Push up and IM

I’m halfway to mastery on this.  Hoping to get any issues ironed out before I continue further.

Hey Iain,

I have 3 suggestions, in my opinion:

1) Try to let the anterior part of your arms come as close as possible to the floor, to keep the scapulas stick to your rib cage

2) Keep the posterior pelvic tilt as best as you can

3) Feet a little bit further

And you’re trying to keep your whole body straight, that’s cool

Good Luck!  

Charbel Ammar

Thanks for the tips @Charbel Ammar.  I really appreciate your diagram.  

With regards to your first point, should you fight to remain somewhat protracted at the bottom of the movement?

Yes @Iain McLean, I suggest to remain protracted at the bottom, it helps you build up some strength in the muscles that let the scapulas stick to the ribs, especially Serratus Anterior,

Charbel Ammar

4 hours ago, Charbel Ammar said:

Yes @Iain McLean, I suggest to remain protracted at the bottom, it helps you build up some strength in the muscles that let the scapulas stick to the ribs, especially Serratus Anterior,

Charbel Ammar

Protraction at the bottom should be carefully suggested. the pushup has some decent amount of shoulder extension and protraction plus shoulder extension is not a friendly couple, especially if you do not know something about the functionality of the people doing the exercise. as you reach the bottom strive for in between neutral and protraction. then as you move back and you reduce the extension strive to recover the protraction as soon as possible.

Progress has been very slow on this element, I'm slowly inching towards mastery.  Currently I am at 4X12r, I have been at this step for almost 9 months...  I still can't make it through the final set without having to take a short breather between final reps.  Since it's been taking so long to improve on this exercise, I wanted to check in and make sure there is nothing else to change in my execution.

This video is of the entire 4X12 workout.  

18 hours ago, Iain McLean said:

Progress has been very slow on this element, I'm slowly inching towards mastery.  Currently I am at 4X12r, I have been at this step for almost 9 months...  I still can't make it through the final set without having to take a short breather between final reps.  Since it's been taking so long to improve on this exercise, I wanted to check in and make sure there is nothing else to change in my execution.

This video is of the entire 4X12 workout.  

 

The problem is if you are training to fail every time. Technical deficiencies come out with muscles fail. My suggestion is having always 2-4 reps in reserve when training in this range of reps.

I’ve reached being able to complete 5 sets of 15.  Here is the final set from today.  Is this considered clean enough to proceed?  Thanks in advance.

You're doing a good job, but it looks like you could benefit from spending a few more sessions at your current volume. Try to take out the small pauses between reps while maximizing your protraction at the top of each rep. Keep up the good work!

Checking back in on this element. Here’s my current 5th set at mastery volume.

10 hours ago, Iain McLean said:

Checking back in on this element. Here’s my current 5th set at mastery volume.

 

Hey Iain, probably i would look for different "rounding" distribution..i mean less in the lower middle back and more in the upper.

How's this @Alessandro Mainente?

15 hours ago, Iain McLean said:

How's this @Alessandro Mainente?

 

well now focus on holding more the depression, especially during the ascent part.

On 3/3/2022 at 6:16 AM, Alessandro Mainente said:

well now focus on holding more the depression, especially during the ascent part.

Here's an update. I've filmed from the side and above. When maintaining depression and protraction at the top of the rep, I'm finding the more strongly I hold depression, the less I can protract. How much effort would you say to put into depressing compared to protraction? Say 90% protraction/10% depression? I've also returned to the straight arm plank to iron out getting use to depressing while protracting and have included a video of this where my effort is 90% protraction and 10% depression (first finding the protraction then depressing).

21 hours ago, Iain McLean said:

Here's an update. I've filmed from the side and above. When maintaining depression and protraction at the top of the rep, I'm finding the more strongly I hold depression, the less I can protract. How much effort would you say to put into depressing compared to protraction? Say 90% protraction/10% depression? I've also returned to the straight arm plank to iron out getting use to depressing while protracting and have included a video of this where my effort is 90% protraction and 10% depression (first finding the protraction then depressing).

 

It is pretty common to be unable to put together strong protraction and depression, it takes time. from my pov is better for you to use a little higher surface.

On 3/25/2022 at 6:47 PM, Alessandro Mainente said:

It is pretty common to be unable to put together strong protraction and depression, it takes time. from my pov is better for you to use a little higher surface.

You would recommend regressing on the pushups and returning to the inclined push up?

9 hours ago, Iain McLean said:

You would recommend regressing on the pushups and returning to the inclined push up?

Something in between especially if your experiments with the inclined you do not have a problem. managing the inclination can be an intermediate progression.

16 hours ago, Alessandro Mainente said:

Something in between especially if your experiments with the inclined you do not have a problem. managing the inclination can be an intermediate progression.

4 sets of 15 reps felt comfortable. How’s the form?

8 hours ago, Iain McLean said:

4 sets of 15 reps felt comfortable. How’s the form?

 

The wall edge takes off exatcly the part i need to evaluate!!!

Notice you've been on this one for a long time. I was too, finally got through it, but am revisiting it. Am at 4 x 12, hoping to get to 5 x 15 in April. The one for me I see never getting done is Ground Rows. Been on them for years. Still at 4 x 9 and have a hard time completing all 36 reps with optimal form. 5 x 15 in Ground Rows is a pipe dream for me

On 3/29/2022 at 8:15 AM, Bill Marr said:

Notice you've been on this one for a long time. I was too, finally got through it, but am revisiting it. Am at 4 x 12, hoping to get to 5 x 15 in April. The one for me I see never getting done is Ground Rows. Been on them for years. Still at 4 x 9 and have a hard time completing all 36 reps with optimal form. 5 x 15 in Ground Rows is a pipe dream for me

I can commiserate with you Bill regarding the ground rows. I’ve been stuck at 4x10 for a very long time so am going to increase the height of the rings and try to get up to 5x15r at a height between pe1 and pe2.

14 hours ago, Iain McLean said:

I can commiserate with you Bill regarding the ground rows. I’ve been stuck at 4x10 for a very long time so am going to increase the height of the rings and try to get up to 5x15r at a height between pe1 and pe2.

as general suggestion once reached a plateau:

- if you rain once a week try twice a week;

- do not train to failure;

- if training twice and reached a plateau perform a deload week with and then rest

- last option is intermediate inclination.

Here's an update with hopefully a better view of the shoulder:

5 hours ago, Iain McLean said:

Here's an update with hopefully a better view of the shoulder:

 

 

you can make a random test: stop whenever and wherever you want during the set. can you feel that you can improve your depression? then if yes, you're lacking of it..

Update: