Wide Hand Push up
Perform wide hand push-ups to intensely target your chest muscles. This bodyweight exercise strengthens your pectorals, deltoids, and triceps effectively.
Description
A variation of the standard push-up, where the hands are placed wider than shoulder width apart. This targets the chest muscles more.
How to Do Wide Hand Push up
- 1Setup
Start in a plank position with your hands placed wider than shoulder-width apart, fingers pointing forward. Ensure your body forms a straight line from head to heels, engaging your core and glutes.
- 2Setup
Keep your elbows slightly bent, not locked, and your gaze directed slightly ahead of your hands to maintain a neutral neck alignment.
- 3
Inhale as you slowly lower your chest towards the floor by bending your elbows out to the sides, maintaining a straight body line. Descend until your chest is just above the ground or your shoulders are below your elbows.
- 4
Exhale powerfully as you push through your palms to extend your elbows and return to the starting plank position, squeezing your chest at the top. Avoid letting your hips sag or rise throughout the movement.
Tips
- Focus on leading with your chest: Imagine pulling the floor towards you as you descend and pushing it away as you rise, emphasizing pectoral engagement.
- Control the eccentric phase: Lowering slowly for 2-3 seconds increases time under tension, enhancing muscle growth and control.
- Maintain elbow angle: Keep your elbows pointing slightly back and out, rather than flaring directly to the sides, to protect your shoulder joints.
- Adjust hand width for comfort: While wide is the goal, find a width that allows a deep chest stretch without shoulder discomfort, gradually increasing it over time.
Common Mistakes
- ×Flaring elbows excessively: Prevent shoulder strain by keeping your elbows at approximately a 45-60 degree angle relative to your torso, rather than straight out to the sides.
- ×Sagging hips or arching back: Maintain a rigid plank position throughout the entire movement by actively engaging your core and glutes to keep your body in a straight line.
- ×Partial range of motion: Ensure you lower your chest close to the floor and fully extend your arms at the top to maximize chest activation and achieve full muscle contraction.
Variations
Decline Push Up
Elevate your feet to intensify your push-up, targeting the upper chest and shoulders more effectively.
Push Up
Master the classic push-up to build chest, shoulder, and triceps strength. This fundamental bodyweight exercise improves upper body endurance and core
Plyo Push Up
An explosive push-up variation building upper body power. Explode up from the floor, briefly lifting hands, then absorb impact.
Deep Push Up
Enhance chest, triceps, and shoulder strength with Deep Push Ups. This advanced variation increases range of motion, targeting the sternal head of the
Related Exercises
Kneeling Push-up
Build foundational chest, shoulder, and triceps strength with the kneeling push-up. Develop proper form and control for a stronger upper body.
Single Arm Push-up Supported Wall
Master the single arm push-up with wall support. This advanced bodyweight exercise builds incredible chest, shoulder, and triceps strength while engaging
Finger Push-up
Strengthen your fingers, hands, chest, and triceps with the challenging Finger Push-up.
Elevanted Push-Up
Elevated Push-Ups target your upper chest and shoulders more intensely than standard push-ups.
Assisted Standing Triceps Dip
Build triceps strength with machine assistance that lets you focus on proper dip form at a manageable load.
Dumbbell Complex Push-up Row Clean and Press
The ultimate full-body dumbbell complex combining a push-up, row, clean, and overhead press in one flow.
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