Do One Arm Pushups have their place in strength training?

I've been doing Pseudo planche pushups but thinking of switching things up and incorporating some one arm push practise..

What do ypu guys think?

What are you training for?

Christoph said:

What are you training for?

Overall Strength and muscle.

Oh, sorry guys - just realised there is already a 3 page thread on this topic!!!

Shia said:

Oh, sorry guys - just realised there is already a 3 page thread on this topic!!!

And all before Fred could chime in to "use the search function!"

No, they don't. HSPU, PPU, and Dip variations are all you need to worry about. Build up to a decent level in all of those and one arm push-ups with good form will be a joke.


One-arm chin is a bit of a different story though. Unless you're working on rope climbs, I'd start working on OAC if you already aren't.

With oa push-ups and oacs you must seperate doing them for street cred/ego rather than strength. The f1 variations are for strength and maybe you can perform some street stuff once your PPP and dips get to the required level (don't forget the front lever series)

Definitely have their place as long as your goals match up. Great for reinforcing punching mechanics and force distribution. Not so great for building strength when we have planche pushups for that...

Jon Douglas said:

Definitely have their place as long as your goals match up. Great for reinforcing punching mechanics and force distribution. Not so great for building strength when we have planche pushups for that...

The serape effect is pretty much the only reason to train one arm pushups.

Comparing the cross body tension with punching mechanics then, if you were to throw a punch would it have more strength using the opposite arm to your leading leg?  Because that seems counter-intuitive...

Bipocni said:

The serape effect is pretty much the only reason to train one arm pushups.

 

Comparing the cross body tension with punching mechanics then, if you were to throw a punch would it have more strength using the opposite arm to your leading leg?  Because that seems counter-intuitive...

Although it's not a 1:1 relationship, yes actually. Compare a boxing cross to a jab.

Jon Douglas said:

Although it's not a 1:1 relationship, yes actually. Compare a boxing cross to a jab.

Interesting.  Not sure how much capoeira you know, but is this why the trailing arm comes up for a guard in the ginga?  I've been trying to wrap my head around that one, because literally every martial art I've seen so far has the same arm as the leading leg up in the guard, but capoeira seems to ignore that completely...

Bipocni said:

Interesting.  Not sure how much capoeira you know, but is this why the trailing arm comes up for a guard in the ginga?  I've been trying to wrap my head around that one, because literally every martial art I've seen so far has the same arm as the leading leg up in the guard, but capoeira seems to ignore that completely...

Some Don't know if you've actually tried capoeira, but it's very hard to get the rotation going up without that initial unwinding. Using the arm across the body that way ends up as an overall time-saver because you have the coil pre-set and can unwind in either direction.

That front hand/arm is also most often used for defensive purposes, whether that be to block, stick (foul up an attack) or to create distance/ward off with a jab.

Jon Douglas said:

Some Don't know if you've actually tried capoeira, but it's very hard to get the rotation going up without that initial unwinding. Using the arm across the body that way ends up as an overall time-saver because you have the coil pre-set and can unwind in either direction.

 

That front hand/arm is also most often used for defensive purposes, whether that be to block, stick (foul up an attack) or to create distance/ward off with a jab.

So it's primarily to generate more momentum then.  Makes sense why it would be different, because arts that use the leading arm for the guard tend to be more static.  Thanks!

Bipocni said:

So it's primarily to generate more momentum then.  Makes sense why it would be different, because arts that use the leading arm for the guard tend to be more static.  Thanks!

That might not be the case all the time, or the only reason, but it is *a* reason IME

Jon Douglas said:

That might not be the case all the time, or the only reason, but it is *a* reason IME

Since you're now the residential capoeira expert (probably not, but you're the highest level GB athlete I've seen so far and that's got to count for something) you feel like fixing my rotation into bridge?

I've tried it a while back and it's frustrating as all hell.  I get to the point where I need to transition to bridge and I just stick there.  There's no strain, I just can't move any further.  So I've been quietly working away at my wrist rock progressions and my dislocates, hoping building either more strength to support myself with or more shoulder mobility would solve the problem.  But so far nothing

Bipocni said:

Since you're now the residential capoeira expert (probably not, but you're the highest level GB athlete I've seen so far and that's got to count for something) you feel like fixing my rotation into bridge?

