Life After "Max" Push-Ups (a.k.a.: How to Complete Power Builder Strength Days)

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

Power Builder Strength Days (3, 7, 11, 15, 19, 23, 27) are circuit workouts for which the penultimate exercise is "max" 3-count push-ups, and the final exercise is a 10-count push-up hold. But if I truly execute the maximum # of 3-count push-ups I can, there is no way I can hold the bottom position of a push-up for 10 seconds immediately afterward. Surely this situation is not unique (or even unusual) to me. Surely if anyone has enough strength left in their arms to hold a push-up plank for 10 seconds they could have squeezed out at least one more push-up, no? Am I meant to be deliberately holding enough in reserve to complete the push-up hold? (I can try to judge that. But it would not represent my having done "max" push-ups.) Or do I truly do my maximum # of push-ups and then hold the push-up plank to failure, pick myself up, and try again until I've reached a total of 10 seconds? Folks who have completed Power Builder: How did you manage this exercise combo?

 

[Damer]

@Laura Rainbow Dragon your question gives me the opportunity to break this combo down a little. Push-ups are a dynamic movement (a.k.a. isotonic exercise) meaning the angle of the muscles relative to the shoulder joint changes for both the shoulder and the elbow going to max tires specific muscle settings (i.e. muscle angle to joint positions). So you should go to the end of that as you're intended to. Now, holding the push up position afterwards is a static exercise (a.k.a. isomeric exercise). It fixes the muscles to joint angle in one position and you're required to hold it. Muscles generate strength by engaging more muscle fibers. If we were to break this down even more it goes something like this: muscle is made up of sarcomeres, which are the smallest functional units of muscle tissue. Sarcomeres, in turn, do their work in tensing and generating power and relaxing and releasing power through the creation of cross-bridges between actin and myosin (these are proteins) which form a new protein complex called actomyosin. The best way to visualize the cross-bridge formation is in thinking in terms of velcro hooks and loops. As the striated elements of the muscle slide past each other a number of cross-bridges are formed. The number of cross-bridges formed is relative to the load experienced by the muscle. So, for instance, when you first start to do push-ups the number of cross-bridges being formed is lower because you are fresher and, as you progress, and get tired more and more cross-bridges are being recruited until you have reached your perceived limit and cannot do any more.

The key elements here are two: first, because the move is dynamic the load varies and the number of cross-bridges being engaged at any one time also varies. Secondly perceived fatigue (the point at which you can no longer do another push up) is not your body's true fatigue point.

When you go from the dynamic exercise (push-ups) to the static one (push-up hold) you basically recruit for the exercise different cross-bridges to what you recruited before and you force sarcomeres to signal they need to adapt for greater endurance at this particular point. So, despite the fact that you're already tired, you still have the capacity to hold a static push-up. If you can't just yet that is a sign that the sarcomeres have not adapted sufficiently. Give it time and be patient.

We get stronger by increasing sarcomere length and thickness and thereby becoming capable of generating more cross-bridges when necessary. The more cross-bridges we can bring into play casually the greater strength capacity.
I have probably explained this in more detail than you anticipated but like I said, it was an opportunity.

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

Thank you @Damer for your detailed response. (You know I like to learn the science behind these things and not just be given sound bites that far too many people in the fitness industry repeat without understanding them.)

I will keep trying to do max push-ups, followed immediately by the hold. But at the moment, I am collapsing on that hold. (I can hold a push-up plank for a lot longer than 10 seconds fresh. But after completing max push-ups? Nope. It's not happening. But I'll keep working on it.)

 

[Damer]

@Laura Rainbow Dragon your approach is sound.