Push ups....HELP

ericarae33

Its taken me a LONG time to work up to being able to do a decent amount of push ups, I think my max is 16. I do a ton of planks, and burpees...plus weights, I think just building up your muscles and core help a lot...I never do them on my knees....because usually the floor is hard and it super uncomfortable on my knees....

ericarae33

I stick to the 'girly style' with the knees because my Phys Ed teacher once told me that new research had shown that the military style ones can damage a woman's womb. Thanks very much but I want my womb working perfectly!

Where on earth did they get their information... how would your womb be damaged by a push-up? You might pull a muscle but damage your womb?

LOL, yeah that is strange, never heard of it

Tw1zzler

I started with knee pushups, then off a bench. Doing planks helps too as your core is a big factor. If you can only do one regular push up, then only do one and drop back to the knee position. Experiment w/ arm positions. Some positions favor different muscles. I think I do mine w/ my elbows more out vs. in which is easier for me for some reason.

odusgolp

I stick to the 'girly style' with the knees because my Phys Ed teacher once told me that new research had shown that the military style ones can damage a woman's womb. Thanks very much but I want my womb working perfectly!

Wait wait wait... What does your womb have to do with it??? *LOL*

mikeyrs

I feel you're much better off doing Planks and progressing from your elbows to both full arms to one full arm. Yoga is a great way to tone your core and butt, and there too, planks are done in Yoga class. The only thing you don't get is muscular arms like you otherwise would with push ups. Even I prefer planks over pushups because it helped me tone my belly and ditch the fat around my mid-section.

Contrarian

I stick to the 'girly style' with the knees because my Phys Ed teacher once told me that new research had shown that the military style ones can damage a woman's womb. Thanks very much but I want my womb working perfectly!

No. It is running that can make your uterus fall out. Also, your fallopian tubes can get tangled. Push ups are okay.

KilannaFit

I have found that form is key.

When I get my body tense and kept my core tight I found to easy to lower by body and then tense and power back up.

Got me from girly pushes up to standard push ups

jamk1446

When I did bootcamp, my coach had me do negative pushups. Start at the top in military position and lower your self to the floor, all the way if you need to. Then push yourself back up from the knee position. I don't know for sure that I made faster progress than just going from knees to full military but it made me feel more confident in mastering the exercise.

frood

My trainer has me doing inclined pushups using a bar. I've seen other people use those giant rubber bands around their waists or chests for assistance.

Also, just to get this uterus thing cleared up, I went on a small google spree. The source is sports illustrated.

Q: My coach told us that doing push-ups with your legs extended can damage your ovaries. Is this true?
A: "The ovaries and uterus are fantastically well supported and protected by ligaments, pelvic bones and abdominal muscles," says Otis. There's no evidence that push-ups or any other common training technique can damage your organs. "Go ahead and do as many straight-leg push-ups as you can," says Otis. "Then challenge your coach to a few wind sprints."

odusgolp

I stick to the 'girly style' with the knees because my Phys Ed teacher once told me that new research had shown that the military style ones can damage a woman's womb. Thanks very much but I want my womb working perfectly!

No. It is running that can make your uterus fall out. Also, your fallopian tubes can get tangled. Push ups are okay.

Duuuude.... I totally had to untangle my BFF's fallopian tubes the other day. It was worse than untangling my 1980's gold chains. Seriously ladies. Don't make this mistake.

Do. Not. Run.

lizzie1030

Surprisingly yoga helped me do push ups. All the planks, side planks, downward facing dogs that you do in yoga help to strengthen your wrists and your arms.

isowill

trick is to start small. just do 5/10 every day, when this is easy move up to greater numbers and then move off your knees, after a couple weeks you will be able to do looads more! its surprising how quickly your body gets used to it

_SusieQ_

I stick to the 'girly style' with the knees because my Phys Ed teacher once told me that new research had shown that the military style ones can damage a woman's womb. Thanks very much but I want my womb working perfectly!

No. It is running that can make your uterus fall out. Also, your fallopian tubes can get tangled. Push ups are okay.

Duuuude.... I totally had to untangle my BFF's fallopian tubes the other day. It was worse than untangling my 1980's gold chains. Seriously ladies. Don't make this mistake.

Do. Not. Run.

I love when my friends help!

vim_n_vigor

I feel like I get more out of doing the push-ups on an incline - I have a desk that is the perfect height! When I do them on my knees, it just doesn't seem like I can ever get any better at them.

