Chest · Bodyweight
Hands Release Push-up
How to do the hands release push-up, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- HorizontalPush
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Set up in a push-up position and lower all the way down until your chest touches the floor. At the bottom, lift your hands off the floor for a moment, then place them back down and press explosively to the top. Releasing the hands forces a full reset and recruits the upper back.
- 1Feel your chest, shoulders, and triceps drive each press from a dead stop
- 2Squeeze the upper back and rear delts as you lift the hands at the bottom
- 3Keep your core tight and hips level from head to heels
Common mistakes
- Do not let your hips sag or pike up when you release the hands
- Avoid flaring the elbows wide; keep them around 45 degrees
- Do not bounce the chest off the floor; control the bottom
Muscles worked
The hands release push-up mainly works the mid chest, with the triceps, upper chest, lower chest, front delts, upper abs, and lower abs assisting.
- Mid ChestPrimary
- TricepsSupport
- Upper ChestSupport
- Lower ChestSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- Mid TrapsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
- GlutesMinor
- Rear DeltsMinor
Kovo programs the hands release push-up for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More chest exercises
- How to do the archer push-up
- How to do the assisted dip
- How to do the resistance band chest flyes
- How to do the resistance band push-up
- How to do the barbell bench press
- How to do the paused bench press
Last reviewed June 2026.