.

The posterior and anterior core muscles — your lower back and abs — maintain your body rigid, allowing your chest and triceps to exert maximum force [3].

Single-arm motions, such as the slider push-up, and single-leg actions, such as the Spiderman push-up, need higher core engagement to compensate for a lower support base.

Anterior Deltoids

The shoulder muscle contains three different heads, each in charge of moving the arm in various directions relative to your torso.

The anterior deltoid, placed on the front of the shoulder, " raises" your upper arm in front of your body [4].

Piquing your body away from the ground helps your chest and triceps.