Wide Hand Push up
Wide Hand Push up demonstration
Watch the demo so setup and tempo are clear before you follow the step-by-step cues.
Performing the: A Step-by-Step Tutorial Wide Hand Push up
Work through the cues in order so setup, bracing, and reps stay consistent before you add load.
- Keep your body straight and rigid, from your head to your heels, engaging your core.
- Lower your body towards the ground, bending your elbows out to the sides until your chest nearly touches the floor.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom of the movement, ensuring your elbows are at a 90-degree angle.
- Push your body back up to the starting position, extending your arms fully but without locking your elbows. Repeat the process for the desired number of repetitions.
Tips for Performing Wide Hand Push up
Form reminders that keep range of motion and control in check once the basic pattern feels stable.
- Maintain Proper Body Alignment: Your body should form a straight line from your head to your heels. This requires engaging your core and glutes to prevent your hips from sagging or lifting too high. A common mistake is to let the lower back drop or the buttocks lift up, both of which can lead to injury.
- Controlled Movement: When lowering your body, do so in a slow and controlled manner until your chest almost touches the floor. Then, push your body back up to the starting position. Avoid rushing the movement or using momentum to push up, which can reduce the effectiveness of
Can beginners do the Wide Hand Push up?
A short framing note on whether this pattern suits newer lifters before you load it heavily.
Yes, beginners can do the Wide Hand Push-up exercise, but it may be challenging at first as it requires more strength than the standard push-up. This exercise targets the chest and shoulder muscles more intensely. If it's too difficult at first, beginners can modify the exercise by doing the push-ups on their knees or against a wall until they build up enough strength to do a full wide hand push-up. It's always important to maintain proper form to avoid injury.
What are common variations of the Wide Hand Push up?
Compare these progressions when the main pattern is solid or you need a different stimulus with similar equipment.
- Incline Push-Up: For this variation, you place your hands on an elevated surface like a bench or step, which targets your lower chest and shoulders.
- Decline Push-Up: This involves placing your feet on an elevated surface, increasing the difficulty and targeting the upper chest and shoulders.
- Archer Push-Up: In this variation, you extend one arm out to the side, resembling an archer pulling a bow, which increases the intensity on the other arm.
- One Arm Push-Up: This is a challenging variation where you perform the push up with only one arm, significantly increasing the strength and balance required.



