My Current Focus: HBP/PE2

I keep thinking about posting then decide to try a little longer, but I'm posting now.

I seem to only be going backwards, last year I hit 5x15 not 100% prefect, but 99%, but ever since 3 weeks off at X-mas I've only gone backwards, from 5x15 down to 5x14, now I can't even hit that. I just feel like I've run out of explosiveness. I think the 18 months I have spent on this has lost me some top end strength and that why I can't hit the reps. The thing that got me 5x15 last time was doing some 70kg bench (BW 85kg) for sets of 10 (around 7 sets). Currently I've been trying to hit HBP PE2 10x10 to up my endurance but that doesn't seem to help so I'm thinking of going back to trying the bench press.

Any thoughts.

Just a little more information to fill out the picture. Strength movements are relatively easy for me. I deadlift 200kg, squat about 140-150kg and bench 100kg with very little training. Can to some not bad one arm push ups, chin up with and additional 50kg. But endurance stuff is much more difficult, and I lose muscle mass very easily (not that mass matters to me, but strength does). For example while in cast I lost 6cm off my calf in 6 weeks. On another occasion I watch my quad shrink over 2-3 days while I couldn't use me knee fully.

I feel like once I move past these push ups I'll be able to move though what comes next fairly well (couldn't say easily), and I would say after 18 months of almost 5x15 the connective tissue is good, but know I have to prove it.

Blair Norwood said:

Just a little more information to fill out the picture. Strength movements are relatively easy for me. I deadlift 200kg, squat about 140-150kg and bench 100kg with very little training. Can to some not bad one arm push ups, chin up with and additional 50kg. But endurance stuff is much more difficult, and I lose muscle mass very easily (not that mass matters to me, but strength does). For example while in cast I lost 6cm off my calf in 6 weeks. On another occasion I watch my quad shrink over 2-3 days while I couldn't use me knee fully.

 

I feel like once I move past these push ups I'll be able to move though what comes next fairly well (couldn't say easily), and I would say after 18 months of almost 5x15 the connective tissue is good, but know I have to prove it.

My #1 thought is over training. But post a form check just in case.

My personal recommendation: first thing in the morning when you wake up. drop down to the floor and do 5 isometric push ups. which is just stay in the push up position for 5 seconds then lower yourself half way down and hold that position for 5 seconds then move yourself to the ground while hovering there for 5 seconds. Press up halfway hold up for 5 seconds then press to the top position and start over. Do that for 5 reps and then immediately move into 15 standard pushups at you are a normal pace. 20 total reps, 5 isometric, 15 standard.

doing one set of pushups this way will remove any sticking points you might have that could be slowing you down. And you will definitely feel the burn in your tendons in your triceps and shoulders. so if weak connective tissue is the issue, these will help as well. Plus the time under tension affect might be what you need to help you burn through this. I've done this for myself and it worked wonders. And I recommend these to my friends and they sky rocketed his numbers as well.

and please forgive my horrible punctuation. I'm using talk to text over my phone and it doesn't appear to want to capitalize the first letter of my sentences lol.

Thanks for the advice, are these push ups everyday? I will give it a go.

Its possible that it could be over training, but unlikely, a week off give the same results.

Few times a week. 2-3

I would just throw them in on a weekend before going out on the town, because it also gives a good chest pump lol. You don't want to do these daily. First thing in the morning or 1 set in the evening should be fine. But these, with adequate rest will definitely give results

The idea is to eventually increase the isometric pushups while lowering the standard pushups, while still maintaining 20 reps.

most I ever did was 15 iso + 5 standard

Cool, I'll give it a go tomorrow and decide how to add them in. Just did my push ups tonight, so I'll see how these go tomorrow, might be too soon. Wednesday morning might be better but I'll see how I go.

Yea, you might be too drained to do them. That's why I always recommended just 1 set to people, so it can be done post workout or when tired and still offer benefit. If you're aching tomorrow, I'd say give it a day to rest

Yesterday: 12r, 11r, 11r, 11r, 11r

Total Reps: 56. Good form.

I changed my schedule drastically. Here's the first draft:

Mon: H1

Tue: -

Wed: Stretch

Thurs: F1 (Pushups, Ground Rows, Planche Leans, Side Twists) (Shoulders)

Fri: Stretch

Sat: F1 (SLS, Straddle Up, Straddle Body Holds) (No Shoulders)

Sun: -

On no shoulder heavy days, I do some pushups just to keep them in my system (20 reps or so).

