How to Increase Your Push-Ups (and Get Past a Plateau)

If your push-up number has been stuck for weeks, doing the same push-ups harder usually isn't the fix. Most plateaus come from a few predictable causes: every set is an all-out grind, your weekly total never really changes, or your form gives out before your muscles do.

This guide shows you how to increase push-ups the practical way. Test where you are, fix what's holding you back, then follow a simple 4-week plan that builds both strength and endurance. It works whether your max is 8 or 38, though how fast your number climbs varies a lot from person to person.

01 Test your starting number

Before you change anything, find your number. Warm up with a few easy reps, rest two or three minutes, then do as many push-ups as you can in one set. Stop when your form breaks, not when you physically can't move anymore.

A rep counts only if:

• your body stays in a straight line from head to heels, with no sagging hips;
• your chest comes down to about a fist's height from the floor;
• your arms straighten fully at the top;
• you don't rest on the floor between reps.

Write down the number and the date. Then leave it alone. Testing your max every day tells you very little and leaves you tired for the training that actually moves it. Retest every three or four weeks under the same conditions: same rules, same time of day, same surface.

Want context for your result? Our push-up test by age shows typical ranges. And if you can't do a full push-up yet, start with our guide to doing your first push-up. Come back here once you can do a few in a row.

02 Why your push-ups stopped going up

Most plateaus come from one of these, and it's common to have two or three at once:

• Every workout is a max test. If you go all out on every set, fatigue piles up fast and you end up doing fewer good reps overall.
• Your weekly total never changes. Three sets of 15, three times a week, month after month, gives your body little reason to keep adapting.
• Your form fails before your muscles do. Hips sag, the range gets shorter, elbows flare out. Often the set ends because your core or triceps give out, not your chest.
• You only ever do one kind of push-up. Once you can do 20 or more, a standard push-up becomes mostly an endurance test. Some harder, lower-rep work can help build the strength behind each rep.
• Recovery is short. Achy shoulders, short nights and back-to-back hard days all show up in your numbers.

The good news is that each of these has a simple fix, and none of them needs equipment.

03 7 ways to increase your push-ups

1. Do more total reps, spread across the week

The most dependable way to improve is to do a little more work over time. A 2018 meta-analysis of 22 studies found that training more often each week was linked with bigger strength gains. But when the researchers compared studies with matched total volume, frequency on its own made no significant difference. The authors' takeaway: extra sessions seem to help mainly because they let you do more total work.

For push-ups, that means adding a set or a short extra session is usually more productive than squeezing one more rep out of an all-out effort. Keep a rough weekly total and nudge it up gradually, by a set or two a week rather than doubling it overnight.

2. Stop most sets a rep or two short of failure

It feels like the last grinding rep is the one that counts. The research doesn't really back that up. A 2022 meta-analysis of 15 studies found no significant difference in strength or muscle growth between training to failure and stopping short of it. In the studies where total volume wasn't matched between groups, stopping short actually came out ahead for strength.

The practical upside for push-ups is simple. Sets that end with a rep or two left in the tank let you do more quality sets in the same session, and your form stays clean. Save true max efforts for test day.

3. Grease the groove with small sets through the day

"Greasing the groove" is a long-standing coaching method: do frequent, easy sets spread through the day, always well short of failure. If your max is 20, that might mean a set of 8-10 push-ups a handful of times a day, most days of the week.

It hasn't been studied much as a named method, so think of it as a convenient way to add volume (which the research above does support) rather than a magic trick. It fits nicely around a desk job, too. Our guide to exercise snacks has ideas for slipping short sets into a workday. Take a day off whenever your shoulders or wrists feel beat up.

4. Use ladders and pyramids

A ladder starts with 1 rep. Rest for a few breaths, do 2 reps, rest, do 3, and keep climbing until you reach about a third of your max. Then start again at 1. Because every ladder starts small, you pile up a lot of reps without ever getting close to failure. A ladder from 1 to 5 is 15 reps, and four of them add up to 60.

A pyramid goes up and then back down (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1). Both are a good way to break the mental barrier of big numbers, since you never face one big set.

5. Build strength with a harder variation

If you can do 20 or more push-ups, each rep uses only a fraction of your strength. Adding a harder variation for a few lower-rep sets trains the strength side, and many people find their standard reps feel lighter afterward.

There's evidence that progressing push-up variations works as strength training. In a 2018 study, 23 moderately trained men trained three days a week for four weeks, either with progressively harder push-up variations or with the bench press. Both groups improved their one-rep bench press, and the push-up group improved more on a test of how far they could advance through harder push-up variations.

The American College of Sports Medicine suggests novices train in roughly the 8-12 rep range and make the exercise harder once they can do one or two reps more than their target. A variation you can do for about 8-12 clean reps is a good fit. Decline (feet-elevated) and close-grip push-ups are good options. Our guide to push-up variations ranks 12 of them by difficulty.

6. Slow down the lowering phase

Harvard Health suggests tempo push-ups as an intermediate step: take about four seconds to lower until your chest nearly touches the ground, then push back up. The slow lowering keeps your muscles working longer on every rep, builds control near the bottom where many people's reps break down, and makes form problems harder to hide.

Two or three sets of 5-6 slow reps is plenty. Use them at the start of a session, while you're fresh.

