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Can only manage 20 pushups

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Reply 60
Original post by aladcalledtommy
I have been practicing push ups for a year now and I can only manage to do one set of 20, the next 15, and the rest 10+. Is that normal? I've heard there are people that can do way more in each set. How come I can't do more than 20? It's not like the regime (along with the rest of my strength building) isn't working cause it is visibly noticeable. However, I don't seem to be able to improve any further :s-smilie:

What is it I am doing wrong? :s-smilie:

Thank's guys :smile:

PS As you can probably tell I don't go to the gym (Can't afford it) so I work out at home. My regime for strength gain has been for the last year 50 push ups, 50 situps, 3 crunches and 4 side crunches. Everywhere has seen notable improvement except for my chest. Can anyone give some good chest exercise examples? Cause it looks just a little too week in comparison to the rest of me :L


Just like me - precisely the same number (20 in one set).
After that, by the 21st approx., my arms feel like iron made and I can do no more.
Reply 61
Original post by Paladian
Practice everyday I could only do 20 and then after practice for about a week 100 was no problem.


20 max to 100 in a week is physically impossible unless you weren't actually trying doing the 20 and could do about 95 to begin with
Original post by willock
20 max to 100 in a week is physically impossible unless you weren't actually trying doing the 20 and could do about 95 to begin with


Nope I just added twenty everyday. I admit I might not have been trying my hardest and I am lazy to begin with but by the end of the week I was up to 100.

I remember I did 20 and was knackered then did 3 or 4 sets of twenty a a day and added 20 or as many as I could without collapsing every day until I was doing a hundred.
(edited 8 years ago)
Reply 63
To go from 20 to 100 you need to do more reps. Simple. If you're only doing 50 in a whole workout and never increasing you won't ever get to 100 in 1 go. Should do 100 in the entire workout for 3 days a week then add 50 every week untill you're doing 300 in one session then you will find 100 pretty easy. That's how I did it.
Reply 64
Original post by Paladian
Nope I just added twenty everyday. I admit I might not have been trying my hardest and I am lazy to begin with but by the end of the week I was up to 100.

I remember I did 20 and was knackered then did 3 or 4 sets of twenty a a day and added 20 or as many as I could without collapsing every day until I was doing a hundred.


So after your first workout your max rep count doubled. Then in the coming days you managed 20 extra every day in 1 go. Please tell the world what you ate that week
Original post by Vlad83
Just like me - precisely the same number (20 in one set).
After that, by the 21st approx., my arms feel like iron made and I can do no more.


Do 5 sets of 20 pushups three times a week, if you can't do the full set drop on your knees and finish it with woman pushups. After a couple months you'll easily get to 30-40 pushups.
Original post by willock
So after your first workout your max rep count doubled. Then in the coming days you managed 20 extra every day in 1 go. Please tell the world what you ate that week


Usual stuff. LoL I remember now it was like this. First 20 then 40 in two sets until I was doing 5 sets of 20 in one day. Soz lOl
Reply 67
Original post by Paladian
Nope I just added twenty everyday. I admit I might not have been trying my hardest and I am lazy to begin with but by the end of the week I was up to 100.

I remember I did 20 and was knackered then did 3 or 4 sets of twenty a a day and added 20 or as many as I could without collapsing every day until I was doing a hundred.


We are talking 1 go ain't we? This is about going from 20 to 100 in a single set
Original post by willock
We are talking 1 go ain't we? This is about going from 20 to 100 in a single set


no soz 100 in 5 goes. LoL it was a while back I forgot.
Reply 69
Original post by Paladian
Usual stuff. LoL I remember now it was like this. First 20 then 40 in two sets until I was doing 5 sets of 20 in one day. Soz lOl


He wants to be doing 100 in 1 go. Not 5 sets of 20 lol
Original post by willock
He wants to be doing 100 in 1 go. Not 5 sets of 20 lol


Sorry *slapped wrist* for wasting time. TBH he shouldn't be wasting time he should just get down the gym.
Reply 71
Original post by Paladian
Sorry *slapped wrist* for wasting time. TBH he shouldn't be wasting time he should just get down the gym.


This was 3 years ago so he might be up to a wopping 25 now if he's carried on the same routine
Original post by aladcalledtommy
I have been practicing push ups for a year now and I can only manage to do one set of 20, the next 15, and the rest 10+. Is that normal? I've heard there are people that can do way more in each set. How come I can't do more than 20? It's not like the regime (along with the rest of my strength building) isn't working cause it is visibly noticeable. However, I don't seem to be able to improve any further :s-smilie:

What is it I am doing wrong? :s-smilie:

Thank's guys :smile:

PS As you can probably tell I don't go to the gym (Can't afford it) so I work out at home. My regime for strength gain has been for the last year 50 push ups, 50 situps, 3 crunches and 4 side crunches. Everywhere has seen notable improvement except for my chest. Can anyone give some good chest exercise examples? Cause it looks just a little too week in comparison to the rest of me :L


