20 Different Types Of Push Ups For Mass and Strength

Push-ups can be performed, regardless of where you are and, best of all, they are completely free—no expensive equipment or annual gym fees required. There are different types of push-up variations to meet different needs.

The classic push-up has survived the test of time and is the single most efficient exercise to simultaneously strengthen the chest, arms, deltoid, lower back, abs and glutes. Push-ups are one of the most basic but rewarding all-around exercises you will find, and everyone from teenagers to older adults can benefit from doing them regularly.

We have many questions in our brain about push-ups, which are confusing us. Which type of push-up is good for a beginner, an intermediate person, and an advanced person? And which one is best for upper, lower and inner chest, triceps and shoulder. After you read this article, you will know all about push-ups.

Which type of pushup is best?
Which Type of Pushups are easiest?
Which is the hardest pushup?
Which pushup is best for strength?
Which type of push up is best for chest?
Which pushup is best for back?
Best Push Ups for Tricep
Best Push Ups For Bicep
Best Push Ups For Shoulder

Why Different Type Of Push Ups are Required.

Now that we’ve agreed that pushups are great, it’s time to accept a hard truth: the basic pushup is also a very limited exercise. Keeping yourself in the same position will only keep you targeting the same muscles. There’s a reason that most people consider pushups to be a beginner-level exercise. To grow muscle, we need to increase the intensity of our workout. Doing different types of push-ups is important for muscle hypertrophy.

Yes, the exercise will target the muscles of your chest, shoulders, and arms efficiently, but there are ways that you can increase the intensity. You can change the focus of your chest, triceps, and shoulders by making a few changes, such as where you put your hands and whether you do incline or decline push-ups.

You can also change the tempo by slowing down your descent or pausing at the bottom of the position. This will increase the time under tension, maximizing your muscle-building potential. You can even begin to introduce different implements like elevating your hands or feet to change up your focus. You can also change the hand position, such as close and wide hand position, to change the focus on muscles.

Biomechanics of Different Type of Push-Ups

Push-ups can be performed with a multitude of variations to bring about different muscular recruitment patterns.

Many biomechanical variations of the Push-ups exercise can be performed to alter muscle activity by providing either a lesser or greater challenge to the target musculature.

These different types of push ups most often involve altering hand and foot positions, which impacts muscle recruitment patterns. That why some types of push ups primary focus on chest, some on triceps and other on shoulders.

A number of potential hand positions exist, the most common classifications include wide base (150% shoulder width), normal base (shoulder width), and narrow base (50% shoulder width).

The wide base activates the pectoralis major to a greater degree than the other positions, whereas the narrow base optimizes the activation of the triceps brachii.

Because of the angle, the Incline Push Up works your lower chest and core more. On the other hand, The decline push up works the upper chest and front shoulders (delts) more than the regular or incline variation.

These different types of push ups can be used in fitness settings to change up the program and offer a range of low to high intensity options.

Even More Modifications and Variations

When you want to broaden the scope of your workouts without introducing new equipment or different training concepts. You can pack a few different types of pushups into one workout.

Many of these moves can be made easier or harder with these modifications, although not every modification will work with every type of push-up.

Make It Easier

Knees: Perform push-ups on your knees instead of your feet to ease the difficulty on your upper body. This is a great way to build up to more difficult variations.
Incline: Elevate your hands on a bench, chair, or table—the higher above your feet, the easier.

Make It Harder

Unilateral: Cross one ankle over the other, so only one foot is on the ground. This requires more core activation for stability.
Decline: Elevate your feet on a box, bench to increase the activation of the upper chest muscles and the front of the shoulders (anterior deltoids). The higher your feet, the more difficult.
Weighted: Have a friend place a weight plate on your back for an added strength challenge.
Plyometric Combinations: Transition between different types of push-ups. For example, go back and forth between narrow and wide hands or the fore and after positions of staggered hands. Get creative.

Here are some pushup variations you can learn to upgrade your training plan.

20 Best Push Ups Variations And Types

There are many ways to modify push ups for your needs. Below is a guide to the classic push-up and our favorite variations, in more or less ascending order of difficulty.

Here are the Best type of Push-Ups variation for beginner, Intermediate and Advance. This will help you to build strong upper body. Make sure that you have a solid grasp of the most important aspects of good form, positioning, etc. and apply them as necessary.

1. Wall Push Up

The “wall” push-up is a simple type of push-ups that dramatically reduces the pressure on the arms, upper back, and abs.

The closer you stand to the wall, the easier it is to perform, but remember, it’s still important to be aware of your body alignment as you perform this push-up.

