Hey all, I've created an updated, more detailed version of this video recently, feel free to check it out here: th-cam.com/video/e0PY-4Ex_ss/w-d-xo.html
Push-ups are superior in every way. They allow the scapula to move freely. They also incorporate the use of the serratus, something that is impossible with the bench press. And finally, the entire body’s core is used during the movement. I’ve seen a few meat heads that can bench 250 lbs but fail at preforming 10 good pushups. Overall, push-ups are far more taxing on the body than the bench press.
As you nicely pointed out, the push-up does allow the scapula to move freely, which can be beneficial. But as for building muscle, as I attempted to show in this video, it appears the current evidence suggests the push-up has the potential to induce similar growth of the prime movers (pectoralis major, triceps, and deltoids) to the bench press. In this way, I wouldn't say the push-up is superior. Additionally, I'm not aware of any evidence demonstrating the push-up is far more taxing than the bench press. I'd be interested to hear more detail on what you particularly mean by this and if you know of any evidence to back this up.
@@HouseofHypertrophy I have no case study to prove that push-ups are more taxing on the body other than life experience and the experiences of others. Also, just looking at Alec’s weighted push-up video, for example. This is how everyone seems to feel towards the end of a long push-up set. As though it takes every fiber of your being to execute the next rep. Not so much at the end of a bench press.
@@Oh6Torch Been working out for 25 years, and I have the opposite experience as you. *MUCH* easier to overload on bench, and I've never seen a guy bench 250 and not do 10 push-ups, unless he was a 400 pound slob. Yet I've seen my share of guys who were pretty good at push-ups, who couldn't bench for nothing.
@@LastBastian lol! More like 350 lbs heart shaped slobs. Zero leg days and a nice gut to boot. Very strong upper body but no leg or core strength. I guess we roll with entirely different people. You’re right about people doing a ton of push-ups and can’t bench that heavy. I’m going to pursue the weighted push-up idea and see where it takes me.
You could also do different variations of the bench press such as dumbbell press, incline bench, decline, close grip etc. Personally I prefer bench press because it is easier to progressively overload by adding more weight to the bar.
When I started the video I thought "mmm, this is another of those big channels: great content, well-edited and well investigated" later I saw the subscribers and the views... Man, you deserve a lot, the quality of your videos are on another level. You're doing great, continue in that way, your channel will grow fast!
During the lockdown I used weighted pushups and pullups as my main upper body exercises. I performed these using a weighted vest and high volume. Now that I'm back in the gym I perform bench press but once a week I still incorporate weighted push ups. Excellent video! Thank you
I personally choose push up, just because it doesn't require any equipment and could be perform anywhere. To increase the workload, I put water bottles in my backpack and do a push up with it. Since we lift about 60% of our bodyweight during push up, and 1 liter of water is 1 kg, we could easily calculate the weight we are lifting during push up.
Thank you for sharing, that's very interesting! Generally, it seems individuals press 64% of their bodyweight :) th-cam.com/video/voWgMHWJlTQ/w-d-xo.html
How the fuck do you still only have one thousand subscribers?! Even still, looking through the comments of every one of your videos I can confidently say you have one of the most supportive audiences of any fitness channel on TH-cam
Years of both bench press and weighted, elevated push-ups behind me. Did my first ring pushups yesterday, NOW THAT SHOULD BE A STUDY. Humiliating to the bone. Unbelievable how heavy it is and my pecs are shaking just by typing this as we speak.
@@HouseofHypertrophy dont get me started on the dips and pull ups. I got calisthenic guys that compete wirh results yet acknowladge and avoid rings like crazy. I think emperical evidence of olympic ring athleats speaks about the hypertrophy value enough.
@@markobegus ring dips and pushups are obviously crazy hard, but I figure ring pullups aren't that much harder because the stabilization needed is nowhere near as much. Also on the plus side it allows your forearms to rotate freely for max strength and comfort throughout the range of motion...I bet a one arm ring pullup is actually not harder than a one arm bar pullup (since they kind of automatically turn to chin ups at the top)
First time on the channel. Visuals were great and made it easy to follow along with good attention (vs watching a guy's head talking for 10min straight) Good stuff. Subbed
Brilliant presentation. Unfortunately for me, bench press is a no no for me due to shoulder injury. Instead, I use DB presses but will definitely start incorporating more push ups into my routine. Cheers buddy.
