Pump you Up (Pushups)

[Subfallen]

Blarg - you want to get stronger and bigger, consider this it's pretty awesome.

[Stuey]

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When I read this thread, I had kind of wished it was made to cover more than one exercise.

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Yah, I picked pushups to make it simple. The main idea is try and improve and to use each other as positive motivation. Also by posting improvements we make here we can look back a see how much we have gained. Five pushups per week is not impressive, but if I get 100 more in a year I would amaze even myself.

So everyone should feel free to pick there own goal and post their progress here each week in the hopes that it helps us all stick it out for the long haul. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

So it would be great if Reef posted when he can bench 5 more lbs. Maybe Biloxi could try a exercise that is easier on his shoulder, maybe he could try to run a 4 minute mile. Anything to keep him off the juice. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] And I would like to hear how those pistols go for you, they are very hard imo.

[Blarg]

Thanks for the link, I'm reading it now. That scorpion stretch looks very cool. Clever move. I like the suspended chain push-ups, too. I've thought of doing an exercise like that before since I've found standing flyes with cables incredibly good for complete chest developments, and that's a little similar, but have never seen a set-up like that before.

[Blarg]

Yeah, it's a good idea, Stuey. The important thing is to have a goal and work on it, no matter what it is.

Like I say I'm not a counter, so my updates will probably be pretty vague. Pavel's Naked Warrior concept of "grease the groove" stresses that if you want pure strength, think of strength as a skill to practice, rather than going by pure numbers of reps or raw poundage. Both the pistol and the one-armed push-up definitely require more coordination and focus than most pure lifting does, so that idea seems applicable to those exercises. He suggests doing low reps to build strength, and not training to failure, so you can be fresh enough to keep doing sets frequently throughout the week.

After that you can do harder variations of the exercises, like turning the one-armed push-up into a one-armed/one-leg push-up. Or else you can add weight, like wearing a weight vest, or holding a dumbbell or kettlebell when doing pistols. Making the increased challenge not come from more reps, if you're working purely on strength. Adding in more reps can build more muscle mass, which doesn't necessarily coincide with pure power. And endurance, which is a goal I'm putting aside for now. As someone who did martial arts for years and worked myself like mad, it's actually kind of hard to not train to failure and keep going anyway, like I used to do. But I'm not in the shape I was then or anywhere close, so I have to be patient and do something different. When I get the kettlebells and practice swings more and more, I'll gradually be working other things in.

When I did start pistols a couple weeks ago, I did find the balance harder than now. Finding just the right movement path is a little tricky, and it really is refining a skill to learn how to do it without toppling over. That was really my biggest challenge -- not how many I could do, but just doing a single one right! I'm still concentrating on my form a lot because I want to learn how to do this just right. And it's kind of a strain on the knee and lower back if you don't keep the motion really smooth. Pavel doesn't seem to be that crazy about warm-ups from what I can see, but any kind of squat is inherently a big strain on the body, and I'm a big believer in warm-ups. They've always kept me from injury while I've seen almost everyone else screw themselves up at least once in a while by not warming up enough.

Anyway, I haven't pushed my numbers, but whereas a couple weeks ago I was bumbling through the pistols with my right leg and finding normal one-legged squats doable but difficult, now I can crank out five pistols with my right leg without too much trouble, and do it again after a quick rest(while doing my left leg). It was pretty hard for me with my left leg and I still am having some balance issues with it, but now can pump out a couple of sets of 4 or 5 one legged squats on the left leg. They're "sorta" pistols, but I'm holding on to the edge of a table for balance, so I'm not officially calling them that yet. I can do the pure muscle part of it, but I'll need more strength and practice before I'm smoothly doing pistols on my left leg.

Still, I've noticed a real small mass increase already, even though pistols aren't really done for mass and I never work to exhaustion, much less failure. I never do more than five, or more than three sets. Then in a few hours I do it again.

Anyway, interesting program, and I am getting smoother at it. Very strange for an endurance/work to failure and then keep going anyway type like me to artificially limit myself. But it's working. I'm looking forward to seeing what I can do once I get the technique really smooth and wired -- like adding the weight of a kettlebell and/or dumbbell!

This dude is pretty godly on one-legged pistols. He does them while holding two 88 pound kettlebells. Great link on how to do the pistols:
http://www.fullkontact.com/a_pistol.html

I'm very tempted to buy his DVD's, especially since he's a long-term martial artist, and that's really where my interests lie in building up strength and fitness anyway. Plus, he concentrates on an internal style, which is really intriguing to me.

[Blarg]

Kettlebell supposedly being delivered tomorrow. Can't wait!

I also ordered one of those Captains of Crush grippers, the No. 1. I've got great hand endurance, but not all that much raw strength in them at all, so I wouldn't be surprised if I'm really worthless on these.

Legs sore from the pistols.

[LondonBroil]

Just started tonight. I managed to do zero push-ups. Will report back in 1 week.

[jakethebake]

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Just started tonight. I managed to do zero push-ups. Will report back in 1 week.

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You should be able to at least double that by next week.

[Stuey]

I also ordered some of those Captains of Crush grippers! And I am trying the pistols but I am sure I am not doing them right. I don't go down low enough, I lose my balance or I am just not strong enough yet to do them right. I plan to keep working on it.

[Stuey]

Week 5 is over.

This week I can do 3 more pushups than last week.
That's a total of 24 more than 5 weeks ago.

It is getting harder each week but I am still improving so I see no reason to complain too much.

How did this week go for everyone else?

I will be back in 7 days, I promise. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[Blarg]

It's a skill thing and strength thing combined; you have to exert strength in weird ways.

To slowly work up to them, you can try to hold on to the edge of a table, or a door frame or door knob, or I find gripping the edge of a sink good. A pole, like you see at schools, is pretty ideal, but not many people have those around the house.

Try to do them flat-footed, and work on your hamstring flexibility, if that's a problem in holding your leg out.

I'm a little shaky on them, but am able to crank out some lowish rep sets of simple one-legged squats, without holding my leg out in the air, pretty solidly on the right leg now, and can see my left leg becoming less wobbly in it at a quick pace. The extra strength is actually coming along fairly quickly, as advertised with Pavel's program -- which is basically don't go to failure, "practice" them often(which you can't do if you're exhausted or in a long recovery from going to failure), at low reps, as a skill, with high concentration, so you get better at them. I'm working into the "groove" of the movement slowly but surely. My right leg is much better tham my left.

I find it's a bit harsh on the knee and lower back without a decent warm-up. There's a LOT of pressure put on the knee, especially if you go down till your ass practically touches the ground, which is the way I'm doing them. Right now I'm fighting to get form and strength better at the same time, with a goal of being able to do 5 x 5 sets/reps with either leg with good form and no balance assist. My form is still sloppy, and I use balance help on my left leg, so I can't claim that yet. With strength and skill, I'll start to iron those problems out.

Cool on your getting the CoC gripper! I just ordered a couple more, the #2 for super-hard forced reps(since I can't even do the #1 yet) and the Trainer for warm-up reps, since the #1 is already hard enough that I have to leap into doing serious work with no warm-up. I also got their little "helper" tool (at Ironmind.com) that adds 20 lbs. or resistance to any of their grippers, so I can have something incremental instead of their 50 and 55 lb. leaps(which are kinda absurd!).

Glad you got 'em -- now let the CRUSHING begin!!!