Fitness expert Jack LaLanne, who is known for his amazing physique and well-defined muscles, including his pectorals, set a world record by doing 1,000 push-ups in 23 minutes. According to a March 2008 article in "The New York Times," Mr. LaLanne was still doing push-ups at the age of 93, but was doing them balanced on chairs to gain more extension and get lower to the floor. There are certain things to keep in mind when doing push-ups to build muscle.
Significance
There are two types of pectoral muscles in the chest, pectoralis major and pectoralis minor. The largest portion of pecs, as they are sometimes called, are made up of pectoralis major muscle in the front of the chest with pectoralis minor muscle underneath the major muscles. Push-ups can help strengthen and build pectoral muscle mass.
Extension and Contraction
Maximum Fitness magaizine notes that in order to get the maximum benefit of push-ups, you need to contract the pectoral muscles fully with a full range of motion and extension. Straighten your arms with each push-up to obtain a full stretch and lower yourself all the way to the floor with each rep.
Incline Push-Up
Strengthen and build pectoral muscles by doing incline push-ups. According to ABC Bodybuilding, adding weight to your back while doing incline push-ups helps build muscle mass quicker. Incline push ups are done like regular push-ups, but you place your hands above ground level on a sturdy object, such as a push-up bar or weight bench.
Repetitions
Adding sets may increase muscle mass significantly more than doing a single set of push-ups, according to the Mayo Clinic. Increasing your number of sets in your routine can help build up your pecs.
Frequency for Building Pectoral Muscles
General fitness exercise should be done at least two times a week for major muscle groups, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Exercises like bench presses or push-ups should be spaced out with three or four days of rest in between. In order to help work out the pectorals, you should feel as though your muscles have worked out when you are done.
References
- Max Fit: Chest Quest: Building Perfect Pecs
- ABC Bodybuilding: Incline Push-Ups
- Cleveland Clinic: Exercise Basics
- The New York Times: An Enduring Measure of Fitness: The Simple Push-Up
- Mayo Clinic: Strength Training
- The U.S. Libary of Medicine: Muscles within muscles: Coordination of 19 muscle segments within three shoulder muscles during isometric motor tasks
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