push-ups effective?

[Thai Bri]

I'm just making the point that strength, and fitness in general, is very specific. People often use a circular argument. They Squat, and then say it makes them stronger. And do you know how they "prove" it? They squat higher weights!

Now that it great. But does it make me "stronger" at BJJ, or Thai Boxing? I've done loads of weights in my time, on and off. But guess what? Take hold of something a little awkward and things are much harder to do.

For example, I bought onew of these BIIIG televisions. Carrying it was a flookin nightmare, and it was no-where near the weight of the bars I could lift. I also helped take down a spiral staricase. I helped carry the iron bannister out and was cooked. But the thing was not really heavy at all. It was just an awkward shape, so it put the muscles under stress in a different way, and they weren't used ot it.

Weight training is fun and does make you stronger - but in a limited way. I still use it, but as part of an overall conditioning circuit programe that also incorprates body weight exercises.

[nwtogame]

Strength for any apllication. You think just because you lift a weight a certain way that your getting stronger at lifting weight in just that form? Well this is the first I've heard this on. My opinion and experience is that doing squats improves everything, from strength to power how you'd like to apply it is up to you. From anything jumping in sports to a good base in wrestling (it a plyometric in a sense) drill? Did i say something wrong in my earlier posts?

[Thai Bri]

Strength for what?

[nwtogame]

I've done various routines trying to train for boxing. Just my opinion but you really have to do both. Pushups are GREAT for endurance and WILL increase you strength but ........not like weights WILL. Weight training will increase your brute strength. You could try alternating days of weight training and pushups or mix between the two in your workouts. I'm one of those ppl who can lift as much and for as long as I want will never be huge without steroids. You will always continue to get stronger though with the proper routine. Weights are also not just used in say for lifting as much as you can. You can do a routine for ie: benchpress where your doing 40 reps instead of 4-8 reps for just strength. JUst thought I'd throw these out there. And yes you will get stronger doing pushups but NEVER have the equal strength of someone who is lifting for strength using weights......... If you don't believe walk into a gym after years of doing pushups and challenge somone to weight lifting session.......like one said though its ALL relativeto what you mean in upper body strength and what your goals are. Again though I believe (my opinion) to stay or gain strength and keep your endurance you must do both. IE: You won't find a boxer or ELITE fighter that doesn't do some sort of weight training. If you (board personnel) know of some please enlighten me.
P.S. Some exercises like squats are thought of generally for legs but will increase you total body strength. Its proven that squats put such stress on the whole body.

[carter]

sirmattu's wins the round against tyson. keep it up, kiddo.

not really, doing pushups you will max out on strength gains after awhile. all your going to really be working on is your endurance if you do a crapload of pushups everyday. if you feel like sticking with bodyweight exercises alone then by all means knock yourself out, just dont be shocked when someone with better strength and endurance comes prancing around because they incorporated weights into their routine.

[Broadsword2004]

Sure thing

[Thai Bri]

Thats a great article. Thanks.

[Broadsword2004]

what the hell's is a planche? you mean like a push up in a hand stand?

Nope, a pushup done in a handstand position is a handstand pushup. A planche pushup basically looks like a reg. pushup, but with an exception. The kind where if you walked up to Joe Schmoe on the street and said, "How many pushups can you do?" Joe Schmoe is going to be thinking of the reg. kind of pushup. The kind with a flat back, legs straight, on balls of feet, rising up and down. The exception is the planche pushup looks like this, but with your feet lifted off of the ground, thus making your body parallel completely to the ground. This is very very very difficult to do; just holding a full-on planche is a high-level strength move performed by serious male gymnasts. But anyone basically can get to a planche, you just gotta work your butt off and practice everyday. Go here:

http://www.dragondoor.com/cgi-bin/articles.pl?rm=mode3&articleid=229

This article is a fantastic article on learning how to do a planche. And planche pushups. It shows all the prerequisite steps you need to do. It also has pics of some neato other strength moves.

another really good upper-body strength move is the muscle-up. Also, lever-pull-ups. Lever pull-ups are a gymnastic type of pull-up, also described on the site I provided above. If you do lots of handstand pushups, planches, planche pushups, lever pull-ups, and muscle-ups, you will pretty much develop a body that has more strength then weights could ever provide. Just maybe not as much muscular definition.

[FURIOUS]

start off by warming up with burpees or squat thrust both are different
vary your pushup in all angles use your imagination for upper chest elevate your legs on to a chair or sumthin then if you have push up bar handles use them or get a couple of concrete slabs or bricks anything to strech your chest when going down or have one hand on the floor and the other elevated bout 1footdo one push up then switch to the other hand and anther push up vary them feet on floor feet elevated or hands elevated and if thats not enough then i suggest u get a weighted vest for some or most of these routines if not fill your back with sand bags or bricks just suggesting thanks yall

[Uncle Corny]

sirmattu's wins the round against tyson. keep it up, kiddo.

[sirmattu]

pushups get you stronger but weights increase muscle mass and get you stronger. eventually your strenght will be maxed out on pushups.

even if you do like 200 hundred a day?

[sirmattu]

The most elite form of pushup is the planche pushup, which looks like the normal "American" pushup, only your feet are off the ground, so you just go up and down solely under arm strength. First you have to be able to do a planche though.

what the hell's is a planche? you mean like a push up in a hand stand?

[Thai Bri]

Yes, they will beat them with skill AND core strength. Core strength that is FUNCTIONAL to grappling (unlike the deadlift, which is functional for lifting things up a little off the floor).

[Grifter]

I agree about using weights. If you want strength thats the way to go. Everybody gets this idea of some big bulky bodybuilder who cant wipe his own ass. But seriously guys the odds of getting to thats size with no steroids or anything and close to impossible. The things is use exercise like dead lifts the work your core. Not to take away from the importance of body weight exercise either. I agree that the are important.


Bri Thai, I say this with no disrespect, but you analogy with the BJJ guy is a horrible one. You put anybody with no or little training against a top BJJ guy and he's going to get his ass handed to him.

[Broadsword2004]

The most elite form of pushup is the planche pushup, which looks like the normal "American" pushup, only your feet are off the ground, so you just go up and down solely under arm strength. First you have to be able to do a planche though.