Last Updated On August 4, 2023
Diamond push ups are great for targeting your chest, shoulders, and back. They also strengthen the core muscles, as well as improve shoulder stability and mobility.
But like any other bodyweight exercise, there are a lot of ways to do them wrong - and they can cause injury if you don't do them correctly.
Here are a few tips to get the most out of your diamond push-ups.
What Are Diamond Push Ups?
Diamond push ups are a challenging push-up variation that you can perform almost anywhere. They're a brilliant way to add muscle mass to your chest and triceps without needing any equipment.
To do them, you place your hands together so they form a diamond shape. You then perform a push-up while keeping your hands in this new position.
While most people can do this exercise, it can be rather challenging for beginners.
How Do They Work?
Diamond push ups are the most effective way to add inches to your chest. They work by pushing your pectoral muscles to their maximum capacity with very high intensity. If you want to train your chest to increase its size, diamond push ups are the best way to do it.
Diamond push ups target the triceps and the brachialis, which is the muscle that sits underneath the triceps. The most significant benefit of diamond push ups is that they are an exercise you can do anywhere and are a great way to work your core strength and stability.
9 Awesome Diamond Push Up Benefits
1. Most Effective For Triceps
Diamond pushups are a variation on the standard pushup, and they work the triceps to a greater extent than the regular form. If you're looking to build strong, defined triceps, diamond pushups are a great way to do it.
2. Great Chest Workout
The diamond push up is a fantastic chest exercise for toning and building muscle. It works the pectorals as well as the triceps and the core. The diamond push up is an advanced move, so make sure you have a good level of fitness before attempting.
3. Great Push Up For Shoulders
Diamond push ups are a great way to tone your shoulders and make them more defined. They're also perfect for building strength in your rotator cuff and upper back [1].
4. Faster Progression Towards One-Arm Push Up
Diamond push ups are an excellent progression exercise towards one-arm push ups. In order to perform one-arm push ups, your tricep needs to be strong and balanced, which also requires a lot of strength and balance on the other side of your body. Diamond push ups can help build this strength and, in turn, will help you master one-arm push ups.
5. Greater Balance Requirement
Since the diamond push up is a more challenging variation, holding the diamond position requires you to engage your core muscles to maintain your posture and balance. This will help you challenge the stability of your core muscles, which in turn helps you build more stable abs.
6. Increased Arm Size And Strength
Some people believe that the only way to build bigger arms is by doing lots of heavy, compound lifts like bench press and squats. But the reality is that if you want to build big arms, you should focus on isolation exercises that target the triceps and biceps.
Diamond push ups are a great all-around exercise for your arms. They target the triceps and the bicep muscles as well as the muscles in your shoulders.
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7. Increased Core Strength And Stability
Diamond push-ups are an excellent way to build strength and stability in your core. This exercise will help you build up your upper body and your core strength if you're new to working out. It will also help you build endurance in your arms and shoulders.
8. Increased Athletic Performance
The diamond push up is a great exercise that builds strength, stamina, and overall fitness in your upper body. If increasing your athletic prowess is one of your goals, mastering diamond push ups is a great way to do it.
9. No Equipment Needed
The diamond push up is an excellent variation for training the triceps, and it doesn't need any equipment. You just need the floor and maybe a workout mat for added comfort.
How To Do Diamond Push Ups Correctly
Diamond push ups are an isometric exercise that targets the triceps and the chest. It's an exercise that has been used in the military for decades [2].
It's called a diamond push up because when you're performing the move, your hands will make a diamond shape with your thumbs and index fingers touching.
To do diamond push ups correctly, start by setting up as if you were going to do a normal push up, with your hands slightly wider than shoulder distance apart and your body in a straight line from your head to your ankles.
With your hands directly below your shoulders and keeping your body in a straight line, lower yourself down to the floor, trying to keep your core as tight as possible.
3 Things To Keep In Mind When Doing Diamond Push-Ups
1. Warm-Up Very Well
It's essential to warm up your shoulders before doing any kind of push-up.
A lot of people like to do shrugging exercises to warm up their shoulders, but this is a bad idea. Shrugs will tighten and shorten your shoulder muscles, but they won't warm them up at all.
Though shoulders are technically part of the back, you can warm them up by using a foam roller or a lacrosse ball. Place the roller or ball under the shoulder blade and roll back and forth, slowly working your way up towards the neck, as if you were trying to reach the top of your shoulder2. Practice And Master The Exercise
They say practice makes perfect, and when it comes to mastering the diamond push up, consistency is key.
Although it will be hard at first, practicing each day will help you stay on target to smash your fitness goals, and with each session, the elusive diamond push up will get that little bit easier.
3. Use It As An Addition For A Complete Body Workout
Diamond pushups are one of the best bodyweight exercises you can do. Because your hands are in the diamond position, your biceps and triceps are engaged, as well as your chest, shoulders, back, and core. Diamond pushups are a full-body exercise. Using your best suspension trainer in a complimentary training program can also help to work the muscles and build a range of motion.
Common Mistakes when doing diamond push-ups
When you're performing the diamond push-up, there are a number of mistakes you should try and avoid. The most common mistakes are:
Flaring your arms
One of the most common mistakes I've seen my clients do is flaring their arms. If you flare your arms during this push-up variation, you're going to place more strain on your shoulder joints and reduce the work your chest and triceps do.
Both of which will hinder your muscle gains. You don't want that, do you?
Dropping your hips
Dipping your hips during the diamond push-up prevents you from performing the push-up using a full range of motion.
The reason for this is that you feel like you're performing a full rep, but in reality, your elbows are barely moving (which means your chest and triceps aren't working as they should).
Raising your hips
While dropping your hips is more common, another mistake that happens during the diamond push-up is raising your hips TOO high.
If your butt is too high your more likely to flare your elbows, and will have a shorter range of motion. Keep your body neutral throughout the diamond push-up to maximize your muscle gains.
Not performing full reps
Like any movement, if you don't perform a full rep (using a full range of motion) you won't reap the rewards of the exercise.
Half reps or quarter reps aren't going to give you the well rounded chest that you're looking for, so always ensure you perform full reps during this exercise.
People Also Ask (FAQs)
Diamond push ups are so hard because they increase the range of motion your triceps work through. It also shifts the load from your larger chest muscles to your much smaller triceps.
Yes you can do diamond push ups every day, they're a great exercise to work on your triceps. But it's important to remember that your body needs time to recover. If you do diamond pushups every day, you'll likely experience some muscle soreness due to over-training.
No, the chest muscle isn't hard to buil. It's like building any muscle, it takes time and consistency. You're going to have to be consistent with your workouts by sticking to a routine.
The number of push ups you should do to build your chest depends on your fitness level. If you're a complete beginner, then you should start off with a couple of push ups a day. Then build up to 10 push ups a day. Increase this gradually until you can knock out 100 without breaking a sweat.
Conclusion
Push ups are a great way to get your muscles in shape, but diamond push ups, in particular, offer a lot of benefits because you're not only working your chest but also your shoulders, triceps, and your core.
While they're typically more challenging, if you can do them you should. They're one of my favorite exercises in my routine.
Add the diamond push-up to your workout routine and watch your triceps and chest muscles grow. You won't regret it.
References:
1.https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324435
2.https://www.military.com/military-fitness/military-workouts