I Have Been Doing The Pushup Everyday for 62 years. If there is One Exercise You Can Do Everyday For Overall Fitness...Strength...and Tone.... I Would ALWAYS Recommend The Pushup....
Yes push ups can weighted vest 🦺 and wrist weights and ankle weights and pushups stands different variations of push ups , unlimited repetitions of push ups, Bench press will need a spotter, push up is king 👑, can done anywhere.
Let me know what you thought of the video, also, what are your opinions on the bench press and push up, do you perform either or even both in your training program?
The more I learn and train the more I realise that my bench press was poor in form and implementation. I haven't performed one in a long time but am working on my push-ups diligently. That works for me now but, in the future, I'd like to build my bench press from the ground up.
Im of the mind that bodyweight should be done (within reason) every day, as every day you move your body weight, whereas heavy resistance lifts should be 2x a week.
If you've ever just done pushups and tried bench, you know why the bench group did better. You need to use your stabilizers to bench. Going from pushups, your stabilizers aren't prepped and you're going to wobble. You'd need to use a bench machine to offset this.
great video! I wonder how much more or less a press up would be considered a compound exercise compared with the press and if more muscle groups are activated as a result i.e more functional strength?
Thank you! I guess it depends on the definition of functional strength. Generally, the push-up probably activates the core more than the bench press (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29809073/). In this way, if core strength and stability is important, I guess the push-up would be more useful?
Excellent review and analysis - thanks. I would stress that bench presses (done wrong) have caused many more serious injuries and deaths than push-ups. It strikes me that there are not nearly enough videos on the correct use of safety bars. Opinion: if you work out alone and want to test your limits, use push-up variants.
Pushups are great but using Schoenfeld's claims about 40% 1 RM hypertrophy is a bad assumption to make. Fine-tuning weight with the bench press is essential.
It isn't an assumption. The current evidence indicates loads between 30% and 85% one-rep max are equally effective for building muscle, provided those reps are taken to failure. There are now two meta-analyses supporting this 1) pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28834797/ and 2) pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33433148/
The real question is whats the best way to use for progressing on pushups in a more exacting way. Weighted vests with microloads or elastic band resistance. Changing the difficulty of the pushup one arm versus two arm only allows for major progression jumps and no more once you make the leap.
I think there are numerous potentially great progression routes, I'm not too sure if any one of them could be the best, especially with individual differences and preferences. Of course, your current level would also factor in here. Using some creativity, I think it is possible to swiftly transition from two arm to single arm variations. For instance, if you work up to weighted push-ups or resistance banded push-ups, there should be a point where archer push-ups are doable, and so you may begin training this. Then, you may begin adding further resistance via bands or weighted equipment. After a while of overloading this and progressing, a one-arm push-up may be become possible. Again, in the longer-term, a one-arm push-up can be overloaded through resistance bands or weighted equipment.
my experience has been that the bench press builds more size and strength. in 2014 i was benching regularly and built up to 275 for 17 reps. i got an injury (not related to benching), got scared and receded out of the gym. i "maintained" with push-ups only. recently i got into eating right and being a bit more disciplined and built up to 107 or so pushups before failure. that was after a few years of just bodyweight pushups. i recently tried weighted pushups and had a friend help me load 110 lbs for that. week 1: 14 reps ... i'm now at week 5: 21 reps the bodyweight pushup could never have got me there. i did that for years. in fact, i could argue the bodyweight pushup "converged" at a fixed level. 4 weeks of weighted pushups with +110 and already up 7 reps at the same +110 ... and that was in a caloric deficit.
In the sense that it's a comparison between a free weight exercise and a bodyweight exercise, I agree. However, biomechanically, there are noteworthy differences between a row and pull-up. A row would be a horizontal pull, while pull-ups a vertical pull. Both the bench press and push-up are a horizontal push.
Great video. Could you do a video on how to get a grasp of the science on any given subject, where to find all the studies that have been done on it, how to determine the scientific consensus? Anyone can stumble upon an individual study and make a point trough it but it's not worth much unless you have a grasp of the "scientific consensus", or the average findings concerning a subject, and this can only be realized if you are aware of all the valid studies concerning the subject.