How To Do Wall Push-Ups

Stand approximately 2 to 2.5 feet away from the wall with your arms held at shoulder height in front of you.
Place your hands against the wall with your body straight and your legs a few feet behind, so that your body draws a triangle together with the wall and the floor.
Keeping your feet firmly fixed to the ground, lean your body forward so that your elbows flex and your chest comes within inches of the wall.
Using your hands, push your body back into a standing position.

2. Incline Push-up

For the next degree of difficulty, place the box or chair to support your arms while you perform regular push-ups. This is among the simplest variations of the pushup you can do.

This type of push-up allows you to really concentrate on the push-up motion—all without the strain of the traditional version.

How To Do Incline Type of Push Up

Stand approximately 3 to 3.5 feet away from a low bench or sturdy chair. Reach forward and grab the sides of the chair or in front of the bench, keeping the balls of your feet in contact with the ground.
Slowly lower yourself by flexing your elbows so that your chest comes within a few inches of the edge of the chair or bench.
Using your hands, push yourself back to starting position while focusing on maintaining a straight body position from head to ankle.
The movement should be smooth and controlled.

3. Knee Push-up

The knee push-up, also known as a modified type push-up, is a bodyweight exercise that works for muscle groups throughout your upper body.

The knee push-up is a brilliant exercise for beginners. If you’re having trouble performing a full push-up, practice an easier push-up variation, the knee push-up.

How to do knee Push-Ups

Kneel on the floor. Extend arms and put hands shoulder-width apart on the floor in front of you.
Lower yourself by flexing your elbows so that your chest comes within a few inches of the floor, making sure your body is in a straight line from your head to your knees.
Raise your body to the starting position by pushing up with your arms.
Repeat the desired number of repetitions.

4. Standard Push-Ups

Standard Push-Up is the popular type of push-ups that to build your entire upper body, shoulders, chest, and arms.

Check how to do them correctly and blast your muscles at home or at Gym. Must add this workout in your different types of push-ups arsenal.

How to do Standard Push-Ups on Knee

Lay face down on the ground with your legs straight, and arms supporting the upper body. Keep your knees off the ground.
Raise yourself off the ground, straightening your elbows and your arms.
Raise until your elbows are locked, and pause for a moment at the top of the movement.
Now, lower your body under slow sustained motion, feeling the motion all the way down until your chest is very close to the ground.

5. Knuckle push-up

During Knuckle Type of Push-Ups, the pressure is placed on your knuckles instead of your extended wrists.

If you experience pain in your wrists while doing standard Push-Ups, doing Push-Ups on your knuckles may be a good way to get the benefits without the wrsit pain.

How to do Knuckle Push Ups

Assume a standard push-up position, but place the knuckles of your fists on the floor perpendicular to the body.
Perform a traditional push-up by keeping your body in a straight line while pushing yourself up, until your arms are fully extended.
Slowly lower yourself back down to the starting position.

6. Decline Push-Up

Decline Push-ups are similar to normal push-ups, but with your legs on a bench. Although this is called the Decline push-up, it focuses more on the upper pecs.

Furthermore, your lower body is raised from the floor, the resistance your body provides is increased compared to doing the push-up on the floor. The decline type of push-up is harder than the standard push-up.

How to do Decline Type Push Ups

Placed your hands firmly on the floor and spaced slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Put legs on the bench or the pad roller.
Now raise yourself off the ground, straightening your elbows and your arms. Keep your elbows close to your body.
Raise until your elbows are almost near to locked, and pause for a moment at the top of the movement.
Now lower your body under slow sustained motion, feeling the motion all the way down until your chest is very close to the ground.

7. Wide Push Up

Wide push up are a simple yet effective way to build your upper body and core strength.

If you’ve mastered regular pushups and want to target your muscles a little differently, wide pushups are a good option.

How to do Wide Grip Type Push Up

Lay face down on the ground with your legs straight, and arms supporting the upper body.
Put your arms in the 90/90 push up position. Slowly descend to the floor by retracting the shoulder blades and unlocking the elbows.
Descend until the upper arms are parallel or your chest touches the floor.
Push back to the starting point by extending the elbows and driving your palms into the floor.

8. Dumbbell Push-Up

Using dumbbell for push-ups make push-ups a more powerful exercise and help you increase upper body strength, muscle mass, and overall balance.

