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Single Leg Pushups

The single-leg push-up performs a full push-up with one foot lifted off the floor, shrinking the base to two hands and one foot. The missing contact point forces the trunk and glutes to fight rotation on every rep, turning a chest exercise into a whole-body control test. Coached by Maddy (NASM-CPT) — these are the exact form cues he gives on every client's first week.

Muscles worked

Chest · pectoralis major Triceps · triceps brachii Front shoulders · anterior deltoid Serratus anterior Abs · rectus abdominis

Sets & reps by goal

Goal	Sets × Reps	Rest
Strength	4 × 3–6 per leg	2–3 min
Muscle	3–4 × 8–12 per leg	60–90 s
Endurance	3 × 15–20 per leg	45–60 s

Rep ranges per Helms 2014 · Schoenfeld 2016.

Level — Advanced

Advanced variation — the challenge is anti-rotation under a pressing load, not extra pressing strength.

Proper form — 5 cues

Set a rigid high plank and lift one foot a few centimetres
Squeeze the lifted leg's glute to lock it in line with the body
Lower the chest to fist height with elbows about 45 degrees from the ribs
Keep both hips dead level — no dipping toward the support leg
Press back to full lockout before the lifted foot ever touches down

Breathing: Inhale on the descent, exhale hard through the press.

The 3 mistakes Maddy corrects most

Hips twisting toward the supporting side. The rotation means the core has lost the anti-twist battle, and the push-up mechanics decay with it. Fix: Lower less deep at first, brace the waist harder, and lift the foot only a few centimetres — height adds nothing.

The lifted leg swinging with each rep. A swinging leg acts as a counterweight that hides the instability the exercise is supposed to train against. Fix: Freeze the leg by squeezing its glute continuously — the foot should look bolted in place from any angle.

Sagging through the lower back as fatigue builds. With three points of contact, the sag arrives earlier than in normal push-ups and loads the spine instead of the chest. Fix: End the set at the first hint of the hips dropping, even mid-rep — quality is the currency here.

Common questions

Are single-leg push-ups harder than regular push-ups?

Noticeably. The pressing load barely changes, but removing one foot cuts your base of support and adds a constant rotational pull the trunk must cancel. Most people who can do fifteen strict push-ups find their first single-leg sets stop several reps earlier purely from the stability cost.

What should I master before trying single-leg push-ups?

Two prerequisites cover it: around twelve to fifteen strict full push-ups with a rigid body line, and a comfortable 30-second single-leg plank per side. Those confirm both the pressing strength and the anti-rotation control this variation combines. Missing either one shows up immediately as twisting hips.

Do single-leg push-ups build more chest muscle?

Not directly — the chest sees a similar load to normal push-ups. Their value is the added trunk, glute and shoulder-stability work layered onto the press, plus a fresh challenge when regular reps have become easy and no equipment is available to add load. For pure chest size, weighted or deficit variations do more.

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