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Do you work out often and need an extra unique muscle workout? If you do, consider adding the diamond push-up, also known as the triangle push up exercise to your daily gym or exercise routine.
In this blog post, we’ll be looking at what diamond push-ups are, how to perform them properly, diamond push ups muscles worked, the benefits that they come with, plus safety tips to help prevent risk of injury while exercising.
What Are Diamond Push Ups?
Diamond pushups, sometimes referred to as triangle push-ups, are a variation of a standard push-up exercise.
The starting position requires the user to form a triangle shape with their thumbs and index fingers making it a more challenging movement to execute when compared to normal push-ups.
This type of push-up is mainly focused on activating and exercising the triceps.
However, as it’s a compound exercise, it does work multiple muscle groups making it a highly effective bodyweight exercise.
They are popular due to the beneficial improvements of core strength, stability, and tricep agility. This exercise is a great way to improve strength to the chest muscles as well as the lower back.
Diamond Push Ups Muscles Worked
When looking at the diamond push ups muscles worked it is important to remember that this is an advanced push-up variation.
If you struggle with this it may be beneficial to start with a regular push up or plank push up until your strength increases.
The primary muscles targeted when performing the diamond push up are:
- Triceps brachii
- Serratus anterior
- Anterior deltoids
- Pectoralis muscles
When compared to traditional push-ups, diamond push-ups have been proven to boost and activate these muscles.
Although the main target muscles of the diamond push-up are the triceps, it also works exceptionally well for muscles in the chest area, rear deltoids and rectus abdominis.
Additionally, other muscles in the lower body, such as the thighs, glutes, quads, and hamstrings, are also activated during the workout. This is because they act to stabilise the person performing the movement.
4 Benefits Of Diamond Push-Ups
Understanding the benefits of diamond push-ups are very important when performing them.
So, think again if you have second thoughts about not doing diamond push-ups. Here are the benefits that come with diamond push-ups.
Improved Tricep Development
Diamond push-ups are very effective for improving tricep posture and agility.
Due to its unique hand placement, the diamond push-ups work specifically on your triceps brachii.
It is more advanced than regular push-ups and shows in the results.
According to research conducted by the American Council on Exercise (ACE), dips and tricep kickbacks are also adequate triceps-focused exercises that you can perform, followed by diamond push-ups.
These push-ups help in the muscular development of the upper segment of the arm and crucially target the triceps.
If you’re mainly focused on developing your triceps, you can also incorporate the close-grip bench press and pull-ups with the diamond push-ups to give you a perfect workout routine.
Activates Multiple Muscles
Not only do the diamond push-ups work for the triceps, but they also target other muscles in your upper and lower body.
When performed correctly, diamond push-ups also target the anterior deltoid, quadriceps, and pectoralis major muscles in the chest, shoulder, and legs.
Improvement to Core Strength
Core muscles like the transverse abdominis are engaged during a diamond push-up. Diamond push-ups improve overall balance and strengthen your core muscles when performed daily.
A strong core is required for many day to day activities and can also help to alleviate lower back pain.
Best At Home Tricep Exercise
As no special equipment is required to perform the exercise they can be carried out pretty much anywhere, making it a great option if you want to work multiple muscles with limited training equipment.
How to Perform The Diamond Push Up
Executing diamond push-ups correctly is vital when performing the exercise.
If you do not do it correctly, you may not get the result you desire for your triceps, and it may cause harm to your arm muscles.
So this section covers the detailed step-by-step process of performing the diamond push-ups correctly and safely.
For the best results, you must master and keep up the proper technique by executing two to three sets of 8-15 repetitions of the diamond push-up daily.
- Start with your hands and knees flexed with your toes firmly placed on the ground.
- Place your knees and hips in a straight line, with your hands forming a diamond underneath your chest. To create a diamond, place your thumb and index fingers together.
- Extend your legs backward and raise your knees off the floor. Assume the start push-up position.
- Hold down the diamond shape you made with your fingers while flexing your shoulders and hips.
- Squeeze your glutes and thighs, and keep your chin tucked.
- Keeping your elbows tucked in, lower your body towards the ground and inhale as you do so.
- Throughout the exercise, your hands should remain at the centre of your chest to ensure correct form. If your hands are positioned too high, this could result in shoulder strain.
- Squeeze your chest and exhale while pushing back up until your arms lock out.
