One Armed Pushup

[Samuel Carr]

I waswondering what kind of strength is needed to be able to perform a one armed pushup. They say that a regular pushup is equal to pressing 60% of your bodyweight. So for a one armed pushup, would you essentially need to be able to bench 120% of your bodyweight (with both arms)? What would be the progression to doing one? It seems like if one could successfully hold a flat tuck planche for about 10 seconds, they'd be strong enough to also do one arm push ups

[Blairbob]

I can do one arm pushups or one arm-one leg pushups with relative ease ( thought the latter is toughter ). I bench about 133% of my BW but my best planche is maybe a short advanced tuck planche momentary or tuck planche for maybe 10s. My dipping is ok, nothing special probably not doing dips+1/2BW. I'm also not super lean or anything. Medium would be a good description.

Progression? Either start with the hands elevated or on your knees and vary the hip angle from closed to open. The one arm, one leg version takes more balance though.

[braindx]

Bench and regular pushups don't correlate to planche much at all

[Guest cccp21]

I can do one arm pushups or one arm-one leg pushups with relative ease ( thought the latter is toughter ). I bench about 133% of my BW but my best planche is maybe a short advanced tuck planche momentary or tuck planche for maybe 10s. My dipping is ok, nothing special probably not doing dips+1/2BW. I'm also not super lean or anything. Medium would be a good description.

Progression? Either start with the hands elevated or on your knees and vary the hip angle from closed to open. The one arm, one leg version takes more balance though.

********************* Has a bench press ever been tried that imitates the Planche(with fingers pointing toward feet).

It sure is a strain on the elbows?

Brandon Green

[Joshua Naterman]

You can do stuff like that with dumbbells, it's not the best idea with a straight bar. Gregor does that, check his thread in the ring strength section.

[Guest cccp21]

You can do stuff like that with dumbbells, it's not the best idea with a straight bar. Gregor does that, check his thread in the ring strength section.

*********** What is wrong about using a straight bar with this one?

Brandon

[Joshua Naterman]

You don't develop shoulder joint stability with straight bars. One arm pushups are as much about being stable as they are about strength. You're better off using dumbbells for this reason. There are also possible alignment issues that a straight bar could cause, depending on the individual. You could experience pain in the wrists, elbows, and/or shoulders, depending on individual levels of flexibility. None of these issues will manifest with the dumbbells, as the angle the dumbbell is held at is determined by the lifter at every moment in the lift, as opposed to hanging onto an essentially unbendable straight bar. The time's not wasted with the straight bar, but it's better spent with the dumbbells. If you don't have any issues with the straight bar, and you want to use it for the exercise, go ahead. It's not bad or useless, it's just not the overall best thing to do.

[Donald Lee]

Supinating your hands also partially contracts your biceps, which acts as an antagonist in the bench press.

[Joshua Naterman]

That's true, which is why it's not the best thing to do if you're looking to increase your bench press, unless you are keeping the bar over your shoulder joint, in which case the biceps will not be working. They'll only kick in significantly if you've got a forward angle on the forearm relative to gravity or the motion arm. Still, it's pretty much only good for developing straight arm strength and korean dips. At least, that's the only practical application I can see. Obviously there is a lot of carryover to sports like discus and javelin, but you need straight arm strength for those anyhow, so I figure it's redundant to mention anything like that.

[Guest cccp21]

That's true, which is why it's not the best thing to do if you're looking to increase your bench press, unless you are keeping the bar over your shoulder joint, in which case the biceps will not be working. They'll only kick in significantly if you've got a forward angle on the forearm relative to gravity or the motion arm. Still, it's pretty much only good for developing straight arm strength and korean dips. At least, that's the only practical application I can see. Obviously there is a lot of carryover to sports like discus and javelin, but you need straight arm strength for those anyhow, so I figure it's redundant to mention anything like that.

********* Is not straight arm strength what gymnastics is about anyway?

Brandon

[Hivoyer]

********* Is not straight arm strength what gymanstics is about anyway?

Brandon

Both straight and bent arm strenght are important.I think they train the muscles in different ways,but i didnt quite understand what exacly different ways means.Is it just the difference in leverage and pressure in the elbows or is there also a difference in motor unit recruitment?

[Joshua Naterman]

The stress on the tendon attachment sites, as well as the muscle bellies themselves, is extreme in disadvantaged straight arm positions. In bent-arm work you are only in a position like that for a fraction of a second, if ever. Building up to the straight arm positions is slow going because the forces applied to the muscles are huge compared to what the muscles have to deal with in bent-arm movements, even disadvantaged ones. That's the main "different way" that straight arm work develops the muscles. It takes time for the tissue to adapt.