11 Push-Up Variations You Only Need for Full-Body Muscle Growth

Generally, push-ups target the chest, the whole shoulders, and abs, providing a full upper-body workout while engaging the core for stability.

However, different variations of push-ups can shift the focus to specific muscle groups, so that the standard push-up may not fully engage, like, let's say, the back muscles from doing Hindu push-ups or reverse push-ups.

By exploring these variations, you can tailor your workout to build strength and muscle in specific areas, whether you're looking to enhance upper chest development, improve tricep definition, or challenge your core stability.

Can't do a push-up? Use your knees! More specifically, do knee push-ups.

The knee push-up variation not only decreases the amount of weight you need to push upward but also significantly lessens the need for you to have a strong core to perform the push-up.

This makes it perfect for beginners who want to practice the movement and people who have injuries or weakness in the joints, muscles in the lower body, etc.

Benefits of Knee Push-Ups:

• Decreased Weight to Push Upward: Knee push-ups reduce the amount of body weight you need to lift, making it easier to perform the exercise.
• Reduced Strain on Joints: This variation places less stress on the shoulders and wrists, making it a safer option for those with joint concerns.
• Easier to Maintain Form: The modified position helps beginners focus on proper form without the challenge of balancing on their toes.

Drawback of Knee Push-Ups:

• Lesser Core Engagement: Since knee push-ups require less core strength, they may not fully develop abdominal and back stability compared to standard push-ups.

Want to make your push-up variations harder? That's simple; just be more explosive.

You can turn any push-up variations more "explosive" by pushing off the ground upwards explosively after every rep, just like the explosiveness during the jump of a burpee.

My Personal Favorite Push-up Variations

These push-up variations are my go-to choice for a light workout.

I usually mix one of these push-up variations with a lower body or shoulder exercise, creating a superset.

The standard push-up is an overall good bodyweight exercise. It activates the chests, shoulders, biceps, triceps, lats, other back muscles, and core muscles which includes the abs ang glutes.

It's one of the best bodyweight exercises you can teach a beginner in the world of fitness. Many people know what it is and might even know how it's supposed to look. But not many can perform it well or correctly

How to perform the push-up correctly:

1. Get yourself into a plank position;
2. Your hands should be slightly wider than shoulder-width apart;
3. While your feet hip-width apart (or closer if you want more of a challenge);
4. Engage your abs and other core muscles slightly to avoid sagging or arching your back and keep your posture a straight line from your head to your heels;
5. Drop your weight on your chest while keeping your back straight in a controlled manner;
6. Push upwards while focusing the tension on your chest primarily, and keep your back straight;
7. Repeat as many as you can.

Keep in mind: The majority of the tension should be on your chest. If you feel the tension more in any other place like your shoulders, then that means your balance is wrong, fix it by expermenting and adujusting your posture in what activates your chest the most.

Explosive push-ups are a plyometric exercise where you push off the ground with maximum force, lifting your hands off the surface.

To get the hang of performing it, think about exploding upwards after every completed rep.

How to perform explosive push-ups correctly:

• Same motion as the standard push-up but explode upwards after completing a rep
• When catching yourself after exploding upwards, you can either ride the momentum to perform another rep or reset your position to perform a stricter, more controlled explosive push-up
• Optionable: After each rep, clap when you are airborne

If you want to build and increase your athletic ability, this variation is for you as it targets fast-twitch muscle fibers more, which builds power, strength, and speed.

Focuses More On: Triceps (tri's), Inner Pectorals (inner chest), Deltoids (shoulders)

While standard push-ups have the hands placed shoulder-width apart, this variation positions the hands close together, forming a diamond shape with the thumbs and index fingers.

The idea here is to form and place the hands in a peculiar way that targets specific muscle groups, wihch are the triceps and delts.

How to perform the diamond push-up correctly:

1. Get into a plank position
2. Form a diamond shape with your hand; it is where you place your hands close together directly under your chest, with your thumbs and index fingers touching to form a diamond shape as shown in the video above
3. Same motion as the standard push-up

This push-up variation was one of the first I tried, aside from the standard push-up. I stopped performing this type of push up for a long time due to it being uncomfortable, but I revisited it recently, and I'm really glad I did.

Performing the diamond push-up variation will really make your triceps burn, especially if you do one-and-a-half reps with multiple repetitions in each set.

Just be sure to focus on the tension in your triceps rather than your joints. Most of the weight should be on your triceps, not your joints.

Focuses More On: Lats (upper back), Lower back, Deltoids (shoulders), Chest, Triceps, and Core.

