July 11, 2025, 9:05 am | Read time: 6 minutes
Regularly doing push-ups can shape your upper body. Or can it? Well, it’s not quite that simple. There are many factors to consider. This is why determining the right number of push-ups for muscle building isn’t easy and is quite individual. Fitness expert Markus Bremen shared with FITBOOK author Tony Poland what truly matters.
Push-ups improve our overall basic fitness, and the bodyweight exercise also trains arms, shoulders, chest, and back. While one person might focus more on strength or endurance, another might aim to become visibly more defined. Of course, you can pursue multiple goals simultaneously. It’s crucial to adhere to certain principles; otherwise, the completed push-ups are wasted effort, and you shouldn’t be surprised if you don’t see results. The number of push-ups is just one of many criteria…
Overview
The Right Expectations
More power, improved posture, a stronger core, and well-defined shoulder and chest muscles: Push-ups are excellent for all these aspects. At least, if you seriously pursue these benefits and stay committed. It’s essential to have patience and even plan for minor setbacks. But with the right mindset, success comes quickly, and motivation is easier to maintain.
“Visible successes can simply be muscle definition in the upper body, improved body shaping, or just a higher frequency in arm and core muscles,” says Markus Bremen. Additionally, as mentioned earlier, doing many push-ups also increases strength and stability.
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The Key to Success
There’s a magic word for sustainable results, and it’s simply: consistency! Regular push-ups and increasing difficulty to set new training stimuli contribute to the body gradually changing positively. But: It doesn’t happen overnight, so stay committed and overcome obstacles! “Of course, there will be an adaptation process,” says Markus Bremen. To keep the body adapting, you must continually surpass this effect.
Beginners, Intermediate, Advanced: The Right Number of Push-ups per Day
How many push-ups daily are needed to make continuous progress? Well, there’s no universal number. Everyone has a different starting level or different conditions, ranging from fitness level to age and weight.
Beginners can try about 10 to 20 push-ups per day, ideally several times a week. That would be a solid foundation to build on. You can divide them into multiple sets, taking a short break in between.
But: More is not always better! If you start getting sloppy halfway through the workout, you’re not doing yourself any favors. Incorrect or half-hearted repetitions don’t build muscles but lead to bad habits, possibly incorrect strain, and even injuries. So, focus on proper execution of each push-up. Quality always trumps quantity! This applies to almost every fitness exercise…
“Basically, I would categorize this question into beginner, intermediate, and very fit. The beginner should do between 10 and 20 push-ups per day, divided into two or three sets. For the intermediate, I recommend about 30 to 50 daily, perhaps in sets of 10 each, and for the advanced, about 50 to 100 push-ups a day,” advises Markus Bremen. But even for the personal trainer, the number depends on quality. “Clearly, even with push-ups, you achieve much more with maybe ten perfectly executed push-ups than with 50 quick ones,” says the expert. The goal is clean and deep push-ups with full range of motion!
Why Rest Periods Are So Important
Anyone who trains daily or frequently should definitely allow for recovery and not constantly push to exhaustion. Muscles need time to grow and develop during recovery periods. Therefore, it’s advisable to have less strenuous days or even a rest day each week. Afterward, the body is refreshed, and you can tackle workouts with full energy.
“It also depends on the performance level. As a beginner, you naturally take breaks; I would recommend two training days followed by a rest day,” says Markus Bremen. “For the intermediate, then three to four training days, and for the advanced, there’s nothing against daily push-ups,” says the expert.
To continue achieving success, you need to reach a certain number at a corresponding level to maintain the stimulus. “That’s why I often use a maintenance day as my so-called regeneration day. And on other days, I try to train above the threshold to keep progressing,” Markus Bremen shares from personal experience.
This Push-up Variation Is Particularly Effective
Push-up pros like Markus Bremen, who does 50 to 100 push-ups daily, also incorporate various variations into their workouts. These can be 50 repetitions at once, twice 25, or four times 25, if more time is available. “There are also great protocols for static holding, where I have 30-second intervals. Then I hold the top position for 30 seconds and go down for 30 seconds. You only have one complete push-up, but hold it extremely long,” he explains. The special thing about it: “It’s almost more intense for building strength in the joint than just doing regular repetitions!”
How the Body Changes
If you’re disciplined, it will eventually show. During the first week, this might manifest as muscle soreness in the shoulders or arms. The body then reacts to the new strain. After about ten days, movements should become smoother and more stable, and the core gradually adjusts.
In the second or third week, you should slowly notice improved posture and slightly more defined arms and chest. This results in increased strength, which can become noticeable in small everyday activities. Perhaps carrying grocery bags suddenly feels easier?
In the fourth week, assuming you continue to perform repetitions cleanly and perhaps already incorporate some small variations, you should notice some differences in the mirror when looking at your upper body compared to day one. “After four weeks, there should definitely be something visible. This could be slightly rounded shoulders, a suddenly visible vein, or a bulge in the middle of the chest,” Markus Bremen lists. But: “Every body reacts differently and adapts in its own way. There are no fixed points that will definitely change or grow,” he emphasizes.
Important to Note!
Sure, push-ups are one thing for muscle building and visible abs. But they’re only a small part of the truth. Equally crucial is the body fat percentage. If it’s too high, you’ll never see muscles. The workout alone can’t burn enough fat if you constantly eat sweets or fast food before or after. So: Be sure to maintain a healthy diet, get sufficient and restful sleep, and if possible, incorporate cardio training. This results in a true magic formula.
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Conclusion: Building a Habit Is More Important Than the Number.
Rather than chasing any number of repetitions, you should integrate push-ups into your daily routine. But if you need a number as a guideline, doing 20 or 30 a day is a good choice. If you feel good and strong enough, there are hardly any limits. But only if proper execution is possible.
Just as important as push-ups are a healthy lifestyle and a generally active way of living. After four weeks at the latest, you’ll feel a change in your body. The mere number doesn’t make you stronger, but the habit, paired with discipline, does.