10 Ways to Pushup
Pushups are a necessary evil, really.
For me, pushups are right up there with putting laundry away and emptying the dishwasher. Not the most fun, but you feel pretty great when it’s over. I think I like them even less because I’m not very good at them. My upper body has always been weak and as much as I’d like to be, I’m not a “let’s have a pushup contest!” kinda girl. But as the yoga saying goes, “The things we like the least are those we need the most.” Or something like that…
Anyway, pushups are an incredible total body strengthening exercise. You use your chest, shoulders and triceps to complete the movement, but you’re also engaging your legs and core. Pushups also increase your heart rate, thus increasing your total calorie burn for the workout. Wins all around. To be honest, though, regular ol’ pushups are kind of boring. I find that I enjoy them more when I switch it up and incorporate different variations of the classic exercise.
Here’s a reminder about basic pushup form.
Now for pushup variations to keep things exciting during your next workout. 🙂
10 Ways to Pushup
-Modify by completing the pushup on a wall or on your knees. You can place your hands on the wall and step your feet back, or totally switch it up with hands on the floor and feet on the wall
-Pushup on a stability ball (decline pushup). The closer the ball is to your ankles, the more challenging it will be.
-Incline pushup. You can place your hands on a weight bench, BOSU or stability ball with knees or feet on the floor.
-Walking plank and pushup. Stay in a plank position and take 5 steps in one direction and complete one pushups. Walk in plank 5 steps back the other direction and complete another pushup.
-Walking pushup. As you come up from your pushup, bring one hand to meet the other. Place the opposite hand out to the side and pushup again. Do 5 pushups in one direction and 5 back the other direction.
-Triceps pushup. Keep your elbows glued to your sides for this one and a narrow hand placement.
-V pushup. Make a diamond with your hands and come into a “V” position with booty up and heels pressing back (the very first pic of this post). Bend your elbows to come down and squeeze your triceps to come up.
-Pushup and side plank. Add a side plank to the top of the pushup movements.
-Tempo variations. Try coming down for 3 slow counts and up for 1. Intense!
-One-arm pushup. If you’re feeling fancy, add a clap in there too 😉 Let me know how that one goes haha.
Hope you got some new ideas to change it up next time!
Pushups: love ’em, or not your fave?
A little challenge for you: set a timer for one minute and do as many pushups as you can within that minute. You can modify if you need to, or stop and take a breather during the minute. Leave a comment to let me know how it went! It’s only 60 seconds 🙂
Have a wonderful day!
xoxo
Gina
More:
58 Comments
Leave a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Thanks for showing so many ways to mix these up. Your arms and shoulders look uh-mazing in all these pics by the way!!
I totally agree with the idea of moving out of your comfortzone and not be afraid of trying things you know (or think) you can’t do. If you try for 3-4 times, usually there’s already progression!
And, whew!!! If you can do diamond pushups, you’re pretty strong, lady!!! Definately no upper body weakness, girl! I can benchpress 100 pounds for reps (wide grip) but those diamond pushups kill me every time, haha!
Thanks for the inspiration 🙂
BTW my favorite variation: pushups with my two feet on a small medicineball! It really makes you engage your core 🙂
Love the variations!
Definitely not my favorite, but I feel like chaturangas are sneaky push ups. So I get those in pretty often!
I definitely think the diamond pushup and tricep pushup tie for hardest! I hate doing them but love what they do for my arms!
I actually really enjoy push-ups, especially doing different variations of them, but haven’t been able to do them for a couple of months thanks to my never-ending tennis elbow drama (MRI this Friday finally!).
I like the traveling pushup: start in regular position, take left hand wide out to the side, do a push-up, back to center, then take your right hand wide out to the side and do a push-up on that side.
The ones I dread are the tricep push-up (hurts my wrists!) and the frog push-up (left knee to leg as you go down, come back up, right knee to leg as you go down). I can only do this on my knees.
Thanks for sharing! Will look forward to trying out some of these once I’m better!
