9 Push-Ups to Get Stronger

Push-ups are a workout as old as time, and they are the perfect bodyweight workout for track athletes.

Don’t believe me?

Check out what Justin Gatlin has to say about push-ups:

Jump to the list of pushups.

Anyone, from distance runners to discus throwers, can benefit from this exercise. As part of the big five of basic, but effective exercises, push-ups help produce arm strength that can support your body weight in producing enough speed, power, and endurance to compete in your event.

Push-ups also engage your obliques and abs. Different variations can improve your explosiveness, power, and endurance.

These 9 variations on the traditional push-up will bring your athletic abilities to the next level. They are meant for those who can already do 20+ traditional push-ups. No equipment is required. To increase the difficulty of these pushups, you can increase the reps, sets, or add weight by placing a 5-20 lb plate on your upper back.

• Clap Push-Up

  Get in a typical pushup position & lower into a normal pushup. When pushing up, push away from the ground and bring your hands together to clap in front of your body before placing them back in position.

  This trains explosive movement which is essential in most track events.

  Suggested Sets: 3 x 15 or 5 x 20

• Push-Ups for Speed

  Like the same suggests, in this variation, you try to maximize the number of push-ups you can do in a minute. In a standard push-up, slightly less than shoulder width apart, repeat as many push-ups as you can for going as fast as possible with decent form.

  Doing pushups for speed develops the muscles needed for arm swings. The rapid motion generates an intensity that will take mental and physical grit to work through.

  Suggested Set: 2 x Max # in 1 minute

• Single Leg Raised Push-Up

  This variation engages the lower abdominals for a more intense push-up. Get in a standard push-up position, and raise one leg off the floor. Keeping this leg in the air lower into a push-up. Repeat. Complete an entire set on one leg.

  Suggested Set: 10 x 2 (1 Each Side) or 20 x (1 Each Side)

• Double Leg Raised Push-Up

This variation is a great way to increase the resistance of a push-up without weights.

Get in a regular push-up stance, but place both of your legs on a surface (box, chair, etc.) higher than your upper body. This posture places more weight on the front of your body making the push-up more intense.

Suggested Set: 3 x 15 or 4 x 20

• Wide Grip Push-Up

A wide grip targets your shoulder and chest muscles more than the typical push-up. To do this, get in a typical push-up, but position your hands further than shoulder width apart.

Suggested Set: 3 x 10 or 3 x 20

• Single Hand Raised Push-Up

This variation gives extra resistance to each arm.

Get into a push-up position. Place one hand on an elevated surface (books, foam block, etc.) positioned below one shoulder. Lower your body into a push-up. The arm that is not elevated will have to do more work to support your body, increasing the intensity of the push-up.

Suggested Set: 3 x 10 (Each Side) or 3 x 20 (Each Side)

• Double Hand Raised Push Up

  A level up from the single hand raised push up is the double hand raised push up.

  Place two elevated surfaces where you will position your hands in the push-up. Place your hands flat on these surfaces. Lower into a push-up. As you lower, your body will lower past your arms, so you will need to focus on the push-up.

  Suggested Set: 3 x 10 or 3 x 15

• Diamond Push-Ups

  Diamond push-ups are a popular version of the push-up. Instead of placing your hand’s shoulder width apart, place your hands extremely close so that they are touching and form a diamond shape. This push-up especially develops the upper chest and ab muscles.

  Suggested Set: 3 x 5 or 3 x 15

• Slow-Mo Push-Ups

  Last, but perhaps one of the hardest on this list, are Slow-Mo push-ups. In a normal push-up position, complete a push-up extremely slowly, spending about 4 seconds in a single push-up.

  These push-ups force you to control your muscle movement more finely. They are ideally done at the end of your conditioning sessions when your arms are already tired, so it will be a true test of will.

  Suggested Set: 1 x Max until Exhaustion