10 Best Archer Push Up Alternatives for Chest Strength Without a Bench

The Archer Push Up is done lying face down. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Shoulder Tap Push-up, the Push Up To Side Plank and the Push-up Inside Leg Kick.

The Archer Push Up presses on a single arm while the other reaches out to the side, alternating which arm carries the load each rep. The Shoulder Tap Push-up is the closest easier swap: it keeps the same plank press but both hands do the pushing, and the one-arm moment is only the tap at the top. With a Bosu ball on hand, the Push Up On Bosu Ball keeps that same press but asks your hands to stay balanced on the flat side of the ball instead of the floor.

Archer Push UpWatch the Archer Push Up

Each substitute is scored on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. Read how we rank alternatives

How to Do the Archer Push Up

The steps for the Archer Push Up itself, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Pectorals, with triceps, shoulders, core · Bodyweight · Advanced · Compound

  1. Start in a push-up position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  2. Extend one arm straight out to the side, parallel to the ground.
  3. Lower your body by bending your elbows, keeping your back straight and core engaged.
  4. Push back up to the starting position.
  5. Repeat on the other side, extending the opposite arm out to the side.
  6. Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.

The 10 Best Archer Push Up Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Archer Push Up on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Cards with a "How to perform it" link open to show the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page.

  1. Shoulder Tap Push-upPlay demonstration

    1. Shoulder Tap Push-up

    99% match

    Pectorals · Intermediate · Compound

    Pick this when you want an easier version that still works the pectorals.

    • Bodyweight
    How to perform it
    1. Start in a high plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your body in a straight line from head to heels.
    2. Lower your body towards the ground by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your sides.
    3. As you push back up, lift your right hand off the ground and tap your left shoulder.
    4. Return your right hand to the ground and repeat the push-up, this time lifting your left hand and tapping your right shoulder.
    5. Continue alternating shoulder taps with each push-up repetition.
    6. Maintain a stable core and avoid excessive hip rotation throughout the exercise.
    7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Archer Push Up
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Archer Push Up
    • Body position: lying face down, the same as the Archer Push Up
  4. Superman Push-upPlay demonstration

    4. Superman Push-up

    90% match

    Pectorals · Advanced · Compound

    Pick this when you want to work the pectorals with more balance to manage.

    • Bodyweight
    How to perform it
    1. Start in a high plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your feet together.
    2. Engage your core and lower your body towards the ground, keeping your elbows close to your sides.
    3. As you lower your body, simultaneously lift your right arm and left leg off the ground, extending them straight out.
    4. Pause for a moment at the top, then lower your arm and leg back down while pushing yourself back up to the starting position.
    5. Repeat the movement, this time lifting your left arm and right leg.
    6. Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: flat horizontal press, the same as the Archer Push Up
    • Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Archer Push Up
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Archer Push Up
    • Body position: lying face down, the same as the Archer Push Up
  6. Push Up On Bosu BallPlay demonstration

    6. Push Up On Bosu Ball

    88% match

    Pectorals · Intermediate · Compound

    A good swap when you have a stability ball to work with, and it still works the pectorals.

    • Stability-ball
    How to perform it
    1. Place the bosu ball on the ground with the flat side facing up.
    2. Position yourself in a push-up position with your hands on the outer edges of the bosu ball.
    3. Engage your core and lower your body down towards the bosu ball by bending your elbows.
    4. Push yourself back up to the starting position by extending your arms.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: flat horizontal press, the same as the Archer Push Up
    • Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Archer Push Up
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Archer Push Up
    • Body position: lying face down, the same as the Archer Push Up

Why You Might Need an Archer Push Up Alternative

The Archer Push Up puts full bodyweight through a single arm while the other reaches out to the side, which is a lot to ask before your triceps and shoulders are ready for it. Some lifters want the same chest and tricep work without that single arm and wrist load, and others want to add instability instead of removing it. The alternatives here stay bodyweight or bring in a Bosu ball or a medicine ball, and every one keeps the chest and triceps work the Archer Push Up trains while changing how much of the job falls on a single arm or how steady the surface under your hands stays.

How to Choose the Right Archer Push Up Substitute

If you want to move away from single-arm loading altogether, the Pike-to-cobra Push-up swaps that arm demand for range of motion: you push your hips into an inverted V, lower down bending your elbows, then straighten your arms into a cobra stretch before reversing back through both positions. The Shoulder Tap Push-up is the gentler pick: both hands share the press, and the only one-arm moment is the tap at the top rather than a full rep on one arm. Training with nothing but floor space, the Push-up Plus and the Push And Pull Bodyweight need no equipment at all. With a Bosu ball or a medicine ball on hand, the Push Up On Bosu Ball and the Push-up Medicine Ball put your hands on an unstable surface instead of resting the load on a single arm.

Archer Push Up FAQ

Which Archer Push Up alternative is easiest on the shoulders?

The Shoulder Tap Push-up. Both hands share the press throughout, and the only one-arm moment is tapping the opposite shoulder at the top, so each arm only carries the plank for that instant instead of a full press, which makes it the easier pick when your shoulders are the tired part. It still needs nothing but floor space, the same as the Archer Push Up itself.

Which Archer Push Up alternative needs no extra equipment?

The Shoulder Tap Push-up, Push Up To Side Plank, Push-up Inside Leg Kick, Pike-to-cobra Push-up, Superman Push-up, Push And Pull Bodyweight, Push-up Plus and Drop Push Up all use bodyweight alone, no ball or plate required. Floor space is enough for any of those.

How do I make an Archer Push Up alternative harder?

Add an unstable surface or remove support. The Push Up On Bosu Ball and the Push-up Medicine Ball put your hands on a Bosu ball or a medicine ball instead of the floor, which asks your core to work harder to keep the press steady. The Pike-to-cobra Push-up raises the difficulty differently: it adds a hip lift into an inverted V and a cobra stretch on every rep, giving you more range of motion to control.

Which Archer Push Up alternative still alternates sides each rep?

Two do. The Shoulder Tap Push-up alternates which shoulder you tap, and the Superman Push-up lifts the opposite arm and leg each time. Pick whichever keeps that same side-to-side rhythm you already know from the Archer Push Up, and both stay bodyweight only so no equipment changes between them.

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