pushups better than benching?

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maxitwist07

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Ok, so I used to be able to do 35 pushups, I did them every night and I liked them they felt good, but alittle while ago I decided to start doing bench presses instead, 50lbs (i think) and I could do 25 of them (fail at 28) but after about a month and still only being able to do 28 at max, I went back to push ups, and I couldn't reach 35. after 25 i just had enough and stopped.
they seem so much harder than ever before, i dont know if its purely a mind over matter issue or what. recently Ive been able to get to 35 again, but only with a small break, some quick breathing and a 'pep-talk' of sorts to myself.
anyone know why I seem to have gone backwards?
 
Push ups is more of a endurance type exercise. The reason your push ups felt harder is because you switched to benching which is more of a strength building exercise, and because you focused more on strength your endurance suffered.

Your not supposed to be doing 28 reps of bench pressing
Your supposed to do them hard and heavy and keep them 10 reps and under.
 
maxitwist07 said:
ok thanks, is it the same for biceps curls? are you only supposed to do 10 aswell?
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Read the Stickies. You seem to lack basic knowledge of this subject and thats cool because your new so don't take no offense.

Believe me I still learn stuff like every week.....

edit: and yes to that question. Its the same. For strength and mass gains you want all reps kept below 12. Some days you might do 5 sets of 5 or 3 sets of 10 or 4 sets of 8 , etc.
 
Pushups are like 60% of your bodyweight so you cannot compare them with benching. If you cannot even bench your own bodyweight let alone 60% but can only pushup 60% then how does that compare?
 
Neither is better than the other, just different

Can I just ask though; did you gain any weight during your break from doing press ups?
 
If you're pushing up 120 lbs regularly, of course you'd get weaker benchpressing 50 lbs regularly.
 
Dry said:
If you're pushing up 120 lbs regularly, of course you'd get weaker benchpressing 50 lbs regularly.
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In a month?

I'd have thought it was more likely that he's either gained weight or damaged his shoulder a bit with poor benching form
 
maxitwist07 said:
Ok, so I used to be able to do 35 pushups, I did them every night and I liked them they felt good, but alittle while ago I decided to start doing bench presses instead, 50lbs (i think) and I could do 25 of them (fail at 28) but after about a month and still only being able to do 28 at max, I went back to push ups, and I couldn't reach 35. after 25 i just had enough and stopped.
they seem so much harder than ever before, i dont know if its purely a mind over matter issue or what. recently Ive been able to get to 35 again, but only with a small break, some quick breathing and a 'pep-talk' of sorts to myself.
anyone know why I seem to have gone backwards?
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  • What are your fitness goals?
  • What equipment do you have to train with? Home gym equipment? Access to a external gym?

I ask these questions, because dependent on the answers, will depend on the approach to your training, and the methods used.

For example, If you have a fair amount of weight and a bench press, I would ask why you are benching 50 pounds for a rep failure of 28 reps, and would take the personal opinion (giving your equipment) that these reps are far too high, dependent on your personal goal.

In contrast, if you have very limited equipment, and say only about 50 pounds of weight (max), and a bench press (no DB's, just a LB), then I would understand, and move on to other exercise methods with the weight you have.

Additionally, I take the position, that if one wants to be good a something, they practice doing that very item--------and perform exercises that parallel the movement pattern that would serve to improve what one is after.

Answer my first two questions, please.


Welcome to the forum. I wish you the best of luck in your fitness goals.


Chillen
 
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Typhon said:
In a month?

I'd have thought it was more likely that he's either gained weight or damaged his shoulder a bit with poor benching form
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Didnt realize only a month, on the contrary, how much weight can one gain in the month to have that big a drop off in the pushups without gaining at least a little muscle? Perhaps an injury... but would expect a complaint of pain no?? Possible its mental, as he's not done the pushups in a while and can't break thru to the amount it used to be???
 
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