If regular push-ups are starting to feel too easy, or you're just ready for a new challenge, these upgraded versions will test you in all the right ways. These 11 push-up variations will push your strength, balance, and coordination in different ways. Each one challenges your muscles with a new kind of difficulty and adds variety to your training. In this post, we’ll go through:
Triceps Push-Ups
Wide Push-Ups
Decline Push-Ups
Pike Push-Ups
Diamond Push-Ups
Pseudo Push-Ups
Archer Push-Ups
Spiderman Push-Ups
Tiger Push-Ups
Russian Push-Ups
Clap Push-Ups
Think of it as a friendly guide to leveling up your push-up game or find new challenges. You will also get guided on the benefits and ways to work yourself up to them.
A push-up or also called press up is a classic bodyweight exercise where you press your body up from the floor using your arms.
It mainly works your chest, shoulders, and triceps (the back of your arms), while also engaging your core and even your glutes
and legs to keep your body straight. Mastering the standard push-up opens the door to a whole world of cool variations.
Triceps push-ups (also known as narrow push-ups) are a variation where you keep your hands closer together than a standard push-up (some people put their hands directly under their shoulders) and tuck your elbows in tight to your sides as you lower down. Because your elbows stay close to your body, the movement often feels smoother and easier to control. This position lets you press more forcefully by squeezing your chest and getting extra help from your shoulders and triceps.
Puts extra focus on your triceps, which are responsible for straightening your arms. This helps build stronger and more defined arms (hello, toned triceps!). Regular push-ups work triceps too, but this variation really focuses on them.
Still Works Chest and Core
You’re not only using your triceps – your chest and shoulders still join in, and your core helps keep your body straight. It’s a push-up with a different focus that still works your whole upper body.
Builds Arm Endurance
Because your triceps are doing more of the work, they’ll get used to longer periods of effort. That can help with everyday pushing movements, like getting up off the floor or opening heavy doors.
Place your hands on a surface around knee height (like a low bench or step) and keep your body in a straight line from head to heels. Do push-ups in this position, keeping your elbows tucked in close. The incline makes it easier to control the movement while still working your triceps in the right position.
This is the same form as a regular triceps push-up but done from your knees. It reduces the amount of bodyweight you’re pushing, which makes it more manageable while still giving your triceps a serious workout. Great for building strength and practicing proper form before moving to full triceps push-ups.
2. Wide Push-Ups
In a wide push-up, you place your hands further apart than in a regular push-up. This simple change shifts more of the work to your chest and shoulders. Imagine doing a push-up while trying to hug a big barrel – your arms are spread out wider, which makes your chest muscles do more of the pushing. Wide push-ups can feel a bit easier on your triceps but a bit harder on your chest and shoulders. It’s a great variation to hit those pecs (chest muscles) from a different angle and mix up your routine once standard push-ups start to feel too easy.
If wide push-ups feel too hard at first, try them on your knees or with your hands on a bench/wall. This reduces the weight you’re pushing and lets you practice the wide hand placement.
Gradual Width Increase
Start with your hands just a bit wider than shoulder-width and do a push-up. As you get stronger, move them a little wider. This step-by-step approach helps your shoulders adjust to the new position without strain.
3. Decline Push Ups
Decline push-ups are a simple way to make a classic push up more challenging: you do a push-up with your feet elevated on a step, bench, or any raised platform. “Decline” in this context means your body is sloping downward from your feet to your head. In practical terms, put your feet up on something sturdy, hands on the floor, and perform push-ups. Decline push-ups also shift focus slightly toward your upper chest and shoulders due to the angle of push. Many people find these harder than regular push-ups, but they’re a fantastic next step once you’ve mastered the the normal version.
Because of the downward angle, decline push-ups really target the upper portion of your chest (pectoralis) and the front of your shoulders. It’s similar to doing an incline bench press in the gym, which focuses the upper chest.
Core and Stabilizer Engagement
Decline push-ups challenge your core even more than regular ones, because there’s a tendency for your back to arch when your feet are up. You have to really squeeze your abs and glutes to keep a straight body line. Thus, you get an even better core workout. Plus, your shoulder stabilizer muscles (like the serratus anterior) work hard to keep your shoulder blades in place at that angle, which can improve shoulder health.
Adaptable Intensity Adjustment
One cool benefit is how easily you can adjust the intensity: start with a low step and gradually increase the height as you get stronger. Each increase adds more challenge.
No Gym Needed
Like all push-ups, this variation requires no special equipment aside from something to elevate your feet (even a couch or stairs at home work). It’s a convenient way to increase difficulty without needing weights. So you can continue to progress your training at home. When basic push-ups aren’t giving you gains anymore, decline push-ups can reignite progress.
