Both the pushup and bench press work the muscles of the chest, shoulders and arms; the only difference is one uses your bodyweight for resistance, whereas the other uses a barbell. Both are great exercises with their own unique benefits, so the answer to this question depends on your specific fitness goals.
Performing a Pushup vs. Bench Press
To perform a pushup, kneel on both knees and lean forward to place your hands on the floor below your shoulders and space them slightly wider than shoulder width. Extend each leg behind you so that you are balancing your bodyweight between your hands and feet. Engage your abdominal muscles to create a neutral spine. Bend at your elbows to lower your body toward the floor. Pause briefly once you've created a 90-degree angle at your elbows, and press your body back to the starting position.
For a bench press, lie supine up on a weight bench with both hands gripping a barbell and spaced shoulder-width apart. Draw the barbell up about an inch above your chest and keep your elbows wide. Press the bar directly above your chest until your arms are fully extended. Pause and return to the starting position.
Advantages and Disadvantages of the Pushup
The major benefit of a pushup is that it requires no equipment, and, because of that, it can be performed anywhere. It requires your core muscles to be engaged to keep you from injuring your spine, therefore creating body awareness as well as giving you a core workout. The biggest disadvantage of a pushup is that you may lack physical strength to lower and lift your bodyweight. In this situation, you can perform a modified pushup that is performed on your knees.
Advantages and Disadvantages of a Bench Press
Unlike the pushup, the bench press requires equipment such as a weight bench and a barbell, therefore making it tough to squeeze in a few reps on vacation. The necessity of a spotter, depending on the weight of your barbell, could be considered an inconvenience to some people. On the other hand, a major advantage of the bench press is that you can choose the weight of your barbell, whereas with the pushup, your weight is predetermined. This enables you to increase your weight as you get stronger.
The Best Answer
If you want an exercise that works more than just your pectorals, shoulders and triceps, you should choose the pushup. If you only care about toning your upper body, then the bench press is for you. If you can blow through pushups without any problems, you should probably challenge yourself more with a bench press of more than your bodyweight to keep your muscles growing.
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