For anyone you just have to press up while something heavier is on your back each time. Like during the treadmill you add more incline. Or speed? You get better when you build. You gotta push that's what training is.
Original post by aladcalledtommy
I have been practicing push ups for a year now and I can only manage to do one set of 20, the next 15, and the rest 10+. Is that normal? I've heard there are people that can do way more in each set. How come I can't do more than 20? It's not like the regime (along with the rest of my strength building) isn't working cause it is visibly noticeable. However, I don't seem to be able to improve any further :s-smilie:

What is it I am doing wrong? :s-smilie:

Thank's guys :smile:

PS As you can probably tell I don't go to the gym (Can't afford it) so I work out at home. My regime for strength gain has been for the last year 50 push ups, 50 situps, 3 crunches and 4 side crunches. Everywhere has seen notable improvement except for my chest. Can anyone give some good chest exercise examples? Cause it looks just a little too week in comparison to the rest of me :L

That's definitely odd if you've been practising for a year. You should check your form, maybe your in a bad position or something. I'm a pretty small guy but I have very good upper body strength, and I can manage around 100 pushups. Just make sure yourarms are far enough apart- or if you want to increase the difficulty, maybe, to try and build more muscle, then put your hands together under your chest to do a diamond pushup. I can only manage about 30 of those.
Reply 74
Original post by ALevelBro
Do 5 sets of 20 pushups three times a week, if you can't do the full set drop on your knees and finish it with woman pushups. After a couple months you'll easily get to 30-40 pushups.


OK, many thanks for the nice and helpful advice! Seems interesting.
What I often wonder is whether others and me are actually talking the same thing.
I mean.. when I talk about how many push ups I can do I always mean going All the way down and up when doing a push up. Not sure if everyone else means the same thing. Because sometimes I saw online videos of people doing push ups (or many push ups) where they clearly are not going All the way down (I mean sort of like body almost touching the floor and then up) but like half the way, sort of like "short" push ups. If I was doing it like that, I would almost certainly be able to do more than I can actually do now, as it is obviously a bit less exhausting and probably takes less energy or strength.
Original post by Vlad83
OK, many thanks for the nice and helpful advice! Seems interesting.
What I often wonder is whether others and me are actually talking the same thing.


Stop overthinking this s*** mate... It's really not that difficult.
Thread is nearly 3 years old guys. OP hasn't even logged on in a year.
Reply 77
Original post by aladcalledtommy
I have been practicing push ups for a year now and I can only manage to do one set of 20, the next 15, and the rest 10+. Is that normal? I've heard there are people that can do way more in each set. How come I can't do more than 20? It's not like the regime (along with the rest of my strength building) isn't working cause it is visibly noticeable. However, I don't seem to be able to improve any further :s-smilie:

What is it I am doing wrong? :s-smilie:

Thank's guys :smile:

PS As you can probably tell I don't go to the gym (Can't afford it) so I work out at home. My regime for strength gain has been for the last year 50 push ups, 50 situps, 3 crunches and 4 side crunches. Everywhere has seen notable improvement except for my chest. Can anyone give some good chest exercise examples? Cause it looks just a little too week in comparison to the rest of me :L


I've seen huge gains in my number of achievable press ups. A "game" I know a lot of people play to improve their press-up ability is to put on the song "Flower" by Moby.

Start lying on the floor, face down (this is the only time you'll actually rest) and press play. When the song says "bring Sally up" you fully extend your press up to the top position and hold. When it says "bring Sally down" you lower yourself but DONT touch the ground, hover your chest about 1 inch from the floor and hold. Then just see how far into the song you get. The funny thing is by the end of the second verse it's only about 20 press ups you will have done, but it's really tough. It's also different than what you're used to doing so might help you push past the barrier you've hit! I can only get 1 minute 30 seconds into the song so far..!
Reply 78
Original post by ALevelBro
Stop overthinking this s*** mate... It's really not that difficult.


Overthinking ?
But it is important for me to understand whether we have the same technique in mind if I am to correctly interpret or apply any advice given to me.
Original post by Vlad83
Overthinking ?
But it is important for me to understand whether we have the same technique in mind if I am to correctly interpret or apply any advice given to me.


Because you are getting into this cycle of comparing yourself to others, and then overestimating or excusing your abilities... Let us be honest, if you can only do 20 pushups, no matter which form, you are not very fit.

Just go all the way down, your back should be straight, ass slightly up, your chest should be the first to touch. Once it touches go back up and repeat this with no breaks either at the top or the bottom for the entire set.

I mean surely you did pushups at school or with mates as a competition?

Do the prescribed 5 sets three days a week. Once you've gotten closer to being able to do at least 30 pushups google "Evil Russian's pushup program" and follow it.

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