Deficit push-ups are a harder push-up variation that increases the range of motion of the chest, shoulders and triceps.
How To Perform Deficit Push-ups
The best way to perform deficit push-ups is with some form of equipment.
There is a way to perform deficit push-ups without equipment – knuckle push-ups.
Although knuckle push-ups aren’t the best way to create a deficit.
The following are examples of pieces of equipment or furniture you can use to create a deficit for deficit push-ups.
Equipment Required For Deficit Push-ups:
You can create a deficit for deficit push-ups by placing your hands on an elevated surface that has a gap for your chest to pass through.
This means that the object or piece of equipment used must have a gap wide enough for your chest to pass beyond the level of your hands.
Elevating the hands without a gap wide enough for the chest to pass through makes the push-up into an incline push-up instead.
Here are some of the ways to create a deficit for deficit push-ups:
1. Placing your hands on the arms of a chair while allowing your chest to pass through the gap between them. You can also use two chairs while elevating your feet on a third.
2. Push-ups done on gymnastics rings can be transformed into deficit push-ups as rings automatically provide a gap for the chest to pass through.
3. Parallettes as well as regular push-ups handles can also be used for deficit push-ups. You can also build yourself parallettes or push-up handles with PVC pipe.
4. If you don’t have access to gymnastics rings or parallettes then you can create a deficit on a pair of dumbbells (preferably hexagonal dumbbells as circular ones will roll). Some trainees also stack weight plates at the gym to create a deficit.
5. Stacks of books or even bricks work well to create a deficit.
Deficit Push-up Form:
To perform the perfect deficit push-up:
1. Hand and equipment placement – Place the object or piece of equipment being used to elevate your hands, slightly wider than shoulder width apart.
2. Starting position for deficit push-ups – Get into the high plank position, with your shoulders stacked above your elbows and wrists.
3. Create a tight “core” – Take a deep breath. Squeeze your glutes, quads and abs so that your body stays in one straight line during the movement.
4. Bottom Position of deficit push-ups – Unlock your elbows and allow your chest to pass beyond the level of your hands at the bottom of the movement. Pause here for a second if you like, or you can use the stretch reflex created in the chest muscles to “bounce” out of the bottom of the push-up.
5. Push back up to the starting position – From the bottom, exhale while pushing yourself back up to the starting position.
Common Errors To Avoid During Deficit Push-ups:
The only difference between deficit push-ups and traditional push-ups is the fact that the chest passes beyond the level of the hands at the bottom of the movement.
It is for this reason that most common errors seen in deficit push-ups can be corrected by knowing how to properly perform full push-ups.
The only error specific to deficit push-ups is not allowing the chest to pass beyond the level of the hands at the bottom of the movement.
Another error is allowing the chest to pass too far beyond the level of the hands, thereby turning the exercise into bodyweight flyes or pelican push-ups.
Deficit Push-ups Muscles Worked:
Like most push-ups variations, deficit push-ups target the chest, shoulders and triceps. Although, deficit push-ups are known for placing an immense stretch on the muscles of the chest.
That is why deficit push-ups are mostly used by those trying to target their chest.
Like other push-ups variations deficit push-ups also work the serratus anterior, while working the core through isometric contraction.
Benefits Of Deficit Push-ups:
The main benefit of deficit push-ups that sets it apart from other push-up variations is the additional range of motion traversed by the muscles during the movement.
As we’ve already discussed, the more range of motion you can take your muscles through during an exercise, the better the exercise becomes for muscle and strength gain.
Deficit push-ups primarily takes the chest through a longer range of motion, thereby offering more muscle and strength building capability on a rep by rep basis.
Who Should Do Deficit Push-ups:
Intermediate and even advanced trainees who have already mastered regular push-ups will benefit most form performing deficit push-ups.
Who Shouldn’t Do Deficit Push-ups:
Beginners are better off sticking to traditional push-up variations listed in my push-up progression article.
Those who have shoulder problems should also be vary of this exercise as deficit push-ups can aggregate certain shoulder problems.
This is due to the increased range of motion that the shoulder joint traverses during deficit push-ups.
How To Progress With Deficit Push-ups:
The simplest way to make progress on deficit push-ups is to add repetitions to your sets.
You can also add sets to your workouts, for example: Increasing 1 set of 15 repetitions to 3 sets of 15 receptions and so on.
How To Make Deficit Push-ups Easier
Deficit push-ups can be made easier by doing them on your knees.
They can also be made a easier by decreasing the height of the objects or piece of equipment thats being used to create the deficit.
You can also do incline deficit push-ups.
How to Make Deficit Push-ups Harder:
You can make deficit push-ups harder by:
1. Adding resistance to deficit push-ups – You can add resistance to deficit push-ups by using a resistance band. You can also perform weighted deficit push-ups by wearing a weighted vest, backpack or dipping belt with added weight.
2. You can also increase the height of the deficit thereby taking your muscles and joints through a longer range of motion. This combined with adding a pause at the bottom of deficit push-ups will also make the exercise much harder.
3. Elevating your feet above the level of the deficit transforms deficit push-ups into decline deficit push-ups. This places more of your bodyweight on your hands thereby making deficit push-ups a lot harder.
Variations Of Deficit Push-ups:
1. Weighted deficit push-ups – Weighted deficit push-ups are a fantastic variation of deficit push-ups that can be loaded to make the exercise harder over time.
2. Incline deficit push-ups – Incline deficit push-ups make the exercise easier, but can also be done with additional weight.
3. Decline deficit push-ups – Decline deficit push-ups carry over well to handstand and deficit handstand push-ups.
4. Ring push-ups – Deficit push-ups done on gymnastics rings add an element of instability to the exercise that other forms of deficit push-ups do not. Deficit ring push-ups can also be done weighted.
5. Grip variations of deficit push-ups – Changing your grip position during deficit push-ups changes the targeted muscles during the movement. While closer grip variations will emphasise the triceps, wider grip variations emphasie the chest.
Bodyweight Alternatives To Deficit Push-ups:
1. Weighted or bodyweight dips (done on parallel bars or rings) – Dips are the closest bodyweight alternative to deficit push-ups. Dips are harder than deficit push-ups and offer and equally immense stretch on the chest.
2. Ring Flys – Also known as bodyweight flys also place an immense stretch on the chest, although they don’t target the shoulder and triceps the way deficit push-ups do.
3. Pelican Push-ups – Pelican push-ups are a combination of deficit push-ups and ring flys. It is an advanced bodyweight exercise that requires a lot of strength and control.
Deficit Push-up Workout:
Deficit push-ups can be added to your chest workout or push workout about 2-3 times a week.
You can also perform deficit push-ups as part of a full body workout.
Beginners can perform deficit push-ups using straight sets, or superset them with any pulling movement like bodyweight rows.
Intermediate trainees can use deficit push-ups as a secondary push exercise after their main pushing exercise.
While advanced trainees can use deficit push-ups as a finisher exercise as part of their chest workout.
Conclusion:
Deficit push-ups are an excellent exercise to build the chest due to the stretch offered at the bottom of the exercise. Although, like most other push-up variations, deficit push-ups also build the shoulder and triceps.
The versatility of deficit push-ups allows the exercise to be used by beginners, intermediates and advanced lifters alike making them a staple strength and muscle building exercise in most training programs.