I'm not sure too many would be interested in this. Also, I wouldn't consider myself an expert. However, I'll be happy to give you my thoughts and experiences: When I make videos, the aim is to know all of the studies on a topic. Unfortunately, this typically means hours of searching in scientific databases (google scholar, PubMed, strength and conditioning journals). On these databases, you would search relevant terms related to what you're after, and flip through the search results identifying relevant studies. You essentially do this to the point where you cannot find any more papers, which can take many hours. However, in some instances, there may exist research reviews or meta-analyses on a topic that you find during your search. These studies have done the hard work for you, they will either discuss or combine the results of all the relevant studies on a topic. Of course, if this analysis paper is somewhat old, you may have to do extra research to evaluate if there are more recent additional studies, but it would still probably save time. Aside from these two methods, there are now a growing number of websites or video creators (as I aim House of Hypertrophy to be) which sum up all the research on a topic. Of course, there could be some creators out there who are poor at researching or simply have a bias. In these cases, performing your own search (although time-consuming), may be needed if you are particularly interested in some area. Hopefully this was helpful!
I have benched 405 for 3 reps. Inclined 150lb dumbbells for 5 reps. Incline and flat hammer strength press 5 plates each side for reps. I have been training a long time. I have ALOT of wear and tear! All from weight training so long. I just recently started doing banded push ups with my feet elevated . I am up to three orange bands from elite fts..... They will humble you....They smoke the bench press.....The bench builds strength for that specific lift. Banded push ups build explosive functional strength. They also work your core. I am still as big as when i trained heavy with weights . But without all the joint pain. Flat bench is the number one lift that cause injuries pec tears etc. BANDED PUSH UPS ARE KING !!!
@@swolemonster5685 Wow I love this reply. You obviously move some serious weight. And I agree bands are a great tool to add to a lot of movements. Knowledge is key. Thanks brother.
Pushups don't necessarily work anterior deltoid unless... You do them decline. Doing my own experiment. Day 11. Four hundred a day decline with multiple variations such as normal stance, tricep, diamond, and wide pushups. All decline tho. So I'm getting the anterior delts each variation and upper chest as well. and to effectively hit the lower pec, you do dips mixed with chin ups. Both of which hit the lower which you're sorts neglecting with the decline. Make a video of decline pushups vs bench press.
Is there a study comparing weighted or banded push ups too? I'm guessing weighted push ups would find the same results because the strength curves are the same, but what about banded push ups?
Hey, there aren't any studies looking at measurements of muscle growth. However, two studies by the same research group (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7386139/ & www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6728153/) found that when load equated, weighted push-ups and bench presses produce similar activation of the chest, triceps, and deltoids. As for banded push-ups, this study (journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/FullText/2015/01000/Bench_Press_and_Push_up_at_Comparable_Levels_of.31.aspx) found training that training them from 6 weeks resulted in similar increases in smith machine bench press one-rep max compared to training the smith machine bench press.
I did a 90 day workout with dumbells only and it was great. Then i started doing pishups and was sore then next day. I plan on doing a 90-day workout with nothing but body weight this time
What about pushups woth bands or weight vests. Cause harder varaions wort differnt mucles groups. These more then just pench press and bodyweight pushups.
Techncially, as a push-up (generally) has you push 64% of your bodyweight, you would be pushing around 102lbs with a push-up, a higher loading than what you have with the bench press. However, this does not neccessarily mean the push-up is better than the bench press in this case. Ultimately, with your sets, getting 3 or fewer repetitions from failure within the 5 to 35 rep range is what you'd likely want to create a high-level muscle building stimulus. If you can achieve this with the bench press or push-up, they would both probably be similarly effective, so pick whichever you'd like :) Hope this helps (let me know if anything's unclear or you disagree with anything)
I understood most people thought push up would translate into bench press but nope! Push up itself will not damage muscles nearly as much as free weights barbell and or dumbbells press the fact it doesn’t replace free weights bench press or incline . Only way push up will work after get damaged from bench press and incline press including chest fly….
Not enough comparisons- I still think bench press is better, yes for convenience and versatility push up is cool, but for loading weight surpass your personal weight is an incredible feat
I do closed fist push ups and my wrists got much stronger while bench press would never help with that. The isometric load on pushups has more value for strength and stability on the joints but for overall muscle size bench will gain more mass. Do both regardless
They should have tested max push strength on a machine to reduce any improvements due to neural adaptation to the movement. Talking from experience, I could lift more weight and more reps on a machine just by during progressively harder variations of pushups (including ring pushups and weighted pushups) than my colleagues that could lift more on the bench. (we are also the same weight). Case study of 3 but it has some statistical value haha.
