Major Muscles Worked
Pectoralis Major
Pectoralis Minor
Deltoids
Triceps
Abdominals
Core
Variations
Military
Push Up Hands are placed shoulder width apart. This will target the chest, shoulders and triceps. Remember to make sure your hands are located directly beneath your shoulders and not extended forward ahead of the shoulders. This may cause unwanted stress un the rotator cuff area.
Wide Push Up
Hands are placed wide apart. This will focus most of the muscular stress on the chest.
Narrow Push Up
Hands are directly under the chest. The thumbs and index fingers are touching on the hands to form a triangle. This is also known as a diamond push up. This places most of the focus on the triceps and anterior shoulders
Decline Push Up
Feet are elevated on a bench or other object. The angle may be increased or decreased depending on the elevation of the feet. The steeper in the decline, the more of the upper chest is targeted.
Incline Push Up on Smith Machine or Squat Rack
Hands are placed on the bar of a smith machine or squat rack. This is a great alternative for those who find regular variations of push ups difficult. You can adjust your hand placement on the bar to perform wide, shoulder width and narrow push ups. You can also adjust the intensity of the push up by lowering the bar and eventually transition to floor push ups.
Handstand (Inverted) Push Up
Assume a handstand position with your feet against a wall. Lower your body to the ground until your head touches the floor then return to the handstand position. This is one of the most difficult push ups to perform. It also carries a greater risk for injury. It focuses predominantly on the shoulders and triceps.
Single Hand Push Up Also known as Unilateral Training.
This push up is difficult to perform and maintain good form. This push up is one that is good for isolating both sides of the body making each side work equally minimizing one side of the body being stronger than the other. It is performed the same as a regular push up but with one arm only. The other arm is placed behind the back or on the hip. The further apart the legs are, the more leverage and easier the push up will be.
Plyometric Push Up
This is performed the same as a regular push up but more explosive. As you push up, push with enough force to elevate the upper body off the ground. While keeping the hands directly under the body, land with "soft" elbows rather than having them locked to prevent injury. This variation of the push up is designed for explosive muscle contractions and is great for sport specific training and power.
There are more variations which I won't cover today such as the staggered and uneven push up. These push ups covered today should offer enough variation to shock your muscles and create stimulation to create muscle growth. The push up is one of the most basic exercises and has been used to test physical and muscular endurance.
*Consult with your physician and Certified Personal Trainer before attempting this or any other exercise program to prevent injury and ensure no limitations exist. Feel free to contact me for a demonstration of the above mentioned push ups!