Does the abs work during push-ups? What muscles are pumped during regular push-ups? Push-ups

Look fit, slim and in great shape physical fitness many wish. But, unfortunately, not everyone wants or can, due to certain circumstances, visit Gym or set up a sports corner at home. This won't be necessary if you do push-ups regularly.

Push-ups do not require the use of any specialized expensive equipment or exercise equipment or sports equipment. To achieve good results, it is enough to have a desire to be in good shape, not to be lazy, and also to take advantage of suitable system(program) push-ups.

The advantage of such trainings is that they have no restrictions. Absolutely everyone can do push-ups - children, adults, the elderly, men and women.

This basic exercise works several muscle groups at once. It is considered universal and must be included in any training plan.

During its implementation, the following are actively involved in the work:

  • rib cage;
  • shoulder girdle;
  • hands;
  • abdominal muscles.

Push-ups not only use different muscles, but also allow you to shift emphasis to certain groups. To work a specific area, it is enough to redistribute the load by changing support points and execution techniques.

The muscles are involved in the work already when the initial (initial) position is assumed. To keep the body in a static position, the intercostal and abdominal muscles, back, as well as arms and legs.

Thanks to this basic, accessible, and, most importantly, effective exercise, muscle mass increases. In addition, a person who regularly does push-ups becomes stronger and more resilient. The impact speed also increases.

The following muscle groups receive the greatest load:

  • Breasts. Provide abduction and adduction, as well as rotation of the humerus. They are best worked out in a position with wide grip.
  • Triceps. Thanks to the triceps muscles, the arms are straightened, and they develop best in a narrow grip position.
  • Biceps. They receive a powerful charge that increases the strength of the biceps muscles.
  • Deltoid. They acquire a beautiful relief, and, therefore, the shoulders look visually larger.
  • Serrated front. Lateral thoracic part is developed by performing a limited type of exercise, and push-ups are considered the best among them.
  • Pyramidal. The elbow muscles, which are a continuation of the triceps, provide easier extension of the forearms.

A correctly designed program and execution technique allows you to benefit not only the muscles. Push-ups strengthen the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, bone tissue, joints, as well as ligaments, have a positive effect on the course of metabolism. A person's health and well-being improve noticeably.

For a person who does not play sports and does not go to the gym, this exercise allows you to quickly tone weakened muscles. Thanks to this, it becomes much easier to carry out routine work that involves certain physical activity.

Having set a goal for yourself - to start doing push-ups, you need to understand that it will be difficult both psychologically and physically. At this stage, it is important not to overdo it, but to do everything correctly, so that in the future it will be much easier to make the transition from simple to complex.

It is not recommended to bring yourself to exhaustion in the first lesson. The result obtained is determined not only by the number of approaches, but by the technicality of execution, which is much more important. And if you simply push with numbers and not with quality, there will be no effect. Beginners should start the classic version of push-ups after performing this exercise, first from a vertical plane and then from the knees.

There is no need to rush. Each stage takes from seven days to several weeks. You need to focus solely on your preparation, as well as your physical fitness. The readiness to move to the next stage is indicated by the absence of difficulties in completing the current level.

Particular attention is paid to mastering the initial position, which depends on the type of push-up, correct breathing, and the direction of each movement. The torso lowers as you inhale and rises as you exhale. It is necessary to ensure that the body is always straight, and that the lowering and raising of the body is carried out solely by bending and straightening the arms.

  • You should start doing push-ups by performing 10 repetitions. It is recommended to increase the pace gradually. The main thing is to listen to your own feelings regarding how the body reacts to the current and increasing load. After class, the feeling of fatigue should be mild. No overvoltage. This is especially true for the first training sessions.
  • Before starting classes, you should always do a ten-minute warm-up, and perform the planned number of repetitions in several approaches with breaks of 2-3 minutes.
  • You need to do push-ups regularly. Training should never be adjusted to a routine.
  • Drawing up a training program must be accompanied by specific goals. If you need to build muscle mass, you will have to train daily. To keep yourself in good physical shape and to normalize body weight, you can do push-ups two to three times a week.
  • Those who decide to train daily should move to this pace gradually. First, you need to exercise every other day to prepare your muscles for the load. Rest also gives the muscles an impulse to gain mass.
  • When starting an exercise, you should always carefully study not only the description, but also the recommendations.
  • When doing push-ups, you can experiment and take some liberties, but only when all the movements are perfected, strength, agility and endurance are well developed, that is, with experience that comes with time.

