1 Arm pushup

[hotwtrbby]

I'm training for a fitness competition for next summer. The only required move that I can't do is the 1 arm pushup - I can pump out great normal pushups tho. How should I train for a 1 arm? And what chest/arm exercises will help the MOST for these?

[Stonecold54]

Re: 1 Arm pushup

Originally posted by hotwtrbby
I'm training for a fitness competition for next summer. The only required move that I can't do is the 1 arm pushup - I can pump out great normal pushups tho. How should I train for a 1 arm? And what chest/arm exercises will help the MOST for these?

practicing them will be the only way to get good at them. Are you tall and lanky or short and smaller limbs? basically that is all the matters. if you are taller with longer limbs you won't be able to do them probably very well.

[hotwtrbby]

5'4 up to 130ish right now. pictures in the womens Training forum if you're interested :) not lanky at all more thick

[dencalis]

Legs wide apart (further then shoulder width). About the only diff been normal and one-arm that ive found is that your not stabillized as well. Cause your only using one hand centralize in the middle of your chest the motion uses tri's the most. So push downs, dips and other similar exerices wold be best.

[beefcake]

I think one armed pushups recruit a lot of triceps strength. Maybe close grip bench presses may do you some good.

[Stonecold54]

Just remember the body can produce incredible strength with practicing the same movement over and over. The strength gains from other exercises will not help with that particular neuromuscular pattern fire. and muscle mass will help but being a woman obvioulsy you will never be massive. The BEST way is to slowly practice them. Start by doing them as partial. just let yourself down a little bit at a time and go further and further as you progress. I would practice them for a few sets 3 times a week since you want to get better at them and not necessarily as a muscle building movement.

[beefcake]

Originally posted by stonecold54
Just remember the body can produce incredible strength with practicing the same movement over and over. The strength gains from other exercises will not help with that particular neuromuscular pattern fire. and muscle mass will help but being a woman obvioulsy you will never be massive. The BEST way is to slowly practice them. Start by doing them as partial. just let yourself down a little bit at a time and go further and further as you progress. I would practice them for a few sets 3 times a week since you want to get better at them and not necessarily as a muscle building movement.

Would she benefit from adding some weight plates on her body or something like that when she does the pushups?

[Stonecold54]

Originally posted by beefcake
Would she benefit from adding some weight plates on her body or something like that when she does the pushups?

I don't believe so. The pattern fire is going to be completly different. A two-handed pushup and one arm pushup are very different in balance and angle of the force IMO. Gaining muscle mass will help her achieve higher levels of force but strength gains on other exercises will NOT transfer to that skill.

[hotwtrbby]

tri's are a strong point for me so I guess I'll continue what im doing (dips pushdowns and kickbacks, occasionally close grip bench). I never thought of only going down part of the way until i build up the strength. I was also wondering- Occasionally I train traps (maybe twice or three times a month) I was wondering if I should or shouldn't do this or if so, how often?

[Scrumhalf]

Until you learn how to do them, stability is as much a challenge as the strength. Keep your feet wide apart, significantly wider than your shoulders. Keep your pushup arm centered between your shoulders and keep your free arm behind your back. Start slowly on the carpet so that even if you lose balance, you won't hurt yourself. You'll get the hang of it pretty quickly.

[njlovehandles]

kickbacks will do nothing for this. leave them out exept for striating the muscle fibres, which would be a good thing for comp, but prob not for the pushup. good luck