One of the all time great exercises is the pushup. I think it’s safe to say that everyone has done a pushup in their lifetime … or at least tried! One thing I’m not too sure of though is that if many people realize just how effective a focused pushup workout routine can be at building solid muscle mass as well as great definition. Probably when most people think of doing a pushup workout they think of doing as many pushups as they can or doing 3 sets of 10 reps. The best pushup workouts do not involve either one of those approaches.
So with an “old-school” exercise like the pushup, comes a retro feeling pic. This reminds me a little of TRON: Legacy except of course it’s missing the cool blue neon lights!
Seriously though, even though doing a pushup workout might seem to be a little retro and outdated it’s not. Yes, I do lift weights while I’m following the Visual Impact workout, but I still really enjoy mixing in and incorporating body weight workouts as well. Here is what I think is the ultimate pushup workout routine for developing both muscle mass and muscle density.
Pushup Workout Routine For Mass & Density
Since busting out 50 pushups as a “workout” isn’t too ideal for gaining size or strength, simply doing some pushups every other day isn’t a good approach to building your pecs. I think many find that standard pushups are a little too easy to get any real results from.
With even a little pushup training it’s not hard to do 50 to 100 pushups straight. The thing is though, that this is strictly endurance training and it’s not going to add any real size, strength or definition.
Here is a full pushup workout based on escalating density training — a solid approach to build muscle mass while performing body weight training.
The Pushup Workout Exercises
In this pushup workout we’ll incorporate the standard pushup and two common variations in order to work the entire pec muscles. There are certainly some much more extreme variations and I wouldn’t call any of the following three pushups the ultimate pushup, but the routine is what will make these effective!
For fun, I’ve got some of the “ultimate pushup” candidates a little farther down.
- Standard Pushup
- Diamond Pushup
- Wide Grip / Duck Toed Pushup
I’m not too sure of the “real” name for these, but they’re just wide gripped pushups with your fingers pointed to the sides instead of straight ahead.
The Ultimate Pushup Workout Routine
Alternating the three variations of the pushup, you’ll perform 3 reps, rest 10 seconds and repeat for a total of 15 minutes.
- Standard Pushup – 3 reps
- Rest – 10 seconds
- Diamond Pushup – 3 reps
- Rest – 10 seconds
- Wide Grip / Duck Toed Pushup – 3 reps
- Rest – 10 seconds
When it starts to get tough to do the 3 reps you should add 10 seconds of rest time. At first you will think this will not happen, but it will!
Warning: this may seem a little “too easy” at first and you’ll probably be tempted to start out doing higher amounts of reps. That’s actually not ideal though. In fact, one of the aspects that makes this pushup workout effective is the fact that you are not pushing to failure.
Ultimate, Amazing & Just Plain Impressive Pushups
Here are a few advanced pushup variations for the adventurous. I’ll save the best for last, but they’re all worth a look. To get us started off, here is Craig Ballantyne from Turbulence Training with a quick video demonstrating a few different types of pushups.
Here’s where it gets impressive! My top 3 pushup variations. Click on the names to watch a pop-up video demonstration of the pushup — 90 Degree Pushup is a “must watch!”
- #3 – Aztec Pushup
These pushups made the top 3 list for a reason! Start off in standard pushup position and push/jump/explode off the ground so that you can do a jack knife in the air! - #2 – Full Planche Pushup
This is where it starts to get serious. Short description: do a pushup without your feet ever touching the ground. - #1 – 90 Degree Pushup
The ultimate pushup! Do a pushup without feet ever touching the ground. Oh yeah, that’s after you’ve done a handstand pushup — all without your feet ever touching the ground.
Obviously you’ve got to be in amazing shape to even preform these pushup variations! As far as doing an actual pushup workout based off of these — forget it, right!
For another great pushup variation, checkout this article on Hindu pushups. Although I don’t really use them as part of my workout “routine” they are actually really good for you and fun to do every now and then.
I still use and appreciate the push-up in my routine. For one, I do this because it’s a classic and it has proven itself in the gym over the years. And secondly, I still think it works. Doing a set of proper form push ups (emphasis on form) still challenges and interests me. Gonna make use of your routine in tomorrows workout, thanks!
Right on Ahmed, it’s good to hear this stuff is actually being used. I did this routine the night I posted this article … I was sore the next day … oops
are you supposed to do it everyday or every other day and if you do it for a while do you increase the time to maybe like 25 minute or just stick with 15 minute? thanks!
Hey Daniel, I definitely wouldn’t do it everyday. Even every other day might be a bit much. Shoot for twice a week at 15 minutes and see how that works for you.
thank you for the info. im 50 years old my dad a retired lapd 71 weve trained all our lives. my dads in great shape,does push ups as a staple. i have 6 black belts all following navy seal programs with push ups as a staple. if thats not enough join the usmc and find out. i mainly wanted to thank you for your time. the last site said very little then asked for a donation. god bless you. hope you make lots of money training people.
Thanks for the comment Kirk! That’s quite the resume, keep up the good work.
Found your site after crapping out my knee and needing to find a temporary substitute for running. I’ve been doing the 15 minutes once a week (up to 17 minutes now after a very achy first couple weeks) with another shoulder/arm dumbbell workout weekly, and after 8 weeks there’s a visible difference in how I look. Wife says, “I like your new body!”
Thanks for publishing this, and keep up the good work.
Eric
That’s awesome EJ, I’m glad it’s working for you!
I know how crappy knees go … I’ve got one too. I can’t even run anymore so I do all my cardio on the bike and elliptical.
This is a solid workout. You can also try to add some instability to it by placing your feet on a stability ball and get some core action with it.
Hey Jonathan, thanks for the comment. That is a great idea … I would recommend doing that once this push up workout gets a little too easy.
I like to use bands to make them more difficult. You don’t get the same variety but you can always change the band to increase the challenge.
Thanks for the comment Jason! I can’t really say that I’ve used bands with my push up workouts all that much … I might have to give it a shot.
In addition to Jonathan’s suggestion of adding instability to make pushups harder, you can also do a couple of other different things to make them challenging again.
1. Slow down your reps. The slower you go, the harder each rep becomes.
2. Use a weighted vest. This is a staple for anyone looking to make any type of bodyweight exercise tougher.
I’m a huge fan of bodyweight exercises in general, so I love it that you took the time to write about one of the staples in any bodyweight routine, the pushup. It’s classic yet effective.
Thanks for the recommendations. I have messed with varying speeds before as well as a putting a weight plate (and even my daughter) on my back but I haven’t tried a weighted vest yet … those do look nice and a bit more comfortable!
Those are some good pushups to hit multiple angles of the chest. One day I will have to build up to a level where I can do the advanced ones.
Yeah, that would be cool to be able to bust out a few (or one) 90º pushup.
Nice! One of my favorite pushups is the “around the clock push up”. It’s a great plyometric workout as it takes explosive movements to rotate your body in a circle (like its the arms on a clock). Try doing one full revolution and see where your heart rate goes!
Brad, those look awesome. I had too look them up (http://youtu.be/QjOPuUUqrvo) since I haven’t heard of them until now … very cool, thanks for the suggestion.
Pushups are awesome.. And free too!
I had no idea that there were so many variations!
Thanks for sharing this!
No problem Ralph … I’m glad found a few new push ups!
This is awesome but when you say 3 reps, do you mean 3 reps of 10, 20, 30 etc. ?
Nick,
Nope, you’re thinking sets. It really is only 3 reps and then rest 10 seconds, 3 reps and then rest …
Sounds too easy, but just wait until you’re 10-12 minutes in!