Home > Health & Fitness > Exercise > Fitness & Exercise Tips
Are push-ups more effective than bench presses?
Results so far:
| Yes | 68% | 100 votes | Total: 148 votes | |
| No | 32% | 48 votes |
Yes
by Carl Galloway
Created on: January 03, 2011 Last Updated: January 05, 2011
This article begins with a statement that might incite a riot at your local globo gym but here it goes, bench press may be the most overrated exercise known to man. Push-ups on the other hand, haven’t been getting their just due for years and now its time to change that.
Push-ups develop real world strength not only through the simultaneous contraction of your abs, pectorals, and deltoids, but also through the simultaneous stabilization of nearly all the muscles of your back. The confining position of the bench press is isolationist in nature, meaning, that your core doesn’t work nearly as hard to support your body because the bench is doing it for you. With push-ups you’re also able to correct postural imbalances because the shoulder blades are able to retract and depress towards the spine which will give most people a much more upright stance.
Push-ups are a fundamental movement. Before a baby is ever able to crawl he has to essentially “push up” out of a lying position. The fact that there are gyms all over the world with bench pressers who can’t do a proper push-up says that they have put the cart before the horse.
A great bench press does not equal a great looking body. Powerlifters make money and win awards by being the best at bench, squat, and deadlift. They are able to do their fair share of push-ups but most of their body types are not the goal of the average gym goers looking for the most effective exercise.
A common argument against push-ups is that it’s impossible to add extra resistance. You can easily have a friend or a spotter push down on your back or elevate your feet to increase difficulty. If a resistance band or a piece of exercise tubing is available, those work as well. You can wrap it around your back and hold each end with your hands and it will resist you during the exercise. You can also wear a weight vest if you have access to one, or even have a partner put a weight on your upper back.
Bench press, although a good exercise for developing pure mass, falls short in the effectiveness category because it neglects so many other parts of the body. In concert, bench press and push-up make an excellent pairing but if left with only one I would kiss my bench press goodbye.
As in all cases of starting a new exercise routine it is best to have a clean bill of health and to work with a fitness professional to minimize risk and injury potential.
Learn more about this author, Carl Galloway.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.
No
by Barry Girolamo
Created on: November 17, 2010
Push-ups are a very effective exercise in helping to keep your body in shape, for if done properly, push-ups use most of the muscles in your upper body, shoulders, and abdomen. The slower that you do push-ups, the more effective they are, as it makes your muscles work harder for a longer period of time. If you are in good shape, you should be able to do fifty quality push-ups. If you really want a challenge, you can try to do one armed push-ups, but it takes a lot of time to work yourself up to that point.
The difference between bench pressing weights and doing push-ups is that you can add more weight to your weight bar when using a press bench and free weights, so that you can build larger and stronger muscles. Just be sure that you have a "spotter", (someone who is there to help you if necessary), if you are using free weights, as I've read accounts of people who have actually died when they couldn't raise the bar back onto it's resting bracket, choking the victim as the weights came down and pressed against their throat suffocating the person.
If you want to increase the weight you are lifting when doing push-ups, then you have to ask someone to sit or lie on your back. I like to use my granddaughter for this purpose, and as she grows, I'm actually getting stronger. It's much more fun to exercise with someone else, so I'll still use my weight bench at times if I have a spotter. Just be sure that your spotter is strong enough to be able to lift the weights off of you should you get into trouble. Don't ask your grandmother to spot for you. Dieing while trying to stay healthy is bitter irony.
Another alternative is to either buy a weight machine, or join a gym that has such machines. This allows you to lift as much weight as you want without a spotter, and enables you to increase the amount of weight which you lift as you gain strength. A good rule of thumb is to start with a weight which you can lift ten times (reps), and you should be able to do three sets with about a forty five second interval of rest between each set. Be sure to rest at least a day or two between doing strenuous weight lifting, or until you no longer feel soreness in your muscles.
Weight bearing exercises are a very healthy form of exercise, and will enable you to maintain bone mass as you age. Lifting weights or doing push-ups will build your strength, and at the same time, help to maintain bone health.
Learn more about this author, Barry Girolamo.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.
Write and get published
Share with other writers
Polish your freelancing skills
Quality articles from proven freelancers
Exclusive rights, fast turnaround
Brand engagement, business blogging -- our writers do it all
INFORMATION
Copyright © 2002-2012 Helium, Inc. All rights reserved.
Helium.com: A Service of RR Donnelley