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If I did push ups every day, what would happen?

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Original post by Spontogical
Weights in general.

My brother has never entered the gym or lifted weights before, and he's pretty well built. Just bodyweight exercises, makes sure to change things up if they get too easy though.


So is it about how difficult the exercise is, or how often you do it, how long you do it for? Or just everything in combination? Would I be embarrassingly ignorant if I said "surely you can't get really strong at a muscle exercise without building those muscles"? :colondollar:
Original post by Amwazicles
So is it about how difficult the exercise is, or how often you do it, how long you do it for? Or just everything in combination? Would I be embarrassingly ignorant if I said "surely you can't get really strong at a muscle exercise without building those muscles"? :colondollar:


Pretty much everything in combination, but I try not to focus too much on the finer details. Well be developing muscular endurance you can get good at that specific exercise, but it wouldn't really make you strong per se. Yep i think you're right, but your body will need to have a reason to develop bigger muscles though, and this is where nutrition and intensive exercise (not so much) comes in.
If you're finding it hard to just do any regular push ups start doing them on an incline first. So by pushing off from the table for example. Your body has to maintain the same posture but your arms are supporting less weight. After a while these will become far too easy, which will mean you're now strong enough for regular push ups.

Then when this becomes easy you'll eventually have to move on to doing push ups on a decline. Your feet will normally be resting on an elevated surface while your hands will be on the ground. You have to support more of your body weight hence they are way more challenging.

As with all things try to vary the types you do, for example diamond push ups (when your hands are interlocked in a diamond) target your triceps more. While wide arm push ups target your pectorals.

Although don't expect to look look like a bodybuilder after this, don't get me wrong there will be a considerable amount of muscle gain, but the thing about push ups is that after a while they become an endurance exercise. In order to stop this you have to keep upping the intensity of each individual push up you do.

So 12-15 reps of push ups on a steep decline will be generally more effective for muscle building than say 25-30 reps of regular push ups.
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 43
Avatar for Enigma7
Enigma7
Only push up will result in bigger arms and a tiny body....
Original post by hawkesy_1
That isn't supersetting. Supersetting involves using different muscle groups.
Eg. Press Ups (Chest- Agonist muscle group) then do Rows (Back- Agonist Muscle Group). Just doing 1 or 2 press ups a day won't help very much. Try doing them on your knees first, then move to full press ups. This gradual progression will be more beneficial :smile:


Junaid96
......


Supersetting can work the same muscle groups. Supersetting involves completing two different exercises with no rests in between the sets. Supersets can work the same muscle group, different muscle group or even be two different activities.
Original post by Enigma7
Only push up will result in bigger arms and a tiny body....


Push ups are a chest exercise :wtf:
Original post by Amwazicles
Was just about to recommend this. :yep: I'm just starting, although I'm having to do the first couple of weeks on knee press-ups because I can't do more than 1 or 2 full ones. http://hundredpushups.com/

Also, to everyone who's saying 'it won't make you huge', what does make you huge if not that kind of thing? (complete noob alert)


There is a limit, of course, but if OP is a beginner then they can make the most of their beginner gains and get a pretty decent chest and back, with some tricep development from just push ups and pull ups. Diet will be important too, so don't just forget that. What will make you 'huge' and more isolated exercises, normally performed with dumbbells or a barbell, but for beginners push ups and press ups will suffice.
Original post by DontBeJelBeReem
There is a limit, of course, but if OP is a beginner then they can make the most of their beginner gains and get a pretty decent chest and back, with some tricep development from just push ups and pull ups. Diet will be important too, so don't just forget that. What will make you 'huge' and more isolated exercises, normally performed with dumbbells or a barbell, but for beginners push ups and press ups will suffice.


Do you mean diet is important because you won't be able to do the exercise without eating well, or that what you eat will actually affect how much muscle you put on with the same amount of exercise?
Original post by Amwazicles
Do you mean diet is important because you won't be able to do the exercise without eating well, or that what you eat will actually affect how much muscle you put on with the same amount of exercise?


How much muscle they gain. From a basic stance, doing press ups and push ups will tear muscle fibres mainly in his arms, chest and back. A good amount of protein, along with carbohydrates are needed to repair these so that they can grow back bigger. To do the exercise he will need to have had some sort of food, for energy obviously.
Original post by DontBeJelBeReem
How much muscle they gain. From a basic stance, doing press ups and push ups will tear muscle fibres mainly in his arms, chest and back. A good amount of protein, along with carbohydrates are needed to repair these so that they can grow back bigger. To do the exercise he will need to have had some sort of food, for energy obviously.


I see. :yep:
You'll get better. I'm making a point of counting how many I do each time, every few days.

Initially I could barely manage 2, now I can do 10 or 12. Next step - 15!

Eye of the tiger dude..
Hi
I dnt go gym nor can I get a pullup bar
I can do around 20 pushups used to be able to do 40, any workouts u recommended? As in how many a day. As I want bigger arms. (Can't afford weights or any of gym stuff
First would come a rectal prolapse, and a nasty one at that; then, there would be a severe onset of plantar eczema. Lastly, you would contract HIV, and perish in a matter of hours.

It's the reason I always skip a day when doing my calisthenics. Always.
Reply 53
Avatar for onda
onda
1
Push ups is for endurance training:smile:

Unfortunately you won't see much change to your size, sorry:frown: at least not anything dramatic.

If you want increase your size try hitting the gym or do dumbell exercisess which you can find on YouTube:smile:

God bless YouTube :biggrin:



This was posted from my nexus 7
(edited 11 years ago)
Push-ups BY THEMSELVES are not really good..

but by adding progressions to them; you can get a lot of benefits. People underestimate Bodyweight training because of the amount of work it requires but I love them personally.. and you'll be seeing my results in a couple of weeks :biggrin:

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