Exercise guide · Advanced · Compound

Suspended Push-Up: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The suspended push-up is a challenging variation of the traditional push-up performed using a suspension trainer. This exercise increases instability, requiring greater core engagement and upper body strength.

Primary muscles
Chest
Equipment
Body Weight
Level · type
Advanced · Compound
Demonstration of the suspended push-up
Front view: muscles worked by the suspended push-up. Primary: chest. Secondary: obliques, triceps, shoulders and abs.
Back view: muscles worked by the suspended push-up. Primary: chest. Secondary: obliques, triceps, shoulders and abs.
Primary Secondary

How to do the suspended push-up

  1. Step 1: Find a suspension trainer and adjust it to an appropriate height.
  2. Step 2: Stand facing away from the anchor point and hold the handles with an overhand grip.
  3. Step 3: Walk your feet forward, leaning your body forward until your weight is supported by the suspension trainer.
  4. Step 4: Keep your body straight from head to heels, engage your core, and lower your chest towards the handles.
  5. Step 5: Push through your chest and arms to return to the starting position.
  6. Step 6: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the suspended push-up by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Suspended Push-Up alternatives

More exercises that train the chest as their main target:

More chest exercises

See the best chest exercises, ranked →

Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.