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Step 1
Get your pushups down cold. The prerequisite to doing one-handed pushups is being able to do lots of regular pushups with perfect form. Start out practicing pushups with excellent form, rather than focusing on quantity. Place your arms shoulder-width apart and lower yourself slowly, keeping your back straight. Pause for a second at the bottom and then push back up explosively. Build up your repetitions so you can do sets of 50.
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Step 2
Alternate your basic pushup. You need to start moving your pushup form towards a one-handed stance. Start by doing asymmetrical pushups: place one hand by your chest and the other by your abdomen. Then switch and repeat. Use good form and build up your strength until you're doing these with ease.
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Step 3
Do negatives. As with all strenuous exercises, doing negatives is a very effective way to get yourself into condition to do the real thing. Get into a one-handed pushup stance, with your feet wide apart, toes on the ground, and your upper body supported by one hand that's planted on the ground. Lower yourself as far as you can. When you can go no further, plant your knee on the ground and get back into position to start again.
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Step 4
Do the real thing. Start from the up position, with feet apart and one hand on the ground. Try to keep your supporting hand relatively centered and place the unused hand behind your back. Lower yourself as far as you can, pause a moment at the bottom, and then raise yourself back up for one repetition. Repeat the pushup until failure, and then stretch once you're done.
