you want me to do WHAT?!?!?!?!

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jlallen
jlallen Posts: 42 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
A push up...really?? :grumble: OK so I would honestly LOVE to be able to do push up (even the girly ones) but I CANT! I dont mean they hurt or something I just can't! If someone came in and put a gun to my head said " do one push up or your dead" buddy go ahead and pull the trigger cause it can't happen! Does anyone have any advice? I would love to go against my hubby (who can knock them off like nothing!) :huh:

Replies

  • lisajuly
    lisajuly Posts: 240 Member
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    If you are having a hard time with pushups (even the girly ones), start with doing them against a wall. Form is the same, except you're putting less strain on your chest muscles. After you're able to do a decent amount of them, then go to the girly ones and do just a couple if that's all you can do. You can even do the pushup challenge doing wall pushups, then do it again doing the girly ones.

    Pushups are an interesting exercise. Honestly, the more you do them, the more you can do.

    Good luck!
    Lisa
  • jenjerwey
    jenjerwey Posts: 8
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    I was the same way......couldn't even do the girlie push ups. I started training with a friend and she had me do push ups against the wall. Just stand away from the wall and do a push up standing up. Now I can do a few girlie push ups. Try doing them against the wall for awhile and then move to the floor. It worked for me and I had NO upper body strength but I am getiing there!
  • Kimd1972
    Kimd1972 Posts: 45
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    PUSHUPS!?! Wow what a goal! I have to agree with the others. Start doing them against the wall (first you need to be standing an arm's length from the wall, hands out shoulder width apart on the wall, lean into the wall bearing all your weight w/o moving your feet, abs in, breath, then push back up). Also, try strength training exercises involving your upper body. The girlie ones aren't the easiest one either. Get down on your hands and knees, take your hands out shoulder with apart and while keeping you bum in the air, push your chest down - bending your arms and push back up! THAT is a true beginner push-up!


    GOOD LUCK! I started at the beginner ones and can now do 10 on my toes! It is achievable! BTW, I also teach Les Mills BodyPump which is the ultimate strength training group fitness class!
  • SLambertAlaska
    SLambertAlaska Posts: 197 Member
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    I couldn't do a push up either, about 6 weeks ago. My husband and I were in Hawaii and working out together at the hotel fitness center. It was a little embarrassing, even though he was being very supportive. So I started with just holding myself up in modified push-up position - on my knees, mind you. I worked up to holding myself up in "regular" push-up position - on my toes. Then I learned that this is a real exercise!! In Pilates they call it "plank." Then I started trying to just go down in a controlled manner. Now I can do 1 whole push up - Whoo-Hoo!
    On the other hand, there are some exercises I can do that my husband can't do, so after I embarrass myself doing my "work up to a push up" exercises, I do Superwoman and an ab exercise in which I'm on my back, knees in air bent at 90ª and lower legs down to one side and then the other without lifting my shoulders off the floor. I used to do this as a back stretch and my husband was showing me these great ab exercises and he showed me this. I couldn't believe he couldn't do it! (but I had to be supportive and not laugh)
    Don't give up - remember, you're doing Pilates.
  • msciccone1
    msciccone1 Posts: 288 Member
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    I know that was me back in January. I would have rather died than try to do a girly knee push up even!!! Then I knew I was going to start Insanity and my husband started having me do pushups against the 5th step of our stairs and I kept doing that for a week until I reached the 4th and then the 3rd. I started Insanity STILL having trouble doing knee ones but after a week I was doing them great. After 2 weeks I could finally do a regular push up. We are now 4 months later and I can do push ups, push up jacks (like jumping jacks but in push up form), moving push ups. I feel so strong so if I can do that at 245 lbs. you can definitely do it :flowerforyou:
  • hroush
    hroush Posts: 2,073 Member
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    Another level between the wall and "girlie" push-ups is to put your hands on a bench and go on your knees. You can then work up to staying on your toes on a bench. I don't know which would be easier, bench / toes or girlie push ups, but there is one way to find out!
  • diet45
    diet45 Posts: 392 Member
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    Great advice everyone. I have a bruised kneecap...still tender and I can do girlie push ups, but it is so painful. I've been doing the 30 Day Shred Level 2 and I can get down about an inch doing a regular push up...afraid I'm going to fall on my face. I'm going to try the wall push-ups. I've never heard of that..so thanks!!1
  • AMOMONAJOURNEYTOCHANGEHERLIFE
    AMOMONAJOURNEYTOCHANGEHERLIFE Posts: 170 Member
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    Great advice everyone. I have a bruised kneecap...still tender and I can do girlie push ups, but it is so painful. I've been doing the 30 Day Shred Level 2 and I can get down about an inch doing a regular push up...afraid I'm going to fall on my face. I'm going to try the wall push-ups. I've never heard of that..so thanks!!1
    \

