Chest
Wide Push Ups
A push up with your hands set wider than your shoulders. It puts more of the work on your chest and a little less on your triceps.
- Works
- Chest, front shoulders, triceps, core
- Equipment
- No equipment
- Load
- Bodyweight
How to do it
- 1Start in a high plank with your hands a little wider than your shoulders, fingers pointing forward, body in a straight line from head to heels.
- 2Brace your abs and squeeze your glutes.
- 3Bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the floor, elbows angled back a little, not straight out to the sides.
- 4Push the floor away to straighten your arms and come back to the plank.
Cues
- Hands just wider than your shoulders, not way out.
- Chest and hips move together.
- Elbows over your wrists at the bottom.
Common mistakes
- Hands too wide. Way out wide shortens your range and loads your shoulders. Bring them in to just outside shoulder width.
- Hips sagging. Squeeze your glutes and brace your abs. Drop to your knees if you can't hold the line.
- Half reps. Lower until your chest is close to the floor, then press all the way up.
Easier
Tiff's version is from her knees. Keep a straight line from your head to your knees.
Harder
Take 3 seconds on the way down, or pause for 1 second at the bottom.
Try it: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps, or 30 seconds on and 30 off.
Do wide push ups work your chest more?
A wider hand position puts a bit more of the work on your chest and a bit less on your triceps than a regular push up. Go only a little wider than your shoulders: too wide is hard on your shoulders and cuts your range short.
