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Bodyweight Need A Pushup Math Maven

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Steve Freides

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I'm working on my 1-arm, 1-leg pushup. I started by using a standard weightlifting bench, which is 18" high, plus an 8" apple box, so 26" altogether.

I've been working on a 4" apple box on my bench for the last week, so 22" altogether, and I got my first double on each side today - yeah!

I'm interested to know math about how much of my bodyweight is on my hand at various elevations above the floor and, of course, when I'm finally doing these from the ground.

Can anyone figure this for me?

Thanks in advance, and I'm going to do a few more reps right now ...

-S-
 
If you give me your height, arm length and distance from ground to your shoulder, then I might be able to tell you the percentage of your Bodyweight resting on the box.

Alternatively, using a scale is highly effective. If you do, please keep your answer secret to us geeks hehe. I'll give it the old college try.
 
If you could just figure it for a typical adult male, that would be close enough for me - or figure it for you. I think we're of relatively similar stature, i.e. memory serves.

A scale, yes, that would be a thing to try.

I assume, that as you lower, the weight on your hand actually increases slightly (or maybe not slightly) from the lockout position.

I really, really, really, really don't need to know this, but it would satisfy my idle curiosity.

I'm 5' 7", 150 lbs., old and hoping to get older. :)

-S-
 
Steve, the calculation is a bit complex. But I guesstimate about 95 pounds for you at the bottom of the Push-ups.

Here's something that will most likely catch your eye. This weight will not be very different than at the top of the Push-up. In fact, it will not be very different than even the drill done on the floor. The reason is that elevation, while it does decrease the amount of total weight lifted by the legs, also places the arm at a non-vertical angle. This creates another force designed to prevent your body from torquing (which does not exist in the floor because both the force of the floor and the arm and parallel). This extra force goes horizontally and gets countered by the friction of the floor.

This extra force contributes to the force required in the arm itself.

Following a bit of my math, at the bottom of the box OAPU, you'll push about 95 pounds. At the top of the Push-up, around 95 pounds as well, and done on the floor, around 105 pounds. So not a whole lot more as you can see.

For myself, it gives me 72 pounds for the of the bottom, 75 for at the top of the box, and 100 lbs when done on the floor itself (a bigger margin than for you).

I went to try it with a scale and was surprisingly close.

Try it with a scale and tell me how it goes. Something tells me though the elevation seems high, you might be pushing quite a bit more than you think and might not be too far from the full floor drill itself.
 
Hi @305pelusa, I was also curious about this a while ago, but too lazy to run the maths. Today I did a quick match check for the floor push up, without box, and came to higher figures than yours. I calculated that if done on the floor, 86% of the bodyweight is being supported by the hand in the bottom position. So, for @Steve Freides bodyweight, that would be 128 pounds. How much do you weight?
 
Hi @305pelusa, I was also curious about this a while ago, but too lazy to run the maths. Today I did a quick match check for the floor push up, without box, and came to higher figures than yours. I calculated that if done on the floor, 86% of the bodyweight is being supported by the hand in the bottom position. So, for @Steve Freides bodyweight, that would be 128 pounds. How much do you weight?
Hey Oscar,
I actually didn't try the bottom of a PU on the floor. I tried bottom/top at an elevation (found those to be similar, and the math seems to say similar things). And I tried top of the push-up on floor (which gave me 100 lbs out of 140... which is 71 percent).

The weight at the bottom of the floor push-up should be higher than that. I don't know how much higher. Might be 86%, idk. Seems like a reasonable number.


I also want to mention that all these calculations are very rough. I can easily add 10+ lbs at the bottom of a push-up just by leaning forward slightly. There's a TON of sources of error, so you should not get what I get (that would be eerie!).

They're useful for having a general understanding. We can tell we aren't pushing 90+ % nor 50-% in a Push-up. We can tell that Elevated Push-ups are easier, although perhaps not by as much as you might initially think. And frankly, that's about it. Wouldn't get super hung up on the numbers. They're just guides :)
 
@305pelusa indeed, those are only rough figures and subject to calculation error. As you said, if you lean forward you will be supporting a lot more weight.

