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Pushups- Try Reading Here First- Merged Thread

Thanks Hatchet Man, I'll definitely check out the site. I'm sure I probably do need to check my technique again, as I've started to favour or compensate for the right side in order to avoid pressure/pain. It never used to be uncomfortable--difficult while I was building up my strength, yes--but not painful.
 
Hey. I am not an expert, but I injured my shoulder quite badly at the beginning of November. I panicked because my BMQ wasn't far off. I tried to keep going with at least push ups because I was so scared of loosing the progress I had made. I ended up setting myself back another two weeks. I should have just rested it in the first place. Your shoulders bounce back pretty quick once you are healed (at least mine did), so my advice is to suck it up and rest it - but make sure to stretch it. A friend who is a doctor told me that muscles need lots of oxygen a nutrients to repair, so a great thing you can do for an injury other than the legs is cardo. It will bring more blood through the tissue so that it will heal faster. Just my 2 cents man! Good luck with it!
 
mld said:
Hey. I am not an expert, but I injured my shoulder quite badly at the beginning of November. I panicked because my BMQ wasn't far off. I tried to keep going with at least push ups because I was so scared of loosing the progress I had made. I ended up setting myself back another two weeks. I should have just rested it in the first place. Your shoulders bounce back pretty quick once you are healed (at least mine did), so my advice is to suck it up and rest it - but make sure to stretch it. A friend who is a doctor told me that muscles need lots of oxygen a nutrients to repair, so a great thing you can do for an injury other than the legs is cardo. It will bring more blood through the tissue so that it will heal faster. Just my 2 cents man! Good luck with it!

Thanks mld!
 
Hey man I have get pains in my shoulders also when working out, I've done a couple things to keep up progress but at the same time allow them to heal. I don't know about push ups because they don't hurt my shoulders but when i bench press if I go to low with it my shoulders will start to pinch due to to much range in motion.

if your shoulders are hurting with declined push ups, try to continue doing them but don't go so low to the floor see if that helps. go half way or 3 quarters down. sure they're are not proper push ups but this way you'll keep your muscles used to the motion. if you find it to easy then do them slowly.

from what my doctor told me the reason my shoulders are starting to hurt, is because my muscles are developing faster then my joints and tendons can keep up. you might have the same thing, in that case you need to start doing exercises that will strengthen your rotator cuff's and tendons leading up to it.
 
jo2outbound said:
Hey man I have get pains in my shoulders also when working out, I've done a couple things to keep up progress but at the same time allow them to heal. I don't know about push ups because they don't hurt my shoulders but when i bench press if I go to low with it my shoulders will start to pinch due to to much range in motion.

The likely culprit is that you are not properly setting your shoulder in the socket, and/or properly applying torque through the shoulder capsule (if you are getting pain in the bottom of a benchpress, and your shoulders are flared out 90 degrees from your feet, then this is definately the case). 

from what my doctor told me the reason my shoulders are starting to hurt, is because my muscles are developing faster then my joints and tendons can keep up. you might have the same thing, in that case you need to start doing exercises that will strengthen your rotator cuff's and tendons leading up to it.

False.  Unless you are taking steroids, your tendons and ligaments will develop strength on the same scale as the muscles that they are attached to and operate in the same movement plane.

The issues with the shoulders and why so many people wind up with problems (including me) is basically threefold
1)  The Shoulder is the most complex joint in the body.  There are tendons/muscles and ligaments criss-crossing all over the place, which is why you can move your arm in a multitude of directions (there is a chrome app/website called bio digital human, if you want to get a good 3D look for yourself).  The problem is the more mobility a joint has, the more unstable it is, especially under load.  Basically with any pressing movement you need to apply torque to the joint and remove all the slack that is providing it the freedom of movement.  www.mobilitywod.com and videos from Westside Barbell on youtube, talking about bench press technique, describe how one actually goes about, applying torque and removing slack from the joint.

2)What your doctor was probably getting at, and didn't do a good job of explaining is (and this ties in with my first point).  Is that while you are making the muscles  (and the corresponding ligaments and tendons) on the anterior (front) part of your shoulder/body stronger through benchpress/push ups, all that pressing movement does very little to strengthen the muscles and attachments on the POSTERIOR (back) side of your shoulders.  Which is where the weakness that your Doc was referring to, in all probability is located. The biggest culprits for this training bias is poor technique (proper technique in the bench/push ups, involves applying torque through your shoulders/arms, and actively PULLING either the bar to your chest or your chest to the ground) and ego (most people only train what they can see, and what will make them look "better" without a shirt on). 

3) Depending on how long you have been training, this training bias will eventually start to limit your mobility as you become over developed on the one side (if someone has ever told you, or if you have ever noticed that your shoulders are always rounded forward, even when relaxed, then you definately have an imbalance).  Part of this is due to adhesions and scar tissue and micro trauma, collecting on the one side, effectively shortening the length of all the connective tissue.  The other reason is your body's built in self preservation mechanisms.  Your body likes balance, if it starts noticing one side is stronger than the other it will apply the brakes, to keep you from hurting yourself.   
 
