So, how many pushups can you do?

[untamed]

Hmmm, I literally just got up from checking (haven't done them in a while). 30 in quick counts.

Back in the mid-90's during my younger college varsity days training for competition, 50/set was the norm, 3 sets a day. At times I could push it to 70 but I was impatient to hit the bag, cardio or stretch already so I willing "plateaued" there unlike the rest of the guys (too much macho posturing already). I was the king of sit-ups though and I could do the most "twisties" in a minute

Anybody ever do Burpies? They are just awful.

Hehehe, I hear ya. But the rewards are tremendous. Engages the WHOLE body plus cardio. For our purposes, one variation was to end quickly in a fighting stance for a quick 1,2 punch combo then cycle back.

 

[Esoxlucius74]

Well, I report in the day after my 20 pushups... OUCH!! my poor arms...

This got me thinking... I better get started with this training stuff.

 

[jamesmtl]

Check out www.hundredpushups.com

my friend told me about that site roughly 3 months ago. I had been at 30-35 max in one shot. I started the challenge, got 2 weeks in, started P90x with my sister, now my max is 59.5 as of yesterday.
I can easily do 55 wait 2 mins and then do 50.

After a breakup Jan last year I weighed ~230lbs (i'm 6'2") I started swimming regularly (2-3times a week) and then started working out a bit.

Today my weight varies between 189-195.
I'm 28

 

[shaving sharp]

52 years old,50 pushups.

 

[RABII]

Forty-seven CLEAN push-ups for forty seven years of age.

 

[tradewater]

I'm not sure, but I think I can do all of them. Except those weird Tai ones. I can't do those.

 

[scotsmanspride]

52... Which is sad compared to what i could crank out in my day working in a rock gym and the Army. Triple digits used to be easy.

 

[-Lucky-]

85 in 50 seconds, not sure how many if I went 'til fail... Though I'm only 19

 

[tgo-mdai]

How about deadlifts?

 

[upnorth]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QRy-PEgbls

I didn't know that she was taping me.

Truthfuly I have never stopped doing free weights since my teens. I slob a bit during the winter then pick it up again toward spring. Winter is lower maintenance.

 

[richw]

If you dont like the exercise, then fair enough.

But theres no denying that push-ups are a great way of building functional upper-body strength. Chest, shoulders, triceps and the midsection as a whole are exercised.

I think they are an okay exercise. I do not agree that they are a great way of building functional upper-body strength. I don't think something that you can do a large number of continually increases your strength, and definitely not optimally.

If doing 15-20 pushups is hard for a person, then yes, but after a point it becomes a stamina building exercise. If I wanted to be able to do a 100 pushups in a short time, it would take me a few weeks to get to. The reason being is because I do real resistance weights. If you want to continue building strength, you have to move up in weight.

Also, I am not sure what you mean by functional. There is no job that I do that requires pushups. And there is a big difference between a 225lb man doing a pushup and a 140lb man doing a pushup in terms of actual energy and strength required.

Its an okay exercise. Very good for people who want to tone or are starting at a low level. Outside of that, its meh.

 

[armysf18]

I average about 80 in under 2 minutes. 277 on my last PT test. I am a slow runner though.

 

[stabman]

I think they are an okay exercise. I do not agree that they are a great way of building functional upper-body strength. I don't think something that you can do a large number of continually increases your strength, and definitely not optimally.

Push-ups got me past my bench press plateau.
Now I can do one rep at 300 pounds on flat bench with the olympic bar; I weigh 170 pounds.
When I reached the magic number of 100 reps push-ups in a set I reaced the magic 300 pound bench.
I'm 34 with malignant hyperthermia, which makes muscles crappier, by the way.
So, I'd give push-ups a:thumbup:

 

[richw]

Push-ups got me past my bench press plateau.
Now I can do one rep at 300 pounds on flat bench with the olympic bar; I weigh 170 pounds.
When I reached the magic number of 100 reps push-ups in a set I reaced the magic 300 pound bench.
I'm 34 with malignant hyperthermia, which makes muscles crappier, by the way.
So, I'd give push-ups a:thumbup:

At around the age of 26, that was when I hit 315 bench at around 170-175lbs. I was never very good at bench, but I was able to do it. Back then I could also probably do 100 or so push ups, but that was a side effect of my bench, not because I used that. Today, at 40, with long periods of no lifting, I can still bench about 315. I weigh 225, and I know I can do 50+ pushups. I bet if I kept the same muscle mass and was down back at 170, I could still do 100 push ups.

