Push up exercises are fantastic for core strength but if you feel confident in your form and strength, here are 5 ways to POWER UP your push up exercises! Gain strength and balance by adding these advanced push up moves to your fitness routine!
Well… bye bye January and hello February! To be honest, I was quite surprised with January, in terms of fitness, that is. I was expecting new people to join my strength and sweat class and then leave by week two. I know, pretty bad expectations, right? Shame on me. But this year, I am glad to be wrong. I’ve had a few new “January Joiners” that not only have stuck around, but are ready to tackle more! Now that’s impressive. That being said, I like to give my class options to “POWER UP” their push up exercises. If they feel confident in their form and strength, then let’s take it up a notch and try a new way to add strength.
Start with the basic push up exercises first and then go from there.
I’ve recruited a few of my fellow fitness instructor/trainer friends to help display these exercises. Â Let’s get started, shall we?
Kindal has some great options here. I love her tricep push up! I use this move a lot at then end of my class. It’s great to incorporate with side planks, etc. Then there is the crazy back pack push up.  Basically a bag filled with heavy things! The good thing is you can progress weight here again, just depends on what you put in your back pack, right? haha. Check out her post for more push up variations you’ll love to hate!
Katie has a great way to get more core and upper body focus for you push up. Try placing your toes on a bench and bring your knees to chest or elbow after each push up!
As for me, I love a good twist and balance work. My favorite push ups are ones with a compound move, like this press and rotation like below. It works the core and really challenges your obliques!
My other new favorite “advanced” push up incorporates a lot of balance well. Try placing your toes on a bench or box and then your hands on a foam roller. Trust me, it’s hard but definitely a push up to work towards. Great for upper body strength and focus!
Now the question remains… when do I try these push up exercises? How many reps? Etc.
- First master the basic push up. Try to get to at least 30 in a row.
- Once you have the perfect push up form, try a few of these, again focusing on form.
- Add in a 5- 10 reps at a time.
- Great for any body weight workout or to include with core work.
- Be mindful of your neck position and take each rep slowly, but surely, if that makes sense.
- Power up your push ups when you feel POWERful. We all have our good days and bad days. Learn to know which is which and execute when ready. Hey, we’re not super human, right?
Tell me, what’s your favorite way to PUSH UP? You know you secretly love them.
😉
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These look fantastic. The push up is still pretty hard for me but I’m working on it. Hopefully one day I’ll be able to do 30 in a row and then move on to some variations!
I am still working on the basic, I lack in the arm strength.
I am working on my push up strength right now so these suggestions will be great for when I progress.
Those tricep pushups are TOUGH! I love ’em though! Awesome variety 🙂
I do secretly love to hate push ups 🙂
I actually do those foam roller push ups at home! But not with my legs elevated, geesh, let’s amp it up Molly!
You are fierce!! I love pushups too 😉 Love throwing them into the middle of a straight arm plank series!
Clapping pushups are tough, as are plyo pushups. We do them in GRIT & they are challenging!
Great ideas here, Lindsay! <3
The TRX pushup is another great variation that I love. You can adjust your feet in so many ways that it’s a never ending challenge!
oh yes, love TRX push ups and tucks!
Push ups are one of my top 5 favorite exercises. A few years ago I never thought I would say that!
…..I hang my head in shame. My push ups are pitiful. I need this, stat.
what? i’m sure your buff, come on now. show us those guns! 😉
I was once able to bust out pushups like they were job… pre pregnancy that is. I’ve never done the tricep pushup that Kindal showed though. Thanks for the awesome roundup, beautiful!
I can’t wait to try out the foam roller push ups for my next strength sesh! Push-ups are all over the place in my new program, so some variety to spice it up is awesome. Thanks for the ideas to power up.
yay bre!!! p.s. how are you?!
oh gosh! totally need to email you and fill you in after the last 6 months of what feels like total chaos! solo cross country moves are not easy 😉 totally worth it, but not easy. Starting to get back and connected to everyone I feel like I’ve lost touch with in the last half a year.
Definitely never thought to use the foam roller! That looks crazy hard!!!
it’s more balance, and i love it! haha crazy me
Holy crap, that push up with your feet elevated and your hands on a foam roller type thingy. Wow. Speechless, and that says a lot.
. . . first master 30 pushups in a row . . . dang, woman! Can we take a break every 10?
hahaha I thought the same thing!!
i’m sure you both are push up masters already. I’ve seen your guns! 😉
These look awesome! I have been making Kelly do the push ups you’re showing with the T; it’s fun to change things up for him when he’s so strong with the basics.
woohoo go kelly!!
Love this. I actually love tricep pushups. I started to love them when I learned how to Chatarunga in yoga! My fav. Pushups on the bosu are also great!
that’s a good one! love it!
