Push-ups are a staple of fitness programs everywhere and for good reason. They’re a great way to build strength and endurance in your shoulders, chest, arms, back, and core, all of which are crucial areas for building explosive strength.
But even though they are simple, there’s no shortage of ways to make them more challenging. In today’s article, I will talk about 9 advanced push-up variations that will help you build explosive strength.
Explosive power is needed for many sports
Explosive power is needed for many sports, including weightlifting, powerlifting, and bodybuilding. But it’s also important for a wide range of activities that don’t necessarily involve training for competition.
The muscles in your upper body are responsible for explosive movements like throwing a ball or jumping up to catch a rebound.
These muscles need to be strong enough to handle the force generated by powerful movements like these, but they also need to be able to relax quickly so they can prepare themselves for the next burst of energy needed to complete a movement.
This means that if you want to get better at explosive movements, or if you want to improve your overall athleticism, it’s important that you work on building up both your strength and your speed.
That’s where exercise comes in! These 9 advanced push-up variations will help you build both strength and speed in your chest, triceps, shoulders, back, and core muscles, all while helping you maintain proper form throughout each exercise so you can avoid injury during training sessions.
Not all push-ups are created equal
Push-ups are the best exercise, right? Well, not all push-ups are created equal.
When you think about doing a push-up, you probably picture your standard, basic push-up. But there are tons of different ways to do a push-up, and each variation will work different muscles in your body.
So now that you know there are lots of different ways to do them, what should you do? When should you do them? And how can they help you be stronger?
Let’s take a look at some of my favorite advanced push-up variations!
Today’s 9 Advanced Push-Up Variations Are:
1. Plyometric Split Squat to Push-Up
2. Wall Hand Plant Push-Up
3. Slow Motion Push-Up (15 sec down/ 15 sec up)
4. Wall Foot Plant Push-Up
5. Cliffhanger Push-Up
6. Flying Superman Push-Up
7. Single Arm Posted Push-Up
8. Pseudo Planche Push-Up
9. One-Arm Push-Up.
1. Plyometric Split Squat to Push-Ups
If you’re looking to improve your speed, strength, and power, look no further than the split squat plyometric to push-up.
This exercise will increase your ability to jump higher and farther, and it can also help build muscle in the legs and upper body.
This is a compound exercise, working both the lower body (quads, hamstrings, and glutes), and the upper body (chest, shoulders, triceps, and core).
So, this exercise is a jumping lunge followed by a regular push-up.
How to do it:
- Take a large step backward and lower your hips, so that your back knee is just above the floor, and your front thigh is parallel to the floor.
- Jump into the air and switch leg positions.
- Jump again and return to the starting position.
- Now, lower yourself into a regular push-up, lift yourself into a standing position, continue with the 2 jumping lunges, and back into a push-up.
- Repeat the exercise until the set is complete.
2. Hand Plant Push-Ups
This exercise is a great way to build strength, confidence, and flexibility. If you’re looking for a way to get in shape and work on your upper body, then this is the exercise for you!
They also increase your core strength and improve your ability to stay balanced.
How to do it:
- Get into a push-up position with your hands on the ground, fingers facing forward, and arms straight, with your head a few inches from a wall. Your body should be in a straight line from head to heels.
- Perform the first half of a push-up, then, as you push back up, explosively drive your body up so that you are airborne.
- Plant your hands against the wall, being sure to keep your core and shoulders tight. Push your hands into the wall to hold for a split second before dropping into the next rep.
3. Slow Motion Push-Up (15 sec down/ 15 sec up)
This variation is a great way to build strength and endurance in your chest, shoulders, and triceps.
This makes for one full minute of continuous movement, which will help you burn more calories than a normal push-up and build muscle at the same time!
It’s simple: you just alternate between lowering yourself into a push-up position and raising yourself back up. The key is that you don’t rest at all. As soon as you’re in the down position, you lift yourself back up again.
How to do it:
- Begin with the body in a straight line, up on the toes, legs straight, and arms straight. Palms on the floor, and tighten your abs.
- Bend at elbows, lowering your chest to a count of 15 seconds as you lower to the floor into a push-up.
- Return to starting position, again to a count of 15 seconds.
4. Wall Foot Plant Push-Ups
Photo Source: CalorieBee
This variation is a great way to build upper body strength, especially in the shoulders. The exercise targets your upper arms, shoulders, and chest muscles.
This exercise is also a good way of building up your lower back muscles, which can help you avoid injuries in the future.