How to do Dumbbell Push-Ups

Grip a dumbbell in each hand and get into a plank position with your palms facing down towards the floor.
Now raise yourself off the ground straightening your elbows and your arms but keep your elbows close to your body.
Raise until your elbows are locked, and pause for a moment at the top of the movement.
Now lower your body under slow sustained motion, feeling the motion all the way down until your chest is very close to the ground.

9. Narrow Grip Push-Up

Take a narrower push-ups stance than you normally do, which is similar to a close-grip push-up that helps in building the inner chest.

How to do Narrow Grip Push-Ups

Take a narrower push up stance than you normally would.
Now raise yourself off the ground, straightening your elbows and your arms, but keep your elbows close to your body.
Raise until your elbows are locked, and pause for a moment at the top of the movement.
Now lower your body under slow sustained motion, feeling the motion all the way down until your chest is very close to the ground.

10. Diamond Push up

Diamond push-ups, also known as triangle push-ups, are a more advanced type of the classic push-up.

Practice diamond push-ups by bringing your hands too close together to form a diamond or triangle shape below your chest.

How to do Diamond Type Push-Ups

Get on all fours with your hands together under your chest. Position your index fingers and thumbs, so they’re touching, forming a diamond shape, and
Now extend your arms so that your body is elevated and forms a straight line from your head to your feet.
Lower your chest towards your hands, ensuring you don’t flare your elbows out to the sides and keeping your back flat.
Stop just before your chest touches the floor, then push back up to the starting position.

11. Spiderman Push-Up

The Spiderman Push-up is great type of push up if you’re getting tired of the standard pushup and need a challenge. This exercise is primarily chest and arm strengthening, but it also increases hip flexibility and really works your core too.

How to do Spiderman Push-Ups

Start in a high plank position with your hands flat on the floor about shoulder-width apart, wrists under shoulders.
Keeping your body in one long line, bend your arms and lower yourself as close to the floor as you can.
As you lower your body, bend one leg out to the side and bring your knee toward the same-side arm.
Push back up to start, and straighten your leg back out. Repeat alternating sides.

12. Shoulder Tap Push Up

The shoulder tap push-up is a variation of the push-up that challenges the core to a greater extent than its traditional counterpart.

Once you have the ability to do at least 10 full push-ups, you should be able to start incorporating some shoulder taps into the mix.

How to do Shoulder Tap Push-Ups

Get in the standard push-up position
Lower yourself by flexing your elbows so that your chest comes within a few inches of the floor.
Raise your body to the starting position by pushing up with your arms. Tap your left hand to your right shoulder while engaging your core and glutes to keep your hips as still as possible.
Place it back on the floor and repeat your next push up and shoulder tap with another hand.

13. Hindu Push-up

The Hindu push up is a traditional Indian-style exercise practiced by wrestlers.

Each repetition includes going from a downward dog position to a cobra pose, swooping by holding the head and body close to the ground.

How to do Hindu Push Ups

Start in a downward dog pose, with your hands shoulder-width apart, your body in a V shape, and your feet hip-width apart.
Bend your elbows and lower your chest until it’s just above the floor, going into low plank pose.
In a scooping motion, scoop your head upward while arching your lower and upper back and go into cobra pose.
Return to the starting position, you do not need to reverse back through the sweeping, arching motion. Simply push back into the starting position.

14. Fingertip Push up

Doing push-ups on your fingertips can look impressive, and it’s also an efficient exercise to increase your grip for basketball, bodybuilding, or rock climbing.

It also keeps your wrists straight, making it an excellent way to eliminate wrist pain from the 90-degree bend when your palms are flat on the floor.

How to do Fingertip Push-Ups

To assume a standard push-up position, your fingertips are in contact with the ground.
Breathe in as you lower your torso to the ground until your chest is an inch or two from the ground. Keep your elbows close to your body.
Breathe out as you push yourself up using your arms. Think of raising yourself by attempting to push the ground away from you.

15. Single-Leg Push Up

The single-leg push-up is one of the most challenging types of the push-up.

The only possible way to complete this movement is with proper stability from your feet up through to your head.

How to do Single leg Push-Ups

Assume a standard push-up position, but place one foot on top of the other or one place one foot in the air straight behind you.
Lower yourself by flexing your elbows so that your chest comes within a few inches of the floor, making sure your body is in a straight line from your head to your toe and you one leg in the air.
Raise your body to the starting position by pushing up with your arms.
Repeat the desired number of repetitions. Make sure to alternate legs in between sets or repetitions to create a symmetrical body.

16. One Arm Push-up

A one-arm push-up is a compound exercise that requires far more strength and balance than a standard push-up using two arms. This variation allows you to train unilaterally (one side of your body at a time), which is typically an option with traditional pushups.