 

I've tried it a while back and it's frustrating as all hell.  I get to the point where I need to transition to bridge and I just stick there.  There's no strain, I just can't move any further.  So I've been quietly working away at my wrist rock progressions and my dislocates, hoping building either more strength to support myself with or more shoulder mobility would solve the problem.  But so far nothing

I've only done about a year of capoeira in Japan. It's great, but it doesn't float my boat like kung fu does, so that's where my time goes. Definitely no expert, I just like the movement and crafty/sneakiness of the high level guys, and man are they fun to spar with. As for rotation into bridge I find it very easy (have always) and so I rarely train it. I plain don't know a lot of the mechanics and cues as I've not needed to work through them. Perhaps if you put up a video I might be able to spot something, or more likely one of the real capoeiristas around here will be able to help. Recommend a new thread though for searchabiliy purposes.

Edit re capoeira;

The capoeira school I attended in Japan encouraged martial artists from all backgrounds to join in capoeira practise, so it had a lot of flavour from the karate, aikido, tkd guys around the area. This is not relevant to anything, it was just really cool to see the differences in the linear karate kicks, the tkd combos and judo/aikido footwork and takedowns

Jon Douglas said:

I've only done about a year of capoeira in Japan. It's great, but it doesn't float my boat like kung fu does, so that's where my time goes.

 

*sigh* You mean wushu or more generally speaking chinese martial arts?

GST is my kung fu.

Jon Douglas said:

Edit re capoeira;

The capoeira school I attended in Japan encouraged martial artists from all backgrounds to join in capoeira practise, so it had a lot of flavour from the karate, aikido, tkd guys around the area. This is not relevant to anything, it was just really cool to see the differences in the linear karate kicks, the tkd combos and judo/aikido footwork and takedowns

That sounds really cool.  I love mixed martial arts when it's a bunch of well trained martial artists learning from each other, rather than a crappy MMA gym...  Surprised to hear about a capoeira school in Japan, but I guess I shouldn't be really.

Bipocni said:

*sigh* You mean wushu or more generally speaking chinese martial arts?

 

GST is my kung fu.

Wu shu, but not the performance art that usually refers to in English. Saying 'kung fu' is usually a time saver.

Bipocni said:

That sounds really cool.  I love mixed martial arts when it's a bunch of well trained martial artists learning from each other, rather than a crappy MMA gym...  Surprised to hear about a capoeira school in Japan, but I guess I shouldn't be really.

It was very cool, but sadly my ycq short kicks were completely out of place... I had a lot of fun incorporating some choi lay fut hands though, I think someone could produce some amazing performance if they could reconcile those mechanics. CLF forms are plain fantastic.

Japan's a whole country, it has everything. There's also a relatively large Brazlian and Nigerian population in some prefectures. The capoeira teacher was a Japanese woman who had lived in Brazil for a long time, very crafty with takedowns and an amazing samba dancer. I even briefly dated a hula dancer living in Shizuoka city.

Jon Douglas said:

Wu shu, but not the performance art that usually refers to in English. Saying 'kung fu' is usually a time saver.

 

It was very cool, but sadly my ycq short kicks were completely out of place... I had a lot of fun incorporating some choi lay fut hands though, I think someone could produce some amazing performance if they could reconcile those mechanics.

Japan's a whole country, it has everything. There's also a relatively large Brazlian and Nigerian population in some prefectures. The capoeira teacher was a Japanese woman who had lived in Brazil for a long time, very crafty with takedowns and an amazing samba dancer.

I've always wondered about incorporating hand strikes into capoeira.  The main reason I never learned the art was that it would be next to useless in a real fight.  I mean, I know it was used incredibly effectively in that one war, but any fight I'm likely to get into would be in an enclosed area, and I'd likely be drunk, and kicking above the waist is pretty useless in a street fight.  None of the moves would work very effectively.  But the simple mastery of movement that great capoeiristas have is incredible.  I like to think of it as a more athletic spinoff of tai chi, weird as that may sound.

Anyway, I'd love to hear about the adventures of Jon Douglas Tours The World, but I think I've dis-railed this thread enough already...

OP: one arm pushup are good.  Just remember that they're somewhat vague as a true measure of strength given how variable the form can be, and they don't have a lot of crossover to GST, which will take you a lot further in the long run.

Time for my soup!

Bipocni said:

And all before Fred could chime in to "use the search function!"

LOL

Can't take a day break around here...

Bipocni said:

(...) The main reason I never learned the art was that it would be next to useless in a real fight. (...)

1- The best SD is "don't be there!"

2- Practice running fast and often. Sprinting away is second best.

3- Anything else is really, really dangerous!

Jon Douglas said:

Time for my soup!

Eh?