{"id":24042,"date":"2021-06-25T19:00:26","date_gmt":"2021-06-25T19:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/?p=24042"},"modified":"2024-12-27T20:20:35","modified_gmt":"2024-12-27T20:20:35","slug":"push-ups-vs-bench-press","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/","title":{"rendered":"Push Ups Vs. Bench Press: Which Workout Is Better For Maximum Gains?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_75 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#Push-Ups_Vs_Bench_Press_Muscles_Targeted\" >Push-Ups Vs. Bench Press Muscles Targeted<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#Push-Ups_Muscles_Worked\" >Push-Ups Muscles Worked<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#Bench_Press_Muscles_Worked\" >Bench Press Muscles Worked<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#Push-Ups_Vs_Bench_Press_Which_Exercise_Works_Better_for_Chest_and_Arm_Gains\" >Push-Ups Vs Bench Press: Which Exercise Works Better for Chest and Arm Gains?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#How_Many_Push-Ups_Are_Equal_to_a_Bench_Press\" >How Many Push-Ups Are Equal to a Bench Press?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#What_Are_the_Benefits_of_Push-Ups_vs_Bench_Press\" >What Are the Benefits of Push-Ups vs Bench Press?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#Push-Ups_Are_Cheaper_Than_Bench_Presses\" >Push-Ups Are Cheaper Than Bench Presses.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#Its_Easier_to_Do_Progressive_Overload_with_Bench_Presses_Than_Push-Ups\" >It\u2019s Easier to Do Progressive Overload with Bench Presses Than Push-Ups.\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#Push-Ups_Are_Easy_to_Modify\" >Push-Ups Are Easy to Modify<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#Is_It_Better_to_Lift_Weights_or_Do_Push-Ups\" >Is It Better to Lift Weights or Do Push-Ups?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#How_Much_of_Your_Body_Weight_Do_You_Lift_in_a_Push-Up\" >How Much of Your Body Weight Do You Lift in a Push-Up?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#Frequently_Asked_Questions\" >Frequently Asked Questions<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#Are_push-ups_good\" >Are push-ups good?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#Do_push-ups_work_the_shoulders\" >Do push-ups work the shoulders?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#What_muscles_do_incline_push-ups_work\" >What muscles do incline push-ups work?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#Weighted_push-ups_vs_bench_press_muscle_activation_%E2%80%93_which_is_best\" >Weighted push-ups vs bench press muscle activation &#8211; which is best?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#Incline_bench_press_vs_push-ups_%E2%80%93_what_is_the_difference\" >Incline bench press vs push-ups &#8211; what is the difference?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#Are_100_push-ups_better_than_100_bench_presses\" >Are 100 push-ups better than 100 bench presses?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#Can_I_build_muscle_with_push-ups_only\" >Can I build muscle with push-ups only?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#Can_push-ups_replace_the_gym\" >Can push-ups replace the gym?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#How_many_push-ups_should_I_do_a_day\" >How many push-ups should I do a day?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-22\" href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#Does_bench_press_help_with_push-ups\" >Does bench press help with push-ups?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-23\" href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#The_Bottom_Line\" >The Bottom Line<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When it comes to upper-body workouts, the push-ups vs. bench press debate is never-ending. On the one hand, elite and seasoned lifters believe that chest gains cannot be achieved without doing some bench press reps, while others believe that the simple and often overlooked push-up is good enough for fantastic gains. So who is correct?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-sheets-root=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/quiz.betterme.world\/first-page-generated-gender?flow=2949&amp;utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_medium=Blog&amp;utm_campaign=Push_Ups_Vs_Bench_Press_\" target=\"_blank\"><video autoplay=\"autoplay\" loop=\"loop\" muted=\"muted\" playsinline=\"playsinline\" width=\"777\"><source src=\"https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/gym-workout-plan.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\" \/><\/video><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this article, we\u2019ll try to put to rest the push-ups vs. bench press debate by looking at which muscles are activated by each workout, the benefits of each exercise, and what science and research have to say about this.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Push-Ups_Vs_Bench_Press_Muscles_Targeted\"><\/span><b>Push-Ups Vs. Bench Press Muscles Targeted<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At a single simple glance, these two exercises seem to target the same set of muscles, but is this true?<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Push-Ups_Muscles_Worked\"><\/span><b>Push-Ups Muscles Worked<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Push-ups are an <a href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/good-upper-body-workout-routine\/\">upper-body workout<\/a> that primarily targets the pectoralis major, anterior and posterior deltoid, and triceps brachii muscles (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC5812863\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/journals.lww.com\/nsca-jscr\/fulltext\/2010\/12000\/comparison_of_muscle_activation_patterns_during.21.aspx\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">), which are located in the chest, shoulders, and back of the upper arms, respectively.