An archer push-up sets your hands very wide and lowers you toward one of them, while the other arm stays almost straight and mainly helps you balance. That puts most of your bodyweight on one arm, which makes it the usual step between a normal push-up and a one-arm push-up — and a way to keep push-ups hard without adding weight.
How to do it
- Hands about twice shoulder width, body in one line from head to heels.
- Lower your chest toward one hand, bending only that elbow while the other arm stays straight.
- Press back to the middle, then take the next rep to the other side.
Common mistakes
- Twisting the hips toward the working side to cheat the rep up.
- Bending the straight arm more as you tire, which quietly turns it back into a normal push-up.
What it trains
- Chest
- presses you back up on the working side, carrying far more of your bodyweight than in a normal push-up
- Triceps
- straighten the bent elbow, and on the working arm are often the first thing to give out
- Front delts
- assist on the working side and hold the shoulder steady at the bottom
- Core
- stops the hips rotating toward the working side as the load shifts across
Variations and alternatives
Common questions
Do I log both sides?
No, log the reps of one side. If you alternate and do five to each side, the set is five, not ten. That keeps the number honest, and it means StackUp raises your target reps based on what each arm actually managed.
How wide should my hands be for archer push-ups?
Roughly twice shoulder width — wide enough that the helping arm can stay straight when your chest reaches the working hand. Turn the fingers of the straight arm outward to spare the wrist. Some people rest that hand on a medicine ball; it is an option, not a requirement.
How many push-ups do I need before trying archer push-ups?
Around 20 clean push-ups is a fair starting point. Below that, the working arm cannot yet carry the extra load and each rep turns into a lopsided half push-up. If the full version is still too hard, let the helping arm bend a little so it takes more of the work, and straighten it over the weeks.
Do archer push-ups lead to a one-arm push-up?
Yes, that is what most people use them for. The less the straight arm helps, the closer each rep gets to a one-arm push-up, and a one-arm push-up with your hand on a bench is the next step from there. Expect it to take months rather than weeks.
In StackUp. Logged as reps per set. Add weight if you use a belt or a dumbbell and StackUp progresses it like any other lift. Get the app.
Chest
