If you somehow missed the memo, push-ups are all the rage these days. Everyone from your neighbor to your dentist is telling you that doing 100 push-ups daily is the way to get into shape and start living a healthier lifestyle.
After hearing about it for weeks, I finally decided to try this trend and see what would happen if I did 100 push-ups every day for one month. Was all this hype too good to be true?
Could completing this challenge make me fitter in such a short amount of time? Keep reading as I take you through my experience with trying out 100 push-ups daily – leaps of joy, profuse sweating, and everything else in between!
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Push-Ups
When it comes to upper body strength, the push-up is unbeatable. It's a classic exercise that helps you build muscle in your chest and triceps with minimal equipment needed— just you and the floor.
Start with however many reps you can handle in one go and work your way up as your muscle endurance increases. Push-ups are a great way to strengthen your upper body, so don't be afraid to try them.
It offers variations like wall push-ups, diagonal push-ups, half push-ups, clap push-ups, pike push-ups, diamond push-ups, strict push-ups, and many more. The variety can help people add challenges and modifications to grow strength and muscle mass as they get better at the technique.
For better results, supplements like Whey Protein are the best way to perfect the push-up discipline and routine.
Related Article: Workout Plan to Build Stronger Core & Strength
Benefits of Doing Push-Ups
Push-ups are known for their diversity of variations, challenges, and convenience. Here are the ultimate package push-ups offer.
Target Multiple Muscle Groups
Push-ups might look like a simple exercise, but don't be fooled! It engages nearly every major muscle group in your body—from the pecs and deltoids to the glutes, triceps, and biceps. Even if you can only do one or two reps, it's still worth doing as push-ups stretch out many different parts of your body at once for maximum gains. The muscle groups include,
- Chest (pectorals)
- Shoulders (deltoids)
- Arms (triceps and biceps)
- Back (latissimus dorsi and erector spinae)
- Stomach (abdominals)
- Hips (gluteals)
Strengthen Core
If you're willing to get the best out of your push-up routine, don't forget to keep that core engaged! Not only is it crucial for proper form and trunk stability, but doing the advanced moves on an unstable surface like a ball can help strengthen your core.
Improve Posture
Push-ups are the perfect exercise for anyone looking to improve their posture—and who doesn't? Strengthening your back, shoulders, and abs not only helps you stand tall but can also help prevent nasty headaches, as well as limit muscle fatigue. Improved posture increases oxygen flow, so it's a win all around.
Support Bone Health
To protect yourself from fractures and other bone-related conditions like osteoporosis, push-ups seriously help your bone health. The good news is that regular exercise - think weightlifting and push-ups—can help boost your bones, so you have strong bones for years to come.
Highly Convenient & Versatile
Getting ripped doesn't have to mean picking up weights—you can get jacked without spending a dime! Push-ups are an awesome calisthenics move that works your muscles and doesn't require equipment. Plus, you can tailor them depending on how fit (or not!) you are — so they're ideal for everyone from beginners to pros.
Related Article: 8 Awesome Benefits of Doing Push-Ups Every Day
How to Do a Push-Up
To do push-ups:
- Start in a plank pose on the ab mat with your hands directly under your shoulders and your feet hip-width apart.
- Lower your body toward the ground, keeping your elbows close to your sides.
- Once your chest meets the ground, press back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
My Journey Week Wise
The first week of my fitness journey was quite a challenging one. I noticed that I was starting to experience DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness), which is the tenderness and soreness that sets in around 24-48 hours after exercise. It felt like my muscles were being put through a grueling workout, but I understood that this was part of building strength and endurance.
The soreness was intense during the initial few days but gradually subsided after the first week. However, when I felt discomfort in my traps or lower back while performing push-ups, I knew I had adopted the incorrect form.
I have been doing 100 push-ups daily for the past 2 weeks, but I'm starting to experience some fatigue. I realized that my body was not getting enough rest between workouts, as it needs at least 48 hours of rest for muscles to recover fully.
I'm starting to feel stronger and more confident with each passing day. Not only do I feel good about how my body is changing, but I also know that I am taking control of my fitness journey. It's an empowering feeling!
The most difficult part of this challenge was keeping motivated after the first 30 days when the initial novelty had worn off. However, by 5th week, once I completed 100 push-ups every morning, it became easier to stay focused and committed. This was helped further by making small weekly changes, such as adding a new exercise or increasing the number of sets I would do on certain days.
Doing 100 push-ups daily is quite an intense workout for anyone who isn't used to exercising regularly. As such, it's important to ensure you're getting enough rest time between sets and listening closely to your body for any signs of exhaustion. It's also crucial to ensure you eat a nutritious diet, so your body has all the energy it needs for these intense workouts every day.
Overall, pushing through those first 30 days was worth it because now, after 100 days, I'm beginning to see accurate results from all my hard work!
Related Article: Bodyweight Workouts: 16 Best Bodyweight Exercises for Beginners
FAQs
1. What happens if you do 100 push-ups a day for a month?
If you're up for a challenge and have the willpower and physical strength, then 100 push-ups a day for one month just might be your cure-all. Aside from potentially feeling the burn—like never before—the payoff is that you'll likely see impressive results.
Your chest, arms, and back will become noticeably stronger and more toned over time, giving you that 'I'm ripped' feeling.
2. How many calories can 100 push-ups a day burn?
One hundred push-ups a day can add up to some serious calorie burning. At the same time, the number of calories burnt by doing 100 push-ups varies from person to person, depending on their weight and body type.
It still gives you an excellent workout that will challenge and tone your body in no time. Best of all, 100 push-ups daily is a quick and easy way to stay in shape without spending hours at the gym.
3. What are the benefits of doing 100 push-ups a day?
Engaging in 100 push-ups a day can build your strength and toned muscles, boost energy throughout the day, improve your posture and balance, and even support your mood with endorphin release.
4. What is the result of doing 100 sit-ups every day for a month?
After consistently and diligently making 100 sit-ups part of your everyday routine for a month, you’ll quickly see the positive payoff! You’ll feel stronger each day; with that extra strength comes better posture and core stability. And don't forget about all those feel-good endorphins released with exercise.
Reading List
Article Sources
- Kim, You-Sin, et al. ‘Effect of the Push-up Exercise at Different Palmar Width on Muscle.’ Journal of Physical Therapy Science, vol. 28, no. 2, Feb. 2016, pp. 446–49. PubMed Central, https://doi.org/10.1589/jpts.28.446.