A dive bomber push-up is an exercise that mixes a push-up with yoga, moving between downward dog and upward dog with the tension solely on your chest when dropping down and performing the upward dog.

It hits your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core, basically everything. Treat it as a full-body exercise.

How to perform the dive-bomber push-up

1. Start in a downward dog position with hands shoulder-width apart and feet together
2. Lower your chest towards the ground by bending your elbows and shifting your weight forward
3. Push your body forward and upward into an upward-facing dog position
4. Reverse the movement by pushing back into the downward dog position

This is my favorite push-ups variations and has been for a long time. Completing 3 sets of it daily or even every other day is enough to get rid of the feeling of stiffness on your back, shoulders, and all over.

Other Variations to Perform a Push-up

Focuses More On: Outer Pectorals (outer chest), Deltoids (shoulders), Triceps (tri's)

The wide push-up or wide-grip push-up is a great variation of the standard push-up, designed to place more emphasis on the outer pectorals and shoulders.

Because of the wider than normal hand placement, the range of motion increases, which allows you to challenge the chest muscles from a different angle.

How to perform a wide grip push-up correctly:

1. Get into a plank position
2. Widen your hand placement more than normal horizontally
3. Same motion as the standard push-up

Focuses More On: Lower Pectorals (lower chest), Deltoids (shoulders), Core muscles (abs)

Incline push-ups are perfect for beginners or those looking to focus on the lower part of their chest.

By elevating your hands on a bench or platform, you reduce the amount of body weight being lifted, making the exercise more accessible while still providing a solid workout for the chest, shoulders, and core.

How to perform an incline push-up correctly:

• Place your hands on an elevated surface
• Keep your body straight from head to heels
• Same motion as the standard push-up

Focuses More On: Upper Pectorals (upper chest), Deltoids (shoulders), Triceps (tri's), Core muscles (abs)

Now that we've covered incline push-ups, the natural next step is to dive into decline push-ups. These take things up a notch by shifting the focus to your upper chest and shoulders.

By elevating your feet, your torso tilts downward, which engages the upper fibers of your pectoral muscles more.

How to perform an decline push-up correctly:

• Place your feet on an elevated surface
• Hands on the ground, body in a straight line
• Same motion as the standard push-up

This angle really gets that upper chest working hard, making decline push-ups a fantastic addition to your routine.

Focuses More On: Obliques (side abs), Hip flexors, while still engaging Pectorals (chest), Triceps (tri's), Core (abs)

Spider-Man push-ups add an extra challenge to your push-up routine by incorporating a knee-to-elbow movement as you lower into the push-up.

This dynamic motion not only strengthens your muscles but also improves mobility and body control.

How to perform a Spider-Man push-up correctly:

• Get into a push-up position
• Lower yourself and bring one knee toward your elbow
• Push back up and alternate sides

This push-up variation is a great if your goal is to work multiple muscle groups at once.

The one-arm push-up is the ultimate test of upper body strength, balance, and core stability.

Unlike the standard push-up, this variation demands immense focus and control, as it targets the chest, triceps, and shoulders on one side of the body.

It also places a significant load on your core to maintain stability throughout the movement.

How to perform a one arm push-up correctly:

• Start in a plank position, one hand under your chest
• Lower your body as in a standard push-up
• Push back up, focusing on stability

Though it's a difficult move to execute, it’s highly rewarding and showcases your ability to control your body with precision.

Focuses More On: One side of the Pectorals (chest), Triceps (tri's), Deltoids (shoulders), Core muscles (abs)

Archer push-ups are an excellent progression toward mastering one-arm push-ups.

In this variation, one arm does most of the work while the other assists from the side. This creates an uneven load, forcing one side of the chest and triceps to handle more weight.

How to perform a archer push-up correctly:

• Widen your hand placement, keeping one arm straight
• Lower your body toward the bent-arm side
• Push back up and alternate sides

Overall, this push-up variation is a great way to build unilateral strength and increase stability on each side of the body.

Focuses More On: Obliques (side abs), Core (abs), while still engaging Pectorals (chest), Deltoids (shoulders), Triceps (tri's)

In this variation, you rotate your body into a side plank at the top of the movement. Focus on engaging your core and obliques while still working your chest, shoulders, and triceps.

How to perform a T push-up correctly:

• Perform a standard push-up
• At the top, rotate into a side plank, raising one arm
• Return to the starting position and alternate sides

T push-ups is a great push-up variation if you want to build up not only strenght and stability but also flexibility. Perfect for a warm-up exercise.