Push-ups are one of the most effective bodyweight exercises for boosting upper body strength and adding some lean muscle. But, if you’re only focusing on traditional push-ups, you could be missing out on a ton of benefits – and we’re not just talking about strength.
In a recent YouTube video, renowned Physical Therapist and Strength Coach, Jeff Cavaliere, notes that there are plenty of other push-up variations out there that can help you build a more resilient body in the long run, including better mobility and flexibility, as well as strength and muscle.
Below, are the push-up variations he recommends to add to your training, that’ll not only improve your upper body power, but also support longevity and balanced muscle development. Some strange exercise names incoming…
Hand release push-up
The hand release push helps you nail your traditional push-up technique by making sure you don’t cheat the movement, as you have to lower your chest completely to the floor. “More importantly, it gives you the chance to engage muscles you never get to engage, and that’s the rotator cuff along the back of your shoulders,” Cavaliere says.
How to do the hand release push-up:
- Start in your push-up position, with your hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart
- Lower your chest all the way to the ground and lift your hands off the ground
- Place your hands back on the floor, then push yourself back up to the starting position
Superman hand release push-up
You may’ve heard of the superman exercise – where you lie on your stomach and simultaneously lift your arms and legs off the ground – this exercise is a combination of that and a push up. Cavaliere says this move hits your entire back, as well as the thoracic spine – “the area of the back that we never work, but is really important for good mobility and posture.” Speed is not the goal here, so perform each rep with control and intent.
How to do the superman hand release push-up:
- Perform a hand release push up, following the instructions above
- Extend your hands out in front of you and lift your arms off the floor, as well as your feet – hold here for a second
- Lower your arms and legs back to the ground, slide your hands back to underneath your shoulders and push up
Mike Tyson push-up
Hips that move like butter allow us to move freely without pain. However, long days in sat down cause our hip flexors to become stiff and tight, not to mention they can degenerate as we age. However, Cavaliere says the Mike Tyson push-up (yes, made popular by Mike Tyson), can in fact aid hip flexion. It’s sort of a mix between a push-up and a child's pose squat. And it’s not just great for your hips either, but shoulder stability and mobility too.
How to do the Mike Tyson push-up:
- Start in a push-up position with your feet flat against a wall around hip-width apart
- Sit your bum back towards your heels, so your arms are lengthened out in front you in a child's pose position
- From this child's pose position, push through your feet to extend the legs and push your body forward into a push-up (make sure your chest remains hovering above the floor though)
- Push back into the child's pose position, alternating between this and the push-up
Back widow push-up
If the name wasn’t already weird enough, this push-up isn’t actually performed facing the floor, but lying on your back. It’s more like a supported crunch with help from your elbows by your sides, and your legs bent with your feet on the ground. What’s the point in this strange sounding move? Cavaliere says it “taps into muscles that are sorely in need of some attention” – the muscles in our mid and upper back.
How to do the back widow push-up
- Lie on your back with your legs bent and feet flat on the floor
- Dig your elbows into the floor at a 45-degree angle, with your hand pointing up towards the ceiling (like you’d position your arms if you were doing a dumbbell chest press)
- Push your elbows into the floor, rock your hands forwards and lift your back off the ground, like a crunch (make sure your elbows don’t leave the floor!)
- Hold here for three seconds, then lower slowly back to the starting position
Dive bomber push-up
This variation is slightly more challenging, and is basically combines a downward dog with a push-up. However, Cavaliere points out that the benefits match its difficulty. “It hits your triceps, your shoulders, and your chest equally well, in addition to actually helping to contribute more to that thoracic extension and shoulder mobility that we’re lacking.”
- Start in a downward dog position (if you can’t get your legs straight, have a slight bend in your knees)
- Whilst keeping your legs straight, bend your elbows and bring your chest forward so it almost grazes the floor, like a dive bomber. You should finish in an upward dog facing position
- Hold here for three seconds, then reverse the movement back to the starting position
Tip: Cavaliere says to imagine you're trying to slide under a barbed-wire fence to take a look and then get back to the starting position without trying to touch that fence