Why every scientist that does all those studies miss all those advanced push up variations that are much harder than what most people bench press. Ring push ups, pseudo planche push ups and full planche push ups
At the moment, there just isn't a substantial amount of research on this topic. Only two long-term studies. Maybe in the future some researchers will have participants perform variations such as the ones you mentioned.
If both of you performed push-up reps to or close to failure, you'd both be producing pretty much your highest stimulus. This is because regardless of what the "loading" is, as you perform reps to failure more muscle fibers are recruited and more force produced by the fibers occurs.
I do bought with push ups I have better pump and thickness but I never get sore 😢. With bench I have a great pump but I lost it after the training and the next day I'm flat and sore.... With weighted push ups I don't lost the pump all day and the next day but I never get sore I can do 20 sets weighted push ups every day and never get sore.... I don't know the truth
It seems to me that doing pushups would be the equivaleng of just bench pressing half your bodyweight for a lot of reps. So A - Youre overworking joints and B - Youll never be able to get that intensity. Imagine going to the gym and seeing a guy just bench pressing bar with a set of 25s or 35s over and over.
Dumbbell/smith machine incline bench press are the far superior to flat bench press for overall muscle growth. Sure bench is great for strength but it is more of an ego lift
No contest. Pushups. If you're not having a six or more pack, your lift is irrelevant. Fat and strong is dumb as fuck. The carry over to bench is pretty good with just bodyweight pushups. You can just add weighted. The easiest body part to train with bodyweight. Try doing a pushup on a bathroom weight to see how much weight you push. I weight around 210 and my pushups are about 60+ kgs.
These studies must not qualify as science. A scientist must understand the subject. These are random comparisons with nothing normalized. Good start would be to have SAME weight at the bottom of bench press and push up. Then you have some kind of equal start. Do same sets, add weight same amount and so on. It takes a little effort which these ”scientists” didn’t bother to do.
How about throwing this wrench into the mix: I find problems in pain with both, so my choice is feet elevated dips ( partial dips) eventually leading to full body weight dips!!! 👀😆😆😆🥸
Hey all, I've created an updated, more detailed version of this video recently, feel free to check it out here: th-cam.com/video/e0PY-4Ex_ss/w-d-xo.html
Push-ups are superior in every way. They allow the scapula to move freely. They also incorporate the use of the serratus, something that is impossible with the bench press. And finally, the entire body’s core is used during the movement. I’ve seen a few meat heads that can bench 250 lbs but fail at preforming 10 good pushups. Overall, push-ups are far more taxing on the body than the bench press.
As you nicely pointed out, the push-up does allow the scapula to move freely, which can be beneficial. But as for building muscle, as I attempted to show in this video, it appears the current evidence suggests the push-up has the potential to induce similar growth of the prime movers (pectoralis major, triceps, and deltoids) to the bench press. In this way, I wouldn't say the push-up is superior. Additionally, I'm not aware of any evidence demonstrating the push-up is far more taxing than the bench press. I'd be interested to hear more detail on what you particularly mean by this and if you know of any evidence to back this up.
@@HouseofHypertrophy I have no case study to prove that push-ups are more taxing on the body other than life experience and the experiences of others. Also, just looking at Alec’s weighted push-up video, for example. This is how everyone seems to feel towards the end of a long push-up set. As though it takes every fiber of your being to execute the next rep. Not so much at the end of a bench press.
@@Oh6Torch Been working out for 25 years, and I have the opposite experience as you. *MUCH* easier to overload on bench, and I've never seen a guy bench 250 and not do 10 push-ups, unless he was a 400 pound slob.
Yet I've seen my share of guys who were pretty good at push-ups, who couldn't bench for nothing.
@@LastBastian lol! More like 350 lbs heart shaped slobs. Zero leg days and a nice gut to boot. Very strong upper body but no leg or core strength. I guess we roll with entirely different people. You’re right about people doing a ton of push-ups and can’t bench that heavy. I’m going to pursue the weighted push-up idea and see where it takes me.
You could also do different variations of the bench press such as dumbbell press, incline bench, decline, close grip etc. Personally I prefer bench press because it is easier to progressively overload by adding more weight to the bar.
When I started the video I thought "mmm, this is another of those big channels: great content, well-edited and well investigated" later I saw the subscribers and the views... Man, you deserve a lot, the quality of your videos are on another level.
You're doing great, continue in that way, your channel will grow fast!
Wow, thank you for the kind words, it means a lot!
