Doing push-ups three times a week for a month can make you stronger at bench pressing—about 3.4% stronger—and it works just as well as lifting weights on a bench press machine.

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Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

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Community contributions welcome

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Effect of Progressive Calisthenic Push-up Training on Muscle Strength and Thickness

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

2018 Mar

The study found that doing progressive push-ups three times a week for four weeks made men just as strong on the bench press as doing actual bench presses — so yes, push-ups can build bench press strength just as well.

Contradicting (0)

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No contradicting evidence found

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According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Source Study

Effect of Progressive Calisthenic Push-up Training on Muscle Strength and Thickness

Score: 46

DOI: 10.1519/jsc.0000000000002345

Similar Assertions

If you do progressive push-ups for 4 weeks, you’ll get much better at doing more push-ups—about 2.5 more levels—compared to just lifting weights on a bench, which only helps you get about 0.8 levels better.

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90%

Doing push-ups for four weeks won’t make your chest muscles thicker, even if you get stronger at doing them.

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78%

Doing push-ups that get harder over time can make your arms and chest stronger—even without any weights—so it’s a good option if you don’t have gym equipment.

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76%

If you're a young guy who's never lifted much before, doing push-ups and light bench presses until you can't do any more, twice a week for two months, will make you just as strong on the bench press as if you were lifting heavier weights — and you don't even need dumbbells or barbells.

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76%