unable to do push ups

rawfitness

Push ups require core strength as well as upper body strength. Try doing planks to help build up your core strength. Push ups will then be easier.

LishieFruit89

Start with something higher- a sturdy countertop, or if you can, you can go to a staircase and choose a stair height where you can do 5-8 good-form reps at a time. Do 3 sets of those. When you can get up to 10-12 reps on that stair, it's time to move down to the next lower one. Eventually you'll work your way to the floor. Good luck and keep at it!

I 4th Bean here.

Doing them from your knees doesn't engage your core and won't really help with getting to real push ups.
I did them at an angle for a few weeks (through NROLFW) and I can do 10-12 real push ups at a time now.
So def do angled push ups instead of knee push ups.
And don't be ashamed that you can't do a real push up yet.

I told my friend who is an Army Sgt that I was up to 11 at a time, he responded with "that's better than some of my soldiers"

aki7chien

I do most of my pushups with an exercise ball. The pushups are much easier on my knees plus you get an additional core workout by having to keep balance on the ball. I started out not being able to do them at all either so the trainer introduced the ball and what a difference! A few days ago I wanted to see how many I could do and it was 50 before I couldn't continue. That was a big NSV for me. good luck!

MumOfADuo

One of our female trainers here who has an AMAZING upper body strength told me to start in the standard UP position and go down as far as you can go (might not be but an inch or 2 the 1st few times) hold it as long as you can then drop to the ground. Get back up and continue doing that for 10-15 reps. Each time you will go lower and hold for longer until you are actually doing real 'boy' pushups. If even that is hard, start on your knees.....they DO get easier.....I am still no where NEAR where I would like to be but getting there.....

MumOfADuo

Start with something higher- a sturdy countertop, or if you can, you can go to a staircase and choose a stair height where you can do 5-8 good-form reps at a time. Do 3 sets of those. When you can get up to 10-12 reps on that stair, it's time to move down to the next lower one. Eventually you'll work your way to the floor. Good luck and keep at it!

I 4th Bean here.

Doing them from your knees doesn't engage your core and won't really help with getting to real push ups.
I did them at an angle for a few weeks (through NROLFW) and I can do 10-12 real push ups at a time now.
So def do angled push ups instead of knee push ups.
And don't be ashamed that you can't do a real push up yet.

I told my friend who is an Army Sgt that I was up to 11 at a time, he responded with "that's better than some of my soldiers"

If you are doing them PROPERLY from your knees of COURSE it will engage your core. The key is to be on the 'top' part of your knee, above your kneecap. And you bum DOWN low, not pushed up. You are not doing them correctly from your knees if you cant feel your core engage.