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CAN YOU DO THEM ALL? 10 Push Up Variations: Can You Do Them All? by Marc Perry, CSCS, CPT | March 2, 2011 | 46 comments Here are 10 push up variations that range from medium difficulty, to very diffic ult, as youll see with the last push up variation (the Aztec push up). Just givin g you some ideas to break up the monotony in the gym and try new things! If you want a primer on push ups, here is How To Do A Push Up With Proper Form. Wide-Grip Push Up Variation #1

This is a classic push up that is harder than the standard push up because you h ave less leverage to push yourself up, but its a darn good variation. Try startin g out with the wide grip push up, then bringing your hands closer in as you go a long. In addition, be sure to keep your hands below the plane of your shoulders, and make sure your elbows to not flare out too much. This will help keep the st imulation on your chest, shoulders, and triceps, as opposed to mostly your shoul ders. Diamond Push Up Variation #2

The diamond push up targets your triceps more than any other push up. Like the d ecline push up, this push up can put a lot of pressure on your wrists. In additi on, It can put pressure on your shoulders and elbows. I never do this push up fo r the preceding reasons, but I wanted to include it because I do know people who do diamond push ups all the time and swear by the benefits. Front Clap Push Up Variation #3

This is the basic military type of push up where you forcefully push your body o ff the ground so that you clap your hand in front of your body, then go back to the push up position. This push up you can do routinely and will help engage you r muscle fibers in your chest, along with help you create more pushing explosive ness. Behind-the-back Clap Push Up Variation #4

I guess this push up probably makes a better party trick than actual push up you would use, but it does require pretty strong explosiveness, much more than the front clap push up. This is the ultimate plyometric push up, and ideally you sho uld try doing it continuously. Im not sure you can hear it in the video, but my h

ands are hitting the ground extremely hard and my wrists are crying. Definitely not something to do regularly, unless you have a softer surface. One Arm Push Up Variation #5

The trick to doing one arm push ups is (1) be really strong compared to your wei ght and (2) keep your legs as wide as possible for a stable base. Ive seen some p eople align the hand that is pushing almost perpendicular to the body, whereas Im doing it with my hands in a normal push up position. Make sure your shoulders a re thoroughly warmed up before trying this push up. It puts A LOT of strain on y our shoulders and elbows. Staggered Push Up Variation #6

The photo is not a great depiction, but my right hand is about 6 inches higher t han my left hand. The lower hand is forced to work harder than the higher hand, which is taken out of the equation. If you can pound out 50 push ups no problem, the staggered push up is a more challenging variation, but you will still feel a great burn in your chest and shoulders. This is in my top 3 variations. Decline Push Up Variation #7

Be careful with your wrists when doing the decline push up, which is a more adva nced version of the normal push up with a greater range of motion. Ive done thous ands of these by putting my feet up a couple stairs in my home growing up. Unfor tunately, I developed a cyst in my wrist, which became pretty painful and Im sure the 150 push ups I was doing every day for the last year didnt help (ok, I know Im a little crazy). Incline Push Up Variation #8

This was supposed to be a spider push up, but somehow we lost the footage. Bumme r. The incline push up should really be done against a wider bench, or even agai nst the bar on a smith machine that is set to a couple feet off the ground. The lower the incline, the harder the push up. The emphasis is on your shoulders dur ing this push up and its easier than a standard on the ground push up. T Push Up Variation #9

I do T-Pushups as a warm up all the time to help get my shoulders warm and also my core with the twisting motion. Try it yourself. Aztec Push Up Variation #10

Face plant!!! Fortunately, I didnt face plant, but the first time I tried this ve ry difficult push up, it was a close call. I saw it on Youtube only a few weeks ago. The little trick I learned midway through trying these push ups in the vide o (which was the second time I ever tried them), is to push forward with your to

es a little bit before you explode off your hands. Obviously, this push up is ve ry hard, so be careful if you try it. You may consider trying to clap your hands against your thighs first, then go for the toes. Be sure to keep your legs as s traight as possible when doing the Aztec. Let me know what you think of this video. Do you want me to do a 10 Pull-ups Variation Video? Please Rate this article. Was it good? Rating: 4.8/5 (20 votes cast) 10 Push Up Variations: Can You Do Them All?, 4.8 out of 5 based on 20 ratings