Beginner

Wide Push-Up

Setting the hands wider than a standard push-up increases the horizontal adduction demand and takes some work away from the triceps, so the chest does relatively more of the job. It is a simple way to bias the pecs with nothing but the floor. Keep the rest of the plank strict so the shoulders stay safe.

Equipment
Body Weight
Body part
Chest
Type
Strength
Browse by movement
Horizontal Press
Muscles worked
Target
Pectoralis Major Sternocostal
Secondary
Pectoralis Major Clavicular, Deltoid Anterior, Triceps Brachii Lateral Head, Triceps Brachii Long Head, Triceps Brachii Medial Head
Tertiary
Upper Rectus Abdominals, Abdominal External Oblique

How to do it

  1. 1

    Set your hands noticeably wider than shoulder width with fingers pointing forward.

  2. 2

    Form a straight line from head to heels and brace your core and glutes.

  3. 3

    Lower your chest toward the floor, allowing your elbows to travel out to the sides.

  4. 4

    Descend until your chest is just above the ground, then press back to full extension.

  5. 5

    Keep your hips level and your neck neutral throughout.

Tips

  • Do not go so wide that your shoulders feel pinched at the bottom; find a comfortable stretch.
  • Keep the core tight so the movement stays a press, not a sagging plank.
  • Slow the lowering phase to increase chest tension without adding load.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • Hands go far past one and a half shoulder widths, which stops adding chest work and starts shortening the rep, because the chest now meets the floor after only a few inches of travel.
  • Fingers get turned outward to spare the wrists, and the elbows then collapse behind the hands at the bottom; keep the fingers pointing forward and use handles if the wrists object.
  • Shoulder blades stay pinned back at the top, so the pecs never finish the squeeze that the wide hand position exists to produce.
  • Hands are wide but the feet stay pressed together, leaving a long narrow base that lets the hips rock from side to side on every rep.
  • Because the travel is short, reps turn bouncy, and the chest never spends any time in the stretched position where a wide grip earns its keep.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the wide push-up should a beginner do?
Three sets of 8 to 12, with the hands about one and a half times shoulder width, is a reasonable place to start. Rest a minute or so between sets. Because the range is shorter than a standard push-up, reps come easily, so add difficulty with tempo rather than volume: once 12 feel smooth, take three seconds to lower and hold a beat at the bottom. If the front of your shoulder pinches, bring the hands in an inch and try again before adding anything.
How do you make the wide push-up easier or harder?
Easier: keep the same wide hand spacing but put them on a bench or a low box, which cuts the load without narrowing the grip. Knees down works too, though the hips tend to drop. Harder: elevate the feet, slow the lowering to three seconds, or pause with the chest an inch off the floor to sit in the stretch. Loading this one with a plate is not the best route, since the wide arm position is already the least comfortable place to add weight.
Do wide push-ups really work the chest more than regular ones?
They shift work away from the triceps by increasing the horizontal adduction demand, so the chest does relatively more, which makes this a simple way to bias the pecs with no equipment and a useful partner to a close-grip variation. What you gain in emphasis you pay for in range, since with the hands wide the chest reaches the floor sooner. Anyone whose shoulders pinch at the bottom should leave it out, and nobody should use it as their only pressing movement, because the shortened range and reduced triceps work leave gaps a standard or deficit push-up fills.

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