Beginners are most often interested in the question of how many repetitions they should strive for. For women, it is enough to increase the number of push-ups to 30-40, and for men - to 50-100 push-ups. These are decent results, but not the best. People who want to have a toned, powerful body or who play sports should set higher goals for themselves.

In a month and a half, if you exercise regularly, women can achieve 50, and men 100 repetitions. You need to train for no more than 10-15 minutes. This is quite enough to increase arm strength, as well as the appearance of visually noticeable changes. One thing to consider here important point. There is an opinion that more than 15 repetitions per set will increase endurance, but only at the expense of increasing volume and physical strength.

To increase strength and muscle growth, you should pay increased attention to the technique of execution, complicate the movements and amplitude. You can do push-ups or other difficult variations.


This seemingly simple exercise has many variations. According to some experts, the number of different variations is more than fifty.

Majority famous athletes and bodybuilders are constantly introducing various additions and changes to push-ups, which allow them to shift the emphasis of the load and open up new possibilities.

Selecting easier options or making training even more difficult is everyone’s personal choice. The choice is determined by personal wishes, goals, and physical capabilities.

Familiar to everyone since school days, performed in class physical culture. The emphasis is placed while lying down, resting on your toes and palms. Place your hands slightly wider than shoulder level, palms facing forward. The emphasis is on the toes, slightly wider than the shoulders. Classic push-up movements work the triceps, chest, deltas.

They are a lightweight variation suitable for beginners, elderly people or those with spinal problems. Initial pose similar to the classic version, but only with emphasis on the legs bent at the knee joint, and not on the toes.

At the same time, keep your feet above the floor, placing one on top of the other. Thanks to this pose, the load is removed from the lower back and the force from various muscle groups is reduced. Studies have shown that the workload in classic push-ups is 64, and with an emphasis on knee joints- 49 percent.

From a horizontal surface and from a wall

The first ones are quite difficult, especially for beginners, and if you start with them, then physical overexertion can be the reason that will discourage any desire to continue practicing. It is best to start the first steps with push-ups performed from a vertical plane, that is, from a wall. It is light, but quite practical, as it prepares muscles and joints for much higher loads.

The technique is quite simple. You need to stand up straight, stepping back from the wall about one step. The distance between the shoulders should be slightly greater than the width of the shoulders. It is best to keep your heels off the floor when the load from your body weight is transferred to your hands. You need to move towards the wall by bending your arms at the elbow joints until your chest touches the surface, and rise by straightening your elbows. At the same time, the torso should be kept straight, only the arms should work.

The distance between your arms out to the side is approximately two shoulder widths. The elbow joints look to the sides, and the emphasis can be on either clenched fists or open palms.

Socks resting on the surface of the floor, on the contrary, reduce the shoulders. As you go down, make sure that your elbow joints remain pointed to the side. Touching the floor, they quickly rise up.

The effectiveness of the exercise depends on the position of the torso, which should be kept straight from the feet to the head. If you lower your stomach, stick your buttocks up, bend into lumbar region, this will disrupt the execution technique.

To transfer the load to the chest muscles, the legs are placed on a hill - a sofa or bench, and the palms are left on the floor. Transferring the emphasis to a stand with a height of 60 cm, according to experts, allows you to increase the load to 75% of its own weight. If you do a reverse transfer, that is, place your arms rather than your legs on a hill, then doing the exercise will be much easier. How more height benches, the easier it is to do push-ups.

The load on the chest muscles directly depends on the grip. The wider it is, the higher it is.

Hands are placed in line with the level shoulder joint, that is, along the body. Elbows point back. They stand either on their palms or on their fists. The position of the legs should be such that they are narrower than shoulder width. Moving down, the arms are bent, moving them along the body, directing the elbows back. Having touched the floor, keeping the body straight, they immediately rise up. This technique allows you to work your triceps. Placing your legs on a hill makes the exercise more difficult, but your arms make it easier.

