Push-ups vs. planks: which one burns fat faster?

To know whether push-ups or planks burn fat more effectively, you need to consider the following factors:

Calories burned

In terms of energy expenditure, push-ups burn more calories than planks. According to research from Harvard Medical School (USA), a person weighing about 70 kg doing push-ups for 30 minutes can burn about 167 calories, while planking in the same time only burns about 95-100 calories, according to health website Verywellfit (USA).

PHOTO: AI

The reason is because push-ups are a rhythmic exercise that uses many muscle groups at the same time in the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core, combined with lifting and lowering the body weight. Meanwhile, planks are a static exercise that, although effective in tightening muscles, burns fewer calories because there is no repetitive movement.

Fat burning effect after exercise

When it comes to fat burning, it's not just the calories burned during exercise that counts, but also the post-exercise fat burning effect. Studies show that high-intensity, full-body exercises like push-ups produce better post-exercise fat burning effects.

In other words, after finishing the workout, the effect of burning more calories still lasts for several hours. This is because the continuous contraction of the muscles when doing push-ups increases the need for oxygen and energy to recover. Meanwhile, planks, although strongly tightening the muscles, due to their static and sedentary nature, almost do not create a fat-burning effect after exercise.

Muscle group activation level

Both push-ups and planks work your core muscles, including your abs, glutes, and hips. However, the degree and range of muscle groups worked are different.

Planks focus heavily on the abdominal muscles, lower back muscles, and glutes. As a result, planks become a very effective exercise to increase core strength, improve posture, and stabilize the spine. Meanwhile, push-ups stimulate large muscle groups such as the chest, triceps, and shoulders.

Each exercise has its own advantages. Those who want to burn fat quickly and increase overall body strength should choose push-ups. Meanwhile, beginners and those with back pain should prioritize planks first to train strong core muscles, according to Verywellfit .