Push-ups Benefit to Bench Press

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

I’ve never been a big fan of pushups until I recently started doing them again in the evening, typically on days that I have not lifted heavy. I worked up to sets of 60+. Suprisingly, after a couple of weeks of this I saw my bench pressing numbers go up at least 10% across the board, both DB and BB presses.

What gives? Are the pushups strengthening something that I was lagging in, or is is an endurance thing that is carring over into the strength department? Has anyone else had this experience? I’m not complaining and will keep doing them, but it would help to understand the mechanism as I have always lagged in the pressing department.

2

I can bench press 365x4 and can easily do 70+ pushups without stopping

I know plenty of people who can do 70+ pushups without stopping, who can’t even come close to a 300lb bench.

soo…you’re saying after a few weeks of doing DB and BB bench presses…your numbers went up?

good job sherlock.

3

I really wouldn’t look into it too much.

Your lifts should be going up anyway.

Majoring in the minors big time.

4

looks like you are doing 2 different protocols…

protocol 1:
push up sets oh high reps range= volume training with low intensity= ipertrophy in some muscular twitches.

protocol 2: iron training, ipertrophy in others twitches.

I don’t see why a muscular increase doesn’t make you stonger?

5

[quote]HolyMacaroni wrote:
I can bench press 365x4 and can easily do 70+ pushups without stopping

I know plenty of people who can do 70+ pushups without stopping, who can’t even come close to a 300lb bench.

soo…you’re saying after a few weeks of doing DB and BB bench presses…your numbers went up?

good job sherlock.[/quote]

LOL. Most of the people I knew in the Air Force could do 70 push ups or more but very few could bench more than 250.

If I a in the gym using all of that equipment and all of that weight and feel the need to do push ups, I think something is wrong.

There is nothing wrong with push ups, but push ups won’t get your bench to 400+. Bench pressing a shit load of weight will though.

I used to see smaller guys do this all of the time…but they are still small. They would stop doing chest exercises to finish several sets of push ups next to the bench and then go home. You could stay at home and do push ups.

6

[quote]HolyMacaroni wrote:
soo…you’re saying after a few weeks of doing DB and BB bench presses…your numbers went up?

good job sherlock.[/quote]
No, I’m saying that after a few weeks of doing pushups, my bench numbers went up. I’ve been lifting for years.

7

[quote]buzza wrote:
looks like you are doing 2 different protocols…

protocol 1:
push up sets oh high reps range= volume training with low intensity= ipertrophy in some muscular twitches.

protocol 2: iron training, ipertrophy in others twitches.

I don’t see why a muscular increase doesn’t make you stonger?

[/quote]
I suspect the endurance aspect has a lot to do with it (training the slow-twich fibers). Probably something I was lacking. There’s probably more carry-over than I thought. Thanks for the feedback.

8

The more I did push ups, the better I got at push ups. I don’t see it having a large carry over except maybe increased work capacity.

9

Sometimes as a shoulder friendly pressing exercise, I’ll do push ups with chains draped around my neck and a band across my back with my feet elevated. Hammers my shoulders and tris hard.

10

Agree with X

However, what you’re experiencing MAY be psychological. The fact that you’re performing better in one exercise, which happens to be a press movement, could be boosting your confidence with another.

You feel like you’re “getting stronger” at push ups, so you could also be expecting to be stronger in your bench.

Confidence goes a long way in all endeavors, especially heavy lifting.

Kind of a long shot, but possible, in my opinion.

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]HolyMacaroni wrote:
I can bench press 365x4 and can easily do 70+ pushups without stopping

I know plenty of people who can do 70+ pushups without stopping, who can’t even come close to a 300lb bench.

soo…you’re saying after a few weeks of doing DB and BB bench presses…your numbers went up?

good job sherlock.[/quote]

LOL. Most of the people I knew in the Air Force could do 70 push ups or more but very few could bench more than 250.

If I a in the gym using all of that equipment and all of that weight and feel the need to do push ups, I think something is wrong.

There is nothing wrong with push ups, but push ups won’t get your bench to 400+. Bench pressing a shit load of weight will though.

I used to see smaller guys do this all of the time…but they are still small. They would stop doing chest exercises to finish several sets of push ups next to the bench and then go home. You could stay at home and do push ups.[/quote]

11

I agree that in most cases push ups arent going to do shit for your bench press. However maybe because the pushups are easy you are doing them somewhat explosively and its like a dynamic day that powerlifters are fond of.

Also if you havnt been progressing on the BP maybe your program just sucked and the pushups worked just cause it was something different or because of the frequency.

I find it interesting though that my BP has gone up a lot but I can still only do 50 pushups, i know I’ve gotten heavier but still. It just shows that strength is specific and if you want to get good at a particualer exercise, you should do THAT exercise.