Workout Tip #365 - The Diamond Pushup

That little poll running on the right is giving me nightmares - 5 out of 9 chose "I love ice cream". Y'all just doin' that to annoy me innit? Yeah that's probably what's going on. I'm sure almost all of you are actually religiously devoting 5 minutes before bedtime every night to at least 3 sets of 20 pushups. 





The original pushup was intended in the first workout article as an especially effective exercise when it comes to building a larger chest width and developing shoulder strength. 


Nonetheless,


I'd like you to meet its feared big brother - the Diamond Pushup.

Diamond not representing the value of the pushup (pushups are free - so take full advantage of the situation!) but rather, diamond representing the form your hands take when you're performing this advanced maneuver. 


As always, pictorial assistance is indispensable. 

Your hands should be positioned as in the manner depicted above, with your index fingers and your thumbs almost touching. 

With your body in the above position (arms straightened, back taut and tight in a line),

lower yourself in a slow and controlled motion till your body just graces the floor. Keeping your movements  slow and controlled, push yourself back up into the starting position.

So why the diamond pushup?

The diamond pushup isolates your triceps and places a greater workload on your pectorals. It also forces your core to work harder in order to stabilize as the surface area of contact with the ground is smaller compared to when your hands are spread out shoulder-width as in the original pushup. 

And what do I get from this?

Larger, more developed arms (triceps)

A more pumped chest 

A stronger core

Chicks