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Bench Presses or Push Ups?
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 2005-01-10 3:47 PM |
Veteran  301  Belize |  Subject: Bench Presses or Push Ups?Or a combination of both? Which is the better exercise for improving muscular endurance? If I can lift my body weight for at least 8 reps in one set of bench presses but I am unable to do more than 40 reps of push ups in 1 set is that any indication that I might be strong but lack muscular endurance or are the two interdependent? How many push ups can you do in one set? How much can you bench press? I weigh aprox 171 lbs. but I probably could only bench press that amount for 2 reps. Haven't tried it yet. I can do about 35 - 40 push ups in one set. Edited by David_Zen 2005-01-10 3:55 PM |
| 2005-01-10 4:12 PM in reply to: #101575 |
Pro 4206 Los Angeles, CA | Subject: RE: Bench Presses or Push Ups? When I lifted in college, we did pushups for warmup and bench press for strength building. In my opinion, weights are by far a better way to build muscle mass and strength, and build body shape for a specific muscle group. And you don't have to keep increasing the weight, you can do many reps of smaller weight do tone your muscles and build endurance. In regards to your comparision of 171lbs, you are not "pushing" up 171 lbs when you do push ups, while when you are doing bench press, you are lifting the whole 171 weight. That's why you can't do as many reps. |
| 2005-01-10 4:24 PM in reply to: #101575 |
Master 1597   Colorado | Subject: RE: Bench Presses or Push Ups? My guess is that any kind of press with anything more than a very light weight would very quickly put you in an anaerobic state and not do much for endurance. I'm pretty sure that failing after 40 reps of push-ups would not be due to any lack of endurance. On a lunch hour last year I entered a contest for a free camelback (you had to do 142 continous push ups- how's that for a random number). I failed at about 130, but still went out and ran my 5 miles. So even though my arms and chest were done, my aerobic capacity (what there is of it) seemed to be fine. How's that for scientific To answer your stat's question- I weigh 185, I press 220- in DB's- for reps (never done a 1 rep max), and the only time I ever maxed my push-ups was above. |
| 2005-01-10 4:28 PM in reply to: #101575 |
| New user 6 Philadelphia | Subject: RE: Bench Presses or Push Ups? For endurance the push ups will be better. If you want to bench press you need to do more reps at a lighter weight. When you are looking to build big muscles and add mass you bench as much weight as you can that will allow you to do 8-12 reps. If you are looking to build endurance you need to lift at a weight that will allow you to do 15-20 reps at a time. Hope that helps. |
| 2005-01-10 5:27 PM in reply to: #101575 |
Veteran 301 Belize | Subject: RE: Bench Presses or Push Ups? I wouldn't regard push ups as an aerobic workout. However, my question is whether muscular endurance and muscular strength are interrelated. In other words, as I become stronger--say able to bench press heavier weights, do I automatically become able to do more push ups? |
| 2005-01-10 6:39 PM in reply to: #101636 |
Pro 4206 Los Angeles, CA | Subject: RE: Bench Presses or Push Ups? Yes. David_Zen - 2005-01-10 2:27 PM I wouldn't regard push ups as an aerobic workout. However, my question is whether muscular endurance and muscular strength are interrelated. In other words, as I become stronger--say able to bench press heavier weights, do I automatically become able to do more push ups? |
| 2005-01-10 6:45 PM in reply to: #101636 |
Elite 2421 | Subject: RE: Bench Presses or Push Ups? David_Zen - 2005-01-10 4:27 PM I wouldn't regard push ups as an aerobic workout. However, my question is whether muscular endurance and muscular strength are interrelated. In other words, as I become stronger--say able to bench press heavier weights, do I automatically become able to do more push ups? The short answer to that is yes. But I'm not sure I would qualify push-ups as "muscular endurance". Bench press and push-ups both typically fall in the anaerobic (strength) range. Now if you were staying in the front leaning rest for 5-10 minutes doing as many push-ups over that time period as you can, your bench max would quickly become less relevant. bts |
| 2005-01-10 8:19 PM in reply to: #101575 |
Master 1670 Harvard, Illinois | Subject: RE: Bench Presses or Push Ups? I would stay away from the bench press because it can't put stress on the shoulder and when your swimming you might feel some pain. I destroyed my shoulders with the bench press years ago. I do push ups now. I put my feet up on a swiss ball and do three sets of them. Right now I am doing three sets of 20 and in a couple of weeks I'll move up to 30 reps a set. I think it has helped my endurance and strength. Mike |
| 2005-01-10 8:22 PM in reply to: #101575 |
| Subject: RE: Bench Presses or Push Ups? You'll be able to increase endurance and strength with either. If you want to increase strength with pushups you can always place a 45 lb plate on your back while you're doing pushups or elevate your feet on a stair or coffee table. If you want to hit more triceps more narrow the distance between your hands... increasing the distance hits your delts more. If you want to increase endurance with weights on the bench, do a lighter weight with more reps. Hand positioning here will also affect which muscle groups get hit. Pushups are free and very convenient during the 2 & 2 (2 minute 2 seconds of commercials on most TV shoes). Lots of top athletes do both. |
