<p>Just can't do the push-ups. Do you think I'll be able to go from 5 to 50 (or however much the Test says is good) this summer?</p>
<p>5 pushups? with both hands?</p>
<p>if you have a weight problem, work on that asap... if you just have straws for arms, keep practicing.</p>
<p>Practice. I went from 20ish to 50ish in a couple months of not really working out.</p>
<p>The only way to get better at pushups is to actually try them. Look, I was in the same boat last spring. I was so interested and excited about USAFA (yeah, I'm in the wrong forum) but I couldn't do a single pushup. But I tried and I tried and after about two weeks, I could finally lower myself and come back up and do a full pushup. After that, I'd do them every morning before breakfast, during the day when I'd be bored, during the evening when I'd do my workouts, and once more before bedtime. It's all about dedication and practice. I'd say from July to September, I went from 10 to 48 (I'm a girl so I stopped at 48 once I had to do the CFA). Just keep doing them and don't be discouraged. And if it is a weight problem like taffy said, take care of it. </p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>You can also get better at push-ups by lifting. I can do quite a few and never practice them.</p>
<p>Wrong place for me to, but lifting does help ALOT. Find a weight where 3 sets of 10 wears you out and do it every other day if you can. Alternate muscle gruops so you don't hurt yourself. </p>
<p>Also, try variations of pushups: wide arms, triangle with hands, claps, one arm, etc.</p>
<p>if you know anybody that's been in basic..they'll be able to teach you
How many should a boy be able to do decently, i know the max is like 72 but what if you could do 50 or so?</p>
<p>This is kind of off but do you guys think that it's tougher to do sit-ups and push-ups in the morning than towards the evening?</p>
<p>working out first thing in the morning is always better then at night...your body isnt worn yet and, your circulations pumps easier and it really wakes you up....makes your day start off with your body running better...its like warming your car up before a long trip</p>
<p>i dont thin kits a weight problem if his only problem is pushups and not hte mile/shuttle run too</p>
<p>cmon i thoguht service academy ppl were supposed to be intelligent</p>
<p>(Please take a moment to proof read your work.)</p>
<p>Lifting is helpful. However, practicing push-ups works the best, in my experience. Diamonds, claps, and one-arms are for the more proficient people.</p>
<p>dylan sav, 50 or so is a decent starting point. More is better. If doing push-ups in basic is not as taxing, that only leaves more energy for other stuff.</p>
<p>Youcan go from 5 to 50 no problem in one summer, it shouldnt even take that long, just do them on a regular basis and push urself. If you can, work out with a friend.</p>
<p>I know a guy with 30% body fat and he can run like you wouldn't believe. (1 min 400!!!) but he probably couldn't do more than like 20 pushups if his life depended on it.</p>
<p>As far as improving your pushups, I don't suggest weight training. Most people recommend you do pushups to BEFORE you start benching. Unless your heavyset, I wouldn't bother with the weight bench right away. ie go for it if your over 200, If not your probably better doing pushups. (The Citadel recommends an interesting weight training pushup improvement plan...I tried it a few times and didn't like. JUST DO PUSHUPS!)</p>
<p>BTW...I consider myself a pushup miracle. Went from 25ish to 72 on my CFA in about 5 months... It CAN be done, cause I dunnit (I lost weight too 230 to low 170s, so thats part of it)</p>
<p>I recommend a well-rounded system of lifting (not just "benching", the most common high school exercise, as it were) combined with push-ups, stretching, and a sound nutritional plan.</p>
<p>Ragmanlaw, did you lose that much weight in 5 months? Just from push ups? Or were you running and seriously watching your diet to lose that weight?</p>
<p>For pushups, a friend of my mom went from not being able to do one to doing 30 because of a system her son (a physical trainer) set up.</p>
<p>He said to do 30 against the wall (which anyone should be able to do). From there go to a counter top, then a chair, then a lower stair, and eventually the floor. By changing the angle at which the pushup occurs, you're either increasing or decreasing the resistance (obviously, the more vertical you are, the easier it is; the more horizontal, the more difficult). I think she said that within 2 months she could do 30 pushups.</p>
<p>Doing dips builds up the same muscles in a lot fewer reps</p>
<p>Dips focus on the triceps (and are really good at building them!). Push-ups use the pectorals, biceps, and triceps. So an exercise program for these groups will help. The best way is still just doing push-ups though.</p>