Pushups (Close and Wide Hand Positions)

Push-up variations using different hand widths to target different muscle groups—wide position emphasizes chest while close position emphasizes triceps.

Instructions

1. Lie on the floor face down with your body straight and your toes on the floor.
2. For wide hand position: place your hands wider than shoulder width.
3. For close hand position: place your hands closer than shoulder width.
4. Extend your arms to hold your torso up at arm’s length from the floor.
5. Lower yourself until your chest almost touches the floor as you inhale.
6. Using your pectoral muscles, press your upper body back up to the starting position and squeeze your chest as you exhale.
7. Pause briefly at the contracted position and repeat for the prescribed number of repetitions.

Tips

• Wide-grip push-ups emphasize the pectoral muscles more than shoulder muscles.
• Close-grip push-ups shift emphasis to the triceps and front shoulders.
• Maintain a completely straight body line throughout both variations.
• Control the descent rather than dropping quickly to maximize muscle engagement.
• Alternate between hand positions in different workouts for balanced development.