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Research also shows that doing more push-up variations, e.g. by placing your arms at different widths or choosing to exercise on an unstable surface, can help you target even more muscles, including the latissimus dorsi, serratus anterior, rectus femoris, and lumbar multifidus (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC5812863\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/journals.lww.com\/nsca-jscr\/fulltext\/2010\/12000\/comparison_of_muscle_activation_patterns_during.21.aspx\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC4792988\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In short, doing push-ups helps target the muscles in your chest, shoulders, arms, back, core, and thighs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/quiz.betterme.world\/first-page-generated-gender?flow=2949&amp;utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_medium=Blog&amp;utm_campaign=Push_Ups_Vs_Bench_Press_\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-61786\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/3-Day-Workout-Plan-Female_-Herea\u0080\u0099s-How-You-Should-Structure-Your-Workout-1024x576.png\" alt=\"Push Ups Vs Bench Press \" width=\"770\" height=\"433\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Bench_Press_Muscles_Worked\"><\/span><b>Bench Press Muscles Worked<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As with the push-up, the bench press is also an upper-body workout. Research on this exercise has shown that when engaging in this exercise, the muscles involved include the pectoralis major, triceps brachii, anterior deltoid, serratus anterior muscle, and biceps brachialis (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC6835758\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Generally, we can say that these two <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-day-workout\/\"><b>push-day workout<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> exercises target the same upper-body muscles. How and where you place your arms while doing the workout determines which of these muscles will be targeted more and which ones will have less activation.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Push-Ups_Vs_Bench_Press_Which_Exercise_Works_Better_for_Chest_and_Arm_Gains\"><\/span><b>Push-Ups Vs Bench Press: Which Exercise Works Better for Chest and Arm Gains?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you assume that a bench press workout is the best way to build muscle, think again. In fact, someone doing bench presses and another person doing push-ups are both likely to achieve similar gains &#8211; a fact that has been proven by scientific research.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>2015<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a study published in the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research,<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> researchers found comparable results between push-ups and bench press. 30 study subjects were divided into three groups: a 6-repetition maximum bench press group, a 6-repetition maximum elastic band push-up group, and a control group.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The control group had no workouts to do, while the bench press and push-up groups were advised to do workouts that used the loads and variables. Researchers used an electromyography (EMG) exercise evaluation to monitor gains in the subjects.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the end of the 5-week training period, researchers observed that both the bench press and the push-up groups had significantly similar gains, demonstrating that these two exercises provide similar muscle results (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/journals.lww.com\/nsca-jscr\/fulltext\/2015\/01000\/bench_press_and_push_up_at_comparable_levels_of.31.aspx\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>The BetterMe: Health Coaching app will provide you with a host of fat-frying fitness routines that\u2019ll scare the extra pounds away and turn your body into a masterpiece! <a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/quiz.betterme.world\/first-page-generated-gender?flow=2949&amp;utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_medium=Blog&amp;utm_campaign=Push_Ups_Vs_Bench_Press_\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Get your life moving in the right direction<\/a> with BetterMe!<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>2018<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another study published in the same journal three years later showed similar results. In this study, researchers compared push-ups and traditional bench presses for their effects on muscle strength and thickness.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They randomly divided 23 moderately trained men (aged 23 to 30) into two groups: one for <a href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/calisthenics-pushups\/\">calisthenic push-ups<\/a> and the other for bench presses. Both groups trained three days per week for four weeks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the end of the study period, researchers found no significant differences in muscle thickness between the groups, which demonstrates that push-ups match the bench press in effectiveness for gains and that this simple workout is effective for building upper-body muscle strength (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/journals.lww.com\/nsca-jscr\/fulltext\/2018\/03000\/effect_of_progressive_calisthenic_push_up_training.9.aspx\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Read more:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/what-muscle-groups-to-work-out-together\/\">What Muscle Groups To Work Out Together To Prevent Overtraining And Maximize Results?