Different Types of Push-ups
A push-up is one of the most basic/well-known ways a person can exercise their upper body and core. It’s also a type of workout that can help improve cardiac health and metabolism. However, this simple exercise has many different variations far beyond just the standard push-up - the one where a person starts in a high plank, lowers their chest to the floor, and back up in one rep.
Types of Push-ups:
Standard Push-up/Strict Push-up
This is the most well-known push-up type. To do this variation, a person starts in a plank position and looks at the floor. Next, the person bends their elbows until their chest is close to the floor, but not resting on the floor. After that, they straighten their elbows until they return to their original position. A person should keep their hips and shoulders straight, neither rising before or after the other.
This type exercises the chest, deltoids, triceps, upper back, and core.
Incline Push-up
For beginners who struggle to do a standard push-up, they can start with the incline push-up. This type does not require the person to start at a plank position, but instead, they place their hands on some form of elevated surface - a bit more than shoulder-width apart. Then, proceed as a normal standard push-up. People can adjust the difficulty of the push-up, a higher angle means an easier workout, and vice versa.
This type exercises the chest, triceps, upper back, and core - although to a lesser extent than the standard push-up.
Knee Push-up
This is another version of the standard push-up that has been modified for beginners. A person starts with their knees resting on the ground instead of the plank position. Then, they do a pushup like normal, keeping their knees on the floor. However, this type of push-up has some downsides, as keeping the knees on the floor can reduce the engagement of the glutes and core, which may cause lower back pain. If a person does not distribute weight well enough, problems affecting their kneecaps could develop.
This type exercises the chest, triceps, and upper back with less emphasis on the core.
Wide Push-up
This type of push-up is a variation of push-ups that exercises muscles a bit differently, as it targets the chest and shoulder more than the standard. A person starts in a plank position, except their hands are placed wider than their shoulders. Then, it’s the same as the standard push-up. It’s also noted that a person’s chest at the lowest point during the rep is just below the elbows.
This type mostly exercises the chest but does also target the other muscles commonly targeted by the standard variation, although to a lesser degree.
Negative Push-up
This push-up is a bit more advanced than the standard push-ups, as instead of going down and up at the same pace, the person goes down slowly and back up quickly. This introduces endurance and is a greater challenge as a person needs to keep their muscles tense for a longer period.
This type exercises the chest, deltoids, triceps, upper back, and core.
Conclusion:
While this list is by no means exhaustive of all the different types of push-ups, it includes some of the more common types and exactly which muscle groups are exercised. Push-ups have many different types, and the same variation of a push-up may also have different names from different sources. These five types are the more simple variations, all starting from some version of the plank. Other, more creative variations include the bear push-up, handstand push-up, and T Push-up.
Sources:
Preiato, Daniel. “What Muscles Do Push-Ups Work?” Healthline, Healthline Media, 10 July 2023, www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/muscles-worked-push-ups.
Thomason, Kristine. “15 Push-up Variations to Master at Every Level of Your Fitness Journey.” 15 Push-Up Variations for Every Fitness Level | The Output by Peloton, Peloton Interactive, www.onepeloton.com/blog/push-up-variations/. Accessed 17 Aug. 2024.
Carpenter, Hayden. “The Complete Guide to Every Single Kind of Push-Up.” Outside Online, 16 July 2024, www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/types-of-pushups/.
Pardee, Lauren. “When It Comes to Push-up Modifications, Elevated Push-Ups Reign Supreme.” Popsugar, 14 Aug. 2020, www.popsugar.com/fitness/if-knee-push-ups-hurt-give-elevated-push-ups-try-instead-47693120.
“Negative Push-up Guide: How to Master Negative Push-Ups - 2024.” MasterClass, www.masterclass.com/articles/negative-push-up-guide. Accessed 17 Aug. 2024.