push ups vs the bench press

[KennethKu]

At the moment of impact, momemtum= mass * terminal velocity. Looking at that, you need both mass and strenght (which generates velocity).

 

[JDenz]

Glad we have a few people skilled in math around here

 

[MountainSage]

JDenz,
For my part in the mathematics I do not take credit. There is a website, TaekwondoTutor.com, the site reviews the physics behind many of the principle of the MA. I personally was a staight grade D student in math and never studied physics.

MountainSage

 

[KenpoGirl]

Hey guys. Question for you.

Push ups from the knees. I can do 30 of these without a lot of effort but can only manage 10 to 12 regular or "full" push-ups

Is it cheating to only do half push-ups? I was told my a friend that half push-up concentrate on the upper body more and full push-ups work on the back and other parts.

Is it "cheating" to only do half push-ups? Am I robbing myself?
I do vary the hand positions {regulars, wide, tricept , and hands positioned close to the ribs}

Dot :asian:

P.S. if you've already discussed this I appologise, I haven't read through the whole thread as yet.

 

[Jill666]

Full push-ups also work the back, gleuts since you are keeping you body aligned. As with any exercise it is best to not sacrifice form. If you are doing 12 full push-ups now ( for example) and keep it up, you will be able to bang out 20, the 30, then sets of twenty-five. It just takes time. Maybe your shoulders are quite strong, but your forearms or small muscles elsewhere need work (as was the case for me). Keeping to the full push ups will develop these areas. My instructor wouldn't allow push-ups from the knees from day one, saying "do as many as you can".

Then you can cross your ankles, put your feet up, do triangles, and show off generally

I also do bench presses, & use free weights. Being half the size of the guys I train with, I generall lift half of whatever they lift, and do the same routines. (Being the only woman in the class, I don't know what is "normal" for my size) Except I do a lot more sit-ups, crunches and lunges. I'm in my mid-thirties so certain areas need extra attention. *sigh*

 

[KennethKu]

Originally posted by KenpoGirl
Hey guys. Question for you.

Push ups from the knees. I can do 30 of these without a lot of effort but can only manage 10 to 12 regular or "full" push-ups

Is it cheating to only do half push-ups? I was told my a friend that half push-up concentrate on the upper body more and full push-ups work on the back and other parts.

Is it "cheating" to only do half push-ups? Am I robbing myself?
I do vary the hand positions {regulars, wide, tricept , and hands positioned close to the ribs}

Dot :asian:

P.S. if you've already discussed this I appologise, I haven't read through the whole thread as yet.

Just add 1 more push up in the next training and you will increase the number steadily.

 

[JDenz]

Yes knee pushups should definitly be dropped. All the advice you have been given is good. Everything should always be done with good form for maxium effect. MountainSage I work in a machine shop and deal with numbers and formula's all day long it isn't that hard I only had B's in school and it was more hard work then natural talent.

 

[Astra]

What I found to be a good excercise if you're tired of "plain old pushups" is to find a smooth wall, stand on your arms and keep your feet against the wall so it balances a bit for you. Then let your nose touch the ground and push yourself completely up again. It requires balance, very good triceps and it works well all-around. Depending on the angle, you will lift a different amount of weight. For those are fit and have perfect balance, they can attempt it without the wall. Though pulling this excercise off so it has conciderable impact requires you to be really fit - I was able to do over 50 normal pushups in a minute before I was able to do one of these perfectly.

 

[KennethKu]

That is Military Press but using your own body weight. Again, you are limited by your body weight and will plateau quickly.

 

[JDenz]

Yes. All and all any body exercise can be one better with weights. I do use body weigt exercises in my training usally as a burn out when I finish lifting that body part. ie. push up for chest, dips for tris etc.

 

[Astra]

I wouldn't agree to that, but to some extent you're right. As a result of doing those, you develop "more packed" ( I don't know the right term in english) muscles, instead of huge ones. And to increase work done, you can do them faster. Thus gaining SPEED in your movements, not potential force. Depends on what you want though. If you want more explosive power, do fast props with light weights. If you want more muscle mass, do slow props with heavy weights. The plus side to using your own body is you only need a floor and some solid objects and don't need to invest into anything. And, if you want, you can always attach something heavier onto you while doing them.

