Pushups- Try Reading Here First- Merged Thread

[Fusaki]

first do as many as you can. than the next day try and double it. kepp on doing that till you can do them. that's how i learned how to do my push ups for Army Cadets. hope that helps!

Good advice. If you start by doing 20 today, and double that number every day for a week you should be able to do exactly 2560 pushups and have no problems during basic training. ;D

Or do Pyramids. Do 5 pushups on your first set, rest for a minute, then 10, rest for a minute, 15, rest, 20, rest.... ect ect untill you max out, at which point you continue by lowering your max number by 5 push ups per set.

 

[Jonathan]

how many are you guys doing a night, I would really like to now, I do pushups every second night and wondering how many do you think will help me best

 

[Fusaki]

how many are you guys doing a night, I would really like to now, I do pushups every second night and wondering how many do you think will help me best

Well, the more you can do the better, obviously. In the infantry, you'd expected to be able to do at least 40 consecutive push ups as a minimum. A guy who can do 50 would be considred fit, but not outstanding. A friend of mine did 68 on his pre-selection fitness test (for the JTF2) and is in excellent condition all around, so most guys consider him to be at the higher end of the physical fitness spectrum.

The standards change with the trade and course, though. If you can do 20 push ups, walk quickly, and spell your name correctly you should have no problem in Basic. :

 

[Gunner98]

Good to compare against a standard - US Army Fitness standards are found at:
http://usmilitary.about.com/od/army/l/blfitfem17to21.htm

300 points is superior level, 270 is excellence level.

 

[scoutfinch]

I know this makes sense mechanically, but I have never heard anyone complain about it before and it is starting to become a problem for me:

I am starting to develop considerable soreness in both wrists during pushups.  I initially just considered it yet another hateful side effect of this miserable test of upperbody strength but I have noticed this getting worse of late.  Just before posting this I attempted to do 25 pushups.  By 15, my wrists were beyond uncomfortable.  By 20, I decided it was time to stop because it really hurt.  There is no residual pain.  The pain stops when I stop doing pushups.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I may do to minimize the discomfort?  And stopping pushups is not an option.

 

[Hot Lips]

I would get that checked out Scoutfinch...

Do you type on a keyboard for any length of time throughout the day...everyday?

Could be a number of things...but like I say...it would be something I would let my doc know about.  You would really need to know what is wrong before a suggestion might be made to give you a hand...otherwise the advise might make things worse.

HL

 

[scoutfinch]

I don't spend much time on a keyboard -- other than here!  i don't think it is carpel tunnel.  It doesn't hurt at all when I type.  It is just when weighbearing during pushups.

 

[ohdiesel]

Scout,

That sounds like something with your metacarpals.

Get that checked out right away  :skull:

I don't spend much time on a keyboard -- other than here!  i don't think it is carpel tunnel.  It doesn't hurt at all when I type.  It is just when weighbearing during pushups.

 

[acclenticularis]

I would see a doctor asap, especially if you are not going to quit push-ups.  How about doing them on your fists for now?  It would take the strain off your wrists.  I re-joined recently and during my prep., I developed sore wrists.  I was tested and it was not carpel tunnel.  I never really got an adequate explanation for the pain.  My pain was at the sides of my wrists and the pain was not a buzzing like you get with carpel.  And the pain went away after doing push-ups too.  In the end I just did the push-ups on my fists.  Please post what the doc. says.  Good luck.

 

[paracowboy]

seek medical advice.

Now, you may just need to build up your wrists. You can do this with some simple exercises:

1. grab a barbell. Kneel on the floor, with your forearms resting on a bench, barbell gripped firmly in both paws. Relax your grip until the barbell rolls down your fingers. Roll it back up by making a fist. Curl your fists in towards your forearms. You have now completed the first of a set of forearm curls. Repeat as necessary.

1a. if no bench nearby, do the same movement, but with your arms hanging loosely in front of you, knuckles touching your thighs.

2. find a 10 lb plate (or heavy tome, as you are a bookworm). Grip it with the tips of your fingers, and hold it out that way. Raise it and lower it. Rinse and repeat.

