The standard pushup is a foundational bodyweight exercise developing upper body strength in the chest, shoulders, and triceps. However, variations in depth and the use of momentum often compromise repetition quality. The hand release pushup (HRP) is a modification designed to address these inconsistencies by enforcing a full range of motion and eliminating reliance on the stretch reflex. This variation ensures a high degree of standardization for training and objective fitness assessment.
Defining the Hand Release Pushup
The core difference between a traditional pushup and the Hand Release Pushup is the mandatory pause at the bottom of the movement. A standard pushup reverses direction before touching the floor, allowing elastic energy to assist the upward push. The HRP requires the body to descend completely until the chest, stomach, and thighs are in contact with the ground.
Once fully supported, the movement is defined by the momentary lifting of both hands off the ground. This “release” action completely disengages the muscles, ensuring the body comes to a dead stop. The hands are then placed back on the floor to initiate the concentric, or lifting, phase. This structural requirement forces the exerciser to generate maximal force from a position of rest, significantly increasing difficulty compared to a fluid pushup.
Step-by-Step Execution Guide
The movement begins in a standard high plank position, with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. The body must form a straight line from head to ankles. Before descending, the core, glutes, and quadriceps must be tightly engaged to maintain this rigid alignment and prevent the hips from sagging or the back from arching.
To lower the body, the elbows should bend and track backward at roughly a 45-degree angle from the torso. Control the pace until the chest makes contact with the floor. The entire body unit—chest, hips, and thighs—should touch the ground simultaneously, indicating a complete descent. With the body resting, momentarily lift the hands completely off the ground, often extending them out to the sides for a full release.
The upward movement begins by immediately placing the hands back under the shoulders and forcefully pressing the body away from the floor as a single unit. The shoulder blades should protract as the body rises until the arms are fully extended back into the starting plank position. Avoid a “snaking” motion where the chest lifts first, followed by the hips, as maintaining the straight body line is required for a successful repetition.
Why Use This Variation
The primary advantage of the hand release pushup is that it eliminates the stretch reflex, or elastic energy, from the bottom of the movement. By forcing a dead stop and hand release, the HRP ensures the muscles perform a concentric-only contraction, requiring greater initial force production.
The HRP also serves as an objective tool for standardizing the range of motion in fitness testing and competitions. The requirement for the chest to touch the ground and the hands to lift ensures every repetition achieves minimum depth, preventing partial repetitions common in high-volume sets. This standardization makes the HRP a highly reliable measure of upper body muscular endurance and controlled strength.