10 Push Ups Variations: What Are The Best Calisthenics Exercise For the Chest?

Will Calisthenics Build A Chest?

Yes, if you understand the mechanics of the chest muscles. Doing different chest exercises is the most important thing to do to increase chest size. Fully extend and contract the upper, middle, and lower chest. First, if you’re a beginner rather than a regular exerciser, exercise as much as you can. A larger chest requires more work to get bigger, but smaller muscles will tire until you fully train your chest. These Calisthenics push ups variations can give you great results. However, as they get easier, you need to increase the difficulty of the exercise to gradually overload the muscles. Chest enhancement takes longer, but you can have a great figure.

Moreover, there are a lot of ways you can build a bigger stronger chest. However, the degree of it is decided by various other factors such as diet, genetics, and the intensity of your workout. Calisthenics typically only uses bodyweight. Yet, it’s not impossible, just a more difficult route. You can increase tension by using different positions during calisthenics. If you’re convinced and ready to be properly introduced to the world of calisthenics, here are 10 Push Ups Variations that could elevate your Calisthenics fitness journey!

10 Push Ups Variations

1. Clap Push Ups

Steps:

• Start with regular push ups.
• Bring your feet closer than shoulder-width.
• Then bring your body down with a tight back and core.
• Put yourself up ensuring that you only use your upper body.
• Then clap your hands before landing.
• You need to land softly and in the same position as your starting position.
• Do repetitions of this calisthenics chest exercise.

2. Push Ups With Gym Rings

Steps:

• Suspend the gym rings about 5-10 cm above the floor. 
• Grasp the rings and start with the push-up position. 
• Your legs can either be on the ground or raised with an object.
• Let your upper body downwards, ensuring your chest leveled your hands.
• Push yourself upward while keeping your core stable.

3. Archer Push Ups

Steps:

• Begin with push-up position, while your hands are slightly apart and your fingers pointing slightly outwards.
• Start your movement by moving your upper body to one side while doing a single-arm push up. 
• Remember to keep the other arm remains fully stretched for the entire movement. 
• Then push yourself up again, on the bent arm while the other arm remains fully stretched.
• Do the repetitions with the other arm once you’re back to your starting position.

4. Incline Push Ups

Steps:

• You can begin by placing your hands on the surface wider than shoulder width.
• Put your feet in a fully straightened position with your arms and body.
• Bend your elbows and slowly lift your lower chest to the surface.
• Push away from the surface until the elbows are straight.
• Do the repetition as needed.

5. Push Up Hold

Steps:

• Get into plank position with toes and hands.
• Put your hands a little wider than your shoulders.
• Bend your elbows to tighten your abs and lower your chest to the floor.
• Hold this pose for 20 seconds.

6. Decline Push Ups

Steps:

• Push-ups are performed with your legs elevated.
• Keep your body tense and don’t sag your back.
• You need to tighten your belly button and tighten your hips for maximum body tension.
• Your elbows stay close to your body throughout the workout.

7. Standard Push Ups

Steps:

• Align your hands with your shoulders.
• Use your core and make sure your body is completely straight.
• Bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the floor.
• Pause briefly when your chest almost touches the floor.
• Elevate yourself by straightening your arms.
• Do the repetitions.

8. Pike Push Ups

Steps:

• Start in the downward dog yoga pose with your feet and hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
• Keep your hips elevated, heels down, and in an inverted V position as you bend your elbows and lower your head toward the floor between your hands.
• Return the movement to the starting position and repeat once.

9. Cross Body

Steps:

• Begin with a normal push-up position.
• As you lower yourself to the floor, simultaneously lift one leg and cross it under your body while twisting your hips toward the floor.
• Reverse the movement to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

10. Single-Leg Raised

Steps:

• Start in your high plank position. 
• Your hands should be directly under your shoulders and your feet should be hip-width apart.
• Slowly lift one foot, being careful not to roll up your hips.
• Always keep your shoulders and hips at right angles to the floor.
• Squeeze your hips and pull your navel into your spine.
• Point your elbows towards the corner of the room as you lower your body to the floor.
• When you reach your optimal depth, exhale and push yourself to the starting position. 
• Make sure to alternate legs between groups and/or reps to create a symmetrical body.

Alleviate Your Calisthenics Fitness Training

There’s no question that push-ups are a functional, full-body exercise that’s great for building strength. Indeed, you can do it almost anywhere and there are plenty of variations to liven things up. But if your pushups are already strong, you can use some new exercises to further develop your strength. Hence, the key to progress is knowing the limitations of your body. Indeed, the biggest challenge of push-up training is looking for ways to increase the load. Moreover, there are push-up variations at every stage of your fitness journey. And they give different outcomes. Remember nothing good comes easily.

Furthermore, no matter how long your workout is, always make sure your workout is gradual. That means making harder changes, adding more reps until you get to your desired rep range, correcting your posture, and improving your technique. Turn it down if you feel like you can’t step through more than an hour of exercise. How long a workout lasts isn’t the best measure of how effective a workout is. Work through a list of the calisthenics push-up variations.