Side Push-Ups For 30 Days: My Honest Take On The Results

With several years of resistance training experience, there are not many exercises I haven’t tried. I’ve trained in gyms across the world, trying out new equipment and new movements. When I find a new exercise, my excitement grows about the possible unique benefits I might experience.

Push-ups are the movement that just keeps on giving. A recent study found that participants who could do 40+ push-ups lowered their cardiovascular disease event risk by 96%. This is just one of the many reasons why they’re one of my favorite exercises. 

The side push-up is a movement I’ve never tried. Therefore, I wanted to see what I would experience when performing this uncommon exercise every day for a month. Without further delay, these are my side push-up benefits after a month of daily training.

Doing Side Push-Ups Every Day For A Month — My Experience

My main aim is to see what benefits I can experience from a totally new push-up movement. I will perform them every day for a month while increasing my training volume. 

In a separate article, we’ve discussed how many push-ups you should be able to do. This can give you a good idea for your starting volume if you’re unsure.

Week 1

I’m not usually nervous before my challenges. However, I’ve never seen this movement before. It’s something that I’m excited to try but also don’t know much about.

I’ve chosen to slowly increase the training volume for my push-up progression method. I’ll start with three sets of 20 repetitions this week and slowly build. This should be enough progressive overload to see some beneficial changes. 

I’m finding the different technical elements quite challenging to start with. You need to focus on keeping a straight body position while using one arm to come up. As you’ll see in the pictures, this is something I’m struggling with.

I’ve already noticed just how much this movement works my core. I can feel it burning when holding the top position. Funnily enough, I don’t have access to a yoga mat or padded surface at the minute. It’s a little uncomfortable, but I’ll manage. 

Week 2 

At the start of week two, I’m feeling more confident with the general movement. Therefore, I’m going to increase my daily volume to four sets of 20 repetitions. 

In a previous article, I discussed the benefits of doing push-ups every day for a week. In this, I said that my upper body would improve if I kept doing them. With the amount of chest activation I’m experiencing so far, I think I’ll see some growth.

One thing I love about push-up variations is just how easy it is to perform them anywhere. I’m doing them at home, with my usual gym sessions, and even on the go. You simply get down and start exercising. 

I’m still struggling a little bit to keep my hips straight. Because of this, I’m going to try to focus on engaging my core throughout the whole movement. 

Week 3

At the start of week three, I noticed a change in my chest size. The side position forces me to focus on proper chest engagement, similar to other unstable push-up variations. Because of this, the side push-up has provided the added volume I needed. 

I’m feeling good so I’m going to increase the volume again. This should provide the right progressive overload for any further physical changes. This week, I’ll go for four sets of 25 repetitions. 

Even though it’s only a five-repetition increase, I’m finding it much harder. Doing the same movement every day isn’t easy, even if you split the sets throughout the day. However, I think I’m generally doing well at reducing potential fatigue. 

As I reach the end of week three, I don’t want the challenge to end. It’s so refreshing to find a new movement and truly enjoy the unique benefits it offers! 

Week 4

While I would love to increase my volume move, I think I’m at my limit. My body feels sore but I’m still managing to just about maintain the correct technique. I would rather not overdo things and risk injury. 

With this, I’ll do four sets of 25 repetitions daily for the last week. Hopefully, I’ll be able to perfect my technique and finish strong. 

Even though the challenge is nearly over, I would love to use this movement more in my main training. Going forward, I’ll see if I can find more new and exciting exercises to try. Hopefully, this added variety will help if I approach it correctly!

Results And Key Changes 

These are the five key changes I experienced throughout my recent challenge. You may experience some of these yourself when using the right training volume and following the correct technique cues.

My Chest Muscle Development Improved

As I’ve discussed in my previous challenge articles, my chest is a strong point. I’ve always had a big chest compared to my arms and legs. This could be because I would perform daily push-ups when I was younger.

When you think about chest training, you think about standard push movements when your arms come in front of you. Hardly ever do you think about pushing from a side position. The closest movement example would be a chest fly.

Despite having a big chest, the new movement pattern allowed me to better activate my middle and bottom chest muscles. I could feel my chest working at the top of the movement as I held the position. Because of this, my chest development got even better by the end of the month.