I would bet in your case if you had reached a plateau, the push ups were working some under-developed muscles that you were not hitting appropriately with weights. when people want to improve their sprint, they dont keep jogging for longer and longer distances.

****Edit

Forgot to say congratulations on reaching your goal. In all honesty, I can say I have never reached any specific goal I have set.

 

[Tin.Man]

Can rep out 113 for a max. And I used that 100pushups website, only it was in a menshealth.

Anyone have a max on pullups/chinups? Now there is a good test. 20 on any given day strict, best was when I was climbing 5 days a week, I was approaching in the 40s, can still do a couple one arm chins either arm but also have some wrecked elbows to thank climbing.

Better yet muscle ups?

Cheating a little, I mainly do gymnastics and rock climbing.

 

[Bladite]

Can rep out 113 for a max. And I used that 100pushups website, only it was in a menshealth.

Anyone have a max on pullups/chinups? Now there is a good test. 20 on any given day strict, best was when I was climbing 5 days a week, I was approaching in the 40s, can still do a couple one arm chins either arm but also have some wrecked elbows to thank climbing.

Better yet muscle ups?

Cheating a little, I mainly do gymnastics and rock climbing.

i was on my way to doing kipping pullups a couple Summers ago, but i've never been able to regularly do pullups, even when i was doing gymnastics or rock climbing when younger and lighter. i have a lot more upper body strength NOW, but also a TIRE i'm working on, so that's not good. we'll see what i can manage this Summer

pushups max. haven't tried in a while for total muscle failure. will soon, i'm just taking the slow and careful approach to making sure my soft tissues are ready for it, and don't ripe stuff out. that same year i was going for pullups, i tweaked my left elbow - let's call it tennis elbow, while doing speed lifts in a WOD. only really bothered me while hanging. OW. goddam. ow. never got better until i stopped hanging

 

[Tin.Man]

Bladite- Fish oil, 2-3 grams a day will solve most joint problems, as well as increase lean body mass, help your heart, cardio vascular fitness, etc.

I have wrecked shoulders, knees, elbows from submission grappling and climbing, fish oil and some good prehab solved all my ailments. In amounts my doctors thought was obcene, but doctors rarely know whats up with nutrition. And results speak for themselves.

After telling them what my diet was, they said I was gonna have a heart attack and die, after 6 months my blood work was that of someone 10 years younger, blood pressure was amazing, resting heart rate was borderline lance armstrong. (without chemicals)

 

[richw]

In amounts my doctors thought was obcene, but doctors rarely know whats up with nutrition.

I was dating a woman that was going to Johns Hopkins med school and is now on a review board at U Penn. Two of the top 5 med schools perennially in the U.S. When I was dating her, she said they do two days in med school on nutrition. She did not know what an essential amino acid is, why taking glutamine after a surgery might help with recovery, etc. It was mind boggling. But then you have to factor in how much they actually have to memorize and learn, and I can see why they skip nutrition.

The problem is not that most doctors dont know about nutrition, it is that they don't admit to themselves that it is important and that they don't know.

 

[WVHILLS]

Can rep out 113 for a max. And I used that 100pushups website, only it was in a menshealth.

Anyone have a max on pullups/chinups? Now there is a good test. 20 on any given day strict, best was when I was climbing 5 days a week, I was approaching in the 40s, can still do a couple one arm chins either arm but also have some wrecked elbows to thank climbing.

Better yet muscle ups?

Cheating a little, I mainly do gymnastics and rock climbing.

I can do 8 pull ups from a dead hang, but I weigh 280lbs...I really want to be at 10 by summer. I think if I'd lose about 45lbs I could do 10 or 15.

 

[jforbush]

Real men do cock push ups!!! You only need to do one!