Diamond pushups, also known as close-grip pushups, require you to keep your elbows tucked under you as you push your body weight up and down. This type of pushup focuses more on exercising your triceps than it does on your chest muscles, or pectorals. Therefore, replace it with mostly tricep exercises, and supplement with some pectoral exercises.
Tricep Dips
Use your body weight as resistance for a simple squatting exercise that forces you to use your triceps. For this exercise, place a sturdy object, such as a chair or weight bench, behind you. With your back to the surface, place your hands on it so your fingers are curling over the edge toward you. Straighten your legs in front of you so only your heels are on the floor and your weight is resting on your arms. Slowly bend your elbows to lower your body, then straighten your arms again to work the triceps.
Tricep Extensions
Work your triceps by extending your arms over your head while holding a weight and letting gravity help provide resistance. Hold a weight in both hands and slowly bend your elbows to bring the weight behind your head. Straighten your arms to bring it up again and repeat for as many reps as you would have done for diamond pushups. If you prefer, you can use a resistance band instead of a weight. Just secure one end of the band under your feet and pull up on the other end to work your triceps.
Tricep Pullover
Work your triceps with a pullover motion, maintaining bent arms and using your triceps to pull weight from behind you to in front of you. Use a weight machine designed to control this motion or make use of free weights or a bar to do tricep pullovers. If using free weights or a bar, start on your back on a weight bench with the weights or bar in your hands. Bend your elbows at a 90-degree angle. For each repetition, keep your elbows bent and bring the weights behind you until your upper arms are aligned with your body, then bring them back above you until your upper arms are almost at your sides.
Bench Press
A simple bench press will exercise your pectoral muscles that you would have used to help complete the diamond pushups. To do a chest press, lie back on a weight bench and hold a bar above you with weights on it if you need additional resistance. With a spotter for safety, pull the bar off its stand, and then in a controlled movement, allow it to rest just above your chest, and then use your pectorals to push it up again. If you hold the bar with your hands closer together, it will better mimic the movement of a diamond pushup.
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