@Steve Freides I came to similar figures as Pelusa did, but a bit higher. By the time you do PU on the floor, you´ll probably be supporting about 128 lbs with your hand. I agree with Pelusa that the 22" elevation doesnt reduce the weight much. A rough figure would be a reduction of about 15%
 
I've switched to doing these with two feet, and am up to doing sets of 4 at an 18" elevation, and will keep working this down to the floor before revisiting the 1-leg version.

That advice, btw, comes from a one-on-one session I had with Master SFG @Phil Scarito this past Monday. We are all students - I learned a lot and hope to do this again in the not-too-distant future - and had a great time, too.

-S-
 
@Steve Freides - I was about to recommend a new program to you but looks like you are on the right track from your meeting with @Phil Scarito. Keep us posted on your progress.
 
I'm working on my 1-arm, 1-leg pushup. I started by using a standard weightlifting bench, which is 18" high, plus an 8" apple box, so 26" altogether.

I've been working on a 4" apple box on my bench for the last week, so 22" altogether, and I got my first double on each side today - yeah!

I'm interested to know math about how much of my bodyweight is on my hand at various elevations above the floor and, of course, when I'm finally doing these from the ground.

Can anyone figure this for me?

Thanks in advance, and I'm going to do a few more reps right now ...

-S-

I happen to have a couple of force platforms. I could measure this at various heights and determine the force needed to do a regular cadence pushup. However, it would be specific to me and the speed at which I did the pushup. I could also just get static load in each position, which would be proportional to the pushup force at any given speed.
 
Static load would be interesting to know - as a percentage of bodyweight, it would roughly translate to other people as well.

-S-
 
Hello,

What would be the result if I weigh 60 kg, heigh 1,80m and use a 20cm box under my foot during a OAOL PU ? It would be interesting to see how much I push that way, comparing to a standard press for instance.

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
Hello,

What would be the result if I weigh 60 kg, heigh 1,80m and use a 20cm box under my foot during a OAOL PU ? It would be interesting to see how much I push that way, comparing to a standard press for instance.

Kind regards,

Pet'
I think easier than 10 minutes of rough algebra and geometry, is to simply do it on a scale!
 
@mprevost That would be good to know. About the static load, from a physics point of view it is going to be exactly the same as the force while moving, and regardless of the speed at which you do the movement (except for the instant when you accelerate upwards at the bottom position and decelarate at the top position). So if you can measure the forces at different box heights it would be great. If you do the drill, it would be good if you can have someone take pictures of you from the side, since the positioning of the hand has a great influence in the weight distribution between the feet and the hand. Keep us posted!
 
@mprevost That would be good to know. About the static load, from a physics point of view it is going to be exactly the same as the force while moving, and regardless of the speed at which you do the movement (except for the instant when you accelerate upwards at the bottom position and decelarate at the top position). So if you can measure the forces at different box heights it would be great. If you do the drill, it would be good if you can have someone take pictures of you from the side, since the positioning of the hand has a great influence in the weight distribution between the feet and the hand. Keep us posted!

Should be easy. Best way to standardize it is to keep the arms vertical. However, I can get force in x, y, and z planes. As you stated, probably just static.
 
Hello,

I do not know if they are necessarily a lot harder, but sure a OAOL PU with an elevated foot is tough ! I used to do 3 or 4 of them in a row, with a 20cm height support. I do not know what percentage it put on the pushing arm though.

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
Hello,

I do not know if they are necessarily a lot harder, but sure a OAOL PU with an elevated foot is tough ! I used to do 3 or 4 of them in a row, with a 20cm height support. I do not know what percentage it put on the pushing arm though.

Kind regards,

Pet'
70% of your bodyweight.

For me this means 70kg on my one arm! That is MUCH more weight than in ROP or S&S.

NW develops far more strength than the other programmes, but its relative drawback is that it's very hard to do because of how much weight is involved, especially for heavier people like myself.
 
Hello,

@Kozushi
So, if I weigh 60, using 20cm heigt support for a OAOL PU, does that mean I push 70% of 60, so 42kg ?

If so, I guess I can push more than I press because the OAOL PU engages other muscles.

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
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