Can you get Ripped from doing Pushups?
The pushup is by far the most popular bodyweight exercise you can do, but can you get ripped from doing pushups? You can, and here’s how.
What does it mean to be Ripped?
Before we explore how pushups can get you ripped, we need to establish exactly what being ripped means.
When we think about a ripped person, we think about someone with visible six-pack abs and a decent level of muscle development.
This means that there are two components of being ripped:
- A lower bodyfat level.
- Increased muscle mass.
How can Pushups help get you Ripped?
So if we decrease our bodyfat level and increase our total muscle mass we can get ripped. Pushups can help this occur because of the following reasons:
1. Pushups get you Ripped by burning Calories
One minute of pushups burns approximately 7 calories. In comparison, one minute of walking burns around 7.6 calories and one minute of running burns roughly 11 calories. Not a big difference right?
That’s not to say pushups can replace cardiovascular exercise, but it does get your heartrate up and gets you gasping for breath.
However, compared to cardiovascular exercise, which generally only burn calories during the workout, resistance training such as doing pushups also elevates your metabolism after your workout. This leads to even more calories being burned. This is known as the afterburn effect.
As a result, pushups can help contribute to your daily calorie deficit and help you lose the bodyfat necessary to become ripped.
2. Pushups get you Ripped by Building Muscle
Pushups are generally considered chest exercises, but that thought can’t be further from the truth. A pushup is a full body exercise working everything from your chest and arms to your back, abs and legs.
All of the muscles in the body play a role in the pushup, either directly through pushing or indirectly by stabilizing all of the joints involved.
This increased muscle stimulation can result in increased overall muscle growth, and all of the extra muscle mass is sure to contribute to building the ripped physique you’re chasing. Learn how to use pushups to build muscle.
3. Pushups get you a Ripped Core
Lets be real, the most iconic part of a ripped physique is the chiseled six pack. You need a low bodyfat level to see them but you also need to build them so they show better.
The pushup requires your abdominal muscles to stabilize the core and keep the body in a straight position. This recruits all of the abdominal muscles such as the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis and oblique muscles.
Therefore, the pushup can help build your ab muscles to add to your ripped physique.
How to Use Pushups to Get Ripped?
1. Use Pushups in Muscle Building Program
The only way to get the most benefits out of the pushup is to do it. Use pushups to build muscle in your workout program to get you on the right track to having the ripped physique you want.
2. Use Pushup Variations
The pushup has an extensive number of variations that can fit into your workout program. These variations can be easier, harder, or work different muscle groups entirely such as the arms or the shoulders. Use as much variations as possible to maximize the muscle growth you need to get ripped.
3. Use Pushups to Burn Calories
You can easily include pushups in any HIIT workout to get your heartrate up and burn enough calories to watch the fat melt away.
The Problems with using Only Pushups to get Ripped
Even though pushups are a great exercise and can certainly contribute to getting you a ripped physique, there are some problems you need to look out for.
1. Muscular Imbalances
The pushup primarily works the pushing muscles. Therefore, if we solely perform pushups these muscles will grow bigger and stronger when compared to the pulling muscles. This can lead to an increased risk of injury, but can also ruin the aesthetic of your ripped physique.
The increased strength of the pushing muscles will pull your shoulders forward causing a slouched posture. In addition, the smaller pulling muscles will be visibly asymmetrical and unappealing. Therefore, it is best to supplement your pushup workouts with pulling exercises.
2. The Bottom Line – Diet
In order to get a ripped physique you need to lower your bodyfat level. This comes through creating a caloric deficit, by burning more calories than you consume. It is very difficult to outrun a poor diet by exercising more.
Hence, you will need to supplement your pushup workouts with a proper diet plan.
Pushups can get you ripped. If you want to know where to get started you can find a great beginner workout here.
References:
Calatayud, Joaquin; Borreani, Sebastien; Colado, Juan C.; Martin, Fernando; Tella, Victor; Andersen, Lars L. Bench Press and Push-up at Comparable Levels of Muscle Activity Results in Similar Strength Gains, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: January 2015 – Volume 29 – Issue 1 – p 246-253 doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000589
Kotarsky, Christopher J.1; Christensen, Bryan K.1; Miller, Jason S.2; Hackney, Kyle J.1 Effect of Progressive Calisthenic Push-up Training on Muscle Strength and Thickness, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: March 2018 – Volume 32 – Issue 3 – p 651-659 doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002345
Moore, K., Agur, A., & Dalley, A. Clinically oriented anatomy.
