no way can i do 50 in a row. never have been able to. 35 was my max. i try to do 50/day though. 20/15/10/5. it's amazing what doing that for a week will do for ya. I used to do them close grip with my wife on my back for ses of 20 but that was a long time ago before the arthritis in both shoulders

 

Exactly... only when being chased or chasing someone else. I used to run to my truck after work! But damn, 20 pull ups and 50 sit ups really is child's play. I guess alot has changed even for the Marines ( everyone seems to be a desk jockey these days) get your workout at home, cutting trees, digging dirt, turning a wrench, etc. that's a real work out, not this regimented BS in the gym or out on the tarmac, it proves nothing IMO. I like to be country boy strong, not PFT strong. Besides, at least then you are actually accomplishing something else in the process, not just building up your buff he man stature! Sorry lifers, I'm one too but it used to take away alot of my production time then add on training, quarters, morning meeting, etc. and I liked going home at secure time most days, out to sea is a different issue though; what else you got do then with 18 hour work days that's considered a break!
Later...

 

I can do 50 push ups but then again I'm a college kid pretty much fresh out of a high school football workout program but as everyone else has said, just practice, do as many as you can and then try a couple more. push yourself and you'll be surprised what you can accomplish.

 

lol... JOHNSON!!! Is that you??! Suck it up!

JFWY man, I say that **** alot

 

Like everyone else said the best way to get there is to just do them. If you really want to help out regular push-ups, do low reps of incline push-ups (feet up on like a chair or stairs about 3 feet of the ground), then build up to higher reps. If you can do about 35-40 incline, you can get 50 regular push-ups no problem. Also, work on breathing, don't hold your breath. Try to relax and breath normal.

 

Weren't you a FC? I just got out at 10 yrs and 27 days... I started my 27 days of terminal leave on my 10 year anniversary I'm never doing another pushup again!!!

 

I encourage you to go to your nearest D-1A football school and tell that to their strength and conditioning coach...

 

If your goal is to be a running back, a powerlifter or such then fine. But for most folks being healthy and strong can be accomplished by other means than X # of reps in this or that. Not saying it's a bad thing just not for me (I did say IMO). Anyway, what's wrong with hard work and sweat, good for muscle conditioning and cardio...??? I'd call that real world application
Later...

 

The way I read it I perceived it as you saying working out in a gym was not a real workout. Honestly for me and in my experience, I would rather be gym strong as that tranlates to being more 'country strong' than vice versa. For most people, physical labor is as close as they are going to get for a gym and there is nothing wrong with that as it is still a good workout...

A real life workout (i.e. not in the gym), im my opinion, does more for toughness than actual strength. Case in point, a few 'farm' kids from a surrounding town came here to play football. They never lifted a weight but were 'country strong'. While they were tough and kept getting back up, they were anhiliated by actual strength every play...

 

Conversely, that kinda reminds me of arm wrestling a a young man, I used to work at a machine shop when I was 15-16 yo. Lifted bar stock, round stock etc. all heavy as hell, my forearms looked like popeye in a few months and I could take down quite a few guys bigger/older than me. But I'm sure they coulda whipped my *** in a real world fight! But you make some valid points (as do I). Football seems to be your primary goal though and that's cool. Like the military...train like you fight! BTW I'm strong and tough, 20+ years of PRT and pushing your body to the edge will make you that way like or not.
Later.... sleepy time