Push Ups

The OC Josh

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Oct 22, 2009
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I am pretty athletic/fit, but I've always had a hard time with pushups. I am, for lack of a better term, slim. Does anyone have any suggestions for working on pushups?
 
I am pretty athletic/fit, but I've always had a hard time with pushups. I am, for lack of a better term, slim. Does anyone have any suggestions for working on pushups?

Although this sounds like a throwaway answer- my recommendation- DO THEM. Everyother exercise requires room, special equipment or sometime to hold or spot for you but not pushups- It's the perfect - do it anywhere exercise- no equipment or help needed. Personally there should be nothing that keeps you from getting to max pushups in a couple of months. The best practise for doing pushups is IMO doing pushups . Knock them off before you go to bed- when you get up- when you are bored and one workout a day where you make sure that you do them to failure (That is do them until your arms or belly give out sometime in the up stroke). I would do this 5 times/week which is more than you would do for a full workout- but my opinion- your muscles recover faster than every other day when you are doing just the one exercise.


For a PT test max- speed is the key, so if you want to max the Army PFT- set your sights on >77 in 2 minutes with around 55-60 in the first minute (yes I know that the 18-21 max score is lower than 77 (71 I believe) but you want to shoot for a real max score not an age adjusted one).

If you also want to build more upper body strength - I would combine that with bench presses, dips and pullups -which if you are doing then I would go to a 4 day workout schedule to give your muscles time to recover.
Just my opinion but had a lot of practice using this approach- Hope this helps.
 
If you watch a typical 30 minute TV show every day, you can fix your pushup problem in about 3 months.

Let's say you can do 10 correct form pushups right now. We don't want bad form pushups because they do not count and they don't do you much good in building strength. If you cannot do 10 good form pushups start with whatever you can do with good form even if it just 4 pushups.

If you do those 10 pushups at the first commercial break right after the show intro scene is done. Now, at the next commercial break do 9 correct pushups. At the 3rd commercial break do 8 more. And at the 4th break (usually at the end of the program) do 7 more.

What have you done? Sets of pushups that don't quite exhaust you and leave you just enough gas in the tank to recover in about 7 minutes to almost the same level.

Next day - 11 pushups, followed by 10, followed by 9, etc.

90 days in - 100 pushups followed by 99, followed by 98, etc.

Now the kicker - note that most commercials are either 30 or 60 seconds - perfect for timing your sets. You'll have that sense of urgency to beat the clock.

Another note: If you are having form problems with your pushups (sway back or hump back) this indicates a need for core muscle exercises (back AND abdomen). Getting that problem fixed will go a long way in helping you to get the pushups done. You might want to watch another 30 to 60 minutes of TV doing back and ab exercises. Interleafing the 3 exercises (pushups, situps, back exerciese) will improve the recovery of each muscle group between sets.
 
Go buy the "Perfect Pushup". they cost about $20. Not kidding.
after you get them, use them.
doing pushups is all about core strength. work on your core.
 
I second the pushup bars in addition to what everyone else said. They increase range of motion and reduce strain on the wrists. But, don't spend the $20 get cheap <$5 stationary ones.
 
Try the one hundred pushups program (onehundredpushups). It's a six week program, although from my experience it takes closer to twelve. Good Luck!
 
Not trying to be controversial, but the perfect pushup isn't going to help you do more pushups, it will cost you 20 bucks though. Core strength is important to keep your body straight, but tricep/shoulder and pec strength and endurance is probably the determining factor in how many you can do. (Unless you have like no abs at all haha) The best way is to practice doing them the way you will on the APFT, with correct form. When you get tired maintaining correct form is important, and practicing it helps. Get into a routine of doing them on a regular basis and stick to it. I needed to get better at pullups and I put a bar in my bedroom doorway and maxed out every time I walked in and out. In about 5 or 6 weeks I could do nine or ten instead of four.

Cardio is what I need to work on now though, especially after not exercising for a while due to mono :mad:
 
No one has stated this directly, but to supplement any increase rep training program, set short and long term goals on a checklist for yourself, and when you achieve/exceed them, check them off (gives sense of satisfaction and makes you want tot improve more). But as you do so, if, for example, you set your short term goals too low/high, adjust them periodically to meet needs.

Just my 2 cents:smile:....good luck with your improvement on push-ups (I'm with ya, man)....am trying to improve (not just push-ups, but everything)
 
RE: the perfect pushup -
According to my daughter (who can do pushups all day) it may not help you do more but it does help you maintain correct form. doing more pushups is useless if your form is so bad that they don't count. you can also turn them to work different muscles in your arms.

I think doing them by yourself, it can be difficult to maintain correct form and deceiving. A kid might be able to bang out 50 pushups in his bedroom three days before R-day but then suddenly he gets there and find out that only 20 counted. ouch.

so - do them but do them correctly.
 
so - do them but do them correctly.

Especially if you're going to WP! My son did 3 summer seminars last summer and did 50+ pushups at AF and Navy. At WP's, he was very frustrated to have only 34 of his counted. I was glad to see that at least some things hadn't changed! :wink:
 
Thanks y'all for the advice.
I just have to do them. :wink:

Not only am I getting ready for ROTC and the APFT, but also my Black Belt test which is why I asked now.

As for doing them alone and getting good form, I'd suggest the perfect counter. It's from the perfect push up people and counts when you have good form. It also has a timer function so you can go for 2 minutes. :thumb:
 
Thanks y'all for the advice.
I just have to do them. :wink:

Not only am I getting ready for ROTC and the APFT, but also my Black Belt test which is why I asked now.

As for doing them alone and getting good form, I'd suggest the perfect counter. It's from the perfect push up people and counts when you have good form. It also has a timer function so you can go for 2 minutes. :thumb:

As someone who just took her blackbelt test this past November, I wish you luck on yours. May I ask what kind of martial arts you do? I do Taekwondo. Do you plan on joining the martial arts team at USMA?
 
As someone who just took her blackbelt test this past November, I wish you luck on yours. May I ask what kind of martial arts you do? I do Taekwondo. Do you plan on joining the martial arts team at USMA?

I'm not the only one! :biggrin: I just tested for 2nd Degree Recommended in ATA taekwondo.

OC Josh, good luck with testing!
 
I do a martial art called Tang Soo Do.
It is similar to Tae Kwon Do.
60% Korean 40% Chinese


I'm testing for Cho Dan after training for 4 years.

I won't be on the USMA team because I am doing Army ROTC.
 
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