How many reps of the single-arm plyo push-up should you do per arm when you are new to the exercise?

Keep it to 2 to 3 sets of 2 to 3 reps per arm, resting fully between individual reps rather than sets, since each one is meant to be a maximal effort. Progress reps only once both hips stay level on every rep.

How do you make the single-arm plyo push-up easier or harder?

To make it easier, go back to a standard two-arm plyo push-up or a strict single-arm push-up without the explosive component. To make it harder, add a small clap with the working hand or elevate the feet.

What is the single-arm plyo push-up good for and when should you skip it?

It blends unilateral pressing power with a serious anti-rotation demand, reserved for athletes who already own a strict one-arm push-up. It is a poor choice without that strength base in place, and a poor choice with any wrist or shoulder issue, since one side absorbs the entire landing.

Advanced

Single-Arm Plyo Push-Up

This blends unilateral pressing strength with plyometric intent, forcing one pec and triceps to accelerate the whole body while the trunk fights rotation. It is a serious power and anti-rotation challenge best saved for athletes who already own a strict one-arm push-up. Treat every rep as a maximal effort and rest fully between sets.

Equipment: Body Weight
Body part: Chest, Triceps
Type: Plyometric, Strength
Browse by muscle: Pectoralis Major Sternocostal, Triceps Brachii Long Head, Triceps Brachii Lateral Head, Triceps Brachii Medial Head
Browse by movement: Anti-Rotation, Horizontal Press

How to do it

1
Set up in a push-up with feet wide for a stable base and one hand under your chest.
2
Place the free hand behind your back or out to the side for counterbalance.
3
Lower under control on the working arm, keeping hips square to the floor.
4
Drive up violently so the working hand pops off the ground.
5
Reland softly on the same hand with a bent elbow to absorb the force.
6
Complete the reps, then switch arms.

Tips

Widen your feet to cut down the rotational torque before you chase height.
Fight to keep both hips level; a dropping hip means the load is too high.
Push through the whole palm, not just the heel of the hand, to protect the wrist.

Variations

Common mistakes

One hip drops toward the floor at the bottom of the rep since the trunk cannot resist the rotation, meaning the load is too heavy for this yet.
Feet stay narrow like a two-arm push-up instead of widening for a stable base, giving the trunk nothing to brace rotation against.
Weight rides on the heel of the hand instead of spreading across the whole palm, which is exactly where wrist strain shows up first.
Attempting this before a strict one-arm push-up is solid skips the exact strength base the whole exercise assumes.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the single-arm plyo push-up should you do per arm when you are new to the exercise?: Keep it to 2 to 3 sets of 2 to 3 reps per arm, resting fully between individual reps rather than sets, since each one is meant to be a maximal effort. Progress reps only once both hips stay level on every rep.
How do you make the single-arm plyo push-up easier or harder?: To make it easier, go back to a standard two-arm plyo push-up or a strict single-arm push-up without the explosive component. To make it harder, add a small clap with the working hand or elevate the feet.
What is the single-arm plyo push-up good for and when should you skip it?: It blends unilateral pressing power with a serious anti-rotation demand, reserved for athletes who already own a strict one-arm push-up. It is a poor choice without that strength base in place, and a poor choice with any wrist or shoulder issue, since one side absorbs the entire landing.

Related exercises

Other movements among FitRay's 2,000+ exercises that load the same target muscle — same equipment and level first.

All Chest exercises