Can't do a pushup to save my life

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Replies

  • belladonna786
    belladonna786 Posts: 1,165 Member
    I cant do them either! But i try, the only way right now that I can do anything that resembles a push up is on the wall standing up lol its really a push away.
  • dustygn
    dustygn Posts: 28 Member
    Make sure you have your technique right. I thought I couldn't do pushups either but it turns out my hands were just too close together. Make sure your hands are directly under your shoulders. There's no problem with using your knees.
  • GrammaBonnie
    GrammaBonnie Posts: 232 Member
    We had a challenge in July to do 100 pushups, using the website, http://www.hundredpushups.com (and the associated app).

    I was able to do 6 standard pushups when I started. A few weeks ago, I was able to do 100 ... not all consecutive, which was my goal ... but I did over a hundred in 9 sets. The program works!

    I didn't have the best form, and now have a pinched nerve, so I won't be doing any for a while. So, be SURE to have proper form.

    You look like you are young. I hadn't done anything physical for YEARS. (I'm 58). If I could do it, you can, too!

    Good luck!
  • LupaNera
    LupaNera Posts: 170
    I also have to struggle to do them just too much weight (sigh). I can do properly on my knees or on bench but just can't go down very well on the floor. Hope to improve when some weight will go away.
  • SuffolkSally
    SuffolkSally Posts: 964 Member
    How tall are you?

    As well as push ups being in general tougher for women than for men height can be an issue, so I've been told since joining this site, the proportions involved with greater height making them harder.

    I've never been able to do a push up, ever, even at my lightest and fittest (which certainly isn't now, lol).

    But I can still do 100 ab crunches with resistance weight at 35kgs in two sets, which a lot of men would struggle with.

    I used to able to raise my legs and torso vertically, resting on my head and shoulders (don't know what this move is called), easily, and did this many times a day as part of my exercise routine... but I STILL couldn't do a bloody push up!

    But thanks for the post, it's reminded that doing them used to be an aspiration, one that I've given up on. I might just start trying again...
  • ixap
    ixap Posts: 675 Member
    Try negatives pushups.
    Get in the top of pushup position and lower yourself to the ground. Do this as slowly and as controlled as you can, keeping your core tight. Try 5 sets of 3 with 1 or 2 minutes of rest between sets. After lowering yourself to the ground, you can get on your knees or roll over. To get back up and returnto the start position.
  • rcthale
    rcthale Posts: 141
    The pushup is a variation of the bench press, which is a primarily chest exercise. My suggestion is to start doing bench presses with whatever weight you can safely manage for no more than 8 reps and keep going up in weight.

    This is true. If your hands are the right distance apart, pushups are mostly chest. You could start a bench press with 5-pound dumbbells in each hand and gradually increase weights if it's too easy. Also, the floor is the safest place for dumbbell press.

    If your gym's weight area is full of gorillas, then you can start at home by tipping forward against a wall and pushing yourself away. Then move on to kitchen counters or other sturdy things that let you tip even further forward.
  • wonderwoman_72
    wonderwoman_72 Posts: 10
    Don't practice on your knees, it doesn't help.

    Like others said, a 45 degree standing one (leaning on stairs or a counter) or static press ups could be good. You've pretty much just gotta keep trying to do them properly. Try do one every day if you struggle just doing one and then build from there. I learnt press ups from a young age, at karate we were made to just suck it up and try do them properly, and lo and behold, here I am banging out sets of 20 (and even a couple of one armed ones :tongue: )

    *This*

    Push ups on your knees and fully extended pushups are different. On your knees is basically just working your arms and it'll feel like starting over when you try to do a plank style pushup. Trust me, I've been there. :-) Work on core strength, lift weights and practice, practice, practice. Start on the wall, then incline and work your way to the floor. I've been working on them for months and yesterday when I FINALLY banged out 3 sets of 8 it was the BEST feeling.
    You can do it!!
  • iRebel
    iRebel Posts: 378 Member
    How tall are you?

    As well as push ups being in general tougher for women than for men height can be an issue, so I've been told since joining this site, the proportions involved with greater height making them harder.

    I've never been able to do a push up, ever, even at my lightest and fittest (which certainly isn't now, lol).

    But I can still do 100 ab crunches with resistance weight at 35kgs in two sets, which a lot of men would struggle with.

    I used to able to raise my legs and torso vertically, resting on my head and shoulders (don't know what this move is called), easily, and did this many times a day as part of my exercise routine... but I STILL couldn't do a bloody push up!

    But thanks for the post, it's reminded that doing them used to be an aspiration, one that I've given up on. I might just start trying again...
    Keep trying, I know I will. I've NEVER Been able to do one.

    I used to set up a scenario, tell myself out loud: "there is a meteor heading towards earth and the only thing that can stop it is you doing a pushup, the world is counting on you!" then- SMACK! I'd face plant on my way down. Good thing no one has ever had to depend on me doing a pushup! :)
  • gpstrucker
    gpstrucker Posts: 930 Member
    Just keep trying Push ups are mainly triceps and chest. Wall or counter is good for a start, but do SOMETHING to build up those muscles. Push ups really aren't that hard, ya just have to keep at it.
  • SuffolkSally
    SuffolkSally Posts: 964 Member
    Just keep trying Push ups are mainly triceps and chest. Wall or counter is good for a start, but do SOMETHING to build up those muscles. Push ups really aren't that hard, ya just have to keep at it.