I do love them! Best core exercise out there!
Can I just say how much I LOVE these pants… push ups, eh. I do tend to put them in every workout because I like how they can work your core.
Ugh…push ups. I have to admit I do not love them. I have some wrist pain every once in awhile that make them a bit difficult so I modify when needed. But I am definitely getting better at them!
But seriously, emptying the dishwasher really does suck.
Love the leggings! 🙂
Necessary evil is right 🙁 Those downward dog push ups might be the hardest I’ve ever attempted. Where did you start your push-up journey? On the wall? On your knees in the “girly push-up?”
I wrote this on Facebook too, but those leggings are fantastic.
I sort stink at push-ups, but want to get stronger with them. We did a bunch in barre class last night and I was proud of myself for sticking it out.
If I wasn’t 30 weeks pregnant I would do the 60 secs of AMRAP push ups but my belly kind of gets in the way now. I think after I give birth I want to try and improve my pushups – I feel like I do not have good form.
Great post. Love the pants!! Who makes it?
I love pushups, and awesome total body exercise.
One of my favorites that was not mentioned, the dive bomber pushup. Good stuff.
I also love diamond pushups, and just plain old wide pushups for a great burn after a chest workout.
I love pushups. I think pullups are for me what pushups are for you – no like. But pushups are so versatile (as you just showed) and doable everywhere! I’m getting good at them as we do them at Crossfit in almost every class.
I hate doing them, but I love what they do for my body! Recently, I’ve been using the Bosu to increase the core work, which I love, too!
Great post! I am honestly not a push up lover, but your post is inspriring me to try a different one that I maybe like. I love your Reebok pants! Super cute!!!
thank you!
My husband and I make each other do five 5-seconds down, 5-seconds up, push ups whenever we curse. It makes you second guess your sailor mouth AND makes you pretty good at push ups! 🙂
i would be doing pushups all the day haha
AH, I adore your pants!!
I do not like push ups but when I do them consistently I really notice a huge difference! Thanks for showing different variations…the triceps push ups always get me…they make my elbow sore?!
Push ups are the death of me, lol. I can not do many at all which sucks because I have pretty good upper arm strength from all the riding I do and normal horsey chores. I recently started working out and doing push ups tho. I just use my knees. 🙂
I used to hate push-ups but love them now and try to do as many different variations as possible. The hardest ones for me have always been tricep push-ups and no matter how often I do them I struggle every time!!!
I love push-ups! Planks and Push-ups are my two favorite exercises of all time 😉 They are an everyday essential for me!
Pushups are a necessary evil. We do tricep pushups in body pump and well lets just say I am pathetically weak.
But more importantly. THE PANTS. I need those in my life! Where are they from?!
haha! they’re from reebok 🙂 http://shop.reebok.com/us/product/women-studio-legging-apparel/BC947?cid=Z77761
Great posts. I’ve actually had people tell me and seen people write that push ups are boring. Personally, I think they’re using that as an excuse! Push ups are such a great functional motion.
If you’d like to try a really really nasty variation, put your feet against a wall at about the same height your shoulders are off the ground. Attempting the push ups while trying to maintain strength into the wall is brutal!
Just did 35 in 1 minute! Thanks for the motivation! I’ve started to enjoy doing them after my husband convinced me that I was strong enough to do regular ones vs. “girl” ones. I couldn’t believe I was really able do them! Who knew husbands could be right at times!? Pull-ups are another story. I can’t do a single one. I attempted practicing reverse pull-ups but was so sore the next day that I haven’t tried again–it’s definitely a goal though!
I love seeing all those push up varieties! I started doing push ups again last night for the first time in a little over 2 years. I decided I need to just get back to it.
Push ups are definitely one of those exercises that I love to hate. They are HARD for me, but they work so many upper body muscles, that I love them.