7. Strengthen the weak links

A push-up is a whole-body exercise, and the weakest part ends the set. Look at how your sets end:

• Arms give out near the top? Your triceps are likely the limit. Add a few sets of close-grip push-ups.
• Hips sag first? Brace harder on every rep. Core exercises like dead bugs and hollow holds can help, but bracing during your push-ups is the part that matters most.
• Shoulders feel cranky? Many coaches pair pushing with pulling work, like rows, to keep the shoulders balanced. If the pain is sharp or doesn't go away, get it checked by a professional.

See whether your reps are actually climbing

RepDrop logs each set with one tap and keeps the running count for you: total, today, average per day, streak and a daily chart of the whole challenge. The 30-day push-up challenge is free at 750, 1,500 or 3,000 reps, with no account, and it works offline. For iPhone and Android.

04 A 4-week plan to do more push-ups

This plan puts the methods above into three sessions a week on non-consecutive days, for example Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Every number is based on your tested max, so it scales to your level.

The short rests in session A are deliberate. For muscular endurance, the ACSM recommends light to moderate loads for higher reps with rest periods under 90 seconds. Moderate sets with short rests follow the same idea.

Then build a little each week:

If your number went up, recalculate every session from the new max and run the plan again. If it didn't, repeat the same block before changing anything. Progress rarely moves in a straight line, and a flat month happens to everyone. Many people see their max rise over a block like this, but how much depends on your starting point, sleep, age and consistency.

If your max is under 10: use incline push-ups on a sturdy bench or table for sessions A and C, and full push-ups or slow lowering reps for session B.

Prefer a daily target instead? A structured challenge like the 30-day push-up challenge builds volume in a similar way. Just keep most sets well short of failure.

05 Form fixes that make every rep count

Clean form isn't only about avoiding injury. A lot of lost reps come from wasted effort, and tightening these up can make each rep feel a little easier:

• Hands just outside your shoulders, fingers pointing forward or slightly out.
• Elbows at roughly 45 degrees from your body, not flared straight out to the sides.
• Squeeze your glutes and brace your abs before the first rep, and keep them tight until the last.
• Same depth on every rep. Reps that get shorter as the set goes on are a sign to stop the set, not to keep counting.
• Breathe. Inhale on the way down, exhale on the way up, and try not to hold your breath through the set.
• Look at the floor slightly ahead of your hands to keep your neck neutral.

If your wrists complain, try holding push-up handles or a pair of sturdy dumbbells so your wrists stay straight.

06 How often to train, and when to rest

You get stronger by recovering from your training, not only by doing it. The ACSM's position stand suggests training two to three days a week for beginners, three to four for intermediates and four to five for advanced trainees. The plan above sits in that range.

Daily push-ups can work too, as long as most of the volume is easy. We cover the trade-offs in is it OK to do push-ups every day. Whatever schedule you choose, a few signals mean it's time for an easier day or two:

• your reps drop for several sessions in a row;
• your shoulders, elbows or wrists ache before you even start;
• you're sleeping badly or feel run down.

Push-ups are a great start, but they aren't a complete routine. The U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend muscle-strengthening activity, like push-ups, at least two days a week for adults. A balanced routine also works your legs, back and core, not just your chest and arms. Stop right away if you feel sharp or joint pain rather than normal muscle fatigue.

07 Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to increase push-ups?

It varies. Many people notice their numbers climbing within a few weeks of consistent practice, and beginners usually improve fastest. In one small study, moderately trained men improved on a push-up progression test after four weeks of training three days a week. Give any plan at least three or four weeks before judging it.

How many push-ups should I do a day to get better?

There's no magic number. A practical starting point is several sets of about half your max, adding a set or two each week. What matters most is that your weekly total slowly goes up while your reps stay clean.

Is it better to do push-ups every day or every other day?

Both can work. Three or so harder sessions a week with rest days in between suits most people. Daily push-ups are fine if most sets are easy and well short of failure. If your shoulders, elbows or wrists start to ache, add rest days.

Should I do push-ups to failure?

Not usually. A 2022 meta-analysis found that training to failure wasn't required for strength or muscle gains. Stopping a rep or two short lets you do more quality sets. Save all-out sets for when you retest your max every few weeks.

Why can't I do more push-ups even though I practice?

Common reasons are going all out in every workout, doing the same sets and reps for weeks, form breaking down at the hips or elbows, and too little recovery. Try spreading your reps across more sets, adding a harder variation, and taking a lighter week before you retest.

Do planks help you do more push-ups?

They can help if your hips sag before your arms give out, since the top of a push-up is essentially a plank. For most people, though, the biggest gains come from doing more push-ups, and bracing your core on every rep is part of that practice.

How can I increase my push-ups for a fitness test?

Practice the exact standard you'll be tested on, since tests differ on depth, hand position, time limits and whether you can rest. Build volume for several weeks with a plan like the one above, then ease off for a few days before test day so you start fresh.

Test, train, retest, and count every rep

RepDrop's 30-day push-up challenge is free at 750, 1,500 or 3,000 reps. Log each set with one tap and let the app track your total, pace, streak and best day, so you can see your volume building week by week. No account, works offline, on iPhone and Android. Custom goals and durations come with Pro.