Diamond Pushup

Diamond Pushup Basics

Primary muscles worked: Triceps, Pecs

Synergist Muscles: Deltoids

Mechanics: Compound

Equipment: Open Floor Space

How To Perform Diamond Pushups

• First, assume the standard pushup position.
• Knee on the floor and place your hands shoulder width apart on the ground. Make sure your arms are fully extended with your hands, elbows, and shoulders in alignment.
• Now, extend your legs back and bring your feet together.
• Next, move your hands together, under the center of the chest, allowing your thumbs and index fingers to touch. This makes the "diamond" shape.
• Then, lower your body so that the center of your chest lines up over top of your hands. You will need to bend at your elbows to reach this position.
• Once this position is reached, return to starting position by utilizing triceps to extend your arms.

Diamond Pushup Tips

• Diamond pushups requires a lot of tricep strength; therefore, you should practice doing regular pushups until you can perform at least 20 of them in a row.
• Keep your elbows tight to your sides as you perform the diamond pushup. Do not allow your elbows to flare out.

Diamond Pushup and Sports Application

The diamond pushup is an excellent exercise for novice and young athlete's to develop strength in the triceps. The chest pass in basketball is a skill where tricep strength is important and the diamond pushup mimics this movement pattern of this skill, although it is performed to the floor and not a ball.