Push Ups

From my experience, I built up from doing a set of 25 to 2 sets, to 3 sets, to 4 sets. Once I reached 25 x 4 =100. I would change it up a bit. I'd do 3 x 35 then i'd get to 2 x 50. incline, decline. Just change it up a bit. I did it EVERYDAY!!! Push ups and Pull up are the 2 BEST workouts you can do for your upper body. I rarely took a day off. I would probably take one day off every 10 days (cause I didnt feel like doing them).

 

As a powerlifter I can tell you that if you are doing heavy weight, 2x or 3x your body weight, then the rest is very important. The retired Navy Seal that I work out with can do push ups and pull ups all day long, everyday, and carry on a conversation while he's doing it!

 

I've stopped doing push ups. I've been focusing on various types of pull ups.

 

http://artofmanliness.com/2009/07/21/push-ups-exercises/

 

It applies whenever you want to build muscle. Marathon runners run everyday funny thing is they are as skinny as a rail. yet still kinda flabby. If using a muscle everyday built it, gyms would be overloaded. Over-training is real. Using muscle workout-style breaks it down, resting builds it up.

Of course things like age, ped use, and even fast twitch/slow twitch fibers are complicating factors, but over-stress a muscle and it will get weaker and shrink and possibly tear.

 

I'd say depends on what your goals are..... I have a ton of different pushup routines. I typically focus on maintaing around 100 pushups in under 2 min. (Max out any US military fitness test with that standard)

 

I have to do pushups for the Army, but to me they are a worthless endeavor. I've NEVER needed muscle endurance in my chest in the real world. I have, however, needed raw strength.

Strength training for the chest has an added vanity benefit as well. One of the guys on my team can do 225 for 30 reps on bench, and chicks can't get enough of his chest

 

When I completed the P90x program, it was very pull-up and push-up intense. If anyone is looking for other types of push-ups that focus on the various tiny muscles in the upper body, I recommend looking some of the P90x ones up online.

 

bump....

got tired of looking at "Squatty Potty"

 

Thank you! Tired of the Squatty Potty as well.

Been doing pushups of various types lately - incline, decline, varying hand width, using dumb bells etc.

Do a set of 25 pushups and then 25 situps of various types x 4 or 5 sets.

 

My schedule only allows situps between 6:25 and 7:00 am, and they make my back hurt like hell.

Any suggestions on how to toughen up the stomach/reduce bulge without pain?

 

So how do you build raw strength?

Thanks,
Zack.

 

I suggest - progressive weight training, good diet and sleep OR pop pills and inject chemicals as most of today's young folks/cheaters do it (which I don't suggest)

 

scotty is right, walk the bulge off and diet


(Not advice to you) but imo the least stress on the back would be bent knee leg lifts on that apparatus that keeps you elevated off the ground and still upright, once in shape and cleared by a physician one should strengthen their lower back.

 

I took creatine for a while in college and saw immediate strength and mass gains. I eventually lost interest in it and tried it years later as an adult and notice that headaches came with it. I don't know what has changed about me since then (other than being overloaded at work and years older!), but anything that causes substantial headaches is not going to be something I take.

Now I take only high quality vitamins and whey protein + a carefully planned diet.

 

I find the dumbbell press and butterflies to be very satisfying and effective for building the chest without having to have a partner to spot when you are near your max as you do for a barbell press (just drop 'em!). I can easily stay lean everywhere on my body including my chest....just not the belly.

Speaking of which, it's time to go to the gym!

 

PED -- Performing Enhancing Drug == a substance, chemical, compound that is not a basic nutrient that when taken into the body tricks the body into doing something it would not normally do resulting in a desired effect.

Although still legal, I have always thought of creatine as a PED.

 

As with the pushups, there are hundreds of variations of situps. There are also lots of exercises that build the core, which also may help with the back pain.

Since focusing more on getting leaner and building core strength, my back pain has all but been eliminated.

 

Start doing plank to strengthen your core .From personal experience, Interval Sprint training is excellent for strengthening core and back. It helped me eliminate my back pain. I couldn't sit or stand for any period without having pain.

 

Thank you for the advice.
I guess I will be planking soon. I already ride and walk a LOT, but one can always do more.

 

After you work on planking for a little while, push ups will be easy.

 

+1
Plank it out.... Shoot for 2 min holds, work up to this if you need to. You can also rotate into one arm planks to vary the exercise a bit.

 

Using the ab wheel is excellent also .