Arms · Bodyweight
Side Push-up
How to do the side push-up, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- HorizontalPush
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Lie on your side with knees bent and your top hand planted on the floor in front of your chest. Press through that hand to push your upper body up and away from the floor, working one arm at a time, then lower under control. Finish your reps, then switch sides.
- 1The working arm's triceps and shoulder driving the press
- 2A controlled push up and slow return
- 3Your core bracing to keep the movement clean
Common mistakes
- Rolling onto your back to cheat the press
- Bouncing off the floor at the bottom
- Letting the shoulder shrug toward your ear
Muscles worked
The side push-up mainly works the triceps, with the mid chest, front delts, upper chest, lower chest, upper abs, lower abs, obliques, and side delts assisting.
- TricepsPrimary
- Mid ChestSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- Upper ChestSupport
- Lower ChestSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- Side DeltsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- LatsMinor
Kovo programs the side push-up for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More triceps exercises
- How to do the bent-over tricep extension
- How to do the crossbody tricep extension
- How to do the cable katana tricep extension
- How to do the cable single arm tricep extension
- How to do the kickback
- How to do the lying tricep extension
Last reviewed June 2026.