It just might be one of the most difficult body-weight exercises to master.

How to do One Arm Push-Ups

Get in the standard push-up position. Place one hand on the ground directly beneath your chest and the other behind your lower back.
To maintain balance, turn your torso slightly away from the pushing arm.
Breathe in as you lower your angled torso to the ground until your chin is a few inches above the floor.
Breathe out as you push yourself up from the floor. Stop just before you lock out your elbow at the top of the movement.

17. Reverse Grip Push-Ups

The reverse grip push-up is a fun and great type of the standard push-up. The exercise is done with your fingers facing your feet (your palms outward). It’s considered the “bicep push-up” by many because of the hand position, it emphasizes a little more on your biceps than the standard push-up.

For easier variation, you can do the Reverse Grip Push-Ups on knee or on incline surface.

How To Do Reverse Grip Push-Ups

Start in a standard push-up position and place your hands slightly wider than your shoulders with your palms flat on the floor and your fingers pointing towards your feet.
Inhale and slowly start to bend your elbows. Do not let your elbows move outwards (away from your body).
Lower yourself until you are about an inch from the floor. Pause the movement when you are at the bottom for a second.
Exhale and start pushing your body back up. Push through your palms like you would try to push the floor away from yourself.
Finish the exercise by extending your arms completely out. Repeat this for however many repetitions you wish to perform.

18. Archer Push-Up

In Archer push up, the arms are kept wider than the normal push-up position and as you lower your body, you transfer the majority of your weight to one of your hands and incline towards that hand while the other hand is kept straight. Simultaneously move your body to both sides.

How to do Archer Push-Ups

Start in a standard push-up position.
Maintain a strong core position and shift your upper body toward your right side. Pull your right chest toward your right hand as you bend your right elbow.
As you lower toward the right side, allow your left arm to straighten. Your left arm should be fully extended, forming a straight line from your shoulder to your hand.

19. Pike Push Up

Pike Push-ups aka shoulder push up is a type of the push-up that increases strength and stability in the shoulders and triceps.

Performing the exercise in a more upright position will target the shoulders more than the chest.

How to do Pike Push-Ups

Start in a standard push-up position.
Lift the hips up and back until your body forms an inverted V shape. Keep arms and legs as straight as possible.
Slowly lower the top of your head towards the ground. Once your head is about to contact the ground, pause for a second.
Then slowly push back until your arms are straight, and you’re in the inverted V position.

20. Clapping Push-up

Clapping Push-ups is an advanced type of push-ups exercise that works your chest, triceps, abs, and shoulders.

It can help burn fat and build muscle. Many athletes perform them to help improve their athletic performance by building strength, endurance, and speed.

How to do Clapping Push-Ups

Start in a standard Push-Ups.
Start to lower your body as if you’re going to do a push until your chest is almost touching the floor.
Reverse the motion by pushing hard through the palms, just as your arms reach full extension, pull your hands up off the floor.
Rapidly clapping the hands together and placing them back in the original position before your body falls back to the ground.

How To Add A Different Type Of Pushup To Your Workout?

Push-ups are a versatile exercise. You can do them:

It also works well as a muscle and strength builder when used separately.
Mixed into your cardio or strength-training workout.
At the end of a weightlifting session.

Aim to do pushups 3 to 4 times per week, giving your muscles at least 1 full day of rest between sessions to help them recover.

Proper form is more important than the number of pushups you do. It’s better to do fewer repetitions with good form than more repetitions with poor form.

For a more well-rounded physique, you might consider using various push ups.

Push-ups on the wall and knee are the best type of push ups for beginners.
Standard push ups are best for strengthening the chest, shoulders, and triceps.
Incline Push Up works your lower chest and back more.
Decline push-up works the upper chest and front shoulders
Close grip and diamond Push ups focus more on tricep and inner chest than shoulder.
Wide grip push-ups focus more on outer chest and shoulder.
Reverse Type Pushup is considered the bicep push-up.
Pike Push-ups focus more on shoulder than chest and tricep.
Hindu push-up works from your whole body, from upper to lower body; it works from your front to back.
Single-Leg Push Up, One Arm Push-Up and Clapping Push-Up Types of push up are best for advanced athletes.

Takeaways

For anyone, who is interested in building upper body muscles mass and gaining strength, then must try different types of push-ups.

It not only allows for targeted muscle development, but also provides overall development. It is easy to do and requires no more scientific details. If done consistently, the results will speak by themselves.