"Girl" Pushups????

fannyfrost

In school they said "Girl" push ups, but I call them modified push ups to build your strength to do a full push up. And I would have sent a note to the teacher telling her as much!!!

mccindy72

Calling it a "girl push up" is sexist. It assumes we are the weaker sex and incapable of doing a regular push up. It totally insults women.

Recognizing the differences between the genders is not sexism. Modifying exercises to ensure that both genders are focusing on the same muscle groups is not implying anyone is weaker.

Identifying a difference between the genders by specifically targeting one gender is sexism, by definition. I've seen women do excellent form standard pushups and I've seen men who could hardly do one modified pushup, so it doesn't make sense to imply that the modification is there to make it easier for one specific gender.

Lets look at this situation without the feminist overtones.

There are really only a few options:

a) Have both genders do the same exercise (in the case push-ups). Each gender has a different physical capability. Lets not talk about the extremes here, only averages. (Yes, there are many women that are strong and faster than some men). On average the males do more push-ups than females. End results: Men perceive themselves strong and females perceive themselves as weaker.

b) Same scenario as above but with give females extra credit or points. (Females only have to do x-some number to equal the same score as Males). The results, females might perceive themselves as equal to males. Male perceive females as definitely weaker or males perceive themselves as less valuable. While this technique might get the scores closer together it help neither gender come to a better concept of gender equality.

c) Test the genders using different exercises that stress the same muscle groups and account for the difference in anatomy. Both boys and girls can compete equally against each other. This re-enforces that both genders are capable, valuable, but have different traits.

d) The last option would be to remove all forms of competition or keeping score. This clearly contradicts the natural tendency of male students and does not engage their desire to compete or inspire them to learn. While this may benefit females in the group because no one will care how many reps they do, men (especially boys) need those types of environments to stay engaged.

As a man and a parent, I would go with option "c"

The difference between "girl" push-ups and modified push-ups are largely semantics. Will children know that "girl push-ups" and "(implied boy) push-ups" are not equal unless we tell them otherwise? Would saying alright girls, you need to do "modified push-ups" while the boys do "normal push-ups" really make that much difference until an outside source brings in a gender bias? I have pretty same little boys. They would probably lean over to my ear and ask "Wouldn't it be just shorter to call them boy or girl push-ups?"

While I am all for fostering healthy gender outlooks within our society, I believe that boy are largely forgotten. If we truly want gender equality, we need to look at our impact on both genders and avoid "lifting up females" at the cost of our males.

How about if they both do the same pushups, and if any of either sex are unable, then they are taught the modified pushup? Give me a break.

EvgeniZyntx

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:

This has bothered me for years. It's an "assisted or modified push up." People who are just starting need these push ups then graduate to regular push ups.

Calling it a "girl push up" is sexist. It assumes we are the weaker sex and incapable of doing a regular push up. It totally insults women.

They should call them politically correct push ups.
Don't forget to do a few man-ups with your long name push ups.

We call them girl push-ups in my house, I still expect my girls to do awesome things and not be defined by the name of an exercise. Because they are bigger than that. They can't be insulted by the label on an exercise. What next Turkish get ups are insensitive?

And generally speaking, there is a reason for Wilks Score. Or should we do away with that too?

Seems like shallow, borrowed indignation.

rml_16

Regardless of WHAT the teacher called them, am I the only one who read this:

The teacher said that boys and girls do different kinds of pushups

THAT is the problem, right there. That says girls DO NOT do regular pushups when of course they can and they do.

SunofaBeach14

Calling it a "girl push up" is sexist. It assumes we are the weaker sex and incapable of doing a regular push up. It totally insults women.

Recognizing the differences between the genders is not sexism. Modifying exercises to ensure that both genders are focusing on the same muscle groups is not implying anyone is weaker.

Identifying a difference between the genders by specifically targeting one gender is sexism, by definition. I've seen women do excellent form standard pushups and I've seen men who could hardly do one modified pushup, so it doesn't make sense to imply that the modification is there to make it easier for one specific gender.

