21 Push-Up Variations from Beginner to Advanced | Quarantine Bodybuilding





The pushup is one of the most basic, Calisthenics(self-weight) exercises to perform, which means it does not need a gym or any equipment to handle. Yet effective enough to strengthen and work out all muscles group consisting of triceps, biceps, shoulders, chest, back, glutes, and core.

What's important to understand is that in this time of the COVID-19 outbreak, people have been restricted from outdoor activities for safety purposes which is directly affecting the health and triggering obesity among a large number of crowd, especially adults.

Quarantine Workout is a great solution where you can train your body at home space without any pieces of equipment. The most common one to start is Push-Ups. There are plenty of pushup exercises to do and they are very effective in strength training and bodybuilding. 



Start your Push-up and save other workouts for later. 




You're possibly stuck at your home in this year of quarantine and looking yourself in the mirror, taking moment to realize that you need to exercise, either to lose or gain weight, better immunity, and strength, etc but you find it difficult to make up your mind.


"I am managing my time for more important jobs right now."


"I can't afford a gym and corresponding nutrition right now but next month for sure."


"I’m too busy & tired to exercise."

Do you feel your life has reached a certain point where you feel forced to say such things when an idea of 'exercising' comes to a discussion and at the same time, you may sense the voice of your inner self - "Hell of a tedious job and I’m too old/fat/uncoordinated/embarrassed to exercise."

At the moment you need to stop worrying about anything and start with a small push-up session. Be it just 10 pushups a day initially but make sure you do it regularly. In a couple of weeks, you will start to feel stronger and then add more to your workout.


Listing 21 different kinds of Push-Up exercises


Any Push-up exercise has a fundamental role in building the Shoulder, Chest(Pectoral muscles), and tricep muscles.  Additionally, these can be subjected to train all-corner muscles of the human body depending on the posture and movements involved in each.

This article is stressing on 21 total push-up workout varieties for everyone from a beginner to a pro-level sportsperson. Moving along with the serial no.s the workout intensity will raise higher, thus will increase the level of training & effectiveness.

Click on the Pushup titles to get directed to a corresponding helpful video. 

This will be categorized into three parts - Standard(for beginners), Intermediate, and advanced level. Select and go ahead with your kind of taste.


Standard Push-up workouts for Beginners


1. Desk Push-up 

The desk pushups are a kind of inclined body job, a low-intense workout that can be done with the support needed such as a table, desk, or wall. This one is a "Start from zero" pushup choice if you possibly never did try any pushup exercise in your life. 


2. Traditional Push-up





The basic flat body pushup exercise builds the foundation for all other pushup workouts. Traditional pushups are the most common workout for building upper body strength and muscles. Bigger chest, shoulders, and triceps are majorly targeted, followed by core and back muscles if done in proper forms.


3. Wide Grip Push-up


Wide pushups are slightly different from the traditional ones when the positioning of your hands will be a little wider. The wider hands make it a more effective chest workout and shoulder muscles too, whereas the triceps muscles will be lesser involved here.


4. Single Leg raised Push-up

Day by day, as you get stronger, new challenges are certain to give a try. Slight leveling up the intensity by raising one leg up while balancing yourself on the other will be in continuation with the reps, this exercise is providing better stability and additionally training core and glute muscles.


5. Isometric Push-up

A push-up cum 'plank' exercise. The job is to hold your body still throughout the session to a bottom position of a regular push-up workout. It is tougher than the above workouts and very effective for upper and core muscle groups. The attached video shows how you can take short intervals to air up your lungs.


6. Crocodile Push-up 

The last name for the beginner push-up list is Crocodile Push-up which needs good flexibility, and Stronger arms and joints. You can't perform this if you aren't familiar with previous push-up exercises. 

All 6 names mentioned above are far effective bodybuilding workouts with no gym & equipment needed. These are meant for all pushup lovers and beginners however, do not assume them to be easy. Once you have become familiar with these, you are ready to explore next-level challenges.  
 


Intermediate Push-up workouts

These exercises are not subjected to beginners. But anybody can surely overcome up to these after showing a few weeks of gradual improvement in the previous push-up exercises listed.   


7. Diamond Push-up

Along with a great chest workout, the diamond push-up will massively help you building  "anterior deltoids(shoulder)" and Tricep muscles.  If you are worried about having a small shoulder, you can't miss this out. The thumbs and the index fingers of both your hands will be touching each other forming a diamond in between. It helps a lot in the progression towards the One-Arm push-up exercise workout.


8. Pike Push-up





While practicing a pike push-up, the body will take an angular shape by the buttocks. That way the majority of your body weight will be a load on your shoulders and triceps and trap muscles. Another great kind of workout of upper body muscle building.


