Pump you Up (Pushups)

[Blarg]

I'm mixing in the pistols with deadlifts, and still doing the one-armed push-ups. I still do them all in sets of five, and even less than five if five will be a failed rep. I keep doing sets until each rep starts to become ridiculously hard. Sometimes that means lots of sets of five and then a sudden drop-off in strength, sometimes it means I'm quickly doing many more sets of 4's and 3's instead.

But, like I originally said, I don't count, so I couldn't say for sure on a numerical basis how I'm doing.

That said, my legs are still sore from squats two days ago, my low back is sore from deadlifts, and my shoulders are over my one-armed push-ups of a couple days back. I do a funny flip flop of feeling much weaker some days than others, but my last OAP routine was very strong, and I can tell I'm getting stronger on them. I'm starting to get a somewhat noticeable(to me anyway) separation in my chest muscles, the upper from the middle, and I think I'm putting some meat on my traps. My shoulders are definitely bigger, too. My legs are not advancing as quickly because I'm doing a lot of deadlifts on some of what used to be my squat days.

On the grippers, I'm doing okay in my work-outs, but I haven't closed the #2 yet and probably won't for a while. I just closed the #1 on about the beginning of the month, so that's fine. Getting the #2 to 1/8 of an inch doesn't mean I will close it yet for a long time. Yesterday I did a brutal amount of volume and now my hand feels really sore.

I do notice my hands are getting bigger and thicker already, which is kind of cool in a way. There's getting to be more meat on the outside of the hand by my pinkie.

My 16 kg. kettlebell, I haven't been getting all that much use out of, as the deadlifts have been killing my low back, so I don't want to use it for swings, and the one-arm push-ups are making it feel way too easy for presses. I use it mostly for tricep work now, standing and seated French presses, I think they call them.

And I'm eating like a hog to try to put on mass. Even got some protein powder and creatine and take both regularly. It seems I'm active enough that I'm not turning it all into fat.

Things are coming along well. I just wish my low back wasn't so sore. I probably have a lot more enthusiasm than brains when it comes to deadlifts. I'd better start thinking with my brain instead of my muscles or my ego.

[Stuey]

I am this pathetic yet knowing this does not make me want to quit! scary [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Week 10 is over.

This week I can do 1 more pushup than last week. Probably due to cheating with bad form on the last 5 but what the hay it friken hurt like hell so I'm counting them. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
That's a total of 31 more than 10 weeks ago.

How did everyone else do this week?

[touchfaith]

This thread still isn't about bras??

argh

[Stuey]

[ QUOTE ]
But, like I originally said, I don't count, so I couldn't say for sure on a numerical basis how I'm doing.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yah no need to count just good to hear you are still working hard. And it's also good to know someone would notice if I quit. I'm not close to quitting yet but I am sure the day will come. [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

Careful with those deadlifts though you won't be happy if you hurt your back. I think 5 sets of 5 twice a week is lots. How many sets do you think you are doing a week? Do you have a mirror you could do them in front of so you can check your form? I do mine at the gym and a mirror in front and to the side really helps.

[Stuey]

[ QUOTE ]
This thread still isn't about bras??

argh

[/ QUOTE ]

A hijack of this nature would not be frowned upon. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Blarg]

My low back felt really screwed for more than a week, so I didn't do any deadlifts, just one-legged squats. Doing nicely on those, though.

I was doing the Russian Bear routine from PTP -- lots and lots of sets, but for low reps, combined with lots of eating. Along with the one legged squats, they were working nicely, but I guess I just went overboard a bit so now I'm cooling down and healing.

Believe it or not, days later, my side got super-wrenched doing grippers. I was tensed so much I'm wondering if I got some kind of weird hernia on my right side. It feels very sore under the rib cage, for I guess a week or something. I'm a little nervous about it; hope it just goes away and is just a minor strain. Oh well.

Between that and the low back thing from deadlifts, I've really slowed down. I only did two hard work-outs this week, very carefully and nervously.

I just do my deads at home, no mirror. I hope I'm getting the form okay; I try hard to concentrate on it. Messing up my back taught me to not push it too nutty hard; I think getting the 200 lb. stretchbands just got too tempting, and I'll be more careful next time.

Good to hear you're still plugging away! That's much more important than whether you add or lose a rep here and there.

[Stuey]

Week 11 is over.

This week I don't know how many pushups I can do. I have not done any all week! No excuses though I just got lazy. I'm going to try and get back on track this week. This is one reason I made this thread as it is really hard to admit how lazy I have been and impossible to ignore it.

[Blarg]

You're supposed to take a week off every so often anyway.

[Stuey]

I have lost my way. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

I have been doing lots of cardio but I got lazy with the pushups. I'm going to start again today! I hope.

Edit: I did them!

I can do 26 more pushups than I could 13 weeks ago.
This suks as at one point I was up to 31 more than I could do at the start.
Oh well just when you thought you would not have to read this every week I'm back baby! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Seeyahs next week.

[Martin]

Stuey don't give up. Throw some variety into the mix maybe isometrics on days when you don't feel like pushups or don't have the time.

Here is an a pdf document Link that is geared to training for combat, it has some interesting exercises with a keg. Now if I could just get a dammed keg it would be great.