6 best push-up variations for women

Push-ups are essential to develop upper-body strength. They are especially useful for women as they often suffer from pain due to misalignment, poor posture, improper lifting and carrying of heavy loads, etc. Most women assume that push-ups are meant for men, but this is not true. With the right practice and correct form, women too can perform push-ups just as easily as men and achieve the same benefits.

Push-ups are basically a full-body exercise that challenge your shoulders, triceps, chest, legs, and glutes, and involve every major muscle group in your body. As effective and beneficial as they are for developing upper-body strength, push-ups are also considered one of the best exercises for shoulder health. If done correctly, however, a push-up can also target your core muscles because you have to keep your back and abs tight and supported throughout the exercise.

There are many variations that you can do to target specific muscle groups and improve your power, strength, and endurance. The best thing about performing push-ups is that they don't require any equipment and you can scale up or reduce the exercise to suit your ability. Remember, whether you are a beginner or a fitness pro, there is a push-up variation to suit your fitness level. Let’s look at some of the best push-up variations that you should try.

Effective Push-Up Variations for Women

1. Wall push-ups:

Wall push-ups majorly work on your pectoral muscles (chest), arms, shoulders, and core muscles without putting excessive load on your upper body. This exercise helps develop strength and sculpt your chest muscles to give your breasts a natural lift.

Steps:

Stand at an arm’s length from the wall and position your feet at a hip distance.
Put both your palms on the wall at shoulder level with your fingers towards the ceiling.
Now slowly bend your elbows and lean towards the wall until your face almost touches it.
Make sure to keep your elbows bent and the back straight throughout the movement.
Push back to the start and repeat.

2. Triceps Push-Ups

A triceps push-up is similar to standard push-ups, with the difference that your elbows stay next to your ribs and target your triceps even more than your chest.

Steps:

Take a forearm plank position with your hands below the shoulders and your spine and neck in a neutral position. Position both your feet together.
On the descent, make sure your elbows are tucked to your sides and your upper arms are straight.
Now slowly lower down your chest until you almost reach the floor.
Push back your body to the start and repeat a few times more.

3. Incline Push-Ups

Incline push-ups are also some of the most effective push-up variations that are performed with your hands positioned slightly higher than your feet. This exercise improves your upper body strength and boosts your endurance. To perform an incline push-up, you can use a sturdy chair, gym bench, sofa, or any other solid surface that is no more than 3 ft high.

Steps:

Stand upright facing the chair, bench, or other elevated surface.
Place both your hands on the edge of the bench and make sure your hands are positioned wider than your shoulder width.
Keep your arms straight but do not lock your elbows. Align your feet and make sure your arms and body are in a straight line.
Now slowly bend your elbows to lower your chest to the edge of the elevated surface and breathe easily. Keep your body tight throughout the movement.
Push your body away from the surface until your elbows are straight.
Push your body back up and repeat.

4. Diamond Push-Ups

Diamond push-ups are an effective push-up variation that work on your triceps and chest while also targeting your core and shoulder muscles. This exercise boosts your upper body strength and endurance and tones your triceps.

Steps:

Get into a tabletop position with your hands under your chest.
Now place your index fingers and thumbs so they touch each other and form a diamond shape.
Extend both your arms so that your entire body is lifted and forms a straight line from your feet to your head.
Once you are in this position, lower your chest toward the floor, ensuring that your elbows are not flared out and keeping your spine tight and straight.
Lower until your chest almost touches the floor.
Slowly push back up to the start and repeat.

5. Spiderman Push-Ups

Spiderman push-ups are quite a challenging push-up variation that combines standard push-ups and Spiderman lunges. This exercise works on your core and abdomen, especially obliques and the entire upper body muscles by having you raise a single leg at a time. Additionally, it also targets your glutes, love handles, chest, and triceps.

Steps:

Take a high plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder distance and position your feet together.
Engage your glutes and abs and bend your elbows to 45 degrees to lower your chest.
Simultaneously, lift your left foot off the floor, bend your knee and touch your knee to your left elbow.
Return to the start and then lift your right foot off the floor, bend your knee, and touch your right elbow.
Repeat and continue alternating your legs.

6. One-Arm Push-Ups

One-arm push-ups are some of the most advanced-level push-ups that challenge your glutes, upper body, and core muscles.

Steps:

Take a plank position with your palms flat on the floor and your feet wide apart.
Lift your right arm and place it on your back or thigh. Your entire body weight is now on your left arm.
With your right arm lifted, lower your chest towards the floor and then push back up to the start.
Make sure your hips don’t twist or sag.
Repeat the movement with your left arm lifted.

Takeaway

While attempting these push-ups, do not allow your body to sag or move your hips or chin toward the floor. Make sure to keep your core muscles engaged throughout the exercises. Also, don’t forget to warm up for 10 minutes before starting these exercises.