The Ultimate Press-Up Challenge Will Pump up Your Chest and Arms, Anywhere
When it comes to building a bigger chest, few exercises are as versatile and accessible as the humble press-up, which is why we've created the ultimate press-up challenge.
At Men's Health UK we love a press-up. It's a movement you can literally do anywhere, that won’t just pump up your pecs, but also your shoulders and triceps, while building core strength and stamina.
3 Things That Will Happen If You Start Doing Press-Ups
- You'll build muscle: Recent research has proven press-ups to be an effective muscle-building exercise.
- You'll reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease: A study published in Jama Network Open found that over a 10-year period, press-ups were associated with a lower incidences of cardiovascular risk.
- Your other big lifts will improve: Press-ups will build both strength and muscle in the chest, shoulders and triceps, muscles that are essential for compound moves such as the bench press.
Everything You Need to Know About Press-Ups
Below you'll find your complete guide to press-ups, along with workouts for you to include in your training.
- Your ultimate guide to press-ups and how to them properly
- Best press-up variations that will elevate any workout
- Another press-up challenge for you to try
- 3 ways to change up your press-ups to make them more challenging
The Ultimate Press-Up Challenge - How to Do It
This four-move assault on your pectorals uses a winning hand of press-up variations, laying them out in a ’mechanical drop-set’, aka working from the most difficult movement to the easiest. This tactic will let you keep pressing and pumping for a muscle swelling two minutes, before taking a breather.
Perform controlled reps of each movement, aiming for maximum (quality) reps of each variation for 30 seconds, before moving onto the next. Rest for three minutes after each two minute round, and repeat four times.
Perform this workout at home, in a hotel, on the beach, at a festival: pretty much anywhere you want to achieve a primo pump. Now, let's get to it.
Feet Elevated Press-ups x 30 seconds
Kick both feet up onto a box, bench or bed, creating a strong plank position with your hands on the ground, shoulder width apart (A). Slowly lower your chest to the ground (B) before explosively pressing back to lockout.
Press-up x 30 seconds
Immediately lower your feet to the ground, and reassume your plank position (A), bend your elbows to bring your chest to the floor (B). Keep your elbows close to your body as you push back up explosively.
Hands Elevated Press-ups x 30 seconds
Avoiding the temptation to drop to your knees, place your hands on your box or bench, elevating the angle and making the next set slightly easier (A). At the same tempo as before, flex at the elbow and lower towards the box until your chest just touches it (B). Power back up until your elbows are locked out.
Tricep Dips x 30 seconds
Chest suitable fried, turn around to hit those tri’s. Sit upright on your bench or box, support your weight with your arms and walk your feet outwards, shifting off the edge (A). Lower your body until you feel a stretch across your chest (B). Push back up hard. Try a count of three down and one back up.
