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I Did 100 Pushups and Situps Daily for a Month. The Results Were Shocking

By Tom Ward Men's Journal

Updated May 21, 2026 3:07 PM

About a month ago, I looked in the mirror and was forced to do a double-take. I'm a fit person who usually does something active every day, be it running, lifting weights, or bouldering. But, after my last half-marathon, I realised I'd sunk into a routine of minimal exercise and lots of snacking. At first, I told myself I deserved the rest–a reward for having run 13.1 miles. But that excuse only lasts so long. It wasn't just that I'd put on flab, I'd also lost shape. I'd been neglecting my gym sessions while I focused on running, and what little definition I had to my chest and shoulders seemed to have melted away.

I decided to do something about it. Looking back at old selfies, I realised that I'd possibly been in the best shape of my life during the Covid 19 pandemic. With gyms closed and little else to do, I committed to a daily routine of 100 pressups, situps, and lunges at home. Now aged 36 and with time (and gravity) against me, I thought I'd give it another go, committing to a month of the same. The only difference was that I would cut out the lunges as I didn't want to risk an injury that might interfere with my running. This is how it went.

What Are the Benefits of Pushups?

Before I started, I reached out to a friend, Farren Morgan, a former British soldier and founder of the Tactical Athlete training method, who knows all about bodyweight exercises and hard reps. I first wanted to know if pushups were worth my time, or if I'd be better off making myself trudge to the gym. It turns out, pushups are great for you. In fact, in one 8-week trial, recorded in the Journal of Exercise Science and Fitness, pushups produced strength and muscle-thickness gains similar to low-load bench press when the relative load was matched.

"Pressups are a legitimate upper-body endurance exercise," Morgan says. "They train the chest, shoulders, and triceps, but they also require trunk stiffness and whole-body control, so the torso does not sag or rotate."

As for situps, they too have the advantage of being able to be done any time, anywhere. Morgan was quick to point out that, because they only train the abs, situps are not the same as core training, which takes in the full range of trunk muscles, including the obliques (findings supported by British Army research and EMG results). To round out my training, I'd also throw in a few sets of planks, dead bugs, leg raises, and toe-touches.

Is 100 a Day the Magic Number?

The first day was easy. I broke the sets up into four lots of 25 pushups, followed by the same amount of situps. I wasn't trying to break records and go for as many reps as possible in one go, and I'd learned the hard way that blasting out pushups without a good warmup stretch isn't good for my back. So, nice and slow it was, with a set after I got out of bed, another after breakfast, one before lunch, and another at the end of the working day (I work from home).

One hundred reps per day felt like a nice, round number. But I wasn't entirely sure if this was an arbitrary goal or a useful one. Morgan is of the opinion that the number doesn't entirely matter. You could aim for 20 per day to begin with, moving up to 50 and so on. What matters is repeated exposure.

"You'll get more practice, better local muscular endurance, improved movement efficiency, and a strong consistency habit," he says of having a daily rep goal.

Interestingly, data from the American College of Sports Medicine suggests that for improved progression, resistance training should be done in the standard 10 to 12 rep range, not a fixed daily challenge.

"The evidence suggests that total weekly work is more important than picking a dramatic number for social appeal," Morgan adds.

Are There Any Risks?

In a US Army study of acute fitness-test injuries, 56 percent of the reported injuries were attributed to situps versus one percent to pushups. So while these exercises may feel like light work, they can cause injury if done incorrectly. It makes sense that the main pressup risks are overuse at the wrists, elbows, and shoulders. Morgan also says that sloppy technique could creep in once fatigue builds up. I mostly got around these issues by spacing out my reps, and not trying to do all 100 in one go-at least for the first few weeks.

"For sit-ups, the risks are neck irritation, hip-flexor overload, and lower-back aggravation, especially when people anchor the feet and keep pushing after form fades," Morgan warns.

He suggests that lowering the goal to 80 or fewer reps per day may reduce irritability in the hips, trunk, and lower back while still allowing progression. Stubbornly, I pushed on despite the clicking in my hips, and the pain in my lower back–both of which then required dedicated stretching to alleviate the pain. If I were to do this challenge again, I'd listen to my body and scale it back.

Does It Actually Work?

At first, I didn't see or feel much different, but I was enjoying the feeling of accomplishment when I ticked off my 100 reps each day. And then, about two weeks in, I started noticing that I felt a bit more solid in my body. My core didn't feel like a bag of flab anymore; it felt like it was held tightly by growing abdominal muscles, and my chest and arms felt wider, more noticeable even in t-shirts.

Vanity had been my primary motivator, but I noticed, after a month, I'd lost almost seven pounds. And towards the end of the month, I was able to do 50 pushups and 100 situps in one go rather than breaking them up throughout the day (something I haven't been able to do since I was 19).

My month-long routine also translated to the climbing wall. During a recent bat-hang-a move in which you essentially hang upside down, held in place by your feet-my new core strength let me get my feet into position and helped me hang there to complete the climb, something I wouldn't have been able to do before.

Are There Any Other Benefits?

While ‘guy does pushups, gets stronger' isn't groundbreaking, what I most liked about this challenge was connecting with my friends. I'm not sure why, but the start of 2026 has been rough on five or six of my friends, both in terms of work and their mental health. Inviting them to take part in this challenge with me has been a great way not only of reaching out but of offering them something physical to do.

In the end, only one of them, Joel, a doctor, stuck with it. Although he missed a day here and there, when he did do the full 100, he'd send me videos of his young children doing situps alongside him. Often, they'd even beat him. It was heartwarming, and kept me pushing through my reps on days when it was the last thing I wanted to do.

As I write this, it's been roughly six weeks since I started this challenge, and I'm aiming to keep going as long as I can. It's keeping me moving. It's keeping me fit and motivated. And, in providing a short break from work, it's keeping me sane. In fact, I think I'll go get some reps in right now.

Three Points for the Perfect Pushup

Looking to dial in your technique? Morgan has some advice:

"Use a shoulder-width hand position with the hands under the shoulders.
Keep the head neutral, the trunk rigid, and the hips in line with the shoulders.
End the set when the body no longer moves as one piece."

How to Do the Perfect Situp

Done wrong, sit-ups can damage your back, hips, and abs. Keep the following tips in mind during your next set:

"Keep the knees bent and feet flat.
If the hands are behind the neck, they should support rather than pull.
The head should stay in line with the body and not be forced forward."

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the Health & Fitness section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 1:50 PM.