There are push-up variations, from changing your arms up to dialing up the challenge by adding a plank jack.
A particularly valuable (and quite challenging) variation is the archer push-up. Not only can this move engage different muscles than a traditional push-up, but it can also help you progress toward a one-arm version.
The push-up’s name comes from loading one arm while using the other, such as an archer pulling back the string of a bow but still holding the bow while loading the arrow.
Here are the steps on how to perform it with tips to make it easier or harder
Archer Push-Up: Step-by-Step Instructions
- Assume a plank position with your hands around twice the width of your shoulders. Keep your body straight from your head to your heels, maintain a neutral spine and make sure your hips don’t dip down or lift up.
- Instead of lowering straight to the floor (as you would in a traditional push-up), lower your torso toward your right arm. Your left arm is slightly bent, as most of the work should be done by your right hand.
- Return to center and switch to a push-up on the left side.
- Alternate between the two sides, focusing on keeping your arms wide and engaging your chest muscles.
Archer push-up facility
The archer push-up combines the benefits of working one side of the body with the benefits of traditional push-ups, says strength and conditioning coach Rocky SnyderCSCS, author of Back to the Center: Strength Training to Realign the Body, Recover from Pain, and Achieve Optimal Performance.
These benefits include the following:
Archer push-ups: Muscles worked
With this type of push-up, you can expect to engage several muscle groups in your upper body.
Triceps
Archer push-ups put a lot of weight on your triceps. This muscle group is responsible for extending (or straightening) your arm, which gets stronger the closer your arm is to your torso.
Front deltoids
Your deltoids are made up of three muscles, the most anterior of which (the anterior deltoid) is emphasized during presses, such as push-ups, overhead presses, and bench presses.
the chest
Consisting of the pectoralis major and pectoralis minor, your chest muscles work during pushing exercises. Their primary function is adduction, which means bringing your arms toward the midline of your body (think chest fly or bench press).
diagonal
The internal and external obliques are core muscles located on the sides of your trunk and help rotate the torso. During archer push-ups, they will help stabilize your upper body and prevent movement.
Serrated front
An underrated muscle, the serratus anterior is the fan-shaped muscle of the chest that connects the shoulder blades to the rib cage. Its job is to slide your shoulder blades forward (extension) and rotate them upward (flexion), which is necessary during the press movement.
Tips for Archer Push-ups
As with any exercise, the most important aspect of working your muscles properly during archer push-ups is form. Snyder notes that these are some common mistakes you should avoid:
- Your hips are sagging
- Arch your back
- Tilting your head up or down
“(Downward head tilt) happens because it’s the brain’s way of fooling you into thinking you’re getting down to the appropriate level with less effort,” he adds. “Any break away from proper body position, even if it’s just your head, is an unfortunate opportunity to reinforce poor mechanics, and that increases the chance of injury.”
How to make archer push-ups easier
- Release your knees to take the pressure off your shoulders as a simple but still effective way to perform push-ups. Snyder adds that you can also place a resistance band anchored above the knee as a way to maintain proper form.
- Place your hands on a slightly elevated surface.
- Bring your hands close together.
How to Make Archer Push-Ups Stronger
A key way to intensify this movement is by rolling an object from side to side, Snyder says. For example, you can place your working hand on a medicine ball and lower toward it, and then roll the ball over to the other hand.
“With this option, the medicine ball moves easily, so you have to put more effort into controlling the volatility,” he adds. This can engage more core muscles as your body works to maintain balance.
Snyder suggests trying different objects — a kettlebell, small steps or boxes, even a dumbbell — to evaluate how it changes your push-ups and the muscles engaged.
Combine any of these intensifiers to make the exercise harder:
- Slow down the movement during the concentric (lower) phase of the exercise to focus on the time between contractions.
- As you lower, lift the opposite leg off the ground. For example, lift the right leg when you land on the left side. This is another way to fire up the core muscles, since they will be working hard to keep you stable.
- Place your feet on a raised surface so you’re doing a reduced version of the push-up.
“The archer push-up allows you to be creative, because there are countless ways to tweak this particular movement to increase or decrease the intensity,” says Snyder. “As long as you maintain proper form, feel free to play around with variables that help engage your muscles in different ways.”