<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Many_Push-Ups_Are_Equal_to_a_Bench_Press\"><\/span><b>How Many Push-Ups Are Equal to a Bench Press?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The scientific research above suggests that one push-up is likely equal to one bench press.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As seen above, both the push-up and bench press target almost all the same muscles in the upper body with little variation. This can simply mean that when upper-body muscles are involved, 1 push-up equals 1 bench press and vice versa.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, that\u2019s not all. Studies have also shown an extremely significant association between 1 repetition max bench press and push-ups (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/journals.lww.com\/nsca-jscr\/abstract\/2011\/03001\/prediction_of_one_repetition_maximum_bench_press.114.aspx\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">7<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC7386139\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check out our article on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/how-many-calories-does-a-push-up-burn\/\"><b>push-ups calories burned<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to learn how much energy you use while doing this workout.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/quiz.betterme.world\/first-page-generated-gender?flow=2949&amp;utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_medium=Blog&amp;utm_campaign=Push_Ups_Vs_Bench_Press_\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-65785\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/5-Day-Dumbell-Workout-Split-For-Building-Lean-Muscle-Mass-1024x576.png\" alt=\"Push Ups Vs Bench Press \" width=\"770\" height=\"433\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/5-Day-Dumbell-Workout-Split-For-Building-Lean-Muscle-Mass.png 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/5-Day-Dumbell-Workout-Split-For-Building-Lean-Muscle-Mass-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/5-Day-Dumbell-Workout-Split-For-Building-Lean-Muscle-Mass.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/5-Day-Dumbell-Workout-Split-For-Building-Lean-Muscle-Mass-1636x920.png 1636w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 770px) 100vw, 770px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Are_the_Benefits_of_Push-Ups_vs_Bench_Press\"><\/span><b>What Are the Benefits of Push-Ups vs Bench Press?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When it comes to the benefits of push-ups vs bench press, in terms of gains, these workouts clearly work in a similar fashion. If you\u2019re looking to get bigger arms or chest muscles, just go with your preference as either one will likely work.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both push-ups and bench press are forms of physical activity and research has shown that increasing the amount of physical activity you engage in in a day can help you sleep better, boost your mood, and improve your self-confidence (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/306118434_Benefits_need_and_importance_of_daily_exercise\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">9<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC6027933\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">10<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Exercise can also help with the management or prevention of the risk of chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, hypertension, obesity, depression, and osteoporosis (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/306118434_Benefits_need_and_importance_of_daily_exercise\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">9<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC6027933\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">10<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, separately, do they have any special benefits? Yes, they do<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Push-Ups_Are_Cheaper_Than_Bench_Presses\"><\/span><b>Push-Ups Are Cheaper Than Bench Presses<\/b><b>.<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Push-ups are classified as calisthenics, a type of exercise that is reliant on your body weight for resistance. This means that you don\u2019t require a gym membership to access any equipment as you would while doing bench presses.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Its_Easier_to_Do_Progressive_Overload_with_Bench_Presses_Than_Push-Ups\"><\/span><b>It\u2019s Easier to Do Progressive Overload with Bench Presses Than Push-Ups.\u00a0<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Progressive overload is a key factor for an effective way to develop an exercise program with the goal of muscle hypertrophy. This is where you gradually manipulate the sets, weight, intensity, or duration of your workout in order to constantly or progressively strain your muscles.