Suspended Push-Up

How to do it

1. Set the handles of a suspension trainer to hang a short distance above the floor.
2. Take a handle in each hand and walk your feet back until you are in a push-up position with the body in a straight line.
3. Brace the stomach and keep the handles steady beneath the shoulders.
4. Lower the chest towards the handles by bending the elbows, letting them travel out at about forty-five degrees.
5. Stop when the chest is level with the hands.
6. Press back up until the arms are straight, keeping the handles from drifting apart.

Common mistakes

• Letting the handles drift outwards. The straps want to swing apart at the bottom, and keeping them under the shoulders is most of the work.
• Sagging through the hips. The straps are unstable, and the body compensates by dropping the back; the stomach stays braced and the line stays straight.
• Setting the handles too low too soon. The lower the handles, the harder the push; start with them higher and lower them as it gets easier.
• Rotating the wrists. The handles are held with the wrists straight; a wrist that folds under load will give.

Muscles worked

Primary

• Pecs

Secondary

• Shoulders
• Triceps