Lets look at this situation without the feminist overtones.

There are really only a few options:

a) Have both genders do the same exercise (in the case push-ups). Each gender has a different physical capability. Lets not talk about the extremes here, only averages. (Yes, there are many women that are strong and faster than some men). On average the males do more push-ups than females. End results: Men perceive themselves strong and females perceive themselves as weaker.

b) Same scenario as above but with give females extra credit or points. (Females only have to do x-some number to equal the same score as Males). The results, females might perceive themselves as equal to males. Male perceive females as definitely weaker or males perceive themselves as less valuable. While this technique might get the scores closer together it help neither gender come to a better concept of gender equality.

c) Test the genders using different exercises that stress the same muscle groups and account for the difference in anatomy. Both boys and girls can compete equally against each other. This re-enforces that both genders are capable, valuable, but have different traits.

d) The last option would be to remove all forms of competition or keeping score. This clearly contradicts the natural tendency of male students and does not engage their desire to compete or inspire them to learn. While this may benefit females in the group because no one will care how many reps they do, men (especially boys) need those types of environments to stay engaged.

As a man and a parent, I would go with option "c"

The difference between "girl" push-ups and modified push-ups are largely semantics. Will children know that "girl push-ups" and "(implied boy) push-ups" are not equal unless we tell them otherwise? Would saying alright girls, you need to do "modified push-ups" while the boys do "normal push-ups" really make that much difference until an outside source brings in a gender bias? I have pretty same little boys. They would probably lean over to my ear and ask "Wouldn't it be just shorter to call them boy or girl push-ups?"

While I am all for fostering healthy gender outlooks within our society, I believe that boy are largely forgotten. If we truly want gender equality, we need to look at our impact on both genders and avoid "lifting up females" at the cost of our males.

While I agree that boys and men absolutely need to be challenged, and that boys seem to be getting forgotten in many of these discussions, you make a mistake when you assume in (d) that no one cares what the girls can do, and that they don't also crave competition. Push ALL kids to be the best that they can be, period. Calling those silly things "modified push ups" is going to have zero impact on boys and it will avoid implying that girls can't do real push ups. Modified push ups are, frankly, a joke even to many many girls. This doesn't need to be about girls being as strong as boys, it's just that they should be strong enough to do real push ups.

SpeSHul_SnoflEHk

Oh Heelllllll no! I would be calling that as'shole and telling him that I don't appreciate his attempts to indoctrinate the future generations in sexist bullshi t.

I love how you jumped right in and made the gy, teacher a male when it specifically states in the OP:

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."

Sexist pig!

jofjltncb6

Oh Heelllllll no! I would be calling that as'shole and telling him that I don't appreciate his attempts to indoctrinate the future generations in sexist bullshi t.

I love how you jumped right in and made the gy, teacher a male when it specifically states in the OP:

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."

Sexist pig!

That's because everyone knows that all sexism comes from males.

Duh.

Everybody knows that.

BraveNewdGirl

I didin't google "girl push ups", I googled "girl push up", it's right there on the screen for you to read, I can't read it for you. And I copy and pasted the results, hard to miss that.

1. http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1="girl+push-up"&word2="modified+push-up"

2. http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1="girl+push-ups"&word2="modified+push-ups"

_JPunky

Oh Heelllllll no! I would be calling that as'shole and telling him that I don't appreciate his attempts to indoctrinate the future generations in sexist bullshi t.

I love how you jumped right in and made the gy, teacher a male when it specifically states in the OP:

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."

Sexist pig!

That's because everyone knows that all sexism comes from males.

Duh.

Everybody knows that.

Girls are sugar and spice and everything nice. :AngelicEmoticonMFPReallyNeedsToGet:

Didn't you read as a kid? Geez...

jofjltncb6

Oh Heelllllll no! I would be calling that as'shole and telling him that I don't appreciate his attempts to indoctrinate the future generations in sexist bullshi t.

