10 Best Close-grip Push-up (on Knees) Alternatives for Triceps Strength
If you can’t perform the Close-grip Push-up (on Knees), use exercises that maintain elbow-extension loading and triceps emphasis. Try incline close-grip push-ups, bench dips, banded triceps pushdowns, or diamond push-ups on knees. Cue: keep elbows tucked to ribs and press through the palms to maximize lateral and medial triceps activation.
Original Exercise: Close-grip Push-up (on Knees)
How to Perform Close-grip Push-up (on Knees)
- Start by getting on your hands and knees, with your hands shoulder-width apart and your knees hip-width apart.
- Lower your upper body towards the ground by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your sides.
- Pause for a moment when your chest is just above the ground.
- Push through your palms to straighten your arms and return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Best Close-grip Push-up (on Knees) Alternatives
1. Close-grip Push-up
98.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Start in a high plank position with your hands placed close together, directly under your shoulders.
- Engage your core and lower your body towards the ground, keeping your elbows close to your sides.
- Push through your palms to extend your arms and return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
2. Diamond Push-up
94.1% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Start in a high plank position with your hands close together, forming a diamond shape with your thumbs and index fingers.
- Keep your body in a straight line from head to toe, engaging your core and glutes.
- Lower your chest towards the diamond shape formed by your hands, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push yourself back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
3. Close-Grip Push-Up Off Of A Dumbbell
93.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie on the floor and place your hands on an upright dumbbell. Supporting your weight on your toes and hands, keep your torso rigid and your elbows in with your arms straight. This will be your starting position.
- Lower your body, allowing the elbows to flex while you inhale. Keep your body straight, not allowing your hips to rise or sag.
- Press yourself back up to the starting position by extending the elbows. Breathe out as you perform this step.
- After a pause at the contracted position, repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
4. Body-up
90.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Start by placing your hands on a raised surface, such as a bench or parallel bars, with your palms facing down and fingers pointing forward.
- Extend your legs out in front of you, keeping your heels on the ground and your body straight.
- Lower your body by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your sides, until your upper arms are parallel to the ground.
- Pause for a moment, then push through your palms to straighten your arms and lift your body back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
5. Body Tricep Press
85.2% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Position a bar in a rack at chest height.
- Standing, take a shoulder width grip on the bar and step a yard or two back, feet together and arms extended so that you are leaning on the bar. This will be your starting position.
- Begin by flexing the elbow, lowering yourself towards the bar.
- Pause, and then reverse the motion by extending the elbows.
- Progress from bodyweight by adding chains over your shoulders.
6. Band Close-grip Push-up
84.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Place a band around your upper arms, just above the elbows.
- Assume a push-up position with your hands directly under your shoulders and your body in a straight line from head to heels.
- Bend your elbows and lower your chest towards the ground, keeping your elbows close to your sides.
- Push through your palms to extend your arms and return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
7. Bench Dip On Floor
82.2% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on the edge of a bench or chair with your hands gripping the edge, fingers pointing forward.
- Slide your butt off the bench, supporting your weight with your hands.
- Lower your body by bending your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the floor.
- Push yourself back up to the starting position by straightening your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
8. Bench Dip (knees Bent)
81.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on the edge of a bench or chair with your hands gripping the edge next to your hips.
- Slide your butt off the bench and straighten your legs in front of you, keeping your heels on the ground.
- Bend your elbows and lower your body towards the ground, keeping your back close to the bench.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push yourself back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
9. Clock Push-up
78.6% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Start in a high plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders and your body in a straight line.
- Lower your body towards the ground by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your sides.
- As you lower, rotate your body to the left, extending your left arm straight out to the side.
- Push back up to the starting position, while rotating your body to the center.
- Repeat the push-up, this time rotating your body to the right and extending your right arm out to the side.
10. Exercise Ball Dip
78.2% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on the stability ball with your feet flat on the ground and your knees bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Place your hands on the ball beside your hips, fingers pointing forward.
- Engage your triceps and push through your hands to lift your body off the ball, straightening your arms.
- Lower your body back down by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your sides.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Why You Might Need a Close-grip Push-up (on Knees) Alternative
You may substitute the Close-grip Push-up (on Knees) for several practical reasons: wrist or shoulder pain, limited knee positioning, insufficient pressing strength, or the need for progressive overload. Substitutes preserve the primary knee-to-elbow biomechanics (elbow extension under load) while changing joint angles or external resistance. For example, bench dips shift load to a more vertical elbow-extension vector—cue: keep hips close to the bench and lower until elbows reach about 90° to protect the shoulder. Use fists or an incline to reduce wrist extension and maintain triceps activation when wrists are sensitive.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Select an alternative by matching the movement pattern, desired intensity, and joint tolerance. If you need lower load, pick incline close-grip push-ups (hands elevated on a bench) — cue: drive through the palms and keep elbows tight to ribs to emphasize triceps. For higher loading without a barbell, use bench dips or banded pressdowns to increase resistance while preserving elbow-extension torque. Consider scapular control: choose exercises where you can maintain a stable scapula (retract slightly) to protect the shoulder and optimize triceps force production.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does Close-grip Push-up (on Knees) work?
The movement primarily targets the triceps brachii (lateral and medial heads) via elbow extension. It also recruits the anterior deltoid and sternal pecs for shoulder flexion and requires scapular stabilizers to control the thoracic posture.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to Close-grip Push-up (on Knees)?
The incline close-grip push-up (hands on a bench) is the top bodyweight substitute because it preserves the narrow-hand pressing pattern while reducing load. Cue: keep elbows tucked and press through the palms to emphasize triceps and maintain full elbow extension at the top.
Can I build muscle without doing Close-grip Push-up (on Knees)?
Yes. You can stimulate hypertrophy by using progressive overload with alternatives like bench dips, banded triceps pushdowns, diamond push-ups, or weighted extensions. Focus on increasing tension through more reps, added resistance, or slower eccentric tempos to overload the triceps.
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