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Progressive overload makes the muscles bigger and stronger and is a good way to avoid a plateau. When doing progressive overload, specifically through added weights, it\u2019s easier to do so with bench presses, as you can simply add additional weight to the barbell as opposed to a push-up, where you would need to increase your total body weight or use an external weight\u00a0 (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/358008997_Improving_muscle_size_with_Weider's_principle_of_progressive_overload_in_non-performance_athletes\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">11<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC9528903\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">12<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Luckily, you can always do progressive overload by increasing the number of sets, repetitions, and the duration of your workout. Progressive overload isn\u2019t always reliant on weights alone (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/358008997_Improving_muscle_size_with_Weider's_principle_of_progressive_overload_in_non-performance_athletes\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">11<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC9528903\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">12<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>If you wish to free yourself from all the extra pounds that have been weighing you down for way too long, <a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/quiz.betterme.world\/first-page-generated-gender?flow=2949&amp;utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_medium=Blog&amp;utm_campaign=Push_Ups_Vs_Bench_Press_\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">start using the BetterMe: Health Coaching app<\/a> and overhaul your entire life!<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Push-Ups_Are_Easy_to_Modify\"><\/span><b>Push-Ups Are Easy to Modify<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is particularly true for at-home workouts or even workouts for the elderly. As push-ups generally don\u2019t require any added weights, it\u2019s quite easy to modify them to work for various needs and demographics.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/chair-yoga-push-ups\/\"><b>chair yoga elevated push-up<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can be a good option for beginners. You can use bench push-ups to make the exercise harder or easier by simply changing the incline and wall push-ups are a great option for beginners and seniors.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_It_Better_to_Lift_Weights_or_Do_Push-Ups\"><\/span><b>Is It Better to Lift Weights or Do Push-Ups?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s good to do both exercises as they\u2019re good for you. As a calisthenic workout, push-ups largely target the upper body, in addition to the core and lower body for stability. However, even though push-ups target multiple muscles in the body, they\u2019re not enough.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To exercise your entire body exhaustively, it\u2019s best to add push-ups to a well-rounded weight-lifting routine. Do resistance training workouts that also directly target the lower body such as squats, deadlifts, lunges, and more.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Read more:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/leg-slimming-exercises\/\">Leg-Slimming Exercises: Tone Your Legs and Thighs with These Simple Moves<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Much_of_Your_Body_Weight_Do_You_Lift_in_a_Push-Up\"><\/span><b>How Much of Your Body Weight Do You Lift in a Push-Up?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to a study that was published in 2020, you lift anywhere between 62.6% to 65.1% of your body mass when doing push-ups. The range changes depending on how much you weigh, if you\u2019ve added weights (i.e. a weighted vest) while doing the workout, and the type of push-up variation you\u2019re doing (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC7386139\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/quiz.betterme.world\/first-page-generated-gender?flow=2949&amp;utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_medium=Blog&amp;utm_campaign=Push_Ups_Vs_Bench_Press_\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-66176\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/beginner-calisthenics-workout-no-equipment-1024x576.png\" alt=\"Push Ups Vs Bench Press \" width=\"770\" height=\"433\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/beginner-calisthenics-workout-no-equipment.png 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/beginner-calisthenics-workout-no-equipment-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/beginner-calisthenics-workout-no-equipment.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/beginner-calisthenics-workout-no-equipment-1636x920.png 1636w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 770px) 100vw, 770px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span data-sheets-root=\"1\"><h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Frequently_Asked_Questions\"><\/span><b>Frequently Asked Questions<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><ul><li><h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_push-ups_good\"><\/span><strong>Are push-ups good?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes, they are. Push-ups are a<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/compound-exercises-for-weight-loss\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">compound exercise<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which means that they work multiple muscle groups at the same time. The pushing motion is also a critical movement in everyday life. Think of pushing open a door. Developing the chest through a functional movement like this can make simple daily tasks even easier. <\/span><\/p>\n<ul><li><h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_push-ups_work_the_shoulders\"><\/span><strong>Do push-ups work the shoulders?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes, they do, but that\u2019s not all. Not only is this exercise great for shoulder and upper-body workouts, it\u2019s also a fantastic full-body workout due to the need to stabilize the entire body when performing the exercise.