How To Do One Handed Pushups With The Simplest Trick Ever

Many people have seen Rocky do them, and most have heard about – if not seen – Bruce Lee and his infamous 2 finger variation, and you too will soon wow people when you discover the simplest trick of all for performing one handed push ups.

When most people try one handed pushups and see how difficult they are, they usually just give in. Even people who train with weights and have pretty good strength will find one handed pushups difficult or impossible at first.

How then, do you progress from not being able to do one handed pushups at all, to being able to do them even if you can’t move yourself up at all?

The answer: practice them with your hands at a higher elevation than your feet, and gradually move onto lower objects until you can do them from the ground.

Doing so allows you to gradually build that hidden strength – balance – while you gradually build the required strength in your arms.

For instance, you could start by pushing up against a chest of drawers or table (provided it’s sturdy enough and pushed against a wall so it won’t move) and then when this becomes easier, move onto something lower like a chair pushed against a wall, then when you’ve mastered that, try to do them from the floor.

That’s how to do one handed pushups.

A few other pointers worth baring in mind…

• It’s an acquired skill – it’s important you realize this. It requires balance and special strengths which you can really only get by practicing them. Some people like to tell others all that’s required is more triceps and deltoid strength, but as I’ve said, even people whom have trained for years and have pretty good strength levels often find them impossible to do to begin with – so that’s clearly not the answer.
• Try to imagine you’re pushing open a door with one hand, the other hand behind your back. That is, you shift your bodyweight into the arm which is pushing. Simply imagine the floor is a door and your body should adjust naturally to this image.
• Keep your feet as wide as is required to gain balance. This might be exceptionally wide to begin with, and you can go narrower with time. The important thing is, getting the push up part done with one hand.

Why would anyone want to do a one handed pushup?

Aside from impressing people – which is always nice, admit it! – one handed pushups are an exceptionally good way to build triceps and deltoid strength and core strength. Don’t be surprised if your bench press and other pushing or pressing exercises go right up once you learn how to do one handed pushups.

You may feel you’ve conquered a mountain, but, it doesn’t stop there. Oh no. On another level entirely are Planche pushups and Superman pushups.

…for us fitness trainees, the hustle never ends!