How to do it:
- Get into a plank position
- From here, extend one leg at a time and drive your feet into a wall. Assume a push-up position with the legs straight, elbows extended, and head in a neutral position looking at the floor.
- Slowly descend to the floor by retracting the shoulder blades and unlocking the elbows. Descend until the upper arms are parallel or your chest touches the floor.
- Push back to the starting point by extending the elbows and driving your palms into the floor.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
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5. Cliffhanger Push-Ups
Photo Source: YouTube
They’re a great way to build upper body strength. Whether you’re preparing for an upcoming beach trip or just want to look good at the gym, Cliffhangers are a great addition to your workout routine.
They’ll help you build endurance and muscular strength in your shoulders, triceps, and chest muscles, and that’s only one of their many benefits!
How to do it:
- Position yourself on the floor in a normal push-up position, but with your hands stretched out as far as possible in front of you. Your feet should be together.
- Perform your push-ups in this position, being sure to keep your core tight.
6. Flying Superman Push-Ups
Photo Source: YouTube
This variation works your chest, shoulders, and triceps muscles to help you build up strength in those areas. This can help reduce pain in those parts of your body if you suffer from chronic pain or overuse injuries.
When you do them correctly they help build up strength in your back muscles so that they support your spine better while also improving your posture overall. This will also help reduce back pain from poor posture over time!
How to do it:
- Start in a push-up position, with your arms shoulder-width apart, your shoulders stacked directly on top of your wrists, and your feet together. Engagement your glutes and core to maintain a straight body. This is your starting position.
- Inhale as you lower your body toward the ground by bending both elbows. Keep lowering until your triceps are parallel to the floor.
- Exhale as you forcefully push your hands and toes into the ground to propel your torso up and away from the ground as fast as possible. Extend your arms out fully in front of you, whilst keeping your body in a straight line. Your core is engaged throughout this movement.
- Land softly on your hands, bending the elbows to cushion the landing.
7. Single Arm Posted Push Up
Photo Source: YouTube
This exercise is a great way to build strength and power in the upper body. It also works on your core, shoulders, and back.
The primary goal of this exercise is to work on your balance, so you can train yourself to keep your torso stable while performing other exercises such as the bench press or barbell rows.
This variation also engages your core muscles more than traditional pushups do. It also improves coordination between your right and left sides
How to do it:
- Position yourself on the floor with your body parallel to a wall. Assume a normal push-up start position. Spread your legs out more than when doing a normal push-up.
- Place the hand closest to the wall against the wall with your palm pushing into the wall. Keep your core tight and your glutes contracted.
- Push the hand on the wall into the wall and the other hand into the floor as you perform your reps. Do half of the required number on one side and the other half on the other side.
8. Pseudo Planche Push-Ups
Photo Source: YouTube
They help to strengthen the stabilizing muscles of your shoulders, arms, and core.
This can be particularly useful if you’re an athlete who uses your upper body in sports like swimming, basketball, or rowing.
They also help you improve your flexibility. The more flexible your body is, the more easily you can perform tasks that require flexibility.
How to do it:
- Get in a standard push-up position with your hands placed slightly behind your shoulders turned out at a 45-degree angle. Your body should be in a straight line from head to toe.
- Slowly lower your body until your arms are bent at 90 degrees, keeping your elbows close to your body and your wrists straight, your shoulders should be slightly in front of your hands.
- Push your body back to the starting position keeping your elbows close to your body and your shoulder blades should be squeezed together at the top.
- Repeat.
9. One-Arm Push-Ups
How to do it:
- Get in the standard push-up position, with a twist, you’re going to need a wide base for this exercise since it will require more balance, so spread your legs as wider as you can.
- Now, pick the arm you feel strongest with and place the other one behind your back. Keep your core tight and your elbow close to your body.
- Now slowly start to descend into the push-up.
- Return to the starting position and repeat.
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Last Thoughts:
Pushups are an age-old exercise with a host of benefits. They’re effective, they’re portable, they don’t require any equipment, and they can be done virtually anywhere a person can find enough space to lie on their stomach.
No wonder, then, that pushups are so popular in the fitness community. The problem is that many people get stuck in a rut doing the same old thing over and over.
If you’ve hit a plateau with your pushups and want to break through it, try these 8 advanced variations for explosive strength.
I hope these 9 exercises have opened your eyes to a whole world of new ways to grow your training. There are tons of advantages to each of the eight training variations we looked at.
Incorporate one or two basic forms of these push-up variations into your routine and watch your performance skyrocket!
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