How Many Push-Ups Should I Do?

Remember what ancient Greek or Indian warriors looked like? Strong body and muscles-muscles-muscles. The warriors had to train hard to get a perfect shape as they were leading constant fights; their body was their shield. But why are these historical remarks in a fitness section? Because one of the most common exercises to do in those times was push-ups. It certainly is a bit grueling, but the benefits are endless. Once you learn the basic techniques, you’ll be able to do its beneficial variations and see how your upper body gets stronger, and muscles get pumped up. Of course, quantity matters – the results depend on how many pushups you do with a proper form. Stay with us and find out how to do push-ups correctly and how many push-ups you need to become fit and strong.

What Muscles Do Push-Ups Work?

We don’t really want to seem biased, but doing push-ups, unlike some other exercises, you get the whole-body beneficial training; it has no faults at all.

The push-ups target the upper body, including the chest, back, shoulders, arms, and abdomen muscles. Where’s the promised full-body workout then? Only the upper part is actively involved. As long as the push-ups are performed from a plank position, you also recruit the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves. Besides, there are variations of pushups to alter the muscles engaged and make the workouts more diverse.

What Are The Benefits of Push-Ups

Push-ups, as mentioned above, engage the whole body to work. Let’s have a closer look at the benefits of this exercise.

1. Wrists. Performing push-ups, you put more pressure on the wrists to support the weight of your body, making your wrists stronger. This helps keep you from breaking your wrist if you fall because weak wrists break easily. Besides, wrists strength is essential in fighting sports.

2. Balance and stability – push-ups increase the upper body muscle strength and thus improve coordination. This is why push-ups are recommended for people with low balance injuries.

3. Hormones regulation – push-ups are a type of anaerobic and resistance exercise; they can regulate the low testosterone level [1] and thus prevent the risks it may cause.

4. Muscle density – getting older, our body starts to lose muscle density. To prevent it, you need to lead a physically active life, giving enough work to your muscles. A simple push up can help you with it.

5. Strong core and upper body – with a push up, the abdominal area gets a proper workout; hence, your posture is always straight, and you experience fewer problems with your back.

6. Affordability and accessibility – you do not require any special equipment or place to start doing push-ups. You can buy some equipment to diversify your routine, but it’s not obligatory. And what about doing some push-ups while watching a movie instead of eating another bucket of popcorn?

How To Do A Regular Push-Up

Muscle strength workout starts with proper form and technique. You need to start doing traditional pushups and move on to the variations after mastering them.

The procedure:

1. Start with a straight-arm plank position; your wrists are right under your shoulders; you lean on the balls of your toes.
2. Pull your belly button into your spine to engage your core, squeeze your glutes, your back is straight.
3. Take a deep breath as you bend your elbows to at least 90 degrees.
4. Pushing through the palm of your hands, exhale and straighten your arms back to your starting position.

How many pushups can the average person do? If you managed to do one – it’s a great start! Work your way up to 3 sets of 10 reps; a 30 to 60-second break between sets will be enough.

Push-Up Variations

As we have already stated, by doing pushups variations, you engage more muscle groups and diversify your workout routine.

• The Inclined Push-Up

The inclined push-up is an easier variation of a traditional one because it’s performed from an elevated platform. It targets your upper body strength and lower-chest muscles.

The procedure:

1. Choose an elevated and stable surface – it can be a bench, ledge, or box. Crouch down, place your hands pointing forward and shoulder-width apart.
2. Take a stable plank position, keep your body in a straight line, eyes look forward.

!!! Do not allow your lower back to arch or cave in.

3. Bend your arms and lower your chest towards the surface. Keep your core engaged.

Straighten your arms to return to the plank starting position. Generally, it looks like a bench pressing.

Want to challenge yourself? Place your hands on two parallel surfaces with a gap in-between – that’s how you lower your upper body further than your hands.

• Decline Push-Up

The main perk of doing decline pushups is building strong upper chest muscles. This exercise works your upper pecs and the muscles in your shoulders. When performed regularly, decline pushups will help increase your overall upper-body strength.

The procedure:

1. Place your hands on the ground, a bit wider than shoulder-width apart; press your feet up against a wall (a box, a bench – stable platform) with straight legs to hold yourself in place.
2. Keeping a straight torso, exhale and let your arms extend, raising yourself up.
3. Continue until your arms are fully extended.
4. Inhale and lower yourself to the ground until your chest almost makes contact with the ground.
5. Repeat the same for the desired number of reps and sets.

