Push-ups are the ultimate upper body exercise. How it benefits your fitness and how many push-ups you should do every day.
To get more strength in your chest, arms and shoulders, look no further, push-ups are the answer. The push-up is a natural resistance exercise that uses your body weight to tone your arms and chest muscles. While many people have done push-ups at one time or another, not everyone is familiar with how effective push-ups are for increasing muscle size and strength.
According to the American Council on Exercise, a properly performed push-up exercises many muscles, including the deltoids, pectorals, triceps, rhomboids, erector spinae muscle, rotator cuff, serratus major, transverse abdominal, glutes and quadriceps.
When you do push-ups every day, this is what happens to your body
1. You strengthen your arm, chest and shoulder muscles
This effect is obvious: Push-ups primarily challenge your muscles in the arms – most of all the triceps -, in the chest and in the shoulder area. If you practice push-ups every day, you will quickly notice that you get more power in these muscles. But your core, i.e. your abdominal muscles and your lower back, also have to work to keep you in the straight position.
2. You improve your heart health
Even if we know push-ups mainly as an exercise to strengthen the upper body muscles, you also improve your endurance with regular training. A study has shown that people who can do more push-ups have better heart health.
3. You work on your posture
Adding push-ups to your routine every day can also improve your posture. You’ll strengthen your back and shoulder muscles, and if done correctly, you’ll keep your entire body in a straight line in push-ups. This can make you stand and walk more upright overall.
How many push-ups per day?
The Military Fitness Center recommends a push-up regimen that includes performing at least 200 push-ups per day. On single days, perform push-ups in as few sets as possible, such as four sets of 50 push-ups or 8 sets of 25 push-ups. On other days, divide the 200 push-ups into as many sets as you want, such as 20 sets of 10 push-ups every half hour.
For some people, we might say three sets of 10 reps are best. Others prefer to do 2 sets of 100. There are even those who don’t count and just do as many as possible.
Perform correct push-up technique
If you’re wondering how many push-ups you should do in a day, the answer depends on your fitness and health. When you start, keep the number of reps low or consider doing good technique. They should look like this:
- Start in a high plank with hands directly under shoulders, body in a straight line from head to hips and heels.
- Bend your elbows at about a 45-degree angle from your ribs and begin to lower your body toward the floor.
- Squeezing your shoulder blades together and keeping your head and neck aligned with your spine.
- Once your chest moves just above the floor, exhale and press your palms together, spreading your shoulder blades apart and straightening your arms.
Push-ups for beginner
To do this exercise, get on your knees and place your hands on the floor with a position wider than shoulder width apart and your arms outstretched. Descend until almost touching your chest on the floor and ascend again in the same way.
Keep reading: 5 Donkey Kick Exercises To Tone Your Glutes Naturally
