February 5, 2025, 2:19 pm | Read time: 5 minutes
When it comes to body stability, coordination, and muscle strength of the upper body, the number of push-ups is a suitable measure to determine how well-developed these skills are. Fitness trainer Alina Bock explains how to increase coordination, body tension, and strength in order to double your push-up record within 30 days.
Wanting to double the number of push-ups within 30 days is an ambitious goal. However, with the right mix of coordination, strength, and stability, this can be achieved. Read on to find out what you need to look out for.
Overview
The Right Push-Up Technique as a Foundation
It could be assumed that someone who is strong in the bench press will inevitably be able to do a lot of push-ups. But it’s not quite that simple: if you move most of your weight on the leg press but don’t do any other free squats, you may have potential, but you won’t move much weight at first. It is, therefore, not possible to predict whether and how well an exercise will work based on other exercises. A person who never does push-ups but regularly does bench presses will still start as a beginner with the latter.
This is because the success of exercises is not based solely on the strength of a muscle but also on intermuscular coordination. This describes the interaction between the different muscles during an exercise. For this reason, an exercise must first be performed many times so that the body can coordinate the interaction of the muscles and use them correctly.
The following steps are necessary to perform the push-up correctly:
- Start by getting into the push-up position. To do this, position your hands shoulder-width apart and below your shoulders. The fingers point slightly inward.
- To keep your body stable, tilt your pelvis towards the mat and pull your belly button inwards. You should now feel the abdominal tension.
- As you inhale, bend your elbows and lower your body towards the floor. Push yourself up again just before reaching the floor. Exhale as you do so.
The Emphasis Is on “Regular”
Once the correct technique has been learned, regular training can begin. The emphasis here is on the word “regular.” As already mentioned, the body must first learn how to use its strength correctly and as efficiently as possible.
Therefore, push-ups should be performed regularly, for example, every two days. The focus here should first be on body tension and the correct execution of the push-up.
If the push-up works well, you should do a workout of around three sets with as many repetitions as possible every two days.
Regeneration Is Essential
Even though regularity is important for increasing the number of push-ups, muscle recovery should not be neglected. First of all, it should be noted that if the muscles primarily involved, i.e., the chest, triceps, and shoulder muscles, are sore, further training should not be carried out until they have fully recovered. Training despite soreness in the muscles involved can lead to a drop in performance and, therefore, the number of push-ups.
For this reason, sore muscles should be completely recovered. It is also advisable to take at least one day off between training sessions, even without noticeable muscle soreness, so that the muscles can recover.
Another important factor that contributes to faster muscle regeneration is the right diet. Here, attention should be paid to a high-quality, balanced diet. It also makes sense to consume carbohydrates, especially around training, in order to replenish the energy stores of the muscle cells. A sufficient supply of protein is also essential to build muscle and support the recovery phase.
Constant Increase in Intensity and Number of Push-Ups
If you want to increase your push-up record from 15 repetitions to 30 repetitions, for example, you should increase the number of repetitions by one every two days. Another way to improve your push-up skills could be to add an additional weight, for example, in the form of a weight vest. Choosing variations of the push-up can also add momentum to your training routine and stimulate growth in the chest, triceps, and shoulder muscles. Variations such as the diamond push-up, spiderman push-up, and many more are suitable here.
Supplementary Exercises for the Target Muscles Support Progress
Push-ups strengthen the chest, shoulder, triceps, and core muscles. The abdominal and lower back muscles, in particular, help to stabilize the body. Conversely, exercises for the aforementioned muscles increase strength, which is essential for increasing the number of push-ups.
Exercises for the muscle groups mentioned above should, therefore, be performed in addition to the push-ups. Exercises that are suitable for this are:
- Chest press
- Bench press
- Incline bench press
- Shoulder press
- Lateral raises
- Tricep press on a cable pulley
- Dips
- Kickbacks
- Forehead press
- Plank
- Side Plank
Of course, not all of the exercises listed above need to be performed in addition. One or two exercises per muscle are sufficient.
Tips from a Personal Trainer How to Do Twice as Many Burpees in 30 Days as You Can Now
"Big Five" 5 basic exercises that help you build muscle quickly
Advantages and disadvantages explained by an expert Bench press – better on the machine, with free weights, or with a barbell?
Conclusion
If you decide to improve your push-up record, you should focus on a mixture of coordination, strength, and variety in your training. Regular training and sufficient muscle regeneration are also key to success. If you also lack strength, you can integrate strength training for the muscles involved into your training plan in addition to push-ups.
If you continuously increase the number of push-ups from training session to training session, you can significantly improve your push-up record within a short period of time.