Exercises That Can Help You Achieve Decline Push-Ups
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Master Normal Push-Ups First
Make sure regular push-ups are comfortable and you can do a solid number of them (e.g., 10–15 in a row with good form) before starting with decline. This ensures you have the base strength and core stability needed. If you jump into decline too soon, you might compromise form or strain your shoulders.
Start Small (Low Decline)
Begin with a low elevation for your feet, like a step that’s just a few inches off the ground. Try push-ups there. Once you can do, say, 5–8 reps easily at that height, move to a slightly higher step or bench. Gradual progression is key. There’s no rush to put your feet on a high box on day one.
Negative Reps
If you’re close but not quite able to push back up at a certain height, try negatives. Start at the top of the decline push-up and slowly lower yourself as controlled as possible to the floor. Then assist yourself back up (maybe drop your knees or use a bit of leg help to return to top) and repeat.
4. Pike Push-Ups
Pike push-ups have you bending over into an upside-down “V” shape (like a yoga downward-facing dog position) and then doing a push-up in that angled posture. In a normal push-up, your body is flat and parallel to the ground. In a pike push-up, your hips are lifted high, your feet are closer to your hands, and your body looks like an inverted letter “V” or an A-frame. From this position, you bend your arms and lower the top of your head toward the floor, then push back up. It’s almost like you’re trying to do a push-up vertically, so it mimics the motion of a shoulder press more than a bench press. Because of this, pike push-ups are fantastic for your shoulders. They are basically the stepping stone exercise toward handstand push-ups.
Pike push-ups shift the load from your chest to your shoulders. You’re pressing more vertically, which targets the front part of your shoulders (anterior deltoids) and also works the sides a bit. It’s like doing a shoulder press, but with your bodyweight. That makes this a top exercise for building shoulder strength and size without equipment.
Triceps and Upper Chest Engagement
You’re still using your triceps (the muscles on the back of your arms) to straighten your elbows at the top of the push-up. You also engage your upper chest, similar to an incline bench press. This combo helps fill out the upper chest and strengthens the arms while still keeping shoulders as the main focus.
Gateway to Handstand Push-Ups
If you ever want to do handstand push-ups or even just hold a handstand, pike push-ups are a key stepping stone. They teach your body the same movement pattern but with less intensity. So you're building up the right muscles and control to eventually go upside down with strength.
Home-Friendly Shoulder Exercise
Most shoulder workouts need gym equipment like dumbbells or machines. Pike push-ups let you train your shoulders seriously using just your body. They’re ideal if you’re working out at home or on the go.
Exercises That Can Help You Achieve Pike Push-Ups
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Downward Dog Holds
Get used to the pike position by holding a downward dog. From a plank, walk your feet toward your hands and push your hips up, making an upside-down V shape. Keep your arms straight and back flat. This helps you feel the right position for pike push-ups.
Partial Range Pike Push-Ups
If you can’t go all the way down yet, start with partial reps. Bend your elbows just a bit and push back up. As you get stronger, aim to go deeper. You can also put a pillow or block under your head and aim to touch that—this gives you a safe, consistent target.
If floor pike push-ups are too tough, raise your hands on a platform or blocks while keeping your feet on the ground. This reduces the angle and makes it easier while still training your shoulders.
5. Diamond Push-Ups
Diamond push-ups are a classic triceps burner and one of the most well-known push-up variations. To do a diamond push-up, you place your hands close together under your chest, with the tips of your index fingers and thumbs touching – forming a diamond (or triangle) shape. From there, you perform a push-up like usual. This hand position is very narrow, meaning your elbows will naturally track close to your body as you go up and down. Because of this, your triceps (back of the arms) take on a huge part of the workload, and your chest is engaged in a different way (targeting the inner chest).
Diamond push-ups are one of the best bodyweight moves for working your triceps. When your hands are close together, your triceps have to work harder to push your body up. This builds strength and definition, especially that “horseshoe” shape people look for on the back of the arms.
Improved Push-Up Strength
Doing diamond push-ups can make regular push-ups feel easier. It’s like training with extra resistance – once you go back to standard push-ups, you’ll likely notice more power and endurance because your arms are stronger.
No Equipment, Big Challenge
You don’t need any gear to make push-ups tougher. Just move your hands closer into a diamond shape and the difficulty spikes. It’s a great at-home move that works not just arms but also your chest, shoulders, and core all at once.
