Diamond Push-Ups to Work Your Triceps & Lateral Head

Diamond push-ups are a simply amazing triceps exercise. We love this powerhouse bodyweight exercise for your upper arms.

And if you’re looking for a simple, equipment-free exercise to grow your triceps at home, outside, the gym, or on the road, you’ve found it. This movement works exceptionally well to allow for an impressive overload to grow and strengthen your triceps and upper arms.

It’s one of the most effective bodyweight exercises. Period.

Let’s explore the activity, what makes it so beneficial, how to perform it, and how it might look inside a home routine.  

What Are Diamond Push-Ups?

Diamond push-ups are a variation where you position your hands closer than usual, ideally with your thumbs and index fingers in contact and forming a diamond shape (hence the name). 

Doing so puts your chest muscles at a mechanical disadvantage and instead forces your triceps to take over and produce more force to complete each rep. But why is that important?

While most people consider the biceps more important for upper arm size, the triceps actually make up two-thirds of the upper arm muscle volume. By focusing on them with diamond push-ups and other tricep exercises, you build pressing strength and develop impressive upper arms.

The great thing about the exercise is that you can do it almost anywhere without special equipment.

Warming Up And Stretching Before Diamond Push-Ups

Warming up before doing diamond push-ups is crucial for getting the most out of the exercise and reducing the injury risk. The movement places some stress on your wrists, elbows, and shoulders, so it’s important to warm up these areas.

This is even more important for people over 40. Injuries become more common as we age, and we must be increasingly vigilant during exercise.

To prepare for diamond push-ups, do 2-3 minutes of light cardio (treadmill walking, jumping jacks, etc.), 2-3 minutes of dynamic stretching (arm swings, wrist twists, elbow rotations, etc.), and stretch your triceps in an overhead position for a few seconds.

How to Perform Diamond Push-Ups

Remember to:

• Keep your body straight
• Engage your core
• Maintain a neutral lower back (avoid arching)
• Do reps slowly and with great body control

Here’s how to do diamond push-ups:

1. Get down on all fours.
2. Place your hands close with your thumbs and index fingers in contact, forming a diamond shape.
3. Extend your legs and balance your lower body on your toes.
4. Engage your abs and avoid arching your lower back.
5. Retract your shoulder blades and inhale.
6. Lower yourself slowly by bending your elbows.
7. Go down as low as you comfortably can and press through your hands, fully extending your arms—exhale near the top.