Questions about push-ups

[Snap87]

Hey wassup guys. Just wanted to ask questions about push-ups. People who had experience or know about push-ups. What are the benefits you get from doing push-ups. Do push-ups make you stronger as in strength like you can push things harder? I know push-ups can't build muscle mass, but my friends say it makes your muscle more visible and it made them stronger. Also how often should you do push-ups, like everyday, everyother day, etc.



THANKS!

 

[vanwilder]

doing push ups will give you a chest than can do push ups, hit the gym, stop being a *****! jk but pushups will not really give you anyhting after a certain extent unless you load weight on your back

 

[Heizen]

Unless you can do less than 8 pushups, the point where it would actually be viable resistance like using weights, it won't build mass. It will build endurance.

It won't make your chest more visable, or arms, or anything for that matter.

 

[samson73103]

I work out regularly at home because I don't have access to a good gym. On days that I don't work my chest I do 50-75 push ups. While they don't increase strength, they definitely add more tone to not only the chest but also the shoulders and triceps. Vary the routine by elevating your legs on a chair or moving your hands in or out from your body. Generally the farther apart your hands are the more you work your chest and the closer they are the more you work your triceps. The post above me who said push ups wouldn't add definition to your body is bad wrong. You just have to stay with it for a while in conjunction with a work-out regimen. The key to any exercise program is variation so the muscles don't become too accustomed to the same thing.

 

[Heizen]

Tone?

Tone is a function of bodyfat. You don't get it from doing lots and lots of pushups.

And with that simple word and its use, any crediblity you have goes flying out the window.

 

[Laney]

I hate to sound like an old grouch... But for gods sake, PAR-A-GRAPH.

As for them not building muscle, if you perform them fast and powerfully (Think clap pushups), you can and will recruit more muscle fibres making you bigger and stronger.

Want size or "tone" (-It's god damned muscle density...)? Aim for speed and power... Intensity is the key.

Want endurance? Perform high rep sets, fairly slowly.



As for pushup form, how, where, when, why, how and everything else you want to know... If you're too lazy to even look and find out for youself, why would I waste time telling you how to do pushups, which are many, many times the effort.

 

[FunnyCide]

Originally posted by Heizen
Tone?

Tone is a function of bodyfat. You don't get it from doing lots and lots of pushups.

And with that simple word and its use, any crediblity you have goes flying out the window.

Tone is a function of bodyfat, but as with any workout, push ups or whatever, it will lower your body fat (by burning calories) and build muscle (to a certain point which also lowers your BF). Just because someone only does pushups doesn't mean they're not going to have a nice chest actually I think quite the contary. Think before you talk and maybe your credibility will increase.

Sorry to jump into that one but I just had to point out the stupidity....

 

[semag]

And with that simple word and its use, any crediblity you have goes flying out the window.

I don't know what the hell FunnyCide is talking about, but I agree completely with that statement Heizen. Everyone should remove that damn word from their fitness vocabulary.

 

[AbAbber2k]

Doing hundreds upon hundreds of push-ups won't give you pecs like a bodybuilder, but I would argue that they can help you develope a physique that many women would consider attractive. Remember, diet always plays a big role though.

 

[Heizen]

Originally posted by FunnyCide
Tone is a function of bodyfat, but as with any workout, push ups or whatever, it will lower your body fat (by burning calories) and build muscle (to a certain point which also lowers your BF). Just because someone only does pushups doesn't mean they're not going to have a nice chest actually I think quite the contary. Think before you talk and maybe your credibility will increase.

Sorry to jump into that one but I just had to point out the stupidity....

Burning calories by doing pushups to burn fat is like washing a car with a toothbrush. It's ineffective because it's trying to do something it isn't designed to do.

Pushups build ENDURANCE unless you are so weak you can keep it in the hypertrophy or powerlifting ranges. There is no toning because the calories burned are minimal compared to other things (Wind sprints, bicycling ect). I never said they didn't build muscle, but unless you are so weak that you can only do 8 reps, it won't.