I love how you jumped right in and made the gy, teacher a male when it specifically states in the OP:

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."

Sexist pig!

That's because everyone knows that all sexism comes from males.

Duh.

Everybody knows that.

Girls are sugar and spice and everything nice. :AngelicEmoticonMFPReallyNeedsToGet:

Didn't you read as a kid? Geez...

Hey! I'm on your side!!!




So shut up and get back in the...





...uh...




...other room.

trojan_bb

We were always taught the same thing. And it makes sense to do so. Hardly any girls in elementary can do a single full push up. Sort of hard to create any method of testing when none of them can complete a single repetition.

trojan_bb

Calling it a "girl push up" is sexist. It assumes we are the weaker sex and incapable of doing a regular push up. It totally insults women.

Reality bites.

Women are the weaker sex physically. And very few girls ages 5-12 can do a single push up. Recognizing reality is not sexist.

Maybe it could be called something other than a girl push up. But everyone would still know what it refers to.

SerenaFisher

proper form is all that matters. If the child can do push ups without issue the right way then encourage her to do that. If the child struggles have her go to her knees and tell her the goal is to work up to a regular push up. Push ups on your knees are not for girls, they are for people without adequate body/core strength to hold form and complete the task.

neandermagnon

Calling it a "girl push up" is sexist. It assumes we are the weaker sex and incapable of doing a regular push up. It totally insults women.

Reality bites.

Women are the weaker sex physically. And very few girls ages 5-12 can do a single push up. Recognizing reality is not sexist.

Maybe it could be called something other than a girl push up. But everyone would still know what it refers to.

when I did judo, every girl could do a full push-up. actually, make that 20 full push-ups

there is no reason why any kid aged 5-12 can't do a full push-up, except that they don't challenge themselves. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy if you tell girls they can't do full push-ups. They can't because people they're out of shape and many don't try to because people tell them they can't. Telling girls they can't or shouldn't do full push-ups makes this problem worse, not better.

The strength difference between men and women doesn't begin until boys enter the main growth spurt in puberty. There is no physiological reason why little girls would be weaker than little boys..... unless they're constantly being told that they are to the point that they don't even try.

I could beat up the boys in my class (without using judo), and beat them at arm wrestling, until I was about 13-14 and they started to get some testosterone in their system. And even after that time I could beat up most of the boys in my judo club because I was better at judo (good technique beats brute strength in judo). I'm only an exception in that I was encouraged to try and to push myself and to not let anyone tell me that girls were weaker than boys..... I ought to add that I'm short, always have been, and was the shortest or second-shortest in my class throughout school. I didn't let anyone tell me that tall people are stronger than short people either.

If it's true that most girls aged 5-12 can't do a full push-up then school PE teachers need to be telling them that they a) can and b) should and make them learn to do it. Ditto all the boys that can't do a full push-up. My mum used to run cub scouts (back when it was boys only)... one time she found that most of the boys couldn't do a full push-up.... well she made them learn by having them practice push-ups for a short time each meeting until they could all do at least ten............. there's a problem with kids nowadays spending too much time indoors and being unfit and out of shape.... but this myth of pre-pubescent girls being fundamentally weaker than pre-pubescent boys need to be challenged because a) it's not true and b) it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, and it's that last thing that really causes the problems. Telling kids that they're weaker than other kids before they've even had a chance to try.... you're limiting their aspirations before they've even started.....

Also it gives the wrong message to boys if they're told that girls are weaker, when they do get beaten by a girl at something that involves strength. the "ha ha you got beat up by a girl!" isn't fair on either girls or boys. It implies that a boy being beaten by a girl is shameful, when it's not. Maybe she's stronger than him and/or better at the sport in question. No shame in that. The reason why it doesn't happen often is that most girls are not encouraged to try and are told that they're weak and can't do it.

obsidianwings

I should clarify I don't think girls should be forced to do girl push ups or vice versa, I'm just not bothered by the name

neandermagnon

I should clarify I don't think girls should be forced to do girl push ups or vice versa, I'm just not bothered by the name

yeah..... IMO it's not about what you call them, it's about telling girls that they should only aspire to do a form of an exercise that's modified for out of shape people rather than the full version of the exercise that's my issue.

there is absolutely NO reason for any able-bodied child of either gender to be unable to do full push-ups, and if you tell them they can't, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy because they don't ever try.

