The push-up is an old school, barebones exercise. But it’s an essential muscle-building move that’s incorporated in every well-toned athlete’s training program because it delivers results. Push-ups target your arms, chest, back and core. Which means they’re the key to looking better with your shirt off. What’s even more amazing is that they’re a barometer of your overall cardiovascular health as well.
A recent study by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that men who can complete 40 consecutive push-ups have a 96% lower risk of coronary artery disease and heart attacks in the future compared with those who can only do 10 or fewer. The study monitored the exercise of more than 1,100 active firemen and followed their health over the next decade. Push-up capacity was more strongly associated with lower incidence of cardiovascular disease events than was aerobic capacity as estimated by a treadmill exercise test.
The good news, according to Justin Yang, a Harvard physician and one the study’s authors, is that even if you’re not hitting 40 but can still perform more than 10, you’re doing some good. The researchers found that your heart disease risk decreased with every push-up completed over the baseline of 10.
Ready to start working on your push-up regimen? Us too. For some guidance, we turned to Alden Mills, the three-time Navy SEAL platoon commander, founder of Perfect Fitness and author of “Unstoppable Teams: The 4 Essential Actions of High Performance Leadership.”