Push-ups, overrated or go-to movement?

So pushups…so simple, right, but yet so challenging?!

Is this movement worth your time, can such simplicity really get results, or should you skip it altogether? The answer is simple, yet breaking it down…has several layers and elements of complexity.

When you think of pushups, you probably think: Herschel Walker completing at least 1000/day every day, Rocky movies, or that incredible Influencer who does crazy clapping/explosive pushups with a backflip, or maybe it’s the childhood memories of sports practice (which can be pleasant or full of grass drills).

So back to the question, should you be doing pushups, and if so, how many and how frequently? The answer is a resounding yes, and you want to start small and progress consistently!

For you, this may mean one pushup per day, which can be modified on the knees if needed! For others, an optimal volume might be 100 or 500 pushups a day with various elevations and balancing)! The point is, we all have a starting point.

The key is identifying that starting point, being honest about where you are and where you want to go, and then getting to work!

We always want to see improvement, progression and celebrate those small wins/victories each day with any healthy habits in life. So that the simple answer is yes, pushups are super effective, can be done anywhere, and you should absolutely do them at an optimal level.

So now on to the complexity portion. With pushups, the sky is the limit! The simple movement is so functional, hits all your stabilizer muscles (which help prevent injury and muscle imbalances), can create the abs of your dreams, develops upper body strength, and requires no equipment and very little space.

You will build stabilization/muscular endurance, strength/hypertrophy, maximal strength (weighted variations), and increased power output! The volume (sets, reps, frequency, duration/tempo) and load/difficulty can all be constantly varied and progressed with this one exercise.

With this exercise, there is almost an unlimited amount of variations that you can do! This can be a go-to exercise always to keep you on track with your fitness goals!

That’s why we have created the 100 pushups/day challenge for January! And who knows, maybe you like the routine so much that you continue for the years to come! So the following steps:

Start small and choose pushup variation and rep number that fits your fitness level. Then, begin completing pushups on a daily basis with minor improvements/wins/progressions each day! That can be an extra rep, an extra set, a new variation, or maybe just a more optimal form/range of motion!

So start moving today and complete some pushups!

Comment and tag us when you do!