Can't do a proper pushup

bp3000

I've been doing strength training for a while, mostly with dumbbells for my upper body and bodyweight for my legs.

I want to do more bodyweight stuff for my upper body but even the beginner workouts recommend proper push ups. I get down to elbow height and I know if I go down any further I'm not coming up. It is like my elbows are locking up. I know there are easier variations but I feel they are too easy to do and aren't solving my issue.

Maybe I'm just too heavy (95kg) given my current muscles to execute this? Should I wait till I'm even leaner to attempt a proper push up? Maybe my joints aren't made out for this exercise?

nutmegoreo

There are a few different ways I've seen to work on pushups.

1) Use a progressively lower height. Start with pushups against the wall, then use the countertop, then the coffee table, then bent knees on floor, then full pushups on floor.

2) Negative pushups. Rather than pushing up, start in an arms fully extended plank push up. Lower yourself to the floor as slowly as possible. Keep doing this until you build the strength for pushups.

Cahgetsfit

nutmegoreo wrote: »

There are a few different ways I've seen to work on pushups.

1) Use a progressively lower height. Start with pushups against the wall, then use the countertop, then the coffee table, then bent knees on floor, then full pushups on floor.

2) Negative pushups. Rather than pushing up, start in an arms fully extended plank push up. Lower yourself to the floor as slowly as possible. Keep doing this until you build the strength for pushups.

exactly what was said above is what I was going to suggest.
Might seem easy to do a push up against the counter top or what have you, but focus on actually touching your chest to the countertop and up again.

lorrpb

I heard that you have to be able to bench half your body weight to be strong enough to do a push up.

hesn92

Can you do push ups from your knees? I can't do a proper push-up either, not if I go all the way down. but I do the knee push ups for now.

nutmegoreo

Third thing to do. Start with the most difficult pushups you can do and then transition to least difficult. For example if you can do one or two full pushups, do the two, then drop to knees and do as many as you can, and then move to plank position and hold there as long as you can. If you can't do any full pushups, start on knees, then hold plank. If you can't do those from the floor, do them from a bench/low table, countertop, or wall, whatever you can manage. The point is to continue to work the muscles needed for pushups.

flippy1234

Doing pushups is the only way to get strong enough to do pushups. Even doing just one, then try two, and so on. Before you know it, you will be able to do several.

Packerjohn

You may want to consider elevated/wall pushups and lowering the amount of elevation as you gain strength until you can do regular pushups. Pushups on your knees don't do as well developing the core strength needed for a pushup.

firef1y72

bp3000 wrote: »

I've been doing strength training for a while, mostly with dumbbells for my upper body and bodyweight for my legs.

I want to do more bodyweight stuff for my upper body but even the beginner workouts recommend proper push ups. I get down to elbow height and I know if I go down any further I'm not coming up. It is like my elbows are locking up. I know there are easier variations but I feel they are too easy to do and aren't solving my issue.

Maybe I'm just too heavy (95kg) given my current muscles to execute this? Should I wait till I'm even leaner to attempt a proper push up? Maybe my joints aren't made out for this exercise?

A flight of stairs is your friend here.
Start with your feet at the bottom almost vertical with your hands on a high step. Attempt 10 press ups in this position, if you can do them then next time go down a step, if not keep practising at that level and eventually you will be able to. Eventually you'll be on the bottom step and from there it's the floor.

VanVanDiane

Another vote for incline push-ups - I've never done a 'proper' one either, but can now do hands elevated to knee-high ones (chair or coffee table height). I started at chest height (dressing table / chest of drawers high). I've been stuck here for a while though - they don't seem to be getting any easier!