-Nash

I like the look of this. With this reduced frequency you should be able to push as hard as possible. It is good to experiment and give it at least a cycle to see if it is working.

I am currently doing Foundation 3 days a week with alternating between 4 and 3 exercises. I perform H1 twice a week and Stretch series 3 days a week. I haven't done any Crossfit for 3 months. I can't remember feeling so good. Each workout I feel stronger and energised after my workouts. With the less volume I feel like my mobility is improving quicker as I am not overtrained. Maybe later I will increase my volume if I feel the need.

I second Marc Collins. I screwed around with the different formats, but the one he's describing seems to also work best for me, too.

Today: 12r, 12r, 11r, 11r, 11r

Total Reps: 57. Good form.

-Nash

Very nice, there is light at the end of the tunnel!

Today: 12r, 12r, 12r, 11r, 11r

Total Reps: 58. Good form, but I was shaking on the way up on the last rep of the last set.

-Nash

Nick Roy said:

My #1 thought is over training. But post a form check just in case.

My personal recommendation: first thing in the morning when you wake up. drop down to the floor and do 5 isometric push ups. which is just stay in the push up position for 5 seconds then lower yourself half way down and hold that position for 5 seconds then move yourself to the ground while hovering there for 5 seconds. Press up halfway hold up for 5 seconds then press to the top position and start over. Do that for 5 reps and then immediately move into 15 standard pushups at you are a normal pace. 20 total reps, 5 isometric, 15 standard.

doing one set of pushups this way will remove any sticking points you might have that could be slowing you down. And you will definitely feel the burn in your tendons in your triceps and shoulders. so if weak connective tissue is the issue, these will help as well. Plus the time under tension affect might be what you need to help you burn through this. I've done this for myself and it worked wonders. And I recommend these to my friends and they sky rocketed his numbers as well.

I finally did a set of these (had a string of very early starts for work and also just plain forgot). They felt really good (hard that is). Gives a similar feeling to when I'm on the last set, very pumped and difficult to continue. I will defiantly be adding these in at least once per week.

Awesome

Today: 12r, 12r, 12r, 12r, 11r

Total Reps: 59. For started to deteriorate at last rep in 4th set. Rep 48 shaky, the reps 56-59 a bit shaky.

I blame this on not doing any pushups all week. Been 7 days since I did them. I need to put reminders at least twice a week to do 1 set of 20s.

-Nash

Awesome to see you're progressing : D

I've been following this thread with interest as I've struggling to master this for over a year. I was stuck on 4x9 for the longest time. However I recently got to the stage where I was managing all 5x15 every now and again and 15, 15, 15, 15 14 in between. For the last few weeks I've managed 5x15 each workout and am feeling tempted to move on finally once I'm sure of my form.

So what did I change to finally improve? Nothing in my workout at all. I've just followed the prescribed reps and sets religiously. What has changed though was that I changed job at the end of May and no longer cycle to work. Nothing else has changed. I honestly think that I was undernourished or overworked previously. A few pages ago Ravn said "Nash, have you tried going into berzerk eating mode?" Did you try that? I feel so much stronger for expending less calories and don't seem to have put on any noticeable fat.

Jasper said:

 A few pages ago Ravn said "Nash, have you tried going into berzerk eating mode?" Did you try that? I feel so much stronger for expending less calories and don't seem to have put on any noticeable fat.

I think we did the same in different ways. I cut 2 days of strength out and replaced them with stretching. Then I rescheduled my workouts around shoulder heavy movements.

I just recently had a week off (naturally I still did plenty) with a visit home, and am struck by how much easier and more comfortable things are this week.

All that hard work only consolidates with enough recovery time

Is there a specific range of motion or muscle that gives out?

Today: 12r, 12r, 12r, 12r, 10r

Total Reps: 58

I blame this on the previous 2 nights where I did sets of 15-20 where the first 5 reps were super slow. I shouldn't touch pushups for 48 hours before pushup days.

Since I've been improving, at this rep count, they're totally kicking my butt. Shoulders sore the next days and fatigued as hell on the day.

-Nash

Today: 12r, 12r, 12r, 12r, 12r

Total Reps: 60    Yippy!

Only last rep was a bit shaky. Had to slow a bit on another 2 reps in set 4.