Exercise
Diamond Push Up
How to Perform - Diamond Push Up
- Begin in a plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders, fingers pointing forward and arms fully extended.
- Bring your hands close together under your chest so your thumbs and index fingers touch to form a diamond or triangle shape.
- Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels by engaging your core and glutes, avoiding any sagging or pike in your hips.
- Inhale as you slowly lower your chest toward your hands by bending your elbows, keeping them tucked close to your sides rather than flaring outward.
- Continue lowering until your chest nearly touches the diamond formed by your hands, while maintaining tension throughout your entire body.
- Exhale forcefully as you push through your palms to straighten your arms and return to the starting position.
- Keep your neck neutral throughout the movement by focusing your gaze slightly ahead of your hands rather than looking up or down.
- Complete the desired number of repetitions while maintaining proper form, slowing down the movement if needed to ensure quality over quantity.
Important information
- Make sure your elbows track backward at approximately a 45-degree angle to your torso to reduce shoulder strain, avoiding excessive flaring.
- If the exercise is too challenging, modify by performing it from your knees while maintaining the same rigid body alignment from knees to shoulders.
- Keep your wrists stacked directly under the heel of your palm to prevent unnecessary strain on the joint.
- Avoid excessive forward head posture by imagining a broomstick along your spine from your head to your tailbone.
Primary Muscles
Muscle Groups
Mechanic
Risk Areas
Built for progress
Take the guesswork out of training
Create personalized AI-powered workout plans that evolve with you. Train smarter, track every rep, and keep moving forward, one workout at a time.
The diamond push-up stands as a challenging variation of the traditional push-up that takes your upper body strength training to the next level. This intermediate exercise primarily targets the pecs, triceps, and front deltoids, making it an excellent addition to both bodybuilding routines and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) circuits. What distinguishes the diamond push-up is the distinctive hand position, where the thumbs and index fingers touch to form a diamond or triangle shape beneath the center of your chest.
This exercise has earned its reputation as a triceps builder, generating significantly more activation in the triceps brachii compared to standard push-ups. Research has shown that the narrow hand placement shifts the workload away from the chest and more toward the triceps, making it particularly effective for developing those horseshoe-shaped muscles at the back of your arms. For bodybuilders seeking definition in their arms, this exercise delivers impressive results without requiring any equipment.
While building strength is the primary benefit, diamond push-ups also enhance stabilization throughout your entire core and shoulders. The narrow base of support challenges your balance and engages more of the supporting musculature around your shoulder joints. This translates to improved functional strength that carries over to other pressing movements in your fitness routine.
For those incorporating this exercise into HIIT workouts, diamond push-ups create a significant metabolic demand due to the multiple muscle groups working simultaneously. This makes them perfect for elevating your heart rate quickly and efficiently while still developing upper body strength. The intensity can be modified by adjusting tempo or incorporating pause repetitions at the bottom position.
Remember that proper form is crucial with this more demanding variation, as the increased triceps emphasis and narrower base of support can place additional stress on the wrist and elbow joints. As your strength improves, this exercise will serve as an excellent stepping stone toward more advanced calisthenics movements that require significant triceps power.
FAQ - Diamond Push Up
Diamond push-ups primarily target the triceps brachii (back of arms), with significant activation of the chest (pectoralis major) and front shoulder muscles (anterior deltoids). Research shows they create up to 2.5 times more triceps activation than standard push-ups.
Beginners can perform diamond push-ups from the knees rather than toes, which reduces the resistance by approximately 40%. Alternatively, you can elevate your hands on a stable surface like a bench or step to decrease the difficulty while maintaining proper form.
The narrow hand position can increase stress on wrists and elbows compared to standard push-ups. Ensure your wrists align directly under your shoulders, avoid flaring elbows past 45 degrees, and consider wrist stretches before starting. If you have existing joint issues, consult with a physical therapist before attempting.
For strength development, aim for 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions with proper form. If incorporating them into HIIT circuits, 30-45 second work periods are effective. Progress gradually by adding 1-2 repetitions each week rather than sacrificing technique for higher numbers.
The three most common mistakes are: allowing the hips to sag (which strains the lower back), positioning hands too far forward (creating excessive wrist strain), and not lowering to proper depth. Keep your core engaged throughout the movement and aim to touch your chest to your hands at the bottom position.