3. perform the standard push-up with the following variation - do 'em on your fingertips.

4. grab a dumbbell (no, not me!). Hold it in a hammer-like grip, with the plates on top of and below your fist. Now, make a movement as though you were hammering in a nail.

These should help strengthen the itsy-bitsy muscles in your forearm.

It may also be something as simple, as changing your hand position while performing push-ups for a while. Space 'em out a bit. Bring 'em in a bit. Move 'em forward. Move 'em back. See if you can find a position that doesn't hurt.

And, yeah, try doin' 'em on your knuckles. Make fists and push off the top two knuckles.

But, first, seek medical advice.

 

[Jonathan]

I have a problem with pushups to, it is not the exact same problem but I am wondering if anyine else gets it. When I do pushups something makes a sound of crackling in my palm on the side of my pinki finker. It doesnt hurt, just feels and sounds weird. I now do pushups with my hand turned in a bit on an angle to get rid of this.

 

[Aislinn]

Pus-ups and sore wrists: Like it was suggested, get it checked out. Even more so, start strengthening exercises like paracowboy suggested. All the ones he suggested are ones that I did. Doing them almost every night shouldn't be a problem when using lighter weights. He also suggested hand position. Concentrate on keeping your wrists in a straight line and not at a funny angle. Also, stretch your fingers out wide. I had wrist problems (tendinitis from doing too many pus-ups!) and all these suggestions really helped. So did lot's of stretching and using a tensor bandage (something that supports your wrist, not impede motion) when weightlifting or pushups. In fact, stretching is just as beneficial as the strengthening. Do it slowly and carefully. The pain feels the same through the stretch as it does when you put too much pressure on your wrists through push-ups, so it's paramount that you stretch slowly. Also, do push-ups against a bench (so you're slightly higher up and thus have less weight on your wrists) until you build up more strength. If you overdo it, ice and rest your wrists properly.

Tingling feeling: As for the funny feeling in your hand and pinky, it sounds like a nerve is being pinched.

Hope that helps.

 

[scoutfinch]

I spoke with my trainer... it is just a bit of an overuse injury... go figure.  I am icing and on an anti-inflammatory for the next few days.  I am going to stop doing pushups as many times a day as I have been.  I also am going to wait until after the weekend to start doing some strengthening.  I am trying to remember to stretch frequently. 

Thanks for the advice everyone.

 

[theseeker]

I spoke with my trainer... it is just a bit of an overuse injury... go figure.  I am icing and on an anti-inflammatory for the next few days.

you should try wrist bands the adjustable kind. i had the same problem as you did when doing push ups or bench press. i bought some of the weight lifter straps and used them for a couple of weeks. i only adjusted my bench press weight down alittle and kept on the same reps for push up and then i was fine, but i am not a doctor, this worked for me.

 

[Jonathan]

it makes a cracking sound

 

[Jonathan]

I dont think I am the only one that is thinking about this question!
Some people do 25 everytime they think of it and others do sets(me) as in do 20 wait a minute then do it agian until you cant.

I am wondering which is better or will they have the same effect?


ps.If doing puhshups throughout the day is good I will start that way, should this be done every day?

 

[paracowboy]

http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/33109.0.html

Jonathan,
thre are some tips on push-ups in this thread. The one you said you were going to read from the beginning. Did you read it? And did you find any of the tips to be less-than helpful? If so, please pm me. If it's lacking, I need to correct it.

 

[Jonathan]

I have read that thread more than once, but I have desided to try out the do 20-25 pushups everytime I think of it, I think it might work better, going to give it a try. I just wanted to know which way people found faster results but I will experiment.

 

[Clément Barbeau Vermet]

When I do pushups something makes a sound of crackling in my palm on the side of my pinki finker. It doesnt hurt, just feels and sounds weird.

Same for me. Weird, "loud", cracking sound and a twisting feeling... but I don't care.

 

[civvy3840]

Same for me. Weird, "loud", cracking sound and a twisting feeling... but I don't care.

Maybe you should because that isn't normal. There is nothing wrong with going to a doctor you know.