How is this different from a T push-up on the floor?

The pattern is the same push-up and turn into a side plank with the top arm raised, but here the feet hang in the foot cradles instead of resting on the floor. The straps can swing and the feet have nothing solid to push against, so the trunk and support shoulder work harder to keep the body steady.

How should my feet sit in the cradles during the side plank?

Let both feet turn with your body as you rotate, so they end up on their sides in the cradles. Staggering them with the top foot slightly in front gives a wider, steadier base, while stacking them one on top of the other makes the hold harder.

Should I alternate sides on every rep?

Alternating sides after each push-up is the most common way to do it and keeps the work even between the left and right sides. You can also do all your reps to one side and then switch, which lets you focus on one side plank at a time.

Is this a good exercise for beginners?

Not as a first suspension exercise. You should be able to hold a steady plank, do a controlled TRX Push-Up and hold a TRX Side Plank before combining them, and the Plank to Side Plank on the floor is a good place to learn the turn.

TRX Push-Up to Side Plank

What Is the TRX Push-Up to Side Plank?

TRX Push-Up to Side Plank is a compound exercise that primarily targets the chest and core and also engages the shoulders, triceps and hip stabilizers. It is an intermediate-level movement that joins a push-up with both feet in the suspension trainer's foot cradles to a rotation into a straight-arm side plank, with the top arm reaching toward the ceiling.

The exercise trains pressing strength and trunk control in the same set. Because the feet hang in the straps rather than resting on the floor, the body has to stay rigid to keep the straps from swinging, and the turn onto one hand asks the trunk to control rotation and then hold the hips up against gravity from the side. In a laboratory study of 32 healthy adults, push-ups with the feet suspended recruited the rectus abdominis and both obliques more than standard push-ups, while the pectoralis major, front deltoid and serratus anterior worked no harder. That study tested the push-up alone, without the rotation.

The two halves share the work differently. The push-up loads the chest, front shoulders and triceps, while the side plank shifts the effort to the obliques, the support shoulder and the gluteus medius on the bottom hip. Raising the top arm narrows the base of support, and staggering the feet in the cradles with the top foot slightly forward gives a steadier side plank than stacking them.

It suits trainees who can already hold a solid TRX Push-Up and a TRX Side Plank, and it fits well in core or upper-body circuits where a few controlled reps per side matter more than volume. If it is too hard, build up with the Push-Up, Plank to Side Plank on the floor and the TRX Plank before putting the two suspended halves together.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

External Oblique: Primary
Pectoralis Major: Primary
Deltoid: High
Rectus Abdominis: High
Gluteus Medius: Medium
Serratus Anterior: Medium
Triceps Brachii (Lateral Head): Medium
Triceps Brachii (Long Head): Medium
Infraspinatus: Low
Tensor Fasciae Latae: Low

Instructions

Adjust the straps to about mid-calf length and place both feet in the foot cradles with your toes pointing down.
Face away from the anchor and walk your hands out into a high plank, feet roughly beneath the anchor and hands shoulder-width apart, directly under your shoulders.
Press the tops of your feet into the cradles, brace your core and squeeze your glutes so your body forms a straight line from head to heels.
Bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the floor, keeping your elbows at about 45 degrees to your torso.
Press back up until your arms are fully straight.
Shift your weight onto one hand and rotate your hips and shoulders together to that side, letting your feet turn in the cradles until they are staggered or stacked.
Reach your top arm straight up toward the ceiling in line with the support arm and turn your head to look at your top hand.
Keep the support hand under your shoulder and your hips lifted, and pause briefly in the side plank.
Bring the top hand back to the floor and rotate back into the high plank.
Do the next push-up and rotate to the other side, alternating sides for the set.

Common Mistakes

Hips sagging
Letting the hips drop in the push-up or the side plank shifts the load into the lower back and takes the work away from the core.
Turning before the press finishes
Starting the rotation while the elbows are still bent puts the whole body on one bent arm and strains the support shoulder.
Hips trailing the shoulders
Turning the upper body first and letting the hips follow twists the lower back, so the hips and shoulders should rotate together as one unit.
Support hand out of position
Leaving the bottom hand ahead of or wide of the shoulder in the side plank lets the shoulder collapse instead of pushing the floor away.
Rushing and swinging the straps
Throwing the body into the turn sets the straps swinging, which makes the side plank unstable and can pull a foot out of its cradle.

Injuries

TRX Push-Up to Side Plank is a medium risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The main strain points are the support shoulder and wrist, which carry most of the body's weight on one hand during the side plank, and the lower back, which takes the load if the hips sag in either position. Losing control of the straps during the turn can also drop the feet or twist the body awkwardly.

Check that the anchor is secure, set the straps to about mid-calf length and press the tops of the feet firmly into the cradles before you start. Keep the support hand directly under the shoulder, push the floor away so the shoulder does not collapse toward the ear, and turn the hips and shoulders together at a slow, even pace so the straps stay quiet.

To regress, practice the halves separately with the TRX Push-Up and the TRX Side Plank, or do the Plank to Side Plank with the feet on the floor. Keeping the top hand on the hip instead of raising it also makes the side plank easier to hold. To progress, slow the push-up down or hold the side plank for a longer pause before turning back.

Stop the set if you feel sharp pain in the shoulder, wrist or lower back, if the hips sag and you cannot lift them back into line, or if the straps start swinging and you can no longer control the rotation.

Overview

Primary Focus: Chest and core
Equipment: Suspension trainer and body weight
Modality: Strength
Difficulty: Intermediate

Alternative Exercises

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How is this different from a T push-up on the floor?: The pattern is the same push-up and turn into a side plank with the top arm raised, but here the feet hang in the foot cradles instead of resting on the floor. The straps can swing and the feet have nothing solid to push against, so the trunk and support shoulder work harder to keep the body steady.
Q: How should my feet sit in the cradles during the side plank?: Let both feet turn with your body as you rotate, so they end up on their sides in the cradles. Staggering them with the top foot slightly in front gives a wider, steadier base, while stacking them one on top of the other makes the hold harder.
Q: Should I alternate sides on every rep?: Alternating sides after each push-up is the most common way to do it and keeps the work even between the left and right sides. You can also do all your reps to one side and then switch, which lets you focus on one side plank at a time.
Q: Is this a good exercise for beginners?: Not as a first suspension exercise. You should be able to hold a steady plank, do a controlled TRX Push-Up and hold a TRX Side Plank before combining them, and the Plank to Side Plank on the floor is a good place to learn the turn.