TRX Push-Up (Standard)

PushTRX

A standard push-up performed with feet suspended in the TRX foot cradles instead of on the floor. The instability of the straps forces continuous core bracing and shoulder stabilization on top of the normal pressing work, making it harder than a floor push-up at the same hand position.

Demo: TRX Training

Sets

3

Reps

8-15

Rest

1 min

Contraindications

Wrist pain — perform on fists or use push-up handles. Shoulder impingement — reduce range of motion.

Setup

Set straps to mid-calf length. Face away from the anchor, place tops of both feet into the foot cradles, and walk out to a plank with hands slightly wider than shoulder width under your shoulders.

Execution

  1. 1Brace core and squeeze glutes to lock the body into one straight line
  2. 2Lower your chest toward the floor by bending the elbows, keeping them at roughly 45 degrees from the torso
  3. 3Touch chest close to the ground without letting the hips sag or pike
  4. 4Press back up to full elbow extension without letting the straps sway

Key cues

  • Squeeze a straight line from head to heels
  • Elbows track ~45 degrees, not flared to 90
  • Drive the floor away evenly through both hands
  • Keep the straps still — no side-to-side swing

Common faults

  • Hips sagging toward the floor (losing the plank line)
  • Piking the hips up to make it easier
  • Letting the straps swing or twist during the rep
  • Flaring elbows out to 90 degrees, stressing the shoulders

Tweaks

  • Move feet further from the anchor point to make it easier
  • Move feet closer under the anchor to make it harder
  • Add a 2-second pause at the bottom
  • Perform on fingertips or with a clap for power variation

Regressions

TRX Chest Press (Feet Planted)

Progressions

TRX Atomic Push-UpTRX One-Arm Push-Up Progression

Muscles

Primary: Pectoralis Major, Triceps Brachii, Anterior Deltoid

Secondary: Core, Serratus Anterior

Notes

TRX-specific. Angle = intensity: the more horizontal the body relative to the floor, the harder pressing/pulling/plank-style TRX moves become. For pulling movements (rows, face pulls), walking feet toward the anchor and leaning back further increases load. For pressing movements (push-ups, chest press), walking feet away from the anchor and standing more upright decreases load; moving feet closer to directly under the anchor point increases load. Foot position in the straps (heel vs. midfoot vs. toe) also changes leverage and load for lower-body moves. For push-ups specifically, foot position closer to the anchor point (more body weight forward over the hands) increases difficulty; standing further away decreases it.

Sources

Attribution: TRX Training / Randy Hetrick