Can push-ups make you stronger without weights?
Effect of Progressive Calisthenic Push-up Training on Muscle Strength and Thickness
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Push-ups improved bench press strength as much as actual bench pressing—despite never touching a barbell.
Common belief: You need external resistance to get stronger on weighted lifts. This study flips that—bodyweight training alone boosted 1RM bench press performance.
Practical Takeaways
If you want to get stronger at push-ups and bench press without equipment, follow a progressive push-up program (e.g., incline → standard → archer → one-arm progressions) 3x/week for 4 weeks.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Push-ups improved bench press strength as much as actual bench pressing—despite never touching a barbell.
Common belief: You need external resistance to get stronger on weighted lifts. This study flips that—bodyweight training alone boosted 1RM bench press performance.
Practical Takeaways
If you want to get stronger at push-ups and bench press without equipment, follow a progressive push-up program (e.g., incline → standard → archer → one-arm progressions) 3x/week for 4 weeks.
Publication
Journal
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
Year
2017
Authors
Christopher J Kotarsky, B. Christensen, Jason Miller, K. Hackney
Related Content
Claims (5)
Doing push-ups for four weeks won’t make your chest muscles thicker, even if you get stronger at doing them.
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.
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.
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.
If you're a guy who's already fairly fit and you do push-ups or bench presses for four weeks, your ability to throw a medicine ball while sitting won't get any better.