50 Press Ups A Day: What You Need to Know

What is a Press-Up?

A press-up, or pushup, is an exercise that mostly focuses on the upper-body muscles, such as the chest, core and arms. Press-ups, as a bodyweight exercise, are easy to do anywhere, whether you prefer to work out at a gym, outdoors or at home. With the many variations, you can switch up the exercise to isolate or focus on different muscles. 

A person should be working on at least two days of muscle-strengthening exercises per week, as advised by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with press-ups being a great option. 

Press-ups are known to help with weight management, muscle and bone mass management, posture improvement, and upper body strength, along with reducing the risk of illnesses. Let’s find out more about the 50 Press-Ups A Day Challenge and how to complete this exercise properly. 

What is the 50 Press-Ups A Day Challenge?

You may have heard of the 50 Press-Ups A Day Challenge from TikTok or other social media platforms, and it involves working your way to 50 press-ups in 30 days. The main goal of the challenge is to be able to complete 50 clean press-ups by the end of the 4 weeks to help you strengthen your upper body. 

Week 1

The 50 Press-Ups A Day Challenge starts off with doing 5 press-ups in the first week, if it is difficult the reps can be split into a few sets, as long as the complete 5 are done each day. 

How to begin:

• You will start your first, and every press-up, on the ground with your arms straight in a straight-arm plank position and in a comfortable position.
• Make sure your body is also straight in a tight line with your spine in a neutral position. 
• To keep your body tight, tighten your core and glutes, and do not let your hips bend up or down. 
• Keep your breath controlled, bend your elbows and lower your chest, while keeping your back straight and your core braced. 

Week 2

In the second week, the goal for reps will increase to 12 to 15 press-ups, similar to the first week, the reps can be split into sets to make hitting your goal slightly easier. Be sure to follow the instructions from the first week and continue cleaning up your form. 

Week 3

In the third keep, after much practice, you will be able to press 20 to 32 reps in total. Continue to practice good form and if the reps are difficult, you can complete the 20 to 32 reps in 2 to 3 sets, with a one-minute break in between. 

Week 4 

You’re almost there, in week 4 you will complete 35 to 42 press-ups. When working on your reps, prioritise your breathing. As you lower your chest inhale deeply and breathe out while pressing off the floor. Although your arms may burn, don’t give up, keep breathing and it’ll help you get through this week. 

The end of the challenge

You made it to the end of the 30 days! On the last 2 days of the challenge, you will increase the reps to 45 to 50 reps, on the first day you can work up to 45 while completing the 50 reps on the last day. Do as many press-ups as possible on the first set, if you need a break, split the reps into two sets. 

Although doing so many press-ups is still exhausting, you may find that your upper body is stronger and it is not as difficult to press as it was in the beginning. Now that you’ve completed the challenge, there is no reason why you should stop there, continue practising your form, breathing and master the press-up, even if it’s only for 2 times a week. 

People Also Ask

Will 50 pushups a day make a difference?

Yes, even with just 50 pushups, or press-ups, a day you will notice a difference in your upper body strength and improvement in your posture 

How many calories are burned with 50 push-ups?

50 push-ups burn about 8 calories. Although that may not seem like much, the goal of push-ups is to strengthen your muscles, it is not focused on burning calories. 

What will happen if you do 50 sit-ups everyday?

Doing 50 sit-ups every day helps strengthen your core, however, it also does great things for your posture and strengthens other muscles not just your abs. 

How many pushups should you do a day?

The number of push-ups you should do a day depends on each individual and how many they are able to do, on average this may be 5 to 10 pushes for 3 sets. Dr. Jordan Metzl, a sports medicine physician at the Hospital for Special Surgery, recommends that people aim to do pushups in sets that challenge their current fitness level without causing strain. "For general health, doing pushups every day can help improve muscle tone and strength, but it's important to listen to your body and avoid overtraining," he advises. Starting with a manageable number and increasing gradually can help prevent injury and promote steady progress​

Conclusion

Whether you are pressing to strengthen certain muscles or just for fun if you like a challenge the 50 Press-Ups A Day Challenge is a simple one to complete that can also help kick-start your health journey. In four weeks, you can work your way up to 50 press-ups, even if you have never done a press-up before, with these simple outlines. 

After completing the 50 Press-Ups A Day Challenge, find out the 19 Best Effective Fitness Exercises to continue building strength and becoming a healthier you.