Pushups and Bench Presses

S

Starcraftmazter

0
SuP.

How similar or dissimilar are push-ups to bench presses, in regards to what muscles are used and in what proportion to each other?
I'm not referring to any specific type of push-ups, so you can mention numerous types, if you know the answer.

Thanks :cool:
 
alot of the same muscles are used, mainly chest, shoulders triceps. But the exercises are very different. On the bench press, you pin your shoulderblades back, to be stable, they are NOT free to move, in a pushup they are free to move. In a pushup you move your body away from the floor, in a bench press you move the bar away from the floor and from you. Also, in a pushup, the further up you go, the more decline the motion gets, since your feet are on the floor.

You also have a different stability requirement since your body has to be held like a plank, so stability is simular to the plank exercise. Some people cant do alot of pushups because theire core stability isent good

With the scapulae free to move, more muscles for scapulae stability are activated, spechally if you do pushups the way they "should" be done, with protracting the scapulae at the top, getting complete range of motion (this is something you do NOT do on a bench press) this activates the serratus anterior more.
Testosterone Nation - Push-Ups, Face Pulls, and Shrugs
thats a good article about shoulder stability
theres a part where he talks about pushups that might be worth reading (actually, the entire article is def worth reading)

Hope that helps.
 
Cheers mate.

I'm training for a bench press comp (31st August), and I was just trying pushups with 20kg (44lb) of weight on my back. Seems very very effective, especially for my triceps, the left of which were twitching for the first time in a long time now.

Would you say that this is a good alternative exercise to do to help with benching more? (Not that I've hit any kind of a platoue, I just like different ways of training).
 
if your training for a bench press contest, you need to get better at benching. pushups can help. How long have you been benching? where is your sticking point?
 
well, it kind of depends. Bench uses core stability too, atleast if your technique is right, core stability will make the leg drive more effective, since the force has to "travel" through the core. You cant really compare the bench and pushup saying which requires more core strenght, since it depends how much weight you got on the bar and how much you weigh yourself. If you do pushups right, you should keep your core tight, and not let your back arch too much, like you would hold a perfect plank. I know i feel it more in my core than i feel benching in my core.
 
yeah i think i get u its alot easier to arch your back while performing pushups than it is while u bench. Personally i prefer pushups to flat bench press because i tend to do 4x10 with 30lbs weight on my back =219 lbs i wouldnt fell confident doing that as a press as i have no spotter at the moment.So if i have to utilize more core strenght doing what i am then it can only be a bonus
thank you
 
I use my schoolbag :D
I've been benching for...maybe a month and a half or so. But working out since the start of the year.

At the weights room at school, in regards to bench pressing, our regime consists of 3 sets (though I do more if there's time) of 10 reps. The weight is increased by 5lb with each set.

Right now I am doing 85, 90, 95 lbs. Tomorrow, I might go for 90, 95, 100 and see what happens.

Generally my bench has been increasing by approx. 5lb every 1-2 weeks, and my chest has grown quite a bit =/

Once again with bench presses, I feel as though my triceps are holding me back...but maybe that's just my tricep paranoia. Or I could say that nothing is holding me back, as I'm improving, however I need to beat a guy in my weight division whom benches 125lbs (115, 120, 125), I think it's 125.

The actual competition will be 1MR.
 
Karky said:
how do you put the weight on your back? Do you have it on your upper or lower back?
Click to expand...

i use a backpack not ideal but it works if i tie it tight i doesnt move too much and mostly the weight is on my upper back i also use pushup bars for more range of motion
 
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