It is a complex version of push-ups, thanks to which the triceps and frontal deltas are worked out.

The emphasis is placed exclusively on the palms, which are located side by side so that the fingers rest against the surface of the floor and turn slightly inward if necessary to make the execution easier. The toes are placed either slightly wider or at the same level with the shoulder girdle.

To go down, bend your arms, moving your elbows along your body. They are directed back and slightly to the sides. At the end point you need to touch the back of the hand. Move up until the arms are completely straight.

Widely spaced legs allow for a stable position. The right hand is left on the floor, and the slightly bent left hand is placed behind the back. To ensure safety and ensure maximum convenience for execution, it is recommended to use special stops.

The supporting (right) hand cannot be moved to the side. It should be in line with the body. Instead of four, there are only three points of support, and the legs spread to the sides allow you to maintain balance. When lowering, the elbow bends and moves to the side.

The downward movement is continued until the chest touches the floor, and then a push-up is performed, rising until the arm is straightened. Shoulders should be parallel to the floor. Having done a certain number of times, they change hands.

In order not to experience difficulties in performing this exercise, you must have fairly well-developed abdominal muscles.

Complicated Variations

This training perfectly loads the muscles, helps to develop good strength, speed and agility. To make a clap, you need to take a position in which your toes are at the same width or narrower shoulder girdle, and the hands are spaced 1.5 or 2 times wider.

The body is pushed up with a powerful push, lifting the palms off the floor, and quickly clapping. The return should be a soft and graceful landing on the palm of your hand. You can't flop on the floor.

Lightly touching the floor, you need to repeat the entire chain of movement “powerful push-clap-soft landing”. Hands should move rhythmically, harmoniously, strongly, quickly. Boxers include such push-ups in their training programs. They are useful for sprinters and those who exercise various types martial arts

Focusing on the fingers helps strengthen the bones and increase the strength of the hands. The grip can be either narrow or wide. The main thing is that the emphasis is placed exclusively on the fingers.

It is necessary to do push-ups of this type only if you are in good physical shape and when your fingers are able to hold the body as securely as possible. To prepare for it, you should work a little with an expander to strengthen your hands.

Designed for athletes involved in strength disciplines and those who want to build bulky muscles and have a beautiful and clearly defined relief. The use of special weighting materials allows you to increase the load, due to which muscle tissue are studied as deeply and efficiently as possible.

Vests equipped with weights are most often worn as weights. This equipment is also used by those who do pull-ups on the crossbar and do push-ups on the uneven bars. Instead of a vest, you can use a regular barbell plate. This weight should be used with caution and only when someone is nearby for backup. The partner must ensure that the pancake is positioned correctly on the back and does not fall. The push-ups themselves also require caution.

You need to start doing push-ups with light weights. It is increased gradually. It is recommended to add no more than one or two kilos per week.

Increasing the range of motion allows you to work out the muscles as effectively as possible. To achieve this, it is necessary to remove the lower constraint, that is, the floor.

This can be achieved by using three support points, which are three strong chairs. One becomes a support for the feet, and the other two - for the arms. Instead of chairs, it is allowed to use a variety of stands with a height of 10 to 15 centimeters.

Items used as support must be reliable. It is better to buy special handles designed for push-ups. Without the use of additional devices, it is impossible to do deep push-ups that allow you to go below the level of your hands.


At the first stage, you need to determine for yourself three to four days a week for classes. Even if you plan to do push-ups every day, at first you only train every other day. It is imperative to give your muscles time to recover and rest, and not to overexert yourself during your first workouts. At the first stage, a monthly plan is usually drawn up, changes to which occur every week.

A training plan might look like this:

First week:

  • warm-up
  • first approach - up to 8 push-ups
  • break - 1 minute
  • second approach – two push-ups less than in the first
  • break - 1 minute
  • third set – 5 repetitions
  • break – 5 minutes
  • fourth set – 5 push-ups
  • next two sets of five repetitions with a minute's rest

Second week:

  • warm-up
  • four sets of 8 repetitions, pauses of 1 minute

Third week:

  • warm-up
  • four sets, maximum number of repetitions (without excessive tension and with high quality)
  • rest between sets - 1 minute

The final (fourth) week is devoted to increasing the number of push-ups. They plan the next training month independently and draw up a program for each training day.

