Push up count question for a man's body, T or F (pushups, build)

[Antlered Chamataka]

If he seriously wants to lose weight, staying off push-ups, weights and the like is probably better.

Only intensified cardio can help lose weight.

[M3 Mitch]

Actually I have read that low-intensity cardio, like walking, is better for fat burn than higher-intensity like running. The stair steppers at the gym have a lower-intensity "fat burn" program that is different, shooting for a lower heart rate, than the regular "conditioning" one.

[Alexus]

Originally Posted by pitt_transplant

T or F

As a male only doing 25 push ups/ day is not doing much.

_____________________

I tried to tell the boyfriend this as he is working on losing weight and he does not believe me that he should be shooting for at least 100 eventually and not settle for 25 unless he does different types (sets). He complains the progress is slow and then...well yeh...

He is doing his cardio but he needs to build up his chest muscles. I can feel more bone than muscle there. I told him to take advantage of the weight he has on to help with building. Plus he does them like a girl on his knees. Which I also told him is not ideal...

Words?
Thoughts?
Factoids of experience?

I personally am shooting for my old number of 1000..someday.
And I don't do them on my knees even though I am a girl. I think doing them the man way sorta works the lower back for me because you have to stay strait. It feels like that is the area anyway.

A supportive girlfriend you are not. Every person is different in how they achieve their optimal fitness level. Sounds like he is just beginning. Possibly with a history of not working out or never having the motivation to stick with it, he could certainly use more encouragement from you. You run the risk of short-circuiting his efforts with your criticism.

25 modified pushups per day may not be your ideal, but may be his right now because it appears as though he doesn't like working out. Encourage him to stick to that. Maybe in the past, he hasn't been able to do this for longer than a week. With encouragement, he can overcome his past failures and intensify his workout. But ripping him for not doing what you think "a man" should be doing at this early stage doesn't help him IMO.

I say good for him. Hopefully, he can stick with it until he sees results. Then, it's on to the next stage, where you may see the types of exercises that you expect to see him doing. He's got to get by another barrier first.

[pitt_transplant]

I did not ****ing ask what you thought of me as a girlfriend. K!

It has nothing to do with being a "man"

MALE upper body workout results/endurance are TOTALLY different from FEMALE ones. So that is why I asked the GUYS here about the experience they had.

Enabling people to never push themselves is not healthy support. Neither is lying to them that they are going to get anywhere with 25 push ups. And just FYI s.a. I have been pussyfooting around this CRAP for years. He always complains like a baby and then does nothing about it. Loses and gains the same 25 lbs still leaving him overweight and even up into the obese catagory. I guess I should just let him die of diabetes? That would make him happy right? There is a time and place to cut ths s*** and that time is now. Not to mention him being a big fat guy does NOTHING for the relationship. So I guess being a sexless diabetic fatso is his dream right? Whatever....Coddling is for babies. He is no baby. Just a lazy and in denial of what it takes to change things.

And since when has ANY opinion that you throw out there humble? Its not. Humble is s * t * f *u .

As an ADULT of any sex you just have to SUCK IT UP and do what you have to do, to get the job done.
No matter what it is.
____________________________

My experience with sets...There is not freaking way I could do 1000 in a row. Never did that. I broke mine up 100/set and cycled through a whole body thing at that time. I think my elbows would explode if I tried to do 1000 in a row.

[pitt_transplant]

Originally Posted by Antlered Chamataka

If he seriously wants to lose weight, staying off push-ups, weights and the like is probably better.

Only intensified cardio can help lose weight.

Well diet alone can. But he is working on that too. High intensity does burn more calories per minute. But low intensity burns more fat per calorie. I personally think that HITT with regular low intensity is the best way to kill extra body weight. (along with keeping a 500-1000 calorie shortage daily)

[pitt_transplant]

Originally Posted by Fudoshin1115

Thanks, Cosmic.

Just wondering, too, why the military requires X number of pushups in under a minute. Must be a test of both strength and endurance. When I try to go too fast, my form falls apart!

I think its because they are hardcore! LOL

I told him to try this method..he made the "its insane" face and said "i cant do that" WITHOUT EVEN TRYING!

Thats is what ticks me off with anyone and fitness. They just give up without giving a go!

[ogre]

I have to say that when I read the original post I read right past the part saying your boyfriend is trying to lose weight. Without having caught that part, I was picturing a really skinny guy rather than someone who is overweight. I read these most recent posts on the best ways to lose weight and I was like, huh? Did she say anything about a weight problem?

So now that I've gone back and read the original post more carefully, I do have to say that I think it is a bad idea to push for too much too soon when you are really out of shape. The goal of eventually being able to do a solid number of standard push-ups, along with some other exercises for all-around fitness, is good. However, for someone who starts off overweight and out of shape to push too hard at first is a good formula for failing to stick with an exercise program, because of injury and/or getting discouraged by trying to do more than the body is ready for.

For someone who is in your boyfriend's condition it would be best to aim for consistency at first. A good starting point would be for him to continue doing what his is doing now with the push-ups, to also do one of the pulling lifting exercises I suggested previously (with a weight that taxes him some but is light enough so he's not killing himself), to do knee bends for the legs, and to start doing some walking. Even twice a week on the strength exercises is fine to start with, so long as they are evenly spaced through the week--doing them each Tuesday and Friday, for example. Once that starts to get really easy, he could up this to three times a week. It would also be good for him to start walking three or four times a week. This would be at a normal walking pace, not a power-walking pace. I can't emphasize enough how important it is to take things slowly, and realize that getting into really good condition will take substantial time, when someone who is really out of shape is just starting to exercise. Maybe he could aim for a mile of walking at an easy pace three times a week to start. If a mile is seriously leaving him worn down, then he could do less to start, and work up to walking a shorter distance twice a day, then eventually to a full mile non-stop, and continue progressing from there.

It takes time. Remember that a lot of those using this forum are serious fitness nuts who are in very good shape. The thoughts people have offered here about how many push-ups a man should be able to do are from the perspective of those who are in good shape and are thinking about what a guy in good condition can usually do. It's a very different situation when someone who is very out of shape is just starting out with conditioning. It really needs to be a very gradual process in that case. If your boyfriend can simply maintain consistency with doing the few exercises I've suggested in this post, that will be a really good start. From there he can build up--gradually--to doing more of a variety of strength exercises, and doing workouts of higher intensity. Realistically, it might take a couple of years--maybe more, maybe less, depending on the individual--to go from being overweight and out of shape to being able to crank out those push-ups and then run several miles. In this situation, the first goal is to have consistency in getting SOME physical activity several times a week.

[LaoTzuMindFu]

Have him try a pushup Tabata.

20 seconds - as many pushups as possible
10 seconds - rest
20 seconds - as many pushups as possible
10 seconds - rest
20 seconds - as many pushups as possible
10 seconds - rest
20 seconds - as many pushups as possible
10 seconds - rest
20 seconds - as many pushups as possible
10 seconds - rest
20 seconds - as many pushups as possible
10 seconds - rest
20 seconds - as many pushups as possible
10 seconds - rest
20 seconds - as many pushups as possible

Count the total number of pushups completed and thats the score. Goal is to try to beat your score each time out.

[Wayneb]

I have seen guys who could not do even 1 real pushup, at least he is trying. I used to do 500 pushups every morning(about 21 minutes, no breaks) along with 500 situps and another hour or so of cardio, after awhile they all feel the same. I was not special, just about anyone can can work up to a high number if they work at it. Start slow and add a little at a time, just don't hurt yourself trying to do too much all at once.

[steve1282]

my advice get a new bf