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul><li><h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_muscles_do_incline_push-ups_work\"><\/span><strong>What muscles do incline push-ups work?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Incline push-ups work the same muscles as traditional push-ups. The only difference is that the former is an easier variation that places less stress on the arms and shoulders, which makes it a good variation for beginners.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul><li><h3><strong>Weighted push-ups vs bench press muscle activation - which is best?<\/strong><\/h3><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Weighted push-ups are considered a closed-chain movement, while the bench press is an open-chain movement. According to a 2019 study, closed chain movements such as weighted push-ups provide greater activation of shoulder and trunk muscles (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S1050641118304887\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">13<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/p>\n<ul><li><h3><strong>Incline bench press vs push-ups - what is the difference?<\/strong><\/h3><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The incline bench press is solely a chest workout while the push-up is a full-body workout that exercises the chest muscles and those in the core and lower body. Both will work the chest in different ways, but the push-up has more activation of the core and lower body due to the need for stabilization.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul><li><h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_100_push-ups_better_than_100_bench_presses\"><\/span><strong>Are 100 push-ups better than 100 bench presses?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are push-ups better than bench presses? Not quite. As we\u2019ve explained above, these two exercises work the same muscles, so 1 push-up could potentially be considered to be the same as 1 bench press. So, if it comes down to which is better for upper-body strength between 100 push-ups and 100 bench presses, the answer is whichever workout you prefer. In addition, the weight used for the bench press will play a huge role in this argument. We previously stated that in a push-up, you\u2019re lifting anywhere from 62.6% to 65.1% of your body mass, so the bench press would need to have this same weight in order to be comparable (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC7386139\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul><li><h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_I_build_muscle_with_push-ups_only\"><\/span><strong>Can I build muscle with push-ups only?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your goal is to build your upper-body muscles, then yes, push-ups are a great workout that comes in multiple variations that can help build these muscles. However, if you want to build muscle all over your body, you\u2019ll need more than just this one exercise.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul><li><h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_push-ups_replace_the_gym\"><\/span><strong>Can push-ups replace the gym?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This ultimately comes down to what your goals are in the gym. If you\u2019re looking to gain strength in your chest, then yes, a push-up could be a replacement for the gym due to the many different variations you can do. However, exercise entails so much more than just working out one specific region of your body. As stressed above, push-ups aren\u2019t enough to exhaustively work all the muscles in your body. If you want to give up the gym, you should turn to calisthenic workouts such as push-ups, pull-ups, squats, mountain climbers, lunges, etc. to exercise all the muscle groups in your body &#8211; don\u2019t just focus on one group.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul><li><h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_many_push-ups_should_I_do_a_day\"><\/span><strong>How many push-ups should I do a day?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As many as you\u2019re comfortable doing without hurting yourself. There is no standard number of push-ups you should do in a day. The goal should be to do as many as you can with proper form, gradually pushing yourself to increase your strength and endurance. However, remember not to do this exercise daily as you can overtrain the targeted muscles, which can lead to overtraining syndrome.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul><li><h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Does_bench_press_help_with_push-ups\"><\/span><strong>Does bench press help with push-ups?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As research has shown there to be a significant correlation between both exercises, it could be inferred that engaging in bench presses can help you do push-ups.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-sheets-root=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/quiz.betterme.world\/en\/first-page-with-flow-redirect?flow=3090&amp;flowToRedirect1=2935&amp;flowToRedirect2=1772&amp;utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_medium=Blog&amp;utm_campaign=Push_Ups_Vs_Bench_Press_\" target=\"_blank\"><video autoplay=\"autoplay\" loop=\"loop\" muted=\"muted\" playsinline=\"playsinline\" width=\"777\"><source src=\"https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/gym-workout-plan.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\" \/><\/video><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Bottom_Line\"><\/span><b>The Bottom Line<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re wondering between push-ups vs bench press in terms of getting a bigger chest, science clearly states that both workouts will likely do the same thing and produce the same results. All that remains is to choose your favorite workout and put in the work for those coveted gains.