Can T Push-Ups Transform Your Body? My 30-Day Experiment

By now, in my never-ending quest to complete exercise challenges, I’ve done a wide range of upper-body and core movements. I’ve enjoyed each of them for different reasons and have been largely surprised by the benefits. Because of this, I wanted to try a hybrid exercise combining multiple aspects I’ve previously improved.

The T push-up is an exercise I wasn’t aware of before performing this challenge. I like to think I’ve got a good exercise knowledge base in terms of unique movements. However, it’s nice to know I’ve still got a lot of learning to do.

The T push-up combines the push-up movement with a side plank. This gives you a hybrid exercise to improve upper-body strength and core stability. Below are my top five T push-up benefits after a month of performing them.

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

With my travel schedule changing daily, I’ll split my sets over each day. I’ll take two rest days when needed to reduce the chances of overtraining. 

My main goal at the end of the challenge is to perform five sets of 10 repetitions. I think this is a suitable objective considering the physical requirements and the fact that I don’t know the movement.

I’ll start with three sets of 10 repetitions and change the volume as I go. If the movement gets too difficult, I can always go onto my knees or widen my leg positions. This method of push-up progression should help me if I need it.

Week 1

It’s week one and I’m really excited about learning a new movement. This is partly due to the benefits of doing push-ups every day for a week article. As a harder movement pattern, I should see even more changes!

My main aim for this week is to perfect the different technical elements. I’ll do this by performing them next to a mirror or using the help of a friend. My target training volume is three sets of 10 repetitions. Once I get the basic movement down, I’ll increase it. This should provide me with slow progressive overload while offering a big enough exercise stimulus to see changes.

At the end of week one, I can’t believe how hard this movement is. My main struggle was keeping the correct leg and hip positions in the side plank. While my technique is improving, I’ll start with the same volume in week two. Hopefully, I can get better at the transition to the side plank and continue progressing. 

Week 2 

At the start of week two, I could feel core muscles that I didn’t even know existed. I’m glad I’ve allowed myself two rest days because I did need it. 

One thing I love about this movement is the versatility it offers. Even though It’s hard to perform, I can do it pretty much anywhere. This is something that really suits my traveling lifestyle.

I’m halfway through week two and it’s time to increase the volume. My transitions from the push-up to the side plank feel smoother. I think my full-body coordination and balance are adapting better to the general movement pattern. 

I’ll increase the volume to four sets of 10 after my midweek rest day. This should reduce any potential fatigue and allow me to better focus on the important technique cues.

At the end of week two, increasing the volume was just about manageable. I performed the extra set with minor form deviations in my leg positions. Therefore, this seems like the right training volume to use for week three.

Week 3 

Now that I’m halfway through the challenge, I’m starting to notice some differences. Throughout the start of week three, my balance and core stability have improved. I guess it helps that I’ve also gotten much better at the different technical elements. 

While I would class myself as an intermediate gymgoer, the T push-up movement takes a while to get used to. The main thing I’ve found challenging is keeping the correct body position as I transition out of the push-up. 

At the midpoint in week three, I’ve decided to take a well-deserved rest day. My upper body feels sore but stronger and more capable of maintaining the position into the later repetitions.

With this, I’m going to see if I can add an extra set in for week four to finish the challenge on a high. Even if I can’t complete the full set, I’ll still have added some extra repetitions. After all, any amount of extra volume is better than no volume at all.

Week 4

As I enter week four, It’s time to see if I can push my training volume higher. The fact that I gave myself two rest days whenever I needed them has helped me manage this. Performing them every single day would be too much with the overall physicality needed.

Week three was challenging with four sets. However, it’s the last week, and therefore, time to push myself to my limits. My aim is to perform five sets of 10 repetitions with proper form for five days. That means 250 repetitions throughout the week, which should be enough progressive overload. 

I’m a few days in and definitely feeling the extra volume. I managed to perform all five sets in the first two sessions but struggled on the third day. 

Towards the end of this challenge, the added volume is catching up to me. I’m struggling to complete the fourth and fifth sets without stopping. However, I’m only taking small breaks and making sure to hit my required volume. With week four finished, I’ll certainly miss the challenging element of this movement but enjoy some well-needed rest. This is an exercise that I’ll continue to practice.

Results And Key Changes 

Now that you understand more about my overall experience, let’s talk about the key benefits I found throughout the month. These are the top five I feel are worth talking about.

I Improved My Whole-Body Strength

My whole-body strength is generally good. I regularly perform functional bodyweight exercises including many different push-up variations. However, I’ve never performed a hybrid exercise like the T push-up.

