Wide vs Close pushups.

[TheNobodyThere]

Which one targets chest and shoulders better?

[alexanderberg]

Wide pushups target the chest and shoulders more, close pushups emphasize the triceps more

[ThisIsTheOne89]

I might be wrong on this, but apparantly close grip push ups give you equal or even greater chest stimulation than the wide version, while also bringing more triceps in. Theyve done some studies...google it

[dougefreshmailc]

bench press over pushups

[Rasputin4]

I've also read that shoulder width grip activates the chest the most, not sure why this is, perhaps something to do with the forced scapular retraction inherent in push ups done with proper form. Anyway, I do mine with shoulder width grip, or just barely over, and it hit my chest nicely.

I find push ups a great alternative to bench press. I find I'm able to hit my chest better with them and they don't bother my shoulder so much! Just add weight and use progressive overload. The lift is more stablized than bench press, so you'll probably quickly find yourself lifting a bit, but not much, more than bench press (calculating about 70-75% bodyweight, depending on the individual, plus added resistance). Just place weights in a backpack and have at it.

[Malfurion]

I might be wrong on this, but apparantly close grip push ups give you equal or even greater chest stimulation than the wide version, while also bringing more triceps in. Theyve done some studies...google it

Can confirm from experience that this is true, although it probably varies depending on body structure

Close grip = more triceps

Shoulder width grip = more chest

Wide grip = more front delts

[poweramp]

I might be wrong on this, but apparantly close grip push ups give you equal or even greater chest stimulation than the wide version, while also bringing more triceps in. Theyve done some studies...google it

Narrow grip recruits more triceps and chest because it has a greater range of motion. When you do wide grip pushups the arms only move from parallel to about 45 degrees, so you don't even reach peak contraction of the chest. Shoulder-width grip gets a fuller range of motion. Narrow grip also gets a fuller range of motion for the triceps, which might lead people to believe that it uses less chest (because the number of reps you can do is limited by tricep strength).

Then you can also mess around with shifting forward or backwards. Shifting forward (hands near stomach) = more anterior delts, shifting backwards = more triceps.

[MikePRn]

A narrow pushup position will stimulate more tricep and shoulder fibers.
Just google sebastian fitness solutions.

[krush58]

Close for triceps and shoulders
Wide for chest