Can you build alot of strength and mass by doing hundreds of push-ups?

Question

I've heard that Herschel Walker never touched a weight in his life and was still one of the best college football players ever. And people in the military don't use weights either, they only do bodyweight exercises and they're quite strong. And yet people say that doing push-ups doesn't build any real strength.

Is that true? Can you build alot of strength and mass by doing pushups?

Answer 1

Firstly, push-ups is an exercises to strengthen the back which your arms benefit from too. Yes you can build strength from push-ups but with any exercise you can gain only so much mass as your natural body will allow you without taking any substances. This depends on your reps and sets. In Kung-fu we don't do much with weights, mainly our own body weight especially in the beginning. This is so that the body gets used to its own weight and minimum damage is done then we increase the number. If, how ever you go to gym the more weight (load) you pick up with less reps/sets you will gain strength. If you pick up less load and do more reps/sets you will gain strength up to a point until the muscle gets used to the load and then you would just be maintaining the same strength and definition until you increase your load or reps/sets.

Answer 2

increases in strength from bodyweight only exercises is short lived because the load placed on the muscles is constant and only about 60% of the total body weight.

with a constant load the muscles can not be continually stimulated sufficiently as there will be no micro trauma induced in the muscle from the exercise once the body has adapted to the load.

if the untrained individual performs push-ups and has sufficient nutrients in the diet there will be some initial gains in muscle mass and strength. the majority of the strength gains are simply due to neuromuscular adaptation and not increases in muscle, tendon or ligament tensile strength.

Herschel Walker had great genetics which very few people do and he did start weight training in college. upper body strength also has no bearing on running ability

Answer 3

u can build a good strength and stamina,but but not increase ur muscle weightby a great deal,if u want to increase ur muscles greatly u have to do body building,there is no escape from that way.

Answer 4

It helps to strengthen your muscles in the arms and increase stamina.

Answer 5

YOu will get strong, but not necessarily that big.

Push-ups are high reps of low weight...building strength.

To build bulk, you must do low reps of high weight.

Answer 6

some one has been bull sh*ttin you push ups do fukc all they just make you tired get on steroids if you want muscle thats what wrestlers do

Answer 7

Yes, you can.