Bad to do pushups everyday?

[futurecopper618]

I was just wondering if it was bad to do pushups everyday. I workout my chest 2 times a week and heard that doing pushups everyday will increase my bench and make my chest stronger overall. Any advice would be great, thanks!

[Switchback]

I don't think doing push-ups everyday is bad, per se. I don't think I would hit them hard all the time, though. I also don't think it will make you chest any stronger. If anything, you may want to do some muscle-failure drills after your chest days (and, assuming you are hitting your chest hard, they will be short drills).

Edited to add:
If you want your bench stronger, then do bench. My bench went from mid to high 200s to high 300s without doing push-ups (in about a year). My workouts are diverse enough, however, that I still max the young age-groups push-ups on the fit test.

[futurecopper618]

what does your weekly training schedule consist of for chest exercises?

[Switchback]

I used to do the traditional weight lifting routine which meant about 1 every 4-5 days I was hitting chest. My chest days usually centered around heavy barbell bench with some incline and declines thrown in there some days. I also frequently used dumbells.

However, I don't bother with that crap anymore. Go to www.crossfit.com for an idea of what I do these days. My last chest intensive day was max reps of body-weight bench press, followed by max reps of pull-ups. Do 5 cycles. I think my first set was something like 25 and 33, respectively, and my 5th set was something like 11 and 25. A lot of traditionalists may not think crossfit makes you stronger, but that is a lot of weight (205 for me) to be throwing for those reps. I think on my last max bench day, just for fun, I maxed out somewhere around 375.

But you are not going to feel like you are working your chest as much as you should. For example, today I did 5 thrusters (think: front squat, doing a military press as you stand up), 7 hanging cleans, and 10 sumo deadlift high pull (think deadlift into an upright row). It was all (supposed to be) with 95#. I inadvertently did it with 135#. The goal is to do max reps of the cycle in 20 minutes. Everything hurts, you're out of breath, and on the verge of puking. THAT is what crossfit is like... and then they have an occasional heavy day to see how you actually ARE getting stronger, despite the deviation from the traditional lifting routine.

You will do a lot of crazy stuff like hand-stand push-ups, 1 legged squats, muscle-ups, clapping pull-ups, turkish get-ups, yadda, yadda, yadda. Google some of these (or look on the demo videos on the crossfit site) and you will see what I am talking about. People in your gym will think you are a freak... but in a good, respectful way.

I wish there was crossfit before I started Army basic (way back when). In stead, I will just have to take pride in being the guy pushing 40 that is smoking all the 20 something kids.

[futurecopper618]

haha, that's awesome, u would smoke me and im a 20 something in pretty good shape, haha

[greg72982]

just my .02...

I am no weight lifting expert but one of the things I learned was that recovery is just as important as the exercise itself. My advice would be not to do them every single day. Maybe do them every other day or arrange a schedule based on your chest days.

[Samuel]

I used to do the traditional weight lifting routine which meant about 1 every 4-5 days I was hitting chest. My chest days usually centered around heavy barbell bench with some incline and declines thrown in there some days. I also frequently used dumbells.

However, I don't bother with that crap anymore. Go to www.crossfit.com for an idea of what I do these days. My last chest intensive day was max reps of body-weight bench press, followed by max reps of pull-ups. Do 5 cycles. I think my first set was something like 25 and 33, respectively, and my 5th set was something like 11 and 25. A lot of traditionalists may not think crossfit makes you stronger, but that is a lot of weight (205 for me) to be throwing for those reps. I think on my last max bench day, just for fun, I maxed out somewhere around 375.

But you are not going to feel like you are working your chest as much as you should. For example, today I did 5 thrusters (think: front squat, doing a military press as you stand up), 7 hanging cleans, and 10 sumo deadlift high pull (think deadlift into an upright row). It was all (supposed to be) with 95#. I inadvertently did it with 135#. The goal is to do max reps of the cycle in 20 minutes. Everything hurts, you're out of breath, and on the verge of puking. THAT is what crossfit is like... and then they have an occasional heavy day to see how you actually ARE getting stronger, despite the deviation from the traditional lifting routine.

You will do a lot of crazy stuff like hand-stand push-ups, 1 legged squats, muscle-ups, clapping pull-ups, turkish get-ups, yadda, yadda, yadda. Google some of these (or look on the demo videos on the crossfit site) and you will see what I am talking about. People in your gym will think you are a freak... but in a good, respectful way.

I wish there was crossfit before I started Army basic (way back when). In stead, I will just have to take pride in being the guy pushing 40 that is smoking all the 20 something kids.

YOU Sir, are an ANIMAL! :D

[RR_uel]

I was just wondering if it was bad to do pushups everyday. I workout my chest 2 times a week and heard that doing pushups everyday will increase my bench and make my chest stronger overall. Any advice would be great, thanks!

If you're doing the same amount of push up work that those muscles are used to, then no it's not bad. Push ups are not the same as bench pressing when you add additional weight for each set. With routine push ups of the same amount of work, you are no longer wearing and tearing the muscle down. It's a litle different if you push the muscle to fatigue but even that's not a big deal. Push ups are an endurance exercise. If it was bad for you, then our thigh and leg muscles would be destroyed too since we use our legs everyday when we walk and climb stairs, etc.

Push ups will not increase your bench press strength.

[CityOfChicago]

Then again, it could also be that nature built us with higher Type II fibers in our lower extremities, knowing that we would spend significant amounts of time on them standing, walking, and running, while generally muscles in the upper extremities are more Type I. That's a generality, of course, as morphology is different for every person. But on the whole in tends to run true.

[William]

In stead, I will just have to take pride in being the guy pushing 40 that is smoking all the 20 something kids.

That's what I like to hear! I am 38 myself and in the "process" that has many 20 somethings starting. I decided a some time ago I was not going to let that stop me, and that I was going to meet or exceed their fitness levels regardless of age. I'm not where I want to be 100% yet, but I'm getting there.

I also agree with training for what you're doing. Like Switch said, bench to increase bench if that is what you are currently working on

[Brendon]

Do a bunch of different workouts and change it up so it's always a challenge. When things start becoming routine you don't gain muscle but you stay at your current level.