Getting To The Full Push-Up And beyond
To define my terms, by growth what I mean is not just in terms of muscle but in strength and coordination.
When looking at something or a variety of subjects I find it crucial to get at the root or what are the repeating patterns. The reason for this is that by looking at the root one can better discern what is the true cause whether that be by understanding human nature and how it manifests throughout history, how various illnesses come about through food and lifestyle, or how one develops a better body. By getting at the root the individual can better focus, find their answer and achieve their goal in a much quicker fashion.
Search for the signal within the noise.
Issue
Muscle and bone density are great to have in old age. Walking is great and I do my own brisk walking throughout the day but although that may be great for the lower body, it does very little for the upper. However, for the average person, the question is how to achieve greater muscle mass or bone density in their upper body. They don’t have time for the gym or it’s too expensive. Or they are not strong enough to perform a push-up on the floor. The barrier to entry might seem like overcoming a huge wall.
There are smaller steps that will give one significant benefit in the meantime. The nice thing about bodyweight exercises and overcoming isometrics is that it conditions you to be more creative and have the ability to seek opportunities where there are none. By repeating various patterns and adhering to certain principles, one’s progress will remain steady for years to come.
Those who have been working out for a while might find themselves in a rut. You can do hundreds of regular push-ups or diamond push-ups but in order to improve it requires more reps. But, more reps require more time which some might not have. Additionally, improving your technique on the one-arm push-up may seem like an impossible feat.
Being a hard gainer myself as well as spending some time as a personal trainer here are some solutions (patterns) that will anybody no matter their level.
Resolution
High to Low Principle: One principle to improving your push-ups is to start high and go low.
Starting at a higher elevation in a way mimics less gravity. Start high with a wall push-up or off a high surface.
Whatever surface you are using ensure that is stable. Over time, go lower as your strength continues to improve. I have used part of this approach in the past toward my goal of the perfect one-arm push-up. With this progression not only should the elevated surface you are using be stable but so should your feet. What I mean is that sometimes the surface you are using may be too slippery and your feet will not be able to stay in place and the focus/tension transmitting through your arm will be limited. It’s what makes the one-arm push-up with feet against the wall so easy.
With your feet in place, you can focus all your attention on the arm. Over time my plan is to get away from the wall and conduct a perfect one-arm push-up. But, for any type of high-elevation push-up progression just make sure your feet don’t slip.
Frequency Principle: Another is to train at a pace where there’s no break in your momentum. For example, if you’re training push-ups three times a week with two sets close to failure and your progress begins to slow down, take more time off between workouts. If you’re taking a “Grease The Groove” approach and treating strength like a skill and you’re doing one set, not to failure every day and progress is still steady then keep it going. It’s all based on your goals. The two sets close to failure will build more muscle in a shorter time span if done correctly will add some insurance going into old age. The “Grease the groove” approach will add some muscle but don’t expect to be turning heads anytime soon.
Isometric Principle: The third principle is to utilize over-coming isometrics. There are several ways in which you can do this which I’ll cover more in the future. Below I have two methods. The strap and the towel. The first method can be done at any height. Ensure to perform an isometric press at three different joint angles for only 6-8 seconds of force generation and that’s all you need. Have the strap around your upper torso but underneath your shoulders with your hands holding it in place.
Starting at a position where your chest and recipes are stretched,
breathe in/ start generating tension,
press for 6 to 8 seconds while breathing out,
then relax, breathe in, and chill.
Do this once more in a middle range of motion angle and at a higher one.
The towel method is where you will use a towel to perform over-coming isometrics grip both sides and perform whatever movement you prefer. Below I have one that’ll specifically hit the triceps and the forearms. On this one, you will be pulling outwards at three different joint angles starting from shoulder width and then going out.
I recommend incorporating Isometrics after your pushing movements as beforehand will tire you out to the point you won’t be able to execute a good technique. The strap method allows you to get all your pushing muscle at once but some days I’ll use the towel method for some isolation. It will, in the end, increase your strength no matter what you us just be consistent.
Harmo-Knee Principle(Get It!?!?): Perform a push-up where instead of your feet connecting with the ground your knees are and you may need a towel or something comfortable to place your knees on. This decreases the lever at which you are pushing which in turn decreases the tension through your pushing muscles. Same with the height principle watch the slipperiness of the floor.
Arrow Principle: Have your arms positioned in an arrow formation as seen above. Too wide and you’re going to hurt your shoulders over time. Start here and as you get stronger bring the arms closer in over time. This will feel more difficult than keeping your arms in the T formation but your shoulders will thank you.
Maneuver Plan
Use what feels best for you. You may find that at one point in your push-up journey, the High-Low principle may be extremely beneficial while in others the harmo-knee principle works best. You know your body the best. Make sure to keep a log to properly measure your progress and help you troubleshoot.
Well, I hope this helps, and if you have any questions feel free to ask.