Now that you clarified your point, I don't disagree. Push-ups have serious limitations with regard to strength training, of course, since it's really difficult to increase resistance. (I've toyed with the idea of rigging a special backpack and putting weight plates in it.)

For a beginning trainee, especially a sedentary person trying to get fit, I think that a hundred push-up program is a safe and easy way to start. I certainly don't think such a program is "laughable"; it'll produce noticeable good results in a fairly short period of time. Those gains will hopefully encourage the trainee to begin strength training with free weights.

In general, I personally prefer to be able to do 100 push-ups (one set), 25 pull-ups (one set), 100 sit-ups (one set), and then run 5 miles — resting no more than a couple of minutes in between — and I'm willing to sacrifice some strength gains for it. I'm still working on hitting that goal. :)

hmm i had the opposite haha! when i used to do a ton of pushups i just got more discouraged because i didn't get real gains. when i finally went with a few friends to the gym and they showed me how i got way more into it and had pretty real results after the 2nd or 3rd trip, which is why i say "laughable" etc., of course all fitness advice should go with the disclaimer that YMMV and "whatever keeps you going back" etc.