One arm push ups are often seen as the end game of bodyweight push up progressions. No doubt they require a decent level of strength to perform and they also provide a pretty cool party trick to impress your friends. But honestly, the benefits probably stop there.
Nine times out of ten when you see someone perform a one arm push up it looks horrible with the body twisting and contorting into all sorts of uncomfortable angles.
This is no surprise... it’s really hard to maintain a safe and stable posture as you move your body up and down using a single arm.
Try it and see.
I used to practice them a lot, included them in my training programs, even got some clients to bosh out some reps. Eventually I decided the benefits simply don’t outweigh the risks.
Excessive twisting forces running through your body mean you expend a huge amount of energy just trying to stabilise the move. Some may argue this is a good thing. Personally I think it detracts from working the target muscles really hard. Worst case it actually leads to unwelcome aches and strains all over the rest of your body.
Most people will be much better served by simply adding load (weighted vest, resistance band or both) to the regular push up. You will spend a lot less time worrying about skill and technique and a lot more time overloading your muscles in a biomechanically friendly way.
A second option which provides a reasonable compromise is the archer push up. You get some of the extra resistance a one arm push up provides coupled with some of the stability benefits a regular push up provides.
Adopt a starting position with one arm underneath your shoulder (primary worker) and one arm held out to the side providing assistance and stability. Now perform push ups trying to use as little input from the assistance arm as possible. It’s just there to provide stability and stop your body twisting into uncomfortable positions!
Take home message: unless your goal is to master the one arm push up for personal satisfaction and bragging rights…. don’t bother. Overload the regular push up instead.