Richard Posted October 27, 2005 Share Posted October 27, 2005 one-legged squats look like a bitch, but still not as bad as the back-handed push-up. I keep having nightmares about that, in my back-handed underpants Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willpeavy Posted October 28, 2005 Author Share Posted October 28, 2005 http://www.movie-montage.com/images/upload/167.jpgOne arm pushup - from Rocky II Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willpeavy Posted October 30, 2005 Author Share Posted October 30, 2005 Sat Oct 29 100 one leg squats on 8" box (100 on each leg, 200 total) My form and balance is getting much better on these. In a few days, I'll try them again but on a 6" box. My goal now is to able to do one leg squats with no box and no balance aids by Nov. 10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willpeavy Posted November 1, 2005 Author Share Posted November 1, 2005 I haven't updated my journal in a few days although I've been working out every day. I'm able to do one arm pushups now from my feet, although my form isn't that good yet. So far my biggest set is 6 on each arm, so I way to go before reaching 30. Also, I've been doing bowling ball pushups. Basically I take a bowling ball, put it on the ground, then put my thumbs on top of it and grip it on the sides with my palms and fingers and do pushups like this. These aren't easy, and it requires a lot of grip/forearm strength. I've also been doing one leg calf raises on a skateboard. I leave my heel off the side of the board, slowly lower it til my heel taps the ground, then push up onto the ball of my foot and forward as the board rolls across and I hold it at the top with my weight on my toes for a couple of seconds, then come back down. This exercise requires a lot of balance to keep the board from sliding out from under you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willpeavy Posted November 7, 2005 Author Share Posted November 7, 2005 I went light on exercise over the weekend because I was out of town for my sister's wedding. I just did a few sets of one arm pushups each day for the past couple of days. Tomorrow I'm planning to do chins, situps, one leg squats (aka pistols). Friday I was doing sets of pistols in good form over a couch cusion (about 6" high on its own, and pressed down to around 3" when I hit it at the bottom of each rep). So now I'm really really close to having bodyweight pistols mastered. I'm going to train on them everyother day this week and expect to have them down with good form by the end of the week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willpeavy Posted November 10, 2005 Author Share Posted November 10, 2005 I've been doing chinups and one leg squats like crazy lately. Also, I've been doing lots of bowling ball pushups and situps with the bowling ball. I get soreness in the long head of my triceps (see http://www.exrx.net/Muscles/TricepsBrachii.html ) from doing chinups and pullups. In fact, failure in this muscle is what is keeping me from increasing my max reps on chinups. I get the feeling it might be due to undertraining of my tris, they are simply weak compared to the major muscles used in chinups and pullups, which I have been training really hardcore on, but neglecting my chest/tris. So I ordered a device called the Power Pushup 2 - and I can't wait to try it out (see http://www.lifelineusa.com/site_uploads/product/12_1.pdf ). Basically it allows you to add anywhere from 20 to 300 pounds of resistance to your pushups using cables. I've read that a pushup is similar to doing a bench press at 65% of your bodyweight. So at my bodyweight of 190 lbs, a pushup is similar to doing a 123.5 lb bench. I've been working on one arm pushups, but really struggle with having bad form on these because I simply lack the strength to do them really well yet. On the other hand, doing regular pushups is just too easy and not challenging at all. So if doing a regular pushup is equivalent to a 123.5 lb press, a one arm pushup should be similar to doing a 247 lb press. With the Power Pushup (it comes with cables to set it at 40 lb, 80 lb, and 120 lb increments - you can buy additional heavier cables if you need to) I'll be able to start out doing pushups similar to 163.5 lbs, then after I master that increase to 203.5, and 243.5 lbs. Once I reach that level I should be able to train using one arm pushups with good form. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willpeavy Posted November 12, 2005 Author Share Posted November 12, 2005 Last night I tried some experiments measuring pushups using a scale. I read on a website that doing a pushup is similar to a bench press at 65% of your bodyweight. I first measured my bodyweight on a scale: 190 lbs Then I put both of my hands on the scale while at the top of the pushup position: 130 lbs (or 68.4% of my bodyweight). I lowered myself slowly over the scale and the weight on my hands stayed around 130 lbs the entire time. Then I pushed up slowly. When I did this the force exerted was about 135 lbs all the way up. Then I tried pushing up again, this time faster. The force exerted spiked up to 160 lbs, then immediately dropped to zero as I flew up, then went back to 130 lbs as soon as I caught my weight at the top of the pushup. This is the way I have been doing most of my standard pushups lately. Then I tried it one more time, except pushed extra hard on the way up to the point where my upper body flies up and my hands come a few inches off a ground from the initial explosive pushup. When I did this the force exerted spiked abover 190 lbs very quickly (it's hard to tell the exact amount of force, because it spiked so quickly, then dropped to zero, and back to 130 when I caught myself.