Pushups as conditioning

[MBZ]

Wrong. Please don't give advice if you don't know what you're talking about.

Please don't tell me what I know or don't know, you do not know me. My statement wasn't meant as an attack on your advice. I've trained with 4 UFC champions and numerious other world class, professional martial artists, athletes, millitary people, chiropractors, doctors, and trainers. "Broomstick" rows are fine as a form of rehab or for rank beginners.

 

BLESSINGS!!!

[mantis]

Please don't tell me what I know or don't know, you do not know me. My statement wasn't meant as an attack on your advice. I've trained with 4 UFC champions and numerious other world class, professional martial artists, athletes, millitary people, chiropractors, doctors, and trainers. "Broomstick" rows are fine as a form of rehab or for rank beginners.

 

BLESSINGS!!!

 

That's cool, but you still don't know what you're talking about. I'm not recommending the rows as a back exercise, it is for postural alignment.

[xakarii]

As far as I know muscles in the general area of other muscles (the same muscle group) are contracted in an effort to support them.

 

 

So as far as training pecs, I think it's useful in that it can help to support surrounding muscle groups.

 

I mostly do cao style pushups for the wrist conditioning though.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHdoJ-__kpk&feature=channel

[NeiChuan]

I like pushups and shoulder pushups. Shoulder pushups is a bit more intense and works the side abdominals pretty dang well.

[hagar]

In SF Janes original post, she posed the question of push ups made any sense in real life.

 

I'd say no. But purely from a qigong perspective.

If we agree that working potential (in the real world) equates to power, this is what gives effect, and strength (in a muscle) is a product of conditioning, equates to resistance.

 

Power comes from emptiness

Strength comes from conditioning

 

The principle is as follows: (From TTC chapter 11))

 

Thirty spokes share the wheel's hub;

It is the center hole that makes it useful.

Shape clay into a vessel;

It is the space within that makes it useful.

Cut doors and windows for a room;

It is the holes which make it useful.

Therefore profit comes from what is there;

Usefulness from what is not there.

 

 

(strength) comes from what is there

(Power) comes from what is not there

 

I've felt this in my climbing, coming back from a retreat I could climb much harder without doing any climbing at all for a month.

 

I don't know if this is relevant, but it probably relates to some aspect of this stuff.

 

h

[NeiChuan]

In SF Janes original post, she posed the question of push ups made any sense in real life.

 

I'd say no. But purely from a qigong perspective.

If we agree that working potential (in the real world) equates to power, this is what gives effect, and strength (in a muscle) is a product of conditioning, equates to resistance.

 

Power comes from emptiness

Strength comes from conditioning

 

The principle is as follows: (From TTC chapter 11))

 

Thirty spokes share the wheel's hub;

It is the center hole that makes it useful.

Shape clay into a vessel;

It is the space within that makes it useful.

Cut doors and windows for a room;

It is the holes which make it useful.

Therefore profit comes from what is there;

Usefulness from what is not there.

 

 

(strength) comes from what is there

(Power) comes from what is not there

 

I've felt this in my climbing, coming back from a retreat I could climb much harder without doing any climbing at all for a month.

 

I don't know if this is relevant, but it probably relates to some aspect of this stuff.

 

h

 

Pretty mind opening. Thanks.

[hagar]

Pretty mind opening. Thanks.

 

Actually, since I am now in the middle of a retreat with my teacher I realize that what I wrote above is inaccurate.

 

Its more precise to say that power comes from information; or that energy and information is accessed through tapping into the right source.

 

So in this context:

 

"Usefulness comes from what is not there"

 

emptiness is not empty, yet insubstantial, and contains all power.

 

Sounds abit lofty, but its true.

 

h

[~jK~]

Push ups. Does anyone include them in their training regimen and if so, why?

 

I do the Cobra pose from Yoga, which has a full range of motion on it's style of movement as described in The Five Tibetans(T5T). I do 21 repititions. Among other benefits, it keeps the man boobs off as well as helps to eat away some of the fat in the general vicinity of the heart.

 

I also do a trick that I picked up long ago of doing sets of repetitions on sit-ups or leg lifts which takes the 21 repetitions times 5 sets = 105 situps while watching TV. If you have been slack during this winter, It will get you back in shape 5 times as quick.

