push ups

[Mulls]

I was just wondering if anyone has any good training techniques for push ups. my IST scores are okay - 10:34 1.5 mile, 8 pull ups (last IST i got 4, they've been going up steadily since i got a bar), 107 crunches - but during PT sessions it's always the push ups that kill me. anyone have any good training techniques for amping up my push ups? i pretty much burn out at 30 or a little over (about 15 Marine Corps pushups) - i do max sets every morning but they barely go up at all.

[Wight89]

Bench press is a great way, seeing as it uses the same muscles, but just keep at the push-ups they'll start getting easier over time man. Also, do a variety of different push-ups (wide stance, close, diamond) it centralizes certain muscles and will help you in the long run

[Capital M]

JACK WEBBS

alright this will be kind of hard to explain online but ill try it out.


Start out on your knees
Do 1 push up, Come back to starting position
Then do a "dumb bell shoulder press" (without any weights)
Then do 2 push ups, come back to your knees
Do 2 "dumbbell shoulder presses"
Then do 3 pushups, 3 shoulder presses
etc. etc

DON'T REST IN BETWEEN

Go all the way up to 10. When you hit 10, do 10 again, then 9 then 8 all the way back down to 1

You'll end up doing 110 pushups and 110 shoulder presses and it kills you.
Once you can do that semi-easily. start doing the shoulder presses with 5 pound weights.


Another way I improve pushups, is when I'm playing like Modern Warfare 2 or any other game for that mattter, I'll lie on my stomach. At the end of the game, however many times I died, I'll do that many Marine Corps pushups. Makes me feel less guilty about not doing anything, and works you out good.

[chadhertz]

One way I got really good at push ups fast was this really good workout. I did three sets of fifteen on bench press and after every set you do a max set of push ups directly after the each set. Then you do the same on incline bench and Same with decline bench. and then you can do whatever else you like to do for chest workout to finish up like dumbbell flys or something.

[Jensen139]

tabata push ups

do push ups for 20 seconds then rest for 10 seconds. Repeat for 4 minutes, so you will have a total of 8 sets. This also works great for all body weight exercises.

[Mulls]

thanks everyone, i like the pyramid idea and the bench idea, but seeing as i don't readily have access to barbells and dumbbells every day, i'll try jensen's idea and see how it works, being that it's strictly bodyweight. i suppose i could do that once a day.

[dds0113]

Maybe you should allow more rest for those muscles first of all. Four days a week I rotate:
-5 max sets
-Push-up pyramid - I go by 2's and rest an additional 10 seconds every set (2 rest 10sec, 4 rest 20 sec, 6 rest 30 sec...)
-5 to 6 sets of a completable amount - ex: 5-6 sets of 15-20 each - point being it burns pretty bad but it is adjustable so you can at least get 5 sets of 15, and work your way up to 6 sets of 20 over time. Eventually increase to say 4-5 sets of 20-30 and so on.

Also get familiar with the bench press.

[OneRadRudeBoy]

when you wake up in the morning do as many as you can. brush your teeth/shave do as many as you can urinate/do something else productive do as many as you can shower. at least that's what I do.

[cmixcoatl]

when you wake up in the morning do as many as you can. brush your teeth/shave do as many as you can urinate/do something else productive do as many as you can shower. at least that's what I do.

This is the best advice I've seen. The only way to become "good" at doing push ups, pull ups, running, etc. is to do it.

[TheRichmondKid]

Ain't nothin' to it but to do it, do max sets every time you find time to.

[Poolee Johnson]

I do a max set of pullups, then neutrals, then chin ups then I do a max set of Marine Corps pushups, usually do them between games of MW2 or whenever I go into the kitchen.

[Mulls]

This is the best advice I've seen. The only way to become "good" at doing push ups, pull ups, running, etc. is to do it.
those 3 max sets every morning with the break for shave/****/shower are taken word for word from the armstrong pull up program, i do them, but i just haven't seen many results. i just find maxing all the time to be too stressful on the CNS and not easy for my muscles to recover. i've recently adapted a program suggested by drillinstructor whereupon you do 50 pull ups in as few sets as possible in a day for push-ups where i'm going to do 250 per day, except in small non-maximal effort sets throughout the day.

[BruceLee]

you should have somebody sit on you while you do your push ups

[trmptplyr]

push-ups where i'm going to do 250 per day, except in small non-maximal effort sets throughout the day.

That's the kind of approach that's worked best for me. As I get older, the approach of beating myself to death everyday elicits more negative than positive adaptations. It is good to exercise everyday though. For me this means accumulating larger and larger amounts of volume while staying relatively fresh. Also, when you want to try for a new rep PR in one set, make the day before it an easy day so you won't be too tired or sore to do your best.

