What Is a Good Push-Up Routine for Men?

Push-ups are a basic yet extremely effective exercise that does a remarkable job of strengthening the chest, shoulders, triceps and abs. In addition, push-ups can be performed without gym memberships and in nearly any location. For that reason, they have been a favorite bodyweight exercise used by the military and other athletes to develop upper-body strength.

  1. Proper Technique

    • Start with your hands flat on the ground, approximately shoulder-width apart. Straighten your arms so your elbows are locked and extend your legs so they are straight and your toes are the only part of your foot contacting the ground. Your back should be straight as well. Imagine your head, upper body, hips and legs as one connected unit and never let your hips sag or allow your butt to stick up in the air. Using your arms, lower your chest to the ground maintaining this strict straight line. Push against the floor with your hands, using your arms to raise your body back to the starting position.

    Circuit

    • Complete three repetitions of each push-up in the circuit: standard, diamond and dive bomber. Move quickly from each push-up. Rest 10 seconds after the last dive bomber push-up before starting the circuit again. Complete as many circuits as you can in 10 minutes.

    Standard Push-Up

    • Start your routine with five slow repetitions of a standard push-up to warm up the muscles of the chest, shoulders and arms. Take 10 seconds to lower your chest to the ground and 10 seconds to return to the starting position. Rest for 1 minute and then complete three repetitions at a regular pace, taking 1 second to lower and 1 second to raise up.

    Diamond Push-Up

    • From a standard push-up position, slide your hands in from the shoulder-width position until they are directly under your chest. Make an "L" shape with your thumb and index fingers. Touch your thumbs and index fingers together to form the shape of a diamond. This position shifts the weight more to your arms than your chest and focuses on the triceps.

    Dive Bomber Push-Up

    • From the diamond push-up position, slide your hands slightly forward and wider than shoulder-width apart. Spread your feet apart so your body now looks like an "X." Unlike a standard or diamond push-up, where you lower your body straight down, the dive bomber push-up is a scooping motion. Drop your hips toward the floor as you roll forward, imagining you are dragging your belly button across the ground. As your chest passes your hands, arch your back so your head is now facing forward. Reverse the motion to return to your starting position.