Do Push-ups Build Muscle Effectively?

This is a very weird question that I hear once in a while. If you ask “do push-ups build muscle?” it probably implies that you have been trying to build muscle with pushups and aren’t having any luck.  

But if you look closely at the question, it isn’t a stupid one.  

With all the different opinions flying around about bodyweight exercises, specifically, if they are effective for building muscle, it’s not absurd to wonder if push-ups do actually build muscle effectively. Especially after trying and failing. 

So to answer this question and provide more clarity (I mean, who doesn’t love a bit of clarity) I will be placing this question and a few studies side by side plus some personal experiences, and comparing them. 

What Do You Need To Build Muscle In The First Place? 

If you have any basic experience on the topic of building muscle you’ll know most of this already. 

Gaining muscle is based fundamentally on adequate daily protein consumption and producing sufficient tension to your muscles to provide a stimulus for them to grow. And then gradually increasing the weight or stress provided over time, a technique called progressive overload. Muscle gains are faster when you’re on a slight caloric surplus but you can still build tons of lean muscle when you’re in a deficit {study} that’s not more than 500 calories.  

The most important thing is consistency.  

If you have no clue what building muscle requires and what it’s all about then read my complete guide to building muscle here. 

Building Muscle With Bodyweight Exercises Like Push-ups 

You may have heard some of the controversies about bodyweight exercises and if they are effective for building muscle. 

The truth is that bodyweight exercises build muscle effectively when done right. Specifically, they build muscle most effectively with high rep ranges. That means when you decide to build muscle using nothing but bodyweight exercises, be sure to do almost every set to failure. {Study} 

While using weights can produce superior bulking results {study}, some people don’t have enough time in the week to go to the gym and so employ bodyweight exercises.

To find out how to build muscle with bodyweight exercises and without weights check this out.

So, Do Push-ups Build Muscle? 

Here is your answer. Are you ready? The answer is that it depends. (I know, I know, bummer) 

And it depends on a lot of things: 

Are you eating right? 

Is your form good? 

How much experience do you have with exercises already? 

Are you applying progressive overload? 

Are you consistent? 

I’ll explain each in detail. 

Are You Eating Right? 

Is your diet supportive of muscle growth? Remember 2 things.  

1. Muscles are made in the kitchen 
2. No one ever put on muscle while lacking protein 

If you’re guilty of skipping out on the protein you’ll have to reassess and change your ways. There is no way around that.  

Along with making sure you eat enough protein make sure your nutrition, in general, is up to scratch.  

Another sticking point may be that you consume too few calories. While it is possible to build muscle in a caloric deficit, when the deficit is to much muscle gain slows drastically or even halts. So if you know you eat low-calorie, bump up the calories by a few hundred. 

Is Your Form Good? 

Here’s something no one wants to talk about. A lot of people are guilty of doing exercises with poor form. Apart from seriously slowing muscle gain, poor form can result in serious long term injuries. So if you’ve been doing your push-ups with poor form or you aren’t sure if you have been, you should take a deeper look at it.  

If you have never formally learned how to do a push up watch this: 

Another problem is that pushups may be hard for you in the first place because you aren’t strong enough. In this case, what you’ll need is to do an easier variation of the pushup. For example:

How Much Experience Do You Have With Exercise Already? 

If you’re already at the stage where you can do more than 50 or 60 pushups without stopping then they may not be as effective for you in building muscle. This is one case where you need to pick a harder variation of a pushup or change the position or elevation. Which brings me to the next point… 

Are You Applying Progressive Overload? 

Definitions and explanations of progressive overload tend to be unnecessarily complex and confusing. So because of that, I’ll explain it in the most simple way possible. 

Progressive overload is making an exercise more difficult over time by adding weights or by increasing the difficulty of the movement itself. It’s necessary because as you get stronger your muscles will get more used to that particular level of tension. It creates a problem because your body needs to be challenged to build muscle. So to continuously make strength gains you need to increase the challenge to your body. 

If you applied progressive overload to pushups, it would mean that you either increased the tension in your muscles with weights (or a resistance band) or did a more difficult variation of pushup like the Spiderman pushup. 

Are You Consistent With Your Push-ups? 

How often are you doing pushups? If you aren’t gaining muscle mass with push-ups this may be the biggest problem. Not only should you be providing challenging stress to your muscles but it should also be consistent. 

The truth is that even people with poor form may still put on a little muscle but if you aren’t consistent you won’t see any progress.  

Sharpen Your Push-ups To Build Muscle Quicker 

Now you know what’s holding you back I’ll talk about what will lead you forward. 

As I’m sure I say countless times I’m a huge fan of pushup and I even do them for fun. Apart from the benefits like building muscle they can get your blood flowing and change your state. 

Because of how useful they are it’s important you get the most out of them, so here are the top tips to take your Pushups to the next level: 

Don’t Forget To Breathe 

Yes, you read that right. People forget to breathe when they do Pushups, it’s far more common than you think and the odds are that you’re probably guilty. 

Breathing during Pushups makes them easier to do and if you’re the showoff type, lets you do more reps. 

Make sure to inhale as you lower your body towards the ground, and exhale as you rise back up. 

Straight As A Ruler 

When you’re doing Pushups, keep your body as rigid as possible. Tighten your core and glutes and make sure your neck is in a neutral position.  

Your body naturally tries to make hard movements easier so you will tend to sag and your butt will drop towards the ground. It’s important to keep it all tight and straight to maintain the force of the pushup as a lax body will tend to make the force dissipate. 

Squeeze Your Shoulder Blades Together 

Make sure your shoulder blades are squeezed together tight to increase the impact of the exercise on the muscles it’s supposed to be working. 

Make Sure You Have A Full Range Of Motion 

Make sure your chest touches the floor and your arms are completely straight at the top of the movement. If you’re someone who can do more than 20 pushups, when you apply this you’ll notice the exercise becomes harder and you won’t be able to do as many reps. 

Pause At The Bottom Of The Pushup 

A lot of people do Pushups very fast and when you do this momentum does half the work for you. It makes the exercise less efficient and in this way, you leave gains on the table. 

When you do your Pushups the movements should be slow and controlled. Lower yourself until your chest touches the ground, then explode back up in one sharp motion. 

This will make sure that momentum isn’t doing the work for you and that you’re milking the exercise for all it’s worth. 

The Pushup Dark Arts [Few Ways You Can Use Pushups For Instant Benefits] 

Here are a few of my favourite ways to use Pushups for immediate benefits. 

1. Do Them Before You Go Out 

Especially if you already have a bit of muscle on you and your shirt is on the tight side. If you want to show off the muscle you already have this may be a great way to do it. 

2. Do Them When You Can’t Concentrate On Work 

I can’t count the number of times that I’ve used Pushups to jumpstart my brain on a slow day. If you’re looking for inspiration for a job you’re doing or you’re having mental blocks drop and do 20. 

3. A Quick Morning Workout  

Let’s not pretend we all work out the morning of every day like we always plan to. Sometimes life hits hard. Pushups can be an easy way to get up and go in the morning when you’re on a schedule. Sure it’s not a full-body workout but anything is better than nothing and it works quite a lot of muscles anyway.

Summary

I hope this answered any questions you had about push-ups to build muscle. The take away from all this is to stay consistent and maintain form. If you have any questions or experiences to share let me know in the comments.