push-ups. help needed!

[El Rojo]

im currently doing a fascist cadet course. i hate it, but the resources im getting are extreamly useful, and its doing wonders for my health. however, I need to be able to do around 40 push ups. being the lazy twat i am i haven't practised sufficiently, and collapse in a shitty heap at around 35. I know that there is no substitute for practise, but aside from steriods / performance enhancing drugs, is the any tips, technique enchancing stances, tips ect ect that can help me manage a few more?

[red cat]

Try doing them with rotating your wrists such that your fingers point first outward and then backward. That way you will be able to do more when you face them forward.

[Holden Caulfield]

Seriously practice.
If you do more and more each time and really push yourself (knowing not to push to hard an tear a muscle or anything) it get easy as

[Dr Mindbender]

fascist cadet
lol wut?

http://www.authordon.com/images/site_graphics/hilter_youth_mind_contol.jpg

[Muzk]

if youre doing this "test" do them as fast as you can to maximize the number you can do

and else do them slow and steady, a good 12 push ups is better than 35 fast ones to build muscle. i heard somewhere that doing exercises fast makes some kind of muscle fibers stronger which helps with fast punching/kicking o_O

[harry roberts]

do you have to do 40 in one set? if not do a set of 10 breathe for a few seconds than repet untill you do your 40 press ups.....be done quickly and well also imo you wont be as exhusted

if you gota do it all in one set not much you can do to make it any easier

[Drace]

Whenever your tired stop for a few seconds and take a nice breath
and it also seems to me that doing them fast doesn't tire you out as much

[ellipsis]

I would break it up and do sets of 20 throughout the day. I used to set a goal like 100 pushups and 100 sit ups and just do 4 sets of 25 or whatever. I improved pretty quickly with that technique. try to round out your exercise with chin ups and pull ups.

[The Idler]

When you're tired, continue, but rest your knees on the ground.

[Pirate turtle the 11th]

Just do as many as you can each day and if its not forty each day do it again until it is. Then do more. Also stop being fat. Fatty.

[Pirate turtle the 11th]

When you're tired, continue, but rest your knees on the ground.

This is for wimps. A real communist would cut his face with a shard of glass as a punishment for getting tired.

[The Douche]

Elevate your legs and do them. This is much more difficult, and will raise your overall number. Also, when you practice them, do 10 with your arms at regular distance, 10 with your arms spread far apart (widearm pushups) and do ten with your arms closer together (closearm pushups). This way you a) work different muscles and b) find which style is easier for you.

I do wide arm pushups on my PT test, and I don't know anybody else who does that. Honestly, I don't mean to talk shit, but 40 push ups is not a lot, that is lower than the US army standard, I usually do around 75-100 in two minutes on my PT test.

[Dr. Rosenpenis]

stop "doing a fascist cadet course"
whatever the hell that is

[brigadista]

learn how to breath properly when you do them which is out on the muscle pump

[Partizani]

fascist cadet course
Army Cadets? or Similar? Describing it as a 'fascist cadet course' brings up memories of Hitler Youth videos.

[nuisance]

I'd advise praticing 'boxer push-ups'- which is basically push-ups on clenched fists. Do this for awhile and you'll be able to do 40 open hand ones no problem. The point is, there's no shortcuts, just practice. Keep us informed!

[rednordman]

I have done over 100 press-ups in a minute. 113 infact. It was well funny, I cannot forget the look on the persons face who was assessing me. If anyone has done better please speak up! Shamefull boasting post over:D!

[khad]

Train with bench press (with a weight heavier than your body weight) or train wearing a weighted backpack. This will make your regular pushups that much easier.


Elevate your legs and do them. This is much more difficult, and will raise your overall number.

Elevating your legs will train your shoulders and upper pectorals, which is slightly different from the muscle group used in standard pushups.


I do wide arm pushups on my PT test, and I don't know anybody else who does that. Honestly, I don't mean to talk shit, but 40 push ups is not a lot, that is lower than the US army standard, I usually do around 75-100 in two minutes on my PT test.

What the hell are you talking about?

http://www.army.com/enlist/push-ups.html

Says here the minimum is 35. And I think he means 40 in one set.

[toughlove]

Do multiple sets of max pushups until exhaustion, resting ~2 minutes in between.

ie, crank out as many as you can, until your arms feel like jello and you can't do any more. Stop, recover (for about 2 minutes) and repeat (going until you reach that same point). Do this 3-4 times.

Also, you may consider losing weight. Skinny guys simply have to move less weight than bigger guys, so if you're over-weight, try jogging a couple miles for a few days each week.

Also, make sure you are eating properly (don't starve yourself to cut weight) as this will ensure that you have adequate energy to complete the course.

[Technocrat]

Okay, I may have some advice to give here, since I can do well over 100+ consecutive pushups.