I agree 100%
Thank you :)
@@HouseofHypertrophylook at you now
During the lockdown I used weighted pushups and pullups as my main upper body exercises. I performed these using a weighted vest and high volume. Now that I'm back in the gym I perform bench press but once a week I still incorporate weighted push ups. Excellent video! Thank you
Awesome to hear! the combination of weighted push ups and pull ups are without a doubt phenomenal exercises for upper body development :)
I see Push Ups like Bench pressing the entire WORLD. 💪😎
Haha :) that's quite a heavy bench press!
@@HouseofHypertrophy120 175 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 pounds
I see sitting on the couch while eating a bag of chips like holding the entire WORLD in place 💪🏾😎
@@r4ven_nevermore91 how did you figure that ou
@@yungthorough massive leg press
I personally choose push up, just because it doesn't require any equipment and could be perform anywhere. To increase the workload, I put water bottles in my backpack and do a push up with it. Since we lift about 60% of our bodyweight during push up, and 1 liter of water is 1 kg, we could easily calculate the weight we are lifting during push up.
Thank you for sharing, that's very interesting! Generally, it seems individuals press 64% of their bodyweight :) th-cam.com/video/voWgMHWJlTQ/w-d-xo.html
Me too! when not in the gym ofcourse
How the fuck do you still only have one thousand subscribers?! Even still, looking through the comments of every one of your videos I can confidently say you have one of the most supportive audiences of any fitness channel on TH-cam
Haha, much appreciated! and yep, I'm extremely grateful to my awesome subs!
A lot of really useful information and inspiration for how I can progress my push-ups.
Awesome to hear! As pretty much shown in the video, with a little creativity, the push-up can be a very effective exercise in the long run.
Years of both bench press and weighted, elevated push-ups behind me. Did my first ring pushups yesterday, NOW THAT SHOULD BE A STUDY. Humiliating to the bone. Unbelievable how heavy it is and my pecs are shaking just by typing this as we speak.
Haha, awesome to hear! I think it would be great to have a study comparing heavy bench pressing to ring push-ups in trained folks :)
@@HouseofHypertrophy dont get me started on the dips and pull ups. I got calisthenic guys that compete wirh results yet acknowladge and avoid rings like crazy. I think emperical evidence of olympic ring athleats speaks about the hypertrophy value enough.
@@markobegus ring dips and pushups are obviously crazy hard, but I figure ring pullups aren't that much harder because the stabilization needed is nowhere near as much. Also on the plus side it allows your forearms to rotate freely for max strength and comfort throughout the range of motion...I bet a one arm ring pullup is actually not harder than a one arm bar pullup (since they kind of automatically turn to chin ups at the top)
Nice work, Thanks for the inspiration and also thanks a lot for linking the papers.
No problem, thank you for the kind words :)
This was very interesting and well narrated. I didn't know all those push-up variations! Thanks a lot!
Awsome to hear, thank YOU for checking out the video :)
First time on the channel. Visuals were great and made it easy to follow along with good attention (vs watching a guy's head talking for 10min straight)
Good stuff. Subbed
Awesome to hear, thank you!
I have been experiencing some great pec gains once I started doing weighted push ups.
Awesome to hear, thank you for sharing :)
How many sets and reps do you do of them
@@yaredrod I do 3 sets of 9-12 with around 70% intensity
where do you get the weight for it
@@Nothing36902 wear a backpack tightly on you, put water bottles in it. 1.5 litre of water = 1.5 kg for instance.
Brilliant presentation. Unfortunately for me, bench press is a no no for me due to shoulder injury. Instead, I use DB presses but will definitely start incorporating more push ups into my routine. Cheers buddy.
I'm sorry to hear about your shoulder injury, I wish you well. Thank you for the kind words :)
I Have Been Doing The Pushup Everyday for 62 years. If there is One Exercise You Can Do Everyday For Overall Fitness...Strength...and Tone....
I Would ALWAYS Recommend The Pushup....
Excellent video! For the days I can't make it to the gym I will absolutely hit some push-ups to failure.
Thank you, push-ups are great :)
Yes push ups can weighted vest 🦺 and wrist weights and ankle weights and pushups stands different variations of push ups , unlimited repetitions of push ups, Bench press will need a spotter, push up is king 👑, can done anywhere.
Let me know what you thought of the video, also, what are your opinions on the bench press and push up, do you perform either or even both in your training program?
The more I learn and train the more I realise that my bench press was poor in form and implementation. I haven't performed one in a long time but am working on my push-ups diligently. That works for me now but, in the future, I'd like to build my bench press from the ground up.
