Are modified "girl" push ups just as effective

gypsy_spirit

When I started learning to do push ups, I did 5x5 against a counter top, 3x a week. Then I moved to my staircase and did 5x5 3 times a week on the fourth step up, and then moved down one step each week until I was on the ground. Then I started increasing the difficulty by elevating my feet about 6 inches each week.

twins

Crept I am only on 2 regular push-ups in a row...but I am getting there.

triplets

I am down to an 8" incline - starting from the wall. I like these better than on the knees because the form is more comparable. Can't wait to be on the floor!

it took me a long time, but the day I could do one was an amazing day.

I remember that day well. Much happy dancing for you!

Flab2Fab27

Well, they're easier, right? Is any "easy" exercise as effective as its "hard" alternative? No, of course not. They can be effective, but the standard full push-up is the most effective form of that exercise. Well, that's not true, but they're definitely more effective than half push-ups.

I used to not be able to do any full push-ups, and now I can do over 20 in one set. Just work your way up. There are push-up challenges on the Internet, I'm sure.

I don't believe we should settle for the modified version of any exercise unless there's some legitimate reason why we can't do it. I think a lot of women do half push-ups because they don't THINK they can do the real stuff, even though they've never really tried to do it or gave it a good effort. It's a great place to start, but you want to eventually challenge yourself to do the real thing.

This is really contradicting. You started out not being able to do them but now that you can you don't think anybody should modify exercises or movements based on their abilities?

Congrats that you can do push-ups but don't knock modifications for people starting out. Even if it's more of a mental block, modifications should help build enough confidence to go for the full movement.

I_Will_End_You

First off, it's not a "girl" push-up. It's a modified or assisted push-up.

Thank you! I hate when people call them girl pushups...like all females are weak, frail little creatures who can't do a damn pushup. Some of the girls on the volleyball team I coach asked if they could do "girl pushups". I said yes, let me show you how to do them. Got down and did regular ones. Because I'm a girl, and that's how I do pushups.


/semi-unrelated rant. Carry on.

_lyndseybrooke_

Well, they're easier, right? Is any "easy" exercise as effective as its "hard" alternative? No, of course not. They can be effective, but the standard full push-up is the most effective form of that exercise. Well, that's not true, but they're definitely more effective than half push-ups.

I used to not be able to do any full push-ups, and now I can do over 20 in one set. Just work your way up. There are push-up challenges on the Internet, I'm sure.

I don't believe we should settle for the modified version of any exercise unless there's some legitimate reason why we can't do it. I think a lot of women do half push-ups because they don't THINK they can do the real stuff, even though they've never really tried to do it or gave it a good effort. It's a great place to start, but you want to eventually challenge yourself to do the real thing.

I've definitely tried to do regular pushups. When I do them they're basically like shaky planks.

What happens when we assume?

So you just give up? Try once, twice, a few times and then throw your hands in the air and say, "*kitten* it" without even putting in a good effort to build yourself up to the real deal? Like I said, I couldn't do them at one time either. Now I can. Building strength is key. I'm not one to try something, see I can't do it, and then just settle for the easier version. I strive to do the hardest version, and I'll do what it takes to get there.

Hmmmm... where did I say I gave up? Lots of assumptions this morning.

There's also a lot of getting defensive for no reason, but you didn't hear me whining about it. Moving on...

Defensive for no reason infers that you didn't suggest that she isn't trying to do harder pushups. Defensive for a reason is where she asserts that she is working toward doing more difficult pushups while you keep insisting that she is settling.

Just to clarify that minor point.

--Keep doing what you can do until you can do more. We don't all start out being able to do standard pushups. Just like anything else, practice will help you improve.

Wrong. I said, and I quote, "I think a lot of women do half push-ups because they don't THINK they can do the real stuff, even though they've never really tried to do it or gave it a good effort." I did not say, "I think you, the OP, have not even tried real push-ups." Also, I did not imply anything at all about the person that got her panties in a bunch, because I wasn't even speaking to her when I said that.

Deena_Bean

When I started learning to do push ups, I did 5x5 against a counter top, 3x a week. Then I moved to my staircase and did 5x5 3 times a week on the fourth step up, and then moved down one step each week until I was on the ground. Then I started increasing the difficulty by elevating my feet about 6 inches each week.

Like.

_lyndseybrooke_

Well, they're easier, right? Is any "easy" exercise as effective as its "hard" alternative? No, of course not. They can be effective, but the standard full push-up is the most effective form of that exercise. Well, that's not true, but they're definitely more effective than half push-ups.

