Diamond push-ups, hands together, triceps first
Put your hands close together under your chest, thumbs and index fingers touching in a diamond shape, and lower your chest toward your hands with your elbows close to your body. Studies that measured muscle activity found the narrow hand position works the triceps and chest harder than a standard or wide push-up.
Four steps, one clean rep
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1Set up
From a standard push-up position, bring your hands together under your chest so your thumbs and index fingers form a diamond.
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2Lower
Bend your elbows and keep them close to your sides as your chest comes down toward your hands.
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3Bottom
Go as low as you can while your body stays in one line.
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4Press
Push back up to straight arms.
What it works
Two studies measured muscle activity with different hand positions. In one, a narrow hand position produced more activity in both the chest and the triceps than a wide one (Cogley et al., 2005). In a 2026 study comparing standard, diamond and wide push-ups, diamond push-ups gave the highest relative activation for both muscles, with the triceps working harder than the chest (Intziegianni et al., 2026).
Common mistakes
- Elbows flaring out to the sides. Keep them close; that is the point of the narrow position.
- Hips sagging as the triceps tire. Stop the set when the line breaks.
- Wrists that hurt. Move your hands slightly further apart, or switch back to standard push-ups.
Easier
Diamond push-ups from your knees, or with your hands on a box.
Harder
Slower lowering, or a pause at the bottom.
Start on a box or your knees
If a set of standard push-ups is still hard, start with diamond push-ups on a box or from your knees. The push-up test tells you where you stand.
In Pushgard
The app counts standard push-ups on the floor with the phone in front of you. Diamond push-ups are a way to train the triceps between sets.
This page explains technique; it is not medical advice. If you have an injury, a heart condition or pain during the movement, check with a doctor or physiotherapist first, and stop a set that hurts.
Diamond push-ups, answered
How hard they are, the chest and how close your hands go.
Are diamond push-ups harder than regular push-ups?
In muscle activity studies they made the triceps and chest work harder than a standard or wide push-up, so expect fewer reps.
Do diamond push-ups work the chest?
Yes. The chest worked harder in diamond push-ups than in standard or wide ones in the 2026 study; the triceps worked hardest of all.
Should my hands touch?
Close is enough. If touching hurts your wrists, leave a small gap.
Sources
- Cogley RM et al., 2005. Comparison of muscle activation using various hand positions during the push-up exercise. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 19(3).
- Intziegianni K et al., 2026. Electromyographic Activation of the Pectoralis Major and Triceps Brachii Muscles During Standard, Diamond, and Wide Hand Position Push-Ups. Muscles 5(1).
Your first push-up hits a slime
Stand the phone in front of you and do one set.