Diamond Pushups - Exercise Database

Do you want to sculpt and add definition to your triceps?

Do you want to make your arms look great in sleeveless tops or low cut blouses with sheer sleeves?

Diamond pushups are one of the best body weight tricep exercises you can do.

How To Do Diamond Pushups

You can do diamond pushups using any of the pushup modifications I showed you in my how to do pushups exercise database post. Make sure you go check that out if you need some help.

Kindal at the top of diamond pushups with her shoulders over and slightly past her hands. Her body is straight and fully engaged.

Kindal at the bottom of the diamond pushups. Her chest is over her hands and her body and legs remain tight and straight.

You'll notice Kindal's elbows are going straight back. This is forced upon you with your hands so close.

A side view of the diamond or close grip pushups. You can see another view of how the elbows go straight back and her chest is past her hands.

Step 1

Get in a top of pushup plank position... start with your hands directly under your shoulders.

Move your hands closer together until they are about 4 to 6 inches apart. You can start to go closer and closer as you get stronger and stronger.

form tip

Diamond pushups are called diamond pushups because you're supposed to connect your index fingers and thumbs to create a diamond shape.

This also moves your hands... pretty much... as close as they can get. You can go closer and I'll show you more in the modifications section

Step 2

Do your normal pushup.

You'll notice immediately that the position of your hands will force your elbows straight back. This is why lizard pushups are a great training tool for diamond pushups.

Step 3

Because your elbows are going straight back... when you push back up from the bottom of it the pushup you're really stressing your triceps the most.

You're effectively doing tricep extensions.

You're still hitting your chest but you're making your triceps take over a lot of the work.

Diamond Pushup Variations

Let's make things a little harder. As you know... harder means more fun and challenging.

Close Grip Dumbbell Pushups

Kindal at the top of dumbbell close grip pushups. Her hands are on the dumbbell and her body and legs are fully engaged.

Kindal at the bottom of close grip pushups on a dumbbell. Her elbows are straight back and her body is very straight. Finally her chest is over the dumbbell and not falling backwards.

Get a larger dumbbell and put it horizontally on the ground in-front of you.

Put both of your hands on the bells of the dumbbells and do your pushups. This will force your hands about 4 inches apart. But it will also force you to engage your arms more to keep balance.

Close Grip Kettlebell Pushups

Kindal at the kettlebell close grip pushups. Her body is tight. Notice her chest is a little behind her hands. This is to help keep a little stress off her wrists.

Kindal at the bottom of the kettlebell close grip pushups. Her chest now comes straight over her hands if not slightly past. Her body remains very straight and engaged through the whole motion.

Get a large kettlebell if you have one. I recommend a 50lb kettlebell... any smaller and it starts to get way to hard to fit both of your hands on it.

Lay the kettlebell on the ground with the handle laying on the ground.

intensity tip

Balance the handle of the kettlebell off the ground. Make sure you keep the round side of the kettlebell on the ground.

If you don't have a round side... don't worry about it.

Either way... balancing the handle off the ground makes it that much tougher and cause greater muscle engagement.

Put both of your hands on the bell and keep your balance. Your arms will be insanely engaged to maintain balance and that's what makes this variation harder.

Close Grip Double Dumbbell Pushups

Kindal at the top of the double dumbbell close grip pushups. Her body is straight and tight and she is pushing through her shoulders at the top for extra chest and arm engagement.

Kindal at the bottom of double dumbbell close grip pushups. Her chest is directly over the dumbbells and her body remains very straight with her legs and core engaged.

Grab two dumbbells. The weight does not matter as much... but I suggest at least two 20lb dumbbells.

You want a dumbbell that's large enough so your hands are high enough off the ground so your knuckles are not hitting the ground.

Put the two dumbbells together and vertical. Grab the handles and start knocking out pushups. I find playing the dumbbells at a slight angle helps with wrist comfort.

You can do all the other variations for pushups as well.

Diamond Pushup Tips and Drills

Besides the normal pushup drills... I think a great way to get stronger with diamond pushups is doing negatives .

When you do negatives you're putting your tricep muscles through extension... getting longer... at a very slow pace. This slow pace causes more "damage" to the muscles and that's what's going to get you stronger.

Are You Ready To Take Your Pushup Game Up A Notch?

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Now... go practice your diamond pushups so you can add them into your workouts on a regular basis.

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