Pushups

[samspade]

So I'm nursing a tendon inflammation in my shoulder. No bench press for me.

I can do other weight lifts no problem. Also, I can do pushups...I guess because I only feel pain on the bench when the elbows drop below the chest? Or maybe it's holding the bar vs. palms on the floor. I don't know why, but I feel no pain doing pushups.

Anyway...for those of you who do pushups: How often do you do them? Are they an every day or every other day thing?

 

[firstbornunicorn]

could also be because pushups have far less equivalent weight than bench so you simply use less effort and never go past whatever threshold is giving you pain. I do pushups to warm up for bench.

 

[TheProspect]

So I'm nursing a tendon inflammation in my shoulder. No bench press for me.

I can do other weight lifts no problem. Also, I can do pushups...I guess because I only feel pain on the bench when the elbows drop below the chest? Or maybe it's holding the bar vs. palms on the floor. I don't know why, but I feel no pain doing pushups.

Stay away from heavy weight for awhile. Consult with a sports therapist/physiotherapist/kinesiologist on how to properly rehab your injury in order to maintain function and mobility of your shoulder (and the surrounding muscles). Especially as you get older, trying to push through even just minor tendon inflammation can easily lead to degradation in the muscles around your shoulder. and a more significant injury.

Anyway...for those of you who do pushups: How often do you do them? Are they an every day or every other day thing?

First, define your goal of doing pushups.

Do you want to build strength? Do you want to grow a big upper body, or lean out and tone it? Do you just want to get good at pushups at part of your overall fitness? Or are you just simply modifying your exercises to work around the inflammation?

Like anything, there are a lot of different approaches you can take depending on your goals and intentions.

 

[samspade]

Do you want to build strength? Do you want to grow a big upper body, or lean out and tone it? Do you just want to get good at pushups at part of your overall fitness? Or are you just simply modifying your exercises to work around the inflammation?

Like anything, there are a lot of different approaches you can take depending on your goals and intentions.

I would say I'm modifying, and also want to stay lean/tone more so than huge. Building muscle has gotten harder since turning 35 or so, but having a fit physique would be good.

 

[samspade]

could also be because pushups have far less equivalent weight than bench so you simply use less effort and never go past whatever threshold is giving you pain. I do pushups to warm up for bench.

True, but I've tested the bench with an empty barbell. Still can feel some twinge. Whenever I'm fully healed I'm going to consult a trainer on my form, but I'm clearly transferring something to that area. With the pushup I feel no pain or warning sign. (I've been doing mobility tests to see where it flares and where it doesn't....and I did go to a doctor who did the same.)

 

[firstbornunicorn]

True, but I've tested the bench with an empty barbell. Still can feel some twinge. Whenever I'm fully healed I'm going to consult a trainer on my form, but I'm clearly transferring something to that area. With the pushup I feel no pain or warning sign. (I've been doing mobility tests to see where it flares and where it doesn't....and I did go to a doctor who did the same.)

Is your form good? If your scapulas aren't properly retracted you use more shoulder (front deltoid specifically) than chest. Pushups are also more similar to slightly decline benchpress. You could also be doing your pushups wrong and do a more tricep heavy version of them, taking out some shoulder engagement.

 

[samspade]

Is your form good? If your scapulas aren't properly retracted you use more shoulder (front deltoid specifically) than chest. Pushups are also more similar to slightly decline benchpress. You could also be doing your pushups wrong and do a more tricep heavy version of them, taking out some shoulder engagement.

Good question, I thought it was. Never had a problem until recently. I kept my elbows mostly straight (as opposed to flared out) and brought the bar down to around the sternum. Hands around shoulder width. The last couple of years I've slowed down so nothing is herky jerky, to focus on the muscle. Was doing great and then over the past six months, this flared up.

As for pushups, keeping palms about shoulder width apart and at chest area. I do feel something in my tris (good that is) but also in the chest, i.e. results. What I wonder is since pushups use less "weight," should I do more, do them every day...or rest like with the bench. Usually I do a few sets, stopping when the muscle is tired, but nothing crazy - I am used to heavy weight and fewer reps. (Not an Arnold, just what I'm used to.)

 

[firstbornunicorn]

Good question, I thought it was. Never had a problem until recently. I kept my elbows mostly straight (as opposed to flared out) and brought the bar down to around the sternum. Hands around shoulder width. The last couple of years I've slowed down so nothing is herky jerky, to focus on the muscle. Was doing great and then over the past six months, this flared up.

As for pushups, keeping palms about shoulder width apart and at chest area. I do feel something in my tris (good that is) but also in the chest, i.e. results. What I wonder is since pushups use less "weight," should I do more, do them every day...or rest like with the bench. Usually I do a few sets, stopping when the muscle is tired, but nothing crazy - I am used to heavy weight and fewer reps. (Not an Arnold, just what I'm used to.)

I do advise a coach, any sort of free weight barbell movement is highly technical with many tiny details at every stage of the lift. I used to do heavy 5x5 sets, but my chest didn't respond to this & I knew I was doing it wrong. So one time I took 6 weeks to do 3 to 4 sets of 10-12 reps (around 60kg to start with, later around 70kg) every day, focusing on every rep. You learn the movement well, and my chest finally felt it because I started using it more, instead of shoulders, due to the better form and "focusing" on my chest more.

You can bench or squat "wrong" but it works for a while and even for decent weight, but once the weight gets heavy enough, the "wrong" muscles you end up depending on too much can't handle the load. eg: you front deltoid can't handle nearly as much weight as your chest, and your biceps can't handle nearly as much weight as your back; I plateaud on pull ups at around 10 reps, but later found out it was all biceps, working on form now to make it more lat/back, but at this point my lat/back is comparatively underdeveloped, so my max reps are less, but with time these muscle groups have more potential for more reps or adding weight.

I'm no gym rat. Lift mainly as prehab and to have some mass on me. Has prevented some injuries from sports that involve falling on the floor at high speed head first but this means I tend to focus on form more than weight, as I have no incentive to lift more, just to lift right. Have never had an injury in the gym, best squat is 130kg (belted) at 80kg, best DL 140kg (no belt, no straps) at 80kg, best bench 95kg at 80kg. Which is nothing crazy on the internet, but irl there aren't many doing that (specifically the squat and DL) in an average gym, and especially no one who isn't either a weightlifter or bodybuilder. I'm a runner/mountain biker, cross country skier in winter. Could I lift more? Totally if I prepped for it and really went all gas no brakes, but it's not worth the potential injuries.

 

[Scaramouche]

Hi Sam,
I have been doing Press Ups daily for 60+years,wonderful fittening exercise,work them into your svexual Routine..I badly tore my Rotater Cuff 20 or so years ago,it comes back every couple of years,never quite repairs...When recuperating,I use an elastic band passing through an "O"Ring screwed into a door architrave at shoulder level,and having each end attached to a handle,from this I graduate to bench presses with the bar only,generally takes about three months to heal until I do something stupid again.

 

[EyeBRollin]

Shoulder pain during presses is form related. Push-ups are still pressing, but much harder to screw up than the bench.

I would lay off pressing movements entirely for a couple months. Double up on pulling movements. If your shoulder starts feeling better start with overhead press. It is more balanced than horizontal presses.