My friend trains mimicing military programs; and while he can do 60ish more pushups than me I am built 100X better. RESISTANCE build muscle, not reps in 99% of the cases. Pushups are not the exception here.

Toning is a excuse for women to sit in a gym with a 5lb dumbell while talking to their friends, so they can feel like they are doing something. You do cario to lose bodyfat (Toning for you twits out there), resistance to build muscle, and exercises like pushups are for endurance unless you can add resistance. Guess what motion benching is? The exact same as pushups. Thats why you don't see guys stacking 45's on their back in the gym.

 

[PoloBlue]

push ups are better because you get a more natural looking build,
a less bulky toned look.

when I use to do lots of bench press, it made my chest too bulky
looking, it makes a person look like a weight lifter

a strong lean swimmer's build is more what you will get with push ups

 

[FunnyCide]

What's wrong with toning in your fitness vocab? It'a just another word for losing BF%. Sometimes people like to shorten phrases into a single word, you might have seen that before in the english language.

Push ups are an efficent way of working your chest and burning calories. Sure there are better ways of either burning calories or building your chest but as combination of both a resistance and cardiovascular exercise it is a great exercise to do.

Is nice that you're so much better built than your friend but being a roid monkey look-a-like is not everyone's goal. The point of the original question (which is quite a stupid one) is: Will doing pushups improve the look of your chest? Yes doing pushup will improve the look of your chest.

 

[Heizen]

Well alright then, lets get technical.

My first statement still stands, pushs DO burn calories but are not nearly as effective as other things you could do. I could say I am getting cut by bouncing my foot up and down but it wouldn't be effective would it?

If you want to get technical, it has been shown that endurance exercises make the muscle cells smaller because of the production of more mitochondria in the cell. This is why distance running shrinks leg muscles. Have you ever seen a distance runner with huge legs? Besides the body becoming catabolic this is one of the reasons. So by doing ****loads of pushups every day, you might actually be shrinking the muscle.

Nice way to take the shortcut there. What would you define as improving the look of the chest? More cuts? Definition? More mass? To have cuts requires mass. How can you cut cuts in muscle you don't have?

There is nothing wrong with saying toning. But to say that toning in the chest will happen solely because of pushups is wrong. That is like saying I will get rid of my spare tire by doing crunch after crunch. You could, by your definition, tone your chest by running windsprints. I could get a 6pack by riding a bicycle.

Snap I am assuming from his posts is a ectomorph. A skinny kid wanting to look better. Are you suggesting he 'tone'? Cut fat from a already skinny kid to show cuts in muscle he doesn't have? Why would you want to have more cuts on your chest anyways? Do you hear anyone saying "Screw the 6 pack, I want cuts in my CHEST"

Not everyone wants to look like Ronnie Coleman, but that doesn't mean as soon as you pick up a barbell you will turn into him. Nor did I imply I am a roid monkey look alike. If you want a more visable chest, go pickup a barbell or dumbell and do some resistance training.

Next time someone asks for a effective way to cut I will tell them pushups, from your oh so convincing argument. But ectomorphs or hardgainers will not see a more visable chest or become stronger from doing lots and lots of pushups.

It's a stupid question, but I hate the kinds of people who think they are becoming super strong by doing something like 70 pushups twice a day. Hell it doesn't even work the CNS effectively. They are just looking for a excuse to avoid the work of going to a gym and actually do something hard.

 

[Gus]

Whoah you guys make this way too complicated.

Snap87: Pushups may make you a little stronger, but the effects are minimal. If you want your chest to be visible, lose body fat % (and like Heizen said, pushups are not an efficient way to do that...see DIESEL's Guide to Cutting).

If you don't have a chest, pushups aren't really effective in building mass (unless you can't do more than 8, also like Heizen said)...hit the gym and do chest exercises like barbell bench press, dumbell bench press, incline bench, decline bench, and weighted dips.

Pushups won't give you a chest any bigger than Brad Pitt's. If you want to look like him, just lose a lot of body fat. If you want to look like Vin Diesel...you HAVE to go to the gym and forget the word "pushups".

