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Wide Push Ups

A normal push up with the hands set wider. Moving the hands out shifts the work from your triceps onto the outer chest.

Level Intermediate
Equipment None
Sets and reps 3 sets x 10-12
Works on Outer chest

How to do it

  1. Set your hands well wider than your shoulders, fingers pointing forward.
  2. Keep the body in one straight line, feet together.
  3. Lower until your chest is a fist above the floor.
  4. Push back up and squeeze the chest at the top.

Common mistakes

  • × Going so wide that the shoulders hurt - a little wider than normal is enough.
  • × Dipping the head instead of the chest.
  • × Half reps - the chest goes down, not just the nose.
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One thing that matters

If your shoulders ache the next day, bring your hands in a few cm. Wide does not mean as wide as possible.

How much

Sets and reps for Wide Push Ups

Where you are Aim for
Just starting 3 sets x 6
The standard 3 sets x 10-12
Once it is easy 3 sets x 20
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Breathing

In down, out up. Keep the ribs down as you breathe in so the lower back does not arch.

Too hard, or too easy?

Where this sits

← Easier Knee Push Ups 3 sets x 8-12

Start here if you cannot do wide push ups with clean form yet.
You are here Wide Push Ups 3 sets x 10-12

Intermediate · None

Harder → Decline Push Ups 3 sets x 8-12

Move up when wide push ups stops being a challenge.
Questions

Wide Push Ups, answered

Do wide push-ups build a bigger chest?

They shift more of the work onto the chest and away from the triceps, so as part of a mix they are worth doing. No push-up width builds a chest on its own - that needs enough total effort and enough protein.

How wide is too wide?

If your shoulders feel pinched at the bottom, too wide. About one and a half shoulder widths is plenty. Very wide hands put the shoulder joint in a position it does not like under load.

Why can I do fewer wide push-ups?

Wider hands means a longer path for the chest to move you through, with less help from the triceps. Fewer reps is expected, not a sign anything is wrong.

One exercise is never the whole story

Which day to do Wide Push Ups, how many sets, and what to pair it with - the AI builds the whole plan. Your first one is free.

Build My Free Plan
Chest

You can also try

💪 Intermediate

Push Ups

Chest, shoulders, triceps

One exercise that works chest, shoulders, triceps and core all at once. The backbone of any home workout.

3 sets x 8-20 →
💪 Beginner

Knee Push Ups

Chest, triceps

Start here if a full push up is not happening yet. Same exercise, simply less bodyweight to move.

3 sets x 8-12 →
💪 Advanced

Diamond Push Ups

Triceps, inner chest

Bringing your hands together shifts the load onto your triceps. Considerably harder than a normal push up.

3 sets x 8-15 →
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This is general information, not medical advice

Everything on this page is worked out from a formula or from published averages. It has never met you, and it cannot see your blood pressure, your medication or an old injury.

Talk to a doctor before you start if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a heart condition, diabetes or high blood pressure, take regular medication, have or have had an eating disorder, are recovering from injury or surgery, or are under 18. Stop and get advice if any exercise causes pain, dizziness or chest discomfort.

More about where these numbers come from is on the about page.