Diamond Pushup
The diamond push-up places the hands close together beneath the chest, thumbs and index fingers forming a triangle, which turns an ordinary push-up into a triceps-dominant press. It belongs to trainees who can already do fifteen or more clean standard push-ups and want to load the arms harder without any equipment. Coached by Maddy (NASM-CPT) — these are the exact form cues he gives on every client's first week.
Muscles worked
Sets & reps by goal
| Goal | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 4 sets × 3-6 reps (slow 3-sec descent) | 2-3 min |
| Muscle | 3-4 sets × 9-12 reps | 60-90 sec |
| Endurance | 2-3 sets × 18-27 reps | 30-45 sec |
Level — Advanced
Advanced — own fifteen clean standard push-ups before narrowing the hands.
Proper form — 5 cues
- Form the triangle directly under your breastbone — thumbs and index fingers touching.
- Keep the elbows brushing the ribs as they bend; they never wing outward.
- Squeeze the glutes and brace the trunk so the hips neither sag nor pike.
- Lower until the chest hovers just above the backs of your hands.
- Press the floor away to a full elbow lockout and own a brief pause at the top.
Breathing: Inhale on the way down, exhale hard as you press the floor away.
The 3 mistakes Maddy corrects most
Common questions
Are diamond push-ups better than regular push-ups for triceps?
For triceps emphasis, yes — the narrow hand position keeps the elbows tracking close to the body, which pushes more of the work onto the triceps, and EMG research on common triceps exercises supports the variation ranking near the top. Regular push-ups remain the better all-round chest builder, so most programmes keep both.
Diamond push-ups hurt my wrists — what should I change?
First check hand placement: the triangle belongs under the breastbone, not under the face, and the fingers should spread so pressure lands across the whole palm. If discomfort continues, widen the hands a few centimetres into a narrow — but not touching — position, or perform the movement on hexagon dumbbell handles to keep the wrists straight.
How many diamond push-ups should I be able to do?
There is no universal standard, but a practical benchmark is this: once you can complete around ten strict reps with a full lockout and a still plank line, you are strong enough to use the movement in normal hypertrophy sets. Below that, build volume with the kneeling version rather than grinding out ugly singles.
Related exercises
Easier: Pushups · Harder: Single Leg Pushups
Browse: All chest exercises · All triceps exercises · All bodyweight exercises · Full exercise library
This is one exercise. Your plan is the other 99%.
Maddy hand-builds training around your exact body — schedule, recovery, injuries, food culture. It starts with a 3-minute scan.
Start My Body Scan → 11 questions · 3 min · free · no card yet