 

[Jay-X]

Originally posted by derEikopf

Pushups won't give you a chest any bigger than Brad Pitt's. If you want to look like him, just lose a lot of body fat. If you want to look like Vin Diesel...you HAVE to go to the gym and forget the word "pushups".

ok, how many pushups should i do in order to get brad pitt's building?

seriously, i don't think you will ever become like that by just doing pushups, and i'm not talking about troy, but even just fight club

 

[FunnyCide]

If you want to get technical, it has been shown that endurance exercises make the muscle cells smaller because of the production of more mitochondria in the cell. This is why distance running shrinks leg muscles. Have you ever seen a distance runner with huge legs? Besides the body becoming catabolic this is one of the reasons. So by doing ****loads of pushups every day, you might actually be shrinking the muscle.

So our telling me that when Snap 87 that previously does no push is going to start having a smaller chest when he does do push ups? Yeah that makes total sense. Besides pushups isn't the same as jogging for half an hour, I doubt you can keep doing push ups for the same amount time that a jogger goes for a run.

Snap I am assuming from his posts is a ectomorph. A skinny kid wanting to look better. Are you suggesting he 'tone'? Cut fat from a already skinny kid to show cuts in muscle he doesn't have? Why would you want to have more cuts on your chest anyways? Do you hear anyone saying "Screw the 6 pack, I want cuts in my CHEST"

Well if you assume this then he probably can't do 8 pushups then can he? Which means doing pushups might be a good way to start for him.

If you want a more visable chest, go pickup a barbell or dumbell and do some resistance training.

I never said pushups were the ultimate chest workout, and I agree that there are better ways to increase chest. But there's no need to throw away pushups altogether. Personally I do 10 pushups (slow and in good form) between sets in my bench press what the fvck is wrong with that?

It's a stupid question, but I hate the kinds of people who think they are becoming super strong by doing something like 70 pushups twice a day.

Someone that does 140 push ups a day will be stronger than someone who does zero.

Pushups won't give you a chest any bigger than Brad Pitt's. If you want to look like him, just lose a lot of body fat.

If you just lose BF, you'll probably end up looking Screech and not like Brad Pit.

Just to close this argument up, Pushups are not the way to build your chest (I never said it was) but for some who is just starting to think about working out push ups are a good starting point. If you want to have Vin Diesel's (or Brad Pit's) body then quite obviously yes you do have to go to the gym and for quite some time. Ultimately you have to deicde what your fitness goals are and customize your workout routine to fit that goal.

 

[Heizen]

Ah! There we go I never said pushups wern't healthy, they just won't improve your overall look. Doing pushups is better then doing nothing. The only argument I had was that it wouldn't improve your chest. I never said it wasn't good exercise; just not the same as resistance.

 

[incognito42]

Push-ups dont build musle-mass or strength? huh? Push-ups will build strength and tone your back, shoulders, triceps and chest. You will see an increase in your strenngth in the weight room most notably in your bench press.


Push-ups wont give you some insanely buldging pecs, but no single work out will. If you do nothing else all week, get on the ground and do 4 sets of pushups every other day and you will gain muscle-mass and muscular endurance.

 

[Heizen]

Originally posted by incognito42
Push-ups dont build musle-mass or strength? huh? Push-ups will build strength and tone your back, shoulders, triceps and chest. You will see an increase in your strenngth in the weight room most notably in your bench press.


Push-ups wont give you some insanely buldging pecs, but no single work out will. If you do nothing else all week, get on the ground and do 4 sets of pushups every other day and you will gain muscle-mass and muscular endurance.

Did you even read the thread before you posted? This has already been discussed. Pushups are not effective at all at building muscle mass unless you are so weak you can only do them in the hypertrophy/power range of 5-12 reps. They are definately better than nothing, but will not make you strong in the sense of a good bench.

Every lifter I have talked to, every site I have been on, this is the ONLY place I have seen that says you can increase your bench with PUSHUPS. Where is a picture of yourself to prove the muscle building qualities of bodyweight pushups? Or are you just a skinny ectomorph keyboard jockey?

 

[Gus]

tone

That word should go on the censored list.