Smart Workout Diary

Push-Up Wide Hand

The wide-hand push-up is a bodyweight pressing exercise performed with the hands placed wider than shoulder width. It primarily trains the chest, with the shoulders, triceps, and core supporting the movement. It can help build upper-body pushing strength, muscular endurance, and body-control awareness.

Demonstration

Push-Up Wide Hand — demonstration 1
Push-Up Wide Hand — demonstration 2

Instructions

  1. Set up: Start in a high plank with your hands on the floor wider than shoulder width, fingers pointing generally forward, and feet together or hip-width apart.
  2. Align your body: Brace your abdomen and glutes so your head, shoulders, hips, and heels form one long line. Keep your neck neutral and look slightly ahead of your hands.
  3. Lower with control: Inhale as you bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the floor. Let the elbows travel diagonally outward while keeping the shoulders controlled.
  4. Use a comfortable depth: Lower until your chest is close to the floor or until you reach a depth you can control without the shoulders rolling forward or the hips sagging.
  5. Press up: Exhale and press the floor away to return to the high plank, extending the elbows without forcefully locking them. Keep the trunk rigid throughout.
  6. Repeat safely: Perform smooth repetitions. Stop the set if you cannot maintain a straight body line or if the movement causes sharp pain.
Muscle Group
Chest
Other Muscle Groups
Triceps, Front Delts
Type
Calisthenics
Mechanics
Compound
Equipment
Body Only
Difficulty
Beginner

Technique tips

  1. Keep the hands only moderately wide: An excessively wide position may make shoulder control harder; choose a width that feels stable and pain-free.
  2. Maintain a rigid plank: Avoid dropping the hips, lifting them high, or leading the movement with the head.
  3. Control the shoulder position: Keep your shoulders from shrugging toward the ears or collapsing forward at the bottom.
  4. Adjust the difficulty: Use an elevated surface if full floor repetitions cannot be completed with a stable body line.
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