I used to not be able to do any full push-ups, and now I can do over 20 in one set. Just work your way up. There are push-up challenges on the Internet, I'm sure.

I don't believe we should settle for the modified version of any exercise unless there's some legitimate reason why we can't do it. I think a lot of women do half push-ups because they don't THINK they can do the real stuff, even though they've never really tried to do it or gave it a good effort. It's a great place to start, but you want to eventually challenge yourself to do the real thing.

This is really contradicting. You started out not being able to do them but now that you can you don't think anybody should modify exercises or movements based on their abilities?

Congrats that you can do push-ups but don't knock modifications for people starting out. Even if it's more of a mental block, modifications should help build enough confidence to go for the full movement.

It helps if you read an entire post before commenting on it. There are no contradictions. Most people CAN do push-ups if they work their way up to it. Like I said, I couldn't do any a few months ago. I specifically said it's a good place to start, but the goal should be to do full push-ups eventually, not just stick with a modified version because it's easier.

Cranquistador

Well, they're easier, right? Is any "easy" exercise as effective as its "hard" alternative? No, of course not. They can be effective, but the standard full push-up is the most effective form of that exercise. Well, that's not true, but they're definitely more effective than half push-ups.

I used to not be able to do any full push-ups, and now I can do over 20 in one set. Just work your way up. There are push-up challenges on the Internet, I'm sure.

I don't believe we should settle for the modified version of any exercise unless there's some legitimate reason why we can't do it. I think a lot of women do half push-ups because they don't THINK they can do the real stuff, even though they've never really tried to do it or gave it a good effort. It's a great place to start, but you want to eventually challenge yourself to do the real thing.

This is really contradicting. You started out not being able to do them but now that you can you don't think anybody should modify exercises or movements based on their abilities?

Congrats that you can do push-ups but don't knock modifications for people starting out. Even if it's more of a mental block, modifications should help build enough confidence to go for the full movement.

i believe the more effective modification would be keeping your body straight and using the wall, then off of the counter mand so forth, finding a lower spot as one gets stronger.

Plus the ones on the knees hurt me and I didn't feel like I progressed as well with them

Hope that helps someone.

It feels more badass even doing them on the edge of my sleigh bed than on my knees.

All of this is my opinion.

thesupremeforce

There are push-up challenges on the Internet, I'm sure.

http://hundredpushups.com/
This one took me a few months but it got me from 5 push-ups to 110

thanks for this link! gonna try this one

That program seems to work. I've gone from about 40 to 70 in a couple of weeks.

nilbogger

First off, it's not a "girl" push-up. It's a modified or assisted push-up.

Thank you! I hate when people call them girl pushups...like all females are weak, frail little creatures who can't do a damn pushup. Some of the girls on the volleyball team I coach asked if they could do "girl pushups". I said yes, let me show you how to do them. Got down and did regular ones. Because I'm a girl, and that's how I do pushups.


/semi-unrelated rant. Carry on.

Haha, you rock!

nilbogger

Well, they're easier, right? Is any "easy" exercise as effective as its "hard" alternative? No, of course not. They can be effective, but the standard full push-up is the most effective form of that exercise. Well, that's not true, but they're definitely more effective than half push-ups.

I used to not be able to do any full push-ups, and now I can do over 20 in one set. Just work your way up. There are push-up challenges on the Internet, I'm sure.

I don't believe we should settle for the modified version of any exercise unless there's some legitimate reason why we can't do it. I think a lot of women do half push-ups because they don't THINK they can do the real stuff, even though they've never really tried to do it or gave it a good effort. It's a great place to start, but you want to eventually challenge yourself to do the real thing.

I've definitely tried to do regular pushups. When I do them they're basically like shaky planks.

What happens when we assume?

So you just give up? Try once, twice, a few times and then throw your hands in the air and say, "*kitten* it" without even putting in a good effort to build yourself up to the real deal? Like I said, I couldn't do them at one time either. Now I can. Building strength is key. I'm not one to try something, see I can't do it, and then just settle for the easier version. I strive to do the hardest version, and I'll do what it takes to get there.

Hmmmm... where did I say I gave up? Lots of assumptions this morning.

There's also a lot of getting defensive for no reason, but you didn't hear me whining about it. Moving on...

Defensive for no reason infers that you didn't suggest that she isn't trying to do harder pushups. Defensive for a reason is where she asserts that she is working toward doing more difficult pushups while you keep insisting that she is settling.

