Caroline Stewart
You don’t need to have a gym membership to get in shape. Pushups are a great way to work your upper body and core, and if you’ve got additional tools, your workouts may produce more intense results.
Whether you’re new to working out or you’re more than experienced, these tools will help you get the most range in your pushups, even adding extra difficulty when you need it. Make sure to check out this list if you want to get the most out of your pushups because we’ve picked all sorts of tools that not only target specific muscles but also muscles that normal pushups don’t reach. Plus, we’ve kept safety in mind by only selecting tools that encourage good exercise posture and protect your wrists.
Best Push Up Trainer: Maximum Fitness Gear Power Press Push Up ($50)
There are different positions to do pushups in, but what do they all mean? If you want to have the perfect push up in any position, as well as instructions for total-body strength and conditioning, then the Maximum Fitness Gear Power Press Push Up may be the training system for you.
Use the color-coded board to target your chest (blue), shoulders (red), back (yellow), and triceps (green). With 14 positions, this trainer will promote proper form to not only prevent injury but to help you get the most out of your workout so you can maximize your upper body definition and strength. The hand grips that you place on the board are designed to stay in place during your pushups, but can easily be removed so you can switch positions. Plus, they’re oversized so that your wrists are protected from pressure (putting less pressure on your wrists than a normal floor push up).
Lastly, this training system comes with a 10-week workout calendar with three phases: startup, rev up, and explosion, all of which combine core, cardio, and plyometric exercises. There are even QR codes on the board so you can see how each position properly.
$69.99 
Best Rotating Push Up Handles: Perfect Fitness Pushup Elite ($25)
While he the Maximum Fitness Gear above is great for helping you with positioning, you may be looking for more intensity with your fitness pursuit. If this is the case (or even if you’re new and want more of a challenge), then check out the Perfect Fitness Pushup Elite Handles.
These handles slightly turn as you push down and up, engaging more muscles than a regular push up. From beginner to expert, you’ll be able to get a good burn and benefit from the increase in strength and tone of your upper body. Whether you’re on your knees, toes, or even a box, your arms, chest, shoulders, back, and abs will be activated.
With the smooth yet sturdy handle rotations, your body will move more naturally, as if you’re bench pressing dumbbells. This leads to less pressure on your joints and lower risk of injury, especially since your weight is more evenly distributed.
Best Push Up Bars: CAP Barbell Push Up Bars ($19)
Push up bars are a great way to not only make your wrists stronger (and ultimately allow you to do more pushups), but they also give you more of a core workout than normal pushups. Similar to the Perfect Fitness Push Elite, these CAP Barbell Push Up Bars are great for simple pushups. With these pushup bars, you’ll be able to do pushups on almost any surface, especially because of the slip-resistant hard rubber footpads.
These CAP Barbell Push Up Bars are built to help improve your push up positioning by allowing a larger range of motion—letting you bring your chest all the way down to your hands as you hold onto the bars, making you work harder than your standard push up.
And if you do pushups regularly with your workouts, you may know the dangers of wrist sprains, carpal tunnel syndrome, and even arthritis. These CAP bars are sure to take pressure off those wrists and tone your chest, shoulders, arms, back, abs, and even your lower body.
Best Ab Wheel: Fitnessery Ab Machine ($27)
A component of pushups (and upper body training in general) is working out your abdominals. Your abs act as stabilizer muscles when doing pushups, so when you use a tool like this Fitnessery Ab Machine, you are not only doing a similar movement to pushups, but you’re really targeting your abs.
The Fitnessery Ab Machine is a heavy-duty wheel with stainless steel handles. Grab these padded handles with the wheel on the ground and extend your body as far as the wheel will take you. You can be on your toes or knees and you won’t lose control of the wheel since it’s lined with a firm rubber that gives you total control during your workout.
The Fitnessery also comes with a knee pad and two E-books: one for nutrition and one for workouts. While this exercise focuses on your abdominal muscles, you will definitely feel a burn in your chest muscles, which will aid in training you for pushups as well.
