Do Push Ups Build Muscle? Or Are They Just A Waste Of Time?

A glance through any of the major bodybuilding and fitness magazines would suggest that the push up is dead as a form of exercise to build muscle. Very few references and suggestions are made to incorporating this exercise into your routines...is this because it is ineffective or simply not fashionable for a glossy magazine?

The truth is that they are still widely performed by many folks, and are still a staple exercise in any military exercise routine, and those guys know a thing or two about getting strong and gaining mass...so it does beg the question, do push ups build muscle or could we get better results out of another exercise?

The Benefits of Push Ups

Push ups (or "press ups" as they're known in the UK) are a calisthenic body weight exercise which is perfect for stimulating muscular strength and endurance. Their wide-range of movement can result in extremely effective muscular development since they are a compound multi-joint exercise.

They primarily work the chest, shoulders, upper back and arms (particularly the triceps) and to a lesser extent the abs, glutes (butt) and legs. This makes them an extremely effective exercise, especially since they require no equipment (you can find a floor can't you?), meaning they can be great for folks who can't get access to a gym or when you're away on business or holiday.

Do Push Ups Build Muscle?

Despite what some folks may say, press ups do build muscle. The resistance of lifting your body weight each rep stimulates the muscles to grow and develop.

However, the biggest and most significant gains will be seen by those who are new to push-ups or muscle training in general, since their muscles are unaccustomed to this kind of stimulation and load.

To continue to see muscle gains from your press up routine you need to start changing things up and adding some variety, as I'll explain below.

How To Get The Most From Your Push Up Routine

Getting the most out of your press up routine is similar to any weight training program if you want to continue to gain muscle mass. It's natural that after a while your body will become accustomed to the training and load that it is lifting and will therefore no longer continue to build and develop muscle and strength, it will merely maintain them.

Breaking out of this plateau requires that you change up your routine by doing the following:

• Increase the resistance you lifting (this can be achieved by purchasing a weighted vest, or putting some weights in a backpack)
• Increase the rep numbers (do this gradually over time and you'll be amazed at how many you can do)
• Change up your position to make it more difficult (wide-grip, close-grip, legs inclined, hands inclined, one-arm push ups - this will all have the effect of recruiting different muscle groups enabling you to get better overall development)

Press ups are my all-time favourite exercise, and can be great for building muscle and strength, especially without the need for expensive equipment. However, weight training is a more efficient way to build muscle since you can significantly increase the load that you are lifting without needing to perform hundreds and hundreds of reps.

My advice would be to integrate some push ups into your current workout routine to supplement your other exercises. If you're not currently doing any weight training, then I would definitely encourage you to start doing push ups to build muscle. Stick at it and over time you'll see massive progress.

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