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Years back, when I was in my early twenties, I went through a phase of performing anywhere from 300 – 400 pushups a day without fail.
I don’t know why but I wanted to see what the benefits were (if any) if I consistently hammered out hundreds of reps.
But here’s the thing…
These days high rep calisthenics isn’t really anything new to me. And I’m a big fan of repping out numerous bodyweight exercises like pullups, dips, squats, and yes, even more pushups when I’m feeling up for it.
And I can say with confidence that when applying the basics like this consistently (and with good technique), you’ll be amazed at what so many reps can actually do for your strength, physique, and overall functional fitness.
Now, before we get into the ins and out of what this will do to your body, first a quick heads up.
While performing high rep calisthenics can help you achieve great things, there’s also a method behind the madness to getting the results that so many strive for.
And this is why before you do anything else, I’d highly recommend checking out the Bar Brothers Program from Lazar Novovic and Dusan Djolevic. (see video below)
During the video, you’ll learn exactly what it takes to become the master of your own body weight while learning how to make huge increases in size, strength, and overall functional fitness.
So if you’ve ever wondered what it really takes to build the body of a lean, mean calisthenics machine, this is the program that’s going to put it to the test.
Anyway, here’s the link to take a look: Click Here To Discover How To Build A Strong, Ripped, Functional Body While Mastering Advanced Bodyweight Exercises That Defy The Law Of Gravity… Even If You’ve Tried & Failed Before!
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Table of Contents
What Does 400 Pushups A Day Look Like?
So let me just start by saying that I was already in half-decent shape when I started upping my rep count to 400 pushups a day.
And as I remember, I could comfortably perform at least 50 reps with pretty solid form.
But here’s the thing…
Even though I was already a pushup warrior, 400 pushups is a hell of a lot of training volume to get through in one session. So I had to find a way to break it down into manageable sets so I wouldn’t burn out too quickly.
So here’s what I did…
Every morning before work, I’d set my alarm 20 minutes earlier, and head down to the little gym setup I had at the back of my home, and knock out a quick set of 50 pushups.
After that, I’d make myself some porridge and then hammer out another set of 50 while it was heating up in the microwave.
Next, I’d eat my porridge, clean up, and then perform another set of 50 before I got ready for work.
When you crunch the numbers, that’s 150 reps before I’d even headed out the door. And it was all while this might seem like overkill, I found that it actually set me up nicely for the rest of the day.
Anyway…
The rest of my pushups was generally broken up throughout the day.
If I could, I’d sometimes do a couple more sets while I was at work to get my numbers up. But otherwise, I’d wait until I got home and perform sets of 50 whenever I had a few spare minutes.
And I found that because I’d already done nearly half of the work before I’d started my day, it was a lot less taxing to finish up the remaining sets when I got home.
The Results Of 400 Pushups A Day
Now, just to be clear, the results of performing 400 pushups a day will vary from person to person.
Like I said, I was already in pretty good shape. And this little experiment was performed over roughly six weeks as part of my regular workout of pullups, dips, and squats.
To be honest, I wasn’t really expecting much in the way of strength or size. But surprisingly, a lot of my family and friends were quick to point out how big my arms looked after a few weeks of vigorously smashing out pushups.
Not only that, but my chest felt tighter and a lot denser. And even though I naturally have a big chest anyway, I noticed that there seemed to be a lot more definition than I had previously.
Quality Over Quantity
You need to remember that however many pushups you do, quality reps will always beat out quantity, hands down.
Now, even though I did a lot of pushups, the main reason I saw decent results was because I wasn’t smashing them out like a wet fish flopping around on the floor.
And while each rep wasn’t necessarily as slow is controlled as it could be. I made a conscious effort to main good form throughout each set to really feel each muscle work.
I’ve seen it far too many times where people hammer out pushups faster than the speed of light in an attempt to get as many reps in as possible before they burn out.