Past initial training ready for full-fledged studies, who want to engage in the formation of a strong and beautiful body a more advanced approach is needed. It is necessary to develop and change plans every five to seven weeks, aiming to increase repetitions.

1st day:

  • warm-up
  • push-ups with weights - 4 sets of 12-15 times
  • hand push-ups together - 4, 10-12
  • abdominal exercise - 1, 40-50

Day 2:

  • warm-up
  • 100 reps for selected exercise (change push-ups every week)
  • first week 10 sets of 10 reps *
  • pause between sets 2-3 minutes

3rd day:

  • warm-up
  • wide grip push-ups 1 set max
  • Medium grip push-ups 1 set max
  • abdominal exercise – 1 set to the maximum

4th day:

  • warm-up
  • deep push-ups - 3 sets of 20-25 times
  • squats – 3, 20-30
  • hand push-ups together - 3, 10-12

  1. Descriptions for the exercises allow you to formulate correct technique execution, but give the opportunity to adjust the execution according to their characteristics and goals. You should always place your hands on a plane so that you do not feel any discomfort in the joints. It is necessary to try to prevent them from twisting, unbending, or bending. You always need to find the most comfortable placement of your palms.
  2. You should definitely pay attention to developing flexibility, additionally performing special exercises, and also stretch your wrists before class.
  3. To avoid injuries and sprains, it is recommended to wear wristbands or bandages. This protection is relevant for those who perform complex squats with clapping, on one arm, without resting on the toes.
  4. Not all women are able to achieve a full range of motion due to a large bust. To “eliminate” the obstacle, you should use stops. Thanks to these devices, girls can increase the amplitude.
  5. The difficulty of push-ups depends on the position of your legs. The higher they are, the more difficult the exercise and the load placed on the muscles. Experienced athletes may not even use tables, benches, or stools, but instead do vertical push-ups with their legs up.
  6. Each training program necessarily involves the inclusion of abdominal and biceps exercises in the plan.
  7. We should not forget the importance proper nutrition. For muscles to develop and form, you need to eat. more meat and vegetables.

The variability of push-up exercises allows you to work almost all muscle groups. It is enough to understand how to do push-ups on the floor correctly, and the result will not be long in coming. Over time, the pectoral muscles become more prominent, endurance increases, and the muscles of the legs and arms are strengthened.

The benefits of push-ups

With regular push-ups:

  • physical strength increases;
  • health improves;
  • the figure improves;
  • excess calories are burned.

Timely training entails extremely positive results. Using the variability of the exercise, you can work the chest area, shoulders, back and abdominal muscles.
Before you start physical activity, you need to check your health. Any training is unacceptable for various complications of any chronic diseases, especially if the cardiovascular system is not in order. Contraindications are due to the inability of the sick person to withstand the required load.

How to do push-ups correctly

Understanding the essence of the exercises is the key to the correct technique. You need to stand straight and press the back of your hand to the chest area. We strain our chest and at the same time imitate pushing a wall. These manipulations will help identify the muscles involved. With your free hand we check in which area the tension occurs.

Now we do push-ups from our knees to find out which muscles are involved in this method. You need to do push-ups very slowly. The body position should be symmetrical to a straight line. Avoid bending. If your abdominal muscles tighten at the same time as your chest, you are doing push-ups correctly.

We perform classic push-ups, in which it is unacceptable to arch your back and keep your pelvis straight. Do not do too deep push-ups all the way to the floor. There should be 3–5 cm between the floor and the body. It is very important to maintain the elbow bend at an angle of 90 degrees.

Deep push-ups all the way down don't make any sense. When touching the floor, the body bends. Accordingly, there can be no talk of any positive results.

When returning to the starting position, you should not fully straighten your elbows. You run the risk of pain or elbow injury.