 

[white belt]

Humor me. If you want to reach a new level of control over your upper body's explosive capabilities. The elevated (benchs or chairs) pushups, described in my earlier post, will give you quality development instead of useless bulk. If your body weight seems not enough to you, I suggest you try JUST 10 reps, then get back to me and let me know if they are too easy.

white belt

 

[yin_yang75]

I personally like the ? Shaolin Push up ? (not sure of the name)

I had seen it before but started doing it different after watching a Matt Furey video. Your butt is up in the air and you swoop your face along the floor and then push your body up. At this point you are looking at the ceiling and your back is arched (like the yoga position sphinx). Then you bend at the waist shoot your butt up in the air and rock back on your hells and start over.

These are great and I notice a difference. They work a lot of other muscle groups and I mix them in with regular military pushups. You are supposed to do these fast to aviod lactic acid build up, it should be fast enough to be aerobic. I start slow because my sholder pops if my hands aren't in the right position. Too many arm bars.

I do use weights a little, but perfer exercises that make me lift my own weight. I am my own portable gym.

 

[JDenz]

You guys may know martial arts but you seem kinda clueless about bodybuilding. Light weight with alot of reps will build mass just like lifting heavy weights will. In fact talk to a pro wrestler sometime those huge guys usally lift about the same amount of weight that I do at the gym. In fact when I am bulking up I usally go to 10 sets of ten reps with a 45 second break between them. I only lift heavy maybe once or twice a month just to see what my max strength is. Lifting a weight so heavy that you can only lift it once is not the best way to develop strength or mass.

 

[white belt]

400 LB. bench press w/dead weight at a body weight of 195 lbs. If I weren't cluless, I mighta been A CONTENDERRRR!!! Oh, the humanity!

Lot of reps?!... LOT OF REPS!?... Mr. Denz can you do a lot of the HINDU PUSHUPS that Yin Yang 75 described? Can you do just 15 consecutive of the CHAIR PUSHUPS I described?

If those are that easy for you to fall under the high rep category, then you KICK ***!!! You would squeeze me like a pimple on the mat. Share some details of your methods sir!

I was at a Judo tournament some years ago and started talking to a rather tough looking, but nice fellow, in street clothes waiting for my next match. We hit it off and he took me aside and totally transformed my favorite throw on the spot! Little did I know when chatting that I was speaking to a 3x national Judo champion and former Olympic coach. I am kind of lucky that way. Any tips you have sir, please fire away!

white belt

p.s.
How many chair pushups can you really do?

 

[Astra]

Originally posted by JDenz
You guys may know martial arts but you seem kinda clueless about bodybuilding. Light weight with alot of reps will build mass just like lifting heavy weights will. In fact talk to a pro wrestler sometime those huge guys usally lift about the same amount of weight that I do at the gym. In fact when I am bulking up I usally go to 10 sets of ten reps with a 45 second break between them. I only lift heavy maybe once or twice a month just to see what my max strength is. Lifting a weight so heavy that you can only lift it once is not the best way to develop strength or mass.

You talk to a pro wrestler, I talk to a few pro-bodybuilders. Go figure. Developing "bulk" or beeing huge BTW, is not only limited to the excercises you do. It's much more dependant to your protein intake, and it all tends to vary from person to person. Fact.

 

[white belt]

That amount of protein / nutrition thing is very accurate! I agree from experience. Good point! My pals Hanz and Franz say be careful or you might have a FLABALANCHE!

white belt

 

[KennethKu]

Originally posted by white belt
Humor me. If you want to reach a new level of control over your upper body's explosive capabilities. The elevated (benchs or chairs) pushups, described in my earlier post, will give you quality development instead of useless bulk. If your body weight seems not enough to you, I suggest you try JUST 10 reps, then get back to me and let me know if they are too easy.

white belt

Not everyone is 250lb

But seriously, it is more effective if you train with progressive weights. While during a training session, using pyramiding load enlists different muscles to be trained. It is hard to do that if you are only limited to your own body weight (or a % of it). Not that it is useless, rather it is not as best as you can get out of your training. Heck, the USNAVY SEALs use Pushups, Pullups and Situps (plus DIPs in the second phase) primarily. And it works for them.

 

[white belt]

So Ken, you accusing me of a FLABALANCHE!!! Listen to me now and hear me later. Chairs kind of heavy? Well, how many can you really do?

white belt

p.s.
I weigh 170....and I am 4 ft. tall. I hang up groin protectors to practice my jump kicks. Look like a midget playing the xylaphone with his feet, when I hang up more than four in a row.

 

[JDenz]

Yes definitly protein and calorie intake are as important as what you eat as is making sure you get more calories then you burn vitiamins, proper supplementation. The Navy Seals do that but the avarge navey seal is in the 180-210 pound range as well and are cut looking not big and bulked.