All athletes are divided into two categories: those who practice to set a new record and outdo their rivals, and people who do not need to prove anything to anyone, because sport for them is just a hobby. This time we will look at the first category of athletes, namely athletes who work with their own weight. Some of them set a record for push-ups on the floor in one set without stopping, another did push-ups for 24 hours on his fists. One way or another, they all have one thing in common - an incredible passion for victory and phenomenal endurance.
It is noteworthy that the history of sports knows many types of push-ups, some of which we could not even imagine. That is why there are a large number of records in the world that will remain insurmountable for a long time.
You will find out everything yourself now, but first we will tell you what rules all the athletes followed so that their achievements were officially recorded.
How to do push-ups correctly to set a record?
For those who want to set a record for the most number of push-ups, it is necessary to follow the most basic rules in order for the repetitions to count. When performing push-ups, your palms should be shoulder-width apart, and your body and knees should remain straight.
For a full repetition, the torso must be lowered to a position where the angle at the elbow reaches 90 degrees, and then rise to the starting position and straighten your arms. This is the real push-up.
Using the same principle, you can do push-ups on one hand, on your fingertips, or even on one finger. It all depends on the abilities and intentions of the athlete.
Equipment requirements
First, let's remember the basic nuances of the correct exercise technique. The exercise develops the pectoral muscles and triceps; part of the load falls on the abdominal muscles, since the torso is not strictly vertical, but slightly tilted forward.
So, to perform the technique safely, you should not go too low. The shoulder should reach a level parallel to the floor, or the shoulder joints can fall slightly below the elbows. This technique will not overload the joints, while at the same time fully working the pectoral muscles. And insufficient amplitude will only develop the triceps if the shoulders do not reach the level of the elbows. This technique does not count.
Dips →
World record for push-ups in one set
So, let's move on to the records, many of which simply boggle the mind.
The first world record for the number of push-ups without stopping was recorded in the Guinness Book of Records on October 5, 1965. Its author was an American named Charles Linster, who managed to do 6006 repetitions in one approach. Due to the fact that he became the first person to set a record of this kind, he was nicknamed the Godfather of push-ups.
However, Linster's record was broken a decade later - on February 5, 1976. Its author was an American named Robert Lewis Knecht, who managed to make 7026 repetitions.
However, the very next year this result was surpassed by another dedicated American, Henry Marshall, who did 7,650 non-stop push-ups.
The last person to achieve the highest number of push-ups in one approach was the Japanese Minoru Yoshida. In 1980, he completed 10,507 reps without stopping. It's quite hard to believe, but that's how it happened.
It is worth noting that after the above results, the Guinness Book of Records stopped recording records for the number of push-ups at a time. This category was changed to the highest number of repetitions in 24 hours, allowing athletes to take breaks during this time.
The new rules have made the process of setting records safer, but many athletes believe that the most terrible achievement is still the number of repetitions in one approach.
By the way, among women there is also a record for the number of push-ups at a time. Its author is Mia Hepburn, who managed to do 808 repetitions in one approach on January 27, 2017 at the Canadian Golden Tiger kung fu school.
Do push-ups to live!
And in the end I would like to give you probably the most motivating example for training in push-ups. Anita Sycheva, a resident of Zaporozhye, once got into a serious car accident, after which she was bedridden for two years. And what helped the middle-aged woman in such a difficult life situation? Sport! She now does 1,000 push-ups without rest.
As you can see, the possibilities for setting personal records in push-ups are endless! And our records depend solely on our willpower and training process. Nowadays, for more convenient training, there is a push-up counter intended for personal use and passing standards. It can be purchased in the section “Equipment for passing standards”
World record for most push-ups in 24 hours
So, let's move on to another category of push-ups, which is given a whole 24 hours. The record in this area was set by the American Charles Servicio, who performed 46,001 repetitions in April 1993. By the way, it took him 21 hours and 6 minutes.