Exercises That Can Help You Achieve Diamond Push-Ups
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Close-Grip Push-Up Progression
If full diamond push-ups are too hard, start with your hands just a little closer than shoulder-width. As you get stronger, keep bringing your hands in until they form the diamond shape. This gradual method builds strength safely.
Start from your knees in the diamond hand position. Keep your body straight from knees to head. This takes some weight off, making it easier while you focus on form—especially keeping your elbows close and feeling your triceps work. Once you can do a bunch of reps, try some on your toes.
Incline Diamond Push-Ups
Put your hands in the diamond shape on an elevated surface like a bench or sturdy chair. This makes the push-up easier than doing it flat on the ground. As you get stronger, lower the height to make it more challenging.
6. Pseudo Push-Ups
“Pseudo push-ups” is short for pseudo planche push-ups. In a regular push-up, your hands are roughly under your shoulders. In a pseudo planche push-up, you place your hands further down toward your hips (behind your shoulders), and lean your body forward while doing the push-up. The effect is that your feet feel lighter and your hands/arms take on a lot more of your weight. It’s almost like you’re trying to do a push-up and a hand-balance at the same time.
Pseudo push-ups are extremely challenging: you’ll feel it big time in your shoulders, chest, and even your biceps (since your arms are angled differently). It’s like the ultimate push-up test of strength, and it’s a go-to exercise for calisthenics folks working up to the full planche. In simple terms, pseudo push-ups are “leaning push-ups” that make a normal push-up look easy.
Pseudo push-ups make you carry more of your body weight with your hands, kind of like a beginner version of a planche (a gymnastic move where your feet lift off the ground). This seriously boosts strength in your chest, shoulders, and arms.
Shoulder Developer
These push-ups shift the focus from your chest to the front of your shoulders (anterior deltoids). The movement feels more like an overhead press than a chest press. That makes them great for building shoulder strength and endurance without any equipment.
Core and Bodyline Control
Because you’re leaning forward a lot, your whole body has to stay tight and straight, or you’ll tip forward. That means your abs, lower back, and hips are working hard the whole time—kind of like doing a plank or holding a handstand.
Exercises That Can Help You Achieve Pseudo Push-Ups
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Planche Leans
Get into a regular push-up position, then slowly lean your body forward while keeping your arms straight. Go as far as you can while staying balanced, then hold for a few seconds before leaning back. This helps you build wrist and shoulder strength and get used to the forward pressure.
Incline or Knee Pseudo Push-Ups
To make it easier, start with your hands on something raised (like a low bench) or do them from your knees. Place your hands closer to your hips and lean forward as much as you can. This lets you practice the form without pushing full body weight.
7. Archer Push-Ups
Archer push-ups look as cool as they sound. In this move, one arm does most of the pushing while the other arm extends out to the side – like an archer drawing a bow. Basically, it’s a one-arm push-up with a little help from the other arm.
To do an archer push-up, you start with your hands much wider than a normal push-up. As you bend one elbow and lower your chest toward that hand, your opposite arm stays almost straight out to the side. You’ll shift your body toward the bent arm, putting most of your weight on that side. Then push back up and switch to the other side.
These push-ups build strength on one side of your body at a time. Since most of your weight shifts to one arm, that arm’s chest, shoulder, and triceps muscles get a serious workout. This is great if you want to work up to doing a full one-arm push-up.
Core and Stability
Your core has to stay tight to keep your body from twisting or sagging, and your stabilizer muscles work hard to keep you balanced as you move side to side. So even though it’s an upper-body move, your abs and even your legs are engaged the whole time.
Stepping Stone to One-Arm Push-Ups
Archer push-ups are a perfect in-between step before trying a one-arm push-up. You’re loading one arm more heavily while keeping the other hand down for support, which helps you build strength and confidence safely.
Exercises That Can Help You Achieve Archer Push-Ups
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Uneven Push-Ups
Do push-ups with one hand raised on something like a thick book or basketball while the other stays on the floor. This shifts more weight to one arm and mimics the feel of an archer push-up.
Get used to placing your hands wide by doing wide-grip push-ups. Archer push-ups use a wide setup, and training this way strengthens your shoulders and chest to handle it better.
Incline Archer Push-Ups
Put your hands in the archer position (one arm bent, one arm straight) on an elevated surface like a bench or table. This makes it easier by reducing how much weight you’re pressing. As you build strength and control, lower the height to make it more challenging.
8. Spiderman Push-Ups
As the name suggests, Spiderman push-ups make you look a bit like the superhero crawling up a wall. Here’s how it works: as you lower yourself into the push-up, you simultaneously bring one knee up toward the elbow on the same side of your body.