• The Plank Push-Up

This push-up exercise combines the core workout of a plank with the arm, shoulder, and back workout of a push-up. All the major muscle groups get engaged in one exercise without any equipment. This advanced type of push-up will bring your workout to a more advanced level.

The procedure:

1. With the balls of your toes on the floor, lift your body off the ground – your body must form a straight line from your heels to the back of your neck.
2. Slowly lower your left arm until your forearm and elbow are resting on the ground. Carefully lean on the left forearm, and bring the right arm down to rest on the ground in the same way. You should now be in the plank position.
3. Hold the plank for one count, and then slowly return to the push-up position, one arm at a time. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

• T Push-Up

T push-ups are an excellent tool to pump up your chest and work upper back muscles.

The procedure:

1. Take a standard pushup position – your body is aligned from your ankles to your head.
2. Lower your body until your chest almost touches the floor.
3. When you push yourself back up, rotate one side of your body up, and you raise the same side arm toward the ceiling.
4. Pause, and return to the starting position to perform another pushup.
5. Take turns for each side.

• Diamond Push-Up

A full-body exercise that primarily targets your triceps should be added to your workout list.

The procedure:

1. Take plank position; your hands should be slightly narrower than your shoulders. Connect your thumbs and index fingers to create a diamond shape.
2. Press your chest toward your hands by bending your elbows. Your shoulder blades should retract when you lower to the ground.
3. Lower your body until your upper arms are along your ribcage. Pause for a second at the bottom of the movement.
4. Keeping the alignment, start the upward movement by squeezing your chest and straightening your elbows.
5. Your shoulder blades should protract as you push to the top of the movement.

You can begin by performing 2 – 3 sets of 8 – 5 repetitions per day. Everything is based on your ability to maintain good technique throughout the sessions.

• Plyo Push-Up

Plyo is short for plyometrics, meaning the usage of short bursts of explosive energy for high-intensity muscle training. To do a plyo push up, you speed up off the ground instead of raising smoothly. This gives you more cardio training than an average push up. If you’ve mastered the rational and easier types, let’s try this one.

The procedure:

1. Get into a regular pushup position – palms on the ground a little further than shoulder-width apart, then straighten your arms to push yourself up. Keep your legs straight behind you, so you’re in a plank position. Don’t look on the ground, but forward.
2. Lower your body slightly above the ground. Bend your elbows like you’re doing a regular push up. Keep your back straight and lower yourself until your chest is just above the ground. Don’t sink or arch with your back as you lower your body. Squeeze your core and glutes to keep yourself straight.
3. Explode upwards and lift your hands off the ground – that’s where the plyo push up shows up. Instead of raising smoothly, push off with enough force to lift your hands off the ground. Tighten your core to keep your back straight, and keep your hands in the same, shoulder-width position through the whole motion.
4. Land flat on your palms to distribute the weight evenly. Keep your body straight and your hands in the same position through the full motion to cushion yourself when you come back down.

Do push – ups in 10 reps for a complete set. Like other exercises, a standard set for a plyo workout is about 10 reps per day.

• The Rolling Push-Up

The rolling push-up is performed with a medicine ball and is highly effective for developing core upper body strength – it targets the chest, arms, core, back, and shoulders.

The procedure:

1. Start with a plank position with the right hand on top of a medicine ball and the left hand on the floor. Hands are right below shoulders with arms long.
2. Lower the chest toward the floor, bending your elbows and keeping your body straight.
3. Push back to a start position, then roll the ball over to the left hand.
4. Repeat the push-up with the ball under the left hand. This is one repetition.
5. Once you master the technique, increase the number of reps.

How many should do depends solely on you. The primary advice here is to maintain a proper technique. The quantity will come later.

• Push-Up With with Hip Abduction

Hip abductors contribute to our ability to stand, walk, and rotate our legs easily; however, these muscles aren’t considered when planning the workout. Push-ups with hip abduction is a strength training that helps you get a toned backside and prevent pain in the hips and knees.

The procedure:

1. Start with a high plank position with your arms out and a bit wider than your shoulders.
2. Lift your right leg off the floor and move it slightly further out than your hips; keep it lifted throughout the entire exercise. Your foot should be flexed.
3. Perform a pushup keeping your right leg off the ground.
4. Perform 2 – 8 reps.
5. Lower your right leg and lift your left leg. Repeat the move.

The number of reps will be small at the beginning, but with practice, you’ll be capable of doing more and more.

