Pushups are common in most exercise regimens because they are effective at developing the muscles in your upper body, can be done nearly anywhere and don't require any additional equipment. The number of pushups you should do for a good workout depends upon a couple of factors, including your strength levels, body weight and fitness goals.
Pushups
Pushups effectively develop your chest, shoulder and triceps muscle groups. Your chest produces most of the force needed to complete the movement. To develop your chest more, widen the position of your hands. To place more focus on your shoulders and triceps, bring the position of your hands in so that they're at least directly underneath your shoulders.
Considerations
Instead of using an outside weighted implement, such as a dumbbell or barbell, pushups utilize your own body weight to provide resistance that your muscles must overcome. Therefore, the intensity of your pushup depends upon your own body weight. Those who weigh less are likely to have an easier time completing pushups than those who weigh more. Similarly, those who weigh less will have a tendency to be able to complete more repetitions before becoming fatigued. Because the number of pushup repetitions to cause your muscles to become overloaded will vary between individuals, complete the number of pushups in each set that's appropriate for your strength levels.
Volume for Strength
Those looking to improve their upper body strength with pushups should complete two to three sets of pushups, which Georgia State University's Department of Kinesiology and Health says is adequate to increase strength. Complete each set to failure. To increase the intensity of the exercise and require your muscles to overcome more resistance, place your feet up on a box or a ball. Because of the intensity of completing pushups to build strength, rest for three to five minutes in between sets to allow your muscles to recover.
Volume for Size
If you're looking to increase the size of your chest, shoulders and triceps, perform at least eight sets of pushups, according to Dr. Joseph A. Chromiak of the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Volume and completing a significant number of sets is the key component to increasing the size of your upper body muscles. Complete each set to near fatigue, but not to a point of failure. To build muscle, the rest periods between sets should be relatively short, so take only one- to three-minute breaks.
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