Simple question: Pushups - Page 2

ed8383 · #11 01-24-2007, 07:55 PM

Thanks for the responses. Has anybody actually built their uperbody just with pushups? I mean I don't know where to start, I don't know if I should do 40-60-100 pushups a day or more, so does anyone have like a basic guide to this? I don't want to do 50 push ups a day every day and not see any results down the line because I didn't know 100 wasn't enough and I should have done more like 200.

kidcolin · #12 01-24-2007, 07:59 PM

Push-ups are very productive. My friend is sort of a fitness/kung fu freak, and he rarely goes to the gym. Mostly does a large variety of push-ups (finger-tips, fists, hands shoulder-width part, hands together directly below sternum, etc). He's pretty ripped and very strong.

I try to do them daily. I generally suck at them. One thing to keep in mind: doing them correctly is very important. I recently went to a physical therapist, and I showed her my form and she pointed out my back was arching. You want to keep your core tight and your back straight.

bluef0x · #13 01-24-2007, 08:00 PM

Anyone have a site describing what pushup works each area of the chest? I'd like to work the inside and lower portions of my chest.

dknightx · #14 01-24-2007, 08:00 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks for the responses. Has anybody actually built their uperbody just with pushups? I mean I don't know where to start, I don't know if I should do 40-60-100 pushups a day or more, so does anyone have like a basic guide to this? I don't want to do 50 push ups a day every day and not see any results down the line because I didn't know 100 wasn't enough and I should have done more like 200.

[/ QUOTE ]

i have ... was easily doing 20x20 pushups and 20x15 dips, along with swimming and running.

This is the program I did:
http://www.navysealteams.com/warning.htm

I started with PT SCHEDULE II though ... start wherever you feel comfortable.

David H · #15 01-24-2007, 08:08 PM

Pushups can be pretty effective, as long as you do them correctly. I would shoot for maybe 50 when you wake up and 50 before you go to bed, to get you started. Increase or decrease according to current fitness level, but just stick with them every day and increase the number often.

ed8383 · #16 01-24-2007, 08:09 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Thanks for the responses. Has anybody actually built their uperbody just with pushups? I mean I don't know where to start, I don't know if I should do 40-60-100 pushups a day or more, so does anyone have like a basic guide to this? I don't want to do 50 push ups a day every day and not see any results down the line because I didn't know 100 wasn't enough and I should have done more like 200.

[/ QUOTE ]

i have ... was easily doing 20x20 pushups and 20x15 dips, along with swimming and running.

This is the program I did:
http://www.navysealteams.com/warning.htm

I started with PT SCHEDULE II though ... start wherever you feel comfortable.

[/ QUOTE ]
Thank you, exactly what I was looking for! just 1 question, when you say 20x20 how do you go about it? do you do 50 push ups every couple of hours till you get to 400, or more? does it really matter as long as I do 400 push ups a day like you say?

cbloom · #17 01-24-2007, 08:14 PM

I was doing 10 sets of 20. The key is to make the reps quality, you're not going for speed or count. Do each rep slowly and controlled, don't rest at the top with your arms locked, go smoothly up and down with muscles in tension. Also your abs and back should be flexed hard the whole time so your body is straight as a board. Your head should be looking very slightly up. For variety you can do them super slow or with rests at the bottom, but the normal rep should just be a smooth up & down with no resting or jerking.

gezuz · #18 01-24-2007, 08:44 PM

bench > pushups, it's way too easy to cheat on pushups and many people don't know it.

kidcolin · #19 01-24-2007, 08:45 PM

cbloom,

good post. That's the #1 thing my PT recently told me. You're not going for speed or count. Form is key.

dknightx · #20 01-24-2007, 08:48 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Thanks for the responses. Has anybody actually built their uperbody just with pushups? I mean I don't know where to start, I don't know if I should do 40-60-100 pushups a day or more, so does anyone have like a basic guide to this? I don't want to do 50 push ups a day every day and not see any results down the line because I didn't know 100 wasn't enough and I should have done more like 200.

[/ QUOTE ]

i have ... was easily doing 20x20 pushups and 20x15 dips, along with swimming and running.

This is the program I did:
http://www.navysealteams.com/warning.htm

I started with PT SCHEDULE II though ... start wherever you feel comfortable.

[/ QUOTE ]
Thank you, exactly what I was looking for! just 1 question, when you say 20x20 how do you go about it? do you do 50 push ups every couple of hours till you get to 400, or more? does it really matter as long as I do 400 push ups a day like you say?

[/ QUOTE ]

they way i did my workouts was:
20 pushups, 25 situps -> do this 20 times with no rest
pullups (followed the armstrong pullup program instead of the warning order)
20x15 dips with ~15s rest between sets

Its best to do all <whatever number of pushups> as one "workout". If you want to do more pushups over the course of the day, thats fine, but, obviously, doing 10 pushups every 10 minutes for 10 hours isn't really going to help THAT much.

as other posters have already stated, you will want to mix up the type of pushups you do (i have heard really good things about hindu pushups (aka divebomber pushups)), as well as get in some back and ab work (which will help greatly in your stabalization).

Finally, mixing this up with some swimming will help a ton.