How Many Push-Ups Should You A Day

That’s a tricky question. Even though you want to see the precise numbers to understand if it’s worth your effort, it’s not possible. The number of push-ups you should do a day depends on your fitness goals and level of fitness. If you’re a beginner, you perform at a low speed, leading to lower energy consumption. Increasing your training volume and reps will build muscle endurance, core strength and spend more energy.

People who are interested in weight loss, in particular, should dedicate more time to intensive workouts; they help burn fat better.

What we can mention confidently is the frequency of your routine. Plan at least 2-3 days a week if you aim to have a good form and high fitness level. If you work hard, the results will not keep you waiting, and your health will significantly improve.

When reaching your goal, don’t rush. Give your body time to adjust and move to more intense training. By doing so, you’ll avoid possible health-related risks and injury.

How Many Push-Ups Should You Do To Prevent A Heart Attack

Another round of tricky questions…Prevention of a heart attack isn’t only about doing a certain number of pushups. Take into account your general level of daily physical activity and, of course, your nutrition [2]. All the fitness tips will be useless if you don’t enrich your daily menu with vegetables and fruits, cereals, and nuts; cut down on sugar and snacks and fill your menu with healthy options. Everyday workout and a healthy diet will speed up the weight loss and consequently lower the risk of a heart attack.

By the way, push-ups are a great way to determine your fitness level. You need to do as many pushups as possible and then check your results according to the table below.

Ratings for Women, based on Age

 

Ratings for Men, based on Age

Determining The Number Of Push-Ups You Should Be Doing

1. If you’re new to exercise, start with a lower number of push-ups and gradually increase as you get stronger.

2. If your goal is to build muscular endurance, the average number per exercise is 3 sets of 12-20 repetitions.

3. If you’re trying to lose weight, the average number of reps must be higher than 3 sets. But again, don’t expect to see the results from the first day – nothing but sore muscles. Give it some time.

How Many Push-Ups Should You Do To Lose Weight?

According to a research article [3], people who could do more than 40 push-ups daily had more success in losing weight, thus lowering the risks of heart-related problems.

Another research [4] on firefighters was carried out over 10 years. Researchers claim that men who can do 40 or more pushups were 96 % less likely to experience a cardiovascular problem than those who could do only 10 or fewer.

Is It OK to Do Push-Ups Every Day?

Doing 10-20 pushups a day, you will just have more benefits for your body and health. It’s a safe exercise to perform, but be aware of the number of reps. Being a beginner, don’t rush. Take it slow to see better results. When you fill strong enough, increase the number of sets and reps.

The Bottom Line

So, let’s draw a bottom line:

1. How many pushups should I do a day to lose weight?

The numbers are very individual. Take into account your fitness level and prior experience in workouts. Besides, make sure you have no health issues to be able to exercise with full force.

On average, aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day. To lose 1 1/2 pounds a week, you need to reduce your daily calorie intake by 500 to 750.

Combine vigorous training with moderate and follow this routine day by day.

How many pushups are vigorous and moderate for you – define while working out. In the beginning, even 10 pushups will seem vigorous.

2. How many push ups should I be able to do woman?

In our day and age, there’s no sense in making gender-related sets and reps. We all have the same abilities and capabilities. Everything depends on our inner strength and motivation. If you regularly do 10-40 push-ups a day, the power of your muscles will become noticeable, and your body will become more toned.

3. How many push ups a day to build muscle?

To build muscles, you need to grow constantly to do more and more push ups. Start with 2 – 10, then work up to 15. Then try 2 sets of 10-15. Do the push ups one day and rest a day or two before doing them again for best results. With time you can feel if you need the breaks or if your fitness level already lets you do much more. A gradual rise is more sustainable with time than an unexpected jump.

FAQ

💪Is it OK to do pushups everyday❓

💪Daily push-ups can be effective with a consistent exercise program. Regular push-ups help increase upper body strength. For best results, it is important to perform different types of push-ups.

💪Is 30 pushups a day enough❓

💪Thirty push-ups a day will strengthen your chest, add definition to your arms, and increase muscle mass.

💪How many pushups should I do a day to gain weight❓

💪To build muscle, you need to gradually do more and more push-ups, so start with 10, then work up to 15. Then try 2 sets of 10-15. Do push-ups for one day and rest for a day or two before doing them again for best results.

Sources:

1. The effect of anaerobic exercise on salivary cortisol, testosterone and immunoglobulin (A) in boys aged 15-16 years

2.  Preventing Heart Disease

3. The Effect of Position on the Percentage of Body Mass Supported During Traditional and Modified Push-up Variants

4. If You Can Do This Many Pushups in a Row, Harvard Scientists Say Your Risk of Heart Attack Is Over 30 Times Less