Chest exercises

Close- and Wide-grip Push-up

Also known as: Pompes prise serrée et prise large · Κάμψεις με κλειστά και ανοιχτά χέρια · Pushups (Close and Wide Hand Positions) · push-up variations

Primary
Chest
Equipment
Bodyweight
Level
Beginner
Type
Compound
Force
Push
Suggested rest
1.5 min

How to do the Close- and Wide-grip Push-up

  1. Lie on the floor face down and body straight with your toes on the floor and the hands wider than shoulder width for a wide hand position and closer than shoulder width for a close hand position. Make sure you are holding your torso up at arms length.

  2. Lower yourself until your chest almost touches the floor as you inhale.

  3. Using your pectoral muscles, press your upper body back up to the starting position and squeeze your chest. Breathe out as you perform this step.

  4. After a second pause at the contracted position, repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.

Sets and reps

GoalSetsRepsRest
Muscle growth3–46–151.5 min
Muscular endurance2–315–201 min

When you hit the top of the rep range on every set, add a rep or a harder variation next session.

Starting points from training research. Stop each set 1–3 reps short of failure.

Muscles worked

Primary

Chest

Secondary

Shoulders, Triceps

The pecs push your arms forward and across your body. Presses build the most mass; flyes and cable work load the stretch the presses miss.

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Bodyweight chest exercises