Slow Progression?

[Cornfed]

Hi, I've been reading the excellent advice given out on these forums for some time and haven't needed to ask for advice until now.

I've been following the PRMC guide for about 3 months and have seen steady improvement in maximums (situps etc.) except for press-ups. On average in the past 5 weeks my maximum number of press-ups has gone up 1 per week, to my current total of 31. Is this normal? Or am I suffering from some weedy arm problem?

I'm currently doing the circuit exercise Mon-Fri with rests on the weekend. And my press-ups are in sets of 25, with my muscles giving out before finishing the final set. Although they seem to be getting harder every time and I'm having to stop several times before finishing.

Any help would be appreciated, Cheers.

[lew]

How often are you doing these exercises??? Are you giving your self enough time for your muscle tissue to recover??? Are you eating properly, sleeping enough???

If its over use, just lay off the press ups for a bit, as what you do when you exercise these muscles is you break down the actual muscle fibres, they then in turn re build them selves to be stronger and more durable , so they can do what is required, and push your self further...

Hope that helps a bit...

lew

[oban3]

i had the exact same problem - like most of the people not being able to manage many of the press ups. i found it trying it 5 times a week was worse than every other day - and twice a week just try to get a max score - whenever i thought about getting a certain amount eg. 30 - when i got to 29 my arms felt like dropping off. now i always think one step a head go for 40 instead - it's weird how the mind works, now i have improved loads in just a month and can treble my usual scores -

[Cornfed]

Thanks for the advice. I think I'll ease back a bit and try exercising every other day to see if it makes a difference. Maybe some kind of weights session once a week would help?

[Jon]

Personally, I think that the PRMC fitness guide is not enough.

You should aim to add at least 5 reps to the pess up, sit up and inclined pull up a week, and 1 rep to the pull up.

You may also be experiencing undertraining. This is when the work that you are doing is not enough, therefore you are not getting any benefits since you dont have to work as hard as you can. However, you may also be training at an advanced level which will also have little benefit.

If you do get tired, do some modified press ups (while kneeling).

Whats best is to incorporate some other exercises into your plan, ie: burpees, tricep dips, etc[/u]

[Jon]

Its also good to start off with about 3 training days a week. When your fitness improves, add another day every few weeks/months or so.

Get into a gym and build up the endurance of your muscles.

[Mheyda]

I do 3 set of 15 pressups 5 times a week and I have improved by 5 pressups in the last 2 weeks , which isnt bad

[always go commando]

if your going to follow the PRMC guide your best ofdoing the POC excersices, a bit more intence.
(personal opinion, don't kill yourself if you can't do it)

[faddius]

Approach your pressups differently. Do pyramid pressups and also do them without counting and concentrating on breathing. Practice them slowly, fast, marine style, civvy style, weights on your back, feet elevated.

Basically do at least 150 a day using all types.

There is no way if you follow these guides that yu shouldn't improve atleast 5-10 a week.

The danger is that at the moment you are used to doing reps of 25 so when you attempt more you mind says no.

[COMBAT WOMBAT]

I had problems, i would get to the day when i was going to add a couple more press-ups knowing that i was still strugling on my current amount, so for ages i stayed on 7 normal press-ups and 0 marine press-ups. I eventually learned to just go for it anyway, and miraculously it came. it is damned hard work, but then again nothing worth doing is easy, even if you think you won't be able to do it, go for it anyway, and i guarantee it will come eventually, just keep plugging away, you MUST surpass your pain threshold, just keep going through the pain, you will start to improve and be VERY surprised by how far can push it.

[Mheyda]

I had problems, i would get to the day when i was going to add a couple more press-ups knowing that i was still strugling on my current amount, so for ages i stayed on 7 normal press-ups and 0 marine press-ups. I eventually learned to just go for it anyway, and miraculously it came. it is damned hard work, but then again nothing worth doing is easy, even if you think you won't be able to do it, go for it anyway, and i guarantee it will come eventually, just keep plugging away, you MUST surpass your pain threshold, just keep going through the pain, you will start to improve and be VERY surprised by how far can push it.

I wish I had the pain it would be so much easier...
My arms just start shaking and my back starts to bend and the I just callapse.

[Jon]

I used to have a problem with my pull ups. I would do 3 sets of 20 press ups, 40 situps, and 4 pull ups, adding 5, 5 and 1 at the end or each week.
Basically, I found it hard to do a large number of pull ups just after doing my sit ups. Even though they use seperate muscles, my arms would be knackered and i'd struggle to complete them.

What im going to start doing now, from Monday, is:

MON - FRI
Morning: Run followed by 3 sets of 4 pull ups and 15 burpees (pull ups seperate from other exercises since these are hard and require a lot of effort. Burpees - contribute to aerobic session)

Midday: 3 sets of 5 chin ups, 25 press ups and 50 sit ups (chin ups are easier to do than pull ups, therefore more likely that id be able to work on my press ups)

Afternoon: 3 sets of 15 military press ups, 30 rotating sit ups and 15 tricep dips (chance to work on press ups that ill need to do at my PRMC. Difficult to do rotating sit ups along with normal sit ups, therefore can train all ab muscles in one day and sufficiently. Tricep dips are basically just usefull)

SAT
Morning: 45 Fartlek (+ 10mins every week - help to improve anaerobic fitness)
Afternoon: Weight Session (help to build up muscle endurance)

Rest Sunday

Im going to work on the assumption that if I break my training down into 3 circuits a day, ill be able to complete more exercises, get more work done and remain motivated. I used to be in the position where id leave my circuit too late, and by then id be too tired.

Im not going to have a session when I calcualte my maximums. Used to do this, but came to conclusion that at the end of the week I was too tired and had low morale, therefore the results were unreliable. For example, I used to get a max numbver of pull ups of 7, even though I knew I could do at least 9).