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Many people do not have access to a gym, but this does not stop them from building a beautiful body. They use exercises that do not require special equipment. They can be done anywhere. One of these exercises is push-ups.
This banal movement can work wonders, of course, if done correctly. But how many push-ups do you need to do to get results? I propose to look into this issue together.
A few words about the exercise
Push-ups are a basic exercise that is performed primarily with your own body weight. It is called basic because the biomechanics of movement involve the use of more than one joint and muscle group.
The main load when performing push-ups falls on the pectoral muscles and triceps. The muscles of the lower back, abs and gluteal muscles work as stabilizers. The shoulders are also involved in the movement.
Depending on the type of push-ups, the main load shifts to the pectoral or triceps.
Push-up variations:
- Push-ups with different hand positions.
- Push-ups with the body or legs raised.
- Push-ups with increased amplitude.
How many push-ups do you need to do to get results? It depends on your goal. To increase the number of repetitions in one approach and increase muscle mass, different training schemes are used, as well as other variations of push-ups.
Benefits of doing the exercise
The main advantage of push-ups is its practicality - you can do push-ups anywhere: at home, in the gym, in nature. Push-ups can increase endurance, strengthen muscles, and make the body stronger and healthier.
By doing push-ups regularly, you can achieve the desired result, namely:
- Pump up your abs.
- Strengthen your hands.
- Increase leg endurance.
People who regularly do push-ups reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attack, and stroke. Push-ups can be an ideal assistant in losing weight and creating a sculpted body.
Push-up sets can be used in many types of training, and proper alternation of exercises will help develop and strengthen exactly those muscles that are needed.
How to learn to do a lot of push-ups
No matter how strange it may sound, in order to learn how to do a lot of push-ups at one time, you need to do a lot of push-ups. This means that during the day you need to do 1-2 endurance workouts.
How many push-ups should you do per day? As much as possible. Find out your current maximum number of repetitions and aim to increase this number by one repetition every day.
There is another way. Divide the workout into 5-6 approaches. In the first set, perform 80% of your one-time maximum repetitions, and in each subsequent approach add one repetition. Try to progress the load in each workout - this is the key to success.
Rep Increase Program
Let's say your maximum is 50 push-ups at a time. This means that the first set starts with 40 repetitions.
- first approach – 40 repetitions;
- second – 41;
- third – 42;
- fourth – 43;
- fifth – 44;
- sixth – 45.
Rest between sets for 30-60 seconds. If you can’t complete the program right away, don’t give up. Remember, you have to do as many push-ups as you can, and everything will work out.
Table of standards
GTO standards for push-ups for men are presented in the following table. Let us only note that for men from 18 to 39 years old, as well as boys 13-18 years old, there is no alternative - they will do pull-ups or lift weights, and push-ups are considered too easy an exercise. From age groups 4 to 7, only women pass the GTO standards for push-ups.
| — bronze badge | - silver badge | - gold badge |
| Stage (age) | Girls | Boys | ||||
| 1st stage - for 6-8 years | 4 | 6 | 11 | 7 | 10 | 17 |
| Level 2 - for 9-10 years old | 5 | 7 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 22 |
| Level 3 – for 11-12 years old | 7 | 9 | 14 | 13 | 18 | 28 |
| Level 4 – for 13-15 years old | 8 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 24 | 36 |
| Level 5 - for 16-17 years old | 9 | 11 | 16 | 27 | 31 | 42 |
| Stage (age) | Women | Men | ||||
| Level 6 - for 18-24 years old | 10 | 12 | 17 | 28 | 32 | 44 |
| Level 6 - for 25-29 years old | 9 | 11 | 16 | 22 | 25 | 39 |
| Level 7 - for 30-34 years old | 5 | 7 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 32 |
| Level 7 - for 35-39 years old | 4 | 6 | 11 | 13 | 17 | 29 |
| Level 8 - for 40-44 years old | 3 | 5 | 10 | 13 | 17 | 28 |
| 8th stage - for 45-49 years old | 3 | 5 | 9 | 11 | 15 | 27 |
| Level 9 - for 50-54 years old | 3 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 24 |
| Level 9 - for 55-59 years old | 2 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 18 |
| Level 10 - for 60-64 years old | 4 | 6 | 14 | 4 | 6 | 14 |
| Level 10 - for 65-69 years old | 4 | 6 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 11 |
| 11th stage - for 70 years and older | 2 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 8 |
How to build muscle mass with push-ups
This is not an easy task, since most of the work occurs with your own weight, and for muscle growth you need a constant progression of load. You can be smart and put a weight on your back, but it will soon not be enough. But even without additional weight, push-ups can build some muscle.
