The push up is, has and always will be the number one bodyweight exercise for the upper body.
While primarily hitting the chest, it also works the triceps, deltoids, and core.
This classic exercise is often used as a measuring stick for upper body strength.
If you can do 50 push ups in a row, that’s pretty impressive. 75 in a row is enough to raise a few eyebrows.
But pump out a hundred reps in a row and you’re going to be a certified legend!
So, how long does it take to get to 100 push ups?
If you can currently do about 25 consecutive push ups as your max, it should take about 12 weeks of training to be able to reach 100 — though that depends heavily on a ton of factors like age, training program, nutrition, gender, and more. For total beginners, the journey to 100 push ups will take longer, likely 6 months or so.
Let’s take a closer look at the timeline and see how you can speed up your results.
How Long Until You Can Do 100 Straight Push Ups?
How long does it take to perform one hundred repetitions in a row?
The answer is impossible to quantify as it all depends on how strong you are now and how many push ups you can currently do in a row.
However, in order to provide a ball-park let’s assume that you can currently pump out 25 quality push ups in a row.
In that case, if you apply yourself consistently, you should be able to get to 100 reps in a row in 12 weeks.
Notice that I mentioned quality push ups.
We’re not including those guys you see performing the most pathetic partial movements you can imagine at the rate of about one per second.
Those are not pushups!
What we are talking about here is full, even tempo push ups that fully extend and contract your pectoral muscles.
If you’re a total beginner who can currently do less than 25 push ups, your journey to 100 consecutives will likely be longer than 12 weeks.
What Does a Proper Push Up Look Like?
Here is what your push up form should look like :
- Get down on the floor with your palms on the floor just slightly wider than shoulder distance apart. Your legs should be extended with your feet together. Your floor contact points should be your palms and toes.
- Raise up to the top, arms fully extended position. In this position a straight line should form from your head to your toes (do not bend at the hips). Stay tall on your toes and do not sag at the knees. Contract your glutes, quads and core.
- Descend down to the floor by bending at the elbows. Go down until your chest is about an inch from the floor.
- Push through your hands to return to the start position.
Advice From a Pro Trainer
Hannah Daugherty is a personal trainer with Next Luxury.
She regularly incorporates push into her client training programs. Here is Hannah’s advice about working towards achieving 100 push ups in a row .
Depending on a person’s current level of upper body strength, 100 consecutive pushups can be done in just a few months time – although this is highly dependent on their health and wellness goals, injury and exercise history, availability to train, etc.
Pushups are a compound bodyweight movement, so training three times a week with them integrated into a routine will help upper body strength progressions.
Variability within the pushup motion itself is also helpful in reducing injury as well as plateaus, which can happen if push ups are done too frequently without rest or recovery.
There are a handful of challenges available if someone wants to aim for 100 pushups in a row; however, this does come with some risks.
Fatigue can lead to poor form and injury, and performing pushups everyday without rest can also lead to burnout and/or back, wrist, shoulder, or chest injury.
Integrating different chest strengthening exercises into a workout routine (along with other movements for the rest of the body) will help develop a well-rounded program, and allow for appropriate strength gains.
A Program to Achieve 100 Push Ups in a Row
The following sample program to achieve 100 push ups in a row assumes that you can now do 25 good form push ups in a row.
However, anyone can use this program. All they need to do is adjust the numbers and timeline.
Here is how the program works:
Do 4 sets of push ups three times per week on alternating days.
The number of reps you perform depends on how many push ups you can do in a row right now. You now take that number and double it. Then divide it by three.
Here is an example based on a baseline of 25 reps.
Double 25 is 50. Divide 50 by 3 to get 16.6. We can round this to 17.
Here is how your workout will unfold . . .
Set One – do your max number of reps – 25
Set Two – you do 17 reps
Set Three – you do 17 reps
Set Four – you do 17 reps
You do this workout three times per week. Your rest between each set is 60 seconds.
In week two, you follow the same pattern.
The difference will be that you are now able to perform more repetitions on your first max set.
You should have increased your strength to the point that you can now do 28-30 reps.
Let’s assume that you can now do 30 reps.
Once again, you double that number to get 60 reps and then divide by 3 to come out with 20 reps. Here is what your 4 sets will look like this week:
Set One – do your max number of reps – 30
Set Two – you do 20 reps
Set Three – you do 20 reps
Set Four – you do 20 reps
You continue this pattern each week until you are able to hit 100 reps on your max set.
You will be amazed at how quickly you can build your max rep count with this pattern.
In my experience, most guys will be able to hit the 100 mark in or around week twelve.
Adjust your numbers accordingly and don’t push yourself to the point of form breakdown, which can lead to injuries.
This is just one sample program — there are tons of different ways, routines, and protocols to build your calisthenics performance.
Try a bunch to see what works for you!
Wrapping Up
Pumping out one hundred full, non-cheating push ups in a row is not beyond your grasp.
Regardless of where you are starting, you can achieve that goal within a few short months.
Be consistent, work hard and you will soon be amazing your friends and family with the impressive party trick of repping out 100 push ups in a row!
Not to mention, you’ll have developed a seriously impressive upper body with powerful pecs, shoulders, and triceps — plus a rock solid core.
For more, see how long it might take to:
Hope this helps!