What Is the Difference in Regular & Close Grip Pushups?

Standard pushups build your pectoral muscles.

Pushups are a simple and effective body-weight exercise that you can add to any fitness regimen, regardless of whether you work out in the gym or at home. By making a slight adjustment to the position of your hands from a wide grip to a close grip, you can completely change the pushup's target muscle.

Regular Pushup Form

To perform a regular pushup, begin in the plank position with your toes and hands touching the ground, your arms extended and locked and your body in a straight line from your head to your heels. Contract your abdominal muscles and bend your arms to begin lowering your body toward the floor. As you lower yourself, your elbows should point away from your torso. Return to the plank position to finish your first rep.

Regular Pushup Muscles

The target muscle of a regular pushup is the sternal head of your pectoralis major muscle on each side of your torso. These muscles are more commonly known as your pectorals, pecs or simply your chest muscles. Although your pecs are the exercise's target muscle, other muscles including your deltoids, triceps, biceps, abs, obliques, quads and erector spinae all assist the movement.

Close-grip Pushup Form

Knowing how to perform a regular pushup makes switching to a close-grip pushup easy, as the two exercises are similar except for the position of your hands. Begin in the plank position as though you're preparing to perform a regular pushup, but instead of placing your hands beside your shoulders, bend your arms and move your hands slightly beneath your chest. Position your hands so your two index fingers and two thumbs are pointed slightly toward each other, creating a diamond shape between your hands. Contract your core and bend your elbows to lower your body. During this motion, your elbows should point away from your torso and be roughly in alignment with the base of your hands. Return to the plank position to complete one rep.

Close-grip Pushup Muscles

By making a slight alteration to the position of your hands, the close-grip pushup targets a different muscle. The close-grip variation's targets your triceps, which are the muscles located at the upper back of each of your arms, running roughly from your shoulder to your elbow. The muscles that assist the movement include your pecs, deltoids, biceps, abs, obliques and quads.

References

• ExRx.net: Push-up
• ExRx.net: Close Grip Push-up
• ExRx.net: Pectoralis Major (Sternal Head)
• ExRx.net: Triceps Brachii
• American Council on Exercise: Push-up
• Shape: Triceps Push-up

Resources

• Men's Fitness: Bulk Up Without Lifting a Weight