Pushups are an excellent upper-body and core exercise, and there's no denying their usefulness. You probably already know that there are ways to make pushups less difficult. You can make them more difficult by lifting your feet off the ground. But did you know there is more than one kind of pushup you can do to work different muscle groups? Small adjustments can drastically alter which muscles are targeted.

Are you prepared to put your muscles to the test? For a more challenging workout, try a few types of pushups.

Traditional Pushup

If you want a stronger upper body, don't ignore the fundamentals. The classic push-up is a mainstay of the bodyweight training community since it increases pressing strength and strengthens the relevant muscles. And because it requires no special tools, you can perform it and gain strength in any setting.

Plyometric Pushup

Just like old push-ups, plyometric push-ups can be done in various ways. There are many push-ups, but plyo push-ups involve an abrupt upward motion such as a clap or a hop after landing. Whether your goal is to finish the clapping or to press your body away from the ground explosively, plyometric push-ups are a wonderful technique for increasing upper body power.

Incline and Decline Pushup

Distinct angles on the bench press and the incline and decline push-ups work different parts of the pecs. These are great for hypertrophy since they are low-stress, scalable, and allow many repetitions.

Deficit Pushup

When building muscle in the chest and shoulders, nothing beats the deficit push-up. Stretching the muscle further with even a small increase in range of motion leads to higher adaption and thus greater hypertrophy.

Stagger Grip Pushup

Although the stagger grip push-up receives little attention, it is a terrific way to switch things up and work the muscles around your shoulders, chest, and forearms to improve your overall strength and push-up performance. Since both sides of your body are descending and pushing simultaneously, this is technically a bilateral exercise; nevertheless, your hands are placed purposefully unevenly to give the illusion of a unilateral motion.

Spider Pushup

To perform a spider push-up, you must coordinate your upper body and core power to perform a series of complex motions in unison. This push-up variation will test your strength in all the greatest ways, requiring you to coordinate your entire body and putting you under greater tension at the height of your contraction.

Pushup Warm-Ups Before Validation

As with any upper body training session, you should warm up thoroughly before beginning a push-up variant workout. It's more complicated than flailing your arms and puffing out your chest. Intense push-up sets can put a lot of strain on your shoulders, so it's important to spend plenty of time warming up those muscles, as well as the lats and the serratus anterior, which will help you stay stable. Warming up your wrists is especially important if you intend to do a lot of plyometric push-ups.

When incorporating push-ups into an otherwise barbell-focused lifting session, you should still perform a dynamic warm-up tailored to your demands for that day's workout. You can work with a personal trainer and personal training plan for things like these.