Increasing my pushups?

[Alone]

Pushups are relatively critical to military life, as well as important to me personally. I enjoy doing them, and I want to do more.

My question seems simple enough, but I've been wondering what would be the best way to do this? Keep pumping out as many pushups as possible, or start doing weighted pushups, thereby making unweighted easier to do?

EDIT: And my intended method of weighted pushups would be by wearing a 30lb+ rucksack or a backpack with some weight in it.

 

[irishScott]

Just like most other weight exercises. High reps/lower weight = muscle endurance/tone, Low reps/high weight = growth. The backpack's a good idea. I also recommend using these or something similar.
http://www.amazon.com/GoFit-GF...&qid=1232856635&sr=8-1

They give you another 6 inches or so, which translates into about 60 more degrees at the elbow before bottoming out.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: irishScott
Just like most other weight exercises. High reps/lower weight = muscle endurance/tone, Low reps/high weight = growth. The backpack's a good idea. I also recommend using these or something similar.
http://www.amazon.com/GoFit-GF...&qid=1232856635&sr=8-1

They give you another 6 inches or so, which translates into about 60 more degrees at the elbow before bottoming out.

High reps/low weight doesn't effect muscle tone whatsoever. Let's just take "tone" out of your fitness dictionary. Tone is a component of muscle size and body fat percentage. It has nothing to do with how many reps you do. Too many magazines have brainwashed people of what you just said. It's not true whatsoever.

 

[brikis98]

HundredPushups.com
Grease the Groove

 

[irishScott]

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

Originally posted by: irishScott
Just like most other weight exercises. High reps/lower weight = muscle endurance/tone, Low reps/high weight = growth. The backpack's a good idea. I also recommend using these or something similar.
http://www.amazon.com/GoFit-GF...&qid=1232856635&sr=8-1

They give you another 6 inches or so, which translates into about 60 more degrees at the elbow before bottoming out.

High reps/low weight doesn't effect muscle tone whatsoever. Let's just take "tone" out of your fitness dictionary. Tone is a component of muscle size and body fat percentage. It has nothing to do with how many reps you do. Too many magazines have brainwashed people of what you just said. It's not true whatsoever.

*confirms via google* Thanks. Good to know.

 

[SlitheryDee]

When I added pushups to my routine almost a year ago I just did as many as I could fit into 3 sets. At first, that wasn't but about 12 or so, but I got to the point where I was doing 30 per set with relative ease. About 2 months ago I decided to change things up and broke my 3 sets of 30 into 6 sets of 15 with 30 seconds of rest between. In each successive workout I've added one rep to each set. I'm up to 6 sets of 23 of both closehand and shoulder-width pushups now. This doesn't really follow the rate of my strength increase as I think the heavy lifting I'm doing before the pushups is having the greater effect, but I get a great sense of progress out of it and I'm definitely able to do far more pushups now than I could before. When I hit 30 per set I'll be doing 360 total pushups per session (closehand + regular)! I think when that happens I'll stop and see how many standard pushups I can do in a single set.

 

[TallBill]

I'm gonna try the "hundred pushups" thing. Just to see how it compares to anything else that I've done in the past.

My killer pushup routine involves a partner, and I've actually done it for squad PT. It's a pyramid by 10's. The goal is to complete as many pushups in a row without stopping at all to complete the set, using either proper pushup form, pushups from the knees, or lastly with a partner assist (they stand over your back, put hands under your chest and assist you upwards.

Here is an example for if you can do about 40-50 pushups. Remember, no stopping at all. As soon as you have to stop motion, move to the 2nd and then 3rd method of doing the pushups.

First set is 10 pushups.
Partner then does his 10 pushups.

2nd set is 20 pushups.
Partner does his 20 pushups.

3rd set is 30 pushups, you might have to hit your knees to finish already.
Partner does 30 pushups.

4th set is 40 pushups, probably going to have to use knees.
Partner does 40 pushups.

5th set is 50 pushups, gonna definitely be on knees, and will probably end up with partner assist. Arms will be hurting
Partner does 50 pushups.

6th set is 60 pushups, this is the top of the pyramid, it's going to be ugly.
Partner does 60 pushups.

7th set, 50
Partner 50

8th set, 40
Partner 40

.....etc

By the time you're done, you'll be dead. I actually had a buddy who could do perfect pushups without stopping up to 60 and back without ever needing his knees. Simply go up to 70 or 80.

 

[njdevilsfan87]

Crazy... I can pull off 40 of them non-stop... but after that the amount I can drastically decreases. I can do something like 40,15,10, and then I start getting onto me knees and can only do 6-7 still. Maybe I should try starting low like above and working up and see if that increases how many I can do.

 

[joesmoke]

try switching it up.

-use knuckles or fingertips instead of your palms.
-elevating your legs by balancing your feet on a gym ball.
-explosive pushups using a medicine ball. start with ball under right hand, do a pushup exploding upwards and over the ball and land with the ball under your left hand. repeat back and forth.
-pushups holding the sides of a gym ball.

 

[TallBill]

Originally posted by: njdevilsfan87
Crazy... I can pull off 40 of them non-stop... but after that the amount I can drastically decreases. I can do something like 40,15,10, and then I start getting onto me knees and can only do 6-7 still. Maybe I should try starting low like above and working up and see if that increases how many I can do.

The worst part about my routine is that you need a buddy. Not everyone is comfortable having the workout partner pull up on the chest/abdomen. Do it once though and you'll appreciate it.