buiding muscle(pecs)?

Question

im about 170-180 lbs at 5'7''. i dont really have a gym close by so push ups are what i am focusing on. are push ups good for buiding pectorial muscles? and if they are, how many reps should i do in a day? should i do them every other day? please help! i'm not asking for a miracle but when can i see development? informed details are a plus.

Answer 1

Push-ups are a good way to build up your pecs when you don't have a gym or weights to use. How many reps do you do? The question is how many make you sore? If you don't feel the pain, you're not building muscle. The pain is actually from little tears in your muscle tissue...and it grows back stronger...that's what builds muscle. So do as many as you can until you're sore. You should probably do them a couple days in a row and then take a break (especially if they're hurting). It's good for you to tear you muscles one day and then tear them again the next but every few days give them a day to relax and heal. Good luck.

Answer 2

Push ups are an excellent exercises for the chest and triceps and front shoulders. Doing variations will work different areas of the chest. If you work your chest hard one day skip at least a day in between the next time you perform them again. It is crucial to let your chest muscles repair.
After you exercise drink a whey protein shake mixed with low-fat milk (casein protein) that way there is a fast and slow digesting protein feeding your muscles. Eat a simple carb with the shake like a piece of white bread or a tablespoon of honey to spike your insulin which will push the protein to your muscles.
It is not the quantity of push ups but the quality. Keep your back parallel to the floor and tighten your core (abs) when you perform the excises. Count one, two on the way down- pause for one squeeze your pecs together during the pause and then spring back up to the start position (in a controlled manner as not to over shoot the start position) this would be considered the explosive part of the push up.
The variations start with your grip stance--wide narrow etc.. Plus you can do decline push ups by placing your feet on a step (for starters)so that feet are higher than your chest. As you need to challenge your muscles more increase the height.
Record what you do each time so the next time you can vary the order, style and grip in which performed them last. This way your chest muscles dont get used to the same routine which will produce no growth.

Answer 3

Push ups wont give you that defined chest. In fact you need to develop all parts of the chest (mid, upper, lower, under, lateral and inner). You basically need a bench, barbell and a dumbbell. You can also try that power stick, the one you bend with your two hands.

If you only do push ups, you need to do it everyday and as often as you can. Do a wide and close push ups (widen your arms or make them close). The wider your arms the more you will target the lateral part of your chest.

I don't think it is a good idea of putting weights on your back while doing push ups. You might injure your back instead. That is why there is bench press because it is safer to carry weights using your arms than your back.

Answer 4

Get yourself a couple of dumbell weights, it wont cost too much and you can do quite a few chest and arm developing excercises with them.

But if you have to stick to pushups, then you want to vary it.
Do a set with arms a bit wider than normal, a set with them closer and some normal. you can do sets with palms facing in .. those are good as isolates chest a bit more.

Also do not do them in jerky motions, slower pushups where you lower yourself down with the same speed as you push yourself back up is good, this gives you resistance in both directions.

I used to do a couple sets in the morning ( about 20-25 each set ) then at night I would do a set to fail ( do as many as I can, try and do as many as you did the night before or even one more ) then rest a minute then do a set or two of 20.

Now this is dependant upon your current condition if you cant manage that many do what you can, if you can do more then do so.

I work out differently for chest now as my goal is different. I have good genetics for gaining in chest and am trying not to gain in chest right now but thats me.

Mainly mix it up as I mentioned. doing the same standard pushups every time will not build your chest evenly.

Answer 5

Trying doing pushups with some stuff on your back. E.g. A long 12L waterbottle.

Answer 6

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