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Single Arm Push-Up
A one-arm push-up that loads nearly all of the bodyweight through a single pressing arm, building maximal unilateral chest, triceps, and trunk strength.
ChestBodyweightHorizontal press
GoLightWeight mediasingle-arm-push-up
Demonstration coming soon
Primary
Pectoralis majorTriceps
Secondary
Anterior deltoidsObliquesCoreSerratus anterior
Equipment
Bodyweight
Pattern
Horizontal press
Setup
- 01Place the working hand under the chest, slightly inside the shoulder line.
- 02Spread the feet well wider than shoulder width for a stable tripod.
- 03Tuck the free hand behind the back or along the thigh.
- 04Brace the whole body as one rigid unit before descending.
Execution
- 01Bend the working elbow and lower the chest toward the floor.
- 02Keep the elbow tracking back along the ribs, not flared out.
- 03Touch the chest lightly near the floor without twisting open.
- 04Drive through the palm and press back to full lockout.
Checkpoints
- -Shoulders and hips stay as square to the floor as possible.
- -The elbow stays close to the torso through the press.
- -The trunk resists rotating toward the free-arm side.
- -Depth is consistent rep to rep.
Common mistakes
- -Twisting the torso open to shorten the lever.
- -Bouncing out of the bottom with a hip kick.
- -Placing the hand too far from the body's midline.
- -Attempting it before archer push-ups are strong and clean.
Programming notes
- -Train 3 to 5 sets of 1 to 5 reps per side as a strength skill.
- -Progress via archer push-ups and hand-elevated single-arm reps first.
- -Keep total quality reps low; grinding ugly reps reinforces the twist.
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