[Russell-NWIA]

I incorporate push-ups into my conditioning routine in combination with yichuan and technique training. I find them to be an excellent way to strengthen the upper body without adding unnecessary bulk. I agree with you that the best way to get better at something is to practice that thing. So, push-ups don't teach you to punch better but I consider the core of my training to be cultivating a body that is strong, reliable and responsive in as many different ways as possible.

 

Push-ups are not essential by any means but I see no reason not to do them. It is vital to cultivate the body in some way so there ought to be some form of conditioning in one's routine.

 

Russell

Northwest Internal Arts

[Non]

spiderman pushups...

[TheSongsofDistantEarth]

I like the systema push ups. its the push up position on your knuckles and you walk around on them. Its their way to practice the strike connection angles and to really practice dropping your weight through the arms to the fist...

 

Also inside Hammer fist and many snake fist strikes use the pectoral...

 

 

More_Pie, do you do Systema workout or breathing exercises? I am very interested in Systema.

[Trunk]

[mantis]

I'd stay away from any type of plyometric work unless you're young and even then I'd advise against it.

[Mal]

I stopped doing my pushups for a month a few months back. But I really didn't like how my body felt without doing them. So I've slowly been working them back into my routine. Not high reps, there is just no "reward" for me that makes pushing on to do X number worthwhile.

 

For me there seems to be a continuum

 

<nothing>...<right number>...<too many>

 

Do nothing and I miss the feeling of my body working efficiently

 

Too many and I eventually injure myself, sometimes physically but also mentally from "failing" to achieve goals.

 

Do the right number (whatever that is for YOU) and it's something I look forward to doing and it feels effortless.

[tumoessence]

I want to do a little shameless promotion here for a book. I get no compensation at all, but thisbook is incredible. It may be a schtick, for six major calisthenics he gives the most basic exercises to work up to what we know as the accepted form of them. For the push up there is a step or two, its two before what we know as the girl pushup. Only then is the reader encouraged to move on as the joints are brought up to speed as well.

Its called Convict Conditioning.

[NeiChuan]

I recently jumped up to handstand pushups.. Would you guys say theres anything negative about doing a good 50 of them?

[Martial Development]

It is useless to discuss the value of pushups without referencing counts. The cost and benefit of training to complete 5 pushups is different than for 50 or 500.

 

How many is not enough? How many is too much?

[NeiChuan]

It is useless to discuss the value of pushups without referencing counts. The cost and benefit of training to complete 5 pushups is different than for 50 or 500.

 

How many is not enough? How many is too much?

 

What happens say if someone is doing to much?

[Mal]

How many is not enough? How many is too much?

As I get older I find that less really is more, about all I have ever achieved from pushing myself to a number is overuse injuries.

[Old Man Contradiction]

My understanding of the martial arts is that whether you want longevity, martial skill, or peace of mind, you need to maximize your body's potential.

 

That being said, my goal is to be able to do 1000 pushups in a half hour, in sets of 100. The rest of the body should be worked even more. The couple guys that I train with that can do this, are actually very skilled martial artists too. Great conditioning and great internal martial arts put together goes a long way.

Edited July 15, 2010 by Old Man Contradiction

[buscon]

Pushups, as every conditioning exercise, are not just a matter of how many you can do it.

Try doing them really slow, you build up a different strength and it's a totally new experience

[Old Man Contradiction]

Pushups, as every conditioning exercise, are not just a matter of how many you can do it.

Try doing them really slow, you build up a different strength and it's a totally new experience

 

I second that. Best results I've gotten from pushups was when I was doing max repetitions in addition to just holding the posture for as long as I could, and doing slow reps.

[TheSongsofDistantEarth]

 

 

That being said, my goal is to be able to do 1000 pushups in a half hour, in sets of 100. The rest of the body should be worked even more.

 

"Old Man" Contradiction?!?

Edited July 15, 2010 by TheSongsofDistantEarth

[Aetherous]

That being said, my goal is to be able to do 1000 pushups in a half hour, in sets of 100.

 

That would be very impressive! How close are you to this goal?

[mantis]

Doing push ups really slow doesn't do much, unless you're talking taking 1-3 minutes to do a single repetition slow.

 

For upper body strength I'd say 20 Pull Ups and a single set of 80 Push Ups shows a good degree of strength and ability.