When I started, I could only do around 50.

I worked out three times per week, always making sure to take a day off in between workouts.

Each workout, just aim to do 5 more repetitions than you did last time. Keep a log to track your progress. If you can't do 5 more, do at least 1 more. You should always be able to do one more. If you can't, then you need to look at your diet. You should be getting around 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight, or your muscles will not grow.

Also, varying your hand position helps. Sometimes I will start with my hands closer together and then get wider as I go. This allows you to use your chest muscles more as your arms become exhausted.

You also need to work other parts of the body: situps/crunches, pullups/chinups, squats/lunges, and back extensions are all exercises you can do at home with your own bodyweight, all you need is a pullup bar for the pullups. For the back extensions, lay facedown on the floor with your arms at your sides, and try to lift your torso off the ground while keeping your legs stable. It's a lot harder than it looks.

I would recommend the following repetition goals for the above exercises:

pushups - 80
situps - 100
squats - 50
lunges - 50
back extensions - 100
chinups - 20

If you can do the above, you are well into the 99th percentile for physical fitness.

[The Douche]

What the hell are you talking about?

http://www.army.com/enlist/push-ups.html (http://www.army.com/enlist/push-ups.html)

Says here the minimum is 35. And I think he means 40 in one set.

http://www.usma.edu/dpe/testing/APFT_scorecard%20(DA%20Form%20705).pdf

Age group 17-21, minimum passing score is 60, minimum ammount of pushups for 60 points is 42.

In the US army you have two minutes to do your pushups, you can't raise your hands from the ground or go to your knees, that does constitute one set. Unless I'm missing something?

[danny bohy]

as wide as your arms can go so your using your pecs more (as their bigger muscles). and a high protein diet always helps

[Chambered Word]

I'm also trying to improve my fitness, particularly through pushups.

You should try stretching, learn some good arm, chest and shoulder (and perhaps back, not sure if you use those muscles while doing pushups though) stretches for pushups. From what I've heard you can do damage if you do it too hard so maybe you should find an instructor, but from what my teachers in primary and high school have told me you should do it so you feel the muscles stretching, but don't do it hard enough for it to hurt.

I do these: http://www.abc-of-fitness.com/chest-arm-stretch/triceps-stretch.asp
http://www.abc-of-fitness.com/chest-arm-stretch/chest-stretch.asp
http://www.abc-of-fitness.com/neck-shoulder-stretch/shoulder-stretch.asp

I do them lightly before pushups, between sets and when cooling down.

Cooling down is pretty important too. You should do few more pushups to cool down and stretch a bit so you don't feel really sore later.

[Technocrat]

I'm also trying to improve my fitness, particularly through pushups.

You should try stretching, learn some good arm, chest and shoulder (and perhaps back, not sure if you use those muscles while doing pushups though) stretches for pushups. From what I've heard you can do damage if you do it too hard so maybe you should find an instructor, but from what my teachers in primary and high school have told me you should do it so you feel the muscles stretching, but don't do it hard enough for it to hurt.

I do these: http://www.abc-of-fitness.com/chest-arm-stretch/triceps-stretch.asp
http://www.abc-of-fitness.com/chest-arm-stretch/chest-stretch.asp
http://www.abc-of-fitness.com/neck-shoulder-stretch/shoulder-stretch.asp

I do them lightly before pushups, between sets and when cooling down.

Cooling down is pretty important too. You should do few more pushups to cool down and stretch a bit so you don't feel really sore later.

Stretching before doing pushups (or any strength training exercise) = increased risk of injury = bad.

Always stretch AFTER strength training, when cooling down.

Do motion-based movements, like arm circles and trunk rotations, to warm up before strength training.

[Chambered Word]

Stretching before doing pushups (or any strength training exercise) = increased risk of injury = bad.

Always stretch AFTER strength training, when cooling down.

Do motion-based movements, like arm circles and trunk rotations, to warm up before strength training.

Hmm I see. Thanks comrade. :)

[Chambered Word]

To be honest I can't say I've ever injured myself. I've heard it's good to warm up with stretches to get your muscles ready for exertion.

Not sure what the real deal with that is, but some light stretching never hurt anyone.

We should make an official RevLeft fitness programme! :D

[ellipsis]

This thread always make me do a set of 10-20 pushups. Thanks for reminding me to stop being so lazy.

[An archist]

Stretching before doing pushups (or any strength training exercise) = increased risk of injury = bad.

Always stretch AFTER strength training, when cooling down.

Do motion-based movements, like arm circles and trunk rotations, to warm up before strength training.

Where do you get that information from? Pretty much every sport I've done, we stretch before and after training.

[manic expression]

Pay more attention to your breathing, I think that's one of the best ways to increase your capacity in most physical exercises. If you're not inhaling and exhaling deeply enough, you'll limit yourself.

