When You Do Diamond Push-Ups Every Day, Here's What Happens To Your Body

Push-ups are those perfect strength exercises you can do anywhere because you don't need any equipment. Sure, you can buy those push-up bars to give your wrists a break, or a couple of heavy dumbbells can help anchor your hands. The best part about push-ups is that you can modify them to make them harder or easier. Plus, they can be done at home, in the gym, or even outdoors, making them incredibly versatile for any fitness level.

One challenging modification to push-ups is diamond push-ups. With your hands placed closer together so your index fingers and thumbs form a diamond shape, diamond push-ups really target your triceps more than the standard version. This variation also engages other muscles, like your deltoids, chest, and core, making it a full-body workout that builds strength and stability. The different range of motion and shift in body mechanics help develop more definition in the arms.

Doing diamond push-ups every day can break through any workout plateaus, particularly on chest and triceps day. Not only do diamond push-ups boost muscle tone, but they also improve your functional strength, helping you with everyday activities like lifting or pushing.

Regular push-ups can be challenging if you're not used to them. In a traditional push-up, your hands are typically wider than shoulder-width apart, allowing your chest muscles (pectoralis major) to do most of the work. Your fingers either face forward or slightly outward to open up space for your shoulders to share some of the work. While your triceps and anterior deltoids (the muscles at the front of your shoulders) are involved, they don't engage as much as your chest muscles.

(Here's what happens to your shoulders when you do push-ups every day.)

Diamond push-ups, however, shift some of the emphasis away from the chest. A 2021 study in the Journal of Physics compared the differences in muscle engagement with traditional push-ups, diamond push-ups, and knuckle push-ups. Bringing your hands close together in a diamond shape still requires your chest muscles, but the anterior deltoids don't have room to engage as much as in the traditional push-up. As a result, the diamond push-up requires the triceps to do almost as much work as the pectoral muscles.

Whether push-ups are already part of your workout or if you're just new to bodyweight exercises, anyone can try a diamond push-up. To get the feel of this different push-up, try a few reps on your knees. Place your hands on the floor and create a triangle using your hands, with the thumbs touching to form the base of the triangle. When you place weight onto your hands, make sure your hands are just below your sternum. Your shoulders will be slightly ahead of your hands in the starting position of the diamond push-up.

As you bend your elbows to lower your chest to your hands, imagine pulling your shoulders away from your ears to stabilize your shoulders. That way you're not stressing the shoulder joint during the lowering or push-up phases. Keep a solid plank from your shoulders to your hips and avoid dipping your belly button. To press up, feel your triceps engage as you extend your elbows straight.

(Read the surprising way push-ups affect your core.)

Pushing your entire body off the floor while stabilizing your core can be challenging, so you can try a few modifications and still reap the benefits of a diamond push-up. You can remain on your knees until you develop the strength to hold yourself in the plank position. If doing them on your knees is challenging, try them against a wall or stable bench.