Pushups

confettibetti
confettibetti Posts: 405 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all! Just wondering what your thoughts are on "wall pushups" instead of "floor pushups"? I am not strong enough to do military style pushups yet, and doing it the other way hurts my knees... Is it as effective? I need to remove some.. ah-hem flab from my arms...:-) Thanks in advance!
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Replies

  • murphy612
    murphy612 Posts: 734 Member
    I started on the edge of a counter and continue to work my way down to lower objects. I still can't do one on the floor but I'm getting closer and closer as I get stronger.
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
    I started on the edge of a counter and continue to work my way down to lower objects. I still can't do one on the floor but I'm getting closer and closer as I get stronger.

    I'd reccommend this.
  • iWaffle
    iWaffle Posts: 2,208 Member
    I think wall pushups are a great place to start if you're not yet strong enough to do military push ups. The important thing is that you're actually challenging your muscles. It does work a lot of the same muscles with perhaps a bit more emphasis on the upper chest but close enough to do the job.

    You might also try doing negatives for a great hit on your chest and triceps too. Just because you can't do the second half of the exercise doesn't mean you won't benefit from lowering yourself very slowly down to the ground. Don't feel stupid doing negatives. They're really effective.You'll feel sore from them if you do 4-5 sets. I'm doing the same thing with chin-ups right now and it's paying off.
  • confettibetti
    confettibetti Posts: 405 Member
    I think wall pushups are a great place to start if you're not yet strong enough to do military push ups. The important thing is that you're actually challenging your muscles. It does work a lot of the same muscles with perhaps a bit more emphasis on the upper chest but close enough to do the job.

    You might also try doing negatives for a great hit on your chest and triceps too. Just because you can't do the second half of the exercise doesn't mean you won't benefit from lowering yourself very slowly down to the ground. Don't feel stupid doing negatives. They're really effective.You'll feel sore from them if you do 4-5 sets. I'm doing the same thing with chin-ups right now and it's paying off.

    Whats a negative? :-)
  • confettibetti
    confettibetti Posts: 405 Member
    I started on the edge of a counter and continue to work my way down to lower objects. I still can't do one on the floor but I'm getting closer and closer as I get stronger.

    I never thought of that! Thank you!
  • tamtamzz
    tamtamzz Posts: 142
    For me, the best way to do push ups was to actually try to do push ups. The reason why is because your core (actually your whole body it seems) a lot to do with it. I was doing wall push ups and push ups on my knees, and I never got to the point where I could do a push up on my toes because I wasn't working the other parts of my body. I knew I could do them, as I was in the Army. Finally, I just started doing them on my toes, and I was able to do push ups again.
  • iWaffle
    iWaffle Posts: 2,208 Member
    Whats a negative? :-)

    The half of the exercise where gravity is doing the pulling and you're just resisting it. In push ups it would be lowering yourself down very slowly. It's not as hard as the up half of the exercise but it still works the exact same muscles. So lower yourself very slowly then cheat and get back to the starting position and repeat till you've done a full set.
  • sarahmoo12
    sarahmoo12 Posts: 756 Member
    I started on the edge of a counter and continue to work my way down to lower objects. I still can't do one on the floor but I'm getting closer and closer as I get stronger.

    I'd reccommend this.

    Thanks il take this tip lol
  • Goal_Line
    Goal_Line Posts: 474 Member
    From you knees or edge of counter. Wall is too easy.
  • murphy612
    murphy612 Posts: 734 Member
    From you knees or edge of counter. Wall is too easy.

    And the wall doesn't engage your core muscles where the real power needed for a push up is. If you go to a gym I do my pushups on the Smith Machine and just keep lowering the bar as I get stronger. Works great!
  • confettibetti
    confettibetti Posts: 405 Member
    Whats a negative? :-)

    The half of the exercise where gravity is doing the pulling and you're just resisting it. In push ups it would be lowering yourself down very slowly. It's not as hard as the up half of the exercise but it still works the exact same muscles. So lower yourself very slowly then cheat and get back to the starting position and repeat till you've done a full set.

    Ahhh, ok! Thank you so much!
  • confettibetti
    confettibetti Posts: 405 Member
    From you knees or edge of counter. Wall is too easy.
    Just what I was fearing! :) Thank you!
  • jhandest
    jhandest Posts: 1 Member
    iWaffle and tamtamzz both have excellent suggestions. The counter method works as well but standard push-ups work more than just your arms. That's why they are so good.

    In addition to the negatives and the counter, you can try just holding yourself in the plank position as long as possible. This is the "up" position of a push-up when the arms are fully extended. Focusing on breathing and keeping your body straight is a great core workout that will help get you to doing full push-ups regularly.

