Whether you love them or hate them, you can’t deny that push-ups are an effective upper-body exercise. And you probably already know that you can modify them to make them a little easier or to make them even more challenging.
But did you know that you can do different types of pushups to work specific areas of your body? A few minor changes can totally change the muscles being worked during the movement.
So it’s time to test your strength with these three push-up variations that you can integrate into your next workout:
perfect lizard
- Place your hands shoulder-width apart.
- Roll your shoulders back and down.
- Keep your body in a straight line and lift your hips.
- Tuck your tailbone down and press your belly button in toward your spine to engage your abs.
- What is worked? Pectorals, shoulders, triceps, abs, back and buttocks.
diamond lizard
- Place both hands at shoulder width.
- Join the tips of your thumbs and both tips of your index fingers to form a diamond with your hands.
- Rest your palms together on the floor and raise your body.
- Keep your body in a straight line and lift your hips.
- Control the movement of your elbows back and avoid opening your arms too far out.
- What is worked? Pectorals, deltoids (muscle located in the shoulder that has the function of raising the arm), triceps, buttocks, abdominals.
lizard on a chair
- Place a firm chair and rest the palms of your hands on the floor.
- Put your feet up on the chair and rest your big toes on the seat.
- Keep your hands above shoulder height and push up as low as possible.
- This is a combination between an open hands pushup and a deeper pushup.
- What is worked? Rear deltoids, scapulae, external pectoralis major, biceps, abdominal obliques, gluteus maximus, wrists.