Push-ups

GIJane05 · Mar 6, 2005

I need help on improving my push-ups, especially the Diamond ones. I was wondering if working my triceps, biceps, back, chest, and shoulders seperately will help? I want to be able to do 50 push-ups before August, before I leave for boot camp. Currently I can go 5 regular ones, and no Diamond ones

. Anyone have any suggestions, tips, advice? Any will be greatly appreciated!

Thank you.

corple · Mar 6, 2005

just try to do atleast 1 more push up than the last time you did your workout. thats how i did it. i was up into my 40s, starting around 15-20 push ups. it only took me about 2weeks to do it. but i was doing push ups everyday, which is probably frowned upon. but i stopped doing push ups cause ive gotten into more serious strengh training.

Hoss · Mar 6, 2005

doing diamond push ups is more triceps than regular pushups.. so isoating triceps might not hurt, but the bench press would probably be the most beneficial..

anyways push ups every day isnt waqy too bad(i used to do it myself a long while ago), but weight training is very bad to do everyday (same muscles)

Oblivion02 · Mar 7, 2005

Look, my recomendation by experience... I used to start doing like maybe 5 reps of normal pushups... Just keep practicing... I got to the point where i can do over 25 easily... Just keep it up... And the diamond ones, max i had done was 5... maybe 6.... Then once i started working my triceps doing other workouts such as overhead dumbell extensions for the triceps, and so... Now i can do 10 of them... which is an improvement. I stopped at 10 because i do 3 sets of 10 reps

Just keep practicing....

ballast · Mar 7, 2005

GIJane05 said:
I need help on improving my push-ups, especially the Diamond ones. I was wondering if working my triceps, biceps, back, chest, and shoulders seperately will help? I want to be able to do 50 push-ups before August, before I leave for boot camp. Currently I can go 5 regular ones, and no Diamond ones . Anyone have any suggestions, tips, advice? Any will be greatly appreciated!

Thank you.

Look into Pavel Tsatsouline's grease the groove and ladder techniques.

For grease the groove, on 3 non-consecutive days per week, plan on doing 3 sessions per day of push-ups using the ladder technique.These multiple sessions per day will also get you used to boot camp, where you will be hitting the deck often for push-ups.
For ladders, start with 1 rep, rest 5 seconds and do 2 reps.Rest 10 seconds and do 3 reps.Keep going until you know you will not be able to complete the next rung in the ladder.You get 5 seconds of rest for every rep you do.

The object here is to gradually increase the volume of your workouts but DO NOT go to the point of failure.That defeats the entire purpose of these techniques.Supplement your push-ups with pull-ups performed in the same manner.If you cannot do pull-ups because of a lack of strength, then have a training partner give you assistance or else do kipping pull-ups where you dynamically raise the hips and legs while you pull-up.This momentum should help you through the sticking point.

Oblivion02 · Mar 7, 2005

Ballast, do you recommend the ladder technique for my abs and pushups on "My Workout Routine" ?

rip · Mar 7, 2005

Push-ups, dips, chin-ups, bench press, and tricep kickbacks...

When you are done and can do no more, do 3 negatives. I.e. get to the top of your push-up or chin-up (you figure out how to do that) and lower yourself very slowly.

You can do push-ups daily, but, since you have until August... Only work your chest every other day. Include close-grip bench to work your triceps (to strengthen your diamond version). Dips will also help tri's.

Shoulders will help too. Mostly the front delt is key, but you should work all three areas with military presses to make sure that your shoulders are strong.

You will have to do chin-ups for military also, so don't forget your lats (besides you should work them even with the chest (antagonist muscles). Do chin-ups (including negatives), bentover dumbbell rows, and lat pull-down (or, bentover staright-bar rows).

In addition, the military is gonna have you running lots. It will help you to start running now. Try running 3 times per week. Start out slow and short distances (like a mile each running day). Each week add 10% to your total distance. Example:

1st week: Tues = 1 mile / Thur = 1 mile / Sun = 1 mile
2nd week: Tues = 1 mile / Thur = 1 mile / Sun = 1.5 miles
3rd week: Tues = 1 mile / Thur = 1 mile / Sun = 2 miles
4th week: Tues = 1.5 miles / Thur = 1 mile / Sun = 2 miles
5th week: Tues = 1.5 miles / Thur = 1.5 miles / Sun = 2 miles
6th week: Tues = 1.5 miles / Thur = 1.5 miles / Sun = 2.5 miles
7th week: Tues = 1.5 miles / Thur = 1.5 miles / Sun = 3 miles

Continue with this pattern until you get 4 miles each for Tues and Thur. Those will be your maintenance days and should never be longer than ~40 minutes (~4 miles). Sunday will be your long run day and you should keep increasing that value until you get to 10 miles. From there, stick with the 4 / 4 / 10 mile routine.

Running will help you burn fat which will help you do more pull-ups and push-ups. Plus it will add tons to your endurance which will help with them also.

Good luck and Semper Fi!

-Rip

ballast · Mar 7, 2005

Oblivion02 said:
Ballast, do you recommend the ladder technique for my abs and pushups on "My Workout Routine" ?

It's definitely an option.I sent you a PM where I briefly touched upon it.And it is applicable to almost any exercise, even weights.For weights, it has been suggested that you do "power ladders".This is a ladder performed with between 80-90% of one's 1RM and the ladder only goes up to 3 reps.So, you do 1 rep, rest (anywhere from 5 to 30 seconds depending on what weight you are using), do 2 reps, rest, do 3 reps, rest, then start back at 1 rep and repeat a few times.This works best with exercises that don't require much of a set-up, like deadlifts.
Ladders work great for abs too depending on how you use them.My basic core workout consists of curl-ups and supermans integrating isometric contractions in with regular reps.So for supermans, I may start out with 2 reps using a 5-second isometric contraction on each rep, rest 15 seconds, then do 4 reps.Rest 30 seconds, then do 6 reps, etc.There are tons of variations to implement, but in short, ladders will work for abs too.

RedT · Mar 7, 2005

Ok, you can do five, when you can't do the 6th, drop to your knees (from your toes) and continue up to 20. This will continue to strengthen your arms enabling you to do more regular push-ups.

Also, if you have a mean

older brother, he can stand over you to motivate you (like I'm sure your drill seargent will).

This is going to sound absolutely assinine, but it worked for me (my husband did it this way in the police academy).

Instead of count: down-up 1, down-up 2, down-up 3 . . .

Try down-up-down-up 1, down-up-down-up 2, down-up-down-up 3 . . .

I do 2 sets of 30 (every other day) this way, but have a much harder time if I just count them 1, 2, 3. . . by the time I get to 20, I'm beat, but if I have only counted 10 I have no problem going on.
Jedi mind trick?