Chest · Bodyweight
Push-up Hand by Hand
How to do the push-up hand by hand, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- HorizontalPush
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Start in a push-up position with hands close together under your chest. Perform a push-up, then at the top walk one hand out wide, do another rep, and return it, alternating which hand steps out so the press width changes each time.
- 1Chest, shoulders, and triceps loading as the hands change width
- 2Core locked so the hips do not twist when a hand moves
- 3A controlled press at every hand position
Common mistakes
- Letting the hips sag or sway when stepping a hand out
- Flaring the elbows wide on the close-hand reps
- Rushing the hand switch and losing trunk tension
Muscles worked
The push-up hand by hand mainly works the mid chest and triceps, with the upper chest, lower chest, upper abs, lower abs, obliques, and front delts assisting.
- Mid ChestPrimary
- TricepsPrimary
- Upper ChestSupport
- Lower ChestSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
Kovo programs the push-up hand by hand 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.