Push-up program

Week No. 1.

The first set consists of 8 push-ups. After completing this, rest for a minute. The second approach is designed for 6 push-ups followed by a minute's rest. In the third and fourth we perform 4 push-ups. On the 5th approach, we give all our best to full force and push up to the limit.

Week No. 2.

The execution technique is identical to the previous week’s workout, the only difference is the reduction in rest.

Don't forget to drink water during your workout.

Week No. 3.

At this stage, training will not be easy, so it is quite advisable to exercise in accordance with the usual program.

Week No. 4.

We increase the number of push-ups as far as possible. By this time, you usually manage to sufficiently strengthen your muscles. The program for the next week is selected independently.

Week No. 5.

We continue to increase the repetitions of push-ups, at least 10 times. Don't forget to rest between sets.

Week No. 6.

Now strong and resilient muscles can withstand about a hundred push-ups. Accordingly, the muscles will also increase.

As you can see, the program is very simple. In this case, the result is achieved without much effort. By raising physical layer up to a hundred push-ups, endurance muscles become capable of more.

Remember! Missing classes is not allowed! Always keep an eye on correct breathing during classes. Keep your body straight. The permissible frequency of classes is 3 times a week. The rest of the time is required for the muscles to recover.

Push-up pattern

The push-up system includes:

  • number of repetitions and approaches;
  • hand placement during training;
  • variability of exercises.

Do push-ups with arms wide apart

The method is designed to. To increase the load, you should place your legs on elevated surfaces. First level implies a light load - the level of the body should be slightly above the line of the legs. An ideal choice for beginners.

We place our hands at a medium distance

Using this technique, the triceps are developed. It is better for beginners to do push-ups on their palms, for advanced athletes - on their fists, and for highly trained individuals - on their fingers. The load can also be increased by raising the level of the legs.

We place our hands as close as possible

This means placing your hands directly under your chest. The option is very complex and requires preliminary preparation. The deltoid and pectoral muscles and triceps are pumped. Close placement of hands is undesirable for women. There is a high probability of spoiling the aesthetic appearance female body due to the formation of a wide shoulder girdle.

Making push-ups more difficult by increasing amplitude

Doing push-ups on one hand

A complicated exercise requires first pumping up the triceps, preparing the abs and developing the chest muscles. This method is completely unsuitable for girls. The fact is that female mammary glands in combination with pumped up pectoral muscles look very unattractive.

Combine push-ups with clapping

This requires more than just strength. You also need to be resilient and dexterous.

Doing push-ups on your fingers

For this exercise you need to develop hand strength and have strong bones. upper limbs and fingers.

Push-up chart

The table can be compiled by a coach, or you can create it yourself in accordance with the above program. Make a suitable training schedule and be sure to include the necessary rest. Write down the number of push-ups and approaches in the table. Enter your results there too.

Tables created by the coach, of course, are a priority. Results can be achieved already in the first weeks of classes. A good alternative is the program suggested above. If you follow this program exactly, then very soon you will be able to do 100 push-ups in one approach.

Attention! Do not despair if it is immediately impossible for you to complete the required number of repetitions. Once you level up physical training, everything will definitely work out.

Push-up rules for girls

The push-up technique for girls has little in common with men's training. Girls don't do push-ups on their fists or fingers. There is also no need to spread your arms wide when doing push-ups. The main emphasis is on classic version, thanks to which the chest is well tightened and the shoulders are strengthened. At the same time, you can lose 1–2 kg.

The general concept of men's and women's training is to warm up beforehand, and then stretch after exercise. The number of expected push-ups is distributed over several approaches. You can do 15 push-ups in 3 sets. To avoid overloading the arm muscles, do not try to complete all the exercises in one approach.

Beginning athletes are recommended to initially take a lying position and do push-ups from their knees. The legs and body form an even line, the arms are placed at shoulder width. When going down, you need to bend your arms parallel to your body. Breathing is smooth and continuous. As you inhale, you need to go down, and as you exhale, you need to return to the starting position. If you are short of breath, you should reduce the number of repetitions.

