Push-Ups, Anyone?

Aquajock

Aquajock

Cathlete
Hello, all! I noticed on an earlier discussion thread, mainly dealing with the Step-Up Club, that some might be interested in a push-up plan (hint, hint, Cinza!). I have a love-hate relationship with them myself, kind of the Mount Everest of my upper body routine. Would love to work with some Cathe-ites to develop in this area.

Currently I work upper body 3X per week, and always do push-ups. Usually, I do a set of 40 straight, at tempo with my feet off a 6" platform, then 16 pec flyes, another 15 push-ups eccentrically (down-down-down-UP) off a 6" platform, another 16 pec flyes, then 15 final push-ups eccentrically off an 8" platform. My goal is to be able to do 75 push-ups straight at tempo by the end of the year - BUT I've stalled out and can't seem to do any more than I'm doing right now.

Anyone interested, or have suggestions?

Would love to hear from you!

Annette
 
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Jun-01-01 AT 11:20PM (Est)[/font][p]Annette, You're an Amazon!!!!!
I will tell my buddies in the "step up club" about your plan!

When you do a pushup with a 6 inch platform...what exactly is your form? feet on platform or pushing off platform with hands?

how about posting a bio?

cinza
 
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Jun-01-01 AT 10:22PM (Est)[/font][p]

(whats a pec fly ? are you on your bench on your back doing flys or bent over? or ?)
 
I see it looks like several folk are joining you for the pushups...


are you doing the intense upper body work for swimming?

when i developed my chest in the past my pecs looked larger than my poor droppy breasts!
i looked like i had two sets of breasts..
so i only will do what is good to keep healthy muscles....!

But i love it when someone posts
"drop and give me 30"
I drop and do them on command! even at work!
my boss smiles tolerantly.
dang if two people did that in one day i would be doing your program with an amused smile...!! hmmm..
 
Wow!! Annette, you ARE an amazon! I couldn't do what you described to save my life. However, I try hard to improve! Besides, Cinza won't let me off the hook, so ...
Welcome to the challenge, but I think the challenge is to us!
:) Ruth
 
Annette I did 40! (modified) i am proud! maybe i can handle a kinder and gentler challenge.
 
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Jun-03-01 AT 08:49PM (Est)[/font][p]
and prouder yet...
another 40 with 15 of the 1-2-3 down and 1 ups......

do you ever do the pushups where you keep your hands under shoulders and elbows by your side so you work the tricepts?

i did 2 dozen of those also!

;)
 
RE: Hi, Cinza and Starlight6!

Thanks for your kind words! Cinza, in answer to your question, I do my push-ups with my TOES off the platform in a decline position, rather that my hands off the platform. Much like Cathe's push-ups in PS Chest Shoulders Triceps tape. Getting there has been a long, painstaking journey - when I first began doing anything muscly back in about 1995, I could barely do 12 push-ups off the knees. That frustrated me so much that I just got a "don't get mad, get even and do more" attitude, and just kept trying to add on one more push-up what I thought I was at failure. About a year and a half ago, I was up to 110 off-knee push-ups in the first set, and another 60 or so on the second set, and realized this wasn't doing me any more good, SO I started doing them off the toes, feet on floor. Cut my reps down by about 80%! But then started back in on the "don't get mad, get even and do more", again because I felt like such a weenie NOT being able to do them. Slowly built up to where I could do 50 in the first set at tempo, and then 15-20 in the 2nd/3rd sets eccentrically. THEN discovered going to a decline position, and of course the reps dropped again, but I'm trying to climb back up again.

I don't know why I love 'em so much. Probably because they are hard, AND because I get chest, anterior delt, triceps AND AB STABILITY WORK all in one torturous move! :)

I haven't really varied the arm / hand position, nor have I tried push-up handles. I'm open for suggestions, and some company in my obsession!

Let's talk again!

Annette
 
Cinza - in answer to a couple of other questions, I don't swim for my water upper body work - I teach aqua group fitness, and I place a heavy emphasis on upper-body endurance / strengthening with the use of resistance mitts and hand-buoys, as well as water treading using only the arms back and chest. It's a wonderful complement to weighted strength work! It's easy to be INEFFECTIVE in the water, but I like to think I'm not!

A pec flye is the same as a chest fly - supine, dumbbells over chest, abduct / lower them to sides, and press back up. Miss Cathe uses them a lot in her pec work rotations. I like the compound move she does in PS Chest Shoulders Triceps, with a chest flye plus two pec / chest presses.

Catch up with ya soon! Gotta go to work!

Annette
 
i taught water classes once.

i used to make those little hand gloves and wear zoomers instead of any bouancy tools... no one else would do it but i thought it was great.

i also did all my ballet leg work at the shallow end....very very good work!


on pushups, try the tricept ones..... hands under the shoulder and elbows to the side... it might be a new treat of torture !!

i will probably attack the pushups with your attitude of get even and do more!!
...I have a chronic shoulder and arm injury...but i really am determined to let working out take me past it......while knowing at the same time i really cant afford to be stupid or macho..

thanks for your answers..
see you next time...
i will be proud when i do my pushups from standard positions...but at the moment i am pleased to be able to do good work from a modified position.

thanks for helping me make a point of it!
 
RE: Smart To Be Safe . . .

Yes, you don't want to aggravate a shoulder joint or existing condition! If I feel anything in the joint as opposed to the muscle that's when it's time to quit for me.

You sound like you're kicking b*tt already! Keep up the good and safe work!

Your Partner In Push-Ups . . .

Annette
 
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