Very Health Q&A Men’s Health Men’s Fitness & Muscle Building

How many push-ups should be done in a day to train chest muscles?

Asked by:Bonner

Asked on:Apr 10, 2026 08:53 PM

Answers:1 Views:588
  • Asgard Asgard

    Apr 10, 2026

      Push-ups are exercise It is a classic exercise for the chest muscles, but how much is appropriate to do in a day is a question that many fitness enthusiasts have. The following will answer this question for you from different aspects.

    Understand training volume and set arrangement

      training capacity: Training volume refers to the total amount of work completed in a training session. For push-up training, it is the total number of push-ups done in a day. Generally speaking, novices should not do too many exercises at the beginning. They can start with 2-3 groups of 10-15 exercises per group, and gradually increase the amount as their training level improves.

      Group arrangement: Reasonable group arrangement can fully stimulate the chest muscles. For beginners, 2-3 sets is enough ; After you have a certain foundation, you can increase it to 3-4 groups. Take appropriate rest between groups, usually 1-2 minutes, to ensure that each group has enough strength to complete the movements.

    Follow the principle of progressive overload

      meaning: Progressive overload refers to gradually increasing the difficulty and intensity of training during training. For push-up training, this can be achieved by increasing the number of each set, increasing the number of sets, or performing weighted push-ups. For example, when you can easily do 20 push-ups per set, try increasing to 25 per set.

      effect: This will continue to stimulate the chest muscles, prevent the body from adapting to the existing training intensity and stagnate, thereby promoting chest muscle growth and strength.

    Pay attention to muscle soreness and recovery cycle

      muscle soreness: It's normal to experience some muscle soreness after training, but if the soreness is too severe or lasts too long, you may be overtraining. At this time, the amount of training should be appropriately reduced to give the body enough recovery time.

      recovery cycle: The recovery period for chest muscles is generally 48-72 hours. Therefore, it is not recommended to perform high-intensity push-up training every day. You can train every other day or 2-3 times a week to give the chest muscles enough time to recover and grow.

    Consider RM value and training intensity

      RM value: RM refers to the maximum number of times a set of actions can be repeated in a training session. For example, a 10RM is a weight or difficulty level that allows you to do a maximum of 10 reps. For chest muscle training, the intensity of 8-12RM is more suitable for muscle gain. In push-up training, you can adjust the difficulty of the movement according to your own ability to achieve the corresponding RM value.

      training intensity: Training intensity should be determined according to individual circumstances. Beginners can start at a lower intensity and gradually increase the intensity as their strength increases. But be aware that too much intensity may lead to injury, and too little intensity may not effectively stimulate the chest muscles.

    Advice for newbies

      action standards: Novices must ensure standard movements when doing push-ups. Keep your body in a straight line without slumping your waist or sticking out your buttocks. When your arms are bent, your chest should sink fully, and when you lift it up, you should feel the contraction of your chest muscles.

      gradually increase: Don't pursue a large number of push-ups at the beginning, but gradually increase the training volume. You can increase the number of sets or groups each week, but the increase should not be too large, subject to your body's ability to adapt.

      When performing push-up training, you must comprehensively consider your own physical condition, training goals and other factors. Don’t blindly pursue quantity while ignoring movement quality and body recovery. At the same time, reasonable nutritional supplements and adequate sleep are also crucial for muscle growth.