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When it comes to upper-body workouts, the push-ups vs. bench press debate is never-ending. On the one hand, elite and seasoned lifters believe that chest gains cannot be achieved without doing some bench press reps, while others believe that the simple and often overlooked push-up is good enough for fantastic gains. So who is correct? [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":68807,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"coauthors":[109,246],"class_list":["post-24042","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-workouts"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v20.2.1 (Yoast SEO v25.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Push Ups Vs. Bench Press: Which Workout Is Better For Maximum Gains? - BetterMe<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"\u2605 PUSH UPS VS BENCH PRESS \u27a4 which workout works best for increased muscle gains? Check out this article to learn more about body exercises and the muscles targeted.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Push Ups Vs. Bench Press: Which Workout Is Better For Maximum Gains?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u2605 PUSH UPS VS BENCH PRESS \u27a4 which workout works best for increased muscle gains? Check out this article to learn more about body exercises and the muscles targeted.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"BetterMe Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/betterme.health.coaching\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-12-27T20:20:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Push-Ups-Vs.-Bench-Press_-Which-Workout-Is-Better-For-Maximum-Gains_-1024x576.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"576\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"\u0421. Kamau, Carter Lee, CPT, S&amp;C coach\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@betterme\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@betterme\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"\u0421. Kamau, Carter Lee, CPT, S&amp;C coach\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"\u0421. Kamau\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/#\/schema\/person\/e6dd0d89aa92189bcfcce96605ad901f\"},\"headline\":\"Push Ups Vs. Bench Press: Which Workout Is Better For Maximum Gains?\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-12-27T20:20:35+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/\"},\"wordCount\":1489,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Push-Ups-Vs.-Bench-Press_-Which-Workout-Is-Better-For-Maximum-Gains_.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Workouts\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"articleBody\":\"<span style=\\\"font-weight: 400;\\\">When it comes to upper-body workouts, the push-ups vs. bench press debate is never-ending. On the one hand, elite and seasoned lifters believe that chest gains cannot be achieved without doing some bench press reps, while others believe that the simple and often overlooked push-up is good enough for fantastic gains. So who is correct?<\/span>\\r\\n\\r\\n<span data-sheets-root=\\\"1\\\"><\/span>\\r\\n\\r\\n<span style=\\\"font-weight: 400;\\\">In this article, we\u2019ll try to put to rest the push-ups vs. bench press debate by looking at which muscles are activated by each workout, the benefits of each exercise, and what science and research have to say about this.<\/span>\\r\\n<h2 style=\\\"text-align: center;\\\"><b>Push-Ups Vs. Bench Press Muscles Targeted<\/b><\/h2>\\r\\n<span style=\\\"font-weight: 400;\\\">At a single simple glance, these two exercises seem to target the same set of muscles, but is this true?<\/span>\\r\\n<h3 style=\\\"text-align: center;\\\"><b>Push-Ups Muscles Worked<\/b><\/h3>\\r\\n<span style=\\\"font-weight: 400;\\\">Push-ups are an <a href=\\\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/good-upper-body-workout-routine\/\\\">upper-body workout<\/a> that primarily targets the pectoralis major, anterior and posterior deltoid, and triceps brachii muscles (<\/span><a href=\\\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC5812863\/\\\"><span style=\\\"font-weight: 400;\\\">1<\/span><\/a><span style=\\\"font-weight: 400;\\\">, <\/span><a href=\\\"https:\/\/journals.lww.com\/nsca-jscr\/fulltext\/2010\/12000\/comparison_of_muscle_activation_patterns_during.21.aspx\\\"><span style=\\\"font-weight: 400;\\\">2<\/span><\/a><span style=\\\"font-weight: 400;\\\">), which are located in the chest, shoulders, and back of the upper arms, respectively.<\/span>\\r\\n\\r\\n<span style=\\\"font-weight: 400;\\\">Research also shows that doing more push-up variations, e.g. by placing your arms at different widths or choosing to exercise on an unstable surface, can help you target even more muscles, including the latissimus dorsi, serratus anterior, rectus femoris, and lumbar multifidus (<\/span>< ...\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/\",\"name\":\"Push Ups Vs. Bench Press: Which Workout Is Better For Maximum Gains? - BetterMe\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Push-Ups-Vs.-Bench-Press_-Which-Workout-Is-Better-For-Maximum-Gains_.png\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-12-27T20:20:35+00:00\",\"description\":\"\u2605 PUSH UPS VS BENCH PRESS \u27a4 which workout works best for increased muscle gains? Check out this article to learn more about body exercises and the muscles targeted.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Push-Ups-Vs.-Bench-Press_-Which-Workout-Is-Better-For-Maximum-Gains_.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Push-Ups-Vs.