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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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

This study found that doing progressively harder push-ups (like incline, standard, then decline) made people stronger in their arms and chest — even without using dumbbells or barbells — so it works as a good alternative when you don’t have gym equipment.

Contradicting (0)

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No contradicting evidence found

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

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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0

78%

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.

46

0

76%

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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0

74%