Press-ups can help you build as much muscle as possible, but it's how you perform them that makes the difference
The idea press-ups are merely a beginner's exercise is thankfully a thing of the past. Volume, load and progression are some of the key factors responsible for muscle gain, and so you should maximise these when performing a press-up.
When all the benches are busy, it's a pain in the backside - but that doesn't mean you should go without training your chest.
Performing a press-up
Technique is everything when performing this exercise. Better form equals more stress on the chest, triceps and shoulders.
- Start with arms shoulder-width apart and locked out
- To take the stress off your shoulder joint, keep your elbows tucked in
- Lower your torso to the floor while keeping your back straight
- Pause at the bottom and hold for 1-2 seconds
- Press back up
Press-ups were put to the test in a
study published in the
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
Researchers pitted those following a standard bench press split against other gym goers performing more of a calisthenics-based bodyweight training plan. The latter had press-ups as the focal point.
Both groups experienced a similar increase in muscle thickness and bench press one rep max (1RM).
Pressed for more
You're probably surprised how effective press-ups are, when put under the microscope. There's reason behind this. Those tasked with press-ups were not leaving the gym with three sets of 10 bodyweight reps under their belt.
In order to build muscle, press-ups need to be progressive - with an ever-increasing rep range or heavy load.
Three ways of achieving this:
- Adding weight plates to your back
- Wearing a weighted vest
- Asking someone else to get on your back [trust is important here]
Crossover to the bench press
While it's fine to switch between press-ups and the bench, there's no reason why both shouldn't feature in your gym plan. When you're performing your press-ups, find the hand placement most comfortable. Have a friend measure the distance apart. When bench pressing, your hands should be this far apart.
Read more: The Mountain's brutal strength circuit
