Fitness
9 Pushup Variations To Do When Your Workouts Get Boring
Play with time and your hand position.
RealPeopleGroup/E+/Getty Images
Prop Up
"Start out with an elevated pushup rather than dropping to the knees," says Joe Drake, a National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)-certified personal trainer and co-founder of Axiom Fitness Academy. Using your couch as a base will prep your core for advanced variations.
milorad kravic/E+/Getty Images
Go Slow
"Work on pushup negatives," Drake says. "Strive to make your negatives take a minimum of four or five seconds on the way down." Push up at normal speed, reset, and repeat.
evrim ertik/E+/Getty Images
Go Slower
"Going even slower on the descent of the pushup (four to six seconds) and then pausing at the bottom of the pushup for an additional three to five seconds before exploding back up to the top" will give your pushup game a big boost. You'll be tired after just a few reps, too.
NoSystem images/E+/Getty Images
Diamond Pushups
Come as close as you can to connecting your index fingers and thumbs in a diamond shape directly under your chest. This will emphasize your triceps. Keep your upper arms tucked close to your body as you descend. Widen your feet if you need a little extra support.
pixdeluxe/E+/Getty Images
Beast Pushup
"Start in a slightly extended crawl position and drive your chest back towards your thighs by extending the arms," Drake says. "Knees stay bent and hips go back, then you shift your bodyweight back forwards into a full pushup position. Drive up from the bottom."
FluxFactory/E+/Getty Images
Clapping Pushup
Warm up your wrists first. Then start with a wide stance with both your feet and hands. Lower yourself to the bottom of your pushup, engage your core and glutes, and blast up. As you rise, bring your hands off the floor, clap them together, and land back down.
bernie_photo/E+/Getty Images
One Side At A Time
Not quite at a one-arm pushup yet? No worries. Widen your feet and keep both hands on the ground. Focus on one side at a time — your right side will be doing most of the pushing work, but the left side will be light and keeping you stable. Switch and repeat.
Kanawa_Studio/E+/Getty Images
1.5 Reps
"Starting from the top of the pushup position, slowly descend to the bottom," Drake says. "Without resting, come back up about halfway or just past 90-degrees at the elbow. Lower back to the bottom of your pushup position." Only then do you blast up to starting position.
urbazon/E+/Getty Images
Archer Pushup
Start with your feet wide and your hands wide, too. Shift toward your left side. Extend your right arm straight, like you're an archer getting set up for a shot. Perform your pushup using your left side as much as possible. Switch to extend your left arm and repeat.