Diamond push-ups have been my go-to bodyweight exercise for years. When I was stuck in quarantine for 21 days during the COVID-19 pandemic, I didn’t have access to equipment.

So, I got creative. I did a series of bodyweight exercises. Squats, lunges, hip thrusts, and push-ups. Lots and lots of push-ups. I found that the diamond push-ups exhausted me more than any other type of push-up. I also felt them more in my chest and triceps than traditional push-ups.

I’ve been incorporating diamond push-ups into my fitness routine ever since. Below you will find the complete guide to the diamond push-up. It covers what they are, diamond push ups muscles worked, their benefits, how to do diamond push-ups, and a video demo that includes several different push-up variations.

What Are Diamond Push-Ups?

Diamond push ups, also known as triangle push-ups, are a variation of the classic push-up. The diamond push-up gets its name from the diamond-shaped hand position.

Diamond push-ups provide a unique upper-body challenge, making them more advanced than regular push-ups. The diamond push up is one of the best ways to build upper body strength using your body weight.

Diamond Push Ups Muscles Worked

Diamond push ups target the chest and triceps, but also involve the shoulders and core muscles. Below is a detailed look at each muscle used in the diamond push-up.

Chest

The primary muscle group that diamond push-ups target is the chest.

Pectoralis Major: The pectoralis major is the largest muscle of the chest. Your pec major helps you move your arm and shoulder toward your body. It allows you to rotate your arms inwards and bring them up in front of you. The pec major is the king when it comes to chest training. It’s what gives a developed chest that full, shelf-like appearance.

The pectoralis major includes two heads that attach the chest to the skeleton.

The clavicular head attaches to the clavicle and makes up your upper chest. Decline diamond push-ups target this area of the chest. More on diamond push-up variations are covered below.

The sternocostal head attaches to the sternum and makes up your lower chest. Diamond push-ups target the inner chest in both the flat and incline position.

Pectoralis Minor: The pec minor is a small muscle in the upper chest. It sits underneath the pec major and helps stabilize the shoulder joint.

Triceps

The triceps muscles (triceps brachii) sit along the upper arms between the biceps and the shoulder. The triceps have three heads that sit along the back of your arm. The medial head (near the elbow), the lateral head (next to the bicep), and the long head (closest to the shoulder).

The primary triceps function is elbow extension. That means it helps the elbow joint straighten or extend your arms. They play an essential role in pushing movements like the diamond push-up. The diamond push-up’s close hand grip increases the triceps activation.

Shoulders (Deltoids)

Your shoulder muscles are the triangular muscle group that covers the shoulder joint. Deltoids are comprised of three heads. The anterior head (front delt), medial head (middle delt), and posterior head (rear delt). The deltoid heads collaborate to produce the greatest range of motion of any joint in the body.

Anterior Deltoid: The anterior head of the deltoid is known as the “front delt.” That’s because it sits at the front of the muscle, closest to the chest. The anterior muscles of the deltoids assist in moving the arm in the sagittal plane of motion. This anatomical plane divides the body into left and right halves. It includes forward and backward movements. This is the plane of movement in which push movements like the diamond push-up exists. The anterior deltoids flex and rotate the arm. They also bring the arm across the body.

Medial Deltoid: The medial head of the deltoid sits behind the anterior delt. This head is what gives the shoulders the “capped” look. The medial head assists in moving the arm in the frontal plane of motion. This anatomical plane divides the body into front and back halves. It includes lateral and side-to-side movements. The medial deltoids are the secondary shoulder group worked by diamond push-ups. The medial deltoids lift the arm to the side, away from the body. They also assist in raising the arm overhead.

Posterior Deltoid: The posterior head of the deltoid sits behind the medial head located on the back side of the shoulder. It attaches to the shoulder blade and assists in moving the arm in the transverse plane of motion. This anatomical plane divides the body into upper and lower halves. It includes rotational movements. The posterior delts allow the arm to pull backward and outward. The rear delts are minimally involved in diamond push-ups.