I Enjoyed How Accessible The Movement Was

Something many people often overlook is the accessibility of exercises. If you have constant access to a world-class gym, this isn’t a problem. However, if you regularly travel and are very busy like me, it’s a vital consideration. 

The side push-up requires no equipment besides a mat or padded surface. It can also be performed on the grass or even the beach if you’re lucky enough to be near one. Alongside this, it uses a simple enough movement. 

Therefore, it takes away many of the common barriers to exercise participation. I could perform it throughout the day whenever I had a chance. In many cases, I didn’t even need to think about doing it. 

It Required Great Core Strength To Maintain The Correct Position

Core strength is an important aspect of everyday movement and performance. Having a strong core helps with mobility and may improve certain aspects of performance. These include balance, stability, and change of direction. 

While side push-ups are not classed as a typical core exercise, your oblique muscles play a role. They help keep your hips stable as you maintain a straight body position when off the ground. Similar to tricep push-ups, you’re using a smaller base of support with a larger balance requirement.  

Because of this, performing them with such a high volume required great core strength. Even with my training experience, I felt like my core was sufficiently challenged. The obliques are an important core muscle that doesn’t often get a lot of targeted training. Therefore, side push-ups are a great exercise to improve their function. 

I Felt More Confident In My Full-Body Coordination

Full-body coordination refers to the way the different parts of your body communicate. Having good full-body coordination allows you to perform movements efficiently and safely. This applies to everyday movements such as walking up the stairs and several aspects of sports performance.

The side push-up requires your upper body and lower body to work together. One of your arms extends while the other helps to keep balanced. At the same time, your torso and legs ensure a straight body position for targeted muscle focus.

While my full-body coordination isn’t noticeably bad, it could improve. For this reason, I try to prioritize functional movements that challenge me.

After a month of performing side push-ups, I can safely say that this can be included as one of them. Throughout the challenge, my full body worked hard to effectively communicate the right positions. At the end of the month, I felt much more confident that both halves of my body could work together. 

The New Movement Pattern Motivated Me To Keep Going

As I mentioned above, there are only a few exercises I haven’t tried. After years of training, I still enjoy finding new movements that excite me. 

With the side push-up being one of them, I enjoyed the motivation it gave me. While I love resistance training, there’s just something about training variety that helps keep you going. 

With motivation being an important factor in long-term enjoyment, this was a welcome change for me. In the future, I’ll be sure to try to find other new and exciting bodyweight movements to try! 

How To Do A Side Push-Up

How To Do

1. Set up next to a mat or suitable padded area.
2. Lie on your right side with a straight body position. Your legs should be stacked on top of each other with your left leg in the top position. There should be a straight line from your heels to your head.
3. Bring your right hand across your body and grasp your left lat muscle. Place your left hand next to you just in front of your right shoulder. This is your working arm.
4. Inhale and engage your core. Exhale and push away from the ground with your left arm to straighten your elbow. Allow your upper body and torso to come off the ground while maintaining a straight body position.
5. Pause briefly at the top position when your elbow is fully extended.
6. Inhale and slowly lower your body back to the ground by bending your elbow. 
7. Repeat the same technique cues for the stated repetitions. Switch to the opposite side and repeat.

Tips

• Ensure you keep your core engaged throughout both phases of the movement. This helps to maintain the straight body position needed for correct muscle engagement.
• Your chin should be slightly tucked while looking forward. This helps to maintain neutral head and spine positions.
• Make sure to use an exercise mat or padded surface to improve exercise comfort. Using a hard surface can cause injury and cause form deviations.
• Focus on using your chest and oblique muscles to perform both phases of the movement. This increased mind-muscle connection improves muscle growth when correctly implemented.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to the push-up movement, there’s no limit to the amount of useful variations. After a month of performing them, side push-ups are definitely one of them. Although they are classed as an uncommon exercise, they deserve more recognition.

If you’re looking for a versatile push-up variation that offers several benefits, give the side push-up a go. Try my challenge for yourself and stay tuned for the next one!

Frequently Asked Questions