Everyone knows that push-ups are one of the exercises of average difficulty level, without which not a single workout of the arms or any other muscle group of the torso is complete. Push-ups are very easy to learn, but of course you need to adhere to the correct technique to get the expected result.

And the variability of this exercise is also considered a very significant advantage, because by shifting the load from one muscle group to another, without significantly changing your body position, you can achieve the development of certain parts of your body. Therefore, now we will talk about the features of each type of push-ups and what muscles swing when doing push-ups from the floor.

Features of muscle function

Doing a push-up exercise, you use almost all the muscles of the body, which means that not only the muscles of your arms or chest, but also the muscles of your back, legs, shoulders, and abs are developed and pumped up. Push-ups are often compared to the bench press, only they are performed in reverse. Push-ups are a more accessible and convenient option for loading the body, since the regular floor acts as a support, and you can do them even at home.

To complicate the process in order to obtain greater results, you can do push-ups by placing your feet on a platform or weighting your back with objects such as a bottle of water or a weight. There are a large number of different variations of push-ups and they provide different loads on different groups of muscle tissue.

Types of exercises

Types of push-ups:

Let's look at the most popular of them and which muscles are pumped.

Classic look

Classic type of exercise are familiar to everyone, but not many really understand: what exactly swings when doing push-ups in standard position bodies. Although the exercise works almost all the main groups of the body, the most activated are: chest, triceps, biceps, and deltoids. By constantly keeping your torso higher and tense, you force your stomach, the muscles of the entire body and lower back to work.

Often people make mistakes even in such simple exercises, so to achieve the desired result you need to perform them correctly. Namely:

When you are sure that you have formed the pose correctly, start doing push-ups. To do this: slowly bend your elbows, lowering your straight body. Don't raise or lower your pelvis too much, and don't let your head hang too low. Keep your body straight, imagining that you are forming a straight line from head to toe.

Narrow grip

These push-ups are also called grasshopper push-ups. In order to perform this exercise correctly, you need to have a certain level of training. The fact is that the narrower you place your hands, the harder it becomes to maintain balance while maintaining the correct technique. An ideal example of narrowed push-ups is an exercise with the fingers positioned in the form of a triangle. And you need to try not to spread your elbows too far to the sides, so as not to shift the load to other types of muscles.

What are the effects of exercises with narrow arms? This development is big pectoral muscle and triceps. In addition, this version of the exercise allows you to pump up the triceps, strengthening and strengthening it. But you need to remember that the closer you place your hands to one another, the greater the load on the muscles and the chance of doing a push-up incorrectly, and this can lead to adverse consequences.

Wide grip

Here the story is similar to push-ups with a narrow hand position, only now the wider you place your palms, the greater the load on the triceps, the anterior deltoid muscle and, of course, the outer part of the chest receives the greatest load. This push-up technique is popular among those athletes who want make the chest more voluminous and sculpted faster rather than pumping up your arms.

If you want to know which muscles are involved when doing push-ups with your arms wide apart, then the triceps are less involved than in classic form or narrow grip. The main load goes directly to the chest muscles. It is advisable to place your palms 15-25 centimeters wider than your shoulders. But you need to remember that placing your hands too wide will not lead to anything good.

Push ups - both simple and effective method pump up important muscle groups in the body and make them grow. You can perform them even at home, and by combining different variations of push-ups, you can provide the various elements of your muscles with high-quality and complete payload.

Attention, TODAY only!

Push-ups are classified as simple and effective exercises, with which you can keep your body in shape. Some people follow special programs and track results, while others simply do several approaches every day. Both claim that they get excellent physical activity. So is it really worth thinking about? Let's figure out whether it's possible to do push-ups every day, and what will come of it.

The feasibility of daily training

It is important to understand that doing exercises every day is definitely beneficial. But go to the gym every day and do heavy strength exercises- rather harmful.

If you approach physical activity as a prevention of blood stagnation, heart disease and physical inactivity, then it makes sense to give it to yourself daily. But if we are talking about strength progress, gaining muscle mass- in this regard, our body is not as fast as we would like.

Recovery muscle fibers after active training occurs within 48 hours or more (you can judge this yourself by the soreness and lack of strength after training).