Photo @TheOfficialPushUpHallOfFame, facebook
Dips with weights[edit | edit code]
Once you become stronger and achieve maximum range of exercise, you will be ready to use additional weights. Weights allow you to reduce the number of repetitions in order to create maximum growth-stimulating effects on the muscles. Select a weight that allows you to perform 8-10 repetitions. However, be careful, especially when exiting a bottom position. After a few weeks you will begin to progress quite quickly. Pay attention to the sharp recovery from the bottom point when using additional weights; do this only after several months of regular training, when your ligaments have adapted to the stress and stretching. You'll soon adapt and become more successful at this basic exercise, so adding a few extra pounds to your belt won't pose any problem.
World record for most push-ups in an hour
The record holder in this category was Indian Bijender Singh. In 1988, he managed to do 3,877 push-ups, but this figure was recorded only in the Limca Book of Records - this is the Indian version of the Guinness Book of Records.
By the way, according to her version, the record holder is the doorman Roman Dosenbach, who did 2,393 push-ups on November 29, 2016. This, of course, is significantly less than Singh’s, but also quite a lot.
Among women in this category, the record belongs to American Alicia Weber, who in August 2011 did 1020 push-ups in an hour. She also holds the record for the largest number of push-ups in 30 minutes - 829 times and in 10 minutes - 450 times.
However, the record for the most push-ups in three minutes among women was set not by Weber, but by an athlete from the Czech Republic, Renata Hamplova, who managed to do 190 repetitions in 1995.
Sliding dips[edit | edit code]
To make forearm dips even more difficult, you can extend the range of motion by sliding your entire body until your arms are fully extended. It is useful to tense your abdominal muscles and stretch your legs in front of your body, which should be kept straight. If you don't allow your forearms to touch the bars as you lean back, the exercise will become even more difficult. Particularly advanced athletes can also perform forward slide push-ups onto their shoulders.
Other records and record holders
One of the main push-up record holders is Canadian Doug Pruden, who at one time managed to set 13 Canadian national records and nine world records. For example, he once did 1,382 push-ups in 30 minutes on one arm, as well as 546 push-ups on one arm in ten minutes.
In 2008, Doug did 1,025 push-ups in one hour on the back of one hand, 5,557 push-ups in 3 hours and 2 minutes, and 1,000 push-ups in 18 minutes.
There are also records that were set using one finger. One of its authors is the British Paul Lynch, who back in April 1992 did 124 continuous push-ups on only one finger.
But even this is not the end of the push-up records. Some of them are so unusual that they are truly hard to believe. For example, once an Austrian named Johann Schneider was able to do 112 push-ups while leaning on raw chicken eggs. It is not entirely clear how this is even possible, but the fact is a fact.
A similar record belongs to a Canadian named Darryl Leary. In 2012, he went on a British morning show and did eight push-ups on one arm while leaning on a raw egg.
The Chechen boy Rakhim Kuriev deserves special attention in the world of push-ups, who at the age of five was able to set several world records in his age group.
He did 3,202 push-ups in two and a half hours, 2,559 push-ups in two hours, 2,000 push-ups in an hour and a half, 1,419 in an hour, 1,000 in 40 minutes and 3,000 in 2 hours and 22 minutes.
It is also impossible to ignore the record set by Georgian soldier Temur Dadiani, who lost both legs during a peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan.
Dadiani managed to complete 37 push-ups in 38.25 seconds using only his hands, keeping his body horizontal without support. This exercise is called planche.
As a result, Temur became the first person to set such a record, because the planche is a very rare and complex gymnastic element that only a few can perform.
To get into the Guinness Book of Records, he had to do at least 10 push-ups, but he did a whopping 37 repetitions.
Small and smart
The youngest Russian athlete from Voronezh was only twelve years old when she set a record for push-ups on one finger. Yulia Alyokhina simply masterfully rested on her thumb and did push-ups without touching her feet to the floor. True, the world also knows younger athletes. Ronak Atul Vitha from India is the youngest record holder. Born in 2005, he began doing push-ups at the age of 2.5 years. He is currently a master of sports in push-ups, and his record is 1482 push-ups in 40 minutes.
