Push-up (Hand Release)
The Push-up (Hand Release) is a bodyweight variation where you briefly lift your hands off the floor at the bottom of each rep to ensure full range of motion. This movement targets the chest, triceps, and shoulders while building explosive starting strength from a dead stop.
Because this variation removes the 'stretch reflex' and elastic energy used in standard push-ups, the effort per rep is significantly higher. The AI analyzes your set duration and RPE to detect when fatigue compromises your core stability, auto-regulating your volume to prevent the common 'worming' compensation pattern. Additionally, by monitoring your daily recovery stats like HRV and sleep, the app can optimize your rep targets to build pressing power without overtaxing your anterior deltoids and wrist joints.
Form Cues
- Start in a rigid high plank with glutes squeezed
- Lower your entire body to the floor as a single unit
- Lift your hands completely off the ground for a split second
- Drive your palms into the floor to explode upward
- Keep your core braced to ensure hips and chest rise together
- Don't let your hips sag or stay on the floor as you push up
- Don't flare your elbows out past 45 degrees
- Don't crane your neck forward to reach the ground
- Don't rest for extended periods while on the floor
Common Mistakes
- Worming the body up (chest rises before hips)
- Flaring elbows too wide
- Hyperextending the lower back
- Incomplete hand release at the bottom
- Looking up and straining the neck
Muscles Worked
This exercise is a powerhouse for the middle chest and triceps, forcing them to generate force from a dead stop without the aid of momentum. The anterior deltoids assist heavily in the initial drive from the floor, while the erector spinae, rhomboids, and core musculature must work isometrically to maintain a rigid, safe spinal position throughout the rep.
Primary
Secondary
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