Posted: 1/5/2005 10:09:58 AM EDT
|
Was never in the military but am fitness minded... What is the proper placement of the hands and arms in relation to do a proper pushup? (when i say proper, i mean work most efficient, bang for the buck in effort). How many should you be able to do? How many sets etc? |
|
Depending on where you put your hands depends on what muscles you work more or less. I always find about shoulder width apart directly under my shoulders is where I can do the most. Go all the way down to 4" above the ground and back up. Do as many as you can. Keep working at them and you will be able to do more. I do 6 sets of 40 in my routine. I know people that like to do a set of pushups or situps in between each set when they are lifting weights. |
|
I use pushup handles because it allows for maximum range of motion of the pecs during a pushup. It also reduces wrist stress. I hold them at a slight angle that would meet in a point a couple of feet above my head. I only do pushups after the chest portion of my routine. That way the muscles are pre-exhausted and you get max benefit from using only your body weight. |
|
The handles sit on the floor.They are inexpensive (less than $20/pair) and they increase your range of motion. Pushups come in different "flavors".The more you spread your hands/elbows, the more you work pectorals.Putting your hands on the inner edge of 2 chairs (your body goes up and down in the middle space between two spread chairs) does the same thing.If you keep your elbows close to your sides,you put the triceps to work. You can elevate your feet,rock your chest forward in a smoth motion as you push,stand on your hands with feet up against a wall (vertical pushup) great for your shoulders/traps.......and the list goes on.there are books on pushup variations.I am sure there are sites with them too! Do as many as you can and as many sets as are prudent for your workout. I find them to be great warm up exercises when doing chest or arms.But obviously if you are lifting you won't be inclined to do as many sets as if pushups are ALL you are going to do in your workout day for upper body! |
This is something like I use: www.mysimon.com/Push_Up_Bars/4038-7942_8-100006684.html?tag=lst&q= |
| I used to always do push ups for a quick work out if I couldn't hit the gym. I had a wrist injury (whitewater kayaking) and post surgery don't have nearly the range of motion or strength (I don't ever expect to again) that I had pre-injury. Push up handles have allowed me to do push ups again where I couldn't before and I actually like them better. They allow for me to concentrate better on the muscles I would like to work and are MUCH less stressful on the wrists. |
| Another way to do pushups, along with the handles (which are great) is to do them off of two chairs. For example, your feet are on the ground, and your hands are on the chairs and you do them the same way. The angle is might be compared to an incline bench press. It's a useful variant. |
I was actually thinking about this last night. At what point do you start working more than your chest or whats the breakdown? Feet on the floor: Feet on something even with your body: Feet higher than your body: Feet at a steep incline: I am only doing feet on the floor but i have added doing them one legged then swapping legs per set. |
Have you tried handstand pushups? Do a headstand up against a wall. Then push up with your hands. Good bodyweight workout for the shoulders. |
hehehe... One day maybe. I am 6'3.5, 200 lbs. always been "the skinny guy". Can't do a cart wheel or hand stand (even wall supported). Prolly start tomorrow trying different combos of increasing the elevation of the feet. |
|
I really like pushups and will do a good workout about once a week. I will do as many as I can in one set, stop for a few minutes and walk around, stretch, then do as many as I can again in another set. I continue this until I am worn out. Obviously the number of pushups in a set decreases as I get more tired. I also do a lot of groaning and so forth toward the end of my workout, which really irks my wife. I will do a workout like this later today. I try to do one of these workouts when I don't have anything else planned for the day. When I am on a run I will often stop every half mile and do a good set of pushups, then continue the run for another half mile. During a five mile run you can do a lot of pushups. This will really wear you out. You can do something similar while doing a treadmill run by stopping every so often and doing a good set of pushups. Always maintain correct form when doing your pushups. Keep your torso straight, go all the way down to the ground and then all the way back up. Do the pushups at a steady rate; don't try to rush them. You are cheating yourself if you don't maintain correct form. |
|
Yes, both of the above recommendations were good regarding grip. Also try buying the hexagonal dumbells and place them on the floor as handles when doing pushups. Put them horizontal, and vertical. Try both. I like doing as many as I can, then stopping, doing as many as I can a few mins later, then stopping, etc. until I'm worn out. However, try keeping track of how many you can do. You want to see a steady increase weekly probably. Nikkels EDIT: I'd suggest against doing pushups during your weight lifting. If you're doing them on days you're working your biceps and chest - then you're diminishing the gain you get from your benching/etc. by wearing yourself out with pushups, which are petty compared to weight lifting for strength increasing results. On days you're not doing chest/biceps, go for it. Just my opinion.... |
| I don't want to hi jack the thread but I do have a question. The guy I go to the gym with said that you should get at least 2 days rest between working muscle groups. The other day I did some push ups and he got a little irritated because it would be two days before we could work chest again. Do you really need this long of a break? Couldn't I do 150 or so on my off days? They don't really make me sore so why would I need so much rest? |
There are going to be alot of opinions on a topic like this and no thats not a hijack (It's my thread too!  )From everything that I have read, believe and practice (with results) you do need rest but define "two days" does that mean 48 hours say a 7pm monday then hit it again at 7pm on weds? or does that mean rest a full tues, weds, then hit it thurs? that would be a whole lot of rest. Also depends on the type of routine you have. if you are doing a "Parts Only" set once a week and doing blow out workouts it changes things. If you ARE, doing the pushups would be counter productive since you are trying to really rest and recover the muscle. If you are doing a Mon,Wed,Friday program like http://www.hypertrophy-specific.com/index.html (this is the one I am using and getting AWESOME results), doing the pushups on the "Off" days would be counter productive as well. This system is based on letting the muscle recover 48 hours again, and pushing it further everytime. I have added the pushups until after I have done the exercises in my workout. Almost as an Icing on the cake clean up. I have already exhausted most of the muscles using weights and then this comes behind it to make sure i have hit the chest sufficiently. YMMV. |
|
I know what you mean in wanting to define the "two days" rest. I go to the gym about 4 days a week, working seperate muscle groups each time. When I do chest I usually top it off with some push ups but I can't do that many (ie 3 sets, 10 reps) before my arms collapse. Only sometimes do I push the weight that much. If I'm not doing blow outs would it be helpful to do things on my days off? The guy I go with knows more about it than I do, he has been having me do pyramids on the bench which is helping. It is so frustrating that I can't gain faster. I have gained more than I thought in the last couple months but want to gain a lot more. Guess I will just have to wait and do it right. 
|
If you do things on your day off regardless of the program, it may be counter productive. The first 24 hours after you tear it down is the prime time rebuilding period. Then the next 12 hours, production slows but still rebuilding. The remaining 12 hours to 48 total is just equilibrium and muscles getting back to normal. Diet. Are you intaking AT LEAST 1 gram per lb of protein per body weight? Are you hitting the 3 hour window on food intake? Without some of these things, it's like spinning your wheels. |