Diamond Push-Up
Diamond Push-Up Exercise Description
The diamond push-up is a bodyweight horizontal press that emphasizes the triceps brachii while also training the pectoralis major, anterior deltoids, and scapular stabilizers. Narrow hand placement increases the demand on elbow extension, making this variation more challenging than a standard push-up. Maintaining a rigid plank—neutral spine, ribs down, and pelvis level—turns the movement into a full-body stability task with strong core involvement. Proper shoulder mechanics matter: keep the shoulders away from the ears, allow the shoulder blades to move naturally (retract as you lower, protract as you press), and avoid excessive elbow flare. Use smooth, controlled reps through a comfortable range that keeps the forearms roughly vertical and the wrists aligned under the mid‑chest rather than the face.
- Muscle Groups: Triceps
- Target Muscles: Triceps Brachii - Medial Head
- Assisting Muscles: Deltoid - Anterior, Pectoralis Major - Sternal Head
- Stabilizing Muscles: Gluteus Maximus, Rectus Abdominis, Serratus Anterior, Transversus Abdominis, Trapezius - Lower Fibers
- Body Area: Upper Body
- Body Parts: Arms, Upper Arms
- Body Surface: Back
- Body Symmetry: Bilateral
- Equipment: Bodyweight
- Exercise Patterns: Push
- Exercise Type: Strength
- Functional Grouping: Elbow Extensors
- Joint Involvement: Multi-joint
- Muscle Location: Deep Tricep
- Movement Direction: Horizontal
- Muscle Position: Posterior
- Gender: Male
How To Do The Diamond Push-Up Exercise
‘- Set up in a high plank: hands under your mid‑chest with thumbs and index fingers touching to form a diamond; feet hip‑ to shoulder‑width for balance.
– Create full‑body tension: brace your abdomen, squeeze glutes and legs, and keep a straight line from head to heels with a neutral neck and gaze slightly ahead.
– Screw the hands into the floor (gentle external rotation torque) to align elbow pits forward and set the shoulders down and back—no shrugging.
– Inhale and lower your chest toward the diamond, keeping elbows close to your torso (about 0–45° from the body) and forearms near vertical.
– Descend until your chest is just above your hands or your shoulders are at or slightly below elbow height, without losing spinal neutrality.
– Press the floor away as you exhale, finishing with elbows straight without hyperextending and a slight scapular protraction at the top.
– Keep pressure evenly through the whole hand, especially the base of the index finger and thumb, to reduce undue wrist stress.
– Avoid: hips sagging or piking, hands drifting under the face, flared elbows, or letting the chest collapse and shoulder blades “wing.”
Diamond Push-Up Tips
‘- Place your hands under your mid‑chest with thumbs and index fingers touching to form a diamond, not under your face.
– Set your feet hip‑ to shoulder‑width apart to help you balance in the high plank.
– Brace your abdomen and squeeze your glutes and legs to maintain a rigid, straight line from head to heels.
– Keep your spine and neck neutral, with your gaze slightly ahead of your hands.
– Gently “screw” your hands into the floor so the elbow pits face forward and the shoulders stay down and back (no shrugging).
– As you lower, keep your elbows close to your torso (about 0–45° from your body) with your forearms roughly vertical.
– Allow your shoulder blades to retract as you lower and protract slightly as you press back up.
– Descend only until your chest is just above your hands or your shoulders are at or slightly below elbow height, without losing spinal neutrality.
– Press the floor away as you exhale, finishing with your elbows straight but not hyperextended and a slight scapular protraction at the top.
– Keep pressure spread through the whole hand, especially the base of the index finger and thumb.
– Avoid letting your hips sag or pike; keep them level in line with your shoulders.
– Avoid flaring your elbows out wide; maintain the narrow, close‑to‑torso elbow path.
– Avoid letting your hands drift forward under your face; keep them under your mid‑chest.
– Avoid letting your chest collapse or your shoulder blades “wing” away from your ribcage.
Diamond Push-Up Beginner Introduction
The diamond push-up is a bodyweight pressing exercise that centers the effort on the triceps while still working the chest, shoulders, and muscles around the shoulder blades. Bringing the hands in close beneath the chest in a diamond shape shifts more of the workload to elbow straightening, so many people find this variation tougher than a traditional push-up. Because it is performed from a plank-style position, the midsection, glutes, and legs stay engaged, giving the movement a strong full‑body stability component.
In a typical rep, the body begins in a straight, rigid line from the head down to the heels, with the hands narrowly spaced under the torso and the fingers forming the diamond. The chest then lowers toward the hands as the elbows bend close to the sides and the forearms remain nearly upright, followed by a powerful press back up to straight arms. Throughout, the shoulder blades glide smoothly along the rib cage—coming together slightly on the way down and spreading gently on the way up—while the wrists sit roughly beneath the middle of the chest to limit extra strain.