The one-arm push-up is an advanced exercise that tests your upper body strength, stability, and balance. It engages your chest, triceps, shoulders, and core, requiring significant power to execute properly. Mastering this move not only builds impressive strength but also enhances body control.
In this guide, we’ll break down the steps to perform a one-arm push-up, highlight the benefits, and provide tips to avoid common mistakes.
Table of Contents
What Are One-Arm Push-Ups?
One-arm push-ups are a progression of the standard push-up where you lift and lower your body using only one arm. This places significantly more stress on your muscles, making it a great exercise for strength and muscle building. Besides improving upper body strength, it challenges your core and stabilizers to maintain balance during the movement.
How to Do One-Arm Push-Ups: Step-by-Step
1. Begin in a Regular Push-Up Position
- Start in a traditional push-up position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your body in a straight line from head to heels.
- Position your feet wider apart than usual to increase stability.
2. Position One Arm Behind Your Back
- Take one hand and place it behind your back.
- Ensure your supporting hand is directly under your shoulder, and the elbow is tucked slightly toward your body.
3. Lower Your Body
- Keep your core engaged and slowly lower your body toward the ground while keeping your supporting elbow close to your side.
- Aim to lower your chest until it is about an inch off the ground.
- Your body should remain straight, with no twisting of the hips or torso.
4. Push Back Up
- Once you’ve reached the bottom of the movement, push through the palm of your supporting hand to raise your body back up.
- Maintain balance and control throughout the movement, making sure your hips don’t twist or sag.
Benefits of One-Arm Push-Ups
1. Upper Body Strength
One-arm push-ups target the chest, shoulders, triceps, and even the back more intensely than regular push-ups due to the added resistance and balance challenge.
2. Core Stability
Maintaining balance on one hand requires significant core engagement, strengthening your abs, obliques, and lower back.
3. Enhanced Balance and Coordination
Performing this exercise helps improve body control, coordination, and balance, as your body works to stabilize during the movement.
4. Functional Strength
One-arm push-ups build functional strength by replicating real-world movements where unilateral strength and balance are essential.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Although one-arm push-ups are effective, they can be tricky to master. Here are some common mistakes to avoid:
1. Twisting the Hips
Ensure your hips stay square to the ground throughout the movement. Twisting shifts focus away from your core and reduces the effectiveness of the exercise.
2. Not Keeping the Elbow Tucked
Allowing your elbow to flare out places unnecessary stress on the shoulder. Keep the elbow close to your body for better form and shoulder health.
3. Sagging the Hips
If your hips sag, you’re not engaging your core enough. Focus on maintaining a tight core to keep your body in a straight line.
4. Incomplete Range of Motion
Make sure to lower your body fully until your chest is close to the floor. Partial reps limit the strength and muscle gains from this exercise.
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Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
How to Modify One-Arm Push-Ups
If you’re not quite ready to perform a full one-arm push-up, try these modifications to build up your strength:
1. Elevated One-Arm Push-Ups
Start by placing your hand on an elevated surface (like a bench or step). The higher the surface, the easier the push-up will be. Gradually lower the height as you get stronger.
2. One-Arm Push-Up Negatives
Perform the lowering phase of the push-up slowly, and use both hands to push back up. This helps build strength in the muscles used during the descent.
3. Assisted One-Arm Push-Ups
Place your non-working hand on a basketball or low object for slight assistance while performing the push-up. As you progress, reduce the amount of assistance.
How to Incorporate One-Arm Push-Ups Into Your Workout
Here’s how you can include one-arm push-ups in your routine:
- Upper Body Workouts: Perform 2-3 sets of one-arm push-ups at the beginning of your workout when your muscles are fresh.
- Strength Progressions: Use one-arm push-ups as a progression if you’ve mastered regular push-ups and are looking for a challenge.
Conclusion
One-arm push-ups are a powerful test of upper body strength, core stability, and body control. While challenging, they offer incredible benefits for anyone looking to take their push-up game to the next level. Whether you’re training for strength, balance, or simply to master an impressive movement, one-arm push-ups can be a valuable addition to your routine.
Start slow, work on your form, and with practice, you’ll be able to nail this advanced move!
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Anton has been training calisthenics for many years and has experience coaching calisthenics. As a calisthenics nerd, I enjoy diving deep into various topics related to calisthenics.