[Technocrat]

Where do you get that information from? Pretty much every sport I've done, we stretch before and after training.

There are several studies confirming what I've said, and most personal trainers who have up to date information will agree with me. Your coaches were probably using outdated methods, which is very common in athletics (sticking with tradition).

Here is one such study, but there are lots more if you want to do a simple search on static vs. dynamic stretching:

"With respect to acute static stretching, the study summarizes their results as follows: “Collectively, present research findings suggest that there are no ergogenic benefits, and there are potentially detrimental effects, to incorporating static-stretching exercises into the warm-up routine.” That being said, the study does find benefit in dynamic stretching, which involves movements designed to mimic specific actions occurring during athletic performance." (Pre-exercise Stretching and Performance, http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/archives/pre-exercise-stretching.php)

[Invincible Summer]

From what I undestand, stretching is a fairly controversial topic - there are arguments for and against stretching. I personally find it's beneficial, but I've heard others say it's just a mental thing

[Chambered Word]

My legs always start hurting if I run for a while without stretching. I've found that it's good for performance to stretch inbetween sets of pushups but maybe some trainers will disagree with me.

[Technocrat]

Maybe explaining the physiology of stretching will help:

When you stretch a muscle, you are lengthening the individual fibers.

When you do strength training, you are doing the opposite, you are shortening the fibers.

Physics tells us that when the same amount of force is applied to a lever arm, the chance of the lever breaking is increased the longer it becomes.

The information I use is the most recent, up-to-date information available. I'm practically a certified personal trainer, I just haven't taken the exam yet b/c my energy is now directed toward other things.

Dynamic stretching before strength training = good
Static stretching after strength training = good
Static stretching before strength training = bad

[Invincible Summer]

Maybe explaining the physiology of stretching will help:

When you stretch a muscle, you are lengthening the individual fibers.

When you do strength training, you are doing the opposite, you are shortening the fibers.

Physics tells us that when the same amount of force is applied to a lever arm, the chance of the lever breaking is increased the longer it becomes.

The information I use is the most recent, up-to-date information available. I'm practically a certified personal trainer, I just haven't taken the exam yet b/c my energy is now directed toward other things.

Dynamic stretching before strength training = good
Static stretching after strength training = good
Static stretching before strength training = bad

Perhaps it was the static stretching before strength training that I was told about. How about stretching during strength exercise?

[Technocrat]

Perhaps it was the static stretching before strength training that I was told about. How about stretching during strength exercise?

Dynamic stretches during strength training are okay, such as as inbetween sets. This helps get your muscles warmed up without lengthening the fibers and increasing your risk of injury.

You don't want to do static stretching before attempting strength training because you are lengthening the fibers which will increase the risk of injury when force is applied. Strength training is applying force. Static stretches are for cool-down only!

[(A)narcho-Matt]

I usually do a set of 5 press ups, a set of 5 sit ups, then 10 press ups, and 10 situps, then 15, 20, 25 of each, then back down 20, 15, 10 and 5. Does that make sense? between each set then I usually do other stuff like free weights or cardio stuff.

[Rusty Shackleford]

im starting to work out, and when i do pushups i hear popping in my joints. is it something i should worry about or will it just go away with regular exercise. i also have a set of 5lb weights that i use, but i dont know any good exercises for upper body strength.

[Chambered Word]

im starting to work out, and when i do pushups i hear popping in my joints. is it something i should worry about or will it just go away with regular exercise. i also have a set of 5lb weights that i use, but i dont know any good exercises for upper body strength.

Popping in your joints? :confused: I really don't know, I haven't got that before myself. Try asking Technocrat (or your doctor).

Also 5 lbs is really quite light, I'd recommend getting dumbbells which are at least around 5 kilograms (which is probably about 11-12 lbs). Make sure you're challenging yourself or else you're going to build more muscle mass and not as much strength (for this reason I'm going to try get a gym membership after a month or so more of pushups so I can use barbells).

For pushups, doing them slowly and completely stopping for about a second when you go down requires more effort, so you should get a better workout.


I would recommend the following repetition goals for the above exercises:

pushups - 80
situps - 100
squats - 50
lunges - 50
back extensions - 100
chinups - 20

If you can do the above, you are well into the 99th percentile for physical fitness.

I don't do lunges or back extensions, but I'm going to aim at least for this before I try weights.


If you can't, then you need to look at your diet. You should be getting around 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight, or your muscles will not grow.

That's 84 grams for me. I'll have to improve on that. Many thanks for the advice Technocrat. :)

Also, do you really have to rest each day in between every day you do pushups? Don't the military do them practically every day?

[Rusty Shackleford]

the popping isnt that bad. its mostly just in my right shoulder. occasionally in other places.