Wide Hand Push Up
The point of Wide Hand Push Up is chest thickness through a full range; pure bodyweight leverage is how it gets there.
How to do Wide Hand Push Up
- Start in a high plank position with your hands wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Keep your body in a straight line from head to toe.
- Lower your chest towards the ground by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your sides.
- Push through your palms to extend your arms and return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Wide Hand Push Up Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
3 sets of 6-8 hard reps with 2 minutes of rest. Hold the end position for a beat once reps come easily.
Hypertrophy
3 sets of 10-15 reps with 60-90 seconds of rest. Add reps first, then slow the lowering phase.
Endurance
2-3 sets of 20-25 reps with 45 seconds of rest. Change leverage or elevation before you add load.
Common Wide Hand Push Up Mistakes
Adding reps forever instead of making the movement harder
Change leverage, elevation, or tempo once you clear your rep range.
Flaring the elbows straight out to the sides
Keep the upper arms nearer 45 degrees from the torso.
Skipping warm-up sets and starting at working weight
Run two light build-up sets so the first hard set is not the first rep.
Easier and Harder Than Wide Hand Push Up
Swap Wide Hand Push Up For
Wide Hand Push Up — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Wide Hand Push Up?
Start in a high plank position with your hands wider than shoulder-width apart. Keep your body in a straight line from head to toe. Lower your chest towards the ground by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your sides. Use your bodyweight only and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.
What muscles does the Wide Hand Push Up work?
The Wide Hand Push Up primarily targets the pectorals. It is classified as a chest exercise and is performed with your bodyweight only.
How many sets and reps of the Wide Hand Push Up should I do?
For muscle growth: 3 sets of 10-15 reps with 60-90 seconds of rest. Add reps first, then slow the lowering phase. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.
Is the Wide Hand Push Up good for beginners?
Yes. The Wide Hand Push Up is a beginner-level movement, so it is a reasonable place to start. Keep the load light enough that you can control every rep and stop 2-3 reps short of failure while you learn the pattern.
What can I do instead of the Wide Hand Push Up?
Try the Cable Incline Fly (on Stability Ball), Lever Chest Press or the Dumbbell Bench Press. Each trains the pectorals with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.
