The Real Reason You Can't Do More Reps

Doing more push-ups and pull-ups is a great way to make progress until you run against the limits of your muscular proficiency. Once you do that, your workout becomes like a dead-end job where you endlessly put in the work without much hope of progress.
Fortunately, you can keep making progress, but it takes a shift in your workout focus from how much work you do to how well you do the exercise.
www.reddeltaproject.com

[@TheMisterTaichung]

Time and tension, homie! And muscular proficiency. Great advice.

[@TigersStan]

I really needed to hear this. Thanks Matt!!

[@borism.5375]

Great guide, and even greater reminder. Thanks.

[@xCorvus7x]

Working together with others is probably a game changer because they can give you feedback on the spot, during the movement, which might actually hone your bodily awareness (before you didn't notice that your right elbow bent a bit more, now that it has been corrected on the spot you learn to notice it).

[@Tims_Gym]

Preach brother

[@angelnik97]

Thanks!

[@lawsen3719]

I feel this, I went from 6 pullups to 14, but by the end I was so tired because my progress was slowing down so much to the point where it was taking me a month just to add 1 rep, add that to the already big problem of my CNS being fried from working out 3-4 times a week extremely heavily (10 sets of pullups each session.)

[@mx.lucyfur]

I had something like this. I've almost never been able to break a plateau of 8 reps per set unless I do them really fast. Presently I do 3x6 or 6x4, but I make sure each rep is done with good form and solid concentric and eccentric. My reps may be lower, but the set actually takes more time and I don't have to "throw" myself up at the bar, I can move up and down for those 4-6 reps in a very controlled fashion.

[@gingobingo1567]

Do less volume and more weight bro

[@lawsen3719]

@@gingobingo1567 yeah gotta find a balance.

[@blairparkinson8118]

Why are you doing 10 sets. That is way too much volume for a single exercise. Unless your doing only 3-5 reps of heavy set then you are just going to cause yourself issues with your joints and not give your muscles and tendons time to recover.

[@lawsen3719]

@blairparkinson8118 I built up to it gradually starting from 3 sets per session, and yes I was only doing 5-6 reps by the end, I did this because I was following a program and as I said I had a lot of success with it in the beginning. But by the end the workload was getting too much and I was lacking in recovery (food & proper sleep) so it was unsustainable.

[@leoawgowhat1139]

It's more about 5minutes!! Practice your pushups until you can do 25 in 5 minutes

[@leoawgowhat1139]

Keep practicing until you can do a complete set of 25 keep practicing!!!!

[@leoawgowhat1139]

If you keep practicing you can do 2sets of 25 in five minutes 😁 keep practicing the pushups don't get easier you get stronger!!!!!keep practicing!!!! My imaginary friend has been practicing for years now and we have gotten really good at them 🙄

[@She_it_her]

Thank you

[@mx.lucyfur]

So basically if workouts were Dark Souls, technical proficiency is the "git gud" period before you can surpass the level boss of more reps or harder progression. :D

[@maxboucher86]

Its basically about technique more than anything and tension

[@She_it_her]

I’ve always been averse to filming myself even though most of my workouts are done at home. Did it for a few movements and now I’m wondering why i didn’t do it sooner. Not going to do this for my gym sessions, but at least there I can get a firm check from one of the personal trainers

[@Simon53188]

Micro workouts are super effective for making progress. I see a lot of crossfit people burn out constantly and never make any progress because they are too intense.

[@She_it_her]

I burned out, even tho i didn’t compete