Push-ups primarily work your pectoral muscles, strengthening your chest… Push ups increase the size and strength of your deltoid muscles, making your shoulders appear wider.
However, exercises specifically targeting the lateral head of the deltoid muscle more effectively broaden your shoulders.
Can Push-Ups Broaden My Shoulders? Here’s Reality!
Many men hope to develop a strong, chiseled physique that features broad shoulders. Developing large shoulder muscles requires commitment to a strength training plan that includes several types of exercises. Push-ups work the shoulders and chest muscles, strengthening the entire upper body.
However, performing push-ups alone may not achieve maximal shoulder-widening results. The deltoid is a large muscle that makes up the rounded part of the shoulder. The deltoid muscle originates in three places, creating three heads of the muscle: the anterior, posterior and lateral heads. Each muscle head helps your body perform different movements and is strengthened by specific exercises.
Effects:
These mainly work your pectoral muscles, strengthening your chest. The website Gain Muscle Fast reports that your deltoids and triceps muscles are secondary movers in a push-up. Push ups increase the size and strength of your deltoid muscles, making your shoulders appear wider. However, exercises specifically targeting the lateral head of the deltoid muscle more effectively broaden your shoulders.
Decline pushups are a relatively simple exercise. According to Exercise Prescription, to perform a decline pushup, kneel on the floor with an elevation — such as a weight bench or Swiss ball — behind you.
Place your hands on the floor, spreading them slightly wider than the width of your shoulders. Lift your feet up onto the elevation. Keep your back straight, in a plank position, as you raise your body off the ground until your arms are extended. Perform variations of the decline pushup to increase or decrease resistance or target different muscles.
