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Bodyweight Quick and easy question

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CMHoward

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Power pull-ups...need a resistance band.
What are you using? Long enough to wrap over the back down to the hands and decent resistance level for Q&D practitioner using a 40kg kettlebell for 1 arm swings and a 32kg for the snatch protocol.
Thanks
 
 
I use rubberbanditz. Id get a set of medium, heavy and extra heavy, so you can get a feel for what you need. Bands are so useful for other things too, so having a variety of resistance woukd be good.
 
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Power pull-ups...need a resistance band.
What are you using? Long enough to wrap over the back down to the hands and decent resistance level for Q&D practitioner using a 40kg kettlebell for 1 arm swings and a 32kg for the snatch protocol.
Thanks
Power Push ups ?
 
I'm also assuming you mean power PUSH UPS.

For banded push ups, any regular Jump Stretch style bands work. Most of mine are from Elitefts, but they're a pretty generic item.

For Q&D, I think for most people there's a lot to milk out of power pushups with just bodyweight. Are you keeping your elbows in tight and connected to your lats? Are you freefalling on the negative ("playing chicken with the floor") and really exploding up on the positive? How long does it take you to do a set of 10 with full lockout at the top and just brushing your chest to the floor? If it's more than 9 seconds, you still have some room to work. Are you still as fast at the end of series 5 as you are at the start of series 1? In not, you still have some room to work.

Since speed and explosion are so important for Q&D power pushups, I'd start with very light band tension and progress from there. A mini band at most, and you might even try a micro mini to start. Then a monster mini or a micro and mini together. The light band seems like a lot of resistance for multiple series of power pushups, even for someone extremely strong and would make them a lot more grindy. But who knows -- I'm not anywhere near there and haven't worked with or observed any REALLY strong presser do power pushups to get a clearer idea of the possibilities. Also, if you find that you WANT to choose a slower, grindier form of push ups with more resistance and don't mind trading off speed (which I can see being a reasonable choice to at least explore), then that changes the equation.
 
I'm also assuming you mean power PUSH UPS.

For banded push ups, any regular Jump Stretch style bands work. Most of mine are from Elitefts, but they're a pretty generic item.

For Q&D, I think for most people there's a lot to milk out of power pushups with just bodyweight. Are you keeping your elbows in tight and connected to your lats? Are you freefalling on the negative ("playing chicken with the floor") and really exploding up on the positive? How long does it take you to do a set of 10 with full lockout at the top and just brushing your chest to the floor? If it's more than 9 seconds, you still have some room to work. Are you still as fast at the end of series 5 as you are at the start of series 1? In not, you still have some room to work.

Since speed and explosion are so important for Q&D power pushups, I'd start with very light band tension and progress from there. A mini band at most, and you might even try a micro mini to start. Then a monster mini or a micro and mini together. The light band seems like a lot of resistance for multiple series of power pushups, even for someone extremely strong and would make them a lot more grindy. But who knows -- I'm not anywhere near there and haven't worked with or observed any REALLY strong presser do power pushups to get a clearer idea of the possibilities. Also, if you find that you WANT to choose a slower, grindier form of push ups with more resistance and don't mind trading off speed (which I can see being a reasonable choice to at least explore), then that changes the equation.
What you said, and could try a light band with elevated feet. Bands with feet on a Swiss ball require some focus.
 
Hahaha! Sorry everyone! Yes, I meant to write power PUSH ups. Another example of a failure to proof read before posting.
Thank you all for your input.
In answer to Steve's question I basically free fall, stopping just before impact, lie my upper body on the mat , take my hands off the mat and begin rep 2..repeat as necessary. I've not timed it, but it seems pretty quick...and tiring.
 
Hahaha! Sorry everyone! Yes, I meant to write power PUSH ups. Another example of a failure to proof read before posting.
Thank you all for your input.
In answer to Steve's question I basically free fall, stopping just before impact, lie my upper body on the mat , take my hands off the mat and begin rep 2..repeat as necessary. I've not timed it, but it seems pretty quick...and tiring.
Wait, you take your hands off the mat at the bottom? That doesn't sound right for Q&D power pushups.

Start in the bottom position, braced and ready to explode. Explode up to lockout for the first rep. From the lockout, free fall and catch yourself right before the bottom (I let my chest brush the floor, but my weight is supported by my hands the whole time) and immediately explode back up. The first rep is only one you do from a dead start at the bottom.