    HA! Men and women are generally built a little differently... just how many situps can you do, without adding weights?
  • lyttlewon
    lyttlewon Posts: 1,118 Member
    Is a static push up a plank?
  • kimberliiw
    kimberliiw Posts: 242 Member
    I'm doing Chalean Extreme also and started out not being able to do any. I've been doing knee, wall and counter pushups and am able to do 6 consecutive regular pushups now. I am determined to conquer this.
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
    Keep it up and over time you can develop strength to do them. A good weight training program will help with this too. I found that a good weight training program will help you with functional exercises and body weight exercise. For example I do an over all body workout that changes up all the time. It includes pushups, planks, swiss ball pikes and rollouts, as well as all the weight exercises. I hadn't don't pullups for years yet when I was visiting a Golds Gym some friends jumped up and did pullups so I thought I'd try it. I whipped out 15 no problem and that was after 1.5 hours of heavy weight lifting. I had not done pullups in years and last I tried I was lucky if I could do one. So, hopefully you are doing a weight training program as well as trying to do pushups.

    Once upon a time I could not do pushups either. But if you don't give up, you will build up strength and your only limit is in your own mind.
  • Cgirlish
    Cgirlish Posts: 263 Member
    I struggle with push up too ... going to have to come back and read this later :)
  • mpmama2re
    mpmama2re Posts: 212 Member
    from someone who couldn't do one pushup six months ago to doing 15 now-- if you want to do them, do not give up.
    I started with weights. I lifted weights and built some strength from there. knee pushups never did anything for me.
    like everything else, the key to being able to do them is to keep trying and practicing every day. you will get there! :)
  • RobynMWilson
    RobynMWilson Posts: 1,540 Member
    One thing I learned with toe pushups is it helps to flex the core, quads and butt and try to keep everything as straight as possible while doing the pushup. Also, bench presses for the chest, chest flys and tricep work (extensions, dips) will help strengthen the muscles to help you do them. I don't think it's just practice that got me doing them but all the other work in P90X which strengthened me...
  • andilion
    andilion Posts: 44 Member
    When I started working out a few months ago, I couldn't do even a single knee push up let alone a regular pushup. Wall push ups never worked for me because I couldn't lower myself without hitting my head against the wall. I started with incline pushups, first against a counter that was about the height of my hips. It was really hard for me but I kept at it. Eventually I was able to do incline pushups against a box that was the height of my knees. In the mean time I also did bench presses and planks.

    Now I can do a lot of knee push ups, and I can finally do a single regular pushup. So the combination of incline pushups, bench press, and planks worked pretty well for me.
  • trijoe
    trijoe Posts: 729 Member
    Okay, I don't have any constructive advice for getting your pushup done. However I would like to say this:

    What I really like about your thread - seriously, I REALLY like it - is how determined you are to do one. It can be so easy to just say, "I can't do this, the heck with it, I'll probably never be able to, oh well." Instead, you're going out of your way to do the work - hard work, too - to do one. You're really impressive! And motivating. And inspiring.

    I wish you great success. I think with your determination, and all the great people helping you, you simply cannot fail. You're going to rock those pushups.
  • LeeleeBear88
    LeeleeBear88 Posts: 1
    I have been working with a personal trainer since January. When I started I could not do 1 real push up on my toes.
    Started with wall pushups, advanced to knee push up, have been doing weight training. Two weeks ago I did 30
    real push up on my toes. You can do it!
  • iRebel
    iRebel Posts: 378 Member
    Okay, I don't have any constructive advice for getting your pushup done. However I would like to say this:

    What I really like about your thread - seriously, I REALLY like it - is how determined you are to do one. It can be so easy to just say, "I can't do this, the heck with it, I'll probably never be able to, oh well." Instead, you're going out of your way to do the work - hard work, too - to do one. You're really impressive! And motivating. And inspiring.

    I wish you great success. I think with your determination, and all the great people helping you, you simply cannot fail. You're going to rock those pushups.

    Wow, thank you! I am absolutely going to be able to do a pushup soon! All the info I got here is really helpful!
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    i havent read all the suggestions but i dont think the bench press idea will help because of a lot of strength for pushups come from your core not your chest muscles. when you do a push up you want to make sure to keep your core tight

    to work up to pushups, start straight legged doing them against a wall. do 10. once those get easy go lower. you can do them with your hands on a bench or a counter. then go down to a step riser. eventually you'll be on the ground or even doing decline pushups
  • nz_deevaa
    nz_deevaa Posts: 12,209 Member
    I once posted a topic very similar to this, but now I'm the push-up champion in our house.

    I got better at them by strengthening my core doing heavy squats and dead-lifts.

    ... and by doing push-ups.

    I think today in my PT session we did over a hundred push-ups in a circuit, and I did every one of them on my toes. Only one other person in the group did them all from their toes.

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