Pushgard measures your max and prices every tower fight from it, so a beginner climbs as steeply as anyone. The first monster is a slime.
Push-ups for beginners: eight weeks to the floor
Start on the variation where you can do 8 to 12 clean reps: hands on a high box, your knees, or hands on a low box. Train three days a week, add a rep every week, and step up when your sets reach 12. Pick your start on the right to see the eight weeks.
Where you can do 8 to 12 clean reps
The plan is our rule of thumb built from your own max, not a clinical prescription. Stop a set that causes pain, and if you have an injury or a heart condition, check with a doctor before starting.
Half your max, one rep a week
The same rule as the daily calculator, on a lighter variation.
- Three training days a week, four sets each.
- Each set is half the reps you can do in one set on your current step, up to 12.
- Every week, add one rep to each set.
- When your sets reach 12 reps, move one step up the ladder and start again at 6 reps per set.
- On the floor, keep adding a rep a week.
This is a practical rule of thumb, not a number from a study. The source backs the frequency and the gradual growth: ACSM Position Stand, Garber et al., Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2011 recommends resistance exercise for each major muscle group on 2 to 3 days a week, with gradual progression of volume.
How heavy each step is
Measured as peak force, a share of your body weight.
- 141%
Hands on a high box · 60 cm (2 ft)
- 249%
From the knees
- 355%
Hands on a low box · 30 cm (1 ft)
- 464%
Standard push-up
Loads: Wurm B, Ebben WP et al. Kinetic analysis of several variations of push-ups. ISBS Conference Proceedings (table 1). All six variations.
Sore is fine, pain is not
Muscle soreness a day or two after training is normal at the start. Sharp pain in the wrists, elbows or shoulders is not: stop, rest, and try a higher box. If you have an injury or a heart condition, talk to a doctor before you start.
Beginners, answered
Where to start, how often and what a clean rep is.
I can’t do a single push-up. Where do I start?
Hands on a kitchen counter or a sturdy table. That lifts about 41% of your body weight, against about 64% for a push-up on the floor. Most people can do several reps there on day one.
How many days a week?
Three, with a day off between them. The ACSM recommends training each muscle group two to three days a week, and rest is when the muscles adapt.
Why not just do knee push-ups until I can do a full one?
You can. Knee push-ups are one step of the ladder. The box steps on either side make the jumps smaller, which keeps the progress steady.
What counts as a clean rep?
Body in one straight line, chest close to the support at the bottom, arms straight at the top. If your hips sag or the rep gets short, the set is over.
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