So, we conclude:

  1. Doing push-ups every day does not lead to the development of strength and muscle mass gain. The body simply does not have time to recover a day after the previous load. And, let's be honest, the load is not so great if you can easily repeat the workout the next day.
  2. But as exercise, to maintain muscle tone and prevention various diseases Push-ups every day will come in handy.

And, since there is no advisability of push-ups for increasing strength and mass on a daily basis, let’s talk about the “morning exercise” mode.

Push-ups as exercise

Morning exercise often includes push-ups and squats (for the lower body). This is the simplest set of exercises that can raise blood pressure and tone a large number of muscles.

Therefore, these exercises are used as a daily physical activity. Squats target the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteal muscles. And push-ups strain the core muscles, triceps, shoulders, and chest. The same starting position for push-ups corresponds to the “plank” exercise, which is designed to train the core muscles.

In general, the benefits of an exercise such as push-ups are as follows:

  1. If you do push-ups every day or every other day, your arms and chest are much stronger and more resilient than the average person.
  2. If you do at least 20 push-ups, there is a chance that you will be able to push away an opponent or a heavy object that has fallen on you in an unexpected situation.
  3. Push-ups are necessary to train breathing and increase blood circulation. And the latter is required for good health and the prevention of many diseases.
  4. Any workout is a reminder to muscles and joints of their functions. They even say about cars that it is “harmful” for them to stand in the garage for a long time.

How many times to do push-ups in the morning

It is advisable to limit yourself a little in push-ups so as not to overwork your muscles. If you decide to exercise daily, you don’t need to overwork yourself.

To determine the number, do as many push-ups as you can in the morning. Take 60-80% of this number, round up and do push-ups this number of times as exercise. This way you will know how many push-ups you need to do per day.


You can make it even simpler - use round numbers. For example, do 10 or 20 push-ups in the morning. After charging, you should have some reserve of energy left, because there is still a whole day ahead.

If you are well prepared and practically do not feel tired after several dozen push-ups, raise your legs to a slight elevation or use weights. At the same time, carefully monitor the condition of your joints, because the load on them will increase.

What happens if you do push-ups until you drop?

If you suddenly decide to do push-ups every day to the maximum, and your maximum is not 5-10 times, but much more, look at what this can lead to:
  • There is a risk of overwork and losing more weight than normal due to muscle wasting.
  • You will constantly feel tired hands, which is not very pleasant. The muscles will not have time to recover.
  • Your elbows may start to hurt. The joint resource is also not infinite.

Next, there can be 2 outcomes: either you buy chronic illness joints, or your body will adapt to the load, and endurance will noticeably increase. It all depends on the characteristics of your body. But it’s still better to check carefully.

Of course, this all applies to those who are able to do many push-ups in a row. If your limit is 2-3 repetitions, do as many as you can.

Push-ups when passing the GTO standards

If you are interested in passing the GTO standards, push-ups are performed there in a certain way.

The recommendations are as follows: you need to do push-ups so that your knees and pelvis do not touch the floor, but your chest, on the contrary, touches it. In certain conditions, a so-called contact platform with a height of 5 cm is used. It is touched with the chest instead of the floor. The norm is when the angle between the elbows and the body is no more than 45 degrees. That is, you won’t be able to do push-ups primarily using your chest—you’ll have to pump up your triceps as well.

It will be interesting to know how many times you need to do push-ups according to these standards? It all depends on how old the subject is, what gender he is and what sign he is applying for. So, for example, boys aged 6-8 years old must do 17 push-ups for a gold sign, and girls - 11. For 9-10 years old this is 16 and 12 times, respectively, for 11-12 this is 20 and 14 times, and so on.

Push-up patterns

To strengthen your arms and chest, you can do several push-ups.

Scheme 1

Every morning you do 10-30 push-ups in the same position. Namely, as recommended by the GTO standards - that is, the body is straight, like a string, and the elbows are not spaced further than 45 degrees relative to the body.

For maximum effect, hold in the lower position for half a second.

This circuit will help you target your triceps and chest muscles evenly.

