10 Best Medicine Ball Close Grip Push Up Alternatives for Home Gyms

If you can’t perform Medicine Ball Close Grip Push Ups, use close-grip barbell bench presses, diamond push-ups, bench dips, weighted triceps extensions, or decline close-grip push-ups. Keep elbows tucked, scapula depressed, and core braced to maximize triceps loading while preserving the horizontal press mechanics.

Original Exercise: Medicine Ball Close Grip Push Up

Medicine Ball Close Grip Push Up
Primary Muscle
Triceps
Equipment
Medicine-ball
Difficulty
Intermediate
Type
Compound
Secondary Muscles: Chest, Shoulders
How to Perform Medicine Ball Close Grip Push Up
  1. Start in a high plank position with your hands on the medicine ball, shoulder-width apart.
  2. Lower your body towards the ground by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your sides.
  3. Push back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
  4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Ranked Medicine Ball Close Grip Push Up Alternatives

Best Match
Close-Grip Push-Up Off Of A Dumbbell

1. Close-Grip Push-Up Off Of A Dumbbell

97.3% Match
Triceps Body-weight Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. 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.
  2. Lower your body, allowing the elbows to flex while you inhale. Keep your body straight, not allowing your hips to rise or sag.
  3. Press yourself back up to the starting position by extending the elbows. Breathe out as you perform this step.
  4. After a pause at the contracted position, repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
Narrow Push-up On Exercise Ball

2. Narrow Push-up On Exercise Ball

94.7% Match
Triceps Stability-ball Advanced Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Place the stability ball on the ground and position yourself in a push-up position with your hands on the ball, slightly narrower than shoulder-width apart.
  2. Engage your core and keep your body in a straight line from head to toe.
  3. Lower your chest towards the ball by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your body.
  4. Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push yourself back up to the starting position by straightening your arms.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Body-up

3. Body-up

92.6% Match
Triceps Body-weight Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. 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.
  2. Extend your legs out in front of you, keeping your heels on the ground and your body straight.
  3. Lower your body by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your sides, until your upper arms are parallel to the ground.
  4. Pause for a moment, then push through your palms to straighten your arms and lift your body back up to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Push-Ups - Close Triceps Position

4. Push-Ups - Close Triceps Position

92.6% Match
Triceps Body-weight Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie on the floor face down and place your hands closer than shoulder width for a close hand position. Make sure that you are holding your torso up at arms' length.
  2. Lower yourself until your chest almost touches the floor as you inhale.
  3. Using your triceps and some of your pectoral muscles, press your upper body back up to the starting position and squeeze your chest. Breathe out as you perform this step.
  4. After a second pause at the contracted position, repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
Close-grip Push-up

5. Close-grip Push-up

92.3% Match
Triceps Body-weight Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Start in a high plank position with your hands placed close together, directly under your shoulders.
  2. Engage your core and lower your body towards the ground, keeping your elbows close to your sides.
  3. Push through your palms to extend your arms and return to the starting position.
  4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Close-grip Push-up (on Knees)

6. Close-grip Push-up (on Knees)

91% Match
Triceps Body-weight Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Start by getting on your hands and knees, with your hands shoulder-width apart and your knees hip-width apart.
  2. Lower your upper body towards the ground by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your sides.
  3. Pause for a moment when your chest is just above the ground.
  4. Push through your palms to straighten your arms and return to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Diamond Push-up

7. Diamond Push-up

88.9% Match
Triceps Body-weight Advanced Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Start in a high plank position with your hands close together, forming a diamond shape with your thumbs and index fingers.
  2. Keep your body in a straight line from head to toe, engaging your core and glutes.
  3. Lower your chest towards the diamond shape formed by your hands, keeping your elbows close to your body.
  4. Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push yourself back up to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Push-up Close-grip Off Dumbbell

8. Push-up Close-grip Off Dumbbell

88.4% Match
Triceps Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Start in a push-up position with your hands placed close together, directly under your shoulders.
  2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, resting them on the ground.
  3. Lower your body towards the ground by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your sides.
  4. Push through your palms to extend your arms and return to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Side Push-up

9. Side Push-up

88.4% Match
Triceps Body-weight Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Start by lying on your side with your legs extended and stacked on top of each other.
  2. Place your bottom hand on the ground directly under your shoulder, fingers pointing forward.
  3. Press through your bottom hand to lift your body off the ground, keeping your legs straight and your core engaged.
  4. Extend your top arm straight up towards the ceiling, creating a straight line from your head to your heels.
  5. Lower your body back down to the starting position with control.
Exercise Ball Dip

10. Exercise Ball Dip

87.2% Match
Triceps Stability-ball Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on the stability ball with your feet flat on the ground and your knees bent at a 90-degree angle.
  2. Place your hands on the ball beside your hips, fingers pointing forward.
  3. Engage your triceps and push through your hands to lift your body off the ball, straightening your arms.
  4. Lower your body back down by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your sides.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Why You Might Need a Medicine Ball Close Grip Push Up Alternative

You may need substitutes for wrist pain on an unstable ball, lack of a medicine ball, or to vary stimulus for growth. Some lifters swap the move when shoulder impingement or elbow irritation flares; alternatives let you maintain elbow-extension emphasis while reducing joint shear. Choose exercises that preserve a narrow hand position and horizontal pressing line to target the triceps. Cue: keep elbows close to your torso and drive through the palm to shift load onto the triceps and limit clavicular pec recruitment. Proper alternatives maintain similar scapulothoracic control and triceps activation via elbow extension.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Match the substitute to your goal and constraints: pick close-grip bench presses or weighted dips to increase load for hypertrophy; use diamond push-ups or bench dips for bodyweight progressions. Prioritize exercises that keep the elbows under or near the hands to bias triceps over chest. If you have wrist or shoulder pain, choose dumbbell or machine variations that allow neutral grip and controlled scapular movement. Cue: maintain a braced core and full elbow extension on each rep to ensure consistent triceps activation and safe biomechanics.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does Medicine Ball Close Grip Push Up work?

The exercise primarily targets the triceps via elbow extension. It also recruits the sternal pecs and anterior deltoids for horizontal press power, plus serratus anterior and core muscles for scapular control and body stability.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Medicine Ball Close Grip Push Up?

Diamond push-ups are the top bodyweight substitute because they keep the hands narrow to bias triceps. Set your hands under your sternum in a diamond shape, tuck the elbows close, and lower with control to maximize triceps activation.

Can I build muscle without doing Medicine Ball Close Grip Push Up?

Yes. You can build triceps and pressing strength with progressive overload using close-grip bench press, weighted dips, or triceps extensions. Focus on increasing load or reps and maintain full elbow extension and controlled tempo to stimulate hypertrophy.

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