Push-ups

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lottycat
lottycat Posts: 333 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am a girl (obviously!) and just starting out doing some lifting and more bodyweight exercises alongside my normal cardio stuff. I'm training for Tough Mudder next year, so it's really important to me to build strength and muscle.

Buuut, I really struggle with doing push-ups; I can barely manage one, and even girly-on-my-knees push-ups I find really tough.

I have made a vow to myself to practise everyday, but can anyone give me any handy tips/hints or any other exercises I can do that will help me. I am determined to master this!

Thanks xxx

Replies

  • richx83
    richx83 Posts: 334 Member
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    I found doing a bent over row helped me:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DumbbellBentOverRow.JPG
  • zombilishious
    zombilishious Posts: 1,250 Member
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    I started doing pushups from a weight bench (my hands on the bench and my feet on the ground). From there, I progressed downward, using a stepper with risers, and every 2 weeks I removed one riser. It took me about 2 months, but now I can do military push ups :) Tighten your core and tuck your butt in!
  • lisao62
    lisao62 Posts: 80 Member
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    bump
  • shelbyfrootcake
    shelbyfrootcake Posts: 965 Member
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    I've been doing knee push ups everyday for the last couple of weeks, today I managed 9 'proper' push ups. Just persevere, you'll get there and will feel awesome when you do!
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    push-ups are a classic case of practice practice practice. Eventually you'll be able to do them. When I stared a few years ago, I could do about 10 before I had to stop (that's a little sad for me), now I can bang out 100 at a time and not even be all that winded. Eventually I had to switch to plyometric push-ups, and while I used to be able to do 10 before stopping, I can do (about 8 months later) about 30 now before quitting.
  • ChristyU74
    ChristyU74 Posts: 234 Member
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    I used an app called "100 Push Ups" and it was an every other day program that really helped me. It starts off by giving you a pre-test and sets your sets and reps based on that.

    I also started from an incline, as another poster mentioned. I used the Smith machine bar, and just kept moving the bar down. Eventually, I got on the floor and did the "man" push ups!
  • sd75
    sd75 Posts: 49
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    Ditto above - practoce, practice, practice ...... you will get there in the end. I can do 10 now - started at zero obv but i wouls say start slow - perhpas try one full one and 9 on ur knees - and make sure you're in the correct posistion else you'll only make it harder for urself - plus develop the wrong muscles which won't help !!

    Good Luck :-D
  • want2belean
    want2belean Posts: 124 Member
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    I am still working on pushups myself, but as a tip what i do is tricep DIPS. If you don't know how to do it you can look it up at ABC-of-fitness, they have some really helpful stuff on that site. Anyway it has helped me build stregth in my arms and I am able to (I think to do more pushups (man style) not girly...lol..girly is ok too...Tricep dips..sit on a wieght bench, put your hands to your side even with your shoulders, extend your legs and cross them and move your lower half down until your elbow is at about 90'. It it real simple and I didn't have a hard time doing a few right from the start. As you get better there are more ways to challenge yourself..take a look at the ABC site, it shows you all those excercises and with animation so you can see what muscels are being worked and how to do it properly.
  • greeneyedKat
    greeneyedKat Posts: 88
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    Proper form is very important, as others have mentioned. Bench pressing and doing flyes has helped me...I can do 30 "guy" push ups! Lol
  • greeneyedKat
    greeneyedKat Posts: 88
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    Good tip want2blean,I forgot about triceps dips. I do those too!
  • running_shoe
    running_shoe Posts: 180 Member
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    I could never do true pushups either, until I started lifting. Within three weeks of my beginner lifting routine, I had increased the strenght in my shoulders, arms, and core so that I could do 12 pushups. On my next training day, I did two sets of 12. That was tough, and I'll stay at that for a while and work on perfecting the form. That was a really gratifying accomplishment.
  • lottycat
    lottycat Posts: 333 Member
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    Thank you guys :) Some really awesome tips x

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