Rachelc1992

I can't do a full push up

trojan_bb

Calling it a "girl push up" is sexist. It assumes we are the weaker sex and incapable of doing a regular push up. It totally insults women.

Reality bites.

Women are the weaker sex physically. And very few girls ages 5-12 can do a single push up. Recognizing reality is not sexist.

Maybe it could be called something other than a girl push up. But everyone would still know what it refers to.

when I did judo, every girl could do a full push-up. actually, make that 20 full push-ups

there is no reason why any kid aged 5-12 can't do a full push-up, except that they don't challenge themselves. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy if you tell girls they can't do full push-ups. They can't because people they're out of shape and many don't try to because people tell them they can't. Telling girls they can't or shouldn't do full push-ups makes this problem worse, not better.

The strength difference between men and women doesn't begin until boys enter the main growth spurt in puberty. There is no physiological reason why little girls would be weaker than little boys..... unless they're constantly being told that they are to the point that they don't even try.

I could beat up the boys in my class (without using judo), and beat them at arm wrestling, until I was about 13-14 and they started to get some testosterone in their system. And even after that time I could beat up most of the boys in my judo club because I was better at judo (good technique beats brute strength in judo). I'm only an exception in that I was encouraged to try and to push myself and to not let anyone tell me that girls were weaker than boys..... I ought to add that I'm short, always have been, and was the shortest or second-shortest in my class throughout school. I didn't let anyone tell me that tall people are stronger than short people either.

If it's true that most girls aged 5-12 can't do a full push-up then school PE teachers need to be telling them that they a) can and b) should and make them learn to do it. Ditto all the boys that can't do a full push-up. My mum used to run cub scouts (back when it was boys only)... one time she found that most of the boys couldn't do a full push-up.... well she made them learn by having them practice push-ups for a short time each meeting until they could all do at least ten............. there's a problem with kids nowadays spending too much time indoors and being unfit and out of shape.... but this myth of pre-pubescent girls being fundamentally weaker than pre-pubescent boys need to be challenged because a) it's not true and b) it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, and it's that last thing that really causes the problems. Telling kids that they're weaker than other kids before they've even had a chance to try.... you're limiting their aspirations before they've even started.....

Also it gives the wrong message to boys if they're told that girls are weaker, when they do get beaten by a girl at something that involves strength. the "ha ha you got beat up by a girl!" isn't fair on either girls or boys. It implies that a boy being beaten by a girl is shameful, when it's not. Maybe she's stronger than him and/or better at the sport in question. No shame in that. The reason why it doesn't happen often is that most girls are not encouraged to try and are told that they're weak and can't do it.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22561975

The assisted push up is used in schools for strength testing purposes once every few months. Not as strength training. There may be exceptions based on PE teacher preferences, but this is true in most schools.The test would be worthless if the majority of girls were unable to perform it. Which is reality. Your judo class is obviously a much more physically capable subset.

neandermagnon

Calling it a "girl push up" is sexist. It assumes we are the weaker sex and incapable of doing a regular push up. It totally insults women.

Reality bites.

Women are the weaker sex physically. And very few girls ages 5-12 can do a single push up. Recognizing reality is not sexist.

Maybe it could be called something other than a girl push up. But everyone would still know what it refers to.

when I did judo, every girl could do a full push-up. actually, make that 20 full push-ups

there is no reason why any kid aged 5-12 can't do a full push-up, except that they don't challenge themselves. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy if you tell girls they can't do full push-ups. They can't because people they're out of shape and many don't try to because people tell them they can't. Telling girls they can't or shouldn't do full push-ups makes this problem worse, not better.

