TRX Spider-Man Push-Up
What Is the TRX Spider-Man Push-Up?
TRX Spider-Man Push-Up is a compound exercise that primarily targets the chest and core while also engaging the shoulders, triceps and hip flexors. It is an advanced-level movement: both feet sit in the suspension cradles, the hands stay on the floor, and one knee is driven toward the elbow on every rep.
Suspending the feet makes the trunk work harder than on the floor. In a study of healthy men and women, push-ups with the feet in suspension straps used the abdominal and oblique muscles significantly more than standard push-ups, while chest, front shoulder and serratus activity was no higher. The knee drive adds to this: the straps swing as one leg moves, so the abdominals and obliques must stop the hips from rotating and dropping.
Compared with the floor Spider-Man Push-Up, the cradles take away the foot's grip on the ground, so balance and hip control matter more. Compared with the TRX Push-Up, the alternating knee drive makes each rep asymmetrical and adds hip flexor work.
This variation suits people who can already do clean push-ups and hold a TRX Plank without the hips sagging. If it is too hard, build up with the TRX Push-Up, or practice the same knee drive on the floor first. It fits well after a warm-up as a chest and trunk exercise, done with slow, controlled reps.
Muscles Worked
- Pectoralis Major
- Primary
- Rectus Abdominis
- Primary
- Deltoid
- High
- External Oblique
- High
- Rectus Femoris
- Medium
- Serratus Anterior
- Medium
Instructions
- Set the straps so the foot cradles hang a few inches off the floor, and check that the anchor is secure and the straps are even.
- Place both feet in the cradles and put your hands on the floor, just wider than shoulder width and under your shoulders.
- Lift into a straight plank from head to heels, with your abs and glutes braced and your feet together.
- Bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the floor, keeping them about 30 to 45 degrees from your body.
- As you lower, bend one knee and bring it up and out toward the elbow on the same side, keeping your hips level.
- Reach the bottom with your chest low and that knee at its highest point.
- Press through your hands to straighten your arms while extending the leg back to the plank.
- On the next rep, drive the opposite knee toward its elbow, and keep alternating sides with slow, steady reps.
Common Mistakes
Sagging hips
Letting the hips drop toward the floor puts the lower back under load, so brace the abs and glutes and keep a straight line from head to heels.
Flaring the elbows
Elbows pointing straight out to the sides stress the front of the shoulder, so keep them about 30 to 45 degrees from the body.
Forcing the knee up
Cranking the knee as high as possible twists the hips and swings the straps, so bring it only as far as the pelvis stays level.
Rushing the reps
Fast reps make the straps swing and the hips rotate, so lower over about 2 to 3 seconds with the knee and chest arriving at the bottom together.
Shrugging the shoulders
Letting the shoulders rise toward the ears shifts load onto the neck and joint, so keep the shoulder blades down and back.
Swinging the legs
Letting both feet drift apart or sway in the cradles takes away control, so keep the feet together and the straps steady.
Injuries
TRX Spider-Man Push-Up is a medium risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The feet are suspended, the straps move, and the body is working against gravity on a single knee drive, so the shoulders, wrists and lower back carry more demand than in a floor push-up.
The most common strain points are the front of the shoulder when the elbows flare out to the sides, the wrists under full body weight, and the lower back when the hips sag. Keep the elbows about 30 to 45 degrees from the body, brace the abs and glutes before each rep, and keep the wrists stacked under the shoulders. Move slowly enough that the straps stay quiet.
Before every set, check that the anchor is secure and the straps are even and undamaged, and that the cradles hang low enough to step into without a struggle. If you cannot keep the hips level, regress to the TRX Push-Up, the floor Spider-Man Push-Up or an incline push-up until control improves. Stop if you feel sharp shoulder, wrist or lower back pain, and see a clinician if the pain continues. People with shoulder impingement or wrist injuries should avoid it.
- Equipment
- Suspension trainer and body weight
- Modality
- Strength
- Difficulty
- Advanced
Alternative Exercises
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: Is the TRX version harder than the floor Spider-Man push-up?
Yes, for most people. With the feet in the cradles the legs and hips have nothing to push against, so balance and trunk control are tested on every rep. Try the floor Spider-Man Push-Up first.
- Q: Why does my knee not reach my elbow?
Hip mobility is often the limit, not strength. Bring the knee only as high as the pelvis stays level, and let the range improve over time.
- Q: How do I make it easier?
Use a smaller range of motion for the knee drive, or hold the plank for a breath between reps so the straps settle. The TRX Push-Up is a good step before it.
- Q: Should I alternate legs every rep?
Yes, alternating sides keeps the work even. Lower with one knee driving toward its elbow, press up, return the leg, and drive the other knee on the next rep.
- Q: How many reps should I do?
Start with 2 or 3 sets of 3 to 5 reps per side and build toward 8 per side, stopping when the hips sag or the straps start to swing.