Daily Pushup Routine - How Many Should You Do?

Push-Up Guide - Ideal Reps, Form & Fitness Tips

Push-ups are the simplest and effective form of exercise in the workout arsenal. It is a personal favourite of trainers for bodyweight moves on arm day. Push-up is known to strengthen the muscle mass around the shoulder in your upper body. It helps build better endurance and stability. This exercise is open to modification on the basis of the target muscle. However, the most popular question is ‘How much is enough?’

How Many Push-ups in a Day?

The level of fitness for every individual is subjective, as well as the number of push-ups in a day. If you are a beginner, an expert recommends slightly incorporating push-ups into your routine. Do alternate days so that your body gets proper time to heal and build muscle. On your workout days, do about 5 to 10 reps in a set.

You can start with one set on the first day and increase the number of reps as it suits you. Once this feels doable, you can move ahead to doing 3-4 sets of 10 reps. However, remember to take some rest in between sets. Once you are comfortable doing these sets, you can increase the intensity to a number that feels like a challenge.

What is the Right Way to Do Push-ups?

Follow these steps to get your first push-up right:

• Step 1: Get into a high plank position with your palms locked with the floor and rightfully under the shoulders.
• Step 2: Now, create full body tension by squeezing your shoulders, glutes and core. Your spine must be aligned with its natural line. Look downwards at the floor to achieve the right form.
• Step 3: Slowly descend towards the floor and stoop right when your chest is about to reach the floor. Maintain a 45-degree angle of your elbow relative to the torso.
• Step 4: Press your palm to return to the initial position with your elbows fully extended.

How Do Push-ups Work?

You can do push-ups even before joining a gym. It has been a gym staple because it engages the right body muscles. Different forms of push-ups target your chest, back, shoulders and arms. Trying out different variations will help you have holistic improvement in your muscle game.

Suppose you are starting with the basic push-up form that requires placing your hands underneath your shoulders; it focuses on building chest muscles. However, if you try out a narrow push-up, wherein you place your hands closer to your sides. It targets building your triceps. You are also holding yourself in plank form, which engages your core.

However, as effective and simple as this form is, knowing the right form is extremely crucial. You can do push-ups on your knees or toes, focusing on finishing the overall movement. You can do this by mindfully lowering your back until you feel your elbows are bending to a 90-degree angle. From this position, you can move up and complete the form in the right way.

Push-up is the right exercise for overall upper body strengthening. Use most of the different forms available to select the one that serves you the best.