I hate push-ups—here are the other exercises I use to train my upper body

When my personal training clients tell me they hate push-ups—mostly, because they find them too difficult—I have to agree with them, although for a different reason.

I suffer from tendonitis in my right hand and during flare-ups it becomes particularly difficult to do exercises that put pressure on my wrist.

That means that I tend to avoid push-ups, and instead, I use a collection of upper-body moves, which, when done as one workout, hit the same muscles.

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A push-up primarily relies on the pectoral (chest) muscles, but it recruits a selection of other muscle groups, too.

It works the triceps (the muscles in the back of the arms), the anterior deltoids (the front of the shoulders) as well as the core—specifically the abs, and obliques on the side of the body, which help maintain the plank position.

Despite swapping out push-ups, it’s not to say I don’t rate them. The fact that I have to turn to the five exercises below to generate a similar stimulus shows just how effective push-ups are.

There’s also a bonus benefit to push-ups: the requirement to move and support your body in one fluid motion mimics real-life movements, which can help support injury prevention.

Still, I have a valid reason for avoiding push-ups, and if you do too, you may want to consider turning to the five exercises below to hit the same muscle groups without putting unnecessary strain on the wrists.

Practicing this workout regularly may also help you develop the strength to make push-ups feel more achievable.

The five moves

Swap in the below five exercises to hit all the muscles worked by the push-up

1. Dumbbell front raise: hits the shoulders (anterior deltoids)
2. Chest press: works the chest muscles (pectorals)
3. Skull crusher: isolates and works the triceps (triceps brachii)
4. Russian twist: works the side abs (obliques)
5. Low plank: hits the main abdominal and core muscles

How to do the workout

All you need for this workout is a pair of dumbbells that challenge you. If you’re totally new to exercise, aim for between 6lb and 12lb.

Do eight to 10 reps of each exercise and hold the plank for 10 seconds. Do all the exercises in sequence to complete one round. Rest for 30 seconds, then start another round. Complete up to three rounds in total.

Exercise guides

1. Dumbbell front raise

Reps: 8-10

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells in front of your thighs, palms facing you.
• Engage your core.
• Slowly lift the dumbbells to shoulder height, keeping a slight bend in your elbows.
• Pause at the top for a second, then slowly lower back to the start.

Trainer tips: Avoid using momentum to swing the weights up as this will strain your back. If both dumbbells together feel too challenging, start by raising one at a time, alternating sides.

How it matches a push-up: The front deltoids help power the pressing motion as you push your body away from the floor.

2. Chest press

Reps: 8-10

• Lie on an exercise mat with your knees bent and feet on the floor, holding dumbbells by your chest with your upper arms resting on the floor.
• Push your back into the mat to engage your core.
• Push the weights straight up, extending your arms.
• Lower the weights down until your elbows are just hovering above the floor, then go straight into the next rep.

How it matches a push-up: This is one of my favorite exercises to strengthen the upper body in a similar way to a push-up. It copies the same pressing motion of a push-up, working the chest muscles without you needing to be strong enough to lift your bodyweight off the floor.

3. Skull crusher

Reps: 8-10

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, holding dumbbells above you, with your arms extended straight up.
• Push your back into the floor to engage your core.
• Keeping your upper arms stationary throughout, bend your elbows to lower the dumbbells to either side of your ears.
• Extend your arms to lift the dumbbells back to the start.

Trainer tip: If you find your back arches during the exercise, lift your legs so your knees are bent to 90° and are directly above your hips.

How it matches a push-up: When you do a push-up, the triceps straighten your elbows so you can push your body back up. Skull crushers isolate the same elbow extension movement, strengthening the triceps and improving overall pressing strength.

4. Russian twist

Reps: 8-10 each side

• Sit with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, and your hands together in front of your chest.
• Lean your torso back slightly and engage your core.
• Rotate your torso to the left, touching the floor on your left side with your fingertips.
• Return to the center, then repeat on the other side.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

How it matches a push-up: During a push-up, the internal and external obliques, that run down the side of your torso, help to stabilize the torso and stop the hips from dipping to one side or the other.

The Russian twist is a rotational movement that strengthens the obliques, which can make the body more stable during push-ups and other core exercises, such as the plank and bird dog.

5. Low plank

Time: 10sec

• From your hands and knees, place your forearms on the floor, with your elbows directly underneath your shoulders.
• Engage your core.
• Step your feet back to make a straight line with your body.
• Hold this position, making sure your hips don’t sag or lift.

How it matches a push-up: A push-up is a plank in motion, and uses the abdominal muscles to keep the core stable and braced. They do a similar job here, supporting posture and stability.

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