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Help Improving Pushup Score

Bam Bam

FTS AMDO
I get at least one person a week that comes into my office that catches me when I'm almost finished! It's hilarious because the A/C is broken in my office and I'm usually only wearing an undershirt when I'm getting a workout in! Oh well, at least I'm not eating Bon Bons! (I have been eating lots of dark chocolate covered almonds after work but they're high in antioxidants, right!)
 

PenguinGal

Can Do!
Contributor
We'll go with high in antioxidants and chock full of protein to replenish your system. ;)

I am glad i am not the only one getting caught! I totally got caught by a security guy. He just laughed and said how impressed he was that 1. I was doing push ups and 2. that I was doing real push ups (i.e., not on my knees). I always like impressing the owner's reps. :)
 

Spekkio

He bowls overhand.
I will reiterate that if you're at the point of doing only 30 pushups, you need to hit some weights at the gym. Doing a basic 3 day split ABA/BAB workout routine where you hit all the big muscles supplemented with running will drastically improve your muscle performance in a short period of time, and you can finish the weights portion in under 15 minutes.

Beats the snot out of doing dozens of sets of pushups. If you're trying to go from 80-> 100 pushups (and god knows why you'd want to unless you're applying for SEAL), then those pushup workouts are for you.
 

Bam Bam

FTS AMDO
I will reiterate that if you're at the point of doing only 30 pushups, you need to hit some weights at the gym. Doing a basic 3 day split ABA/BAB workout routine where you hit all the big muscles supplemented with running will drastically improve your muscle performance in a short period of time, and you can finish the weights portion in under 15 minutes.

Beats the snot out of doing dozens of sets of pushups. If you're trying to go from 80-> 100 pushups (and god knows why you'd want to unless you're applying for SEAL), then those pushup workouts are for you.

I'm going to start hitting the gym harder after we PCS and get settled. I was origionally just trying to lean out as much as I could to ensure I made my weight and or tape at MEPS. Now that MEPS is over with (thank goodness) I can bulk up a little bit. I made weight by 2 lbs but i tape at 17% BF so I'm sure BF will be what I need to make from here on out.

I was one of those "under 30 rep" push up club members before I started the program. It was sad to see how far I let myself go but now i'm doing 55 correct form push ups straight. My ultimate goal is to get an Excellent on my PRT. I'm almost 34 so that's 81 curl ups, 64 push ups and 11:15 for the run. I'm not quite there but i'm making lots of progress towards my goal and I should be there in 2 months or less.

I can't wait to go from 80 to 100 push ups! I'm really enjoying my fitness routine and I get a huge kick out of my kids watching/participation. Theres not too much funnier than my 3 year old son trying to keep up with daddy doing push ups!
 

Spekkio

He bowls overhand.
I made weight by 2 lbs but i tape at 17% BF so I'm sure BF will be what I need to make from here on out.
The tape is hardly accurate. If you're not pushing a 6 pack and are at the cusp of being over, you're probably at 20%+.

Estimating body fat by body type.

It's a common misconception that weights lead to bulk. That's not true; bulk is a function of calories in being more than calories out.
 

Steve Wilkins

Teaching pigs to dance, one pig at a time.
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
I made weight by 2 lbs but i tape at 17% BF so I'm sure BF will be what I need to make from here on out.
If your weight was in limits for your height, the the BF% is moot. I'm assuming it was just one of those things they do at MEPS.


Spekkio said:
The tape is hardly accurate.
Who cares. It's all arbitrary and the same system is used Navy wide.

Spekkio said:
It's a common misconception that weights lead to bulk. That's not true; bulk is a function of calories in being more than calories out.
Pretty simplistic explanation to something that even trainers, exercise physiologists, and nutritionists can't even agree on.
 

Spekkio

He bowls overhand.
Who cares. It's all arbitrary and the same system is used Navy wide.
True. My response was in regards to his comment that he has to worry about going over if he starts increasing his workouts.
Pretty simplistic explanation to something that even trainers, exercise physiologists, and nutritionists can't even agree on.
There are a ton of varying opinions about which diet is best and what ratio of nutrients to eat, but one thing that is almost universal is that eating fewer calories than you burn leads to weight loss, and vice-versa. And while these people also can't seem to agree much on HOW to do the resistance training (although generally agree on newbie routines), they all agree that doing it builds muscle which burns more calories while idle and leads to faster weight loss given the same food intake.
 

Steve Wilkins

Teaching pigs to dance, one pig at a time.
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
True. My response was in regards to his comment that he has to worry about going over if he starts increasing his workouts.
True. If that's his concern, then I agree it is unfounded.

Spekkio said:
There are a ton of varying opinions about which diet is best and what ratio of nutrients to eat, but one thing that is almost universal is that eating fewer calories than you burn leads to weight loss, and vice-versa. And while these people also can't seem to agree much on HOW to do the resistance training, they all agree that doing it builds muscle which burns more calories while idle and leads to faster weight loss given the same food intake.
I think I know what you're saying. A couple things to keep in mind though is that 1) you can keep building muscle (and gain muscle mass) even though you are burning more calories than you take in and 2) if you restrict your caloric intake too much, your body may decide it wants to hold on to that extra weight. Another thing to consider is the amount of sleep someone gets each night. I really don't want to get into a discussion about all that here. I was really just trying to point out that this shit can be complicated.
 