And while it might give you an ego boost to get the numbers up. The truth is that you’re not doing yourself any favors performing countless reps with sh*tty form.
So the first piece of advice you should take if you decide to go down this road is to do it right or don’t do it at all.
Change The Angle Of Attack
Now, if there’s one thing I would have done differently, it would have been to add more variety to my pushups.
But back then, I wasn’t really aware of the massive range of pushup progressions I had at my disposal. So pretty much all of my reps consisted of nothing more than both wide and close grip pushups.
And even though it added some size, I think if I’d attempted progressions like…
- Archer pushups
- Pseudo pushups
- Explosive Pushups
- And even weighed pushups
It would have added a whole new dimension to my training and helped me progress a lot quicker.
Would I have been able to get through 400 pushups a day if I added these into my routine?
Probably not.
But lowering the reps and focusing on more difficult variations would have allowed me to build on my existing level of the pushup.
And knowing what I know now would have helped me move on to advanced pushup variations like the one arm pushup with ease.
Why Pushups Are Only A Small Piece Of The Puzzle
This will be blatantly obvious to some, but you need more than a daily dose of pushups to build a strong and functional body.
Don’t get me wrong, pushups are an awesome exercise, and you’d be wise to make them a regular part of your workout.
But if you want to build a well-rounded physique that turns heads at the beach, then you need to diversity and practice more movement patterns.
Now, if you’ve read some of my other blog posts, you’ll already be aware that I’m a big fan of the following exercises…
- Pullups (vertical pull)
- Parallel Bar Dips (vertical push)
- Inverted Rows (horizontal pull)
- Pushups (horizontal push)
- Squats (including split squats and jump squats)
- Deadlifts (hinge movement)
And the reason I like these exercises so much is that they pretty much cover all your bases when it comes to hitting every muscle group on the body.
I’d even go as far as to say that you could do nothing but these six exercises for the rest of your life, and you’d be leaving no stone left unturned when it came to getting killer results.
Should Your Do 400 Pushups A Day?
Here’s the honest truth…
Doing more than what you’re used to is always going to yield some sort of positive results.
It doesn’t matter if it comes from more pushups, lifting heavier weight, or running a six-minute mile instead of seven.
It’s always going to provide some benefit regardless of how you get there.
But before you decide to go down this route, the real question you need to ask yourself is ‘what do I want my end result to look like.’
If you just want to get better at pushups and add a little muscle to your chest and arms, then there’s nothing wrong with adapting to this approach.
Having said that, it’s not something I’d recommend doing day in, day out for months on end. Because eventually, there’ll come a time where you’ll hit a snag in your training and need to find new and improved ways to keep progressing.
And when you reach that point, you’d be much better off focusing on multiple movement patterns with good form and mixing things up regularly.
Taking Your Pushup Game To The Next Level
So deciding to go down the road of 400 pushups a day is entirely up to you.
It does have it’s benefits, but it’s not the only way to build the body you want.
I think the take-home message here is that you need to focus on a workout that will help you reach your end results.
And if hammering out hundred of pushups a day is how you want to get there, then by all means, go for it…
However, I understand everyone is different. And there’ll be some people reading this who need a little more guidance when it comes to getting the most bang for your buck.
If this sounds familiar, then here’s something that might make things a little easier.
It’s called Bar Brothers – The System
Basically, Bar Brothers is a ‘Calisthenics Training Program’ that’ll literally take you by the hand and give you an exact step-by-step system for getting in the best shape of your life.
It was created by Lazar Novovic and Dusan Djolevic, who both have helped thousands of budding calisthenics newbies build incredible bodies using nothing more than a bar, and their own body weight.
Now, I’m not gonna lie. This program is pretty intense. So if you’re not prepared to put the work in, then I’d probably give it a miss.
But if you’re hell-bent on getting in the best shape of your life and want a PROVEN program that’ll get you results, then this is exactly what you’ve been looking for.
Anyway, here’s the link to take a loot if you’re interested: Bar Brothers – The System
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