Yanicka1

I stick to the 'girly style' with the knees because my Phys Ed teacher once told me that new research had shown that the military style ones can damage a woman's womb. Thanks very much but I want my womb working perfectly!

No. It is running that can make your uterus fall out. Also, your fallopian tubes can get tangled. Push ups are okay.

Duuuude.... I totally had to untangle my BFF's fallopian tubes the other day. It was worse than untangling my 1980's gold chains. Seriously ladies. Don't make this mistake.

Do. Not. Run.

I am lifting heavy so the damn thing can fall on the floor......after all my pregnancies I am so done with it

Halleeon

I started out with a goal of 10 wall push-ups. I would do as many as I could when I went on bathroom break at work. Eventually, I could do 30 fairly easily.

I moved onto push-ups on the ground with my knees on the ground (modified push-ups) and went from a whopping 1 to being able to do 3 sets of 15.

Took me about 2 months.

I found that I couldn't really progress beyond that point and I am pretty sure it is because of the caloric deficit. Basically, I think our bodies can only progress but so far while we still have fat to lose and are doing a caloric deficit.

My best suggestion is to do as many as you can just keep trying. If you get to a point where you feel like you aren't improving, then just keep maintaining - eventually your body will give and you will be able to do more.

Other than that...I don't have any suggestions on specific ways to do the pushups.

ChrisC_77

Lots of good advice on here. I just started the 100 push up challenge this Monday. My initial test was 25 so I started in week 3. I am going to see it through and see how it goes. If I get stuck on a certain week, then I will repeat that week until I pass all three days. I know there is really no need to do 100 consecutive push ups. But I love the challenge.

As far as doing them on your knees or anything, I personally think it puts to much pressure on your knee joints. But if you have other limitations that make (knee form) push ups safer, that might be a better option. Just take you time and use good form.

LiftAllThePizzas

I found doing chest/bench press to be very helpful. It's basically the same motion, you're just on your back versus your belly. Losing weight also helped a lot :P

Honestly I don't even bother with them anymore. Once you get good at them they are too easy. I prefer the progression of using dumbbells or barbells.

I have been lifting also. I seem to be able to progress at bench, but can't do a decent pushup to save my life. I'm SURE it's partly my weight...that's a lot of damn weight to push off the floor!

Just keep doing them. Even if you're only doing three - try to do four next time. Don't overexert and try to do like 100 in a month or anything... just try to do a few every day.

Yea, I figured "practice makes perfect" was going to be the popular answer. :happy:

I have heard that doing a pushup is roughly half your bodyweight. Doing a little testing with weights equal to half my body weight, I could do almost exactly the same amount of reps as I could do push-ups. So I'd say it's pretty similar.

Put your scale on the floor, and get in pushup position, with your hands on the scale. Now you know how much weight you are lifting to do a pushup. (I weigh 188, for me it's ~90 lbs with legs extended, and ~60 lbs if I put my knees on the floor.)

bgraz1994

I was in the same boat, I couldn't even do 1 pushup! But in my program at university we have to do conditioning class which invovled pushups. We started with knee pushups (proper form is important! Straightline from your head to your knees, arms should width or more apart, lower legs stay flat on the floor throughout exercise). Do a few of these everyday. Ie first week, do 4 everyday. Next week do 8. Once you feel comfortable and stronger, try full pushups with the same method..2 a day, then 4 a day, etc.

The only way you'll be abe to do pushups is by doing them, even if you can only do 1 or 2.
Goodluck!

DopeItUp

I found doing chest/bench press to be very helpful. It's basically the same motion, you're just on your back versus your belly. Losing weight also helped a lot :P

Honestly I don't even bother with them anymore. Once you get good at them they are too easy. I prefer the progression of using dumbbells or barbells.

I have been lifting also. I seem to be able to progress at bench, but can't do a decent pushup to save my life. I'm SURE it's partly my weight...that's a lot of damn weight to push off the floor!

Just keep doing them. Even if you're only doing three - try to do four next time. Don't overexert and try to do like 100 in a month or anything... just try to do a few every day.

Yea, I figured "practice makes perfect" was going to be the popular answer. :happy:

I have heard that doing a pushup is roughly half your bodyweight. Doing a little testing with weights equal to half my body weight, I could do almost exactly the same amount of reps as I could do push-ups. So I'd say it's pretty similar.

Put your scale on the floor, and get in pushup position, with your hands on the scale. Now you know how much weight you are lifting to do a pushup. (I weigh 188, for me it's ~90 lbs with legs extended, and ~60 lbs if I put my knees on the floor.)

Genius, why didn't I think of that? Curious now....