-Bench-Press_-Which-Workout-Is-Better-For-Maximum-Gains_.png\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1440},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Blog\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Fitness\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/betterme-fitness\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Workouts\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/betterme-fitness\/workouts\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"Push Ups Vs. Bench Press: Which Workout Is Better For Maximum Gains?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/\",\"name\":\"BetterMe Blog\",\"description\":\"Health &amp; Fitness\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/#organization\",\"name\":\"BetterMe\",\"alternateName\":\"Betterme Limited\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/BetterMe.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/BetterMe.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"BetterMe\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/betterme.health.coaching\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/betterme\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/betterme\/\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/betterme-apps\",\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/bettermetips\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC0svgcjc3jSgcryqo83spPQ\",\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@betterme.health.coaching\",\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/app\/betterme-health-coaching\/id1264546236\",\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.gen.workoutme&amp;amp;amp;amp;hl=en_US&amp;amp;amp;amp;gl=US\",\"https:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/wiki\/Q114895798\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/#\/schema\/person\/e6dd0d89aa92189bcfcce96605ad901f\",\"name\":\"\u0421. Kamau\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/0ed0cd9711a5e48e59c4cd4e3aa6902c\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/clare_kamau-150x150.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/clare_kamau-150x150.png\",\"caption\":\"\u0421. Kamau\"},\"description\":\"Clare is an excellent and experienced writer who has a great interest in nutrition, weight loss, and working out. She believes that everyone should take an interest in health and fitness, as not only do they improve your way of life, but they can also have a significant impact on your health. As a writer, her goal is to educate her readers about the ways they can reprogram themselves to enjoy exercise, as well as break free from bad eating habits. In her articles, Clare tries to give advice which is backed by scientific research and is also easy to follow on a day-to-day basis. She believes that everyone, no matter their age, gender, or fitness level, can always learn something new that can benefit their health.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/clare-k-420b7a133\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/author\/clarekamau\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Push Ups Vs. Bench Press: Which Workout Is Better For Maximum Gains? - BetterMe","description":"\u2605 PUSH UPS VS BENCH PRESS \u27a4 which workout works best for increased muscle gains? Check out this article to learn more about body exercises and the muscles targeted.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Push Ups Vs. Bench Press: Which Workout Is Better For Maximum Gains?","og_description":"\u2605 PUSH UPS VS BENCH PRESS \u27a4 which workout works best for increased muscle gains? Check out this article to learn more about body exercises and the muscles targeted.","og_url":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/","og_site_name":"BetterMe Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/betterme.health.coaching","article_modified_time":"2024-12-27T20:20:35+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":576,"url":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Push-Ups-Vs.-Bench-Press_-Which-Workout-Is-Better-For-Maximum-Gains_-1024x576.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"\u0421. Kamau, Carter Lee, CPT, S&amp;C coach","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@betterme","twitter_site":"@betterme","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"\u0421. Kamau, Carter Lee, CPT, S&amp;C coach","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/"},"author":{"name":"\u0421. Kamau","@id":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/#\/schema\/person\/e6dd0d89aa92189bcfcce96605ad901f"},"headline":"Push Ups Vs. Bench Press: Which Workout Is Better For Maximum Gains?","dateModified":"2024-12-27T20:20:35+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/"},"wordCount":1489,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Push-Ups-Vs.-Bench-Press_-Which-Workout-Is-Better-For-Maximum-Gains_.png","articleSection":["Workouts"],"inLanguage":"en-US","articleBody":"<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When it comes to upper-body workouts, the push-ups vs. bench press debate is never-ending. On the one hand, elite and seasoned lifters believe that chest gains cannot be achieved without doing some bench press reps, while others believe that the simple and often overlooked push-up is good enough for fantastic gains. So who is correct?<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span data-sheets-root=\"1\"><\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this article, we\u2019ll try to put to rest the push-ups vs. bench press debate by looking at which muscles are activated by each workout, the benefits of each exercise, and what science and research have to say about this.