How To Increase Push-Ups?

[klh]

I appreciate that push-ups are not part of Starting Strength, and would be considered an aerobic exercise here. But I liked them as a kid, and did one maximal set every other day. I would quickly get up to 30 or 40, but progress slowed after 50.

So how do you program to do 100 or more push-ups? There are threads about greasing the neural pathways by doing frequent submaximal sets of pull-ups. But I don't know what the limiting factors are for push-ups (fatigue versus strength).

[Mark Rippetoe]

Pushups are not an "aerobic" exercise. As far as doing 100 pushups, this is a strength training board. You might as well have asked us about home repairs. You'll need to find a pushups board to post this.

[Geoff Bischoff]

A pushup answer from a strength training perspective:

I'm an Army dude, and pushups have been part of my professional life since 1998.

I could always hammer out 50-60 once I had my initial military training, but I wanted that shiny 80-rep set that would give me a maximum score on the test. Never could get it.

Until I started weight training. When my bench 5RM began to exceed my bodyweight, my test scores began to exceed 90 pushups. Now I'm older and stronger, with a 1RM above 1.5x bodyweight and a 5RM above 1.3x bodyweight. I can do pushups until you and Rip and I all get bored because although a single pushup is a submaximal strength event, through training I have caused pushups to be a far more submaximal event than they used to be.

So the standard Starting Strength advice applies:

1) Get all-around strong with a LP

2) Use your newfound strength on your "sport," whether it's lawnmowing or cycling or pushup-ing, and you'll be better at it than when you were weaker.

[klh]

Thanks for the feedback. I was obvious joking about push-ups being "aerobic". They have a weird endurance aspect, different from conventional low-rep barbell training. I'll have to experiment to learn what works, and will check back here to read any other experiences.

[Travis Reid]

Thanks for the feedback. I was obvious joking about push-ups being "aerobic". They have a weird endurance aspect, different from conventional low-rep barbell training. I'll have to experiment to learn what works, and will check back here to read any other experiences.

klh, I'm fairly sure that Geoff just very clearly laid out a plan that works. Get your bench press well over your bodyweight, and your push-up numbers will skyrocket.