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Original poster

how to develop upper body strength?

20 replies

ThatVikRinA22 · 17/03/2010 22:35

i joined a gym today.

got a fitness test to pass which includes a push/pull test and bleep test

ive no upper body strength at all and while i can do the 'pull' test i cant do the required standard for the 'push' test

ive got to be able to push 34kg. i could just about manage 28kg.

the gym blokey was fab and is writing me a programme to get me up to speed which includes interval training on the running machines and practising the bleep test.

i feel sure i can work on the running aspect but how can i increase my upper body strength? ive always had a puny upper body!
how can i do this?

OP posts:

ShowOfHands · 17/03/2010 22:39

The gym can help you with that too. DH always says that the push test is the downfall for a lot of women. Especially the slight ones.

I'd recommend working on your core strength as this will help you alongside toning your upper body and working at increasing the weight you can push.

Original poster

ThatVikRinA22 · 17/03/2010 22:56

thanks SOH - i truly cannot afford to fail this. im not especially slight - but upper body strength has never been my forte.

i would be so completely disappointed to have come this far - all that is between me and my appointment is this test. i know i can do the job.

ive no date for it as yet, so am hoping ive got a few months to train.

gym blokey is writing the programme for me for saturday - he knows ive got to get to 34kg - makes me all the more determined cos he was quizzing me like mad about how i did it - he wants to get into the police!

do you think its achievable to go from 28kg to 34kg?

OP posts:

ShowOfHands · 17/03/2010 23:42

28 to 34 is completely manageable and you will absolutely do it. I've found that working on my core has made a huge difference to my push/pull ability. If possible, don't use machines for the majority of any resistance training you do. Free weights will be so much more effective for you. Gym chappy should be telling you all this anyway.

My SIL has just passed the assessment centre (her dp is already a pcso and obv I'm married to a pc, it's a family affair) and is training hard for the fitness test. She's a rugby player though (prop forward) so push/pull is easy for her!

I want to work in the control room. Firstly, so I can pretend I'm playing a larger and more exciting version of subutteo and secondly, so that I can point to point pcs several times a day and say 'what are you wearing' whilst laughing as the joke fails to get old.

Unfortunately, I'm a qualified librarian, my skills aren't suited to policing. And obv I'd be sacked on my first day for unprofessional use of the airwaves.

Original poster

ThatVikRinA22 · 17/03/2010 23:50

thank you SOH, im so worried about it because its the last hurdle in the way of what id like to be doing. everyone kept telling me it was easy!! im not finding it easy at all!

if you think youd be unprofessional on the airwaves you should hear some of the stuff on there! its hysterical sometimes. one night a pc got his Whisky and his Yankee mixed up....ive never seen a number plate with Wankee i must say - caused much mirth and merriment!

well i will be starting to work on the fitness and all it entails on saturday. p-l-e-a-s-e wish me luck!

ill let you know when ive got there!

OP posts:

dittany · 17/03/2010 23:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ShowOfHands · 18/03/2010 00:11

You don't need luck. You need to believe you can do it, which you can and will.

I remember DH's relief when he had passed it all, including fitness tests. I don't know if you were an MNer then (early 2007) and have heard this before but he just had the drugs test and final security clearance to go through. The only bits he wasn't worried about. He failed the drugs test. Except he didn't use drugs at all, didn't even drink or smoke or take anything other than paracetamol. He was absolutely gutted and flabbergasted. Was a very hard time as he was ready to give up at the injustice. Fortunately we did a lot of research and pushed for re-testing (which they agreed to pay for if they were proved wrong) and it turned out that if you've had a cortisone injection (dh had a knee injury) and combined them with NSAIDs (for same injury), they interact and in hair drugs tests the result looks just like cannabis metabolites. Further tests proved it was categorically NOT illegal drugs. Not that the same is likely to happen to you, but just in case it ever did...

DH says a decent person in the control room makes or breaks a shift. Some of them are great, some of them shouldn't work with people apparently.

DH was due home 3hrs ago. Fecking police service and its "customers".

shona2 · 18/03/2010 00:12

Push-ups (press-ups). The absolute best for upper body strength. Brutal, but incredibly effective. Good Luck!

