Exercise
ARCHER PUSH-UP
Form cues
About
The archer push-up is a unilateral bodyweight pressing exercise that mimics drawing a bow — one arm bends through the full push-up range while the other extends straight to the side as a support arm. It dramatically increases the loading on the working side compared to a standard push-up, making it one of the most effective progressions toward the one-arm push-up. It requires solid wrist mobility, shoulder stability, and the ability to perform at least 15–20 clean standard push-ups before attempting.
Instructions
Step-by-step technique
Set up a wide push-up base
Place your hands wider than in a standard push-up — roughly 1.5× shoulder width. Fingers point slightly outward on both hands. Get into a high plank with the body in a straight line from crown to heels.
Wide base, straight plank lineShift your weight to one side
Without moving your hands, shift your bodyweight laterally until 70–80% of the load is on one arm — the "working" arm. The opposite arm straightens as the body shifts. Both palms stay fully flat on the floor.
Shift weight, both palms stay flatLower to the working arm
Bend the working arm — elbow tracks over the wrist, pointing slightly toward the hip rather than flaring out. Lower until the chest nearly reaches the floor on the working side. The straight arm stays extended and the hand continues pressing down.
Elbow over wrist, lower to near floorPress back up
Drive through the working arm's palm and extend the elbow to return to the starting shifted position. Keep the core braced and hips level throughout the press. Do not use the straight arm to push — it is a balance anchor, not a driver.
Press from the working arm onlyComplete reps, then switch sides
Finish all reps on one side before switching. Rest 60–90 seconds between sides. Match rep counts on both sides even if one is significantly easier — asymmetry will self-correct with consistent bilateral training.
Full set one side, then switchCommon mistakes
What goes wrong — and why
Hips rotating or dipping
When the core is not braced properly, the hip on the loaded side drops toward the floor and the hips rotate, turning the exercise into a lopsided standard push-up rather than a true unilateral drill.
Brace your core as hard as you would for a plank before every rep. Imagine a glass of water balanced on your lower back — it must stay level throughout.
Bent extended arm
Allowing the "straight" arm to bend turns the exercise into a wide push-up. The purpose of the straight arm is to act as a counterbalance that forces the working arm to take the full load.
Actively push the floor away with the straight arm. Think of it as a rigid strut — if it bends, pause, reset the straight-arm position, and resume.
Insufficient range of motion
Stopping the working arm at 45° instead of 90° dramatically reduces the pectoral loading and turns the exercise into a shoulder-dominant movement.
Go low enough that the working-side shoulder approaches the height of the wrist. If this range is not yet achievable, build more standard push-up volume before advancing to archers.
Variations · Progressions · Regressions
Adaptations for every level
Wide Push-up
Standard push-up with hands placed 2× shoulder width apart. Increases the pectoral stretch and loading compared to regular push-ups and builds the prerequisite strength for archer push-ups.
Typewriter Push-up
At the bottom of a wide push-up, slide the chest horizontally from one hand to the other while staying low before pressing back up. A dynamic variation that adds lateral load-shifting in both directions per rep.
One-Arm Push-up Negative
From a plank position with one hand centered under the chest, lower yourself over 5 seconds using one arm only. Return to the start with both hands. Builds the eccentric strength needed to complete a full one-arm push-up.