The following is a guest post from  bodyweight coach Adam Steer, co-author of Bodyweight Exercise Revolution.

Perhaps the most famous one arm push ups are those performed by the Italian Stallion in the Rocky movies. But a reader reminded me that G.I. Jane gives Mr Balboa a good run for his money.

No matter who your money is on for the most impressive Hollywood one arm push up, you have to admit there is a certain cool factor associated with this bodyweight strength exercise.

Where does this mystique come from? It’s probably due to the fact that these things are just plain tough! They’re a mix of strength, coordination and balance.

3 Tips For The One Arm Push Up

The Tighter the Lighter
Have you ever tried to pick up someone who has passed out? Did you notice how much “heavier” they seem. Compare that to picking up the same person once they have stiffened up all their muscles… To become tighter and lighter, stretch the crown of your head in one direction and your heels in the other. This will force all your stabilizer muscles into action to lengthen you out – and it’ll tighten your whole structure up too.

Lock and Load
Whether under a bench press or doing a push up, one of the big mistakes I often see is letting the shoulders drift up towards the ears. Keep your shoulders locked down away from your ears if you want to optimize the involvement of the powerful pecs and triceps. You’ll also greatly reduce your chance of injury by concentrating the force in your shoulder through structural elements instead of soft tissue.

Go Wide
Spread your feet wider apart than for a regular push up. This is part of the balancing act required for a great one arm push up. You’ll also have bring your working arm closer in to your center line.

There you go. Three tips to get your one arm push up coolness going. If you need a bit more help, you can check out this build up exercise for one arm pushup training.

Visit BodyweightExerciseRevolution.com for a free bodyweight workout the likes of which you’ve never seen before. We’re the home of Circular Strength Training bodyweight exercise.

Adam Steer is a Head Coach of the Circular Strength Training system. He’s also a fitness trainer and coach in Quebec city and an avid blogger on the subject of health first fitness. Adam has delivered workshops to fitness professionals in Singapore, Australia, Washington State, Philadelphia and New York City.

Click here to check out my review of his eBook, Bodyweight Exercise Revolution.