<\/span>\r\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><b>Push-Ups Vs. Bench Press Muscles Targeted<\/b><\/h2>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At a single simple glance, these two exercises seem to target the same set of muscles, but is this true?<\/span>\r\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><b>Push-Ups Muscles Worked<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Push-ups are an <a href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/good-upper-body-workout-routine\/\">upper-body workout<\/a> that primarily targets the pectoralis major, anterior and posterior deltoid, and triceps brachii muscles (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC5812863\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/journals.lww.com\/nsca-jscr\/fulltext\/2010\/12000\/comparison_of_muscle_activation_patterns_during.21.aspx\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">), which are located in the chest, shoulders, and back of the upper arms, respectively.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Research also shows that doing more push-up variations, e.g. by placing your arms at different widths or choosing to exercise on an unstable surface, can help you target even more muscles, including the latissimus dorsi, serratus anterior, rectus femoris, and lumbar multifidus (<\/span>< ..."},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/","url":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/","name":"Push Ups Vs. Bench Press: Which Workout Is Better For Maximum Gains? - BetterMe","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Push-Ups-Vs.-Bench-Press_-Which-Workout-Is-Better-For-Maximum-Gains_.png","dateModified":"2024-12-27T20:20:35+00:00","description":"\u2605 PUSH UPS VS BENCH PRESS \u27a4 which workout works best for increased muscle gains? Check out this article to learn more about body exercises and the muscles targeted.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Push-Ups-Vs.-Bench-Press_-Which-Workout-Is-Better-For-Maximum-Gains_.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Push-Ups-Vs.-Bench-Press_-Which-Workout-Is-Better-For-Maximum-Gains_.png","width":2560,"height":1440},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/push-ups-vs-bench-press\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Fitness","item":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/betterme-fitness\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Workouts","item":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/betterme-fitness\/workouts\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Push Ups Vs. Bench Press: Which Workout Is Better For Maximum Gains?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/#website","url":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/","name":"BetterMe Blog","description":"Health &amp; Fitness","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/#organization","name":"BetterMe","alternateName":"Betterme Limited","url":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/BetterMe.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/BetterMe.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"BetterMe"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/betterme.health.coaching","https:\/\/x.com\/betterme","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/betterme\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/betterme-apps","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/bettermetips\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC0svgcjc3jSgcryqo83spPQ","https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@betterme.health.coaching","https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/app\/betterme-health-coaching\/id1264546236","https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.gen.workoutme&amp;amp;amp;amp;hl=en_US&amp;amp;amp;amp;gl=US","https:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/wiki\/Q114895798"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/#\/schema\/person\/e6dd0d89aa92189bcfcce96605ad901f","name":"\u0421. Kamau","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/0ed0cd9711a5e48e59c4cd4e3aa6902c","url":"https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/clare_kamau-150x150.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/clare_kamau-150x150.png","caption":"\u0421. Kamau"},"description":"Clare is an excellent and experienced writer who has a great interest in nutrition, weight loss, and working out. She believes that everyone should take an interest in health and fitness, as not only do they improve your way of life, but they can also have a significant impact on your health. As a writer, her goal is to educate her readers about the ways they can reprogram themselves to enjoy exercise, as well as break free from bad eating habits. In her articles, Clare tries to give advice which is backed by scientific research and is also easy to follow on a day-to-day basis. She believes that everyone, no matter their age, gender, or fitness level, can always learn something new that can benefit their health.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/clare-k-420b7a133\/"],"url":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/author\/clarekamau\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24042","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24042"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24042\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":68822,"href":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24042\/revisions\/68822"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/68807"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24042"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24042"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24042"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=24042"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}