Original poster

ThatVikRinA22 · 18/03/2010 10:43

thanks all

that one hundred push ups looks scary! but i will do anything that will help me so thankyou - i will give it a go.

i have never managed a single press up in my life so this could be interesting!

OP posts:

dittany · 18/03/2010 18:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

ThatVikRinA22 · 24/03/2010 22:25

im doing ok, but how can i build strength using the gym stuff?

i now bike for 5 mins
run for 20 mins
row for 10 mins

then i do the weights.

at the min my upper body strength is rubbish - im doing about 14kg on the chest press, 8 reps in sets of 4. how long should i do this weight for before building it up? i can manage 21kg but it gets a struggle by the last set of 8....

im doing loads of different upper body stuff,but not sure how to increase the weight?

OP posts:

theresnogoodnamesleft · 27/03/2010 17:34

What about a bodypump class? It consists of around 8 music tracks with each one working on a specific muscle group using weights on a bar, covers triceps, biceps, lunges, squats, shoulders etc, might help.

LostGirl · 28/03/2010 12:27

I would do a warm up set at 14 and then put it up to 21. You should be using a weight where you can just finish the 8 reps (with good form). So the first time you do it you might only be able to complete 5 reps in the last set, but the next time you will probably be able to do 6 and so on. Once you can complete 8 reps in all of the sets then increase the weight and start again.

Original poster

ThatVikRinA22 · 31/03/2010 16:46

thanks.

as well as the gym am doing the 100 pressups thing too though i cant manage a full pressup - im having to do it on my knees. this isnt boding well is it....

but im doing it 3 times a week so maybe ill see some progress soonish. i hope. (and prays!)

OP posts:

DrNortherner · 31/03/2010 17:00

A year ago I starrted doing armed fores fitness and my upper body strength has increased ten fold. We do lots of CV stuff, running, sprinting etc ut they also hammer us on the core stuff. I could not do 1 push up or sit up when i started. I can now do 2 mins best effort of each and I bang them out. I have abs like slabs

So would say, push ups, sit ups (different variations) and lots of the plank plus side plank. Also tricep dips on benches and feet on floor hands on bench in push up position move hands one by ne to ground and back up to bench.

You can so do it.

Original poster

ThatVikRinA22 · 31/03/2010 17:33

im sooooo old though...well i feel ancient.

its worrying me cos upper body strength has now t to do with how fit you are as i have realised.

im getting fairly fit(ter) quite fast - just a couple of weeks and im now running for 30 mins, im nearly up to 5k (which is good for me!)

but the strength stuff is giving me sleepless nights.

i will continue with the press ups now though. its got to get easier, hasnt it. (???)

OP posts:

LostGirl · 01/04/2010 08:22

I don't know whether this will help with regards to your press ups but I found it really hard going from press ups to my knees to doing full press ups; whilst I could increase the number of press ups I did on my knees I couldn't actually increase the strength of the muscles enough to do full press ups. Six weeks ago I changed from doing them on my knees to doing full press ups with my hands on the stairs (about 6 stairs up) so my body was at a 45 degree angle. I concentrated on keeping my arms under my shoulders and close to my ribcage when bending them (not sticking out at right angles), when I could do 3 sets of 10 then I moved my hands down a step and so on, this way you are gradually putting more weight on your arms thus increasing the strength of the muscle, not just the endurance of it. I can now do five full press ups on the ground, military style. This has taken about 6 weeks to achieve, whereas before I had been doing countless press ups on my knees and had never got any stronger

Original poster

ThatVikRinA22 · 01/04/2010 11:48

Lostgirl - great minds think alike!! i tried that last night! really still struggled but yes i think it will help. ill try anything - really need to get some strength in my arms. DH keeps laughing at me saying i cannot be the only person in the world who cannot build some muscle...but i think i am!

ill keep going with the gym programme plus the press ups. thanks for all the help here - really appreciate it.

OP posts:

TrinityIsFuckingTrying · 01/04/2010 11:49

eat lots of chocolate

mistlethrush · 01/04/2010 12:11

I can lend you mistlechick - he's nearly 5 but still likes to be picked up on occasions. He's the tallest boy in his reception class - and built like a rugby player already - lifting him up a few times regularly would soon help!

LostGirl · 01/04/2010 13:16

Also, if you are lifting weights, push ups etc make sure you have enough protein in your diet to actually help you build the new muscle.

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