Just to clarify that minor point.

--Keep doing what you can do until you can do more. We don't all start out being able to do standard pushups. Just like anything else, practice will help you improve.

Wrong. I said, and I quote, "I think a lot of women do half push-ups because they don't THINK they can do the real stuff, even though they've never really tried to do it or gave it a good effort." I did not say, "I think you, the OP, have not even tried real push-ups." Also, I did not imply anything at all about the person that got her panties in a bunch, because I wasn't even speaking to her when I said that.

Haha, my panties are fine, thanks.

parkscs

Just my $0.02, but you're better off switching over to barbell/dumbbell/machine training (depending on what's available) if it's available than trying to crank out push-ups. Push-ups tend to be either too easy or too difficult for people in my experience and the delta between a modified/incline push-up and a proper form one is too much of a gap to reliably progress from one to the other - and then once you do progress, your options are to do lots and lots of reps or find ways to add additional resistance. When working with free weights/machines you're going to have much better control when it comes to increasing the weight in relatively small and more manageable increments, versus the relatively large gap between an inclined push-up and a proper form push-up. If you really want to be able to do push ups and that's your goal, keep working at it, but personally I'm not convinced there's anything special about push-ups unless you simply do not have access to better alternatives. I'd also add that you should be careful not to injure your wrists doing them the way most people tend to do them - you're better off using your knuckles, a dumbbell or something like the "perfect push-up device."

kethry70

I found that hand-release push-ups are a great modification too for ensuring full ROM while building up strength to do the full push0ups. I started with the "knee" push-ups because I was in a class environment and couldn't really go get a countertop ;P but I do agree that incline push-ups would have gotten me to full sooner. I can knock out a few sets of 15 now and I was immensely proud when I was able to do my first full push-up with good form :bigsmile:

doodie1969

Wasn't meaning to start an issue..just know how hard it was for me in the beginning..I have found doing a circuit of different exercises every morning is most effective anyway..no muscle memory that way, my arms are way more toned now, but doing planks, burpees, squat thrusts and many other different exercises, my arms almost always come into play. Good luck on your goals as well

Holly_Roman_Empire

Well, they're easier, right? Is any "easy" exercise as effective as its "hard" alternative? No, of course not. They can be effective, but the standard full push-up is the most effective form of that exercise. Well, that's not true, but they're definitely more effective than half push-ups.

I used to not be able to do any full push-ups, and now I can do over 20 in one set. Just work your way up. There are push-up challenges on the Internet, I'm sure.

I don't believe we should settle for the modified version of any exercise unless there's some legitimate reason why we can't do it. I think a lot of women do half push-ups because they don't THINK they can do the real stuff, even though they've never really tried to do it or gave it a good effort. It's a great place to start, but you want to eventually challenge yourself to do the real thing.

I've definitely tried to do regular pushups. When I do them they're basically like shaky planks.

What happens when we assume?

So you just give up? Try once, twice, a few times and then throw your hands in the air and say, "*kitten* it" without even putting in a good effort to build yourself up to the real deal? Like I said, I couldn't do them at one time either. Now I can. Building strength is key. I'm not one to try something, see I can't do it, and then just settle for the easier version. I strive to do the hardest version, and I'll do what it takes to get there.

Hmmmm... where did I say I gave up? Lots of assumptions this morning.

There's also a lot of getting defensive for no reason, but you didn't hear me whining about it. Moving on...

Defensive for no reason infers that you didn't suggest that she isn't trying to do harder pushups. Defensive for a reason is where she asserts that she is working toward doing more difficult pushups while you keep insisting that she is settling.

Just to clarify that minor point.

--Keep doing what you can do until you can do more. We don't all start out being able to do standard pushups. Just like anything else, practice will help you improve.

Wrong. I said, and I quote, "I think a lot of women do half push-ups because they don't THINK they can do the real stuff, even though they've never really tried to do it or gave it a good effort." I did not say, "I think you, the OP, have not even tried real push-ups." Also, I did not imply anything at all about the person that got her panties in a bunch, because I wasn't even speaking to her when I said that.

It's funny you put it that way, since the MTIs at my basic training pretty much held the same attitude. Yelling and screaming in the trainees' faces to "just do one in correct form" while they're face down on the tarmac must not have been enough motivation. Either that or they didn't have the muscle development to do it.

Anyway, they told us to do pushups against our bed, our locker, or the wall, because that's better than knee pushups. I'm inclined to agree.