For example, when you bend your arms and go down, you’ll pull your right knee out to the side toward your right elbow (without touching the floor with that foot), then push back up and return your foot. On the next rep, you do it with the left knee to left elbow. Basically, you’re doing a push-up and a sort of crunching leg movement at the same time.
Spiderman push-ups take the basic push-up and turn it into a full-body move. You still hit your chest, shoulders, and triceps, but adding the knee-to-elbow motion also works your core—especially your obliques, the muscles on the sides of your abs.
Core Strength and Anti-Rotation
When one leg comes off the ground, your core has to kick in to keep your body steady. This builds anti-rotational strength, meaning your abs and lower back muscles learn to stop your body from twisting. That kind of core control helps with everything from lifting to sports.
Coordination and Balance
You're mixing an upper-body push with a lower-body crunch, so your brain and muscles have to work together in sync. That coordination boost can carry over to other exercises, giving you better balance and body control overall.
Exercises That Can Help You Achieve Spiderman Push-Ups
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Master Regular Push-Ups First
Get solid with standard push-ups before adding extra movement. Aim for multiple clean reps with good form. This gives you the upper-body and core strength needed for the Spiderman version.
Plank with Knee-to-Elbow
Practice just the leg part. From a high plank, bring one knee toward the same-side elbow without letting your hips sag. Move slowly and alternate sides. This helps you get used to the motion before combining it with a push-up.
Incline Spiderman Push-Ups
Do Spiderman push-ups with your hands on an elevated surface like a bench or step. This makes it easier by reducing how much weight your arms have to press. Still bring your knee to your elbow as you lower down, just like the full version.
9. Tiger Push-Ups
Tiger push-ups are a unique and challenging push-up variation that really challenges your triceps. They’re sometimes called Tiger Bend Push-Ups. Here’s a simple way to picture it: start in a normal push-up position; now as you lower down, bend your arms so much that your forearms touch the floor (basically you drop into an elbow plank at the bottom of the “push-up”), then you press back up to straighten your arms. It’s almost like you’re a tiger crouching low and then pouncing back up.
Basically, you go from a high plank (on hands) to a low plank (on forearms) and back up in one smooth move. This requires a ton of triceps strength to push up from your forearms to your hands.
Tiger push-ups are excellent for building strong, defined triceps—the muscles on the back of your arms. Since you’re pressing up using mostly your forearms and elbows, your triceps do almost all the work. This kind of isolation is rare in bodyweight moves, making it one of the best options for serious arm strength.
Core and Body Control
You have to stay tight through your core to keep your body straight while moving from forearms to hands. That means your abs, glutes, and back are working hard to keep your form solid. Over time, this boosts your ability to control your body in other exercises too.
Exercises That Can Help You Achieve Tiger Push-Ups
Start in a forearm plank and push up one arm at a time into a high plank, then return to forearms. These “plank up-downs” build the strength and coordination needed to lift from forearms to hands, just like in tiger push-ups—but in an easier, more controlled way.
Knee Tiger Push-Ups
Do the tiger push-up movement from your knees. Lower your elbows to the ground, then push back up to your hands while keeping your body in a tabletop position. This takes some pressure off your arms and lets you focus on learning the motion.
Partial Range or Eccentrics
Start by practicing only the lowering phase—drop slowly from your hands to your forearms, keeping control. Then place your knees down and reset. This builds strength through the hardest part of the move. You can also limit your range at first (like using a pillow under your chest) and gradually lower further as you improve.
10. Russian Push-Ups
Russian push-ups are an exciting combo move – they merge a push-up with a sort of forearm plank “dip” for an added challenge. If you’ve never seen one, imagine doing a normal push-up, then dropping onto your elbows at the bottom, and finally popping back up to your hands.
One rep has a few parts: you start in a high plank (push-up position) and lower your chest to the floor like a regular push-up. When you’re at the bottom, you transition to your forearms (so now you’re in a low plank). From that forearm plank, you slide or push your body forward and press back up onto your hands to return to the top of a push-up. It’s almost like doing two push-ups in one: a standard push-up and an “elbow push-up” combined.
Russian push-ups involve pushing yourself up from your forearms to your hands in one quick move. That explosive push builds power in your chest, shoulders, and especially your triceps. It’s a bit like a controlled version of a clap push-up. This kind of training helps you move faster and push harder—great for sports or any activity where quick upper-body strength is needed.
Extra Tricep and Shoulder Work
That forearm-to-hand push is a mix between a triceps extension and a shoulder press. It works your triceps and the front of your shoulders more than regular push-ups do, helping you build stronger, more defined arms and shoulders.