Scheme 2

Every morning you do 20-40 push-ups in 4 variations:
  1. Elbows pressed to the body - 5-10 times. Here the main load goes to the triceps.
  2. Elbows to the sides, palms inward - the same amount. Breasts work.
  3. 5-10 times in the position indicated in diagram 1. Uniform load.
  4. 5-10 times on fists. Fists are needed to increase the range of motion. This will engage the pectoral muscles more.
Scheme number 2 will strengthen your triceps and chest from all sides. This is the most preferable option if you want to give a complex load to the body while charging. If you just need to do push-ups, Scheme 1 would be preferable.

Now you can see for yourself that thanks to push-ups you will be healthy and ready for work and defense at any time.

They will not provide significant weight gain, or enormous power, but are perfect for people who don’t have time to go to the gym to keep their body in shape.

Push-ups are considered one of the basic exercises designed to build a strong muscle and strength foundation for the upper body using only your own weight. They are part of the physical training of military personnel and are performed even by the most seasoned athletes. Push-ups are quite easy to learn and do not require any expensive equipment. Another plus is the variability of this exercise, shifting the emphasis of the load from one muscle group to another. So what muscles swing when pushing up from the floor and what types exist? Let's try to figure it out further.

Several muscle groups of the torso work simultaneously during push-ups:

  • breast
  • triceps
  • shoulders
  • press
  • serratus anterior muscle

Push-ups are performed in a lying position, which also helps develop correct posture.

The pectoralis major muscle is without a doubt the most frequently trained muscle group in bodybuilding and fitness. It is primarily responsible for the pushing actions of the upper body. When you go down and up during push-ups, it does most of the work. Unfortunately, in modern times, these muscles are given much less opportunity to contribute to our daily life, which means they are in an atrophied state for most people. That is why they have enormous potential for both strength and size growth.

During push-ups, the triceps also work. This muscle, depending on the width of the arms, takes more or less load. Occupies 2/3 of the volume total mass arms and is responsible for their extension.

They consist of three parts - front, middle and back. The greatest stimulation is obtained during seated presses, and push-ups occupy the third place in terms of load received (front part). Despite the fact that they are weaker than the chest, they help lift the body.

Serratus anterior muscle

Give an aesthetic and finished look to your torso. Serve to stabilize and move the scapula forward and outward. Located under the arms in the back of the pectoral muscles. Activate and strengthen with push-ups.

The abdominal muscles also pump during push-ups. Helps you stay upright in a lying position. It is important to remember that in order to see six-pack abs, your body fat level must be low. This means you should still pay more attention to your diet.

The neck sways slightly. For correct execution When performing horizontal push-ups, it is important to look ahead rather than down.

As for other muscle groups, for example, the biceps and back - no matter what anyone says or writes, but they are practically not involved (with the exception of only a slight pressure exerted by your own body when lowering), and it is impossible to pump them up with push-ups. To do this, use pull-ups or pull-ups on the bar.

Types of push-ups

There are many types of push-ups, but the most common ones are:

  • narrow
  • wide
  • on one hand
  • with a downward slope
  • with an upward slope

Wide push-ups

An easier version of the exercise, since the amplitude of movement up and down is noticeably reduced due to the wide stance of the arms. Allows you to move your elbows further apart and use your triceps to a lesser extent. The outer part of the pectoral muscles works to the maximum, giving them volume and fullness.

Narrow push-ups

Here everything is the other way around - the elbows are pressed closer to the body, shifting the emphasis to triceps muscle shoulder The breasts receive less stimulation compared to the previous option. If your goal is to pump up your triceps, then it is better to use another exercise - triceps push-ups.

One-arm push-ups

An incredibly energy-intensive and complex exercise in which the working muscles are not only the chest and triceps, but almost the entire abdominal Press, stabilizing your body during the approach. Develops strength indicators well.

Incline push-ups

Another method for experienced athletes, which maximally includes the upper bundle of the pectoral muscle in the work, forcing you to lift an even larger percentage own body. The higher the legs are placed on a hill, the more difficult the exercise will be and the more stimulation it will provide. The abdominal and oblique muscles, as well as the erector spinae muscle, also work, stabilizing the body during execution.