Hand-Release Push-Up

Also known as: HRPU

StrengthPushFunctional

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Body Part: Chest

Description

Lower from a straight-arm plank until your chest rests on the floor, then briefly lift both hands completely clear of the surface. Replace your palms and press back to the plank with the trunk and legs moving together, resetting the bottom position on every repetition.

How to Perform

Start in a high plank with your hands under or slightly wider than your shoulders, legs straight, and feet about hip-width apart.
Brace your core, squeeze your glutes, and keep your body in a straight line from your head to your heels.
Lower your chest to the floor under control by bending your elbows.
Once your chest, thighs, and hips are on the floor, briefly lift both hands off the ground by squeezing your upper back.
Replace both palms in their starting positions and press your body up as one unit until the arms are straight.
Keep your hips from sagging or rising ahead of your chest, then repeat for the required number of repetitions.

What Muscles Work

Primary Muscle:

Secondary Muscles:

Tips

Spread your fingers to distribute pressure across the palms.
Keep your neck neutral by looking slightly ahead of your hands, not craning your head forward or dropping it between your shoulders.
Exhale during the press and inhale while lowering the chest.
If full reps are difficult, perform the exercise from your knees while maintaining a straight line from your head to your knees.
Use a brief pause after lifting your hands to remove momentum and make every repetition consistent.

Common Mistakes

Letting the hips sag or rise instead of keeping a straight line from head to heels.
Failing to lower the chest all the way to the floor before lifting the hands.
Lifting only the palms while keeping the fingers or forearms pressed into the floor.
Pushing up before both hands are fully returned to the floor and set under the shoulders.
Flaring the elbows straight out to the sides instead of keeping them angled slightly back.
Shrugging the shoulders toward the ears instead of keeping the neck relaxed and shoulders controlled.