Can't increase pushup reps. Increase in chinups, core strength. Pushups stuck at 20

[SumoNinja]

BTW, I always loved The Maxx movie.

I've always liked Maxx, never seen the movie, but read some of the first few comics. I always wanted to see him fight this guy

I always thought they made that blonde chic with the Maxx, don't remember her name, looked trashy, reminds me of the girl in My Name is Earl, lol

 

[bbortko]

If you don't want to build mass do 4-6 reps at whatever weight is appropriate for you, to build mass you need sets of 10-12 reps, if all you want is to get cut do 12-15. If you can't do the minimum reps lower the weight if you can do more add weight.

 

[bbortko]

No, I don't want to look like a pile of meat. I just want to be stronger. Would cross-fit work with the above-mentioned routines?

cross fit will work for general fitness and core/stabilizer muscles but won't turn you into a horse. Cross fit is similar to training camp, athletes train all off season to get bigger and stronger but need to get on the field to get into game shape.

 

[knifegill]

when your going to pushup 21 do you try your absolute hardest or do you loose it the very last split second?

I give it every thing. Breathing, focus, full effort. The muscles just can't pick up my body at that point.

If you don't want to build mass do 4-6 reps at whatever weight is appropriate for you, to build mass you need sets of 10-12 reps, if all you want is to get cut do 12-15. If you can't do the minimum reps lower the weight if you can do more add weight.

You're saying that 4-6 reps will build strength but not much mass? That seems to jive with my water bottle (approx 40 pounds?) curls. I started at around four curls and was up to six before I broke one setting it down one day and the wife vetoed the whole concept. That was just two sets every other day, at around five curls, rest, then another set of something like two. Hence my perplexion at similar efforts failing with pushup efforts. So should I put weights on my back or something or keep going with the Mon,Wed, Fri notion?

 

[Darsie]

Low reps you will build strength and size (powerlifters, oly lifters, strength athletes use). between 2-6 reps 5 is a good compromise (forget off the top of my head what the graph is called)

bodybuilders use higher rep work, most of them arent strong for their size

i wouldnt bother wasting time with isolate movements. stick to compound movements. squat, bench and deadlift. then you could do some assistant exercises like your pushups, chins or pullups

 

[knifegill]

Just for kicks I tried rapid pushups. I kept good form, I just didn't go slow enough to "feel the burn" and I cranked out 23 before stopping so I had some left for more sets. I am confident I could have hit 25 at that moment, I just didn't want to go to exhaustion since it was the first set. Kept it quick for the next sets and popped out a 16, 12, 10, and then a set of 8. I realize now that speed is a huge factor. Now I'm torn between doing really fast pushups just for numbers or sticking with my slow, burning type I've grown so accustomed to. My arms definitely feel more beat up after tonight's set than they have from the normal version I do. Yes, I skipped Friday. I though an extra day of healing would do me good. Maybe I was right... Either way, I'm rereading this thread and updating it with progress, especially on days like this when I raise the bar a little.

 

[MaddMaxx]

Good to hear man! Stick with it...

 

[knifegill]

I wasn't eating enough protein. I'm up to 45 push-ups now. And I can do one-armed chin-ups.

 

[MaddMaxx]

Yikes! Thats cool man, thanks for updating