    I have bad knees. I don't know if I will ever be able to kneel on them again. So my trainer has me use an exercise ball to do "girly" push ups. So I was my body out with my hands while laying down on the ball. Till the ball is on my thighs. It also help improve balance.
  • hill242
    hill242 Posts: 412 Member
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    I never ever do "girlie" pushups. It hurts my knees and it is not the same exercise. You aren't holding your body in a full plank when you are on your knees. I was able to work up to a full "real" pushup (hands on the floor) by using platforms of various height. My Crossfit gym has several different surfaces that accommodated this approach. I began by using a platform about waist-high that is used normally for box jumps. I also used a stack of large olympic weights (made from rubber) against a wall that could easily let me adjust the height a few inches at a time. I would do 5 pushups at a "moderate" height, remove a weight, do 5 more, etc etc until I could no longer do even 1 pushup.

    The approach can be modified to whatever equipment and surfaces you may have. You may not be able to do a pushup today, but with the proper approach, you will be able to!!
  • gibbsgirl
    gibbsgirl Posts: 72 Member
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    You could start with your knees pulled in more. Like the starting position would just be on your hands and knees; like you're crawling. It will feel weird, but just bend your elbows and come back up. Once you get comfortable with that, you can slowly move your knees further and further back.
  • Bloodie
    Bloodie Posts: 53
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    Nice advices :)

    I'd go with 1. wall then hmm2. window frame :) 3. stairs, 4. girly pushups, 5. normal pushups :)

    and when you get to normal ones, its not a mandatory thing to go all the way down, go to plank, and start going down. Even if you can just go down dunno 2 inches, try doing them that way, and then in time you'll go lower and lower.... :)
  • jlallen
    jlallen Posts: 42 Member
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    PUSHUPS!?! Wow what a goal! I have to agree with the others. Start doing them against the wall (first you need to be standing an arm's length from the wall, hands out shoulder width apart on the wall, lean into the wall bearing all your weight w/o moving your feet, abs in, breath, then push back up). Also, try strength training exercises involving your upper body. The girlie ones aren't the easiest one either. Get down on your hands and knees, take your hands out shoulder with apart and while keeping you bum in the air, push your chest down - bending your arms and push back up! THAT is a true beginner push-up!


    GOOD LUCK! I started at the beginner ones and can now do 10 on my toes! It is achievable! BTW, I also teach Les Mills BodyPump which is the ultimate strength training group fitness class!

    I go to body pump classes and yes it kicks my *kitten*!!!! BUT I LOVE IT!!!!


    Thanks for all the advice I will keep trying and EVERYONE will know when I achieve my goal lol :wink:
  • lizziewhan
    lizziewhan Posts: 148 Member
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    just wanted to say that last year i had a trainer and he would make us do 100 pushups once a week. he did allow us to stop in between...but when i started i could barely do 10 at once..girly style....and after the 3 months with him i was able to do 25 regular without stopping. so practice does help!!

    i currently have bruised knee caps from girly style.........they hurt!
  • Kimd1972
    Kimd1972 Posts: 45
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    PUSHUPS!?! Wow what a goal! I have to agree with the others. Start doing them against the wall (first you need to be standing an arm's length from the wall, hands out shoulder width apart on the wall, lean into the wall bearing all your weight w/o moving your feet, abs in, breath, then push back up). Also, try strength training exercises involving your upper body. The girlie ones aren't the easiest one either. Get down on your hands and knees, take your hands out shoulder with apart and while keeping you bum in the air, push your chest down - bending your arms and push back up! THAT is a true beginner push-up!


    GOOD LUCK! I started at the beginner ones and can now do 10 on my toes! It is achievable! BTW, I also teach Les Mills BodyPump which is the ultimate strength training group fitness class!

    I go to body pump classes and yes it kicks my *kitten*!!!! BUT I LOVE IT!!!!


    Thanks for all the advice I will keep trying and EVERYONE will know when I achieve my goal lol :wink:

    BodyPump is a kick *kitten* workout!!! I feel so powerful teaching Pump, it does a lot for my ego!

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