How Many Push Ups Should You Do to Gain Muscle?

Building muscle no matter where you are.

A Set Number

When looking to gain muscle without weight training, push-ups are an effective way to build upper body strength. While it depends on how fit you are, standard protocol tends to be about 12-15 push-ups per set, rest for two to three minutes, and then repeat. You do this for a total of three sets, or cycles. You should always take a day off in between to give muscles a rest.

As Many As You Can

Another way to gauge the number of push-ups you should do to increase muscle would be starting with as many as you can possibly do while still maintaing proper form and considering that your first set. You will still do three sets, each time doing as many push-ups as you can and then resting for two to three minutes. You should do this every other day.

Bottom Line

You will gain muscle mass no matter which starting point you launch from,and as you do, you will need to increase the number of push-ups for each cycle or set. This is required to keep challenging the muscle. Once you have reached the muscle mass you desire, for maintenance, you should stay firm at your last repetition number.

References

• Building Muscle
• Female Muscle