Want to Carve Your Core and Build Your Upper Body? Try This Pushup Variation

As you get older, finding time for the gym gets trickier. Whether you're juggling a demanding job, wrangling kids, or both, carving out even an hour can feel impossible. Maybe you used to spend hours lifting in your 20s, but these days, efficiency is everything. That’s why exercises that cut down your gym time and deliver big results are key. 

If you want to carve your core and build upper body strength in one fell swoop, try a sequence like narrow pushups followed by alternating toe taps at the end of your workout. The best part? It requires zero equipment and can be done anywhere, from your garage to the gym.

"Combining upper-body and core work into one movement is a smart way to train, especially for athletes, people who don't have a lot of time, or anyone who values functionality," says certified personal trainer and head of nutrition and innovation at STYRKR, Leon Veal. "Moves like this improve coordination, save time by working multiple muscle groups, and simulate the kind of total-body control needed in sports and daily movement. Also, the addition of toe taps adds an element that increases heart rate and keeps the training dynamic." 

Pushup Progression

If you've mastered the standard pushup, narrow pushups are the next step in gaining strength with just your bodyweight. 

"By bringing the hands closer together, typically just beneath the chest or in line with your shoulders, you shift the focus toward the triceps, anterior deltoids, and inner chest fibers," Veal says. "The narrow position reduces stability as you don't have as wide a base. This makes your muscles work harder to control the movement, especially during the push phase."

Alternating Toe Taps for Improved Core Strength

Unlike crunches, which mainly target the upper core, toe taps work the lower abs and activate your obliques and hip flexors. Adding these to the sequence introduces a dynamic anti-rotation challenge to the core.

"As you shift into the toe tap from the pushup position, your body wants to rotate or your hips tend to dip down towards the floor," Veal says. "The key to engaging your core properly is by tightening it so that your body twists and dips just enough to get the movement done rather than not actually activating the muscles you are trying to work, which can be easily done with improper form." 

Related: Are Half Reps the Muscle Hack Lifters Have Overlooked? Here’s What the Research Says

Narrow Pushups to Alternating Toe Taps Muscles Worked

"The general movement of narrow pushups works the triceps, pecs, and deltoids," Veal says. "Then, as you move into the toe tap, your lats, serratus anterior (a fan-shaped muscle positioned on the side of the chest, used for pushing or throwing a punch), and all core muscles are worked to control the movement. Simultaneously, the hamstrings and glutes activate to stabilize the hips and help you reach back without dipping your hips/lower back."