The trx push-up allows you to work your chest with your body weight only and a little extra help from trx suspension trainers.
If you have mastered the basic push up then this movement should come easy for you.
But don’t beat yourself up if you have yet to; the steps below will help you master the correct form for maximum benefit.
- First, secure the trainers to an anchor above your head, or a doorframe if you’re doing it at home.
- Adjust them to about mid-shin level and stand in front of the anchor with your back to it.
- Grasp the handles and walk your feet back until your body is in a horizontal axis. At this point, you should be in a push-up plank position.
- Begin lowering yourself until your chest lies parallel to the straps.
- Press your feet together and tighten your core.
- Grip the handles tight and push yourself up to move away from them.
- Return to where you started as you extend your arms.
WHAT MUSCLES DOES THE TRX PUSH-UP WORK?
On your chest, both the pectoralis major and pectoralis minor get engaged as you lower yourself and use them to push back up.
Other muscles worked in the upper body are the triceps brachii, anterior deltoid, serratus anterior and the coracobrachialis.
Engaging your core also helps protect your spine and keep your entire body stable in the push-up plank position.
BENEFITS OF THE TRX PUSH UP
IT SUITS ANY FITNESS LEVEL
There are multiple variations of the trx push-up that you can do to regress or progress it so it matches your fitness level.
A common progression is an atomic push-up variation, where you combine a push-up and a pike.
Similarly, you can regress it by walking your feet back to decrease the angle of the tilt.
IMPROVES ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE
The trx push-up is a highly functional movement that develops upper body strength and core stability, which makes it an excellent addition to an athlete’s training regimen.
IS A COMPOUND EXERCISE
Rather than working your muscles in isolation, this movement trains multiple muscles in your upper body simultaneously.
This makes it highly efficient, especially for people who don’t have much time to work out.
STRENGTHENS YOUR BONES AND JOINTS
The trx push-up strengthens your muscles and helps build the supportive structures in your body, such as bones and joints.
Being a bodyweight exercise, it is highly beneficial for building bone and joint strength, which prevents osteoporosis (bone loss) in aging women.
IMPROVES CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH
While it primarily develops muscular strength, the trx push-up is also a great way to boost your heart health.
Remember, it works a lot of muscles at the same time, which makes your heart work a lot harder to supply enough oxygen throughout your body.
ALTERNATIVES TO THE TRX PUSH UP
TRX CHEST FLY
This compound exercise works multiple muscles alongside your chest, using resistance from trx suspension trainers.
Steps:
- Fasten the trainers to a high anchor point.
- Stand upright, facing away from the machine, with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Grasp the handles of the trainers with an overhand grip.
- Lean forward to create a 40⁰ angle with the ground.
- As you lower, open your arms out in an arc-like motion, keeping the elbows slightly bent so you don’t strain the joint.
- When you feel the chest muscles stretch, begin pushing your arms together to return to where you started. Remember to maintain the plank-like position and pivot on your toes during this phase.
- Repeat these steps.
RECLINED CHEST PRESS
With only a bench and two dumbbells or a barbell, the reclined chest press can help develop your upper pecs, making it a perfect alternative.
Steps:
- Grab a dumbbell in each hand (or a barbell with both hands) using an overhand grip.
- Lie on a bench face up and keep the elbows parallel to the ground.
- Extend your arms to press the weight(s) toward the ceiling. Use your chest instead of arm muscles for the upward movement.
- Bend your elbows to get back down.
- Repeat for more reps.
TRX PUSH-UP MISTAKES TO AVOID
NOT BRACING YOUR CORE
Engage your core fully to prevent your back from sagging downward and help you maintain a neutral spine.
HOLDING YOUR BREATH
This mistake is common to virtually all challenging movements.
You may hold your breath when the workout gets tough as you try to get through the motions.
While that is understandable, considering how hard the exercise can get, it is likely to negatively impact the movement’s effectiveness.
Your muscles need a steady supply of oxygen to fuel your movements, and it can only get this if you keep breathing throughout your set .
FAST REPS
Most people believe that if they perform this movement with as much momentum as possible, they’ll get the best out of it.
This couldn’t be further from the truth.
Like most strength-training exercises, the trx push-up requires that you maintain slow and steady motions, especially during the lowering portion of it.
LETTING YOUR HEAD DROP
Sometimes a set can get so hard that you only care about finishing it and calling it a day.
During such times, the temptation to stick your neck out may rear its ugly head, threatening to ruin your alignment.
With a ruined alignment towards the end, you risk reversing all the gains you’ve broke a sweat for throughout the set.
Keep your head neutral and your gaze on the ground to avoid jutting your neck outwards.
IN SUMMARY
So, are you ready to add the trx push-up to your upper body routine? Hopefully, this article has convinced you to consider making it part of your regimen.
To reiterate, it works more muscles and joints on your upper body than most chest workouts.
Also, you don’t have to feel stuck doing the regular version; you can modify it to make it more comfortable.
For maximum benefit, add the trx push-up to an upper-body routine that’s well-curated to suit your fitness goals.
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