The T push-up is a versatile bodyweight movement that works the full body. Your chest, shoulders, and arms work to perform the push-up phases and maintain stability. Your core and leg muscles keep the correct body position and hold you in the side plank position.

After four weeks of high-volume training, my whole-body strength improved. I felt stronger, more functional, and more capable of performing other full-body movements. Because of this, the T push-up movement offers a worthwhile addition to any training program.

My Balance And Full-Body Coordination Got Better

As I briefly mentioned above, I regularly perform functional bodyweight movements. However, most of them tend to focus on my upper body or lower body rather than both at once.

Performing T push-ups requires large degrees of balance and full-body coordination. Transitioning from the push-up to the side plank position requires your upper and lower body to work as one. Keeping a stable position as you move requires you to balance towards one side of your body.

Throughout the challenge, my balance and full-body coordination were tested at multiple points. This was especially true as I came towards the end of my sets. At the end of the four weeks, I felt more balanced and coordinated. Even during everyday movements and sports, I felt confident that I could adopt the correct positions. 

My Core Stability Increased

Core stability refers to the capacity of the core muscles to maintain stability and control movement. This is extremely important during exercise and activity to ensure targeted muscle focus. Core instability has been linked to increased injury to the lower body.

Having good core stability distributes potential stress throughout the body and helps it to perform as intended. Yearly injury risk when weight training is estimated to be 4.5% and 0.6% for men and women, respectively.

During the push-up movement, the core works to maintain a straight body position. As you transition to the side plank and hold the top position, the core muscles maintain stability.

Towards the end of the challenge, my core strength improved. This improved my core stability and efficiency of functional movement. I felt stronger and more well-rounded compared to the start of the challenge. 

I Found The Movement Very Challenging

In a previous article, we answered the question “How many push-ups should I be able to do”. This looked at different standards for normal movement. With this, I can certainly say that the standards for T push-ups would be lower.

As I continue to perform and complete each challenge, I know one thing for sure. I love movements that are challenging and push me to higher limits that I didn’t think were possible. 

Increasing exercise difficulty is a great way to progressively overload your training to improve several aspects of physical performance. This includes muscle growth, muscular strength, and general function.

Even with my years of experience performing bodyweight movements, I found this exercise really difficult. Transitioning from the push-up to the side plank required high levels of the many physical aspects I’ve discussed above. This meant that keeping the correct movement pattern requires a high level of skill. 

The Movement Versatility Really Suited My Lifestyle

If you’ve been reading most of my challenge articles, you’ll know I regularly travel. Therefore, most of my training consists of versatile bodyweight movements that are easy to set up and require little equipment.

The T push-up requires no equipment, costs nothing, and is quick to set up. The main barrier is the movement difficulty, which can be worked on by using the correct technique cues during practice. 

Throughout the challenge, I enjoyed the versatility it offered. I could perform it anywhere with little thought for a challenging workout. Because of this, It’s great for anyone looking to overcome any of the common training barriers or traveling like me.

How To Do A T Push-Up 

How To Do

1. Find a suitable mat or padded area if available. If not, a normal floor space can be used.
2. Assume a tabletop position with your hands and knees contacting the ground. Get into a high plank position like you’re going to perform a normal push-up. 
3. Your shoulders should be stacked over your hands in a straight line from your head to your heels. Your hands should be spaced shoulder-width apart and your legs hip-width apart.
4. Engage your core. Inhale and bend your elbows to lower to the ground. 
5. Pause briefly before your chest touches at the bottom position. 
6. Exhale and extend your arms to push back to the starting position. As both arms extend, bring one arm off the ground, rotating the same shoulder and hip. Raise the same hand towards the sky while further rotating your shoulder and hip.
7. Pause briefly as you assume a T-shape at the top of the movement. 
8. Lower back to the starting position. Perform the same movement pattern, alternating the working hand for each repetition. 

Tips

• Avoid moving your feet as you come from the push-up to the side plank position. This helps to maintain a stable exercise position and correct muscle engagement.
• Ensure that you rotate your hip, shoulder, and arm using one fluid motion. This helps to ensure balance throughout each repetition.
• Your core should stay engaged as you transition between both movements. Engage your core before going down into the bottom push-up position. 
• Allow your head to maintain a neutral position and rotate with your body. This prevents excessive neck strain and possible injury risk.
• Hold the top position when your arm reaches vertical. Avoid letting your arm overextend into an unstable position.

Final Thoughts

After four weeks of performing T-push-ups most days, I can say this movement is worth every minute. It challenged my upper-body strength, core stability, and full-body coordination beyond the levels that most bodyweight movements usually can.

If you’re looking for a versatile bodyweight movement that offers well-rounded development, this is an excellent choice. Have a go at the challenge for yourself and see if you can complete it.

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