FITBODY Exercise Library · Arms
Close Grip Tricep Push Ups and Diamond Push Ups
Bringing your hands close together turns a standard push up into one of the best bodyweight tricep exercises there is. Here is how to build to it properly, starting with your hands elevated, so you can actually feel it working where it should.
What Are Close Grip and Diamond Push Ups?
A close grip push up is a push up with your hands positioned narrower than shoulder width, directly under your chest. A diamond push up takes that further, bringing your index fingers and thumbs together so your hands form a diamond or triangle shape.
They are the same exercise on a spectrum. The narrower your hands, the more work shifts from your chest to your triceps, and the harder the movement becomes. Diamond is the narrowest version and the most demanding.
If regular push ups bother your shoulders, or you struggle to feel your triceps working on anything, this variation is worth learning properly. The catch is that most women try the full diamond push up from their feet on day one, cannot hold the position, and conclude they are not strong enough. The progression below fixes that.
How to Do a Close Grip Push Up
Elbows in, not out. That is the entire exercise. If your elbows are winging out to the sides, you have narrow hands doing a wide push up and your triceps are barely involved. Think about dragging your elbows back along your ribs as you lower. And start with your hands on a bench. There is no benefit to grinding out three sloppy reps on the floor when eight clean ones on a bench will actually build the strength to get you there!
The Beginner Progression
Work through these in order. Move on only when you can complete all your reps with your elbows tucked and your body in a straight line.
1. Hands Elevated on a Bench
Hands in the close or diamond position on a bench, box, or countertop, feet back in a full plank. The higher the surface, the easier it is. This is where everyone should start, and it is the single best way to learn the hand and elbow position without fighting your body weight.
2. From Your Knees on the Floor
Hands in position on the floor, knees down. Research on push up variants found the standard position puts roughly 66 percent of your body weight through your hands compared with about 53 percent from your knees, so this is a meaningful reduction in load while keeping you on the floor. Full details on this version are in my guide to the kneeling tricep push up.
3. Full Version From Your Feet
The complete close grip or diamond push up with your feet on the floor. This is the goal, and it is genuinely hard. If your form breaks at rep three, go back to the knee or elevated version and build there. Dropping back a level is progress, not failure.
What Muscles Do Diamond Push Ups Work?
The triceps brachii is the primary target, and that is the whole reason for the narrow hand position. Bringing your hands close together increases the amount of elbow flexion and extension in each rep and reduces how much your chest can contribute, so the triceps take on far more of the work than they do in a standard push up.
Your pectorals are still heavily involved, particularly the sternal head, and your anterior deltoids assist with the press. Because you are holding a plank the entire time, your core, glutes, and serratus anterior are all working isometrically to keep your body in line. Research comparing push up variants confirmed that muscle activity differs significantly depending on hand placement and body position.
See the full muscle breakdown
- Triceps brachii: all three heads extend the elbow to press you up. The narrow hand position and tucked elbows are what shift the emphasis here from the chest.
- Pectoralis major: still a major contributor, particularly the sternal head, though less dominant than in a wide push up.
- Anterior deltoids: the front of the shoulder assists with the pressing motion throughout.
- Serratus anterior: holds the shoulder blades flat against the ribcage, which stops your upper back collapsing between them.
- Rectus abdominis, obliques, and glutes: work isometrically to hold the plank position and stop your hips sagging.
- Forearms and wrists: stabilize under load, which is why wrist comfort is often the limiting factor on the diamond version.
Sets and Reps
Pick the level where your form holds for every rep, not the level you wish you were at. Your elbow position is the test.
| Level | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Hands elevated on a bench | 2 to 3 | 8 to 12 |
| From your knees | 3 | 8 to 12 |
| Full version from your feet | 3 to 4 | 6 to 10 |
Rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets. Two to three times per week fits most programs, placed after your main pressing work on a push or upper body day. Progress by lowering the height of your hands rather than adding reps, which is the cleanest form of progressive overload available on a bodyweight press. Stop the set when your elbows start flaring, not when you run out of reps.
Variations and Modifications
Close Grip vs Diamond
Close grip means hands narrower than shoulder width. Diamond means hands touching in a triangle. Diamond is harder and more tricep dominant, and it is also harder on the wrists. If the full diamond bothers your wrists, a close grip with a few inches between your hands gives you most of the benefit.
Push Up Handles or Dumbbells
Grip a pair of push up handles or set two dumbbells on the floor and hold the handles. This keeps your wrists neutral rather than extended, which solves the single most common complaint with diamond push ups. Worth having if you plan to do these regularly.
