Feel like you’re getting stronger and are able to do more reps of that modified push up, but not any closer to that full push up?

While adding reps may feel like progress, it may be the exact thing keeping you stuck.

Because if we’re just adding more reps but not advancing the move, we’re getting stronger, but stronger at that modification.

That’s why I want to share one training technique and two push up variations to help you progress to that first full push up off your toes and then hit double digit reps!

So first, that training technique you need to be using for your push up work…

Cluster Sets!

Often what’s needed to advance an exercise is to do a single rep or two of that harder variation.

Yet so often that feels like we’re not doing enough in our workouts so we stick with a slightly more modified variation to do more reps.

But this only truly makes us stronger at the modification.

In order to progress, we need to do reps of that harder variation.

So while you may only be able to lower the incline an inch, do that even if it means doing fewer reps.

And by using cluster sets, you can do fewer reps of a harder variation while still performing more volume of work in total.

To use cluster sets, put 3-5 rounds of push up work at the start of your workout after you warm up.

Set a total number of reps you’ll do per round, generally 6-10 is best.

You will then shoot to do 1-3 reps in a row of the hardest variation you can, resting 15-30 seconds after you perform those reps to ultimately complete the full set of 6-10.

After all 6-10 reps are done, rest at least 1 minute if not even 2 or 3.

If you would have to rest longer between the mini sets, set the total number of reps per round lower.

Better to do 6 single reps than 3 sets of 3 if you can do a harder variation for those single reps.

These mini sets allow you to do the hardest variation possible while maintaining good form and still get in enough volume to build strength and endurance.

But it’s key we don’t just focus on doing more reps but on progressing the push up as much as possible even if just for a rep or two!

Try not to modify the push up over the mini sets unless you’d have to rest longer.

And if you’re struggling to progress the push up to a lower incline for even just a single rep, this is where that first push up variation I want to go over can come in handy…

Slow Eccentric Only Push Ups

Eccentric only push ups are push ups where you focus on the lower down only and then simply reset at the top of the push up.

Doing only the lower down in the push up can allow us to often do a harder variation than we can for the full rep because we are stronger in that eccentric portion of a move.

And by slowing down the lower down, that time under tension can help us learn to control the more advanced variation even if we can’t do a full rep of that variation yet.

So as you’re doing those cluster sets, if you’re stuck between incline levels, try advancing to the harder one and only focus on slowly lowering down for a 3-5 count.

Learning how to engage and control that portion of the move with a harder variation can help you break through to that next level.

And you may be surprised by how much harder of a variation, how much lower of an incline you can actually use, when you only focus on slowing down the lower down and not on the push back up.

But we need to find ways to do the harder variation we want to earn. And combining both cluster sets and this focus on that slow lower down can do just that!

Now you may be thinking, “Great! I’ll do that, BUT what if I still am getting stuck on that push back up!”

And that’s where push up variation number two comes into play and that is Push Up Holds!

Holds allow us to focus on what we feel working at points we tend to get stuck.

They allow us to really learn to engage everything hard and maintain that tension.

Because when we get stuck, we will find we lose that ability to engage correctly which is why our form breaks down.

Whether we find we get stuck at the bottom of the push up as we try to press back up…

Or about halfway up our core gives out and we start to worm up…

We can perform holds at these stick points to learn to maintain tension and keep everything engaged.

By holding, we eliminate movement to distract us and can simply focus on that mind-body connection.

We can make sure we’re properly driving back through our heels, engaging our abs and even pushing the ground away with our hands.

We can find any energy leaks or form cracks to work on as we hold.

We can really make sure we’re able to engage everything correctly.

And we can add in more work just for those parts of the move we struggle with.

You’ll also find you can perform a more advanced version for short holds in specific points of the push up than you can do for the full push up movement.

The more work we can do with a harder variation, the stronger and more efficient at the push up we get.

This really complements the slow eccentric work we’re doing for more time under tension at the hardest points.

It can also help us address where our form breaks down as we lower the incline.

But we want to use these two variations with our incline push up work, implementing cluster sets, to make sure we’re targeting our weak points and really advancing the push up as much as we can.

Because if we don’t continue to push toward harder variations, we are only going to end up getting stronger at the modification.

Using these 3 tips, you can do harder push up variations to help yourself truly build up.

And once you’re able to do push ups off the ground, you can then use these techniques to increase the total number of reps you can do.

You can do cluster sets to build up volume, using mini sets to build into full rounds of 20 even.

You can use slow eccentric focused push ups over just eccentric ONLY push ups.

This means you’ll slowly lower down for a 3-5 count for more time under tension but instead of resetting at the top, you’ll push back up.

This makes the push up deceptively hard and improves your strength endurance.

And then you can use push up holds as a burner to fully fatigue everything and improve your endurance. Hold top, middle or bottom, or even a combination for 10-30 second intervals.

You can also even add in pauses for more time under tension during full push up reps.

Instead of doing a slower eccentric, you may do push up reps with 3-5 count holds at the bottom or middle or even both!

But you can use all 3 of these tips to help you master the full push up and bust out picture perfect reps!

For amazing workouts to improve your full body strength that you can do ANYWHERE, check out my Dynamic Strength program:

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