How beneficial are pushups for a distance runner?

They arent going to help your running, but they will help your all around well being and fitness. In my opinion pullups should accompany the pushups, or replace them if youre only going to do one movement.

If there is ever a race where you have to drop to the ground and do 50-100 push-ups lets say at like the half way mark, then they are valuable.

Do you want to look like this?

http://blu.stb.s-msn.com/i/73/E8515AE0FE45C60C360E45C61F854.jpg

If not, do pushups. And lift.

qkumbr wrote:Do you want to look like this?

I look a lot like that! (but without the livestrong band)

Shorter looked a lot like that back in the day as well.

Alan Webb in 2007 was jacked.

Lopez Lomong is ripped.

All of the best sprinters and most of the best 800 guys are jacked.

Pushups and pullups definitely help maintain form.

G0LDMAN wrote:

I was wondering what kind of core exercises are best for building speed and endurance. I currently do a lot of pushups but am wondering whether or not they are beneficial.

Core exercises to build speed and endurance? What?

You can do hip flexor stuff, most important part of the core for a runner to help with form and knee lift and that might lend some help in speed development.

But, endurance? using core and or push-ups?

I look a lot like that! (but without the livestrong band)

isn't that ironic...

Pushups and pullups definitely helped my form and 800 game. My arms would always be wicked tired at the 600 mark, and when i started doing pushups and pullups i developed a kick in the last 200 of pretty much every race. I mean, pushups and pullups are great for arm pumping strength, and gives you a not-so-bony physique.

Lighten up Francis wrote:

They arent going to help your running, but they will help your all around well being and fitness. In my opinion pullups should accompany the pushups, or replace them if youre only going to do one movement.

How is the pullup replacing the pushup? Those two work totally different muscle groups. You want a well rounded bodyweight program? Here ya go:

Chest: Pushups with a backpack

Back: Pullups and horizontal pulls (e.g. low bar or in smith machine)

Shoulder: handstand pushups

Legs/Glutes: Squats

If you just train chest (pushups) or just back (pullups) it will lead to injury.

If you want to get laid sometime in the next century, you might throw a couple in to your routine.

Clearly you would want to be well rounded. I was just saying that if a kid is not into lifting and is only going to do one movement, i would rather have him do pullups than pushups.

They can improve core strength which can improve form and improve performance.

"Jacked" only by distance runner standards. In person they are still pretty small though. Few people think of a 135 lb guy as jacked...Only in a niche community like running is Webb jacked.