Push-Up Series

Not really are series, more a collection of all different ways once can do push-up’s. Of course nothing should stop you doing those as a series if you like. Many of them are taken from Mark Lauren’s excellent book “You are your own gym”.

Push-Up Series

1. Regular push-ups – hands shoulder width apart, and slightly above the solar plexus
2. Close-grip push-ups – hands are very close together (touch even )
3. Wide-grip push-ups – hands are very far apart
4. Chinese push-ups – start in “downward dog” yoga position (ie butt up; also hands are close together)
5. Military press – like Chinese push-ups, but with hands shoulder width apart
6. In-line push-ups – hands or one behind the other on the centerline
7. Staggered hand push-ups – one hand is forward, one hand is backward; often hands are also more towards the centerline
8. Basketball push-ups – hands on basketball
9. Dive bombers – start in the “downward dog” yoga position (ie butt up) , diving down through bottom position of regular push-up and through to “cobra” yoga position (ie back hyperextension) and back the same way
10. Half dive bombers – as above, but finish at the bottom position of a regular push-up
11. Hindu push-ups – like dive bombers, but on the way back simply push arms out and lift the butt
12. Handstand push-ups – push-ups in a handstand position (free standing or against a wall)
13. One-arm push-ups – other arm behind the back; lift diagonal leg for added pleasure
14. Spidermans – arms extended, either to the front, or the side (easier)
15. Planche push-ups – only the hands are on the floor, supporting the body (ie feets up)
16. Semi planche push-ups – hands close to “planche position”, but toes on the ground
17. Pec flies – put hands on something that glides or rolls (eg dumbbells) and go downwards into T-position, and back up
18. Shoulder drop push-ups – go down with one shoulder only, keeping the other one as high as possible
19. Bouncing push-ups – both hands off the floor on the way up (you can clap if you want)
20. Parallette push-ups – hands are on parallel bars (the bars might or might not be able to rotate)
21. Deep push-ups – hand are elevated (eg phone books) hence chest goes deeper
22. Rowing push-ups – hands are on weights (kettlebell, dumbbell) and once the body is back in the top position one of the weights is lifted up
23. Shifting push-up – one hand is on a ball, which is moved to the other hand every time the body is in the top position (also works with a VIPR)