In a recent YouTube video, physical therapist and Athlean-X founder Jeff Cavaliere tackled the popular trend of doing 100 push-ups a day. While many believe it’s the secret to building a bigger, stronger chest, Cavaliere takes a different stance. He says the routine is flawed – not because it’s ineffective, but because it’s misunderstood.
“I actually think this will help those people,” Cavaliere says. In fact, push-ups are one of the most misperformed exercises out there, and by fixing a few key mistakes, they can actually become a powerful tool for muscle growth – if used correctly.
So if you’re stuck in the 100 push-ups a day grind and not seeing results, this guide will unpack why that’s happening – and what to do instead.
Jump to:
The Real Problem with 100 Push-Ups a Day
Most people who start the 100 push-up challenge do so with one goal: a stronger, more muscular chest.
But here’s the problem: A standard push-up doesn’t provide enough resistance to trigger strength or hypertrophy for most people beyond the beginner stage.
You’re Not Lifting As Much As You Think
A push-up is a bodyweight exercise, but you’re not lifting your whole body – only about 65–75% of it.
For a 160-pound person, that’s roughly 120 pounds. And while 120 pounds might build strength for a true beginner, it’s rarely considered “strong” in bench press terms for experienced lifters.
Even worse, doing that same 120-pound bench press for 20, 30, or even 50 reps doesn’t suddenly make it a better strength-building move.
“There’s no world where a 120-pound bench presser would be considered strong,” says Cavaliere. “That’s not real progressive overload.”
If you’re chasing strength, you need to progressively add load – not just reps. And with bodyweight push-ups, that’s hard to do without modification.
Too Much Volume Can Hurt Your Gains
Even if you’re not chasing strength and just want to build muscle, there’s another issue: recovery.
Muscle growth doesn’t happen during your workout. It happens when you recover. So if you’re pushing to failure – or close to it – every single day, you’re denying your body the chance to rebuild stronger.
“There’s no world where the natural lifter should subject a muscle to multiple bouts of failure every single day,” Cavaliere explains. “You’re just going to dip down into your body’s recovery capabilities.”
That means your plan to get bigger could actually be backfiring and breaking you down instead.
What About Hypertrophy? Can You Still Build Muscle?
While you may not get much stronger with 100 push-ups a day, many still hope to build muscle – and that’s not impossible.
The secret lies in how close you train to failure, and within what rep range.
The Ideal Rep Ranges for Muscle Growth
Cavaliere explains three major rep ranges based on energy systems:
- 1–5 reps: ATP-PC system – strength-focused
- 8–15 (up to 20) reps: Glycolytic system – hypertrophy sweet spot
- 30+ reps: Oxidative system – endurance-focused
If your push-up sets exceed 30 reps, you’re mostly doing endurance work. That’s fine for stamina, but not ideal for building size. On the flip side, if your push-up sets land in that 8–20 rep range, you might see hypertrophy gains – but only if the effort is hard enough.
“The higher within this range you go, the more failure becomes necessary,” notes Cavaliere. “If you’re doing 20-25 reps but stopping five reps short of failure, that effort doesn’t count. You’re wasting your time.”
Here’s What You Should Be Doing Instead
1. Use More Challenging Push-Up Variations
One of the simplest ways to make your push-ups more effective is by increasing the difficulty to reduce the reps and increase the stimulus. This brings you back into that ideal 8–15 rep hypertrophy range with enough tension for muscle growth.
Try these push-up variations instead:
- Feet-elevated push-ups – greater load on upper chest
- Diamond push-ups – more tricep and inner chest activation
- Archer push-ups – unilateral chest and shoulder test
- Banded push-ups – adds resistance at lockout
Each variation increases load or tension without needing gym equipment, allowing you to work harder within fewer reps.
2. Slow Down the Tempo
One of Cavaliere’s simplest tips: slow down your reps.
“Don’t count the reps you do – make the reps count,” he says. “Slow down. Go all the way to the bottom. Release your hands. Squeeze your chest on the way up.”
This type of controlled, high-intensity execution can take a 40-rep set and turn it into a brutal 20-rep grind – which is exactly what you want to stimulate growth.
3. Add Weight If You Can
If you have access to a weight plate, weighted vest, or resistance bands, use them. By adding 40–100 pounds on your back, the push-up starts to feel like an actual bench press.
This creates progressive overload – the key driver of strength and muscle gains – and lets you benefit from push-ups long beyond beginner levels.
When 100 Push-Ups a Day Might Work
If you’re new to training, the 100 push-up challenge might spark early gains. You’re working a new movement, your muscles are adapting, and you’ll likely add some muscle and strength in the short term.
But this beginner effect doesn’t last forever.
“Eventually, you master the count – not the movement,” Cavaliere says. “If you’re not progressing the difficulty, you’re not progressing your body.”
Also, if you’re recovering from injury or easing back into fitness, submaximal daily push-ups may make sense. Just be sure to listen to your body and avoid chronic fatigue or joint strain.
The Long-Term Risk of Overuse
Your body isn’t a machine. Wrists, elbows, and shoulders all have wear-and-tear limits. Doing the same form of push-up every day, even at high reps, could start chipping away at joint health over time.
“Think of it like tires on a car,” Cavaliere says. “Your joints also have a lifespan. You want to maximize your results without burning your parts out early.”
That’s why recovery days, variation, and smarter programming matter more than blindly chasing higher numbers.
The Takeaway: Train Smarter with Push-Ups
The idea of 100 push-ups a day is rooted in discipline, but discipline without strategy is just spinning your wheels.
If your goal is a stronger, bigger chest — stop relying on high-rep, low-effort routines. Instead, mix in challenging variations, adjust the tempo, and focus on creating more tension.
And if you really want to boost chest strength? Cavaliere says it best:
“At some point, you’re going to have to start incorporating weights. A barbell or dumbbells – that’s how you truly overload the chest.”
So keep the push-ups, but do them smarter. Go for quality over quantity, and your results will thank you.
