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| Out on a Limb
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| It never gets old—the one-arm push-up is designed to impress. So what if people at the club accuse you of showing off? What’s wrong with being fit and feeling fabulous and giving lesser mortals something to which they can aspire?
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Threatening to defeat an opponent with one hand tied behind your back is a showy boast that’s typically designed to elevate you while denigrating your target. An immodest claim it may be, but a demonstration of one-armed strength is an impressive feat, particularly when it applies to the peaceful pursuit of personal fitness.
None among the millions of TV viewers privy to the sight of a geriatric Jack
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Palance and his powerful albeit eccentric display of multiple one-arm push-ups during the Academy Awards in 1991 is likely to forget it—for many, achieving single-limb lift-off remains one of the ultimate exhibitions of strength and chutzpah.
“Performing one-arm body resistance exercises requires a great amount of muscular strength, join-stabilizing strength, (i.e. in the shoulder during a one-arm push-up), core strength and flexibility,” says Michael Wood, chief fitness officer, Koko Fitness in Boston, (www.kokofitness.com) and named one of the top 10 fitness trainers in the US by Men’s Journal.
Using body weight as a form of resistance makes for a challenging and efficient workout when proper technique and execution are involved, according to Wood.
“These types of exercises are usually multi-joint exercises meaning they utilized more than one muscle group to perform the movement.”
Single-limb training not only helps to correct muscle imbalance—Wood suggests using it as a way to assist you in determining any muscular deficits you might have—but it can increase overall strength. It may also have a remedial effect—in other words, if you hurt your right arm, one of the best things you can do to aid in the repair process is continue to exercise your left arm.
Research suggests that unilateral exercises produce a measurable contralateral or crossover effect and can help you sustain conditioning over the life of the injury.
For many fitness enthusiasts, goal-setting is a way of life and a good method for charting personal progress. Being able to successfully complete a one-arm push-up puts you into a fairly elite category of strength and athleticism.
“A very high level of fitness is required—the one-arm push-up or one-arm pull-up should not be attempted by a novice or someone with minimal weight-training experience… A high level of grip and core strength is vital if you’re thinking of performing these types of movements,” comments Wood.
There are endless variations on the push-up, increasing the challenge factor and solidifying its reputation as a superb exercise that effectively works the chest, shoulders and triceps while simultaneously toning the upper body and developing stability and control.
Carved in Wood:
“Most people would have difficulty performing 10 correct push-ups—doing a one-arm push-up for most would be nearly impossible,” says Wood who advises his clients to be able to lift and hold one leg off the floor while doing a traditional push-up before attempting the one-arm version.
If your ultimate goal is to challenge Jack Palance and Sylvester Stallone to a fitness contest, then Wood makes the following suggestions:
- Think of exercise as using a progression-type format when weight training. For example:
- Modified push-ups.
- Push-ups.
- Push-ups with one leg elevated.
- Push-ups off an unstable surface i.e. Bosu ball, versa disc etc.
- Elevated push-ups.
- Elevated push-ups off an unstable surface.
- When you’re able to perform more than 12 elevated push-ups off an unstable surface then you can consider trying a one-arm push-up.
Technique is Your Friend:
A guide to performing the one-arm push-up:
- Lie down facing the floor.
- Keep your body straight.
- Extend your left arm behind your back.
- Lift your body off the ground using your toes and your right hand, which should be positioned perpendicular to your shoulders.
- Keep fingers together and straight.
- Contract your abdominal muscles, no sagging and keep your rear even with your back, which should be in a neutral position.
- Your legs and feet should be wider than in a traditional bilateral push-up to compensate for balance issues.
- Inhale as you lower yourself to the floor using your right arm.
- Don’t lock your elbow.
- Push back up when your chest makes first contact with the floor.
Even more challenging than the one-arm push-up is the one-arm pull-up, which is virtually unattainable for most athletes, and remains the almost exclusive domain of a handful of genetically gifted mountain climbers and gymnasts.
Those who dare to be great also sometimes incur injury—let caution be your mantra when contemplating those dazzling one-arm maneuvers at the gym.
“The danger is that the body is not prepared to handle the increased load resulting in a muscle strain or tear,” says Mike Wood. “Being able to perform a pull–up with two arms is one thing – pulling all your body weight with one arm is a whole different ball game.”
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