BTW, one thing I recommend for bands is to spray them with Armor All. It keeps them looking new and gives them a smoother surface that makes them easier to untie if you use multiple bands looped together (you wouldn't do this for push ups, but there are lots of other things you can do with multiple bands like this).
 

It should go without saying for anyone who has read the book, but the push ups can be done on fists or palms.

I prefer palms.

You can also keep your hands rooted at the top or allow your hands to "jump" off the floor at the top.

I prefer to stay rooted. I don't chase the jump because I want to focus on full extension and lockout at the top, and I find my tendency is to cut the lockout short if I am consciously trying to jump. I enjoy that moment of planked up tension at the top, even if it is very brief, to contrast with the relaxation and free fall to initiate the drop.
 
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It should go without saying for anyone who has read the book, but the push ups can be done on fists or palms.

I prefer palms.

You can also keep your hands rooted at the top or allow your hands to "jump" off the floor at the top.

I prefer to stay rooted. I don't chase the jump because I want to focus on full extension and lockout at the top, and I find my tendency is to cut the lockout short if I am consciously trying to jump. I enjoy that moment of planked up tension at the top, even if it is very brief, to contrast with the relaxation and free fall to initiate the drop.
She's a high level boxer, knuckle push ups are good for striking. And I believe she had some thumb issues.
 
Thanks for the instruction. Yeah, I was starting with body only on the deck for each rep and exploding upward.
I read somewhere, from someone "in the know", that that style was more beneficial. I can say it kinda sucked.
 
On a side note, for whatever it's worth...Sonny Puzikas, in his "Forge" workout says to use fists only when doing push ups. That using palms puts undo stress on the wrists and elbows. Of course he advocates 30 minute planks and doing pistols standing on a kettlebell...
 
On a side note, for whatever it's worth...Sonny Puzikas, in his "Forge" workout says to use fists only when doing push ups. That using palms puts undo stress on the wrists and elbows. Of course he advocates 30 minute planks and doing pistols standing on a kettlebell...
Intense.
To answer your first question, the monster bands I had were purchased at a local sporting goods store. Green band labeled at 80 lbs., a purple band at 40. No idea what size will work for you for power push ups. You'll have to buy/borrow, or test drive some to find out.
 
So....just got done doing a Q&D and did the push ups as per the video provided by Don F. (Thank you by the way). I realize that they work the muscles very differently than doing them in any number of different methods. My personal impression was that 10 reps goes extremely quickly, which may be the goal.
They were definitely not as difficult as taking ones hands off the mat at the bottom of each rep.
They were not nearly as difficult as lowering the body very slowly and then exploding upward each rep.
So...if someone can explain, in layman's terms what the benefits are in doing them as per the video as opposed to the other methods I'd greatly appreciate it.
Please understand that I'm not dissing anything nor anyone, rather I'm just looking for understanding. I'm a huge proponent of "bang for you buck", so if I'm going to spend the time doing them I'd like to know why.
Thanks.
 
They were definitely not as difficult as taking ones hands off the mat at the bottom of each rep.
They were not nearly as difficult as lowering the body very slowly and then exploding upward each rep.
So...if someone can explain, in layman's terms what the benefits are in doing them as per the video as opposed to the other methods I'd greatly appreciate it.
Which is the more "difficult" way to get a bell overhead, a snatch or a get up? Which do you use in Q&D?

And if I use maintaining maximum rep speed as my standard, I do find it challenging to maintain it through 5 series (if not, there's always added band resistance, as per the thread topic).

I'm not going to fall back on "that's how the program is written." I also couldn't tell you physiologically exactly what the benefits of the power push up are compared to other styles, and I'm not going to argue about what's objectively "best" in the abstract or for you individually. I could repeat what's in the book, but I tend to mostly ignore physiology and look at training through a black box, stimulus and response lens. I have no direct way of observing or evaluating any physiological processes involved in training -- only subjective experience and empirical observation.

Subjectively and personally, I really enjoy doing them this way. It feels very athletic, explosive, and "reactive," and seems to tie the body together in a good way. I also seem to get some easy hypertrophy from power push ups. So I guess my own choice to do the style in the book boils down to trying them as described and deciding I like it.

BTW, I rarely do swings, so I rarely do Q&D 033 with swings and push ups. I most often do 044 with snatches or double cleans and do power push ups separately using 044 timing (always 10/2 rep scheme) or 015 timing (10 x 10 on the 3:00), because I just got to like the power push ups so much.
 
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