Core

The core refers to several muscle groups in the body’s midsection. These muscles work in coordination to provide stability to the spine and hips.

Rectus Abdominis: This muscle group is called the “six-pack.” When people refer to the abdominal muscles or “abs,” they usually mean the rectus abdominis. Its function is to support posture and flex the lumbar spine (crunches). It also assists in breathing and developing intra-abdominal pressure (squats and deadlifts).

Internal Obliques: The internal obliques are located on the sides of the rectus abdominis. Many refer to them as the “side abs.” They aid in respiration and allow the body to bend to the side and rotate from one side to the other.

External Obliques: The external obliques are located on the sides of the rectus abdominis. They work together with the internal obliques to allow side bending and rotation. This provides intra-abdominal pressure needed for heavy lifting.

Transverse Abdominis: The transverse abdominis is a deep abdominal wall layer. It is positioned inside the internal oblique. It provides pelvic and thoracic stability. During exercise, the transverse abdominis contracts to reduce pressure on the vertebrae.

Diaphragm: The diaphragm is the primary muscle involved in respiration. It separates the thoracic cavity, which contains the heart and lungs, from the abdominal cavity.

Erector Spinae: The erector spinae are a group of muscles and tendons that run parallel to the spine. Their function is to straighten the back (deadlifts and bridges).

All push-up variations, including diamond push-ups, use the various muscles of the core to remain stable and maintain proper form and technique.

What Are The Benefits of Diamond Push Ups

Diamond push-ups provide a wide range of benefits.

Chest Activation

There’s a reason most people can do more reps of the standard push-up than the diamond push-up. The hand position of the diamond push-up provides greater activation of the chest. It is a more difficult movement to perform. As far as bodyweight movements go, diamond push-ups are a great way to activate the chest.

Triceps Activation

The hand position’s triangle shape also activates the triceps. Incorporating diamond push-ups into your training can build tricep strength and muscular endurance.

Stability

The diamond position is a challenging position to maintain. It requires upper body and core stability to sustain a stable base. More time spent in this position can help develop strength and stability.

Functional Strength

Functional strength is a strength that translates well into our daily lives. We use the push movement trained by push-ups every day. Strength training is training for function, from pushing a door open to pushing the lawnmower.

Convenience

Push-ups are one of the most convenient ways to train. I used push-ups to stay fit during quarantine during COVID. Now, I wake up and do push-ups whenever I travel to maintain my fitness. You only need a few feet of open space to do push-ups.

Cost-Effective

Bodyweight movements like push-ups are cheap. In fact, they’re free. No expensive gym membership or equipment needed.

How to Do Diamond Push Ups

If you already know how to do regular pushups, diamond push-ups will be an easy transition. If you’re new to push-ups, watch the instructional video below.

Start in a push-up position.

Bring your hands together directly beneath your shoulders, touching the first finger and thumb of your left hand to the first finger and thumb of your right hand.

Your hands should form the shape of a diamond. Make sure your core is tight. Don’t allow your hips to dip toward the ground.

.Lower yourself to the ground, pausing just above the floor. Then push yourself up to return to the starting position.

Flex the chest and triceps at the top of the movement.

Diamond Push-Ups Common Mistakes

Like any exercise, Diamond push-ups are susceptible to common mistakes. Using the correct form can mitigate most errors.

Poor Alignment: The most common mistake I see with push-ups is when people allow their hips to sink. This often happens with beginners who need to build more strength to contract their core throughout the movement. Focus on maintaining proper alignment, with your spine and head neutral and your core engaged. Once you feel your hips start to drop, the set is over.

Flaring the Elbows: A little elbow flare is fine. The elbows should be pointing backward and not laterally. Imagine you are in the center of a room. Your elbows should point toward the corners of the room behind you. They should not point toward the walls on either side of you.