The load in this case is regulated by the speed of the exercise. Muscles don’t count kilograms; they care about working hours. Spend 3 seconds lowering your body and 2 seconds rising.
An increase in load is also ensured by an increase in the amplitude of movement. To do this, place several books under your palms or use special platforms. In addition, if you place your feet on a hill, the exercise will become even more difficult.
So, if you want your muscles to grow, do the exercise at a slow pace, increase the range of motion using platforms and the position of your legs relative to your head.
How many times should you do push-ups? Perform 8-10 reps in 4-5 sets. Shift your workouts to a day of rest. Take a break of no more than 1 minute between approaches.
| Do not forget that muscle mass growth is possible only with good rest (at least 8 hours) and “building material” for growth, that is, adequate protein intake. A good whey protein, for example, one of the most affordable among foreign ones - Ultimate Nutrition Prostar Whey, with its 25 g of protein per serving, is ideal for muscle growth. You can learn more about protein in The Complete Guide to Protein. |
How many times do you need to pull yourself up in the army?
In the army, the more times you do pull-ups on the bar, the better. If we talk about standards, then, for example, for men who enroll in military service under a contract, the number of pull-ups should be at least 10 times, but for those over 30 years old, the standard is already less - it is 8 times.
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Push-up technique
Take a “lying position”, straighten your arms in front of you, feet rest on the floor, legs together. The chest, lower back and legs should be straight and in one line. When lowering, keep your elbows at a 45-degree angle relative to your body.
At the lowest point, slightly touch the floor with your chest, this way the muscles will stretch better, which means that the prerequisites for growth will be higher. At the top point, do not straighten your arms completely to maintain the load in the target muscle. Watch your breathing: exhale as you force, inhale as you stretch the muscle.
About hand placement
The wider the position of the arms, the more load goes to the pectoral muscles. However, setting too wide reduces the range of motion. Therefore, if you want to shift the emphasis to the chest, place your hands a little wider than your shoulders.
Narrow hand placement loads the triceps. If you want to pump them up, take the standard starting position, but clasp your hands in front of you, palm to palm. While lowering, try to keep your elbows closer to your body, this will pump up the inner head of the triceps, which gives the greatest volume to your arm.
| Rotating supports for push-ups allow you to change the position of your hands (redistribute the load between the muscles differently) and lower your body relative to your hands lower than exercises on the floor - thus “killing” the muscles even more with training. |
Push ups
For men
The architecture of a man’s body is much stronger and more resilient than that of a woman, which is why a man needs to work on himself more and more intensively.
7 day workout:
| Day | Approaches, number of times |
| Monday | First approach: 25 Second approach: 20 Third approach: 18 Fourth approach: 15 Fifth approach: 10 |
| Tuesday | First approach: 27 Second approach: 20 Third approach: 20 Fourth approach: 17 Fifth approach: 12 |
| Wednesday | First approach: 29 Second approach: 22 Third approach: 20 Fourth approach: 17 Fifth approach: 12 |
| Thursday | First approach: 30 Second approach: 25 Third approach: 22 Fourth approach: 18 Fifth approach: 13 |
| Friday | First approach: 30 Second approach: 25 Third approach: 25 Fourth approach: 20 Fifth approach: 15 |
| Saturday | First approach: 33 Second approach: 28 Third approach: 25 Fourth approach: 20 Fifth approach: 15 |
| Sunday | First approach: 35 Second approach: 30 Third approach: 27 Fourth approach: 20 Fifth approach: 15 |
For women
Despite the opinion that push-ups are a man’s exercise, push-ups are no less beneficial for girls. And the execution may not be so difficult if you reduce the number of approaches and the number of times in each approach.
