The spiderman push-up combines a standard push-up with a simultaneous hip flexion movement where one knee drives toward the same-side elbow during the lowering phase. The movement is named for the resemblance to Spider-Man’s wall-crawling position, where the body is low and lateral with the knees drawn up beside the torso.
What the Leg Movement Specifically Adds
The standard push-up develops the chest, anterior deltoid, triceps, and the anti-extension core. The spiderman push-up retains all of these while adding three specific elements that the standard push-up does not address:
Hip flexor activation under load: Driving the knee toward the elbow during the lowering phase requires the hip flexors (particularly the iliopsoas and rectus femoris) to actively flex the hip against the resistance of body weight. As covered in the exercise for psoas muscle strengthening article on this site, the hip flexors are frequently underdeveloped relative to their functional importance, and the spiderman push-up provides loaded hip flexor activation without any equipment.
Hip external rotation and abductor activation: As the knee drives outward and upward toward the elbow (rather than straight forward), the hip external rotators and gluteus medius must activate to guide the knee outward. This lateral hip activation develops the same muscles targeted by the clamshell with band and lateral band walk exercises covered on this site, but in a dynamic, loaded, and push-up-integrated context.
Anti-rotation core demand: When one knee drives forward and the opposite side bears the full body weight, the core must resist the rotational force that this asymmetric position creates. The anti-rotation demand of the spiderman push-up is significantly greater than the pure anti-extension demand of the standard push-up.
Dynamic hip mobility: The full range knee-to-elbow movement develops active hip flexion and external rotation range, making the spiderman push-up simultaneously a mobility and a strength exercise for the hip.
Muscles Targeted
Primary (upper body — same as standard push-up):
- Pectoralis major
- Anterior deltoid
- Triceps brachii
Additional (the spiderman-specific additions):
- Iliopsoas and rectus femoris (hip flexion of the driving leg)
- Gluteus medius (hip abduction and external rotation guiding the knee outward)
- Hip external rotators (piriformis, gemelli, obturator muscles)
- Obliques and transversus abdominis (anti-rotation core demand)
Stabilising:
- Serratus anterior (scapular stability)
- Contralateral hip stabilisers (supporting the single-leg stance side)
Step-by-Step Technique
Starting Position
- Begin in the standard push-up top position
- Hands at shoulder width, body forming a straight line from heels to head
- Core braced, glutes engaged
The Lowering Phase and Knee Drive (The Critical Timing)
The most important technical detail of the spiderman push-up is the timing of the knee drive relative to the push-up lowering phase:
- Begin lowering the body toward the floor by bending the elbows
- Simultaneously (at the same moment the lowering begins), begin driving one knee forward and outward toward the same-side elbow
- The knee drive and the body lowering should be coordinated so both arrive at their endpoint at the same time:
- The chest arrives near the floor
- The knee arrives at or near the same-side elbow
- At the bottom position: chest near the floor, knee at or beside the elbow, the driven foot off the floor with the hip flexed and externally rotated
The outward direction of the knee drive:
The knee drives forward and outward toward the elbow rather than straight forward. This outward direction is what recruits the hip external rotators and gluteus medius alongside the hip flexors. A knee that drives straight forward (parallel to the body’s centre line) is a common error that reduces the hip mobility and lateral hip activation components.
The Pressing Phase and Return
- Press the body back to the top position by extending the elbows
- Simultaneously return the driven foot to the floor beside the other foot
- The return should be as coordinated as the drive: foot returns to starting position as the arms reach full extension
- Complete the full rep on one side before performing the next rep on the other side
Alternating versus same-side:
The standard spiderman push-up alternates the knee drive each rep (left knee with the first rep, right knee with the second, etc.). Some programming uses consecutive same-side reps before switching, which increases the total hip flexor and hip stability demand per side before the brief recovery of switching sides.
Key Technique Cues
Simultaneous movement: The knee drive and the lowering must begin at the same time and arrive at the bottom simultaneously. Beginning the knee drive before the lowering (or after) breaks the integrated movement pattern that makes the spiderman push-up specifically valuable.
