Often when we think about Push Ups, we think about upper body strength. But push ups are actually moving planks and require a lot of core strength as well.

With these push ups variations you will work your core even more. You can target your obliques even as you work your chest, shoulders and triceps!

Mix in these 4 Push Up Variations to keep things interesting while working your core and burning even more calories with these compound exercises.

#1: Climber Push Ups

The Climber Push Up is a great way to work your core as well as your shoulders and triceps even more.

To do the Climber Push Up, start in a plank from your forearms with your body is in a nice straight line from your head to your heels and your shoulders stacked over your elbows. Engage your abs and climb up to a high plank position from your hands, placing your hands under your shoulders.

Then at the top perform a push up. Keep your body in a nice straight line as you drop your chest between your hands and down toward the ground. Press all the way back up. Beginners can do the whole thing from their knees or even just drop to their knees for the push up.

Then climb back down, placing your elbows right below your shoulders. Repeat, climbing back up. Make sure to alternate or switch which hand leads the climb at some point.

#2: Spiderman Push Ups

The Spiderman Push Up is a great way to work your obliques as you work your upper body. It is a more challenging move so beginners may need to do the knee drive at the top instead of the bottom.

To do the Spiderman Push Up, set up in a nice plank position with your feet together and your hands outside your chest. Your body should be in a nice straight line from your head to our heels. Perform a Push Up, lowering your chest to the ground with your body moving as one unit. Do not let your elbows flare way up by your shoulders as you lower.

At the bottom of the Push Up, hold for a second and bring your right knee in toward your right elbow. Don’t let your core break down and your butt go way up in the air or your hips sag toward the ground so that you start to do the worm.

As you press back up to the top of the push up, put the foot back. Then perform another Push Up, and holding at the bottom, bring the left knee in toward the left elbow.

#3: T Push Ups

The T Push Up is a great way to really target your obliques and work your entire core from different angles as you focus more on sculpting your shoulders and arms.

To do the T Push Up, start at the top of a Push Up from your knees (beginner) or toes (advanced). Brace your abs and engage your glutes and quads as you drive back through your heels to make sure your body is in a nice straight line. Then drop your chest to the ground between your hands to perform a push up. Keep your body in a nice straight line. Do not let your hips sag or your butt go up in the air.

Press back up to the top of the push up, moving as one unit, then lift one hand and rotate open into a side arm balance or side plank. Pivot your feet to rock onto the outsides of your feet as you reach your top hand up toward the ceiling and rotate your body open. Do not let your shoulder shrug as you do this.

Pause for a second, then rotate the hand back down and the feet back forward. Perform another push up and then a side arm balance on the other side. Keep alternating side arm balances after each push up.

#4: Bird Dog Push Up

The Bird Dog Push Up is a great way to build core stability and shoulder stability as you work your entire upper body.

To do the Bird Dog Push Up, set up in the high plank position from your hands and toes with your hands under your shoulders and your feet about hip-width apart. If you bring your feet closer together, it will make the move more challenging.

Then, with your body moving as one unit, perform a push up. Once back at the top of the push up, lift your opposite leg and arm up, reaching your arm out straight toward the wall in front of you as you lift your foot back toward the wall behind you. Keep your core engaged and squeeze your glutes as you lift the leg and arm. Do not let your body rotate open or your hips sag toward the ground. Do not let your butt go up toward the ceiling as you lift and pause to hold.

Hold for a second or two at the top and then lower back down and repeat the push up. Make sure your body moves as one unit. Do not tuck your chin or let your hips sag. Then perform a Bird Dog on the other side, lifting the opposite arm and leg up. Keep performing a push up then a Bird Dog, alternating sides.

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