Incomplete Range of Motion: Lowering yourself half an inch from the starting position is not a complete range of motion. Place a standard 12-ounce water bottle on its side below your chest on the ground. Drop down until you touch the water bottle. That’s a good rule of thumb for going low enough on the push-up.

Going to Fast: There’s no reason to rush unless you are doing a timed push-up test. You can experience better muscle activation if you take your time. If it helps, count to three during the lowering part of the movement. Inhale as you lower your body. Pause, then explode upward to the starting position while exhaling. This will help you establish a rhythm.

Diamond Push-Ups Variations

There are at least four variations of the diamond push-up. You can use these variations to target specific muscles or increase the exercise’s difficulty.

Incline Diamond Push-Up

The incline diamond push-up, despite its name, can place greater emphasis on the lower pecs.

How to Do Incline Diamond Push-Ups

• Place your hands in the diamond hand position on an elevated surface.
• Walk your feet back until your heels are off the ground and your body forms a straight line.
• Keep your back straight, your neck aligned with your spine, and your eyes forward.
• Lower your chest down to the surface. In a controlled motion, raise yourself back to the top of the movement, squeezing your chest.

Decline Diamond Push-Up

The decline diamond push-up can place greater emphasis on the upper pecs.

How to Do Decline Diamond Push-Ups

• Place your toes on an elevated surface, like a chair or table, for the decline diamond push-up.
• Walk your hands out until your body is in a push-up position. Move your hands together to form the diamond hand position.
• Keep your back straight, your neck aligned with your spine, and your eyes forward.
• Lower your body to the ground. You should feel a stretch in your chest and shoulders, but not so low that your face touches the ground. Drive upwards through your palms. Squeeze your chest at the top of the range of motion.

Banded Diamond Push-Up

Using a resistance band is a way to make diamond push-ups more challenging.

How to Do Banded Diamond Push-Ups

• Sit on a flat surface with a resistance band wrapped around your back, holding an end in each hand.
• Ensure you have a little slack and the band is not too tight across your back.
• Get into the push-up position so that the end of the bands are flat under each palm.
• Move your hands together until they are in the diamond hand position.
• Perform the diamond push-up.

Weighted Diamond Push-Up

Weighted diamond push-ups make this exercise more challenging. Adding weight to a diamond push-up works best with a weight vest.

How to Do Weight Diamond Push-Ups

• Put on the weight vest. It can be helpful to start with a light vest and work your way up as you gain strength.
• Get into the diamond push-up position.
• Lower yourself to just above the ground.
• Push yourself up, driving through the palms of your hand until you reach the top of the movement.

Diamond Push-Ups Alternatives

There are several alternatives to the diamond push-up you can try.

Close-Grip Push-Ups

The close-grip push-up is similar to the diamond push-up. Instead of bringing the hands together to make the diamond shape, place the hands inside shoulder-width. This variation can decrease some of the emphasis on the deltoids and increase focus on the triceps.

Chest Dips

The chest dip is an easy bodyweight movement to target the chest, triceps, and deltoids.

The chest dip starts with your body facing away from a bench, chair, or elevated flat surface. Place your hands on the bench shoulder-width apart. Extend your knees, so your heels rest on the ground in front of you. Lower yourself down until your elbows form a 90-degree angle. Instead of pushing straight up as you would in a traditional triceps-focused dip, push up and out.

Military Push-Ups

The military push-up is similar to normal push-ups. Instead of allowing your elbows to flare out, angle the elbows back toward the hips. Keep your core tight and your back straight. Don’t allow the low back to dip. Lower yourself to the ground with your eyes looking down, not in front of you. Pause at the bottom, then explode up to the top of the range of motion. Extend your elbows short of full extension. Repeat.

Close-Grip Bench Press

The close-grip bench press is an excellent alternative if a bench and a bar are available.

