Single Arm Push-up

How to do the Single Arm Push-up

1. 1Start in a standard push-up position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width, then move one hand to the center of your chest and lift it off the floor, placing it behind your back or on your lower back.
2. 2Widen your feet to at least hip-width apart — the broader your base, the more stable you will be — and brace your core as if bracing for a punch.
3. 3Rotate your planted hand slightly outward (toward 10 o'clock for the left arm, 2 o'clock for the right) so your elbow tracks back and across your body during the descent.
4. 4Squeeze your glutes and quads to lock your hips level with your torso; your body should form a straight line from head to heel.
5. 5Lower your chest toward the floor under control, keeping your elbow close to your side and allowing your hips to rotate very slightly toward the working arm.
6. 6Descend until your chest nearly touches the floor or your range of motion allows, pausing briefly to eliminate momentum.
7. 7Press explosively through your palm, driving your chest up until your arm is fully extended and your body returns to the starting straight-line position.
8. 8Complete all reps on one side, then switch arms and repeat.

Form tips

• Spread your feet wider than you think necessary — a wide base dramatically reduces the rotational demand on your core and makes the movement more achievable.
• Think about screwing your planted hand into the floor (external rotation) to engage your lats and keep your shoulder in a strong, packed position throughout the rep.
• Keep your hips square to the floor as much as possible; a small amount of rotation toward the working arm is natural, but excessive twisting shifts effort away from the chest.
• Build up by first mastering archer push-ups and elevated single arm push-ups before attempting the full floor version.

Common mistakes

• Letting the hips sag or pike — a broken body line removes core engagement, turns the move into a partial rep, and places excess stress on the lower back.
• Flaring the elbow straight out to 90°, which imposes dangerous shear on the shoulder joint and reduces pectoral activation.
• Using momentum or bouncing out of the bottom position, which bypasses the hardest part of the lift and reduces time under tension for the pectoralis major sternal head and triceps brachii.
• Placing the feet too close together, which forces extreme hip rotation to maintain balance and makes controlled reps almost impossible.
• Allowing the shoulder to shrug up toward the ear at the bottom, which compresses the joint — keep the shoulder actively packed down throughout the descent.

Frequently asked questions