Pushup endurance

HBP PE2 requires 5x15 pushup. For those who lacked the muscle endurance to do 5x15 + iM non stop, how did you improve it? Did you do any extra effort, like adding volume or grease-the-groove? 

I have no problem doing 5x15 pushup plus the iM if there are 2-3 mins rest between set. But without rest, I can only do 15, 15, 15, 10, 6. Just curious for those who had the similar experience, how did you improve?

Thanks in advance!

When I did it I got stuck as 5x10 and hit a platteau. After doing that for a a couple of cycles I started to do as many as I could. So it went something like 15 13 11 11 9 the first week. I did this till I reached 5x15 which didn't take long (4 weeks I think). I've found that in general anything that has a 5x15 rep scheme in F1 has so far been problematic while 5x10 has been consistenly manageable.

Try different things and see what works for you. Also try to search around the forums I remember there were some great posts about overcomming platteaus in the past. 

Best of luck!

When I graded for my blackbelt, 50 consecutive push-ups was one of the requirements.  Not GB standard, so not as technically demanding, but it was still a lot.  Anyway, we tried a lot of different strategies, but the following has worked best at building endurance not only for me but other students as well.

Do 1 pushup, rest 10-15 seconds.  Then 2 push-ups, rest, 3, rest, etc.  No individual set is hard, but you start fighting through fatigue fairly quickly.  When you can't complete a set, take a longer break, a few minutes, and then repeat from 1 again.  You get a lot of reps in this way but without feeling like a lot of reps.  I maxed out at 70 push-ups using this, well above the required 50, though again this was before training with GB and with a less strict form standard.

We actually turned this into a power challenge.  Start at 1, go up to 10, then back down to 1.  You can rest as long as you wish inbetween, but you must stay in the push-up position.  It works out to 100 push-ups, and it really sucks.  I've never successfully completed it, but it's a fun way to end a class, seeing who can get closest, cheering on people, trying to beat your old record, etc.

push ups also respond well to daily training and to greasing the groove.  Fairly easy to add volume quickly using these tools.  

Here's my previous post on busting plateaus:  https://www.gymnasticbodies.com/forum/topic/17397-busting-plateaus/?hl=%2Bbusting+%2Bplateaus

I can relate. This can be very frustrating.

I've spent just over 12 months on pushups and expect to finally master them next week. If not, I will certainly do so on my next cycle.

By the end of last year I could just about manage 5 x 12. I tried a number of strategies to get those elusive extra reps, usually to limited effect. I should add that at the same time as struggling with pushups, I was making good improvements in many other areas, so I didn't suspect recovery issues. I was also going to failure every so often, just to make sure I was pushing hard enough. Each strategy I tried to bust through the plateau I tried for at least one cycle - often two or more cycles - to see if it made a difference. These were the results:

Greasing the groove - sets of 10 multiple times a day - no significant improvement

Repeating weeks 9-12 - no significant improvement

Slowly increasing reps week by week - no significant improvement

Mastery sets and reps, slowly reducing rest time - Reduced from 45s to 30s over one cycle, but then plateaued again on the next cycle.

Increased volume - Total of 150 reps - no significant improvement

It's fair to say that my form probably improved a bit over time, both from improving awareness of the movement and the straight body work in other parts of foundation, but as far as pressing went, I didn't seem to be getting any stronger.

Last cycle I began an approach which had proved successful for my SPl work: I began doing tempo reps. I timed the sets to ensure that each rep took an average of 4 seconds. Last cycle I did 5 x 10, 4 x 12, 5 x 12. This cycle 5 x 12, 4 x 15 so far. Next week I will shoot for mastery at normal speed.

My best guess is that certain muscles weren't being recruited properly, while the other muscles which were compensating became fatigued prematurely. Tempo reps allowed me to both learn to activate the former properly and to strengthen them. Often I was left with DOMS in unidentified muscles of the shoulder girdle. The experience of doing the exercise was different too. Reps now felt a lot more solid and controlled and I could really concentrate on which muscles were working. Whereas before my muscles would have felt fine, only to suddenly given up in the last few reps, the burn now set in much earlier, but I was always able to last the distance.

Of course this won't work for everyone, but I'll certainly be keeping it up my sleeve.

I just repeated 5x15r taking a specific amount of rest time and reduced the rest time over a few weeks.

Thank everyone for the feedbacks! So many good advices!

I think I'll start by doing it 5x15 with rest time like suggested by Murray and then reducing the rest time over several weeks. I'll also add a volume day to do some tempo reps pushups as suggested by KibooKift and MT Nordic.

I had troubled moving from 4X9reps to 4X12 reps.  I found it very effective to add in one set of 12 into the 4 set scheme each week.  It was still uncomfortable, but I was able to add a set of 12 each week without much compromise in form other than slightly decreased external rotation at the very top of the last couple of reps on the final set.

I've found the strategy of breaking up a single weeks volume increase into an entire training block very effective.  As long as I'm working hard I also don't hesitate to remain at a particular volume for an extra week or to in order to really lock in mastery form with the hardest repetitions.  

When working this way I do my best to avoid all energy economizing technique, even those which would technically still fit within the mastery conditions.  Basically performing each rep as though it were it's own single rep set.

Murray - I have struggled with attaining the 5x15 rep scheme in the push up. I like your suggestion of taking a rest between sets then reducing over a period of time. My question is the following: do you stay with the 5 x 15 for the several weeks instead of repeating the other repetition schemes in the micro- cycle, then when you are near or at attaining the 5 x 15 complete the micro cycle as describe in F1?

I have been stuck on HBP/PE2 since April. My numbers for the 5 x 15 are as follows: 15, 12, 7, 6, 6. There is minimal improvement with each micro cycle. At my current rate it may take me another year + to show mastery.

fazool said:

I have been stuck on HBP/PE2 since April. My numbers for the 5 x 15 are as follows: 15, 12, 7, 6, 6. There is minimal improvement with each micro cycle. At my current rate it may take me another year + to show mastery.

 

You should go back to week 9. When your muscles burn, don't give up. Work hard and don't stay in your comfort zone.

I've been having great success by using the progressions recommended by the program, but splitting them up over several blocks. For example, with pushups, I start having a hard time at the 12 rep range. 4X12 was too much for me with perfect form, so I did 1X12 and 3X9reps, then 2X12/2X9, etc.

Currently I'm on 1X15 and 3X12, and the level of perceived exertion is about what 4X9 once was. I think there really is something to the volume jumps in the program. If I change anything it's taking more time to incorporate them.