3 Advanced Push-Up Variations to Build Strength (No Equipment)

3 Advanced Push-Up Variations to Build Strength (No Equipment)

I’ve heard it a thousand times.

“Push ups are easy.”

No. Push ups are honest.

They are only “easy” when you stop challenging yourself.

If you’ve been training calisthenics for a while, you already know this pattern: you start with regular push ups, you build up reps, and one day you hit 20… then 25… then 30.

At that point, something changes.

Your push ups stop building strength and start building endurance.

Your chest pump feels great, your triceps burn, and you sweat. Yet your pushing power stays the same.

Your body adapts. Your reps go up. Your strength plateaus.

If you want to keep getting stronger, it’s definitely time to level up your push ups.

In this blog post, I’m going to show you three push up variations that instantly make every rep harder than the classic version, without needing equipment.

These movements fit perfectly into any calisthenics workout and they build the kind of pushing strength that transfers to one arm push ups, dips, handstands, and real athletic movement.

Who These Push Ups Are For

Before we jump in, let’s be clear.

These variations are for you if you can already do:

• 20 or more push ups per set with clean form

• A strong hollow body position

• Pelvis tilted back

• Minimal arching in the lower back

• Full range of motion with elbows reaching at least perpendicular to the floor

If your push ups still look like a snake doing the worm, fix your base first.

You will progress faster and stay injury free.

If your form is clean and you have reps in the bank, these three variations will light up your strength fast.

How to Use These Variations in a Calisthenics Workout

These are not random exercises. They are a system.

All three variations hit the chest, shoulders, and triceps, but each one attacks your pushing strength from a different angle.

• Archer push ups build unilateral strength and control

• Typewriter push ups build deep strength and time under tension

• In and outs build speed, explosiveness, and angle changes

You can do them as a push day finisher, or as your main horizontal push work inside a full calisthenics workout.

For all three movements, use this programming:

3 to 5 sets
4 to 12+ reps

Start on the lower end, own the form, then build up.

Now let’s get into the good stuff.

1) Archer Push Ups

Archer push ups are one of the best “in between” steps toward the one arm push up. They are brutal, simple, and incredibly effective.

Here’s how they work:

You lower your body toward one side, putting most of your weight on that arm. The other arm stays straighter and acts as support and balance. Then you press back up toward the middle, switch sides, and repeat.

So the pattern looks like this:

• Down toward your right arm

• Press back up to the middle

• Down toward your left arm

• Press back up to the middle

One rep is one side. Or if you want to be strict, count right and left as two reps. Either way is fine, stay consistent.

Why Archer Push Ups Work

Archer push ups force your body to handle more load on one side. This increases:

• Chest strength

• Triceps strength

• Shoulder stability

• Core tension

• Coordination

This is real calisthenics training. You are not doing endless reps. You are building strength.

Coaching Tips

• Keep your hips square to the floor

• Stay in hollow body

• Keep your elbows tracking clean

• Control the descent

• Press hard through the working arm

If you want to make it harder, widen your stance and reduce how much the assisting arm bends.

Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 4 to 12+ reps

2) Typewriter Push Ups

Typewriter push ups are the archer push up’s mean older cousin.

This is the same idea, but with one big difference.

You stay low the entire time.

Instead of pressing back up between reps, you move side to side while holding the bottom position.

Your chest stays close to the floor. Your triceps stay loaded.

Your shoulders stay working.

This turns the movement into a strength and endurance monster.

Why Typewriter Push Ups Work

Staying low builds time under tension, which is one of the fastest ways to increase strength in bodyweight training.

Typewriter push ups also hammer:

• Pectoral control

• Shoulder stability

• Triceps endurance

• Scapular strength

They also hit the pec minor hard because of the sustained stretch and load.

If you want a push up variation that makes you feel every fiber of your chest, this is it.

Coaching Tips

• Do not rush the side to side slide

• Keep your body tight like a plank

• Stay low the whole time

• Keep your head neutral

• Do not collapse through your shoulders

If you lose form, stop the set. This is a quality movement.

Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 4 to 12+ reps

3) In and Outs

This one is dynamic, fast, and extremely underrated.

In and outs are a push up variation where your hands change position during the rep.

The movement forces your chest and shoulders to adapt instantly to different angles.

It builds speed, explosiveness, and control.

It also trains both the inner and outer chest angles, which makes your push ups feel more athletic and less repetitive.

Why In and Outs Work

This variation builds:

• Explosive pressing power

• Shoulder coordination

• Chest strength through multiple angles

• Fast tension changes

• Athletic control

It’s also a great way to break the “slow grind” pattern that many calisthenics workouts fall into.

You want strength and control, but you also want speed.

Coaching Tips

• Land softly when switching hand positions

• Keep your elbows controlled

• Maintain hollow body

• Keep your reps clean

• Stop before your form turns sloppy

Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 4 to 12+ reps

How to Combine All 3 Into One Push Session

If you want a simple, effective push workout using these three movements, do this:

• Archer push ups: 3 to 5 sets

• Typewriter push ups: 3 to 5 sets

• In and outs: 3 to 5 sets

Rest 90 to 150 seconds between sets.

That’s it.

This is a complete horizontal push calisthenics workout that will humble you fast and build real strength.

Final Thought

Push ups are not “easy.”

They are a foundation.

And once you master the foundation, you earn the right to make it harder.

Archer push ups, typewriter push ups, and in and outs are three of the best tools to build serious pushing strength with calisthenics.

Add them to your weekly split, track your reps, stay strict with your form, and you will feel your push ups evolve quickly.

Now go train.

Nicolas

PS: Work with me here!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. When should I stop doing regular push-ups and move to advanced variations? You should level up when your regular push-ups stop building strength and start building only endurance. If you can perform 20 or more clean reps per set with a strong hollow body position and full range of motion, it is definitely time to move to harder variations.

2. What are Archer Push-Ups, and how do they build strength? Archer push-ups are a "unilateral" movement where you lower your body toward one side, placing most of your weight on one arm while the other stays straight for support. They increase chest and triceps strength and act as a vital stepping stone toward the one-arm push-up.

3. What is the main difference between Archer and Typewriter Push-Ups? The main difference is Time Under Tension. In Typewriter push-ups, you stay low the entire time, sliding side-to-side without pressing back up between reps. This keeps the chest and triceps under constant load, making it a "strength and endurance monster."

4. What unique benefits do "In and Outs" provide for a calisthenics athlete? "In and Outs" build explosive power and speed. By changing hand positions dynamically during the reps, your chest and shoulders must adapt instantly to different angles. This trains fast tension changes and athletic control.

5. How do I maintain proper "Hollow Body" form during these advanced push-ups? To maintain a strong base, you must keep your pelvis tilted back (posterior pelvic tilt), engage your core to ensure minimal arching in the lower back, and keep your body tight like a plank from shoulders to ankles.

6. What is the recommended programming for these three variations? For Archer, Typewriter, and In and Out push-ups, the standard protocol is 3 to 5 sets of 4 to 12+ reps. You should prioritize owning the form at the lower rep range before building up the volume.

7. Can I combine all three variations into a single workout session? Yes. You can create a complete horizontal push workout by performing 3–5 sets of each variation in sequence (Archers, then Typewriters, then In and Outs), resting 90 to 150 seconds between sets to ensure high-quality movement.