How to Do More Push Ups

Push-ups are one of the most basic and effective strength training body resistance exercises. They work the chest, back, triceps, shoulders and triceps simultaneously, and can be done on the toes, knees, or at different incline to tailor difficult to the needs of the individual. A standard push-up is achieved by propping oneself up on the toes and hands, with the hands shoulder width apart and the back straight, then lowering the chest to an inch above the floor, and pushing back up to full arm extension. Like most strength and muscular endurance exercises, achieving more push-ups is a matter of gradually training and strengthening the muscles which are engaged during the exercise.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Do as many push-ups as you can to determine your current level of strength. Do these push-ups in a row, without letting anything but your toes and hands touch the ground. If you cannot do at least ten push-ups from the toes, start by doing them on the knees.

2. Create a push-up routine based on your max push-ups as determined in step one. The best way to increase the number of push-ups you can do is by doing them. Bench press, military press and other upper body exercises can be helpful, but these exercises tend to build up more raw power and bulk rather than the endurance required to do as many push-ups as possible. An easy way to start is to do four to eight sets of push-ups every other day, aiming for 60-70% of your max for each set. Your muscles should be showing clear signs of fatigue toward the end of each set; if not, increase reps. Your goal should be to completely exhaust your push-up muscles during each workout.

3. Increase workout intensity and frequency as you improve. When you can achieve 60-70% of your initial max over four sets, you should begin to increase your reps per set. Increase reps by 10%, or more if you feel you can handle it. Increasing the number of sets per workout, or the frequency of workouts can also speed improvement. If you are not experiencing muscular soreness, consider doing workouts every day.

4. Periodically attempt to reach a new max. Every few weeks make an attempt to break your old record for max push-ups to see how much you've improved.

Tips & Warnings

• You may experience soreness in the chest or other muscles as begin your push up training regimen. Stretching the arms and chest, as well as doing some light strength training can reduce soreness. Generally soreness experienced a day or two after a workout will diminish as the muscles become stronger and accustomed to your routine.

Resources

• A basic instructional video on push ups

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