I have a bench press and I lift weights but I think push ups are better. I like doing push ups, so better than lifting wieghts.
Interesting, thank you for sharing! :)
Im of the mind that bodyweight should be done (within reason) every day, as every day you move your body weight, whereas heavy resistance lifts should be 2x a week.
Brilliant! Amazing, awesome information!👌
Thank you my friend! I appreciate YOU
Good job, keep going👍
Thanks!
thank you man, very informative.
No problem, thank you for checking out the video!
Push-ups >>> bench press
Subscribed, Great Video!
Thank you :)
I swear i dont feel chest activity when i bench press with dumbbells, but i do to push ups
Very interesting :)
Its the opposite for me
same.
Nice vid. Thank you!
No problem! great to hear you liked it!
Both! But pushups give you better shape.
If you've ever just done pushups and tried bench, you know why the bench group did better. You need to use your stabilizers to bench. Going from pushups, your stabilizers aren't prepped and you're going to wobble. You'd need to use a bench machine to offset this.
great video! I wonder how much more or less a press up would be considered a compound exercise compared with the press and if more muscle groups are activated as a result i.e more functional strength?
Thank you! I guess it depends on the definition of functional strength. Generally, the push-up probably activates the core more than the bench press (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29809073/). In this way, if core strength and stability is important, I guess the push-up would be more useful?
Excellent review and analysis - thanks. I would stress that bench presses (done wrong) have caused many more serious injuries and deaths than push-ups. It strikes me that there are not nearly enough videos on the correct use of safety bars.
Opinion: if you work out alone and want to test your limits, use push-up variants.
Pushups are great but using Schoenfeld's claims about 40% 1 RM hypertrophy is a bad assumption to make. Fine-tuning weight with the bench press is essential.
It isn't an assumption. The current evidence indicates loads between 30% and 85% one-rep max are equally effective for building muscle, provided those reps are taken to failure. There are now two meta-analyses supporting this 1) pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28834797/ and 2) pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33433148/
fucking phenomenal no bs video, instant like and sub
Thank you, that's very kind of you!
I think both is are essential.
The real question is whats the best way to use for progressing on pushups in a more exacting way. Weighted vests with microloads or elastic band resistance. Changing the difficulty of the pushup one arm versus two arm only allows for major progression jumps and no more once you make the leap.
I think there are numerous potentially great progression routes, I'm not too sure if any one of them could be the best, especially with individual differences and preferences. Of course, your current level would also factor in here.
Using some creativity, I think it is possible to swiftly transition from two arm to single arm variations. For instance, if you work up to weighted push-ups or resistance banded push-ups, there should be a point where archer push-ups are doable, and so you may begin training this. Then, you may begin adding further resistance via bands or weighted equipment. After a while of overloading this and progressing, a one-arm push-up may be become possible. Again, in the longer-term, a one-arm push-up can be overloaded through resistance bands or weighted equipment.
what about weighted push ups vs Bench press ?
Everybody has a backpack. Easy way to increase the pushup resistance without changing your position.
my experience has been that the bench press builds more size and strength. in 2014 i was benching regularly and built up to 275 for 17 reps. i got an injury (not related to benching), got scared and receded out of the gym. i "maintained" with push-ups only. recently i got into eating right and being a bit more disciplined and built up to 107 or so pushups before failure. that was after a few years of just bodyweight pushups. i recently tried weighted pushups and had a friend help me load 110 lbs for that. week 1: 14 reps ... i'm now at week 5: 21 reps
the bodyweight pushup could never have got me there. i did that for years. in fact, i could argue the bodyweight pushup "converged" at a fixed level. 4 weeks of weighted pushups with +110 and already up 7 reps at the same +110 ... and that was in a caloric deficit.
I think it's like comparing rows and pull ups
In the sense that it's a comparison between a free weight exercise and a bodyweight exercise, I agree. However, biomechanically, there are noteworthy differences between a row and pull-up. A row would be a horizontal pull, while pull-ups a vertical pull. Both the bench press and push-up are a horizontal push.
Yep, I agree!
Great video. Could you do a video on how to get a grasp of the science on any given subject, where to find all the studies that have been done on it, how to determine the scientific consensus? Anyone can stumble upon an individual study and make a point trough it but it's not worth much unless you have a grasp of the "scientific consensus", or the average findings concerning a subject, and this can only be realized if you are aware of all the valid studies concerning the subject.
