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Halle Berry Push-Up Variations

Want Stronger Arms? Halle Berry's Trainer Tells Us Her 10 Favorite Push-Up Variations

Apr 17 2018

When it comes to Halle Berry's workout routine, we cannot get enough. She's shown us the various training modalities that she implements into her regimen, from boxing to meditation, and we've been dying to know what her favourite exercise is. POPSUGAR spoke to her trainer, Peter Thomas, and he revealed, "She really likes to do push-ups. I don't think there's a single push-up she can't do." Thomas described the Oscar winner as a "push-up master," telling POPSUGAR that "she can do all the hard ones. Whether it's doing a clapping push-up, she can do wide push-ups, narrow grip push-ups, staggered push-ups, push-ups on a small medicine ball, a big medicine ball, and a yoga ball."

We're by no means surprised that the actress is a push-up queen — just look at her. Thomas told POPSUGAR that Berry always mentions how important it is for women to have a strong upper body, as it's often overlooked. What Halle wants, Halle gets. Here are 10 Halle Berry-approved push-up variations to strengthen and tone your arms.

Image Source: Getty / Matt Winkelmeyer

One Arm Med-Ball Push-Up

  • Start in a plank position with your left hand on a medicine ball.
  • Keeping your torso square to the floor, perform a push-up by bending and straightening both arms. This completes one rep. Be sure to complete on the other side.
  • If a traditional push-up is too challenging, lower your knees to the floor.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Benjamin Stone

Chaturanga Push-Up

  • Start in a plank position with your arms and legs straight, shoulders above the wrists.
  • Keeping your upper arms parallel, bend your elbows lowering your chest until your shoulders are in line with your elbows. The elbows should touch your ribcage. Inhale to straighten the arms. This counts as one rep.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Studios

Plyo Push-Up Prep

  • Start in a plank on your knees. Move your left hand out to the side, then bend both elbows, lowering your torso toward the mat. Straighten your arms to return to plank. This completes one rep.
  • Switch your hands, bringing in the left hand while stepping the right hand wide — this is where you should try jump off your hands. Perform a push-up. This completes one rep.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Studios

Push-Up Rotation With Dumbbell

  • Begin balancing in plank position, shoulders stacked over the wrists, with a dumbbell on the floor in each hand.
  • Lower your body toward the floor and then push through your arms, returning to plank.
  • Holding the dumbbell, twist to the left, reaching your left arm to the ceiling without letting your pelvis rise or lower.
  • Return to plank position, bringing the dumbbell back to the floor, and perform another push-up. When returning to plank, twist to the right and reach your right arm to the ceiling.
  • Return to plank position, returning the dumbbell to the floor. This completes one rep.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Studios

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Feet on Medicine Ball Push-Up

  • Begin in plank position with the toes resting on a medicine ball.
  • Keeping the core engaged, bend and straighten your arms to complete a push-up. This is one rep.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Benjamin Stone

Diamond Push-Up

  • Begin in plank position. Place your hands together, directly under your sternum, with the tips of your index fingers and thumbs touching. Your fingers and thumbs should form a diamond or triangle shape.
  • After an inhale, exhale to bend your elbows, lowering your chest toward the floor.
  • Inhale to straighten the arms.
  • This counts as one rep.
  • If this is too difficult, try separating your hands a couple inches or widening your feet slightly. Still too hard? Then lower the knees to the ground.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Studios

Spider-Man Push-Up

  • Start in a traditional plank position, with your hands under your shoulders, and your body in one straight line.
  • Bend your elbows out to the side to lower your torso toward the floor, bring your left knee and touch it to your left elbow.
  • As you straighten your arms, return to plank position bringing your left foot next to your right; then repeat this move on the other side. This counts as one rep.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Studios

Push-Up Rotation

  • Start in a plank position, with your shoulders over your wrists and legs out behind you with your feet hip distance apart. Pull your navel in and keep your back straight.
  • As you lower and exhale, bend your elbows outward to the sides. Hold at the bottom for one breath.
  • Raise back up to top push-up position. As you reach the top, keep moving in a fluid motion to side plank position: release your right arm and raise it to the ceiling, keeping your body in a long diagonal line. Hold for one breath, then move back into plank position.
  • Repeat the push-up, twisting in the opposite direction, bringing your left arm toward the ceiling. Return to plank position to complete one rep.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Studios

BOSU Push-Up With a Twist

  • Place a BOSU on the floor, ball-side down. Don't have a BOSU? You can do this variation without one too.
  • Start in plank position with your hands at the edges of the BOSU. Bend your right knee, twist your torso to bring the knee a few inches behind your left arm, lifting the leg as high as you can. Return to plank position and do a push-up.
  • Switch sides and bend your left knee. Twist your torso bringing your knee behind your right arm. Return to plank position for another push-up.
  • This counts as one rep.

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Benjamin Stone

Basic Push-Up

  • Start in a plank position with your arms and legs straight, shoulders above your wrists.
  • Take a breath in, and as you exhale, bend your elbows out to the sides and lower your chest toward the ground. Stop as soon as your shoulders are in line with your elbows. Inhale to straighten the arms. This counts as one rep.
  • If this is too difficult, do this exercise with your knees on the floor.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Studios

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