"Girl" Pushups????

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_JPunky
_JPunky Posts: 508 Member
in Chit-Chat
So, my daughter came home from school yesterday very excited.

Her school is now offering a fitness program in her after school program. Some of the teachers went and were trained at the YMCA and you can sign your child up to participate. I had already signed her up before she came out with this little gem:

Her: "Mommy....You like to exercise...Can you show me how to do a girl pushup?"

Me: "I'm sorry...what?? What kind of pushup??"

Her: "You know! A girl pushup! The teacher said that boys and girls do different kinds of pushups and we can get extra credit tomorrow if we show her that we know how to do a girl pushup."

Me (Out Loud): "Honey, there is no such thing as a girl pushup. Girls can do the same pushups boys can do. Mommy does the same pushups the men at the gym do. Please tell your teacher that you want to do the same pushups they teach the boys."

Me (In My Head): "Are you freaking kidding me???!!!"

No. Just no. :noway:
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Replies

  • Sarah4fitness
    Sarah4fitness Posts: 437 Member
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    That's unfortunate. If the school teaches girls they can't physically do what the boys can do, that's wrong. I'd show your daughter the proper form for pushups, with your hands at the sides of your chest, body taut, and elbows remaining tight to your sides for full range of motion through the shoulders. Don't let her do those wide-stance pushups or whatnot, teach her the right "hard" kind.

    Wish I'd had someone do that for me as a kid! :)
  • Desterknee
    Desterknee Posts: 1,056 Member
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    That's how I was taught too.

    But I did the boy version anyway.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    That's unfortunate. If the school teaches girls they can't physically do what the boys can do, that's wrong. I'd show your daughter the proper form for pushups, with your hands at the sides of your chest, body taut, and elbows remaining tight to your sides for full range of motion through the shoulders. Don't let her do those wide-stance pushups or whatnot, teach her the right "hard" kind.

    Wish I'd had someone do that for me as a kid! :)

    i agree, but boys and girls eventually do have differences strength wise once puberty starts.

    but sounds like OP daughter younger than that and at that age, it should be relatively equal
  • MizTerry
    MizTerry Posts: 3,763 Member
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    Each to their own, I have three girls. I do the regular push ups and I have one daughter that does them also. The other two do the girl push ups. At least they're getting exercise IMHO. Whatever helps them get out there and exercise, I'm all for, even if they do girl pushups.
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
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    Homer, STFU and get back in the basement.
  • bguag
    bguag Posts: 1
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    My daughter was a gymnast. When she was about 15, she was dating a boy and they were watching someone on TV doing pushups with someone on their back. He said, "let me try that" so she said ok and he was able to do about one or two with her sitting on him. Then she said, "let me try" and knocked off 20 with him on her back - like it was nothing. Girl pushups, indeed….:happy:
  • _JPunky
    _JPunky Posts: 508 Member
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    Each to their own, I have three girls. I do the regular push ups and I have one daughter that does them also. The other two do the girl push ups. At least they're getting exercise IMHO. Whatever helps them get out there and exercise, I'm all for, even if they do girl pushups.

    But why teach girls that that's the way they're supposed to do it? I had to do those when I first started, but because I was weak...not because I was a girl and that's the way we have to do it...
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
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    Make sure you let her know that doing a proper pushup is more important than the extra credit.

    If you she is particularly outspoken, you could have her explain that knees are for those who aren't strong enough to do full push ups, not for girls.
  • _Pseudonymous_
    _Pseudonymous_ Posts: 1,671 Member
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    I don't see anything wrong with being taught both forms (some of the kids may not be strong enough to a regular push up) but I would definitely ask the teachers to refer to the other form as a MODIFIED push up. I mean, what if there is a boy who is too weak to do the regular one? Should he be shamed by having to do a "Girl" push up. Aside from that we shouldn't teach girls that they are weaker and incapable.