I don’t mind push ups but I really don’t do them enough. I typically focus on the weights. This is a good reminder to reincorporate some body weight work into my workouts. In gymnastics we always had to do “pike” pushups where your feet are up on a box and your shoulders and head are directly on top of your hands, kind of like a modified handstand. I used to HATE them like that!
I’m with you! Pushups are pretty much my fitness nemesis. My legs are naturally much stronger than my upper body, so it’s always been a struggle, no matter what kind of shape I’m in. I teach Body Attack, and it’s been an amazing challenge for me, as track 5 is always a tough push up one! And as you know, when you are teaching, you can’t slack off!
I love regular pushups, as well as the 3-pulse or slow up variations. Have you tried Scorpion Pushups à la Jillian Michaels? I can only do a handful, but they are so so good!
Oh I wish I could do a single push up. I can do a few on my knees, but I still struggle. I find it odd because generally I consider myself fairly fit and can lift pretty heavy, but no push ups!
I love pushups! I’m not really sure why though cause they’re really hard. I guess I like feeling capable of doing them. One of my favorite variations is the down dog pushup.
Great variations!
I like pushups when I’m diligent about working on them regularly — it’s satisfying to be able to do a bunch in a row! 🙂
YERP I’m with you on the not so much loving push-ups thing! I have to do them for my job AND agree that they’re one of those “hate to do ’em but feel awesome afterwards!” things – I had not really seen a few of these! I really love some of Shaun T’s spins on push-ups like the push-up jack …. ok maybe “love” isn’t the right word but variations like that keep the move from being too boring and work more muscles.
I really appreciate your posts like this!
I just wanted to say how much I have loved the winter shape up videos!! They are great and I am still doing all 4 of them!!! Thanks again!!
thank you so much! i’m so happy you’re enjoying them 🙂
OMGGG LOVE those leggings!!!
I am at a point where I’m trying to perfect my form so I look forward to push ups but dread them because they’re hard work.
I hate pushups, but love this post. I feel so good after a pushup workout but hardly ever do them because I feel so awful during. Maybe one of these will change my mind on them 🙂
Love seeing all the variations! Great tights by the way.
thank you! reebok ftw 🙂
you’re awesome babe! it’s my goal to do handstand pushups soon !! <3
you will do it 🙂 xoxo
PS I’M SO INSANELY EXCITED FOR YOU
awwwww Gina <3 thank you so much. Wouldn't it be fun to get together and wedding plan!? HEHE! <3 I still think about your comment you left me while at Whole Foods <3 YOU ARE THE BEST MY LOVE 😀 Making me feel so special 😉
I LOVE pushups! They are definitely a necessary evil 😉 Some tough variations that I’ve been loving lately include hand-release, BOSU, and reptile pushups (stagger hand positions and alternate bringing one knee to your elbow). Oof.
I HATE push-ups but I have to do them every year for my Air Force PT test. After attending Barre Bee fit on a regular basis (which is very push-up/plank intensive) I maxed out for the first time ever, doing 47 in 54 seconds 🙂
ugh it’s a love-hate relationship. I definitely love the feeling I get afterward, but they kill me every time!
I like the timing of this because I’ve been trying to push myself to gain more strength and push ups are the best way to test it!
Triceps push-ups kill me! They are so good, but I hate them.
Hi Gina!!!
LOVE the pants!!! Would you say they fit true to size?? Looked on the site and just wondering if I should get a small or a medium? Some reviewers say fits big but I want to avoid the too tight shear look haha.
i think they fit pretty true to size. mine are a size small and i usually wear an xs or small. they stretch a lot though! i’d get whatever size you buy most often
Perfect!! Thank you so much!!!
I get a kind of twingey-pain in my elbows when I do push ups and sometimes the twinge goes all the way down my arm. I usually just do from-knees ones. Any idea why I might be getting this pain? I don’t do them very often for that reason, so it’s not an over use thing. I really need to get better at them!
And love your leggings 🙂
i would focus on building arm strength and do them on your knees. you don’t have to do them on your toes!