The pushup is a basic calisthenic exercise used widely by athletes and military members to train the upper body's muscles, as well as to increase the strength of the core body muscles as stabilizers. Pushups are relatively simple to do, yet grow in difficulty by increasing the number of repetitions you do. Consistently performing pushups until muscle fatigue can increase your overall repetition count, if done properly.
The Pushup
The pushup is an exercise that works your chest, arms, shoulders, core and back. It is done by lying on the floor face-down, placing your arms shoulder-width apart and pointing your toes into the floor. You push your body up and away from the floor until your arms are fully extended, then lower your body back down until your elbows are bent at a 90-degree angle. This is one pushup repetition. There are many variations of the pushup that will work different muscles in your upper body and arms, but this is the most common form.
Pushups to Failure
Doing pushups until you achieve muscle failure will help you build muscle mass in your chest and arms, increasing your overall pushup capacity. Muscle failure is achieved after a long set of pushups where you cannot push out any more reps. Mixing in maximum output workouts on odd days, then low repetitions with high set counts on even days will vary muscle development and increase your overall rep count, fitness expert Stew Smith writes for Military.com. Be wary of extending this workout for too many days in a row. If your body is too sore, you should take some days off to let your muscles properly rest, recover and grow.
Setting Goals
Before you start churning out pushups until your arms shake, set some goals for yourself and determine the objective of your workouts. If you're trying to pass a military or law-enforcement test, where high repetitions are important, follow an even-odd workout plan of max reps then easier high sets for two weeks. Set your overall pushup rep goal at 200 to 300 per day, depending on strong you are right now. If you're simply looking to get stronger arms or look better, you might want to focus on slower pushups rather than racing for high rep counts.
Tips
You can vary the style of your pushups to work different muscles in your arms and chest, or work them at different angles. As a rule of thumb, the wider apart you place your hands on the floor, the more you will work the muscles in your chest. Conversely, bringing in your hands to directly under your chest or ribs will work your arms to a greater degree. For a real challenge, spread your feet a little farther apart and position one hand directly under your chest while keeping the other hand off the ground, for a one-handed pushup.
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