NFT: Question about Doing Pushups

Someone who has more insight into your total physical health. Good on you for exercising.

Generally, I think sets of 25, a minute to two minutes break, then another set. Minimum of three sets of until muscle failure. When the sets become too easy, increase the reps.

But since you are 70, talk to your doctor about your level of activity and how to exercise safely given your overall health. You might also consider bench pressing to increase your weight resistance with lower reps. One of my last PT tests in the military I did the most push-ups I ever did and I never did a single push-up for training. It was all free weights, particularly bench.

I used to do 50 push-ups.

Very impressive at 70.

Sure, break em up into sets but what ever you are doing is working.

Wide arm pushups will work the chest, arms closer together for triceps. Your body gets used to doing the same routine so you need to vary your workout some.

with a tandem approach, with the right lady.....you will be doing 50, or more.

aside from of course getting pro & medical advice (vs us 'experts' here!)

To add, I'd suggest variety of max weight vs max reps. In HS, they'd do pyramid sets - sets of 10-12 reps, 6-8, 3-5, then last 2 sets max of 1-2 increasing weight. Then a final 10-12 set at the low weight. Now PLEASE don't do this on your own benching for ex, but you could on machines or free weight exercises like curls, triceps etc. You don't have to go THAT many sets, but you get the idea. Maybe can add weight to your pushup regiment to do this, aside from as Tim said variety (wide, close, diamond, maybe a few 1 hand if possible)

Then supplement w/ max rep versions some days. Lower weight & likely around 20-30 reps per set. Also drop sets on the strength days wouldn't hurt - I like that even on low energy days so I can't just quit on myself

I've loved going on youtube too. So many different exercise varieties. For curls, I'd do reg curls, curl then press (above the head), rev curls, curl up - twist to rev curls - curl down, 21s (7 bot half, 7 top half, 7 full curls), slanted curls (curl to your opposite pec vs straight out). Also negative resistance...slow pushups, hold at the bottom, slow curl back down etc. Obviously not all these the same day, but on arm days I'd mix it up w/ 2-3

Last, if you aren't don't forget to do at least some back even if it's every 3rd or 4th time you'd do your arms & chest

Please note I'm no expert, just things I've come across, read about, tried, enjoyed, found some success. Tho you're probably in way better shape than me in my late 30s! Still go about it easy if not having a pro advice specific to you

Also you seem to be skipping your legs!
One simple routine for legs is set a timer for thirty minutes and complete as many circuits of 20 lunges 20 body weight squats and 20 sit-ups. Wear a heart rate monitor too

In comment 14573623 thrunthrublue said:

Quote:

with a tandem approach, with the right lady.....you will be doing 50, or more.

Then he’ll be popped for ped’s

I add planking to my routine

I’m 57 and building muscle.

I say keep it up. Doing this at 70 is impressive

Just experiment with different things. My buddy who fights used to take out a deck of cards. He'd flip over a card and do the amount of pushups on the card. He'd wait like 5 to 30 seconds and do the next card. He'd go through the whole deck. Make it fun. Try new things. Then go back to what you are doing and see if it helped.

I will say this, maxing out all the time is not a good way to increase what you want to do. Lets use benching. When I was younger I would max out at 225. It was frustrating because I could never get over that hump but I would do it every time I did chest.

Well, my uncle read about this program that would increase my bench by 10 to 20%. I was game to try anything. It was a 10 week program. I didn't have 10 weeks so we did it in 5. We did it twice a week. It went something like this.

Week 1: do 55% of your max (for me it was estimated at 135) for 3 sets of 10.
Week 2: 60% of max (I went up 10 pounds per) for 3 sets of 9
Week 3: 65% for 3 sets of 8
Week 4: 70% for 3 sets of 7
So on and so forth
Week 10: try 10% to 20% of max (I think these percentages are correct)

Now, when you first start out you are saying to yourself that this is way too light. There is no way it can work. But when you hit that 10th week/session then you'll see how much it did work. I think I went up to 255.

Obviously try 110% to 120% of original max.

It works. Take break between sets as needed. You should jump in around week 5 or 6 based on what you wrote.
W1: 5x1, 5x1, off, 4x2, 4x2, off, 4x3
W2:5x2, 5x2, of, 4x3, 4x3, off, 4x4
W3:4x5, 4x6, 4x6, off 3x8, 3x9, 3x10
W4: off, 2x12, off, 3x10, off, 4x8, off
W5: 215, 2x16, off, 3x15, 3x15, off, 4x10
W6: 2x20, 2x22, off, 3x20,3x20, 0ff, 2x25
W7: 4x18, 4x20, off, 2x38, 2x40,off, 3x30
W8: off, 3x35, off, 4x30, off, 5x25, off
W9: 2x45, 3x45, off, 2x50, 3x50, off, x60
W10: 3x55, 4x50, off, 3x60, off, 2x65, 3x65
W11: 2x70, 4x65, 2x80, off, 2x80, 375, 2x85
W12: off, 2x90, off, 2x95, off, 3x90, 1x 100

instead of just modifying the reps and sets.

One of the things that take away from people really building up their pushup "strength" is that they get used to using the elasticity of their muscles/ligaments too much, which takes away from your overall muscle development (even at 70). We all do this when we focus on just doing as many pushups as we can do instead of focusing on the actual strength associated with the movement.

If your joints can take it, I would suggest you do a few sets of these pushups (do them to failure for each set since it'll be at a much lower number), which are known to better improve your overall pushup strength and power:

When you are on the decent of your pushups, lower yourself all the way to the ground and with your chest on the ground, pick your hands off the ground about an inch for about half a second (this will force you to use your back muscle to do so, which will also help in the long run). Then return your hand to the ground and push through the ground as if you're pushing the ground away from your body with as much explosive force you can generate. Make sure you come all the way up and almost lock out your elbow (to prevent injury) ensuring that you flex your triceps and your chest.

Ensure you keep your core tight and your body straight throughout the movement.

This method forces your body to make each rep recruit more muscles with fuller range of motion and eliminates our bodies' natural tendency to use momentum, gravity, and muscle elasticity.

My brother taught me this method, as he used it with his SOF team to improve their strengths for their PT tests, and it did wonders for all of us.

Just keep doing what ur doing....