This table is designed for a woman with average physical fitness. If its implementation becomes difficult or impossible, you can do not 4, but three approaches and reduce the number of times.
Weekly training in the table:
| Day | Approaches, number of times |
| Monday | First approach: 10 Second approach: 8 Third approach: 5 Fourth approach: 3 |
| Tuesday | First approach: 12 Second approach: 10 Third approach: 5 Fourth approach: 4 |
| Wednesday | First approach: 13 Second approach: 10 Third approach: 6 Fourth approach: 5 |
| Thursday | First approach: 15 Second approach: 11 Third approach: 7 Fourth approach: 7 |
| Friday | First approach: 15 Second approach: 13 Third approach: 8 Fourth approach: 7 |
| Saturday | First approach: 17 Second approach: 15 Third approach: 10 Fourth approach: 8 |
| Sunday | First approach: 18 Second approach: 15 Third approach: 10 Fourth approach: 10 |
How to quickly learn to do push-ups
Two words: practice and discipline. If you want to master something, you have to try to do it. If you want to learn how to fight, fight; draw - draw; do push-ups - do push-ups. There are no exceptions. In addition, it is necessary to do this systematically. Skipping workouts is the last thing you should do if you really want to learn.
Can't do a single rep? No problem. Start doing push-ups from your knees, doing partial reps. Another option for beginners to do push-ups is to place your legs up to your waist on a bed or sofa. Performing 30-50 repetitions in 5-6 approaches every day, in a month you will be able to do your first full push-ups.
Push-ups for beginners
For beginners, the main requirement is consistency. You shouldn’t try to do it a hundred times at once. Start with 10, 5 or even three repetitions and gradually increase the number of repetitions. It is also important to remember about the approaches: it is better to do three approaches 4-5 times than one approach 8-10 times.
| Day | Approaches, number of times |
| Monday | First approach: 7 Second approach: 5 Third approach: 3 |
| Tuesday | First approach: 7 Second approach: 6 Third approach: 3 |
| Wednesday | First approach: 8 Second approach: 7 Third approach: 4 |
| Thursday | First approach: 10 Second approach: 8 Third approach: 5 |
| Friday | First approach: 11 Second approach: 9 Third approach: 5 |
| Saturday | First approach: 13 Second approach: 10 Third approach: 6 |
| Sunday | First approach: 15 Second approach: 12 Third approach: 8 |
Progression of the pectoral muscles: a real-life example
The person I gave as an example, working out simply out of boredom, was able to pump up his pectoral muscles to some extent. I must say that before training they were not visible at all. The asthenic chest was flat, like an ironing board.
Training in the hospital
A man was hospitalized due to inflammation of the digestive tract.
The first couple of days he came to his senses after prolonged abdominal pain. As soon as his condition improved, he became bored of just lying there and doing nothing. Oh yes, we are talking about a guy who is 17 years old.
The patient was lying alone in the ward. You know what the beds in hospitals are like. No, not in modern private wards, where everything was done according to different drawings a long time ago. A regular bed with a removable headrest.
Out of boredom and already feeling well at that time, the man decided to train - in a hospital setting he could pump up his abs and do push-ups. He began doing push-ups on the floor.
Crossfit complexes with push-ups
- Classic push-ups – 10 times.
- Back push-ups (triceps) – 10 times.
- Wide grip push-ups – 8 times.
- Push-ups with cotton – 8 times.
- Close-grip push-ups – 5 times.
- Push-ups on your knees – 15 times.
Each exercise is performed with a break of no more than 20 seconds, preferably without a break. This set of exercises is aimed at developing speed-strength qualities, endurance, as well as the strength of the pectoral muscles, triceps, biceps, deltoids and abs.
You need to perform it in the same sequence as indicated in the complex, but increase it by 2-3 times every day so that the load on the muscles increases. Push-ups can be included in a complex of general physical training and then push-ups should be performed with a break of 1-1.5 minutes.
