[Life's Good]

I've been using the Perfect Push-up for about a month and I'm starting to see results. I youtubed the tutorials which helped a bit. I get really ripped during the exercise as well as afterword but on rest days I look normal again. Has anyone used the Perfect Pushup and if so do you prefer it over the benchpress?

[Hencredible Casanova]

(12-01-2011 02:00 PM)Lifes Good Wrote:  

I've been using the Perfect Push-up for about a month and I'm starting to see results. I youtubed the tutorials which helped a bit. I get really ripped during the exercise as well as afterword but on rest days I look normal again. Has anyone used the Perfect Pushup and if so do you prefer it over the benchpress?

The Perfect Push-up is a legit product. I use it at the gym when doing functional training exercises. It provides a great core workout as, when doing a push-up, you are using your own body weight as resistance.

However, the benchpress is an indispensable apparatus for gaining power. It can't be compared to doing push-ups in that regard.

[RichieP]

Guys if you want a real bench press alternative in pushup form that still gets you incredibly strong, and is also healthier for your shoulders (and free):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJK_wU4UVw4

They look easy... just try them. Unless you're a gymnast / breakdancer, you'll probably be able find a hand position where you can't even do one.

They're also extremely easy to "increase the weight" on, as once you can do your target number of reps in whatever hand position, next time you move your hands back an inch and it gets harder.

[Hencredible Casanova]

Slightly off topic, but I saw this for the first time yesterday. Truly impressive.

[Basil Ransom]

(12-01-2011 02:44 PM)RichieP Wrote:  

Guys if you want a real bench press alternative in pushup form that still gets you incredibly strong, and is also healthier for your shoulders (and free):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJK_wU4UVw4

They look easy... just try them. Unless you're a gymnast / breakdancer, you'll probably be able find a hand position where you can't even do one.

They're also extremely easy to "increase the weight" on, as once you can do your target number of reps in whatever hand position, next time you move your hands back an inch and it gets harder.

Nice. Do you find these give you size as well? In which muscles? How well do the strength gains carry over to the other pressing exercises, like weighted dips, bench presses, overhead presses and incline presses?

I'm going to try incorporating these, because it feels like I can't build strength by bench pressing - my bench only goes up after I've done something else for a while, but if I just bench, I hit a wall pretty quickly. I can currently bench body weight for reps.

I just did a couple reps, getting my hands farther and farther from shoulders, both feet on the ground. It felt like my wrists and forearms were the limiting factor, such that my chest, shoulders and arms wouldn't get worked maximally. If that's the case, it might not contribute to their development much. I'll try it some more and see how it goes.

[RichieP]

I've been doing these since I stopped weightlifting due to blowing out my inner ear (dont ask).

In between stopping the lifting and starting bodyweight stuff, I lost alot of size so I'm not a great case study. What I do know is, since starting these:

-They make my shoulders and triceps insanely sore. I do them "close grip" because my pecs are naturally big and dont need any growth, but you can do them "wide grip".
-They are putting size back on in those places.

From the mechanics, I would think they'd carry very well over to dips, and mediumly well to the other presses. IMO anything that is bodyweight or freeweight, multijoint and hard enough to be able to be done in a strength-building rep range is as good as it gets. If you want to "get strong", these will do it. Check out some of the gymnasts with planches and full-planche pushups... they started with these exercises and gradually progressed. And they are sickeningly strong.

If you specifically want to up your bench press though, a specific powerlifting program will get you there quicker. To be good at the bench, you gotta bench. But for size and functional strength these IMO are top-tier.

Another reason I really like them, is they dont irritate my shoulder like benching does! Your scapulae are free to move since you're not lying on them, so it's really a much healthier lift. No nagging "deep in the shoulder" pains when doing these, which I would get with bench.

Re: Wrists and shoulders, yes they get worked hard. For me after a couple of sessions I got used to it, and am hitting my triceps and shoulders very hard. Definitely make sure your palms and fingers are splayed out to the sides, not fowards or behind. It may take some getting used to, but I would think your wrists/forearms will adapt after a few sessions and then stay up to the task, since they're doing the stabilisation and not the heavy lifting.

[Magnum]

If you work your way through from frog stands all the way to planche pushups your benchpress strength will go through the roof.

Anyone who can do a full planche pushup with good form can usually do a double bodyweight bench press on their first attempt at the exercise.

Food for thought.

[Moma]

(12-03-2011 01:30 AM)Magnum Wrote:  

If you work your way through from frog stands all the way to planche pushups your benchpress strength will go through the roof.

Anyone who can do a full planche pushup with good form can usually do a double bodyweight bench press on their first attempt at the exercise.

Food for thought.

I am going to start working on this. I need to send my physical game up a few notches.

I've also been attempting these (see below) every day. I can't even do a percentage of a raise at this point.

[RichieP]

Yep getting to a planche pushup will get you massively strong. One thing I'd add is that if you want to also build size as you get stronger, then just doing the static position progressions (frog stand, and then progressing) wont be optimal. That's why I recommended the pseudo-planche pushups in that vid I posted - you can train them for reps and sets from the beginning, so you progress towards the planche and also build as much size as you can along the way.

[Cr33pin]

usually that guy doing the supeman push up has some hot chick doing the workouts

[Moma]

(12-03-2011 06:45 AM)RichieP Wrote:  

Yep getting to a planche pushup will get you massively strong. One thing I'd add is that if you want to also build size as you get stronger, then just doing the static position progressions (frog stand, and then progressing) wont be optimal. That's why I recommended the pseudo-planche pushups in that vid I posted - you can train them for reps and sets from the beginning, so you progress towards the planche and also build as much size as you can along the way.

How do I build towards the hardest pushup in the world? I can't even raise up with that to any degree..

[Magnum]

Moma,The pushup that bloke is doing is nowhere near as hard as a planche pushup but it is still a hard one.

To build up work on the plank position with your face down and also do the same ammount with your bum to the floor and your face looking up at the ceiling.Work up to 3 x 30 secs facing up and 3 x 30 secs facing down.once you can do that easily get a 10 kg weighted vest or get somene to place a weight on you for further resistance.Once you can hold a plank in good form for 30 secs with 10-20kg extra resistance your core will be strong enough for this pushup.

You will also need the pushing stength so start with bodyweight pushups and work your way up to an extra 20kg for 3 sets of 10.Also,practice your frogstands and some handstand holds against a wall and work your way up to 2 sets of 20 seconds for each exercise.

Once you can complete that little workout you should be able to crank out a few of those pusups without too many problems.

[nagi]

Push Up is the great exercise and I often use to this exercise very much. In the time of morning if you take push ups as exercise then this is awesome healthy tips.