Suspension Push-Up
Also known as: trx push-up
- Primary musclePectorals
- EquipmentBodyweight
- DifficultyAdvanced
- TypeCompound · Push
Pressing into free-swinging handles means the load path is never fixed, and your chest and core must stop the straps from drifting on every rep. Walking your feet forward or back changes the body angle, so difficulty scales from easier than a floor push-up to considerably harder.
How to do the Suspension Push-Up
- Find a suspension trainer and adjust it to an appropriate height.
- Stand facing away from the anchor point and hold the handles with an overhand grip.
- Walk your feet forward, leaning your body forward until your weight is supported by the suspension trainer.
- Keep your body straight from head to heels, engage your core, and lower your chest towards the handles.
- Push through your chest and arms to return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Tip: Screw your hands into the floor as if turning the fingers outward to set the shoulders before each set.
Muscles worked
Primary
Pectorals · Chest
The chest drives the arms together as you push, and it is loaded most in the bottom half of the rep when the elbows are bent.
Secondary
- Triceps — The triceps finish the rep by locking the elbows, and they do more work the narrower your hands are.
- Delts — The front delts assist the chest, especially on decline variations where the feet are elevated.
- Abs — The abs hold the body rigid so the hips do not sag, which is why a push-up is also a moving plank.
Common mistakes
- Hips sagging or piked — the body should stay a straight line from head to heels; squeeze the glutes and brace the abs before each rep.
- Elbows flared to 90 degrees — flaring the arms out wide loads the shoulder joint; keep the elbows tucked to about 45 degrees from the torso.
- Cutting the bottom short — chest should come to within a fist of the floor; if that means fewer reps, do fewer reps.
- Head dropping first — the chin reaching for the floor makes it look like a rep when it is not; keep the head neutral and lead with the chest.
Sets, reps and where it fits
| Goal | Sets × reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 4–5 × 3–6 | 2–3 min |
| Muscle growth | 3–4 × 6–12 | 90–120 s |
| Endurance | 2–3 × 12–20 | 60 s |
Push-ups work as a warm-up before bench press, as a finisher after chest work or as the main push exercise when training with no equipment. Superset them with inverted rows or a band pull-apart for balance.
Variations and alternatives
Similar exercises
Without bodyweight
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Suspension Push-Up work?
The Suspension Push-Up primarily works the pectorals. It also involves the triceps, delts and abs, which assist the movement and stabilise the joints.
Is the Suspension Push-Up good for beginners?
Not as a starting point. The Suspension Push-Up is rated advanced because it demands strength, mobility or coordination that takes time to build. Beginners should work up to it through the easier variations listed on this page.
What can I do instead of the Suspension Push-Up?
If you cannot do the Suspension Push-Up, try the Single Arm Elevated Medicine Ball Push-Up, the Hands on Ball Stability Ball Push-Up or the Feet on Ball Stability Ball Push-Up. Each of them trains the pectorals through a similar movement, so you can swap them in without changing the rest of the workout.
How many sets and reps should I do?
It depends on your goal. For the Suspension Push-Up, a sensible starting point is strength: 4–5 × 3–6 with 2–3 min rest; muscle growth: 3–4 × 6–12 with 90–120 s rest; endurance: 2–3 × 12–20 with 60 s rest. Put it early in the session while you are fresh, before isolation work for the same muscles.
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