Pushups are similar to weight training in that you build muscle through repeated lifting, though the pushup forces you to lift your own body's weight. If nothing else, this makes the pushup superior to weightlifting from a financial perspective --- you don't need a gym membership or expensive home equipment. The best exercise regimen incorporates variety, so pushups aren't inherently better than weightlifting, but they do provide benefits you won't get from dumbbells.
Full-Body Workout
You may think of pushups as an arm- and shoulder-strengthening exercise, but because the exercise forces you to keep your body straight as you raise and lower yourself from the floor, you're also working muscles in your abdomen, lower back and the front of your thighs. Developing this group of core muscles helps you do other types of exercise with better form. Weightlifting forces you to work certain muscles in isolation, which isn't natural and isn't what you're muscles were designed for. The pushup trains your muscles to better do what nature intended, Bruce Cohn writes for the "Boston Globe": support your body.
Long-Term Benefits
The repetitive motion of pushups benefits your muscle memory in a surprisingly practical way. University of Michigan biomechanics researcher James Ashton Miller told the "New York Times" that people who do pushups regularly are better trained to break a fall when they get older. Once you've fallen, you'll also have an easier time of getting up, because your muscles --- the strength of which typically declines as much as 30 percent between the ages of 20 and 70 --- won't be as atrophied as the average senior citizen's.
Variations
Just as there are many different types of weights, the pushup offers varieties that target different muscles and create greater physical challenges. Spread your hands a little farther out from under your shoulders than with a traditional pushup and you'll bulk up the muscles in your chest. Bring your hands closer together, placing them directly under your shoulders, to focus on your triceps and shoulders. Place your feet on a raised surface, like a chair or exercise ball, while keeping your hands on the floor to make your pushup workout more intense.
Considerations
As with weightlifting and other resistance training, pushups build your muscles by tearing their microfibers and forcing them to heal. It's possible to overtrain with pushups just as it is with weights, so you should avoid doing pushups every day. Working muscles before they've had time to recover can lead to serious injury, the Bodybuilding website warns. You should also check with your doctor before beginning any new exercise program.
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