Tips for Newbies
Having decided to change their figure and take up physical activity, many novice athletes quickly leave the race. This is most often due to inflated expectations and improper preparation for the training.
To ensure that your classes are effective, we recommend adhering to the following principles:
- Prepare the muscles of the torso and arms for stress with the help of building exercises (discussed above).
- Stretch your shoulders, elbows, and wrists before each activity to reduce the risk of injury.
- Monitor negative feelings. If left undiagnosed, a minor sprain can lead to serious injury.
- Follow the push-up technique. Otherwise, the effectiveness of the training will be low.
- Do not hurry. Even if you feel that you can do more, follow the plan established in the program.
- Rest as much as needed. If the pause between approaches is prolonged, do not worry - let the muscles recover.
- Don't expect quick results. You won't be able to get a toned torso in just one week. Be patient.
Pull-ups and push-ups
Both pull-ups and push-ups are very effective exercises; they can only be beneficial if they are performed together.
The only thing is, by training both push-ups and pull-ups at the same time, you will exercise more intensely. As a result, you will begin to have difficulty performing individual cycles in each workout.
But it’s worth a try, because push-ups develop the chest muscles, and pull-ups develop the shoulders. This way your muscles and strength will grow together and faster. It is advisable to carry out training alternately: one day - push-ups, the other day - pull-ups.
World records in push-ups
While we do 50 times and dream of reaching 100, record holders calmly perform hundreds and even thousands of times, getting into various record books.
Main records:
- the greatest number of push-ups without a break - ten and a half thousand times.
- Of the women, the American Maria Tobar did the most push-ups (without a break) - 302 times.
- The world record for push-ups for the year is 1 million 500 thousand 230 times.
- In 24 hours, a person was able to do 46 thousand push-ups.
- In one hour, the men's record is 3 thousand 877 times, and the women's record is 1 thousand 20 times.
- Women's record in 30 minutes - 829 times, in 10 minutes - 450 times, and in 3 minutes - 190 times.
- The record for one-arm push-ups in 1 hour is 2521 times, in 30 minutes – 1382, and in 10 minutes – 546.
- In push-ups with fists, the record is 5557 times.
- A man was able to do 124 push-ups on one finger
- And on one hand in a handstand - 12 times.
- The record for 1000 timed push-ups belongs to Doug Pruden and is 18 minutes and 13 seconds.
- The record for push-ups on the back of the hands in one hour is 1940 times, in half an hour – 1386 times, and in 15 minutes – 627 times.
- The record for push-ups on raw eggs is 112 times.
- And the greatest number of times in one minute for a person without legs is 36 times.
Alexandrova Anastasia
Nutrition and healthy lifestyle specialist and author of myfitnesblog.com. For many years, she has successfully helped women and men lose weight and maintain a beautiful figure.
Recommendations
- Between sets, take a 1 minute break, but if your physical condition is still weak, the break can be increased to 1 minute 30 seconds or even 2 minutes.
- Try to keep your body straight.
- Lower yourself down until your chest touches the surface, but do not lie on the floor (this makes the task easier and reduces the result of the exercise to zero).
- If doing push-ups on your toes is too difficult, you can start with push-ups on your knees.
- You can also do push-ups not from the floor, but from a bed or chair (this reduces the complexity of the exercise).
- On the contrary, for those who have already learned how to do push-ups well, you can complicate the task and place your feet on the bed, while your hands remain on the floor. This results in an angled push-up that increases the load.
Push-ups with emphasis on triceps
There are 2 effective types of push-ups that will help you quickly pump up your triceps:
- Narrow grip push-ups. Get into the starting position: toes together, palms of your hands next to each other. Inhaling, lower yourself down, spreading your elbows to the sides or along the body, exhaling, rise up and take your starting position.
- Reverse push-up. Approach your back to the bed or high chair, place your palms on the edges and lower your pelvis down, bending your arms. The legs should be straightened forward. After this, straighten your arms and lift your pelvis up. It is important that the body moves along a conventional vertical line parallel to the bed (chair).
