Poll: How many push-ups can you do consecutively?

SideWinder · 7 Jun 2020 at 14:53

Could even be turned into a poll?

0 - 20
21 - 30
31 - 40
41 and beyond!

Just curious really to see where I stack up alongside other OCUKers and thought this deserved to be outside of the 'Gym Rats' thread...who doesn't love a classic push-up!

I am on week 5 of https://hundredpushups.com/index.html so I started around the 17 mark and hit 32 in a row today.

Rroff · 7 Jun 2020 at 14:55

Seeing the push-up challenge thing for male mental health all over Facebook at the moment.

Also there is a big difference between "cheats" and proper push-ups - I can do cheats all day long hit 100 easy but proper ones especially with hand release or similar techniques I max out at 25 consecutive and anything past ~12 is a real struggle (EDIT: Just trying now make that 15 before I start to feel it).

EDIT: Think I'm gonna give that program a go.

Day 1 not quite to plan as I already did 20 while trying when I first posted so ignored the initial 10 and struggled to 12 on the next set, did the 7s OK but with only 60 seconds rest between sets hit a wall at 4 on the last one.

SideWinder · 7 Jun 2020 at 16:04

Mm lots of different challenges out there! Think this was the origional...started off in the third column but now slowing down to the first.

Rroff · 8 Jun 2020 at 02:57

SideWinder said:
Mm lots of different challenges out there! Think this was the origional...started off in the third column but now slowing down to the first.

Yeah I think I started it once before but lost motivation around the 3rd week.

I intend to see it through this time as I'm not getting the exercise/workouts I used to into my daily routine any more.

jsmoke · 8 Jun 2020 at 03:19

I try it later today. Should be able to do 50 at least.

arknor · 8 Jun 2020 at 05:43

I don't work out and can only do about 8 real ones before its a struggle :/
slowly going up and down in a controlled fashion though rather than letting gravity do some of the work.

I've been planning to start working out again for the last 2 months...but the hot weather tells me I would sweat buckets and feel like crap after.
I actually own weights just never used them in years.

Martynt74 · 8 Jun 2020 at 09:06

Around 17 for me. The first 10 i can manage fairly easily but then beyond that it gets a struggle quickly.

A few weeks back i set myself a small challenge of doing 50 pushups, squats and lunges throughout the day as 5 sets of 10. That lasted a few days, although i do try and do them every now and then, i broke my wrist around 15 years ago and find press ups always put quite a lot of pressure on it. I did buy some of those push up handles but never really used them.

SideWinder · 8 Jun 2020 at 11:17

jsmoke said:
I try it later today. Should be able to do 50 at least.

Impressive!

arknor said:
I don't work out and can only do about 8 real ones before its a struggle :/
slowly going up and down in a controlled fashion though rather than letting gravity do some of the work.

I've been planning to start working out again for the last 2 months...but the hot weather tells me I would sweat buckets and feel like crap after.
I actually own weights just never used them in years.

You would be surpised just how quickly your stength improves - could try the website i posted?

Marvt74 said:
Around 17 for me. The first 10 i can manage fairly easily but then beyond that it gets a struggle quickly.

A few weeks back i set myself a small challenge of doing 50 pushups, squats and lunges throughout the day as 5 sets of 10. That lasted a few days, although i do try and do them every now and then, i broke my wrist around 15 years ago and find press ups always put quite a lot of pressure on it. I did buy some of those push up handles but never really used them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tE7T6O1F99M

Have you come across these before? Less pressure on the wrist.

Martynt74 · 8 Jun 2020 at 11:19

Oh no i hadn't seen that. I have sometimes found using the clenched fist style of press up worked a little better than the open palm version though.

EdwardTeach · 8 Jun 2020 at 11:42

I just gave it a go, I did 30.

I always do closed fist, as I find open palm hurts my wrist.

SpeedFreak · 8 Jun 2020 at 18:55

Not sure if I even want to try, used to be able to do 80+ in a minute 15 years ago, I hate getting old....

Rroff · 8 Jun 2020 at 19:05

SpeedFreak said:
Not sure if I even want to try, used to be able to do 80+ in a minute 15 years ago, I hate getting old....

I'm actually surprised how quickly I'm getting back into shape at 38. I used to do athletics and was in great shape but not bothered in years really - lately felt physically and energy wise more like 50 so decided to do something about it but I've been able to scale back up way faster than I thought - I feel more like 20 again after only a couple of weeks or so.

SpeedFreak · 8 Jun 2020 at 20:51

Rroff said:
I'm actually surprised how quickly I'm getting back into shape at 38. I used to do athletics and was in great shape but not bothered in years really - lately felt physically and energy wise more like 50 so decided to do something about it but I've been able to scale back up way faster than I thought - I feel more like 20 again after only a couple of weeks or so.

I'm on that journey but have had a back and shoulder injury, so just watching what I eat for now!

wolfie138 · 10 Jun 2020 at 13:21

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwLRI1ZIAUQ

tom_e · 10 Jun 2020 at 13:31

21 but I am a 112kg lard arse at the minute

Rroff · 10 Jun 2020 at 14:52

Doing day 3 of that program - really struggling on the 3rd column - I've got an old shoulder injury from playing Rugby nothing major but start to feel it towards the end of each set and makes the last 1-2 push ups difficult. Probably something a physiotherapist could correct :s (kind of odd to describe but I have to hold the final position and find a different set of muscles to finish off with to manage it).

Spacedeck · 10 Jun 2020 at 15:17

I've been gradually doing pushups since lockdown started, I didn't even know this was a thing until now. When you talk of pushups, are we talking chest touches the ground before pushing up? Or one of them like 3/4 down pushups in rapid succession?

I do the ones where my chest touches the floor without actually laying down and resting. I could barely do 10 when I started but I'm currently doing about 20 in the morning and 20 in the evening. After 20, it becomes really heavy on my arms to push myself back up.

SpeedFreak · 10 Jun 2020 at 19:37

We used to do a fist under the chest when doing fitness assessments.

azazl187 · 10 Jun 2020 at 19:41

I can do 70 without stopping

Rroff · 10 Jun 2020 at 19:43

Spacedeck said:
I've been gradually doing pushups since lockdown started, I didn't even know this was a thing until now. When you talk of pushups, are we talking chest touches the ground before pushing up? Or one of them like 3/4 down pushups in rapid succession?

I do the ones where my chest touches the floor without actually laying down and resting. I could barely do 10 when I started but I'm currently doing about 20 in the morning and 20 in the evening. After 20, it becomes really heavy on my arms to push myself back up.

I generally use the military measure where you go down enough the back of your arms and back are level (like 90% down) not necessarily touching the ground.