Wide Push-Up
A push-up with the hands wider than the shoulders, which puts more load on the chest.
This page is a working draft. A coach has not reviewed it, so read it as a starting point, not as checked instruction.
- Pattern
- Horizontal push
- Modality
- Calisthenics
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Mechanic
- Unknown
- Force
- Unknown
- Laterality
- Bilateral
- Impact
- Low
- Trains where
- Gym, Home
- At home
- Yes
How to do it
Set up
- Place the hands on the floor about one and a half times shoulder width.
- Step the feet back until the body is in one line from head to heels.
Do the rep
- Lower until the chest is a fist's height above the floor.
- Press back up to straight arms.
What counts as a rep
A rep counts when the chest reaches a fist's height above the floor and the arms return to straight, with the body in one line.
One rep lowers the chest to a fist's height above the floor with a wide hand position and ends at straight arms with the body in one line.
Breathing
Inhale as you lower; exhale as you press up.
Cues
- Keep the forearms close to vertical at the bottom.
- Keep the hips in line.
- Add a pause at the bottom when the reps get easy.
Common mistakes
Hands too wide
What you seeThe shoulders feel strained and the range gets short.
FixMove the hands in until the forearms are close to vertical at the bottom.
A hand position that is too wide strains the shoulders.
Sagging hips
What you seeThe hips drop below the line of the body.
FixSqueeze the glutes and brace the trunk.
A straight body keeps the load on the chest and arms.
Stop the set if
- Stop if you feel sharp pain.
- Stop if a shoulder feels pinched at the bottom.
- End the set when you cannot meet the stated range under control.
General educational content, not individual coaching or medical advice.
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