STOP Doing 100 Pushups a Day! (I’M BEGGING YOU)

Have you been told to do 100 pushups a day to build a bigger chest? If so, you’ve likely been given bad advice. In fact, if you can do any more than 20 to 30 reps in a given set, you are leaving better chest gains on the table. Here’s why.

In order for an exercise to build chest muscle you have to be sure that it’s progressively overloading the target muscle. Far too often, people will advocate a high volume approach without paying attention to the necessary intensity needed to stimulate new muscle growth. This is especially true when it comes to high rep sets.

Research shows that in order for high rep sets to produce muscle growth in the pecs (and other muscles for that matter), you must take those sets to total muscle failure. Stopping a few reps shy of failure and relying on the volume alone will not produce the gains that you were seeking by performing 100 push ups a day.

So even though the consistency of the 100 reps of pushups each day is admirable, the effort is not going to be worth the work.

So what to do instead?

Choose a more difficult push-up variation. Pick one that allows you to complete no more than 12-15 reps in a given set and take each set to failure. Perform 4-5 sets of these either in one shot or spread them out throughout the day as you are able. The key is to complete your 4-5 sets each and every day (or at least 5 times a week at minimum).

This volume approach to hypertrophy is still effective and it accounts for the missing intensity that comes from the sub failure approach that we get from 100 pushups a day.

You don’t have to stick to the same pushup variation either. You can use pushups that target more of your upper chest by performing decline options or more that hit your lower chest by performing incline options. The key is that you choose a version that challenges you and takes you to failure on each set performed within that 15 rep range.

Again, if you were wanting to do more reps you could but then it still requires that you perform the set to absolute failure if you want to see any gains from it.

So the next time that you are considering doing 100 push-ups a day think again. Try this higher intensity approach instead and report back as to your progress on this short. Please share this with someone that you know that is stuck in the purposeless pushup cycle.

For more tips on how to increase pushups and how to build a bigger chest without weights, be sure to stay tuned to this channel and remember to subscribe so that you never miss another video from a physical therapist with a pro sports background as a PT and strength coach.

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Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the head physical therapist and assistant strength coach for the New York Mets. Jeff earned his Masters of Physical Therapy and Bachelor’s of Physioneurobiology from the College of Health Sciences University of Connecticut Storrs. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

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