How to Do Max Pushups

Using good form is essential when doing push-ups.

Doing push-ups on a regular basis does not only help sculpt your shoulders and chest, it works the core muscles of the spine, stomach and upper back. Push-ups are calisthenic exercises, meaning your own body weight is used as resistance. By doing maximum push-ups, you can determine your strength and endurance levels, and improve them over time. The amount of push-ups you can do over time will act as a marker of your progress. Maintain proper form while performing the push-ups to get the most from the exercise.

Things You'll Need

• Clock or timer

Instructions

1. Warm up your body by doing some low-impact activity such as jogging in place. This will get the blood flowing and warm up the muscles.

2. Set a clock or timer within your view. You will track the number of repetitions you can do in one minute to determine your max push-up level.

3. Set up your starting position with your hands and knees on the floor, placing your hands palms down and slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Straighten your legs, reaching them backward to place your toes on the floor and coming to a full plank position with your legs, back, shoulders and head in alignment. If anytime during your push-ups you feel the need to rest, this starting position is the position to assume.

4. Bend your elbows to lower your body toward the floor while looking down toward the ground and inhaling. Your body position should remain straight and your abdominal muscles should be pulled in tightly. Push yourself back up to the starting position by straightening your arms until they are slightly bent at the top of the movement, completing one repetition. Exhale during the exertion movement -- the pushing up.

5. Perform as many repetitions you can do in one minute. This number will tell you the amount of max push-ups you can do.

6. Multiply your max push-ups by 0.75 to determine the number of repetitions per set (grouping of repetitions) you should start doing when trying to increase your maximum push-up number.

7. Do three to five sets of push-ups with one minute of rest in between sets. Maintain good form at all time when performing the exercise. Do these sets every other day and increase the number of repetitions by adding one or two push-ups per week. Over time you will get stronger and your max push-up level should increase.

References

• Workout Without Weights: Push Up Benefits
• Base Operations: Push Ups Improvement Program
• Indiana: Indiana Law Enforcement Academy - Maximum Push-Ups