[SabreJack]

As already stated, max out. That does not mean do as many full pushups as you can, that means attempt more than you can do. On the last one, you will not be able to push yourself up. DO NOT GIVE UP RIGHT AWAY! Make sure you sit there for at least 15 seconds trying to get that last one in. Someone stated every time they go into the kitchen...I did them every time I went to the bathroom, when I would come out, I would either perform a max set or as many as I could in 1 minute.

When all was said and done, I could knock out over 70 in a minute, and max at around 130 to 140. Make sure you do more than your mind allows you. It may even help to stop taking count at the beginning, but I have found the easiest way is to not try to do more than your usual, but as many as you can in a given timeframe. This will take away your preconceived limits and allow you to do more. It's all in your head.

[Mirrorman]

Also, when your watching tv or somthing, do your max every time the commercials come on

[MikeMorris]

Thats a good one Mirrorman, that helps out alot. You do pushups while the commercials are on and get as many in as possible. Then when the show comes back on you get a good rest, then repeat. I use that too

[OneRadRudeBoy]

in between rounds of MW2 heh

[Capital M]

in between rounds of MW2 heh



exactly.. number of deaths = number of Marine Corps pushups I have to do. sure has improved my kill/death ratio:cool:

[TKOTapout]

if i did the MW2 method i would be fat lol. i die about twice a game. The method i use however is 3 sets of regular pushups 3 sets of wide arm and 3 sets of diamonds all with a 45lb vest. Then when it comes time to do them at pt or in any other workout with just body weight they are easy i do the same for pullups and crunches.

[PSMN]

thanks everyone, i like the pyramid idea and the bench idea, but seeing as i don't readily have access to barbells and dumbbells every day, i'll try jensen's idea and see how it works, being that it's strictly bodyweight. i suppose i could do that once a day.
some other pushup techniques you can try are decline and incline pushups. another thing that will help is wearing a 20 pound vest or so and doing about 3 sets of 15. if you can knock them out add more sets..dont go past 5 sets, and if you get all the pushups and all the sets then move up to more pushups. so lets say that you complete 5 sets of 15 pushups with 20 pounds then go up to 3 sets of 20 pushups with 20 pounds and then 5 sets of 20 and so on.

[TKOTapout]

some other pushup techniques you can try are decline and incline pushups. another thing that will help is wearing a 20 pound vest or so and doing about 3 sets of 15. if you can knock them out add more sets..dont go past 5 sets, and if you get all the pushups and all the sets then move up to more pushups. so lets say that you complete 5 sets of 15 pushups with 20 pounds then go up to 3 sets of 20 pushups with 20 pounds and then 5 sets of 20 and so on.

yah i started doing sets of 35 pushups with bodyweight then went to the 20lb vest and got up to 25 a set with that then 35 a set now im using a 45lb vest and up to 25 with it, im doing sets of about 80-100 bodyweight pushups

[ds11]

^^^ You just love that vest don't you? Do you sleep in it? I'm kiddin haha. I use weighted vests too. They work very well in increasing hard to reach numbers. I've also tried doing them very slowly and holding. Push up, hold and count, down, hold about an inch from the ground and count, push up again. That's also a good workout with or without a vest.

[TKOTapout]

Yah man i hate lifting so when im feeling tiny i love to use the vest to gain some mass lol.

[MikeMorris]

TKO i'm digging the vest technique you use. I bet when you get on the bar for some regular pullups without the vest your feeling real light. I'm a start doing that. That's good to go.

[Jeffrey183rd]

You should try this out, it got me from 25 - 60 push ups in a month.
http://hundredpushups.com/

[USMC Sokol]

I've been doing the vest method for crunches. I just hold a 45lb weight barbell, and it seems to work just fine. I try and use all resources around me to train. Don't have the money to go out and buy extra equipment or a gym membership. haha

[reigninblood]

Do 200 push-ups in as few sets as possible, everyday for 10 days, on top of your normal workout. Then rest for 3 days, on the 4th day do a max set. Thats what I did and I saw some pretty good results. This website has a bunch of good workout plans http://www.*************/fitness-center/military-fitness/stew-smith/archive

[Marinepoolee24]

Just keep doing them, but not everyday. Benching helps too. Nice to see you have the motivation to want to get better. Good s*hit

[Borknagar]

A lot of different techniques have been mentioned already, the only thing I would add is continue maxing your pushups, if you reach a standstill, try doing different ones including the 3 chair method, or w/ weight!

Be considerate of muscle recuperation, make breaks!