Push-ups and the bench press are the most famous chest exercises. Both build upper body strength, but when it comes to honing the inner and outer layers of the pectorals, which exercise is better?
Science shows that the bench press builds the pecs better than the curl. For example, the barbell bench press is better at activating the chest muscles compared to push-ups, the pec machine, cable crossovers, the chest press machine and dumbbells.
But that's not to say we should rule out pushups entirely. There are pros and cons to pushups and bench presses, and the best chest exercise for you depends on your goals, your strength level, and the type of equipment you have.
chest push-ups
Pushups are a bodyweight exercise that starts on a high board and involves lowering your chest toward the ground, then pushing your body onto a high board. It primarily works the middle and inner chest fibers, but also targets the shoulders and triceps.
Professionals
- Good for all levels: Because it's a bodyweight exercise, it's great for people of all activity levels. For example, beginners can modify the exercise and do a wall push-up while standing, on an elevated surface such as a bench or chair, or on their knees. More advanced athletes can do single-arm or rebounding variations to test their endurance and strength. Doing different variations also allows you to work the pectoral muscles through a variety of ranges of motion, providing more stretch and contraction for the muscles.
- Increases total body strength: Really, they are a total body exercise. In addition to working the chest, they also target the shoulders, triceps, and core, which are essential for improving "push" strength and stability. These muscles are important for performing daily tasks, such as opening doors, lifting heavy objects, and moving furniture.
- Improves general physical condition: There's no better indicator of overall strength and fitness than being able to push our own weight, and that's exactly what we do with a push-up. People who were able to do more than 40 push-ups in a row were associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared to those who could do less than 10 push-ups.
Cons
- They are not very good for progress: As we get stronger, we will need to do more repetitions to continue building strength and avoid plateauing. But many of us don't have the strength to do multiple sets of pushups (not to mention it can get boring), so be sure to mix things up by trying different pushup variations like a plyometric, single straight-leg push-up, or diamond.
- Prone to aches and pains: If we have pain in the back, wrist, shoulder or elbow while doing push-ups, it is a sign that something in your technique could be wrong or that we have an underlying problem. Make sure your elbows are tightly tucked in to your sides to keep your shoulders secure, and you're tightening your core to prevent arching your back. Pain can also be a warning sign that we are overreacting. Doing pushups every day can put you at risk for shoulder and wrist injuries, so be sure to balance your exercise routine with pulling exercises like rowing, bicep curls, and planks.
chest bench press
The bench press is a chest exercise that is typically performed on a weight bench or lying on the floor with a pair of dumbbells or a barbell. It primarily targets the inner and middle pecs and triceps, but depending on the incline of the bench and grip, you can target specific areas of the pecs.
Professionals
- easy to advance: You can add weight plates to a barbell or choose a heavier set of weights to make the exercise more difficult and more effective by fatiguing your chest muscles compared to doing high repetitions of pushups.
- Targets chest and triceps: The bench press is a chest and triceps exercise and by isolating these, they can grow to a higher degree than pushups. Although the bench press is usually performed on a flat, horizontal surface, the difficulty of the exercise can be increased by adding a dip (30 degrees lower than a flat bench) or incline (45 degrees higher than a flat bench).
An incline bench, for example, targets the upper pecs, while a decline bench targets the lower pecs. Additionally, a neutral grip (palms facing each other) hones the upper and lower pecs, as well as the triceps, and a reverse grip (palms facing you) gives more focus to the upper pecs. - wide range of motion: The chest press offers a wider range of motion for the pecs compared to pushups. This means that the chest muscles can fully contract and relax, improving their overall function and strength. If our primary goal is to build a bigger, stronger chest, we'll get faster results with the bench press by lifting heavier loads.
Cons
- Increased risk of injury: Compared to pushups, the risk of injury with the bench press is higher because not only are you moving more weight, but you're moving weight overhead. Having a partner who can help bear the weight can help prevent injury.
Also, lifting too heavy or training the chest muscles beyond fatigue (not being able to do another set) can lead to serious injury to the chest and shoulder muscles. So be sure to allow your chest muscles to rest at least one full day between workouts during the week. - Necessary sports equipment: You need exercise equipment, including a bench, bar, or other weights, to do bench presses at home. Although you can bench press lying down, you'll get the most chest activation using a bench. Progressively loading the bars is also key to getting stronger, so we'll need to have a variety of weights and plates. For safety's sake, it's only recommended to bench press with a barbell if you have someone nearby to watch you.
Push-ups or bench press, which one to choose?
It can be difficult to choose between the push-ups or the bench press. If we have the goal of building a stronger and bigger chest, we will ultimately gain more advantage from the bench press than from the pushup. But doing pushups can complement presses in a chest routine and is great for building overall full-body strength.
For example, if we can't go to the gym or we're traveling, push-ups are an excellent alternative to the chest press, and we don't need equipment to do them. We can also do push ups as part of a warm up before laying down on the bench or beginning an upper body routine.
We can also focus on the bench press one day a week and push-ups another day to work on the "push" movement in different positions. We just need to make sure to switch up workouts every 4-6 weeks to keep making progress and avoid hitting a strength and endurance plateau.