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Are wide push-ups better?

Author

James Craig

Published Jan 22, 2026

If you've mastered regular pushups and want to target your muscles a little differently, wide pushups are a good option. By positioning your hands further apart, wide pushups target your chest and shoulder muscles more than standard pushups. They offer other benefits, too.

Are wide or narrow push-ups better?

Neither move is without some injury risk. Narrow-grip push-ups put more stress on your elbows while wide-grip push-ups put more stress on your shoulders. Consider your injury history, if any, when choosing between these two moves. Wide-grip push-ups are better for building strength in your serratus anterior.

Are wide push-ups harder?

"When they're lengthened, it's harder to produce as much force." Wide-grip push-ups also take some of the heat off your triceps; a 2016 study published in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science found that wide-grip push-ups recruited the chest and triceps muscles less than a standard or narrow-grip push-up.

Why you shouldn't do wide push-ups?

By unnecessarily attempting to keep your shoulder blades “back and down” as you send your elbows out wide, you're interfering with your body's ability to produce scapular upward rotation. If you don't get upward rotation of the scapula, you can't safely move your elbows out.

Which pushup is best for chest?

Decline pushup benefits

The main benefit of doing decline pushups is building strong upper chest muscles. In a decline pushup, your arms push up and away from your torso. This movement works your upper pecs and the muscles in your shoulders.

31 related questions found

Do push-ups widen your chest?

The push-up is one of the most effective bodyweight exercises. It not only works your chest muscles, but also your triceps and your deltoids. Plus, it strengthens your entire core. And to a certain extent, it even works your glutes, quads and small stabilizing muscles in your upper back.

Can you get a six pack by doing push ups?

You can build your abs through a variety of bodyweight exercises, including push-ups. Although it can be tempting to perform marathon push-up sessions daily, you must allow time for muscle recovery.

Which pushup is best for biceps?

  1. Close-stance pushup. Moving your hands closer together allows you to target your biceps more directly. ...
  2. Inside pushup with reversed hands. Moving the alignment of your hands down your torso and reversing their position will produce more of an arm-curling motion. ...
  3. One-armed pushup.

How wide should my pushups be?

To perform a Push-Up, begin in a high plank position. Your toes should be slightly curled underneath you. Your hands should be roughly shoulder-width apart (or just a touch wider) and your fingers should be comfortably splayed.

Which push-up is easier?

Incline Push Up.

This is probably the easiest push up variations. Find a sturdy flat bench. Position your hands on the bench with arms extended so that you are holding yourself in an incline position. Your body should be straight from head to do.

Why are narrow pushups hard?

The pushing mechanics is similar, but the different hand placement creates a change in the intensity of muscle activation. In general, the narrower (close) hand placement involves higher muscle activation of both, the chest and the triceps. The narrow variation is thereby somewhat harder to do for most people.

Should I do push ups everyday?

Doing pushups every day can be effective if you're looking for a consistent exercise routine to follow. You will likely notice gains in upper body strength if you do pushups regularly. For the best results, continue to add variety to the types of pushups you do.

Do narrow push-ups work chest?

Narrow pushup

One study found that narrow-base pushups produced greater pectoralis major and triceps activation than the shoulder-width standard pushup and the wide pushup. Start on the floor and place your hands directly under your chest, closer than shoulder-width apart.

Is it better to do push-ups with handles?

Is it better to do push-ups with handles? For people with a history of wrist injuries or anyone else who suffers from wrist pain when doing push-ups, doing push-ups on handles is better because it reduces pressure on the wrists. It also increases the range of motion and works more of your chest than regular push-ups.

What do wide pull ups work?

“The wide-grip pullup is an effective exercise to strengthen the back and shoulders, since the motion contracts the latissimus dorsi, the largest muscle of the upper body.”

Can you get ripped from push-ups?

So, can you get ripped with push-ups? The answer is yes. You can develop your chest and arm muscles by focusing exclusively on push-ups. However, if you want to work out other parts of your body and become healthier, you need to have a well-rounded workout, consisting of strength and cardiovascular exercise.

Do push-ups increase testosterone?

Research studies have shown that performing push-ups can help increase testosterone levels, reducing risk of developing osteoporosis (a medical condition in which the bones become brittle and fragile from loss of tissue, typically as a result of hormonal changes, or deficiency of calcium or vitamin D).

How many diamond pushups is good?

Do around 3 sets of 15-20 reps for the best results! However, if you want to use them to boost your strength and endurance, then try performing more reps with a longer rest time between sets. Or, you can try doing as many reps as you can in one go a couple of times daily, and increase this amount every week.

Do push-ups give you bigger arms?

Therefore, a standard push-up can increase strength in these muscles. When you combine push-ups and additional upper-body exercises, you can increase the size of your arms and increase your overall pressing strength. Harvard Health Publishing considers push-ups to be the "perfect exercise."

Are biceps used in pushups?

Push ups can actually work your biceps as well as your shoulders and triceps.

How many pushups is too many?

There is no limit to how many push-ups one can do in a day. Many people do more than 300 push-ups a day. But for an average person, even 50 to 100 push-ups should be enough to maintain a good upper body, provided it is done properly. You can start with 20 push-ups, but do not stick to this number.

Are Push Ups better than bench press?

While this is not surprising, the research also found that there were no significant differences in strength improvements between the bench press vs the push up groups, suggesting that if loading is relatively similar, strength improvements and EMG muscle activity in the bench press and push-up are comparable.

What happens if you do 100 push ups a day?

If 100 Push Ups is not hard for you, then it will just be a short muscle endurance workout for you. It wouldn't over train or even pump your muscles significantly. It would be a waste of time or a nice warm up.

Should I do push-ups fast or slow?

Think fast. Want a bigger chest? Drop to the floor—fast. Researchers discovered that performing pushups as quickly as you can is one of the best ways to build explosive upper-body strength, according to The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.