PUSH-UP VARIATIONS: Have a Wide Range of Options to Work Up Different Muscles

The more the better the merrier. Push-up variations help you workout different areas of your arm, forearm, shoulder, chest and back muscles. The more you do per day the better. And there are variations to help you advance for more complex muscle workouts.

I always start with shoulder-width push ups, doing 30 repetitions of 4 sets. After that, I try more variations. Here are some of the most popular push-up variations you may want to try:

1. Shoulder-Width: You stretch your arms against the floor at shoulder width.
2. Diamond: Shoulder-width arms with legs widely spread apart.
3. Wide: Your arms are more than shoulder-width apart.
4. Shoulder Tap: As you rise up from the floor, release one hand to tap the opposite shoulder.
5. Crucifix: Hands are at the sides with fingers pointing sideways instead of upward.
6. Shuttle: After you lower yourself on the floor, you move your body a bit backward and rest your weight on your flat forearm.
7. Floor Triceps Extension: You put your hand further up and support your lowering body with your forearm.
8. In and Out: You alternate your arm distance from shoulder-width to chest-width, and so on.
9. In and Out Cross: You do the same as in number 8, only this time you cross your hands instead of change arm distance.
10. X-Taps: It's like doing number 9 but you lift your body and release both hands to do an X in front of you.
11. Leaning: Do a regular push-up but with your fingers pointing to your back.
12. Pike: It's like a military press. Push up with your torso way above from the ground and your head between your arms. Push your hands up and down sending your head on and off the ground.
13. Spiderman: As you lower your body bring one leg to your side.
14. Knee Tap: After raising your body up, release your right hand to tap your left knee, and vice versa.
15. Double Knee Tap; "Jump up" as you raise your body from the ground and tap both knees with both hands.
16. Archer: Bring your weight down to only one arm while stretching the other as if pulling a bow.
17. Typewriter: With hands spread apart on the ground, move your body left and right as you keep one elbow bent while the other is stretched, and so on.
18. Aztec: it's like doing number 15, but this time you tap your toes.
19. 180-Degree: Push yourself up as hard as you can and then turn your body 180 degrees.
19. Clap at Your Back: As you push up, release your hands to clap behind your back.
20. Assisted One-Arm: Push up with one arm while the other arm is stretched assisting it.
21. One-Arm: This is number 20 without the assisting arm.
22. Hindu: With your body up and away from the ground as far as possible, Tilt backward a bit and then swoop down with your whole body with a circular movement. And then raise your body circularly to starting position.
23. Chest Tap: Simply "jump" with your hands as you push up and release both hands in the air to tap on your chest.
24. Assisted Lalanne: The assisting arm is about the level of your torso while the other, stretched above your head, is pushing up.
25. Lalanne: With both arms stretched above your head on the ground, push up.

To see all the push-up variations in action, watch the video below:

Now that you've seen everything, do 2 to 3 variations a day, doing it on a regular basis. no need to spend a dime doing these exercises--perfect for health and fitness with middle income budget!