Why Pushups?

Pushups are one of the basic and most common exercises for the human body. Pushups are not only great for your chest, but do a tremendous job of defining your abs, triceps, shoulders and torso.

Pushups can be performed no matter where you are, and best of all, they are completely free - no expensive equipment or annual gym fees required! The benefits of pushups are plentiful.

Pushups will improve muscular endurance within the upper body, strengthen both muscles and bones, create lean muscle mass that raises your metabolism and, of course, help keep you fit and healthy. If you're just looking to develop a great chest, arms and shoulders, you could do much worse than follow along with the hundred pushups plan. Your core strength will also go through the roof too!

People lose up to two percent of muscle mass per year, eventually losing as much as 50 percent of muscle mass in the course of a lifetime. The effects of losing muscle mass include a decrease in strength, greater susceptibility to injury, and an increase in body fat. The good news, however, is regular exercise enlarges muscle fibers and will help stave off the decline by increasing the strength of the muscle you have left. In fact, in many cases, strength training has been proven to reverse the loss of muscle mass and bone density due to aging.

To improve your strength, fitness and general health all you need to do is commit about 30 minutes of your time per week, and follow the pushups training program as closely as you can. I promise you will feel much better about yourself and much more confident after just a few short workouts. Good luck!

Association Between Pushup Exercise Capacity and Future CVD Events

Becoming proficient at pushups — in this case being able to do 40 or more — does more than help strengthen your upper body. According to a recent study led by doctors at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, it might also help stave off cardiovascular problems, especially if you’re a man.

The findings of the study suggest that higher baseline pushup capacity is associated with a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease events. Full details of the study can be found here.