    I would just approach the teacher calmly about the subject and ask that they refer to it as a modified push up in order to not establish gender rules.
  • Sarah4fitness
    Sarah4fitness Posts: 437 Member
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    Each to their own, I have three girls. I do the regular push ups and I have one daughter that does them also. The other two do the girl push ups. At least they're getting exercise IMHO. Whatever helps them get out there and exercise, I'm all for, even if they do girl pushups.

    But why teach girls that that's the way they're supposed to do it? I had to do those when I first started, but because I was weak...not because I was a girl and that's the way we have to do it...

    +1

    I object to the term "girl pushups" in general.
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
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    Punky, honestly, I'd be miffed too. Modified push-ups, or push-ups on your knees, are entirely based on a person's current physical condition and ability, not sex.

    Tomato, tomahto.
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
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    My daughter was a gymnast. When she was about 15, she was dating a boy and they were watching someone on TV doing pushups with someone on their back. He said, "let me try that" so she said ok and he was able to do about one or two with her sitting on him. Then she said, "let me try" and knocked off 20 with him on her back - like it was nothing. Girl pushups, indeed….:happy:

    *hi five*
  • _JPunky
    _JPunky Posts: 508 Member
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    Punky, honestly, I'd be miffed too. Modified push-ups, or push-ups on your knees, are entirely based on a person's current physical condition and ability, not sex.


    Or their mood. Sometimes I'm just on the mood to be on my knees. Othertimes, I'm in the mood to put him on his knees.


    Tomato, tomahto.

    Sometimes those guys need to remember what their knees are for...

    (Side note...anyone else think that has to be one of the WORST thought out song lyrics in history of music? :laugh:)
  • wolverine66
    wolverine66 Posts: 3,780 Member
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    I think maybe instead of "girl" they should go with "modified." Because, firstly, you don't want a girl thinking she can't do the other style, nor do you want to restrict boys from using modified pushups, it should be seen as a stepping stone to the full pushup. Secondly, it sets up using the term "girl" to mean "lesser."

    the end.
  • _JPunky
    _JPunky Posts: 508 Member
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    Punky, honestly, I'd be miffed too. Modified push-ups, or push-ups on your knees, are entirely based on a person's current physical condition and ability, not sex.


    Or their mood. Sometimes I'm just on the mood to be on my knees. Othertimes, I'm in the mood to put him on his knees.


    Tomato, tomahto.

    Sometimes those guys need to remember what their knees are for...

    (Side note...anyone else think that has to be one of the WORST thought out song lyrics in history of music? :laugh:)

    Extra credit for anyone who knows what I'm talking about... lol
  • wolverine66
    wolverine66 Posts: 3,780 Member
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    i see it takes me way too long to type a response.

    in the time it took me to type it, 200 people made the same point i was going to...
  • Courtney4805
    Courtney4805 Posts: 71 Member
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    It actually is a good thing. Training women to be on their knees will help them excel in the future.

    haha, wow.:huh:
  • wolverine66
    wolverine66 Posts: 3,780 Member
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    It actually is a good thing. Training women to be on their knees will help them excel in the future.
    You say that with those two little girls in your picture...
    :angry:

    ^^ This.

    Sad. Just sad.

    I'll check between the couch cushions and you look under the bed.

    I'm sure we'll find your sense of humor around here somewhere.
    :wink:
  • calibriintx
    calibriintx Posts: 1,741 Member
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    Each to their own, I have three girls. I do the regular push ups and I have one daughter that does them also. The other two do the girl push ups. At least they're getting exercise IMHO. Whatever helps them get out there and exercise, I'm all for, even if they do girl pushups.

    So call them modified push ups and make them for anyone who struggles to do a full push up, NOT girl push ups.:noway:
  • jackpotclown
    jackpotclown Posts: 3,291 Member
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    I think if they put it as knee pushups instead of adding a sexual connotation to it, wouldn't have become a big deal \m/

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