One-Arm Push-Up
The one-arm push-up is a push-up performed on a single hand, with your feet spread wide for balance. It works the chest, triceps and front shoulder of the working arm while your trunk resists twisting, and it is an advanced calisthenics strength skill.
Also called: One Arm Pushups, One-Arm Pushup, Single Arm Push-Up, One-Handed Push-Up · Equipment: bodyweight · Pattern: push
Step by step
- Set up in a push-up position with your feet spread well wider than your shoulders. The wider the stance, the easier the balance.
- Place the working hand on the floor under your shoulder or slightly inside it, fingers spread. Rest your free hand behind your back or on your thigh.
- Squeeze your glutes and brace your abs and obliques so your body forms one straight line from shoulder to heels, with your hips and shoulders level.
- Set the working shoulder blade down and slightly forward around your ribs, not shrugged towards your ear.
- Bend the elbow to bring your chest down under control towards the floor, keeping the elbow angled back along your side and your hips level.
- Press the floor away back to a straight arm without letting your torso twist towards the free side. Breathe out as you press.
- Complete the reps on one side, then switch hands.
- Feet wide, body square
- Hips and shoulders level
- Shoulder set, not shrugged
- Brace against the twist
- Push the floor away
In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.
What it trains
| Muscle | Role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Pectoralis major: sternocostal (mid) | Prime mover | B |
| Triceps brachii: lateral head | Prime mover | C |
| Triceps brachii: medial head | Secondary | C |
| Anterior deltoid: anterior | Secondary | C |
| Serratus anterior | Secondary | C |
| Pectoralis major: clavicular (upper) | Secondary | C |
| Rectus abdominis | Stabiliser | C |
| Quadratus lumborum | Stabiliser | C |
| Gluteus maximus | Stabiliser | C |
| Forearm flexors | Stabiliser | C |
| Obliques (internal/external) | Dynamic stabiliser | C |
Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.
What goes wrong, and the fix
Hips rotating towards the free side
Fix: Widen your stance and brace your obliques and glutes to keep your hips level.
Shoulder shrugging or the blade lifting
Fix: Set the shoulder blade down and around your ribs before each rep.
Cutting the depth short
Fix: Raise your hand on a bench or box so you can reach full depth.
Supporting wrist bent back
Fix: Use a fist or a push-up handle to keep the wrist straight.
Dropping fast into the bottom
Fix: Bring your chest down under control and press from a solid bottom position.
What the research says
StrengthMuscle growthSport performanceEndurance
- Push-up research — Studies find push-ups matched to the bench press for load or muscle activity produce similar strength and muscle gains. The one-arm version concentrates that load on a single arm.
- Sets and reps — A common approach is 3–5 sets of 3–6 reps per side. There is no direct research comparing set and rep schemes for the one-arm push-up.
- Progression — Difficulty is usually set by stance width and hand height: a raised hand or a wider stance makes it easier, a narrower stance harder. Archer and incline one-arm push-ups are common lead-ins.
- Range — A meta-analysis found full range of motion produced greater strength gains than partial range, which is why incline versions are often used to keep full depth while building up.
- Placement — Research on exercise order finds the exercise done first in a session tends to show the larger strength gain, so skill-strength work like this is commonly placed early.
Log the one-arm push-up in VALDA, with these cues one tap away while you train and your history for it in one place.
General information about exercise technique, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, your healthcare provider is the right person to ask.