    Good luck!
  • MissFit0101
    MissFit0101 Posts: 2,382
    I think wall pushups are a good start, and then you could move to using a bench for pushups, and eventually end up on the floor doing as many regular pushups as you can. You will get stronger if you keep at it! I love pushups! Now pullups, that's a different story.
  • foxyforce
    foxyforce Posts: 3,078 Member
    I started on the edge of a counter and continue to work my way down to lower objects. I still can't do one on the floor but I'm getting closer and closer as I get stronger.

    I never thought of that! Thank you!

    same. thanks!
  • confettibetti
    confettibetti Posts: 405 Member
    iWaffle and tamtamzz both have excellent suggestions. The counter method works as well but standard push-ups work more than just your arms. That's why they are so good.

    In addition to the negatives and the counter, you can try just holding yourself in the plank position as long as possible. This is the "up" position of a push-up when the arms are fully extended. Focusing on breathing and keeping your body straight is a great core workout that will help get you to doing full push-ups regularly.

    Good luck!

    I really appreciate this... I will try the plank position!
  • lisanxd
    lisanxd Posts: 93
    Try also folding a yoga mat a few times over and then doing on your knees. For me, this makes a huge difference.
  • bzmom
    bzmom Posts: 1,332 Member
    Not sure if someone already suggested this but try to put a blanket or a towel under your knees when you are doing the pushups it helps or at least it helped me until I was able to do them on my feet and not my knees. GL!
  • d3mon4ngel
    d3mon4ngel Posts: 242 Member
    I couldn't do many proper pushups to begin with. When I started with my lifting program, I started doing my pushups on the stairs. Started at the 4th step up, then next time moved to the 3rd step, then down to the 2nd. I'm now on proper pushups.
  • MustBeTheRows
    MustBeTheRows Posts: 377 Member
    Do planks to build core strength. Also start at an incline on a counter, then use something lower, and work your way down until you can do a standard push up. When I started, I did them on an incline at the bottom of my basement steps.
  • confettibetti
    confettibetti Posts: 405 Member
    I think wall pushups are a good start, and then you could move to using a bench for pushups, and eventually end up on the floor doing as many regular pushups as you can. You will get stronger if you keep at it! I love pushups! Now pullups, that's a different story.

    I've been doing about 75 a day. 3 sets of 25 on the wall, and although I have been feeling it I just wasn't sure it was doing me much good...
  • bleumanchu
    bleumanchu Posts: 23 Member
    Regardless of your opinion on Tony Horton (personally, I love the guy, but I know he can be polarizing), here's a YouTube video that totally changed the way my wife went about doing push-ups when we do P90X together.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NFVD7-2dx0
  • confettibetti
    confettibetti Posts: 405 Member
    I couldn't do many proper pushups to begin with. When I started with my lifting program, I started doing my pushups on the stairs. Started at the 4th step up, then next time moved to the 3rd step, then down to the 2nd. I'm now on proper pushups.

    Awesome, I like this step idea!!!
  • confettibetti
    confettibetti Posts: 405 Member
    Regardless of your opinion on Tony Horton (personally, I love the guy, but I know he can be polarizing), here's a YouTube video that totally changed the way my wife went about doing push-ups when we do P90X together.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NFVD7-2dx0

    Thank you!!
  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
    ANY push-up that stresses your muscle is good.
    And don't let the resident "experts" tell you otherwise.
  • L00py_T0ucan
    L00py_T0ucan Posts: 1,378 Member
    Whats a negative? :-)

    The half of the exercise where gravity is doing the pulling and you're just resisting it. In push ups it would be lowering yourself down very slowly. It's not as hard as the up half of the exercise but it still works the exact same muscles. So lower yourself very slowly then cheat and get back to the starting position and repeat till you've done a full set.

    ^ This is very helpful. Thanks, O Wise Waffle...
  • confettibetti
    confettibetti Posts: 405 Member
    Not sure if someone already suggested this but try to put a blanket or a towel under your knees when you are doing the pushups it helps or at least it helped me until I was able to do them on my feet and not my knees. GL!

    Yes, I think I will do this, I know the floor is much better for my core and arms, Im just a wimp right now! LOL
  • _beautiful_disaster_
    _beautiful_disaster_ Posts: 182
    you can lift weights as well, I lift 2 pound ones, and it helps me.

    There was something on yahoo about it yesterday.

    heres the link...

    http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/15-minute-armed-summer-workout-154800139.html

    i'm doing it and my arms used to be floppy and now they are toned. hope it helps... :)
  • confettibetti
    confettibetti Posts: 405 Member
    ANY push-up that stresses your muscle is good.
    And don't let the resident "experts" tell you otherwise.

    Thanks :) The wall pushups do make my arms kinda shaky at the 25/30 mark
  • confettibetti
    confettibetti Posts: 405 Member
    you can lift weights as well, I lift 2 pound ones, and it helps me.

    There was something on yahoo about it yesterday.

    heres the link...

    http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/15-minute-armed-summer-workout-154800139.html

    i'm doing it and my arms used to be floppy and now they are toned. hope it helps... :)

    Oh thank you! I can't wait to have toned arms!!! :-)

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