Pushup Power

There will come a point when you'll quit out of boredom and not because of tiredness. Beyond a thousand (250 x 4 sets) is the limit for me.

Pumping Tires wrote:

There will come a point when you'll quit out of boredom and not because of tiredness. Beyond a thousand (250 x 4 sets) is the limit for me.

Sure, you're doing 250 in a row.

Record is 500 in a row.

Get pushup bars. Have been using them for years, much better and more difficult than regular pushups. I usually do 4 sets of 30 reps every day. You will notice a difference.

I would start working with harder variations for lower reps to build more strength. Close hand push ups, elevated push ups, archer push ups, one arm push ups, handstand push ups

And don't forget pulls (pull ups etc.) or you will have some serious upper body imbalances.

strambo wrote:

I would start working with harder variations for lower reps to build more strength. Close hand push ups, elevated push ups, archer push ups, one arm push ups, handstand push ups

And don't forget pulls (pull ups etc.) or you will have some serious upper body imbalances.

Dips, too. And it's pretty easy to add weight to dips, less so for pushup variants.

Pumping Tires wrote:

There will come a point when you'll quit out of boredom and not because of tiredness. Beyond a thousand (250 x 4 sets) is the limit for me.

I don't think so. I have incorporated them into my warmup routine and now they are like a bad habit. Been running 60+ years and not a quitter so there's that.

CrocRunner wrote:

Pumping Tires wrote:

There will come a point when you'll quit out of boredom and not because of tiredness. Beyond a thousand (250 x 4 sets) is the limit for me.

I don't think so. I have incorporated them into my warmup routine and now they are like a bad habit. Been running 60+ years and not a quitter so there's that.

I meant that the enthusiasm will wane during the course of the exercise, so you can't be bothered to do all the sets - because you don't get the same return.

Supersetting with chinups or stretching abrolls is a good idea for a jolly good core workout. Might also consider not doing them every other day though, and alternate them with gym days.

Concupiscurd wrote:

Get pushup bars. Have been using them for years, much better and more difficult than regular pushups. I usually do 4 sets of 30 reps every day. You will notice a difference.

Thanks, do you have a preference for the type of bars, maybe a link?

strambo wrote:

I would start working with harder variations for lower reps to build more strength. Close hand push ups, elevated push ups, archer push ups, one arm push ups, handstand push ups

And don't forget pulls (pull ups etc.) or you will have some serious upper body imbalances.

Ah yes. Been years since I tried a pull up. It is amazing how much difference just doing pushups have made.

Pumping Tires wrote:

CrocRunner wrote:

I don't think so. I have incorporated them into my warmup routine and now they are like a bad habit. Been running 60+ years and not a quitter so there's that.

I meant that the enthusiasm will wane during the course of the exercise, so you can't be bothered to do all the sets - because you don't get the same return.

Supersetting with chinups or stretching abrolls is a good idea for a jolly good core workout. Might also consider not doing them every other day though, and alternate them with gym days.

Gotcha. I don't go to a gym so need things I can do on my own. Need to get the hernias taken care of soon, have to avoid most of the ab work right now and that is where all of my flab resides.

Over the years, I've observed many people trying to do pushups.

I watched this one guy try to do around 50, but he only managed 0. He did manage around 50 back bends though.

Since you are a scrawny runner type, I assume you fall within this category too. Sorry.

When I tried out for 'American Gladiator' we had to do 50 pushups on fingertips in one minute.....Touching our chest to the ground every rep with someone watching and counting....Try it......

belial wrote:

Over the years, I've observed many people trying to do pushups.

I watched this one guy try to do around 50, but he only managed 0. He did manage around 50 back bends though.

Since you are a scrawny runner type, I assume you fall within this category too. Sorry.

I am very careful to keep good posture, arms close to sides. etc. Also a reason I do many sets instead of bad ones where the form falls off.

At over 6' and 170lb not exactly a linebacker and scrawny only because many of my peers are obese. I am working on getting the little holiday flab off, will be down to racing weight soon.

Try going real slow on the way down, hold for a few sec on the bottom, and then fast on the way up. Increasing your TUT (time under tension) is the key, not number of reps.

How many reps and sets should a beginner do?

My kickboxing coach started me at 3 sets of 20, 1 minute apart, or till I my arms gave out, whichever was lesser (obviously). I was a picture of the scrawny runner at the time, plus female - so there was no danger of me doing more than 20 at a time.

Plus what the other poster said above: fast-twitch muscles on the way up, controlled slow-twitch coming down, and hold for a breath before the next one.

TRX push-ups are my favorite torture once you’ve got good at the old-fashioned ones.