Pushups and Weight Training, What's Too Much?

[K31]

The workout week I've been trying to do goes like this: Sunday - 1hr. stationary bike at cardio pace Monday - Weight training Tuesday - TKD Wednesday - Weight training Thursday - TKD Friday - off Saturday - Weight training I've been trying to to this 5 sets of 5 routine during weight training that uses exercises that work many muscle groups. Exercises such as squats, deadlifts and bench presses. I've had problems with sticking with this because I feel I don't recover as fast as I used to. Our instructor wants us to begin ramping up our physical training in class including situps and pushups for our eventual upper belt tests. For this reasons he wants us to work on those exercises outside of class. I've heard varying reports of what's required for a BB test from 100 pushups to "it's just insane". My question is, should I continue to do bench presses. Substitute sets of pushups for bench presses on my weight training days, trying to do some combination of both? I feel that bench pressing certainly helps build muscle for pushups, but does nothing for adding scores of them to my count. Thanks.

 

[terryl965]

I would slow down on the wieght training and work on the requirements since your recovery time is taking longer. I know for me two days a week is plenty of wieght training. Hope that helps.

 

[exile]

I would slow down on the wieght training and work on the requirements since your recovery time is taking longer. I know for me two days a week is plenty of wieght training. Hope that helps.

Hear, hear! Overdoing it can wind up costing you strength gains you'd otherwise make. There's some discussion around these questions here, K. And if you rummage around in the archives, there are a few threads back there that focus on the issue of weight training and how best to integrate it with MA-specific training.

 

[MJS]

The workout week I've been trying to do goes like this: Sunday - 1hr. stationary bike at cardio pace Monday - Weight training Tuesday - TKD Wednesday - Weight training Thursday - TKD Friday - off Saturday - Weight training I've been trying to to this 5 sets of 5 routine during weight training that uses exercises that work many muscle groups. Exercises such as squats, deadlifts and bench presses. I've had problems with sticking with this because I feel I don't recover as fast as I used to. Our instructor wants us to begin ramping up our physical training in class including situps and pushups for our eventual upper belt tests. For this reasons he wants us to work on those exercises outside of class. I've heard varying reports of what's required for a BB test from 100 pushups to "it's just insane". My question is, should I continue to do bench presses. Substitute sets of pushups for bench presses on my weight training days, trying to do some combination of both? I feel that bench pressing certainly helps build muscle for pushups, but does nothing for adding scores of them to my count. Thanks.

On your weight training days, how are you breaking up what you work on?

 

[K31]

It's basically the same routine each time. I don't do isolation exercises in this routine because, like I said it'd supposed to use exercises that work as many muscle groups as possible. So it's always 5 sets of 5 benches, 5 sets of 5 squats, 5 sets of 5 bar dips...

 

[MJS]

It's basically the same routine each time. I don't do isolation exercises in this routine because, like I said it'd supposed to use exercises that work as many muscle groups as possible. So it's always 5 sets of 5 benches, 5 sets of 5 squats, 5 sets of 5 bar dips...

Not sure what type of weight you're using but that is most likely the reason why you're not having issues with recovery. There was a time when I did a full body workout. It consisted of 1 set, as many reps as possible until failure, at a medium weight. Now, something like that could be done every other day and you'll most likely recover without issue.

You may want to consider breaking up what you work. I do something along the lines of:

Back/Biceps
Chest/Triceps
Shoulders/Legs

I'll workout 3 times a week. As for the cardio...thats something that can be done daily or every other day, but again, mix up the intensity of it.

 

[bluekey88]

It sounds like you're doing the old 5x5 routine. Good workout to gain overall strength and size. However, you need to get enough rest and eat properly to not only get the best from it, but also to recover.

There's no magical formula in what is too much or just enough...that really will depend on you. If you find it hard to meet all your fitness/training goals, you;re over doing it. Back off on something.

In the meantime, make sure you;re getting at least 8 hours of sleep a night and that you are eating enough in the way of calories to meet the needs of this increased workout schedule. make sure the foods you take in are from the whole foods/fresh family (lots of fresh veggies and fruits, plenty of protein).

Currently, I have a pretty full routine weight training 3x per week and TKD 4 times a weeks (train twice, teach twice). Generally i find that I recover ok, but when it starts catching up with me (every 6 weeks or so), I take a week off of the weights. You shoudl be doing that anyway with the 5x5 routine.

Peace,
Erik

 

[IcemanSK]

I would do the push-ups in sets of 20 (5 times) during the course of an hour private training (on your own) instead of weights. If the goal is to do X number of push-ups for tests, I think you should focus on that.

My .02