Bam Bam

FTS AMDO
My ultimate goal is just to be fit and be able to smoke the PRT when I'm tested. I'm 6'3 (sometimes a little over) and I'm usually around 215-220 lbs. I am a large frame guy so I'm pretty "skinny" at my current weight. I eat a very regimented diet of lean meats and lots of fruit and veggies. I also run 25-30 miles a week. I'm not too concerned about my weight because I pass the antiquated tape test with room to spare. I would like to add some muscle but not too much. I just want to have more definition. I'm not out to impress anyone, I'm just trying to meet a personal goal. Heck, I'm happily married with three kids, I really just want to stay healthy so I can keep up with them!
 

Spekkio

He bowls overhand.
I really don't want to get into a discussion about all that here. I was really just trying to point out that this shit can be complicated.
Honestly, 'shit gets complicated' because magazines have to constantly post articles reinventing the wheel to keep making money. Most of that advice is geared toward advanced body builders and written by people who are piddling over details to make some money and hopefully give people that extra edge. Similar to the arguments about natural sole vs. sneaker running, most of this stuff is N/A to the audience reading it, but after reading enough of it they stop remembering that they need to get their butts on a consistent workout routine and their diets regularly at or below 2000 calories before they worry about whether 30g of protein or 50g of protein a day is the right amount.

The basics of nutrition and exercise have been known for decades and are relatively unchanged for anyone in the beginner/intermediate category (hint: do you look like Ahnold? Are you an amateur or professional athlete who is competing on a serious level? No? Then you're in the beginner/intermediate category). It's just that keeping a regimented diet of 1800-2000 calories (which I suck at...I literally workout to eat or I'd be over 200 lbs) and an exercise routine for 5-6 days a week is harder than it seems, so people are always looking for the next shortcut to get ahead whether it be Atkins diet, the caveman diet, stupid arguments over GMOs and 'organic' foods, CrossFit, you name it. Also, you'd need to eat fewer than 500 calories under your daily intake for your body to remotely be close to going into 'starvation mode' (that's typically under 1500 calories for a man).
 

Spekkio

He bowls overhand.
I am a large frame guy so I'm pretty "skinny" at my current weight. I eat a very regimented diet of lean meats and lots of fruit and veggies. I also run 25-30 miles a week. I'm not too concerned about my weight because I pass the antiquated tape test with room to spare. I would like to add some muscle but not too much. I just want to have more definition.
It sounds like you're well on your way. Definition comes from losing body fat, which comes from eating at a calorie deficit while lifting weights to retain muscle while burning fat.
 

Mr Spenz

"Your brief saved your flight' - every IP
pilot
I do 10 super sets:
10 regular push ups
10 crunches
10 wide push ups
10 reverse crunches
10 tricep push ups
10 1/2 sit ups

You do these one after another and have 2 minutes to complete (say you finish at 1:45 you get a 15 sec rest). It works out to 300 push ups and 300 abdominal workouts and takes 20 minutes. You can always start at 5 push ups each (150 total) and work your way up.
 

alaurin

All day, every day!
The one thing that really helped me get past doing girlie pushups (on knees) was swimming. I would focus on pulling my hands down and toward my chest with power in breaststroke and using my upper back for freestyle. Because I was rehabbing my knee, I only swam for about two months, then slowly added weights back into my routine along with running and cycling.

After that, I was able to increase my amount of pushups by starting off every gym day with alternating pushup to exhaustion, situp to exhaustion, squat with 25 lb plate, up to 5 sets, followed by lat pulldown, more pushups, plank for 1 min x3. I would also do chest press, bent over rows, weighted row (forgot what it's called- sitting row machine with adjustable weights. Usually it's attached to the lat pulldown machine).
I was able to improve my technique by doing 3 sets of diamond, 1 min rest, regular hand position, 1 min rest, wide grip shoulders, 1 min rest, situps to exhaustion, 1 min rest, squats to exhaustion (with a plate). Rest a minute or two and make fun of the basketball players, then go do weights. After about a month, I got really tired of doing this and went back to what I was doing before.

Over the course of roughly 4 months of doing this, I gained about eight pounds while maintaining the same clothing size, then plateaued out at the same weight (keep in mind I am a woman and 5'4", so that's actually quite a bit of weight). I took a protein/recovery supplement with Kre-Alkalyn (the newer version of creatine) recommended to me by my cousin who owns his own supplements store. I imagine if you were taking Kre-Alkalyn and stopped, you would probably lose some muscle weight and appear less toned (if it even works)?

One last tidbit to share- Stew Smith article: be sure to work both sides of your shoulder. http://www.stewsmith.com/linkpages/pushupbalance.htm
Nobody wants a shoulder injury.
 

m26

Well-Known Member
Contributor
I will reiterate that if you're at the point of doing only 30 pushups, you need to hit some weights at the gym. Doing a basic 3 day split ABA/BAB workout routine where you hit all the big muscles supplemented with running will drastically improve your muscle performance in a short period of time, and you can finish the weights portion in under 15 minutes.

I'm trying to ease into lifting at the gym with a basic program. This is what I came up with:
Tuesday:
Dumbell bench
Cable Rows
Skull crushers
Bicep curls

Thursday:
TRX stuff

Saturday:
Hammer curls
Leg Press
Lat pulldowns
Dumbell chest flys
Tricep extension

Anything obviously out of whack with that?
 
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