9. Hindu Push-up


Its origin belongs to Hinduism and is a combination of two yoga asanas - 'Adho Mukha Svanasanathe'(the downward dog ) and 'Urdhva Mukha Svanasana'(the upward dog). The posture is similar to the previous one and additionally lots of stretching involved and breathing involved.  The target muscle group includes the upper body, especially in the pectorals (chest), triceps, lats (upper back), and shoulders.  


10. Staggrered Push-up 





In this exercise, one needs to place the hands staggered( at different positions; zigzag order) with one hand being higher and slightly wider than the shoulder width gap. The arms will lower down until reaching a 90-degree angle and push the torso back. This exercise has a concept of working out the biceps muscles well along with triceps, chest, and all other push-up benefits.


11. Slow Motion Push-up

When practicing this one, the body will slowly go down to a prone position and will regain the original posture fastly or you can do both the movements slow manner. Unlike traditional push-ups, each rep is much more grueling and painful and at the same time, the body will gain muscles and strength much quicker.


12. Reverse hand Push-up





Placing your hands in exactly the opposite direction with respect to the body will give a close idea about Reversing a push-up exercise.  The alignment of the forearms with the torso will be in such a way(see fig.) that it will possess more of an arm-curling motion(targeting the biceps). This exercise is the foundation course to prepare for Planche Push-up which is highly intense in fact the most difficult in this list, a rare kind of workout.


13. Elbow/Sphinx Push-up

The simplest way to understand this pushup workout is to get into a plank position when your elbows are touching the floor. Now hold the ground through your palms and push your forearms up to lift yourself up. It requires stronger elbow joints as the whole body weight is going to stress on your elbow and in return, this can be the most effective exercise listed for ripped and bigger tricep muscles. Much more powerful than any gym or home tricep workout.


14. Archer Push-up 

Have you ever have tried the One-hand push-up? Almost impossible for a beginner to call it a piece of cake irrespective of how much physically active he/she is. No Problem. Start preparing for it using archer pushup. The Archer Push-up allows a gradual kind of load on each arm, applying a greater percentage of the body-weight on each arm at a time, while the other arm will assist slightly in a straight position.


15. Feet on wall Push-up

Get your body upside down while taking help from a wall and balance yourself onto your hands. This pushup workout utilizes most of your body weight as compared to others.


Advanced Push-up Workouts


The title describes it well. This means these are known under the hardest pushups keeping a world-class reputation, performed by highly trained pro athletes. If you are to try these ones, you're probably very aware of what push-up exercises are meant for and how to do them. 

You must understand that your body has to be in very good condition which can be the result of consistent hard work and strength training. Even one in 10 gym lovers is difficult to find who has expertise in these intense workouts. Let's check them out. 



16. One-handed Push-up





This is the moment where stronger arms will dominate and take over the hall of fame in the world of exceptional body workouts. The rule is simple. While posing for a regular push-up, disengage one hand and hold the lower back or leg knee tightly. The leg corresponding to the resting arm will bend by the knee, to balance the body movement. Lower down the body slowly until the chest nearly touches the floor, then push yourself back up using a single arm to the Initial position. Good luck.


17. Jumping/Plyometric Push-up

Plyometrics refers to jump in training(From No. 17 to No. 20). While doing a regular push-up add a jumping element with each rep to make the push-up more challenging and explosive. Best suited for the people who have already mastered the majority of pushup variations, thus developed a stronger upper body. 


18. Superman push-up 



Until you haven't mastered the jumping push-up, you won't be able to exercise this. It requires strength at the core, along with chest and back muscles. Highly intense and should be examined under the expert's guidance. The whole body is going to be lifted in the air in each rep, targeting the upper body and core muscles to the peak.


19. Clap Push-up

After jumping push-ups, this is another superb workout to give a try. In addition to the jumping Push-up, the clapping part is included. It needs the necessary airtime which requires denser power jumps with a greater upward force. World-class boxing champions use this workout to practice this for a stronger stance in the boxing rings.

 

20. Aztec Push-up



Another plyometric exercise that requires explosive strength from the upper body, core as well as lower body muscles. A category from the jumping push-up, however, the rule is to touch your toes or knees with your hand while your body is lifted in the air. Now try to get an idea of why this has been listed as the hardest pushup exercise to perform. Experts have said that before you decide to give it a try, you should be able to perform at least 10 clapping push-ups in a row.

21. Planche Push-up



Read the name again and now you know the answer for the most difficult pushup exercise in the world, practically possible to perform. Don't be amazed to know that this is a one-in-all complete body workout, that requires a tremendous amount of upper body, core, and leg strength. You not only balance your whole body on your hands while pushing up and going down but also keep the body stiff and straight, thus an apex level of strength training is involved.

Check out The SECRET to Super Human STRENGTH by a famous Fitness Influencer Chris Heria on Youtube who has shown his dedication and excellence to Planche Workout.

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