Love all of these!!! Push-ups on a stability ball (hands on the ball – close grip) are always a challenge for me!!!
Oh my goodness I am going to have to try that foam roller one! Looks tough!
it’s a good one i love to hate. xxoo
That decline foam roller one would cause me to smash my face I know it! Great post, I like these ideas. Especially the side tricep one.
I’ve been working really hard on tricep push-ups. They’re SO TOUGH.
Man do I hate/love pushups. I’m trying to focus more on bodyweight training lately though so these variations are great!
I end up with a three year old or a cat on my back. It works for me. At Crossfit, my coach likes to balance his water between my shoulder blades because it’s ice cold, and he’s also related to me, so, butthead.
That pushup with feet on chair and hands on foam roller? I think I’d knock my teeth out!
You know my love of push-ups runs deep. Thanks for the shout out!
These are great ways to improve pushup strength!! I secretly love the pushup 😉 I have practiced Pushups using different speed variations: slow ones, fast ones, slow down and explosive up. I fatigue quick but it has definitely helped my strength!
i need to work on slow ones!
oh, I love the push-up. I’m having a push-up challenge on the blog starting next week. I love a push-up with a twist too!
Ooo pushups are my favorite, and I’m always looking for new ways to spice ’em up. Those elevated foam roller ones look killer!
I am also a huge fan of chaturanga push-ups…They burn so good! Again, thanks for including me! XOXO
Great tips! Thanks for sharing, I can’t wait to try some!
I struggle with push-ups. Sometimes our workouts contains very high volumes of push-ups , like 100 or more, and my muscles get smoked and I am reduced to only knocking out a few at a time before resting. I like just the simple, basic push-up. Just have to remember to keep your elbows close to your body… that’s proper form!
You know I love my pushups!!! I have a ton of pics & videos from way back when.. recently posted about my hands on the foam roller & feet on medicine balls! 🙂 Such a great all over upper body move AND CORE!!!! 🙂
OMG I would totally smack my face trying to do the foam roller push up! Love all these variations.
Omg that foam roller push up? Forget it–I’d be falling flat on my face 😀 Love the rest of them though and will have to try them out!
I’m not a fan of push ups! I have TMJ and my left shoulder is weak, and it’s painful to do any upper body strength. My PT says that it is essential that I continue to work on building strength in that area, so I must press on! Great tips LC!
Love t-push ups with weights or push up to renegade row….is it weird that push ups are one of my fav exercises?
I’ve been slacking on push ups lately and this sounds like the perfect way to get motivated to start doing them again! I like the twisting one…and the one with the foam roller looks super challenging!
I love push ups! For a while I was doing 50 a day and then trying to increase to 3 sets of 50. It sounds really hard, but I started only being able to do 10… it build quickly!
LOL. If I tried to do the foam roller pushup, I can just imagine my face meeting ground haha!
Push-ups are one of my top 3 favorite exercises! I need to try them with my backpack on 😉 That would be fun!
I forget about the variations- love all of these ideas!
I usually stick with regular push ups, but I love all these variations. I’m strangely weak in my upper half, so I definitely need to work these into my strength training!
LOVE the one with the pack on! I cannot wait to try these on my upper body day! Thanks for all of the fun variations xo C
Ooh you know I love my push-up variations and your decline one with the foam roller sounds amazing! My gym was closed this morning because of the snow storm we’re having, so I might attempt a few of these at home during my lunch break today!
I love all these ideas!!! Push-ups are so fantastic for building strength, yet I find so many women are intimidated by them.I did some yesterday…single leg decline! LOVE!
ohh single leg? You go girl!
WHOA! The pushup with the foam roller looks intense! I do not like pushups but make an effort to do them because I know it makes me stronger.
Karen @karenlovestorun
We have a snow day today so I’m good time to try a few of these! My son on my back will take care of the back pack one 🙂
AAHHH man, I can barely do a push up as it is…..but I am getting stronger, so maybe in the future I WILL need these!! You are so strong, I love it!
I’m actually super duper intrigued by the side triceps push up. What a great way to make sure that you are actually doing a triceps push up rather than allowing yourself to fall back to a regular push up. And a great progression for it as well. Totally stealing some of these for my clients!
Ya know, I love push ups, but…I must confess that I stick to the same old, same old. This is a great way to throw some variety in!
These are great tips! I’m not as good at push ups as I want to be. They’re not my favorite thing to do. Now that I have something wrong with my elbow I have to be careful too.
OOOH I LOVE THE ONE WITH THE PACK ON!
I shall mimic here with my goldendoodle 🙂
Oh my gosh, that pushup with a chair is amazing–I have to try it.
I recently did a clapping pushup! 😀 I didn’t ever think that was possible.
dang! impressive Linda!