Start by laying face up on a flat bench. The starting position is with your elbows extended, holding the barbell above your chest. Grip the barbell with a narrow grip. Lower the barbell down to your mid-chest. Tuck your elbows toward your hips. Explode up as if you’re trying to push the bar through the ceiling. Stop short of full elbow extension. Keep the tension in the muscles. Repeat.

How to Include Diamond Push-Ups In Your Training

Diamond push-ups are an excellent exercise to integrate into your training. Whether your goal is muscular endurance, strength, or hypertrophy, diamond push-ups can help.

Individual Muscle Group Splits

Many now refer to this kind of split as “bro splits.” I’ve always known them as “bodybuilding splits” because it’s a standard routine in the bodybuilding community. These splits are usually broken out into 2-3 muscle groups. A typical bodybuilding split is chest and triceps, back and biceps, and shoulders, legs, and abs. Diamond push-ups could be integrated into chest and triceps day.

Push, Pull, Legs

In a push, pull, legs split, we break up workout days into push exercises like diamond push-ups, pull exercises like pull-ups, and leg day for squats, lunges, etc.

Upper-Lower

Upper-lower split workouts are divided into upper-body exercises, like diamond push-ups, and lower-body exercises, like squats.

Full Body

Full body routines involve completing 1-2 exercises per muscle group. You could use diamond push-ups for the chest exercise within a full-body workout.

Sample Diamond Push-Ups Workouts

Below I include a workout example for each of the routines mentioned above, incorporating diamond push-ups.

Chest & Tris Workout Example

• Dumbbell Bench Press: 4×10
• Dumbbell Flyes: 4×10
• Diamond Push-Ups: 3×10
• Skull Crushers: 4×10
• Overhead Tricep Extensions: 3×10
• Dumbbell Triceps Kickbacks: 2×10

Push Day Workout Example

• Incline Bench Press: 3 x 8
• Diamond Push-Ups: 3 x 12
• Overhead Press: 3 x 8
• Lateral Raises: 3 x 12
• Tricep Pushdowns: 3 x 8
• Cable Kickbacks: 3 x 12

Upper Body Workout Example

• Decline Bench Press: 5×5
• Diamond Push-Ups: 3 x 10
• Lat Pull Downs: 5×5
• Seated Rows: 3 x 10
• Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 5×5
• Machine Lateral Raises: 3×8
• Barbell Curls: 3×8
• Tricep Rope Pushdowns: 3×8

Full Body Workout Example

• Squats: 5×5
• Diamond Push-Ups: 3×10
• Pull-Ups: 5×5
• Barbell Shoulder Press: 5×5
• Barbell Curls: 3×8
• Tricep Rope Pushdowns: 3×8
• Russian Twists: 3×10

Preventing Injury

Resistance training always comes with some degree of risk. Like any exercise, diamond push-ups are no exception to injury risk. Here are a few common injuries.

Elbow Pain: Excessive push-ups can cause joint and tendon pain in the elbow. If you feel pain in these areas, it’s crucial that you stop the workout. Don’t push through joint and tendon pain. Take some time off. Once you develop joint or tendon issues, it is difficult to get rid of them.

Wrist Strain: The close-hand placement of diamond push-ups may cause some people wrist pain. If you experience any pain in your wrist, take some time off or choose an alternative exercise that doesn’t cause pain.

Shoulder Pain: Most pushing movements involve the shoulders. If you experience shoulder pain, you may need to adjust your hand placement. Try the close-gripped push-up instead. If the pain persists, take time off.

Lower Back Pain: Lower back pain can occur when the hips dip toward the floor. Use a mirror or camera to observe your form. If your hips drop, engage your core and align your spine, head, and heels.

See a healthcare professional if any pain you experience is severe or persists.

You may also like these other articles!

• 23 Best Exercises for a Home Dumbbell Workout (No Bench)
• 9 Best Triceps Workouts at Home With Dumbbells
• Lower Chest Workout With Dumbbells Beginner’s Guide

Follow Outdoor Muscle on Instagram and subscribe to the Outdoor Muscle YouTube Channel for more fitness content!