How do weighted Push-ups compare to bench press from a muscle building and safety standpoint?
(Assuming you can go quite heavy - 100-150 lbs for reps)
How do you āsafelyā load a press up with 100/150lb? That is 2 plates. I canāt see anyone being able to keep that in place for more than 1/2 a rep.
That is not to say weight press ups do not work. But youāll have to stops at 1 plate. Once you start trying to balance 2 plates it is more like yoga. As you try and move your shoulder blades at the same pace and stop and side to side movement.
Well that was my experience.
I own a weighted vest where you can screw and lock plates onto a pin, in your back
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put the plates in a backpack. wear it on your chest.
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Pushups are great for size - but not the bouncing up and down half-rep pushups.
Stop at the bottom and explode up to full extension then lower slowly.
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I love weighted push ups, but think they serve a different role than BP in your training. For the weighted push ups, I would stick in the higher rep range and think of them as a supplement to your heavier BP training. Check out Jim Wendlerās WALRUS-style training, which is circuit training with a weight vest (push ups, pull ups, squats, for example, with high rep ranges). One of my ways to train is a main barbell lift followed by strapping on a weight vest and getting extra work in a circuit-style fashion.
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Right now I feel stupid. There are 2 very simple ways to do weight press ups with 150lb of weight.
Having never managed to do these the only thing Iād add is because of the nature of press up your scapula is free to move more. And you hand rotation is not dictated by a bat. Meaning it should in theory be a healthier for your shoulders.
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Probably move you away from chasing weight for some imaginary Internet dick measuring contest too. No-ones ever asked me how much I weight vest push up.
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Sorry dude
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char limit
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I have probably explained myself badly or you missed the point. In all honesty I donāt care how much weight I lift with pushups or bench press (I donāt care in equal measure). Some might simply say that progressive overload is easier on the bench press, but assuming you can load a lot of weight with pushups, what are the advantages of one or the other? To be even clearer I specify that I am a beginner (bench press 145lbsx6 is my PR), that my goal is to put on size and to do this I want to focus on getting strong on 6-8 exercises in the 6-12 range.
As a side note, the tone of my post is respectful and not provocative, for the avoidance of doubt; likewise I am open to any constructive explanation or dialogue.
I am not a native English speaker
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You donāt need much added weight to make push ups extremely challenging. I train at home with minimal kit so have to get creative! Try doing push ups on gymnastics rings, wearing a 20kg vest, possibly adding bands too, with a decline so hands are below level of feet and then do reps with slow eccentrics and pauses at top and/or bottom etc. etc. - not easy!
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Damn, I wish my native English was as good as your non-native English.
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Give It a try for a few months.
Bench Press is not mandatory unless you compete in powerlifting. There are some advantage ti both on the paper
PUSHUPS lets your scapula free to move, you can adjust hand position to neutral or semisupinated of you use handles, that allows you to perform the exercise from a small deficit.
BENCH PRESS: core strenght Is not and issue, for sure it is less safe, but Is well suited for progressive overload and a time tested exercise which builds big upper body.
Of you fancy pushups, try pushups, progress, get stronger, and see how It goes in a 3-4 months.
ā¦I wouldnt worry about weighted pushups for quite a while
run through tnation programs like below to get your strength up/bench 2 plates(225) asapā¦
Do pushups at the end as finisher when your chest is pre-exhausted. Ideally deep/marine pushups 5x20 as you get better, pause at the bottom/slow negatives etc
āHorrible hundredā here is a great finisher alsoā¦
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Thereās absolutely nothing in the world that gives me a chest/ triceps pump like ladder push-ups at the end of a weight workout.
Do 1 rep, stand, do 2 reps, stand up, do 3 reps, etc up to 10 and then back down.
Disgusting.
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Still giving consistently solid, and underrated advice.
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Everything can have a place in a well-constructed program, and neither of these exercises is an exception. Youāll find the push up to be more limited in how you can use it than the bench press as you get stronger, but for now, both exercises should be pretty much equally valuable in your programming. I donāt think thereās a massive difference in the overall effectiveness of the two. Really depends on your overall goals, I would say.