Common Mistake When Performing A Diamond Push-ups
It’s always important to undertake any exercise in a controlled way with proper form to prevent and reduce the chance of injury whilst giving excellent results in general.
This section will examine some common mistakes made during diamond push-ups and how to correct them.
Increased Push-up Speed
It is crucial to keep the hands at a constant speed.
Once the muscles and joints experience excessive tension, the entire workout session may go sideways and result in injury. You may injure yourself if you do not correctly align the core muscles and glutes in the workout position.
To correct this likely error, place your body in a straight line. Then, position the hands in a diamond shape and firmly set them underneath the chest.
Unequal Distance Between Elbows
Keep the elbows at a moderate distance when performing push-ups. Ensure that the elbows are pointed towards the toes at an angle of 45 degrees from the torso to the arm.
Slackening the Hips
You execute diamond push-ups with the body in a straight line. However, changing this position may add unwanted stress to the spine. The hips must remain parallel with the shoulders throughout.
You must contract the core muscles, including the abdominal muscles, to maintain the body’s straight position.
Moving Too Quickly
Diamond push-ups cause significant strain on the elbow bones and muscles compared to regular push-ups.
Therefore, it is essential to start slowly when beginning the workout. Doing this ensures that the push-up is accurately done, and you can prevent injuries like muscle strains.
Safety Precautions to Consider While Exercising
While exercising, there are specific safety rules that are worth considering. These safety precautions prevent accidents, injuries, and muscle cramps while exercising. Here are some quick points to think about.
- If you have old medical records or a history of health cases, ensure you visit your doctor or physician to enquire if performing certain routines is safe for you.
- During weightlifting, choose a weight or dumbbell that is easy to control during your workout routines.
- Stay hydrated. Drink enough water to boost your heartbeat rate and oxygen circulation to your brain.
- Put your workouts on hold immediately if you feel any pain or discomfort in your body.
- Take brief warm-ups at the start and in between your workout sessions.
- Before working out again, rest for 24 to 48 hours to recuperate.
Diamond Push-up Variations
Diamond push-ups come in two known varieties. Try each one to see the one that suits your ability the best. If any of these types seem difficult or stressful, return to the original and preferred form of diamond push-ups.
Declined Diamond Push-up
The decline diamond push-ups are a more complex version of the regular diamond shape.
This form of push-up targets the muscles in the upper chest area and anterior deltoids. Raise your fingers onto a lifted platform like a bench or chair to perform the decline diamond push-ups.
This push-up is more complex because you are distributing your entire body weight to your upper body area, making it heavier than usual.
Inclined Diamond Push-ups
This variation specifically works the lower chest area and back muscles. It is more straightforward than the declined diamond push-ups. The reason is that you would move your weight to your legs.
Therefore, your upper body becomes lighter than usual. It also emphasizes the core muscles.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What Muscles Do I Target With Diamond Push-Ups?
Diamond push-ups activate the triceps more than regular push-ups. The close-in diamond-shaped hand positioning places more weight on the arms than the chest.
Do Diamond Push-Ups Produce Great Results?
A great upper-body exercise to include in your rotation is the diamond push-up. Diamond push-ups will come in handy if you’re exercising at home. With just your body, workout mat, or the floor, they rank among the best triceps exercises available.
Are Diamond Push-Ups Superior To Standard Push-Ups?
In practically every respect, the diamond push-up is superior to the wide variety of push-ups available being better for both triceps and chest development. In comparison, the wide push-up mostly activates the serratus anterior muscle.
How Many Diamond Push-Ups Should I Do Daily?
Most people typically start with two to three sets of between 8–15 reps. As you become stronger, you can increase the rep range or consider one of the more difficult variations.
What Type Of Push-Up Is Best For The Chest?
Wide-arm push-ups are great for improving muscles in the chest area. And your chest area will be more prominent if you spread your hands out further, around twice the distance between your shoulders, as opposed to your arms or shoulders.
Conclusion
The diamond push-ups are a great warm-up that you can do before moving on to complete workouts. Furthermore, it also comes with significant advantages, like tricep and chest muscle activation.
Although it’s more difficult than traditional push-ups, it has many benefits that make the workout worth performing. You may also incorporate other related exercises that boost the tricep and anterior deltoid muscles.
Examples are one-arm push-ups, close grip bench presses, planche push-ups, and pull-ups.