Diamond Push-up

How to perform it

1. 1Preparation and positioning. Use a non-slip surface or stable handles. Place the hands and feet so the prescribed body line and range can be repeated without the equipment shifting. Place the hands in a comfortable narrow triangle or diamond; do not force the fingers if the wrists cannot tolerate it.
2. 2Starting position. Set the hands and feet in the prescribed relationship, extend the elbows, and stack the ribcage over the pelvis. Set the hands under the lower chest or upper abdomen and establish the body line before descent.
3. 3Eccentric phase. Lower the body as one coordinated unit through the defined elbow and shoulder path. Allow normal scapular movement without collapsing or creating depth through the lower back.
4. 4Bottom position. Reach the fixed depth marker without bouncing, twisting, or losing hand contact. Use only the range that can be reversed under control.
5. 5Concentric phase / lockout. Press the support away and return to the prescribed lockout or top position. Press evenly through both hands while keeping the elbows and shoulders controlled.
6. 6Breathing and bracing. Inhale during the descent as appropriate, maintain moderate trunk and glute tension, and exhale through the press or landing preparation.
7. 7Valid rep. A valid repetition uses the stated hand position, depth, body line, and assistance standard from start to finish. The hand shape, depth, and bilateral loading remain consistent; a close-grip push-up is not automatically a diamond push-up.

Common mistakes

• Sagging or piking

  Fix: Stack the ribcage over the pelvis and reduce the difficulty before the trunk becomes the limiter.

• Elbows escaping

  Fix: Choose a repeatable elbow path that keeps the shoulders controlled rather than forcing a universal angle.

• Bouncing the bottom

  Fix: Lower to a fixed marker and reverse without rebound.

• Forcing the diamond shape

  Fix: Use a wider triangle or handles while retaining the intended close pressing path.

Safety

• The narrow hand position can increase wrist extension and elbow-extension demand for some athletes; acute EMG findings do not establish superior hypertrophy.
• Choose a setup, load, assistance level, and exit strategy that allow the defined standard to be maintained; do not train through acute, sharp, electric, or worsening symptoms.

Progressions & alternatives

• regressionClose-grip Push-up— Use a close but more wrist-tolerant hand position.
• progressionWeighted Push-up— Add load only after the diamond position remains stable.
• alternativePush-up— Use the standard push-up when the narrow hand position is limiting.
• prerequisitePseudo-planche Push-up— Treat close pressing as general preparation, not as proof of planche readiness.