Hello again, just wondering if I am able to do push-ups on my fists during BMQ or if they must be performed on flat palms? It doesn't really matter to me but I've always done them on my fists for a few reasons, one being my watch gets in the way while doing flat palm push ups (yes I understand I can take my watch off but I prefer to wear one at all times). I spoke to a man who is high up in the RCN who said I can do them on my fists but I'm assuming he did BMQ 30+ years ago so I am wondering if things have changed.

Thanks again for any info  ;D
 
No.

But if you ask about doing extra push ups on your fists while on PT your staff may include extra push ups for everyone after every set of regular push ups you do.

Your course mates may or may not thank you for helping them get stronger through extra PT ;)
 
Haha thanks for the response. But I think I'll just suck it up, readjust my watch, and go flat palmed!  :crybaby:
 
I saw that GW.  Not trolling and I'm mistaken.  It was only during PT we couldn't wear watches...but basic was so long ago I forgot my hair used to be brown  :)
 
Loosen the strap if you have a non-classical watch and place it higher up on your forearm. When you're done, just tighten it up back to your wrist.
 
Sharp said:
Loosen the strap if you have a non-classical watch and place it higher up on your forearm. When you're done, just tighten it up back to your wrist.

That is what I meant by "readjust"  ;) I have too many watches to know what to do with, so I will definitely leave the ones with metal bracelets at home
 
Really?

You'll do what you're told. If you ask, they may let you. That's the end of the convo.

Off track right away with stupidity over watches.

This has to be a set up for April Fools.

We're done here.
 
I have a problem with push-ups.
I'm a tall and fairly large guy at 6'6 and 285. I'm a CIS offensive lineman, so I would consider myself a fairly strong guy - I'm in the weight room four days a week now that we are in the off-season.
However, push-ups are still the death of me and I think its because of the length of my arms.
When testing my push-up ability, will they use the 'fist' method of measuring how low I can go? Or will they take into consideration that when I go that low I am WELL beyond breaking 90 degrees? Also, do you have to fully lock out your arms at the top for it to be considered a 'proper' push-up.
Thanks for the help.
 
SNB said:
I have a problem with push-ups.
I'm a tall and fairly large guy at 6'6 and 285. I'm a CIS offensive lineman, so I would consider myself a fairly strong guy - I'm in the weight room four days a week now that we are in the off-season.
However, push-ups are still the death of me and I think its because of the length of my arms.
When testing my push-up ability, will they use the 'fist' method of measuring how low I can go? Or will they take into consideration that when I go that low I am WELL beyond breaking 90 degrees? Also, do you have to fully lock out your arms at the top for it to be considered a 'proper' push-up.
Thanks for the help.

While you might will do push ups through recruit training it isn't part of the FORCE test for the CAF.

 
Tall guys not only have to travel the weight more distance (or body), we also need to generate greater torque to move the same weight than a shorter person would have to.
Oh life can be unfair. ;)
 
I'm about the same height as you, not built like a barn, but still. I found that if I narrowed my arms so that they were right under my shoulders, and didnt flare my elbows out at all, it was a lot easier for me to do pushups. Even still, I only did pushups in basic, once I hit my Infantry course course staff just kind of forgot about all that jazz and focused more on teaching us. Not to say we didnt receive our fair share of jackings. As was mentioned earlier you wont have to do pushups during the FORCE test, there is a pseudo burpee during the dash portion, but other than that you'll be fine.



 
I have had shoulder surgery and I find that "Military Push-up" are easier on my body than standard push-ups. Maybe this might help you.

See ref below:

http://youtu.be/YMc1J7MnEMI
 
It will focus more on your tris and chest, so if you're not used to that, you will find it more difficult to do. The wider position is somewhat easier because your shoulders kick in, but many people have a tendency to flare elbows out and to place hands too far in front.
I try to do as many 'proper' push up as I can, ie, hands at chest level (so that if you flared your thumb to the side, it would touch your chest), elbows tucked (more or less) and about shoulder width, and when I can't get anymore out, I open up my stance and maybe get a couple of more in.
And when you're completely drained, wait a minute, and do some more with a wide stance.
You also do not need to lock your elbows. No exercise should ever lock the joint. It's horrible for your joints.
 
What are you benchpressing?  At 6'6 and 285 I have no doubt you are strong but are you strong relative to your size?  Which is really what a pushup is a measurement off anyways.

I had trouble cranking out more than 40 pushups and had pretty much plateaued.  I started lifting weights (followed Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength Program) and added 30+ pushups to my total.  The last time I ran an Expres Test, I cranked out 78 consecutive pushups.

I am 5'10 and weigh 192lbs; however, my max benchpress at that time was 260lbs. 1.35x my bodyweight

My advice to you, if you want to improve your pushups, would be the following:

1.  Lose 20lbs - Being heavy works for football but not so much for the Army.  If you shed down to 260ish with your height, your pushups will get better.

2.  Aim to benchpress at least 1x your bodyweight as a minimum, goal to strive for is between 1.3 and 1.5x your bodyweight.  You will crank pushups out like nothing then.

3.  What are your pullups/chinups like?  Your pushup problem could also be related to your back as these muscles tend to compliment each other.  You should aim to be able to do 12 to 15 consecutive chinups if you also want to rock at pushups.  These will also strengthen your core which will help with pushups. 

Last thing I would also do is everytime you lift weights, squat!  Squats are the most important exercise there is and if you crush squats every weight session, the rest of your body will also get strong.   
 
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