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willpeavy Posted November 13, 2005 Author Share Posted November 13, 2005 The Power Pushup 2 came in the mail yesterday. I like it. Since it uses cables, the resistance increases as you go up during the positive motion of each rep. Last night I was doing sets of 10 rep pushups while using 40lbs of resistance. I'm not sure how they calculate this resistance level though since resistance force would be dependent on the user's height and place you are at the in the pushup. I'm going to contact the manufacturer to see if I can find out more about how they performed their calculations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willpeavy Posted November 14, 2005 Author Share Posted November 14, 2005 Today I have been using the Power Pushup 2 again. This time doing sets of 10 reps with 80 pounds of resistance (combined with bodyweight, this should be the equivalent of 210 pounds). I tried doing set with 120 pounds of resistance, but after 3 reps the handle slipped out of my left hand and smacked me in the ribcage, giving me a big welt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 It sound like a pretty good device. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willpeavy Posted November 18, 2005 Author Share Posted November 18, 2005 It sound like a pretty good device. Yeah now that I have the hang of it, it hasn't slipped anymore, and it works well for me now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willpeavy Posted November 18, 2005 Author Share Posted November 18, 2005 Yesterday I did a punch of slow towel pullups. Basically I take a big towel, and wrap it around the bar a bunch of times so the bar is nice and thick. Then I pulled up really slow, held it at the top for 3 seconds and did the negative extra slow. I did sets of 3 reps of these, then did sets of 20 situps with a bowling ball, then rested a minute and repeated this cycle for about an hour or so. In total I estimate I did around 100 pullups and several hundred situps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willpeavy Posted November 20, 2005 Author Share Posted November 20, 2005 (edited) Firday I did the following routine: 7 pushups w/ 80 pounds of resistnace (from PP2)8 one leg squats (4 on each leg)3 close grip pullups (with first fingers touching)rest a minuterepeat the cycle I did this for about a half hour or so and repeated the cycle at least a dozen times. After alternating pushups and pullups like that my arms were throbbing. I think the new pushup device I've been using, along with the bowling ball pushups I've been doing lately are helping my tris, because it looks like they've done some growing recently ----------------------------------- Saturday - alternated between sets of using the wrist roller and doing one leg calf raises Edited November 20, 2005 by willpeavy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willpeavy Posted November 20, 2005 Author Share Posted November 20, 2005 Sunday Nov 20 bowling ball pushupsfingertip pushupscalf raisessitups with bowling ball Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willpeavy Posted November 22, 2005 Author Share Posted November 22, 2005 Mon Nov 21 lots of pullups Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willpeavy Posted November 23, 2005 Author Share Posted November 23, 2005 No exercise for me today. I had some medical tests done on me today and had to have an IV put in my arm to inject dye. So I felt kind of out of it for most of today, but I'm starting to feel better now. After a good rest tonight I should be up for some pullups and one leg squats tomorrow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willpeavy Posted November 25, 2005 Author Share Posted November 25, 2005 I've been sick with the flu for the past couple of days and haven't been able to do much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willpeavy Posted November 26, 2005 Author Share Posted November 26, 2005 Sat Nov 26 Finally feeling better today I did a bunch of pushups this morning with 80 lbs resistance from the PP2 Also did some pushups with my son sitting on my back, that's about an extra 30 pounds of resistance I plan to work on some sets of 1 leg squats this afternoon and some more pushups tonight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lelle Posted November 27, 2005 Share Posted November 27, 2005 great to hear that you feel better will! but don't overdo it, be sure you're 100% fit.take care Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willpeavy Posted November 27, 2005 Author Share Posted November 27, 2005 Thanks Lelle. I was probably at about 90% yesterday, but I'm back to feeling 100% today and have been doing lots of sets of pullups and chinups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willpeavy Posted November 29, 2005 Author Share Posted November 29, 2005 Monday yesterday I did a bunch of pullups and chinups today I did a bunch more chinups tomorrow I plan on doing a bunch of one leg squats, bowling ball situps, and wrist rollering Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ljk11 Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 what is wrist rollering?As the reigning queen of ab exercises I am shamefully admitting I don't know what a bowling ball situp is... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaSiren Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 Will, I missed your post on being sick. Glad you are beginning to feel better. Hope you get to 100% soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willpeavy Posted November 30, 2005 Author Share Posted November 30, 2005 what is wrist rollering?As the reigning queen of ab exercises I am shamefully admitting I don't know what a bowling ball situp is... Here's a pic of a guy using a wrist roller http://www.golftipsmag.com/content/2003/febmar/images/trainingaids/wristroller.jpg I have a homemade wooden roller that I use, and I attach it to a cable instead of a weight A bowling ball situp is basically a normal situp, except I hold a bowling ball behind my head while I do them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willpeavy Posted November 30, 2005 Author Share Posted November 30, 2005 Will, I missed your post on being sick. Glad you are beginning to feel better. Hope you get to 100% soon! Thanks. I'm feeling back to normal today Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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