Knee toward elbow, not toward hand: The knee drives toward the elbow (the mid-forearm region) rather than toward the hand or beyond. Overshooting the elbow shifts the hip into excessive flexion and often causes the hip to rotate past the useful range.
Outward arc of the knee: The knee should travel outward and upward, not straight forward. If watching from above, the knee should sweep out to the side rather than track directly forward along the body’s centre line.
Maintain the hip of the working side: The hip on the side of the driving knee should not drop significantly during the lowering phase. The driving leg’s hip should remain relatively level with the non-driving hip, with the difference being the flexion and rotation of the working hip joint rather than a collapse of the hip toward the floor.
Full push-up range: The chest must still approach the floor despite the asymmetric leg position. The tendency is to reduce the push-up depth when the knee drive is added. Maintaining the full push-up depth ensures the exercise does not become a shallow movement that merely looks like a spiderman push-up.
Common Errors and Fixes
Error 1: Sequential Rather Than Simultaneous Movement
What it looks like: The athlete fully lowers into the push-up position first, then drives the knee. Or drives the knee to the elbow first, then lowers. The two movements happen in sequence rather than together.
Why this matters: The simultaneous movement is what creates the anti-rotation core demand and the integrated hip-and-push pattern. Sequential movement converts the exercise into two separate movements and eliminates the core challenge.
Fix: Begin both movements at exactly the same moment. A useful cue is to think of the knee drive as a trigger for the lowering phase: the moment the knee begins to move, the elbows begin to bend.
Error 2: Knee Driving Straight Forward Rather Than Outward
What it looks like: The knee tracks parallel to the body’s centre line, moving straight forward rather than outward toward the elbow.
Why this happens: The straight-forward direction is the natural hip flexion direction. The outward arc requires active hip external rotation, which the athlete may not be initiating.
Fix: Think of trying to touch the outside of the knee to the same-side elbow. This external cue naturally encourages the outward arc of the hip movement.
Error 3: Reduced Push-Up Depth
What it looks like: The chest stops significantly above the floor level — the push-up is only performed to 60 to 70 percent of full depth.
Why it happens: The asymmetric body position makes the full depth push-up harder, and the athlete unconsciously reduces the depth to maintain the rep.
Fix: The chest must approach the floor on every rep, regardless of the knee position. If full depth cannot be maintained with the knee drive, return to practicing the movements separately (push-ups to full depth, plus lying knee-to-elbow drills) before combining them.
Error 4: Hip Dropping on the Driving Side
What it looks like: The hip on the side of the driving knee drops significantly toward the floor as the knee drives forward, creating a significant lateral tilt of the pelvis.
Why it happens: The hip flexors and core stabilisers of the driving side are not maintaining the hip position during the drive.
Fix: Focus on maintaining the pelvis as level as possible during the knee drive. Some lateral pelvic tilt is inevitable given the asymmetric leg position, but a significant drop indicates insufficient lateral core stability on the driving side.
Error 5: Head Turning Toward the Driving Knee
What it looks like: The head rotates to watch the knee driving toward the elbow, creating cervical rotation during the exercise.
Fix: Maintain a neutral neck throughout. Eyes should look at the floor approximately 30 centimetres in front of the hands, not toward the driving knee.
Progressions
Regression: Spiderman Plank (No Push-Up)
For athletes who cannot yet coordinate the simultaneous movements of the full spiderman push-up, the spiderman plank develops the hip flexion and anti-rotation components without the push-up pressing demand.
How to do it:
- Begin in the plank position (forearms or hands)
- Drive one knee toward the same-side elbow
- Hold for 2 to 3 seconds
- Return and alternate
- 3 sets of 10 per side
Progression criterion: Consistent controlled knee-to-elbow drive with stable pelvis before combining with the push-up movement.
Standard Spiderman Push-Up
As described in the technique section above.
Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 10 (4 to 5 per side, alternating)
Spiderman Push-Up With Pause at Bottom
Adding a 2-second pause at the bottom position (chest near floor, knee at elbow) increases both the push-up depth demand and the hip flexor isometric hold.
Sets and reps: 3 sets of 6 to 8
Spiderman Push-Up With Hip Rotation at Bottom
At the bottom of the spiderman push-up (knee at elbow), rotate the hip to point the knee upward toward the ceiling and then back to the elbow position before pressing back up. This adds an active hip rotation component to the exercise.
Sets and reps: 3 sets of 6 per side
Consecutive Same-Side Spiderman Push-Up
Performing all reps with the knee driving to the same side before switching develops unilateral hip flexor endurance.
Sets and reps: 3 sets of 5 per side
Spiderman Push-Up With Feet Elevated
As covered in the elevated push ups article on this site, elevating the feet adds to the push-up difficulty. Combined with the spiderman knee drive, this is an advanced combined variation.
Sets and reps: 3 sets of 6 to 8
Programming Spiderman Push-Ups
As part of a complete push-up programme:
The spiderman push-up provides the hip mobility and anti-rotation core component that no other push-up variation in this series specifically addresses. It fits naturally as the core and hip element within a push-up variation session:
- Wide push-ups: 3 x 12 (chest strength)
- Close grip push-ups: 3 x 12 (triceps strength)
- Spiderman push-ups: 3 x 10 (core anti-rotation and hip mobility)
As a warm-up exercise:
The spiderman push-up’s hip mobility component makes it an effective dynamic warm-up exercise before lower body training. 2 sets of 8 to 10 before squats or lunges prepares the hip flexors and hip external rotators alongside priming the upper body pushing muscles.
As a hip mobility exercise within a training session:
For athletes who need to develop hip flexion and external rotation range (runners, martial artists, gymnasts), the spiderman push-up can be included as a loaded mobility exercise rather than purely as a push-up variation.
Frequency:
3 times per week as part of a push-up variation programme. The hip flexor and hip rotation components benefit from consistent practice to develop the motor pattern.
Volume progression:
Begin with 3 sets of 6 to 8 (3 to 4 per side) and build to 3 sets of 12 to 16 (6 to 8 per side) over 4 to 6 weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are spiderman push-ups harder than standard push-ups?
Yes. The anti-rotation core demand and the simultaneous hip flexion movement make spiderman push-ups more demanding than standard push-ups at an equivalent rep count. Most people need to reduce their push-up rep count by 30 to 40 percent when first adding the spiderman knee drive. This should be expected and is not a sign of weakness — it reflects the additional demands the exercise places on the core and hips.
Do spiderman push-ups help with hip flexor tightness?
Yes, through the active mobility mechanism. The dynamic loaded knee-to-elbow drive develops the hip flexors’ active range of motion, which is distinct from passive flexibility (stretching). For people with hip flexor tightness, the spiderman push-up provides loaded hip flexion training that complements static hip flexor stretching. It does not replace stretching but addresses the active mobility component that stretching does not develop.
Can I do spiderman push-ups every day?
At low volumes (2 sets of 8), the spiderman push-up can be performed daily as part of a morning movement routine or warm-up. Higher volumes (3 to 4 sets at full intensity) benefit from 48 hours of recovery between sessions. Daily low-volume practice particularly benefits the hip motor pattern development that makes the simultaneous coordination feel natural.
What is the difference between spiderman push-ups and mountain climbers?
Mountain climbers drive the knee forward toward the opposite shoulder (cross-body) or the same-side shoulder (standard) from a plank position without the lowering and pressing phase. Spiderman push-ups drive the knee outward toward the same-side elbow while simultaneously performing a full push-up lowering and pressing. Mountain climbers are primarily a cardiovascular and core conditioning exercise; spiderman push-ups develop the chest, anterior deltoid, triceps, and hip alongside the core at a lower metabolic pace but with greater strength demand.