Wide Grip Push-Ups are a simple yet effective way to build your upper body and core strength. 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.
To do Wide Grip Push-Ups, you don’t need any gear besides your own body weight. This means you can do them anywhere and anytime you want.
In this article, “we’ll take a closer look at the benefits of wide pushups, how to do them, and variations you can try”.
What are the benefits of a Wide Grip Push-Ups?
According to the American Council on Exercise, wide pushups can increase muscle strength and endurance in your:
A 2016 study trusted Source found that doing pushups with a wider hand placement can also work your serratus anterior muscle harder than a standard pushup.
This often neglected muscle, which spans your upper ribs, helps you move your arms and shoulders. It also provides support to your neck and back muscles.
According to the Mayo Clinic, “wide pushups are also a beneficial core stability exercise. Having strong core muscles can enhance your balance and posture, protect your back from injury, and make almost any movement easier”.
Additionally, “according to the National Academy of Sports Medicine, changing hand positions doesn’t only provide variety, it also allows you to use a different range of motion, which can help prevent overuse injuries”.
“The wide grip push-up is a variation of the push-up and an exercise used to build the pushing muscles of the upper body. It’ll primarily target the chest, but will also indirectly hit the shoulders and triceps“.
Utilizing a wider hand placement allows one to better target the chest while also providing a deeper stretch on the chest during the recommended range of motion.
Wide grip pushups can be incorporated into your chest workouts, push workouts, upper body workouts, and full-body workouts.
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Wide Grip Push Ups Instructions
- Assume a quadruped position on the floor with your hands outside your shoulders, toes tucked, and knees under hips.
- Extend one leg at a time and assume a pushup position with the legs straight, elbows extended, and head in a neutral position looking at the floor.
- Slowly descend to the floor by retracting the shoulder blades and unlocking the elbows.
- Descend until the upper arms are parallel or your chest touches the floor.
- Push back to the starting point by extending the elbows and driving your palms into the floor.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
- Your arms should resemble an arrow in the bottom position, not a “T”.
- Your spine should remain rigid throughout the entire exercise, think of the pushup as a moving plank.
- Squeeze your glutes and brace your abs before descending to keep the ribcage neutral.
- Keep the chin down and don’t look forward.
- Imagine you’re trying to push your thumbs together while completing the movement, this will improve activation of the pecs.
- Don’t allow the head to jut forward, the chest should touch at the same time as your nose.
- Think about trying to push yourself as far away from the floor as possible.
- Ensure you push all the way through the floor at the top of the repetition and allow your shoulder blades to move around your ribcage.
- Most folks cut the repetition short and don’t garner the full benefits.
Related Articles:
- Learn How To Make The Most Of The “Push-Up Strength” You Already Have
- Here Are The “5 Best Upper Chest Exercises” You Can Perform For Strength, Size, And Mass
