A DAILY ROUTINE can help to bring order to a busy life. You might wake up and immediately make coffee, take the same short walk to clear your mind at lunch, or wind down before bed with your comfort TV show every night before bed. Physical routines can serve the same purpose, especially for busy people who want to make strength training a habit. Doing a simple, effective movement like the pushup every day is a common practice, especially for guys looking to maintain a baseline level of strength.
But is piling up pushup reps really an effective way to find consistency—and is it safe? Overuse injuries, muscle imbalances, and junk volume are real, so it’s worth taking a moment to consider whether or not a daily pushup habit is a good idea.
We checked in with the experts, and we have an answer: Technically yes, it’s okay to do pushups every single day. But there are a few caveats if you want your practice to be safe and effective.
How to Make Pushups Every Day Safe and Effective
First and foremost, you shouldn’t just stop your workouts with your reps. “You should not train pushups in vacuum every day,” says MH fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S. “This is the trap that a lot of people fall into, they think it’s an easy upper body exercise you can do daily, and all of the sudden you’re going to see gains.” Rather, it’s important to be intentional with your workouts to avoid muscle and postural imbalances. That means balancing pushups with moves that target the back, along with pulling exercises (essentially, the opposite of a pushing motion).
Samuel suggests grabbing weights (dumbbell, kettlebell, or even a heavy backpack) then completing some form of row to give some attention to your back muscles. And if you don’t have access to weights, then you can try a T Superman exercise.
For well-rounded programming, Kurt Ellis, C.S.C.S., owner and coach at Beyond Numbers Performance, also recommends including pressing and pulling variations in different planes of motion. This might include an overhead press, along with pullups or chinups. “Essentially, targeting the musculature around the chest to balance things out would be ideal,” he says.
And, of course, in order to safely do pushups daily, it’s crucial to focus on form. In particular, Ellis notes that trunk stiffness and rigidity is key—so no sagging, wobbly midsection or extending in the lower back. “We want to try to have everything move as one unit,” he says.
For beginners, in order to maintain that proper form and stability, Ellis recommends starting with an incline pushup (placing your hands on an elevated surface like a bench), and working up (well, down) to a standard pushup. You might have seen trainers in group fitness classes suggest dropping to your knees as a scaling technique, but you should avoid this approach. You want to work with the same level of core engagement by adjusting the angle of your lever, not shortening it.
As you get stronger, Ellis suggests changing up the pace of your movement to add to the challenge. “If you’re able to control your tempo throughout a certain amount of time, that’s a great way to either improve your frequency or your form,” he says. To really level-up, you could try an advanced pushup variation or adding more to resist than just your bodyweight, such as loading up with a weighted vest or placing a plate on your back.
Wolf Tactical Weighted Vest (with Plates, 8.75lbs)
Now 32% Off
GORUCK Training Weight Vest 2.0
How Many Pushup Reps You Should Aim for Per Day
As for the actual number of daily reps, Ellis recommends switching up your goal. For instance, if you do 75 reps one day, maybe only do 20 the next, then back to 75, and so on. If you feel pain beyond just the typical muscle soreness that follows exercise, stop.
Ultimately, Ellis says your total number of pushups depends on the volume (how much you’re doing in a given day) and the intensity (whether you’re adding an external load). But, if you don’t overdo it, take time to recover, and keep your training nice and balanced, your daily pushup habit can be a key to a healthy fitness plan.
Kristine Thomason is a writer and editor with over a decade of experience creating content for print and digital publications. Previously, she was the health and fitness director at mindbodygreen, and the fitness and wellness editor at Women’s Health. Kristine’s work has appeared in Men’s Health, Travel + Leisure, Health, and Refinery29, among others. She holds a journalism degree from New York University, and is certified in personal training by the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).
Brett Williams, NASM-CPT, PES, a senior editor at Men’s Health, is a certified trainer and former pro football player and tech reporter. You can find his work elsewhere at Mashable, Thrillist, and other outlets.
