Push-ups - damn they're underrated!
And if you're travelling and want to keep working your pecs, you're about to learn why they're so efficient.
In this research (1), 20 subjects with strength training experience were split into two groups:
Group 1: Bench Presses twice a week for five weeks
Group 2: Push-ups
Now I know what you're thinking - how the hell can you compare bench presses to push-ups?
Well to make the different groups equal, the researchers provided a resistance band for those in group 2 doing the push ups, to ensure both trained to their 6 rep max and 1 rep max.
Check out the example of push-ups with bands below:
Using electromyography (EMG) it was found that whether subjects were performing their 6 rep max during the push-ups or bench presses - the required force from the chest was the same.
So now that the conditions were similiar, they could crunch the data.
What They Ultimately Found:
Both groups increase their 1 rep max and 6 rep max significantly during the study.
BUT...the 1 rep max increased by more in those training their chest muscles with bench presses than in the students that had done push-ups - but here's the thing - the difference was NOT statistically significant.
The statistics reveal both groups had made equal progression!
BOTTOM LINE: Doing bench presses or push-ups with bands to work on your maximum strength to the tune of your 1RM or 6RM - seems to result in similiar (i.e not statistically different) strength gains.
The researchers conclude:
"The push-up exercise with added elastic resistance provide a feasible and cost-effective option that may be performed anywhere and may be used as an alternative to traditional bench press exercise in order to provide a high intensity stimulus in the prime movers involved in the action and produce maximal strength adaptations....Physical therapists and strength and conditioning specialists may use this information to select or include one of the both exercises performed during a resistance training program."
So there we have it!
There's two things to take away from this - you can definitely add some push-ups with a resistance band to your chest workouts to give them some variety....and secondly, taking some bands on extended holidays and/or business trips could be very handy to ensure no strength gains are lost!
"Stay Fit, Stay Flexed!"
Reference
(1) Calatayud J, Borreani S, Colado JC, Martin F, Tella V, Andersen LL. Bench press and push-up at comparable levels of muscle activity results in similar strength gains. J Strength Cond Res. 2015 Jan;29(1):246-53. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000589.
Author
Dayne Hudson