| 2005-01-13 9:01 AM in reply to: #101575 |
Veteran 112 Gardner KS (near Kansas City) | Subject: RE: Bench Presses or Push Ups? A standard test (for us trainers in the field) for muscular endurance is the push up- specificity is the answer - you will get stronger with pushups but the training resonse will be endurance - you will increase muscular endurance with bench press but the emphasis will be strength - changing the REST TIME between sets will determine the emphasis on pure strength, pure size, or endurance - a comprehensive plan would include both with a little more emphasis on the endurnace exercise-pushups- gotta have goals, Chuck, gotta have goals |
| 2005-01-13 10:08 AM in reply to: #101708 |
Elite 3498 Chicago | Subject: RE: Bench Presses or Push Ups? Rowdy - 2005-01-10 7:19 PM I would stay away from the bench press because it can't put stress on the shoulder and when your swimming you might feel some pain. Mike Yep, I second that. I have had this experience too. Especially when my weekly swim volume reached 8,000 meters. |
| 2005-01-13 10:35 AM in reply to: #102957 |
Veteran 301 Belize | Subject: RE: Bench Presses or Push Ups? Maybe that is why Lisa Taylor (trixie) did not recommend bench presses in her Specific Strength article. I think she explained why when she wrote "To avoid muscular imbalance your weight training should include functional exercises." So perhaps when doing bench presses there is that risk of muscular imbalance. Edited by David_Zen 2005-01-13 10:39 AM |
| 2005-01-13 12:32 PM in reply to: #101575 |
Expert 1049 Jacksonville, FL | Subject: RE: Bench Presses or Push Ups? A bench press done properly also works other muscles. I feel it in my abs more so than if I am doing benches. |
| 2005-01-13 1:41 PM in reply to: #101575 |
Veteran 275 San Diego, CA | Subject: RE: Bench Presses or Push Ups? A good comprimise between the 2 is to do your bench press on the Smith Machine. The angle of the tracks that the bar moves in is condusive to building the entire tri/delt group, and as others have stated, the position of your hands (width on the bar) can target specific areas. Also, the machine ensures that you are replicating the same move with each lift, and it provides stability & safety(still use a spotter at higher weights). Check with the staff of your gym to ensure that you are positioning yourself correctly under the bar in relation to the angle of the machine. I started using it about 6 months ago, and now I do ALL bench press (incline, decline & flat) on it. I use push-ups as an "in-between sets" exercise. One method I have used in the past is to do sets during commercials in the evening while watching TV. I do 20-30 sit-ups and 20-30 push-ups whenever a commercial comes on and then hop back into the recliner. By the end of an evening I have done 150-200 of each without wearing my self out....kind of a "maintenance" work-out. |
| 2005-01-13 2:30 PM in reply to: #101575 |
Extreme Veteran 560 New Orleans, LA | Subject: RE: Bench Presses or Push Ups? I have had this dilema for awhile. Since I travel for a living, the only strength training I can do on a regular basis involves exercises using my body weight as resistance, i.e. push ups, squats, lunges, etc. In my unscientific opinion, it would seem that using more reps with ones own body weight would be a better recommendation for doing endurance events which do not require explosive power. |
| 2005-01-13 3:11 PM in reply to: #101575 |
Member 34 Youngstown , OH | Subject: RE: Bench Presses or Push Ups? I would recomend doing both. A well developed stregnth training program should place an emphasis on variety. Bench presses, push ups, incline presses, swiss ball push ups, etc. will all stress your muscles in slightly different was. To acheive balanced chest (or any other muscle group) development you need to attack the muscle groups from a variety of angles using slightly different exersizes. In a more familiar context, doing only one of these would be like doing all of you run training on the same hill everyday. After a while you'd be really good at running up that hill, but may have trouble negotiating a downhill grade. In regards to your other question, strength is positively related to preformance in endurance events. The stronger you are the more powerful you will be throughout the course of you event. Which really comes in helpful in the bike and swim, and to a lesser degree, the run. Another major benefit of stregnth is that it tends to increase your lean muscle mass thereby increaseing your fat burning capacity and decreasing your bodyfat percentage. The ultimate resource on the topic of stregnth training is Aronld Schwarzenegger's bodybuilding encyclopedia (gym rats call it the bodybuilding bible). |
| 2005-01-13 3:23 PM in reply to: #101575 |
Veteran 112 Gardner KS (near Kansas City) | Subject: RE: Bench Presses or Push Ups? I think Arnold's book is good for bodybuilding - for strength and conditioning for athletic purposes I would suggest the National Strength & Conditining Associations Strength & Conditioning Journal or the text book Essesntials of Strength Training and Conditioning by T. Baechle and R. Earle - Although I believe former and some current bodybuilders can compete well in tri's, body building itself doesn't transfer well into endurance events - ie more protein is needed in the diet for endurance events, contrary to some popular opinions- |
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