I also want to set a record, what should I do?
Push-ups are one of the most competitive exercises in the history of sports. Only pull-ups can be compared to them, but the difficulty of performing them lies in the fact that not everywhere there is a horizontal bar.
In order to do a push-up, you just need to lower yourself to the floor, take a lying position and start. If you want to improve your push-up skill, we have a detailed guide on how to do 100 push-ups in one set in six weeks. Believe me, this will help you.
- Fitness 100 push-ups in 6 weeks: a program that will get you in shape
- Author: Dmitry Petrosyants
Push-up technique (video)[edit | edit code]
Dips (video)
Dips
- Take the position of support on the uneven bars with straight arms. Starting this exercise from the bottom position is very risky. Starting from the top allows the muscles to contract and prepare for work.
- Bend your torso forward and then slowly lower yourself between the bars, bending your elbows. It is important to resist gravity on the way down, otherwise you may damage the pectoral muscle where it attaches to the humerus, or the elbow joint. If you lower yourself only partially, you activate the medial and outer heads of the triceps, but do little for the pecs. To fully activate the latter, lower yourself deep down until your hands are at armpit level. The upper part of the pectoral muscles should rise only slightly above the bars. This full stretch allows you to move your shoulder arms far back, thereby fully activating the pectoralis major muscles. However, if you have not sunk to this level before, stop in a comfortable position and rise up. Next time you workout, try going a little lower. Do not use additional weights until you achieve a full chest stretch!
- After a two-second pause in the stretched position, you are ready to move up. Elbows should point to the sides if you are targeting the pectoral muscles. Your wrists will rotate inward and your pectoral muscles will try to stabilize and pull your upper arms toward the midline of your body (adduction). This way, you activate the middle and lower sections of the pectoral muscles more than if your elbows were pointing back. In addition, you should maintain a forward lean (chin resting on your chest) to increase the load on the lower chest regions. If you want your triceps to do most of the work, then keep your body upright (don't lean forward) and try to keep your elbows close to your torso throughout the movement. However, you should know that in this case the triceps will give up before the pectoral muscles, that is, in this form this exercise will not be effective for the chest.
- Once you reach a stretched position at the bottom, you can rise up quite quickly. However, if you are not very flexible and have not achieved this stretch before, do not do it! Rise up slowly and evenly, straightening your elbows. Make sure your elbows stay away from your ribs as you lift.
- Complete as many reps as you can. When the next full ascent is impossible, slowly lower yourself to the bottom point and rise again to the highest possible height. Repeat. With these partial reps, the functions of the pectoral muscles responsible for shoulder extension and arm adduction are still active, and the pectoral muscles receive a full stretch between repetitions. Once your triceps are tired, you can perform negative (eccentric) reps. Using your legs, you rise to the top position, then slowly lower.
Watch the video for the exact technique.
Tips on proper exercise technique
:
- Avoid using inertial force; use a slow, controlled movement.
- Don't slouch or round your shoulders, keep your chest up and your shoulder blades down.
- Concentrate on tightening your chest muscles
- Exhale as you perform the upward movement.
Plyometric dips[edit | edit code]
Plyometrics is sometimes called jump training. This term refers to any type of explosive exercise. Any time your body is suspended in the air, you are doing plyometrics. Once you are strong enough and confident in performing the previous variations, you can move on to plyometric dips. To begin with, I would advise learning to do at least 30 repetitions. The point of plyometric dips is to simply push your body as high as possible off one or two bars at the top of the exercise. Work your hips and put all your body strength into the exercise. You won't be able to perform a slow, controlled jump, so move quickly and use explosive power. Over time, you will be able to confidently soar into the air and can try experimenting with clapping or any other freestyle action. Above us is only the sky!