The strength difference between men and women doesn't begin until boys enter the main growth spurt in puberty. There is no physiological reason why little girls would be weaker than little boys..... unless they're constantly being told that they are to the point that they don't even try.

I could beat up the boys in my class (without using judo), and beat them at arm wrestling, until I was about 13-14 and they started to get some testosterone in their system. And even after that time I could beat up most of the boys in my judo club because I was better at judo (good technique beats brute strength in judo). I'm only an exception in that I was encouraged to try and to push myself and to not let anyone tell me that girls were weaker than boys..... I ought to add that I'm short, always have been, and was the shortest or second-shortest in my class throughout school. I didn't let anyone tell me that tall people are stronger than short people either.

If it's true that most girls aged 5-12 can't do a full push-up then school PE teachers need to be telling them that they a) can and b) should and make them learn to do it. Ditto all the boys that can't do a full push-up. My mum used to run cub scouts (back when it was boys only)... one time she found that most of the boys couldn't do a full push-up.... well she made them learn by having them practice push-ups for a short time each meeting until they could all do at least ten............. there's a problem with kids nowadays spending too much time indoors and being unfit and out of shape.... but this myth of pre-pubescent girls being fundamentally weaker than pre-pubescent boys need to be challenged because a) it's not true and b) it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, and it's that last thing that really causes the problems. Telling kids that they're weaker than other kids before they've even had a chance to try.... you're limiting their aspirations before they've even started.....

Also it gives the wrong message to boys if they're told that girls are weaker, when they do get beaten by a girl at something that involves strength. the "ha ha you got beat up by a girl!" isn't fair on either girls or boys. It implies that a boy being beaten by a girl is shameful, when it's not. Maybe she's stronger than him and/or better at the sport in question. No shame in that. The reason why it doesn't happen often is that most girls are not encouraged to try and are told that they're weak and can't do it.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22561975

The assisted push up is used in schools for strength testing purposes once every few months. Not as strength training. There may be exceptions based on PE teacher preferences, but this is true in most schools.The test would be worthless if the majority of girls were unable to perform it. Which is reality. Your judo class is obviously a much more physically capable subset.

except that there are lots of kids of both genders who can't do full push-ups, because they're out of shape. Modified push-ups exist because out of shape people exist. It's not about gender. And there are a lot of out of shape kids around nowadays for the same reason that there are a lot of out of shape adults around nowadays.

My judo class were only physically more capable than other kids because we trained.... none of us, male or female, were born stronger than the others........... if you limit kids potential by telling them they're weak and they can't, then for a lot of those kids, that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. All able-bodied kids are capable of doing full push-ups if they train. Many are able to do them without training. Kids that can't do full-push ups it's because they're out of shape and have never been challenged (medical issues and disabilities excepted). If there were ever any kids who joined my judo club who couldn't do push-ups, well they could after a few weeks. Any kid, barring medical issues, can learn to do full push-ups.

BraveNewdGirl

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22561975

The assisted push up is used in schools for strength testing purposes once every few months. Not as strength training. There may be exceptions based on PE teacher preferences, but this is true in most schools.The test would be worthless if the majority of girls were unable to perform it. Which is reality. Your judo class is obviously a much more physically capable subset.

You linked an abstract that supported you in one determination only: that boys performed better than girls in the areas of aerobic fitness, strength, speed and agility while girls performed better in the areas of balance and flexibility. Nowhere, in the cited documentation, is there anything to confirm your half-baked claim that "most girls between the ages of 5 and 12 years old can't do a full push-up". Even were that true, it is still not okay to refer to an assisted, or modified, push-up as a "girl push-up". It negatively impacts individuals of both genders, a point which has been made by numerous posters in this thread.

Reinforcing sexist, stigmatic language because you are too egocentric to recognize your own privilege is not, in fact, "telling it like it is". It's actually doing the opposite. It's refusing to take into account myriad factors and the individual, as well as institutional, experiences of others and substituting your own "reality" in lieu of them.