Exercise
Suspended Push Up
The Suspended Push Up is an advanced bodyweight exercise that increases difficulty by adding instability, forcing greater balance and full-body tension.
Suspended Push Up
The Suspended Push Up builds on the classic push up by placing the hands in suspension straps, creating an unstable base that challenges strength and coordination. This instability forces your body to stay tight throughout the movement, making every repetition more demanding than a standard floor push up.
Because the straps move independently, the exercise places a strong emphasis on balance and controlled motion. Small shifts in position immediately increase difficulty, encouraging better body awareness and precise movement. This makes the suspended version especially effective for athletes looking to improve control and strength at the same time.
The Suspended Push Up fits well into strength-focused, athletic, and functional training routines. It can be used as a progression from regular push ups or as a main movement for advanced bodyweight workouts. Adjusting foot position or strap height allows the exercise to scale smoothly to different skill levels.
How to Perform the Suspended Push Up
- Grasp the suspension trainer handles with palms facing down, and position yourself in a plank position with arms extended and feet on the floor.
- Align your body so that your shoulders are directly above your hands, creating a straight line from head to heels.
- Engage your core muscles by drawing your navel toward your spine, and squeeze your glutes to maintain a neutral spine position.
- Inhale as you slowly bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the handles, keeping your elbows at approximately a 45-degree angle from your torso.
- Maintain tension throughout your body, avoiding any sagging in your lower back or hiking of your hips as you descend.
- Lower until your chest is between the handles or until you feel a good stretch in your chest muscles, while keeping your head in a neutral position.
- Exhale forcefully as you push through your palms to extend your arms and return to the starting position.
- Stabilize at the top position momentarily before beginning the next repetition, maintaining full-body tension throughout the movement.
Important information
- Adjust the difficulty by changing your body angle, position your feet closer to the anchor point for an easier variation or further away for more challenge.
- Keep your wrists in a neutral position throughout the exercise to prevent strain.
- Make sure your shoulders stay away from your ears by actively pulling your shoulder blades down and back.
- If you feel any wrist or shoulder pain, try rotating the handles slightly inward to find a more comfortable position.
FAQ - Suspended Push Up
Suspended push-ups primarily target the pectorals, triceps, and anterior deltoids while significantly activating the core muscles, particularly the abdominals and serratus anterior. Research shows they generate 1.6 times greater abdominal activation than standard push-ups, making them excellent for building upper body strength and core stability simultaneously.
Beginners can increase body angle (feet closer to anchor point) or use a single suspension strap against a wall for support. Advanced lifters can progress by lowering the handles, adding a weight vest, elevating feet, or incorporating dynamic movements like atomic push-ups with knee tucks.
The three most common errors are sagging hips (fix by engaging your core throughout), flared elbows (keep them at 45° to protect shoulders), and unstable hand position (maintain consistent tension on the straps). Maintaining a rigid plank position from head to heels is essential for effectiveness and safety.
Include suspended push-ups 2-3 times weekly with at least 48 hours between sessions to allow for proper recovery. They can effectively replace traditional push-ups in any workout program and work well in strength routines (3-4 sets of 8-12 reps) or as a challenging component in HIIT circuits.
The instability of suspended push-ups can be therapeutic for some shoulder conditions by strengthening stabilizer muscles, but problematic for others. Start with a higher body angle to reduce loading, focus on proper form with elbows at 45°, and consult a physical therapist if you have existing shoulder injuries or chronic pain.
Suspended Push Up
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