Everything Jim at Beast Skills posts warrants a link, and his one arm push-up tutorial is no exception. Great stuff, as always.

Boy, it doesn't get any simpler than Stew Smith's push-up workout:

On ODD days: Do 200 pushups in as few sets as possible in addition to your regularly scheduled workout of cardio exercises. You can still do upper body workouts on these days if you are already on a program. This is a supplemental 200 pushups using maximum repetition sets (4 x 50, 8 x 25 ... it's your choice how you get to 200).

On EVEN days: Do 200 pushups throughout the day. This can be little sets of ten done every half hour or fifty pushups done four times throughout the day.

RULE: If your maximum is under 50 pushups, do 200 a day. If your maximum is above 75, do 300 pushups a day.

Repeat the ODD/EVEN routine for a total of 10 days. Then take three days off and do NO upper body pushing exercises that work the chest, triceps, and shoulders. Then on day 14, give yourself the pushup test.

He says folks who start at 50 pushups end up at 80 (generally, I'm sure). Pretty nice return on two weeks work.

P.S. I know it sounds like overtraining, but he discusses that in the article.

Sorry, another link backlog:

• The NY Times has a nice piece on the humble push-up.
• I somehow missed this CrossFit video of cool towel pull-up variations (Quicktime video).
• Coach Sommer's hamstring stretch.
• StrongLifts on glute activation. Lots of good exercises there.

If you've been on the fence about getting a set of rings, perhaps these rings pushup variations (click the video demo link once you get there) will push you over the top. « via MarkFu's Barbarian Blog »

Found on the Crossfit forums (which was reposted from the RossTraining forums): interesting program for developing a "model" one-arm pushup. Very tough. To get an idea of what you're up against, assume a pushup position with good form: body straight as a board, feet together. Now take away one arm, but keep your body straight and don't let your hips or shoulders rotate from their original position. Now do a pushup, keeping this body position. That's what they mean by a model one-arm pushup.

UPDATE: I've since read those instructions another couple times since posting, and I'd encourage you to do the same if you just skimmed the first time (like I did). A few of the exercises are completely different (and harder) from my first impressions.

I've collected a few links I've been meaning to post separately, but ran out of time. So here's the lot:

• The photo here is of Parallette Back Push-ups: "The U.S. Navy record for this exercise in 1943 was 89 reps."
• Dynamax medicine ball workout (WMV 5MB). Looks intense. Wish I knew how heavy the ball was. « via CrossFit »
• Art De Vany: Vitamin A, Protein, and Testosterone. Who knew?
• Wow, check out the Seven-minute Michael Owen highlight reel. English striker whose World Cup ended on an ACL tear. What a shame.

Just updated my bits on Ross Enamait's triple-clap pushups (he has expanded his post into a full article) and the Turkish Get-up (via the Crossfit forums comes this excellent demonstration from the Art of Strength folks (WMV, 7MB)). Definitely going to start doing my TGUs like that.

I've read a few Brad Johnson articles, and linked to a couple in the past, but recently sought out all I could find. Very cool, creative stuff. Here's the rundown:

• Brad John's Extreme Bodyweight Training. Currently this link is for "See-Saw Pullups", but I assume that will change eventually as this is the start page of the series. Here's the rest:
  • Upper Body Crush Pushups
  • Sledgehammer Pull-ups
  • Ball Pull-ups
  • Anvil Horn Pull-ups
  • Suspended Renegade Rows: I tried these by tying some dumbbells to my rings. Killer core workout.
  • Gripper Pull-ups
• DragonDoor.com Bodyweight Strength Training Articles:
  • Abdominal Exercises for Total Body Mastery: It's a little hard to tell with the lighting and lack of shadows, but I believe that's a benchless Dragon Flag in the two pictures at the bottom. Quite a feat!
  • Get a Grip When You Hit the Road
  • Gymnastics Tension Exercises
  • Progressions to the Standing Evil Wheel
  • Tired of the Same Old Pull-ups? Try These!
  • The Rafter Pull-up

Ross Enamait discusses and demonstrates triple-clap push-ups. Always informative, always inspirational.

(Video links in the article.)

After you get 100 mundane pushups, get yourself some rings and try this variation on the workout. Better yet, don't wait. One workout can feed the other. I know I'm looking forward to the off-season when I can start trying some new things, including rings. I may try building my own (scroll down a few posts to the second set of homemade rings, then click "Next Page" for more details), but really when you consider labor (and the fact that I'll screw up at least once and likely unleash toxic PVC fumes on my family) the Power Rings price looks like it hits the sweet spot.