I'm not sure too many would be interested in this. Also, I wouldn't consider myself an expert.
However, I'll be happy to give you my thoughts and experiences:
When I make videos, the aim is to know all of the studies on a topic. Unfortunately, this typically means hours of searching in scientific databases (google scholar, PubMed, strength and conditioning journals). On these databases, you would search relevant terms related to what you're after, and flip through the search results identifying relevant studies. You essentially do this to the point where you cannot find any more papers, which can take many hours.
However, in some instances, there may exist research reviews or meta-analyses on a topic that you find during your search. These studies have done the hard work for you, they will either discuss or combine the results of all the relevant studies on a topic. Of course, if this analysis paper is somewhat old, you may have to do extra research to evaluate if there are more recent additional studies, but it would still probably save time.
Aside from these two methods, there are now a growing number of websites or video creators (as I aim House of Hypertrophy to be) which sum up all the research on a topic. Of course, there could be some creators out there who are poor at researching or simply have a bias. In these cases, performing your own search (although time-consuming), may be needed if you are particularly interested in some area.
Hopefully this was helpful!
Good Video.
Both have their place in a workout routine but a varied bench press is always going to be better.
Thank you :)
Like how you put your videos together. Don't forget to check out my channel and sub to show support. Keep up the good work.
I have benched 405 for 3 reps. Inclined 150lb dumbbells for 5 reps. Incline and flat hammer strength press 5 plates each side for reps. I have been training a long time. I have ALOT of wear and tear! All from weight training so long. I just recently started doing banded push ups with my feet elevated . I am up to three orange bands from elite fts..... They will humble you....They smoke the bench press.....The bench builds strength for that specific lift. Banded push ups build explosive functional strength. They also work your core. I am still as big as when i trained heavy with weights . But without all the joint pain. Flat bench is the number one lift that cause injuries pec tears etc. BANDED PUSH UPS ARE KING !!!
@@swolemonster5685 Wow I love this reply. You obviously move some serious weight. And I agree bands are a great tool to add to a lot of movements. Knowledge is key. Thanks brother.
@@DB85110 You got it big bro
Pushups don't necessarily work anterior deltoid unless... You do them decline. Doing my own experiment. Day 11. Four hundred a day decline with multiple variations such as normal stance, tricep, diamond, and wide pushups. All decline tho. So I'm getting the anterior delts each variation and upper chest as well. and to effectively hit the lower pec, you do dips mixed with chin ups. Both of which hit the lower which you're sorts neglecting with the decline.
Make a video of decline pushups vs bench press.
Is there a study comparing weighted or banded push ups too? I'm guessing weighted push ups would find the same results because the strength curves are the same, but what about banded push ups?
Hey, there aren't any studies looking at measurements of muscle growth. However, two studies by the same research group (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7386139/ & www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6728153/) found that when load equated, weighted push-ups and bench presses produce similar activation of the chest, triceps, and deltoids. As for banded push-ups, this study (journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/FullText/2015/01000/Bench_Press_and_Push_up_at_Comparable_Levels_of.31.aspx) found training that training them from 6 weeks resulted in similar increases in smith machine bench press one-rep max compared to training the smith machine bench press.
@@HouseofHypertrophy Thank you for taking the time to respond so thoroughly!
I did a 90 day workout with dumbells only and it was great. Then i started doing pishups and was sore then next day. I plan on doing a 90-day workout with nothing but body weight this time
What about pushups woth bands or weight vests. Cause harder varaions wort differnt mucles groups. These more then just pench press and bodyweight pushups.
I would like to know ur opinion I only have 85 lbs to bench with would it be better if I did pushups. I also weight 160
Techncially, as a push-up (generally) has you push 64% of your bodyweight, you would be pushing around 102lbs with a push-up, a higher loading than what you have with the bench press. However, this does not neccessarily mean the push-up is better than the bench press in this case. Ultimately, with your sets, getting 3 or fewer repetitions from failure within the 5 to 35 rep range is what you'd likely want to create a high-level muscle building stimulus. If you can achieve this with the bench press or push-up, they would both probably be similarly effective, so pick whichever you'd like :) Hope this helps (let me know if anything's unclear or you disagree with anything)
I understood most people thought push up would translate into bench press but nope! Push up itself will not damage muscles nearly as much as free weights barbell and or dumbbells press the fact it doesn’t replace free weights bench press or incline . Only way push up will work after get damaged from bench press and incline press including chest fly….
