5 Best Exercises You Can Do To Get Better At Push-Ups

Push-ups are one of the most fundamental exercises out there, but they're also incredibly effective in strengthening the upper body.

Unfortunately, it's not uncommon to reach a point where you can't do as many push-ups as you'd like. That's why we've put together this list of five helpful exercises that will help you work up to doing more push-ups.

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Best Exercises To Get Better At Push-Ups

Here's a look at five best exercises to help you get better in doing push-ups:

1) Incline Push-Ups

Incline push-ups are a great way to work your way up to regular push-ups. You can do them on the floor or on a bench or chair, which makes them accessible in just about any setting. Incline push-ups help you build strength and endurance for real push-ups, but they can also help you get better in other exercises, like pull-ups and dips.

It’s important not to jump straight into regular push-ups if you haven’t done much training, as it could hurt your wrist joints or shoulders.

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2) Bench Dips

Bench dips are a great muscle-building exercise, as they work your triceps and chest. To do bench dips, follow these steps:

• Set up on a bench or chair with your hands shoulder-width apart and parallel to one another under the edge of the seat. Your feet should be flat on the floor (or on something sturdy for support).
• Lower yourself down till your arms reach 90 degrees from your body; press back up by straightening out your arms again.
• Repeat this movement ten times. You can split that number into two sets of five reps each or three sets of five reps each.
• When you're ready to progress and build more strength in this exercise, try doing 20 reps instead of ten.

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3) Diamond Push-Ups

Diamond push-ups are a great way to build strength in your arms and core. You can do them on the floor or an elevated surface, like a bench or chair. To perform diamond push-ups, follow these steps:

• Start in a high plank position with your hands under your shoulders, palms flat on the floor and fingers spread wide.
• Bend your elbows to lower down till they're at 90 degrees, and push back up to the starting position.
• Keep your hips level as you go through each rep; if they start to drop, bend them more, and think about keeping that line straight from foot to shoulder throughout the entire move (this is why it's called 'diamond').
• Repeat ten times per set for three sets per workout day or till failure occurs in one set of completing all ten reps without any rest between sets (if you can’t squeeze out ten reps before you fatigue completely).

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4) French Press

A French press is a popular way to strengthen your triceps. You can do this exercise with dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells or medicine balls.

Place your feet shoulder-width apart, and hold the weight in both hands. The weight should be directly above your head. Make sure you’re no further than arm’s length away from the floor; the higher you press it overhead, the harder it gets on your shoulders and elbows (and also more likely to drop).

Bend at your elbow till they're completely straightened out behind you; then raise them again as high as possible while keeping them straightened out behind you at all times during this movement. (If you're using dumbbells, switch sides after each rep.)

Perform ten reps per side for three sets per session if possible; otherwise, aim for five reps per side for 4-5 sets.

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5) Overhead Tricep Extension

The Overhead Tricep Extension is a great exercise for those looking to strengthen their arms and shoulders.

This move can be done using either dumbbells or resistance bands; so no matter what equipment you have available, it's easy to do this exercise at home. You can do this either while seated or while standing.

Seated tricep extensions offer better range and more stability, forcing you to solely use your triceps, avoding utlising unnecessary muscles. To perform this exercise, follow these steps:

• Sit on the edge of a flat bench, with your feet placed firmly on the floor.
• Hold one weight in each hand, palms facing forward with elbows slightly bent.
• Using only your arms and shoulders, raise both weights directly over your head till they're at shoulder level.
• Slowly lower them back down as far as you can go without letting them touch anything behind you.
• Repeat for 12-15 repetitions before moving on to the next set under tension.

Start by doing three sets of 12-15 repetitions with roughly two minutes of rest between each set. Once you feel comfortable with this progression, add another set under tension per exercise session till you reach four sets per workout session.

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Takeaway

The exercises mentioned above are just a few of the many ways you can work up to doing more push-ups.

As long as you’re willing to put in the work, there’s no limit on how many push-ups you can do.