Share on Pinterest Drop and give me… 82? That’s right. We at Greatist love — nay, adore — the push-up. It’s one of the simplest and most functional exercises around, and it works almost every muscle you’ve got. With a standard push-up, your triceps and chest get a great workout, but the movement also engages your shoulders, core, lats, lower back, legs, and glutes. Talk about a ton of bang for your buck. Doing the same old push-ups day in and day out can feel a little vanilla, so we’re here to shake things up. Variety can supercharge a workout and throw a whole range of new muscles into the mix. Ever tried a Spiderman push-up? See No. 15 below. How about an alligator (No. 13) or a jackknife push-up (No. 34)? There might be no end to the different spins (and cool names) we can give this classic exercise, but we’ve done our best to bring you as many as we could find.

How to use this list The exercises are divided into five categories — beginner, intermediate, explosive, expert, and equipment-based. Choose your flavor. Be sure to spend some time perfecting your form and nailing the basics before you jump into the variations that require increased strength, coordination, and balance. Please note there is no International Push-Up Authority (but wouldn’t that be cool?), Official Push-Up Certification Board, or anyone in charge of naming the different push-ups. Consequently, what some might call a rotational push-up, others will call a T push-up, and so on. We concede that some people might have different names for these movements than we do. That’s why we’ve linked a video for as many entries as possible.

Explosive push-ups Because they work the fast-twitch muscles, explosive exercises are great for building muscle, power, and speed. Mixing explosive sets into a workout, either before or after exercises, is a great way to improve overall strength. 39. Explosive Push so hard off the floor that your upper body soars into space and your hands are briefly in midair. Since this exercise puts extra impact on your wrists, be sure to stretch them before and after. 40. Explosive staggered Remember the staggered push-up (No. 12)? Start in that position, push into the air, and then switch the positions of your hands on each rep. This makes sure each side of your chest gets a proper workout — and it’s a lot of fun. 41. Explosive jacks It’s not quite a jumping jack, but close. Kick your feet to the sides as your body lifts off the floor, and then kick them back together on the way down. Some people like to simultaneously sweep their hands past their head as their knees open away from one another, which looks more like a standing jumping jack (but is a lot harder). 42. Explosive with a clap Push off so hard that you can clap your hands together before landing. If it helps, sing along to Fitz and the Tantrums, of course. 43. Explosive full-body Get your whole body to leave the floor with each push so you’re briefly in midair. Fly safely! 44. Explosive double clap Sure, you could just clap twice in front of your chest, but where’s the fun in that? Up the ante even more by clapping once in front of your body and once more behind it before landing. Needless to say, this requires a lot of practice and considerable power. 45. Explosive triple clap Clap in front, clap behind, clap in front, and then land. This is some elite-level stuff! 46. Explosive single-arm alternating Also known as the Rocky, this requires a one-arm push-up that’s so explosive the landing hand can be switched in midair. 47. Double thigh tap Push your whole body off the floor and slap your thighs with both hands before landing. 48. Aztec We’d like to go on the record saying that the risk of injury might be too high for this one. Nonetheless, the Marine in the video makes it look deceptively simple. Push into the air, bend at your hips, touch your feet to your hands, spring back, and land. There’s a good chance this move requires some of that “Crouching Tiger” flying magic.