Stability Ball Close Grip Push Up
Place your hands close together on a large stability ball. The instability adds a serious core and shoulder demand, and the curved surface is often kinder to the wrists than the floor. Advanced, and worth setting up next to something solid the first few times.
Decline Close Grip Push Up
Feet elevated on a bench with hands narrow on the floor. This pushes more body weight through your arms and is the hardest version here. Only add it once the standard diamond push up from your feet is genuinely controlled. See my full guide to the decline push up for the setup.
Pair these with overhead tricep extensions and tricep pushdowns for a complete arm day, and see correct push up form if the standard version still needs work.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Letting your elbows flare out. The mistake that ruins this exercise. Narrow hands with wide elbows is just an awkward standard push up. Drag your elbows back along your ribs on every rep.
- Letting your hips sag. If your midsection drops, the load goes into your lower back instead of your arms. Squeeze your glutes and brace before your first rep.
- Placing your hands too far forward. Your hands belong under your chest, not up near your head. Hands too far forward puts your shoulders in a poor position and takes the triceps out.
- Cutting the range short. Half reps skip the part where the triceps work hardest. If you cannot get your chest close to your hands, elevate them until you can.
- Pushing through wrist pain. The diamond position puts your wrists in significant extension. Widen your hands slightly or use push up handles rather than working through it.
Close Grip and Diamond Push Up FAQs
What is a close grip push up?
A close grip push up is a push up performed with your hands placed narrower than shoulder width, directly beneath your chest rather than out by your shoulders. Narrowing your hands shifts work away from the chest and onto the triceps, and it makes the movement considerably harder than a standard push up. Your elbows should track back close to your ribs rather than flaring out to the sides, since that tucked elbow position is what makes it a tricep exercise. It can be scaled by elevating your hands on a bench.
What is the difference between a close grip push up and a diamond push up?
They are the same movement on a spectrum. A close grip push up simply means your hands are narrower than shoulder width. A diamond push up is the narrowest version, with your index fingers and thumbs touching so your hands form a diamond or triangle shape directly under your chest. Diamond is harder and more tricep dominant, and it also places your wrists in more extension. If the full diamond bothers your wrists, a close grip with a few inches between your hands gives you most of the benefit.
What muscles do diamond push ups work?
The triceps brachii is the primary target, with all three heads extending the elbow to press you up. Your pectoralis major is still heavily involved, particularly the sternal head, and your anterior deltoids assist with the press. Because you hold a plank throughout, your core, glutes, and serratus anterior work isometrically to keep your body in a straight line. Your forearms and wrists stabilize under load, which is why wrist comfort is often the limiting factor rather than arm strength.
How do beginners do close grip push ups?
Start with your hands elevated on a bench, box, or sturdy countertop rather than on the floor, with your feet back in a full plank. The higher the surface, the easier the movement, and it lets you learn the hand and elbow position without fighting your body weight. From there progress to your knees on the floor, and finally to the full version from your feet. Move on only when you can complete all your reps with your elbows tucked and your body in a straight line. Dropping back a level is progress, not failure.
Why do diamond push ups hurt my wrists?
Because the diamond position places your wrists in significant extension while supporting a large share of your body weight. This is extremely common and it is not a sign you are doing something wrong. The simplest fixes are widening your hands into a close grip rather than a full diamond, using push up handles, or gripping two dumbbells set on the floor so your wrists stay neutral. A large stability ball also works well, since the curved surface is often kinder than the floor. Do not push through wrist pain.
Are diamond push ups good for women over 40?
Yes, and bodyweight pressing strength is worth protecting as you get older. The close grip version is also often more comfortable than a wide push up if your shoulders are cranky, because the tucked elbow position keeps the shoulder in a safer place. The two things to manage are wrist comfort and starting level. Use push up handles or dumbbells if your wrists complain, and begin with your hands elevated rather than on the floor. If you have existing shoulder or wrist issues, check with your doctor or physical therapist first.
References
- Gouvali, Marina K., and Konstantinos Boudolos. “Dynamic and Electromyographical Analysis in Variants of Push-Up Exercise.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, vol. 19, no. 1, 2005, pp. 146 to 151, doi.org/10.1519/14733.1. Found muscle activity varied significantly across push up variants, and that initial load relative to body weight was 66.4 percent in the standard position compared with 52.9 percent from the knees.
- “Shoulder Electromyography Activity During Push-Up Variations: A Scoping Review.” PubMed Central, article PMC9121296, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9121296. Reviewed 30 studies comparing muscle activation across push up types, including hand placement variations.
- Physio-pedia. “Triceps Brachii: Anatomy and Function.” physio-pedia.com/Triceps_Brachii.
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