For some athletes, performing sets of one-arm pushups is a sign of ultimate fitness -- just ask anyone who idealized Rocky Balboa in the "Rocky" movies. You must have a certain amount of strength, coordination and stamina to perform them, and the one-arm pushup is a mandatory strength move in national fitness contests, such as the all national-level National Physique Committee, or NPC, and International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness, or IFBB, shows, according to BodyBuilding.com.
Increase Strength
Practicing one-arm pushups builds two types of strength. One type is short-term strength, or the burst of strength a muscle exerts in a brief amount of time, and the second type is endurance strength, or the amount of continuous strength a muscle exerts over an extended time period, according to BodyBuilding.com. Brute strength without stamina is not always effective in athletic situations, or during everyday activities. For example, if you can lift massive amounts of weight but can't make it up a flight of stairs without becoming winded, you might not be as fit as you think you are. Performing certain exercises regularly, such as one-arm pushups, may help you to improve both strength and stamina. Build strength in chest, shoulders, arms and core muscles with one-arm pushups, according to BodyBuilding.com.
Build Up Chest
Build chest strength with one-arm pushups. Regular sets of one-arm pushups build pectoralis major and minor muscles and rotator cuff muscles, according to BodyBuilding.com. Pecs are the major muscles in your chest, and rotator cuff muscles are smaller but are essential for helping the shoulder to rotate. Pectoral muscle function includes flexion, adduction and medial rotation, or rotation toward the body's midline, notes BodyBuilding.com. All chest muscles connect to and affect the shoulders.
Work Out Shoulders
Build shoulder muscle strength with one-arm pushups. Affected muscles include rotator cuffs, which are also part of the chest muscles, and the anterior, middle and posterior deltoids, which work together to provide flexion, abduction and medial rotation function in the front, side and back of the shoulder, according to BodyBuilding.com.
Strengthen Arms
Develop arm triceps performing regular one-arm pushups, according to BodyBuilding.com. Biceps include biceps brachii, brachialis and pronator teres, which are responsible for flexion and movement functions at the elbow and forearm.
Develop Core
One-arm pushups require strong abdominal muscles also, notes BodyBuilding.com. The core works with other muscles and helps support the body during the exercise. Core muscles include rectus abdominis, external oblique, internal oblique, transverse and erector spinae muscles.
Focus Training
Practice doing one-arm pushups at least three times a week, and start out performing the exercise from a kneeling position until you build enough strength to hold your entire body up. Do three sets of three to five reps each time, suggests BodyBuilding.com. Also start out using your other arm for support, but place the pushup emphasis on one arm at a time, recommends 6packtv via YouTube.
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