@Ashwin
All the stuff about rest aside, I would suggest just doing more push-ups. If 3 sets of 12 is easy, then increase the load to 3 sets of 20, then maybe attempt 4 or 5 sets of 20. You’re going to have to get uncomfortable at some point (without risking injury) or you’ll never progress. Eventually, you will master regular push-ups and then you can add variations to your routine like diamond push-ups.
Working on your push-ups will help with your pull-ups too as push-ups help build your lats and core. Eventually, all this will get too easy and it will help to go to a gym to give you access to more tools to help keep you fit. But for now, if something that you are doing is too easy, that just means you need to do more of it until you can’t do it anymore.
@Ollie
Looks like I actually meant decline push-ups, haha. Found the link now, thanks; doesn’t seem to cover a plan for what I’m looking for.
I’m looking for advice on the optimum point to step up the incline (decline), say after doing 8 reps x 3 for 5 days, then increase it by 2 or something.
@Ashwin
Again, you shouldn’t do a challenging level of any weight training or exercise routine 5 days in a row. There are damn good reasons why full body routines are 3x a week that have to do with the training theory you refuse to read.
@Ollie
Factoring in rest days, how would you adjust the push-ups to build muscle? Would gradually doing them at more of a decline as they get easier be a good way to do it?
Ashwin said: @Ollie
Factoring in rest days, how would you adjust the push-ups to build muscle? Would gradually doing them at more of a decline as they get easier be a good way to do it?
Start with 3x8 at an incline. When it feels easy, increase reps per set until 3x12 isn’t a struggle in your last set. Then lower the incline and restart at 3x8. If you get to that for floor push-ups with good form with a hold at the bottom of each rep, then you move on to harder variations like decline or ring incline (the one I’d go for).
@Ollie
Rest days are fundamental to the quality of any exercise program, and especially so for people starting a new one. You’re putting the cart before the horse here and it doesn’t have to be complicated - just day on/day off or 3x/week is fine when you’re starting off.
@Ariel
How much rest do you need after 36 push-ups? I like to do push-ups before bed on days I haven’t lifted heavy or specifically trained chest already. I sort of think of them as maintenance.
Jace said: @Ariel
How much rest do you need after 36 push-ups? I like to do push-ups before bed on days I haven’t lifted heavy or specifically trained chest already. I sort of think of them as maintenance.
Devil’s in the details - if your rep max is 20 and you’re doing 2 sets of 18 that’s probably counterproductive. If your rep max is over 40 and you’re doing 3 sets of 12, that’s barely a warmup! Basically, you just want to cycle hard/easy to allow recovery, and it’s usually just easiest to rest a muscle group completely for a day or two before training again, especially if you’re a beginner and active recovery is difficult to program without accidentally compromising recovery.
@Ariel
Sounds like that primer might be worth a read. I’ve just been doing what makes sense to me for the most part. A little structure and science could help me get to the next level.
Jace said: @Ariel
Sounds like that primer might be worth a read. I’ve just been doing what makes sense to me for the most part. A little structure and science could help me get to the next level.
Definitely a good idea to read through the reasoning behind why popular routines are structured the way they are! It’s very helpful for when you want to go ‘off road’ and do different things from what a pre-written program says.
Look up some calisthenics YouTubers. Al Kavadlo, Red Delta Project, Calimove, or K Boges have a ton of excellent advice and beginner programs. You want to have a well-rounded routine featuring 1 push, 1 pull, 1 legs movement, and 1 hinge movement.
As for getting better at pull-ups, if you really can’t do even one, try doing negative pull-ups. Basically, get yourself in the up position with assistance, either by jumping or a resistance band or even a stool. Hold yourself up as long as possible, then lower yourself down as slowly as possible. This will train the same muscles but in the eccentric part of the motion.
You could also do inverted rows to work the same muscles. Rows can be easier because you can remove or add more of your body weight depending on your foot placement. Also, dead hanging from the bar will build your grip strength, which is necessary for pull-ups.
For your push-ups, try putting in a pause. Adam from GymnasticsMethod on YT shows a challenge, to follow him doing 15 (or maybe just 10) push-ups for 3 sets, at a given tempo with a pause. I’ve done push-ups forever. When I was teaching, and it would be, say 2015, I would do 2015 push-ups in January. I did a few during the day, each class period, to get 100 a day and kept it up to reach 2015, or whatever the goal was. But I couldn’t get anywhere close to completing his challenge. AthleanX shows doing one push-up with a 1-second pause at the bottom, then repeating that every rep, and most can’t get past 7. Or maybe you double the pause. Anyway, do them with perfect form and a decent tempo, and you will see results.
Pull-ups, chins, and rows are a must-do. Follow some advice on here, look up YT videos on getting your first one, whatever it takes. Then keep working to reach your goal.
@Holt
Thanks. Would the “pause method” build muscle more than just doing a regular push-up, or would that be building endurance? I’m mostly looking to just get more muscular.
Ashwin said: @Holt
Thanks. Would the “pause method” build muscle more than just doing a regular push-up, or would that be building endurance? I’m mostly looking to just get more muscular.
Time Under Tension builds more muscle. Increasing the reps (the usual method) increases endurance. I think what he said to do was a one-second pause, then a rep, then a one-second pause, then two reps, and so on. The pause is at the bottom, maximum ROM. Don’t necessarily do all your push-ups this way, but it is a way to make them harder. Also, you can do variations that will work one side more, like typewriter push-ups. You can elevate one arm. I like to extend one arm to the side (and maybe elevate it on a book or something) to work the other arm more. Tiger bend push-ups, lowering to your elbows and then back up, are hard. You can even do these against a wall to burn out your triceps.
Google Hybrid Routine 2.0 and check it out; it’s free. I recently started it and really like the progression model. That will answer how you can progress your training.
Also, it gives your full body a nice workout. Advanced athletes may find it lacking and to not be enough, but as an untrained couch potato, it gives me a really good workout, and I really like it.
I am suspicious that there is confusion about the 60-70% thing you referenced. A weight equal to 60-70% of your 1-rep max is adequate - that should be a load you can move around 12-15 times at most, and that is a fairly common load in hypertrophy-biased programs. But, you don’t see something like 3x6x10rm in a program anywhere. The closest I can think of is in strength-biased programming, with a lot of sets (like 10x5x10rm).
Generally, if you take the max reps you could do with a given weight and subtract 2 or 3, that gives you an effective target rep count for each of three sets. So like 3x12 with a 15-rep max, 3x8 with a 10-rep max, etc. Alternatively, if you do 3 sets of the same weight and reps each, and the third set was a max effort or close to it, you can bet all three sets were adequate.
Eventually, you need a greater number of “adequate” sets, but that is a future problem. 8 or 9 a week is a fine start.
That feels like I am starting to ramble, but I hope it helps with the push-ups-reps question.
The best way to get better at pull-ups is to do pull-ups. You have to pick a regression that will allow you to practice the movement while strengthening your pulling muscles. Your focus should be doing sets of assisted pull-ups either with resistance bands or just putting a chair under your pull-up bar, using your legs to help with the pull-ups. That way, you can control the load. Do not do holds or negatives; they are a waste of time. The hold will only strengthen the static position. The negative is only the eccentric phase of the movement.