How many, how fast, what kind of pushups?

[Synaesthesia]

I am trying to develop some more punching power and am wondering what sort of pushups would train the various muscle groups involved?

 

How many pushups should I be doing? Six sets of fifty in fourty minutes? Twenty minutes? Ten?

[Ironberg]

What I usually do is tappering. I will start with something like 60 wait a minute and then do 40 or sixty, and go down every minute. I personally think that pushups intended to make punching stronger is different for every person. Every once in a while I'll do fixed sets of fifty, or so. Sometimes in the morning I'll do sixty pushups and then do 40 knuckle pushups. Knuckle pushups are important to gauge how well your fist will remain stable when you wallop something.

 

However, one thing to be noted is that pushups are an AREOBIC workout. Keep that in mind because after a while it may only make your punches faster or tire you out less when training on a heavy bag.

[WhiteBelt]

If you can handle them, do plyometrics (exercises that develope explosive power). Push off the floor fast enough that your hands leave it. Do this exercise only once or twice a week. You probably don't want to start this off on your knuckles.

 

If you want endurance there are plenty of pushups to choose from. I find the hardest to be any kind of pushup where your hands are closer together. Do as many as you want; break them up into reps too. Every other day, or every two days is fine.

 

If you need to improve strength and pushups aren't helping, get into weights.

[Synaesthesia]

*ACK* I was in bad form the other day and I really hurt my back with pushups and situps. Where's that tylenol?

 

I'll definitely increase the number of polymetric style pushups I do.

 

I'm not going to try at this point to push past 6x 50, but try to vary up the style of pushups and wear a backpack with maybe 30-50 pounts on calisthetic days.

 

Thanks for the advice. My arms are tingling in anticipatory agony. Hopefully in a few months I'll have some nice punching power to add to my arsenal.

[AndrewGreen]

Just don't forget the heavy bag. Good mechanics are just as important as strength, if not more so.

[Synaesthesia]

AndrewGreen,

 

Good god, no need to tell me that. Back in my "totally lazy except for pushups" days, I got swarmed. In the midst of my frantic punches, my shoulder got nicely dislocated to my great chagrin.

 

No sir, I shall not neglect the bag again.

[AndrewGreen]

Ouch!