Push-ups?

Z

zaccc

0
I'm not sure if this is posted in the right part of the forum, but I'll give it a shot...

I'm a 20 yr. old male who has never been to a gym before. I am skinny I suppose, compared to those who have been working out. I went like 4 times during high school - that's about it. I am however, very athletic, and have been playing soccer all my life, so I think my legs are the strongest part of me.

I'm looking to get in shape - I think I should have more muscle for being 20.
I'm looking for things I can do at home that can help to make me stronger, fitter, and just to have some muscle (my biceps are only like a little over 10 inches around). I don't want to be HUGE - just healthy.

I've realized I'm terrible at push-ups - I was fairly good in high school, but not as much anymore. I can do about 30 to 40 in one go, and if I stopped at that, people might believe I'm good at them, but after that, I'm useless. My arms become so weak.

I was looking to improve my push-up count, thus beginning some sort of regime. I need pointers though - pointers for beginning. Consider me just starting out.

I want to have some sort of confidence next summer - you know the beach scene or the partying-until-your-clothes-come-off scene.

thanks for reading - any help would be appreciated.

again - not sure if this is posted in the right spot, so bare with me.
 
Perhaps a mod could move this to the body weight training forum?

Back to your topic if you can do 30-40 pushups that is impressive but you need more than pushups. Try doing dips, pullups, chinups as well. I have a pdf called Turbulence Training which you can google for (its a complete bodyweight workout).

You mention your biceps are 10 inches. To gain strength and muscle, you have to eat and lift weights. Look at the weight-training sticky and if you later have access to a gym don't do just curls. The biceps are very small and don't deserve the abuse meted out to them by most gym goers.
 
You're starting a regime? LOL

pull ups and chin ups are different. pull ups have your palms facing away from you and chin ups your palms are facing forward. I do a mix. i.e. 10 pull ups, 10 chin ups in a session.

As for getting better at push ups try putting your feet on a stability ball.
 
I think if you Google something like "greasing the groove", it's some sort of program for getting improvements at pushups. But, I do agree with the people who said you have to do more than just pushups...
 
Hi mate, I agree with above, 30 or 40 pus-ups in one go is great. Also I agree, you need to eat more, and lift in order to gain. check the stickies for weight training and nutrition, and keep doing pus-ups until you think you are ready to move on. Perhaps go and buy some dumbbells and try and make exercise a major part of your life. That is my advice.

If you are interested in doing push-ups, try this.

Every morning try bust out 20 push-ups, have a rest and do another set. Do this until you can do two sets of 30 push-ups. Build to three sets. When you are sore, REST! your body needs time to recover, you will just keep tearing the same muscle otherwise.
 
I believe there was a guy who posted his website recently on how to work your way to 20 pullups. The program consisted of pushups and pullups (and nothing else) so it didn't appeal to me as I'm doing 5X5 plus bodyweight.
 
tribal said:
I believe there was a guy who posted his website recently on how to work your way to 20 pullups. The program consisted of pushups and pullups (and nothing else) so it didn't appeal to me as I'm doing 5X5 plus bodyweight.
Click to expand...

I can do 20 pullups but i didn't think it was much of an achievement...?
 
If you say you're "weak" and can do 40 push-ups in one go there's one, possibly two things wrong with that statement.

1. Your form is way off. I've seen many people who say they can do infinite amounts of pushups, but not one of them went all the way down, and/or had HORRIBLE form.

2. Bullsh!t.

Just being honest and blunt. Not saying either is true/untrue.

Doing 30-40 non-stop correct form push-ups is a pretty decent accomplishment. Look at it this way, you're 1/3-1/2 of the way to completing 100 push-ups, which is regarded as a VERY respectable feat to tackle. Push-ups done correctly are much harder than just slamming out something where only your feet and hands are on the ground and you're going up and down. Contract that core, keep a straight back, look forward and go down up to about 2-3 inches from the ground and come back up. You'll notice it's much harder that way.

Now, pull-ups/chin-ups. 20 pullups with correct form is pretty damn hard as well. Many people don't go completely down and/or go completely up with full contraction of their shoulders. Alot of people say they can do 10 pull-ups easy, but funny thing is, not one of those 10 had correct form. Then you show them the correct way to do it, and they make an excuse that they're spent from doing the other 10....no, 10 correct form pull-ups is fairly difficult. Nothing extraordinary to accomplish, but much harder than most people think. ESPECIALLY if you're doing them after/during a routine where you were recruiting those muscles in a previous exercise.

I don't really think it matters what you call them, so long as you state/differentiate whether your palms are facing you, or away. Palms facing you tend to be easier because you recruit more use of your biceps, thus making it a little easier. Wide "stance" palms out, to the back of the neck ftw. Do 10 of those "easily".

They are by no means the "ultimate exercise" or anything, but those two exercises don't get enough credit, because most people do them incorrectly and it appears easy.
 
L-T said:
I can do 20 pullups but i didn't think it was much of an achievement...?
Click to expand...

You are missing the point. Look up the post, it was a review of his program where you go from zero pullups to 20 in a few weeks doing nothing but pushups and pullups. Fitness tests such as the NAVY SEALs have several events not just pullups.
 
oicdn said:
If you say you're "weak" and can do 40 push-ups in one go there's one, possibly two things wrong with that statement.

1. Your form is way off. I've seen many people who say they can do infinite amounts of pushups, but not one of them went all the way down, and/or had HORRIBLE form.

2. Bullsh!t.

Just being honest and blunt. Not saying either is true/untrue.
Click to expand...

I agree. Don't forget that this is the internet where people are 17 foot tall with egos to match so take some of these claims with a pinch of salt.
 
tribal said:
You are missing the point. Look up the post, it was a review of his program where you go from zero pullups to 20 in a few weeks doing nothing but pushups and pullups. Fitness tests such as the NAVY SEALs have several events not just pullups.
Click to expand...

1. Your form is way off. I've seen many people who say they can do infinite amounts of pushups, but not one of them went all the way down, and/or had HORRIBLE form.

I think i may be loosing my technique and starting to do them in bad form. So this is a good wake up. Im going to need to try harder now to keep in perfect form when doing these.
 
Thanks for the feedback.


Kraken - yes, regime. I don't know why that's funny. An excercise regime. This is a fitness forum. I hope you're not one of those people who laugh at other people when you go to the gym. hmmm. You bug me.

oicdn - I can really do that many. I thought that was a low to average number.
They are, however, correct pushups - I don't use my knees, or do half-pushups, or just thrust my pelvis at the ground. Thanks for the feedback though... one of the more resourceful posts. Maybe pushups is the wrong workout I imagined for bigger biceps. (I don't just want bigger biceps though - all around fitness would be ideal)

I'll check out some of the things you've all suggested. Thanks.
 
zaccc said:
Kraken - yes, regime. I don't know why that's funny. An excercise regime. This is a fitness forum. I hope you're not one of those people who laugh at other people when you go to the gym. hmmm. You bug me.
Click to expand...

He gave you some advice, no need for that.
 
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