Milind Soman spent his last Monday morning doing pushups after a run in Regent’s Park, London. “Monday morning pushups after a run in Regents Park 😀 amazing weather, lost count after 50 🤪 #london,” the 60-year-old captioned his Instagram post.
Dr Shreyas Kathrani, HOD- Department of Physiotherapy, Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre, says that Milind Soman hitting 50+ pushups at 50+ years is less about the number and more about what it signals: disciplined, high-frequency training over decades.
DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your fitness practitioner before starting any routine.
“For the average person, crossing 50 reps means you’ve moved from strength into endurance territory. It lights up the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core, and if your form slips mid-set, the shoulders and lower back take the hit instead,” he tells indianexpress.com.
Dr Kathrani says, “Forget chasing 50. Fitness isn’t a contest.” Here are a few of his basic guidelines:
– For strength and muscle: Aim for 8–15 perfect reps where the last 2 feel hard. Add harder variations when it gets easy.
– For general fitness: 20–30 solid pushups is a great benchmark in India’s fitness community.
– For beginners: Start with wall or incline pushups and build. 10 clean reps &; 30 sloppy ones.
Dr Katharani says pushups are the most democratic exercise we have – no gym, no gear, just floor space. “Done right, pushups build functional upper-body strength, bulletproof your core, and train shoulder stability that helps in daily life. High-rep sets also give you a cardio spike, though they don’t replace walking, running, or cycling,” he tells indianexpress.com.
When doing push ups, Dr Vajalla Shravani, MPT, fitness and pilates expert at Tone30 Pilates, says one of the biggest mistakes is prioritising quantity over quality. “Many people rush to increase reps without building the proper foundational strength or focusing on form. This often leads to compensations like sagging hips, flared elbows, or incomplete range of motion, which not only reduces effectiveness but can lead to injury,” she shares.
To improve safely, she suggests that it’s helpful to break push ups into progressions: Start with wall or incline pushups, then move to knee pushups before graduating to full pushups. Strength training that targets the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core can also complement your pushup practice, adds Dr Shravani.
According to her, another overlooked aspect is recovery. “Muscles need rest to grow stronger, so pushing through fatigue daily might backfire. Aim for structured training, perhaps 3–4 sessions per week, with rest days and mobility work in between. Over time, this builds both performance and longevity,” says Dr Shravani.
“Don’t try to be Milind on day one. Try to be consistent like him. The number will follow,” concludes Dr Kathrani.
DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your fitness practitioner before starting any routine.