Better Coordination and Flow
There are multiple steps in a Russian push-up, which means your brain and muscles have to work together to get it right. As you practice, you’ll get better at moving smoothly from one phase to the next. That coordination boost can help in other complex moves, like burpees or flow-based workouts.
Exercises That Can Help You Achieve Russian Push-Ups
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Plank Up-Downs
From a forearm plank, press up one hand at a time into a full plank, then go back down. This builds the strength and rhythm needed for part of the Russian push-up, but with less intensity since you're only moving one arm at a time.
Segmented Practice
Split the move into chunks. Practice lowering from a low push-up position to your forearms, then pushing back up to your hands—without the full up-and-down motion. You can also do a forearm plank and push to hands with a small hop. Strengthening each part helps you put them together into a smooth, explosive push-up.
11. Clap Push-Ups
Clap push-ups are a flashy and fun variation that will make you feel like a superhero (or at least a stunt performer in a training montage!). They are a type of plyometric push-up – meaning they involve an explosive movement. To do one, you perform a push-up with such force that your hands leave the ground, you clap your hands together in mid-air, and then quickly place them back down to catch yourself and soften the landing.
The first time you try, it can be a bit scary – you might be afraid of faceplanting. But starting with small “hops” and building up can get you there. When you do a successful clap push-up, it feels awesome: you need a combination of strength, speed, and coordination. Besides looking cool, clap push-ups train your muscles to be explosive, which has benefits we’ll discuss.
Clap push-ups train your muscles to fire fast and hard. Every time you launch off the ground, you activate your fast-twitch muscle fibers—these are the ones that handle quick, powerful movements. That kind of power is useful in real life and in sports, whether you’re throwing something, pushing off the ground quickly, or making fast upper-body moves.
Improved Athletic Performance
Athletes use clap push-ups to boost performance in sports like basketball, football, and boxing. That quick burst of strength can help you pass faster, block better, or recover from a fall more smoothly. Even if you’re not into sports, it’s handy for daily life—like reacting quickly to stop yourself from falling or pushing something heavy with force.
Greater Muscle Recruitment
Because the movement is so explosive, your body calls in more muscle fibers to get the job done. Your chest, shoulders, and triceps do most of the work, but your core and even your legs help stabilize and power the push. That high muscle activation can lead to more strength and muscle gains since you're challenging your body in a new way.
Confidence and Cool Factor
Clap push-ups aren’t just effective—they look impressive. Nailing one feels like a personal achievement. There’s a sense of power and control that comes with literally lifting yourself off the floor. It’s a fun, flashy move that proves your upper-body strength is on point.
Exercises That Can Help You Achieve Clap Push-Ups
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Perfect Your Standard Push-Up First
Make sure regular push-ups feel easy and smooth before trying to add speed or explosive power. You should be able to do multiple reps with strong form, and it helps if you’ve tried faster or decline push-ups as well.
Practice Explosive Push-Offs
Start with push-ups where you push your hands just slightly off the ground—an inch or two is enough. These "push-off" reps build the explosive strength needed to eventually add the clap.
Knee Clap Push-Ups
Try doing the clap version from your knees. You’ll still get the explosive effect, but you’re lifting less body weight. It’s a safer, easier way to get the hang of clapping mid-air without risking a crash landing.
Incline Clap Push-Ups
Place your hands on a bench or low surface and do clap push-ups from there. The incline makes it easier while still training the explosive motion. As you get stronger, lower the surface height until you’re doing them from the floor.
Conclusion
There you have it – 11 push-up variations that go from “this feels tricky” to “wow, that’s intense!” 😅 Don’t stress. Everyone starts somewhere, and just trying these (especially with the easier progressions) will build strength. Add one or two into your routine to keep things fresh and push your muscles in new ways. Focus on good form over high reps—quality always beats quantity. As you get stronger, level up to the harder versions or even mix them (like a decline Spiderman push-up if you’re feeling bold).
Push-ups are one of the best no-equipment ways to build upper body and core strength. Expanding your skill set turns your body into a gym. So go ahead—try these out, have fun, and don’t get discouraged if they challenge you. With consistency, you’ll be repping out advanced variations like it’s nothing. Stay smart, stay strong, and enjoy the journey. 💪🏽
Daniel Flefil is a globally recognized calisthenics coach, athlete, and competition organizer with over 15 years of experience in fitness and 10+ years in calisthenics. As the founder of Beast of the Barz, one of the world’s biggest calisthenics competitions, and co-founder of Calixpert, he has played a major role in shaping the sport.
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