Buzz
Push-ups emerge as one of the most effective upper body exercises for any fitness enthusiast. While fundamentally not too hard or too easy, utilizing them for muscle development is an entirely different story.
The primary muscle groups engaged during the push-up routine include the chest, triceps, and anterior deltoids as illustrated in this diagram:
Do Push-Ups Build Muscle?
People often believe that muscle development can be achieved through fitness exercises. However, some studies suggest that this may not necessarily be true.
For beginners, push-up exercises, as mentioned in fitness literature, contribute to size and strength comparable to bench presses.
To illustrate, a 2017 article found the similarity in chest and triceps muscle development between push-ups and bench presses over an 8-week period:
Simply put, Push-Ups are an effective exercise that you should incorporate into your workout routine, ensuring precise execution.
So, if you want to know how to truly build muscle with push-ups, scroll down now!
1. Choose the right variation
While there are many variations for this exercise, they are not all performed the same. If your main goal is muscle building, select a variation that achieves both aspects.
Traditional Push-ups
This is an excellent starting exercise that you can easily progress over time with three variations: Wide push-ups, wider than shoulder-width, and narrower than shoulder-width.
Most people often think that wide-arm push-ups, performed with the elbows flaring out, are best for the chest. A narrower grip with elbows close to the body is good for the triceps. However, a study suggests otherwise.
For instance, this 2016 scientific physical therapy journal article compared wide-arm, wider than shoulder-width, and narrower than shoulder-width push-ups:
And is illustrated in the chart below:
Has shown that the narrow grip with hands placed in a diamond shape elicits significantly higher upper chest and tricep activation compared to the two variations above.
Two other studies have also confirmed and speculated that this is likely due to a wider span achieved with the narrow grip.
Therefore, the diamond push-up is an excellent variation to incorporate and develop. Pushing across the body is also a great alternative in case the close grip causes discomfort in your wrists or forearms.
If you want to prioritize the triceps, then follow Lehman and colleagues in their 2006 paper:
Performing push-ups on a specialized fitness ball (medicine ball) significantly activates the triceps when balancing is required.
However, regardless of which variation you choose to combine, what is more important for muscle building? Check out tip number 2.
2. Gradually Increase Intensity
Building muscle through continuous push-ups requires a gradual increase in intensity over time. Think of it as adding more weight to the barbell when working on the chest press machine.
To achieve this, you have plenty of options. One effective choice is incorporating resistance bands into your routine. They provide a dynamic challenge as you progressively enhance the resistance.
Another strategy involves adding elastic cords to your regimen, especially when gradually increasing the load. This option offers versatility and adaptability for a more challenging workout.
Alternatively, enhance the challenge by placing additional weight plates (5-10kg) on your back during the exercise. This method intensifies the workout, contributing to muscle growth.
Consider some limitations when dealing with heavy weights: Shorten rest time, perform more reps, slow down the pace…
However, my advice to you is:
If you can perform more than 20 reps in 1 set, you may be overloading with one or more methods I mentioned.
This is necessary to enhance the intensity of each set and stimulate better growth. Just like any other exercise, monitor precisely how much volume you can handle and then simply repeat that for several weeks.
3. Train Within Your Limits
As discussed in the ongoing debate between light and heavy weights, a recent study has pointed out that:
When the load is balanced, muscle growth can be achieved using both heavy and light weights.
However, with light weights, this seems to apply only if you train for many sets until you can't lift anymore or have minimal rest between each set.
So, what does this mean for building muscle with push-ups?
Simply put, in your push-up sessions, you'll want to push each set until you can't anymore instead of stopping there.
By pushing hard enough, you'll still be able to activate all target muscles and provide sufficient stimulation for muscle growth.
This is essential for building muscle with push-up exercises as you may be lifting much lighter compared to bench press with a barbell.
4. Execute them correctly
Lastly, ensure that you are performing push-ups correctly in your current workout routine. However, how to do so depends on each case.
For instance, if you're engaging in strength training exercises:
Conversely, if you're hitting the gym with weights, it's simply about:
And finally, if you're out for a holiday or the gym is closed that day, rest assured you can still complete a chest workout with various push-up variations.
Now, after reading quite a bit, let's summarize the key points to remember:
- Choose the right variation: Diamond or wide shoulder-width push-ups seem to be the best for chest and front deltoids. Prioritize using a ball for front deltoids.
- Increase the difficulty of any chosen variation: Bands, added weights, more reps, slower pace, and reduced rest time are all excellent ways.
- Train to just enough: You want to perform each set until you can't anymore, in other words, your muscles won't receive enough stimulation to grow if they work with a light load.
- Execute correctly: Your workout routine depends on what you're doing (bodyweight, weightlifting...)
Conclusion
By now, you've gained a pretty clear understanding of the push-up technique for development. Additionally, focus on optimal nutrition right from the start.
Posted by: Bao Thu
Keywords: Push-ups - How to Train for Perfect Chest Development
