comparisons

Archer Pushup vs One-Arm Pushup: Progression Comparison

What is an archer pushup?

An archer pushup is performed with the hands wider than shoulder width, fingers of one hand pointing out to the side. You lower toward one hand while the other arm straightens out to the side, palm down. The "loaded" arm does almost all of the work; the extended arm provides balance and a small amount of assistance. You alternate sides each rep or set.

What is a one-arm pushup?

A one-arm pushup is exactly what it sounds like: a pushup with only one hand on the floor, the other hand behind your back. The feet stay wider than shoulder width to keep balance. The body has to fight rotation as well as press, which makes it as much a core exercise as an upper-body one.

Which is harder?

The one-arm pushup is meaningfully harder. The archer loads roughly 65 to 75% of bodyweight on the working arm; the true one-arm pushup pushes that closer to 90 to 100% because the extended arm gives no support. The harder version also demands much greater anti-rotation core strength, since the body wants to twist on every rep.

How does the archer build the one-arm?

By gradually shifting more of your weight to one arm while keeping the supporting structure (the other arm) available. As you progress, you can:

• Lengthen the extended arm to take more support.
• Raise the extended arm's fingertips off the floor (only palm contact).
• Lift the extended arm fully off the floor for a brief moment at the bottom.
• Finally remove the extended arm entirely for full one-arm work.

This gradual unloading is what makes the progression safe. Going from regular pushups straight to one-arms is what gets people hurt.

Common mistakes

• Archer: Cheating with the extended arm. If your supporting arm is doing meaningful pressing, you're not actually building toward a one-arm. Keep the extended arm passive.
• Archer: Hips twisting. The body should stay square to the floor through the whole rep.
• One-arm: Feet too narrow. A wider foot stance gives a more stable base; cheat wider while you build strength, then close the stance over time.
• One-arm: Pushing through pain. Shoulder discomfort during one-arm work is a stop signal. Regress to archers or uneven pushups for a few weeks.

How to program the progression

A clean 12-week buildout, assuming you can already do 25+ regular pushups:

1. Weeks 1 to 4: Archer pushups, 3 sets of 4 to 8 reps per side, twice per week.
2. Weeks 5 to 8: Uneven pushups (one hand on a low box), 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps per side. Add 1 set of archer pushups as a warmup.
3. Weeks 9 to 10: Elevated one-arm pushups (hand on a low bench), 3 sets of 3 to 6 reps per side.
4. Weeks 11 to 12: Negative one-arm pushups (slow lower, push back up with the other hand), 3 sets of 3 to 5 reps per side. Test a single full one-arm rep at the end of week 12.
5. Once you can do a clean rep, build to 3 sets of 3 to 5 reps per side, then keep accumulating.

Frequently asked questions

Are archer pushups enough to build a one-arm pushup?

They are the most important progression, but not the only one. Most trainees also need uneven pushups (one hand on a low box), negative one-arm pushups, and elevated one-arm pushups. A reasonable benchmark is 8 to 10 clean archer pushups per side before attempting full one-arm reps.

How much weight does an archer pushup load?

Roughly 65 to 75% of bodyweight on the working arm, depending on how much you let the extended arm assist. A full one-arm pushup loads close to the full 64% of bodyweight that a regular pushup distributes across two arms, but onto just one.

Are one-arm pushups bad for your shoulder?

Not inherently, but the asymmetric load demands a strong rotator cuff and tight core. Skipping the progression and trying to grind out one-arm reps before you're ready is the most common path to shoulder injury.

How long does it take to build a one-arm pushup?

For someone who can already do 30 to 40 clean regular pushups, 3 to 6 months of consistent progression work is typical. People starting with less pressing strength may need 9 to 12 months.