Push ups?

RE: Push ups?

Sumorunner — Sat, 06 Feb 2016 12:11:39 GMT

A gradual, progressive push-ups schedule can be found here: http://hundredpushups.com/ I did it several times and while I never made it to 100 in a row, I found that I could do many sets of 40-50 totaling hundreds. So I've continued doing my multiple sets for years.

RE: Push ups?

FindingMyInnerFish — Sat, 06 Feb 2016 08:28:04 GMT

Both my running club coach and my masters swim coach urge me to do push-ups. The swim coach takes it a step further. During masters workouts, he maintains a "push-up list." Those who violate certain rules he sets up (not starting on their intervals, putting their feet down before the end of the set, etc.) are assigned 4 x {25 fly + 10 push-ups} I do the set sometimes even if not assigned it. The coach teases me--"you can't save them up!" My objective: when assigned the set, I want to reach a point where I can do it so easily that I jump out of the pool saying, "That was fun--can I do it again?" Let's just say I have a ways to go before that happens. ;)

RE: Push ups?

__steve__ — Sat, 06 Feb 2016 01:33:30 GMT

If you want to boost your # of push-ups, an excellent method is to use additional elastic band resistance. It's kinda tricky setting up, but what I use is two blocks, one for feet and another for hands. Tie off the ends to heavy dumbbells and slip under the loop such that the band goes around back. After a few weeks of these, normal push-ups will feel unusually easy

RE: Push ups?

Sumorunner — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 12:29:03 GMT

I'm in no danger of straining anything with that routine. I was a shot putter, which is a push, not a throw, and that's what was needed. I wanted to know if that is sufficient or was there a different sort of routine that would be better. I'm aiming for longer distances, 1000 and up, not sprints.

RE: Push ups?

StewartACarroll — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 09:26:15 GMT

It depends upon what you're looking for. For general strength and fitness, I am sure they are good. Can they help you swim faster? Possibly. Are they required for you to swim fast? No. My take is that they can help but there are better exercises for swimmers that translate better into the pool. I don't do push ups for a number of reasons, the primary being the impact on my shoulders. I do planks for core exercise however. I think pushing exercises are good for balance in muscle groups but believe core and specific pulling exercises translate into the pool much better. Just my uneducated opinion.

RE: Push ups?

Elaine Krugman — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 08:56:21 GMT

Since we're talking about the 1650 it's not really sprinting, so you could still get a lot of benefit from doing USRPT if you want to go that route. With that training you could probably keep the yardage you're doing now. You certainly would not need to do more than 3,000 yards per workout. And if you do USRPT you can't worry about total yardage. Just be concerned you are doing those sets correctly. If you want to do more traditional, longer aerobic training I would suggest that on the majority of your training days you get in at least one set where you are swimming for a minimum of 20 minutes and preferably 30 minutes without a lot of rest. Not straight swimming for 40 minutes, but a set where you're not getting much rest between swims. You'll still want to do some sets where you're maintaining your goal 1650 pace, but you don't need to do those day in and day out like USRPT advocates. If you can swim six days per week and average 3,000 yards per workout you'll be over 500 miles for the year. I shouldn't have brought up the topic of sprinting in my post, because that issue is separate from training for the 1650. (I was just adding some background info. to explain why I am focusing on the 1650 right now rather than training for sprint events.) High intensity anything is still out for me at this point. My current training program has included what I have designated as "Free Fridays." On Fridays, I do 16x100 as part of my workout. I used to be able to do them on 1:45 and hold in the high 1:20's - low 1:30's; however, that was back in the good ol' days of a healthy hip. Now I am doing that set on 1:55 and holding 1:41-2's. Thanks for your advice, Kirk!

RE: Push ups?

Patrick W. Brundage — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 08:24:04 GMT

It depends upon what you're looking for. For general strength and fitness, I am sure they are good. Can they help you swim faster? Possibly. Are they required for you to swim fast? No.

RE: Push ups?

knelson — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 06:05:01 GMT

:hijack: Kirk, in your opinion, what would be the minimum daily (quality) yardage necessary to improve my 1650 race time, if I am training 6 days/wk? ... High intensity training is still out of the question, because I had a setback in August when I popped the scar tissue in my hip and had to start over from square one. Instead, my "sprints" are not at 100% effort, and I'm training hardest for the events my hip handles the best at this point: distance free and 200 fly. Since we're talking about the 1650 it's not really sprinting, so you could still get a lot of benefit from doing USRPT if you want to go that route. With that training you could probably keep the yardage you're doing now. You certainly would not need to do more than 3,000 yards per workout. And if you do USRPT you can't worry about total yardage. Just be concerned you are doing those sets correctly. If you want to do more traditional, longer aerobic training I would suggest that on the majority of your training days you get in at least one set where you are swimming for a minimum of 20 minutes and preferably 30 minutes without a lot of rest. Not straight swimming for 40 minutes, but a set where you're not getting much rest between swims. You'll still want to do some sets where you're maintaining your goal 1650 pace, but you don't need to do those day in and day out like USRPT advocates. If you can swim six days per week and average 3,000 yards per workout you'll be over 500 miles for the year.

RE: Push ups?

Elaine Krugman — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 05:34:20 GMT

If you are interested in swimming distance events then you are going to need to swim considerably more than 1,000 yards per day. :hijack: Kirk, in your opinion, what would be the minimum daily (quality) yardage necessary to improve my 1650 race time, if I am training 6 days/wk? In 2013, I put in 434 miles for the year, and 397 miles in 2014. Since having hip surgery in December 2014, I have been topping out at 2,500 yds/day on most days, and I just started maxing out at 3,000 yards on a couple of the days each week to see how I do. Hip soreness won't allow me to push it to 3,500 - 4,000 yards I used to put in when I trained with my coach a couple of the days each week. High intensity training is still out of the question, because I had a setback in August when I popped the scar tissue in my hip and had to start over from square one. Instead, my "sprints" are not at 100% effort, and I'm training hardest for the events my hip handles the best at this point: distance free and 200 fly.

RE: Push ups?

m2tall2 — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 05:16:21 GMT

When someone landed on my shoulder this summer, part of my physical therapy was tricep pushups. I've found a variety of pushups all seem to target the areas they were trying to strengthen. I would say this is a good general fitness exercise and a good injury prevention exercise.

RE: Push ups?

knelson — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 04:46:55 GMT

but first I have signed up for 10 weeks of stroke improvement classes. Sounds like a great plan. Good luck!

RE: Push ups?

Sumorunner — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 02:59:36 GMT

If you are interested in swimming distance events then you are going to need to swim considerably more than 1,000 yards per day. Yes, 1000 minimum, up to 1 mile every 4 weeks. I only got back into this last July. I plan on getting up to 3 miles by summer, but first I have signed up for 10 weeks of stroke improvement classes. After the 10 weeks comes OWS triathlon training.

RE: Push ups?

knelson — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 02:52:35 GMT

If you are interested in swimming distance events then you are going to need to swim considerably more than 1,000 yards per day.

RE: Push ups?

__steve__ — Thu, 04 Feb 2016 09:37:38 GMT

Push-ups are very convenient. Unlike presses with weights, push-ups also work major muscles throughout the body. I personally avoid going much lower than horizontal upper arms, to keep the joints and tendons happy.

RE: Push ups?

smontanaro — Thu, 04 Feb 2016 09:33:38 GMT

Well, assuming you don't hurt your shoulder(s) or back doing them...

RE: Push ups?

ForceDJ — Thu, 04 Feb 2016 08:48:34 GMT

Importance? Not sure. But they can't hurt. Dan