Most of us start January full of big fitness goals, only for them to fade as fast as the festive leftovers.
But one man, James Stewart Whyte, actually stuck to his New Year’s resolution — and the results after a full year of doing 100 push-ups every single day speak for themselves.
Whyte, who had previously struggled with staying consistent in his workouts, set himself a simple but ambitious challenge: perform 100 push-ups every day for a full year.
“Even though I like to lift weights and I love to run, I don’t do it every day,” he said in his video. “I want to develop a mindset where I do a little something every day to get me closer to a larger goal, being more fit, being more healthy.”
Whyte said he chose push-ups because they stripped away all the usual excuses. “I wasn’t asking myself to do something daily that I had to explicitly schedule and prepare for in advance,” he explained. No gym membership, travel time or equipment were required — just a small, daily effort he could complete anywhere.”
He began on New Year’s Day in 2019 and documented the whole experience on YouTube, explaining that his main motivation wasn’t just physical transformation — it was to build lasting discipline.
“One of the best ways to get a new habit to stick is to lower the barriers that might give you an excuse to skip a repetition and then stop altogether,” he said. “The push-ups had practically no barriers, as no gym or equipment were required, and I could do them anywhere, any time of day.”
At first, the progress was slow. “After the first few months of the year I saw an almost imperceptible change,” Whyte admitted. “Progress started to show entering the summer.”
The real transformation came when the habit became automatic. By mid-year, both he and others started to notice visible changes. “I was building muscle and becoming stronger, and the daily workouts were becoming easier,” he said.
Along the way, Whyte refined his approach — learning how to improve his push-up form, maintaining a high-protein, low-sugar diet, and incorporating other exercises once the daily push-ups became second nature. “Although the results were modest, they were there,” he said. “It proved that after you establish a new habit you have to give that habit time to work before you see the results.”
Check out James’ full video below:
While his overall weight stayed about the same, Whyte noticed that a larger proportion of his body mass was now muscle. “The results were not massive, but there were results from what I’d consider a relatively small effort each day,” he explained. “Doing a few pushups each day is not going to build a lot of muscle, but doing it every day will build discipline, and discipline is much more valuable.”
His story quickly caught attention online — partly because the transformation was genuine but also because his message was refreshingly realistic. He wasn’t claiming overnight success or a Hollywood-style body change. He was showing what can happen when you commit to consistency over intensity.
However, while Whyte’s experiment delivered clear results for him, experts have warned that repeating the same movement every day can carry risks if done without proper recovery.
Speaking to Nike, Aine Thomas, NASM-CPT and nutrition-certified trainer with The Edge Fitness Clubs, praised the effectiveness of push-ups but advised moderation. “They work your chest, shoulders, triceps, core and even your glutes, making them an efficient way to build strength and stability,” she said. “But daily push-ups might lead to overuse injuries if you’re not recovering properly. Instead, aim for three to four times a week, as that allows time for your muscles to recover and grow.”
Steve Stonehouse, NASM-CPT and USATF-certified run coach, agreed, saying that even great exercises need rest days. “Push-ups are not something I would recommend doing every day, and it’s not because there’s a problem with them,” he explained. “I just think the body needs a little bit of time to recover from certain stimulus.”
For Whyte, though, the challenge wasn’t just about muscle or aesthetics — it was about mindset. His year-long journey proved that steady, achievable effort can make a lasting difference. “Mid-year I checked in on my progress, although results were modest, they were there,” he said. “And it proved that after you establish a new habit you have to give that habit time to work before you see the results.”
It’s a reminder that fitness doesn’t always have to mean hours in the gym or extreme routines. Sometimes, it’s about showing up every day, even for something as simple as 100 push-ups — and letting discipline do the heavy lifting.
Featured image credit: YouTube/James Stewart Whyte (screenshots)