I have muscle on alignments maybe in my back but my legs also curve outward So I don't know if push UPS would work effectively for me
Good on ya m8
How many pushups to do perday to maintain body as bodybuilder and grow muscle as bodybuilders
Not enough comparisons- I still think bench press is better, yes for convenience and versatility push up is cool, but for loading weight surpass your personal weight is an incredible feat
I do closed fist push ups and my wrists got much stronger while bench press would never help with that. The isometric load on pushups has more value for strength and stability on the joints but for overall muscle size bench will gain more mass. Do both regardless
They should have tested max push strength on a machine to reduce any improvements due to neural adaptation to the movement. Talking from experience, I could lift more weight and more reps on a machine just by during progressively harder variations of pushups (including ring pushups and weighted pushups) than my colleagues that could lift more on the bench. (we are also the same weight). Case study of 3 but it has some statistical value haha.
Haha, interesting. and I think that could have been a good idea to test max push strength on machines :)
One armed pushups are fun asf
I do them both during my workout
Push ups for relative strength and benchpress for muslce mass
Why every scientist that does all those studies miss all those advanced push up variations that are much harder than what most people bench press. Ring push ups, pseudo planche push ups and full planche push ups
At the moment, there just isn't a substantial amount of research on this topic. Only two long-term studies. Maybe in the future some researchers will have participants perform variations such as the ones you mentioned.
Planch pushups are not the same balance of muscle groups as bench press at all, way more shoulder and less chest so the comparison would get weird
Im skinny an weigh 146 at 5'10.
Would someone at say 200 pounds gain more muscle from push ups since they're pushing more?
If both of you performed push-up reps to or close to failure, you'd both be producing pretty much your highest stimulus. This is because regardless of what the "loading" is, as you perform reps to failure more muscle fibers are recruited and more force produced by the fibers occurs.
@@HouseofHypertrophy thx ☺😁
Unga bunga ftw,
Put rock on back, do pushup
I do bought with push ups I have better pump and thickness but I never get sore 😢. With bench I have a great pump but I lost it after the training and the next day I'm flat and sore.... With weighted push ups I don't lost the pump all day and the next day but I never get sore I can do 20 sets weighted push ups every day and never get sore.... I don't know the truth
It seems to me that doing pushups would be the equivaleng of just bench pressing half your bodyweight for a lot of reps.
So A - Youre overworking joints and B - Youll never be able to get that intensity.
Imagine going to the gym and seeing a guy just bench pressing bar with a set of 25s or 35s over and over.
I do both
Awesome stuff, hope you're seeing great gains :)
I prefer pushups because I'm scared of getting a pectoral tear from bench press.
With recent events, I think many have this concern! Neverthless, as shown here, push-ups can be great!
If you wear weighted vest with varying weights, the pushup becomes better, way better than the bench press 😉👌
Do pushups in front of the guys waiting for the bench
Appreciate you not calling it pressups despite your britishness
Banded pushups. Said everything
Dumbbell/smith machine incline bench press are the far superior to flat bench press for overall muscle growth. Sure bench is great for strength but it is more of an ego lift
push ups gives me more upper body pump than bench press
No contest. Pushups. If you're not having a six or more pack, your lift is irrelevant. Fat and strong is dumb as fuck. The carry over to bench is pretty good with just bodyweight pushups. You can just add weighted. The easiest body part to train with bodyweight. Try doing a pushup on a bathroom weight to see how much weight you push. I weight around 210 and my pushups are about 60+ kgs.
These studies must not qualify as science. A scientist must understand the subject. These are random comparisons with nothing normalized. Good start would be to have SAME weight at the bottom of bench press and push up. Then you have some kind of equal start. Do same sets, add weight same amount and so on. It takes a little effort which these ”scientists” didn’t bother to do.
For a start, the push up is good, it gives you a basic stamina
But if you really want to pack muscle and be strong, bench press is recommended
not true. you can build muscle with weighted push up or harder variations.
i dont want to see all video, somebody just please tell me, push ups or bech?
push ups. do diamond and wide. do more reps
Weighted push ups are the best
Suggest you open your mouth a bit more when speaking. Hard to understand
How about throwing this wrench into the mix: I find problems in pain with both, so my choice is feet elevated dips ( partial dips) eventually leading to full body weight dips!!! 👀😆😆😆🥸
Haha, that's unfortunate. Dips are great though!