Pushups are one of the fundamental movements in the world of fitness. Bodyweight movements are essential in strengthening the foundations of the body and building a baseline strength that will help you achieve a lot more with your body. Pushups work the muscles in the chest, shoulders, back, and core when executed with perfect form.
There are different types of pushups that you can perform based on your level of strength and practice. But having a proper pushup form is quite essential for muscle activation and remaining injury-free. Utilize the mind-muscle connection and focus on contracting the chest muscles as much as you can.
Here are five different ways you can perform a pushup from the easiest to the hardest level:
Knee Pushups
Knee Pushups are the perfect substitute for a beginner. If you struggle to complete a single pushup, then you need to practice on your knees and build your strength over time. Here’s how you do it:
- Start with your hands shoulder-width apart
- Instead of resting your toes on the floor, keep your knees on the floor and keep your feet in the air
- Slowly lower to the floor
- Return to the start position
Normal Pushups
Regular pushups are the key to a solid upper body. Proper pushup form, along with mind-muscle connection, will help you unlock a new level of strength and muscle contraction that will have you feeling like a Greek God. Here’s how to perform a perfect push up:
- Start in a plank position with hands shoulder-width apart
- Engage your core and tighten your lower body
- Mindfully, lower your body and pause at the lowest point for a second
- Slowly return to the starting position
Key tip: Don’t flare out your shoulders; instead, have them at 45 degrees to achieve the perfect pushup form!
Tricep Pushups
Tricep Pushups, also known as diamond pushups, help you build some insane chest and triceps strength but we would recommend this to people trying to fill their sleeves. This movement should only be performed after you master the two basic pushup exercises. You can always try it out, but we all know that a shiny building with a weak foundation is built for disaster. Want to give this exercise a shot? Here’s how to:
- Get into a plank position
- Position your hands such that the index fingers and thumbs create a diamond on the floor
- Slowly lower your body as much as you can
- Push up to the starting point
Key tip: This movement might feel overwhelming at first, so we recommend trying it out with your knees on the floor first and progressing from there!
Decline Pushups
Decline pushups are one of the best bodyweight exercises to target the lower chest muscles. These are a must for people looking to tone their upper body. This exercise has one of the highest muscle activation percentages out of all the pushing movements. All you need is an elevated platform to rest your feet on and follow these steps:
- Get into a plank position
- Keep your hands shoulder-width apart
- Get your feet up on the platform
- Slowly lower your upper body while keeping your lower body stable
- Return to the starting position
Key tip: Proper form is required for this movement. We recommend it to people who have established control and strength to perform the exercise as this movement can easily lead to an injury.
Spiderman Pushups
“With great power comes great responsibility” Pretty sure Uncle Ben was talking about spiderman pushups. Jokes apart, this exercise is not to be fooled around with. It takes a lot of focus and control to execute this movement, but the rewards are worth it. We recommend this to people who have achieved the perfect control over their movement and can perform 100 pushups in a day as lack of control in such dynamic movements is the recipe for disasters!
How to perform Spiderman Pushups:
- Start in a plank position with hands shoulder-width apart
- Lower your upper body while picking up your right foot and draw your right knee up and out, so your right knee reaches your elbow just as your chest hovers about an inch or two from the mat
- Reverse the movement, extending your elbows to press up to the plank position as you simultaneously raise your knee and return your right foot to the floor
Feeling pain in your shoulders or back during pushups? You might be lacking mobility. Check out our blog on upper body mobility!