Can't even do one push-up.

pavingnewpaths
pavingnewpaths Posts: 367 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm really looking to tone out my body AS WELL as lose weight. I weigh 178 pounds and i'm about 5'6". I just recently started working out (only cardio - I use my treadmill for at least 30 minutes, 5 times a week) and I want to start strength training and calisthenics because I know that it'll help, but I literally can't even do one push up. And I can only do a few curl-ups or bicycles before getting EXTREMELY out of breath.

Really, my question is would I be better off sticking to cardio until I build up my lung capacity and endurance levels or should I add the few work-outs I can do and progress slowly?
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Replies

  • workout_junkee
    workout_junkee Posts: 473 Member
    I would incorporate some now. Maybe start with something like 30 Day Shred 2-3 times a week.
  • 1fitmimi
    1fitmimi Posts: 8 Member
    I would incorporate some now. Can't do a push up on the floor, so do them against the wall, then move to counter top, then to chair and before you know it you will be a push up on the floor. Keep challenging yourself . Don't give up. If you want to move to the floor before you can do a full pushup, just do what you can and then hold at the top of the pushup (a plank) you will be amazed how soon you will be doing pushups. Remember on the floor you can do them from your knees too. As you master then then you can change hand positions on the floor. Have fun!
  • pavingnewpaths
    pavingnewpaths Posts: 367 Member
    I attempted 30DS. Holy heck, I was heaving 10 minutes in, lol.
    But that was a few months ago, so i might try it again. Thanks!
  • notthatthis
    notthatthis Posts: 218
    Go to nowloss.com and check out some of his workouts and starting points. Always best to do strength training and cardio.

    Two guys join the army. First day they are told to do as many pushups as possible. One of the guys does 100 and the other does one.

    100 guys says, "That is rubbish."
    one guy says, "Yes, but next week I will improve 100%. What are you going to do?"
  • pavingnewpaths
    pavingnewpaths Posts: 367 Member
    Haha, that's cute! I like that, thanks :)
  • Skinnymunkii
    Skinnymunkii Posts: 191 Member
    You're braver than me for trying 30DS! Pretty sure I would keel over immediately. :laugh: Start small, then work your way up. If you try to do too much you'll burn out or possibly hurt something. Slow and steady increases. As 1fitmimi said, just try to do what you can and challenge yourself to improve upon that. I fully expect to see you posting with your push up NSV very soon! You got this!:wink:
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Definitely try 30DS again. And it's totally fine if you only do 10 minutes - that's better than staying where you're at, right?! Just keep doing those 10 minutes for a few days, then try to do 12 minutes, then 15 minutes, etc. Every attempt is a step in the right direction.

    There are ways to build up your strength to a traditional push-ups. Beginner level is a wall push-up. Then try doing a push-up with your hands on something about waist level, like a kitchen counter (feet on floor, hands on counter). Then try doing them from a lower surface like a coffee table. Then you can do them on the floor from your knees. And eventually you'll be able to do them on your toes. Just keep at it and do other exercises to build your upper body strength like bicep curls, tricep dips, chest presses, shoulder presses, etc.
  • HIITMe
    HIITMe Posts: 921 Member
    if you have an iphone there is an "100 poushup" apps that will help you attain that goal, should you make that one....

    http://hundredpushups.com/#sthash.upJYRdM6.dpbs


    there is a similar app for Android phones
  • AmberB519
    AmberB519 Posts: 336 Member
    I can't do a real one, either. I'm on day 3 of the 30DS, I say try it out again! It's a great overall workout. It's always a good time to add strength training to your cardio :)
  • amandavictoria80
    amandavictoria80 Posts: 734 Member
    You should ALWAYS include strength training and not ONLY cardio.

    Are you doing full push ups? Or bent-leg push ups? Try bent-leg if you're having trouble with full ones.
    You can always do alternative versions of push ups.

    If you can only do one, then just do one. You'll increase your strength the more you do it.
  • woodsygirl
    woodsygirl Posts: 354 Member
    Try an easier variation, you don't have to do them from the floor. Start off leaning on a high table or something. I usually do mine on a bench, I can't seem to do all that I need on the floor.
  • BamBam125
    BamBam125 Posts: 229 Member
    If your treadmill is at home (or if you don't mind looking a little funny in the gym) could you try lifting your arms up as you walk? I tend to do this more with upbeat music, sometimes with light 1-2lb weight in each hand, but even without holding anything it can be surprising how much more I sweat if my hand and arms are higher or really moving as I walk/jog (goofy "raise the roof" or "conducting music" like motions, perhaps imagine you are charging into battle armed with a fierce weapon---whatever). It's not the most efficient way to become a faster runner and I wouldn't call it a big muscle builder, but for basic cardio and arm strength every little bit might help.

    I remember the first week of band camp in HS each year (wow that was a long time ago). The director would have us practice standing at attention and "horns up" while holding nothing. There was always at least one new person that had trouble with it. They'd slack and run their arms as if they were sore. Add an instrument (especially something with a forward bell) and they had to practice and work up their endurance just to stand at attention or "horns up" correctly for a decent length of time. He'd work us up each day... The first time you ever have to stand a full attention (chin up, tummy in, horn held up properly, back straight, eyes forward as if you don't see anything distracting) for a full minute feels like a eternity. Naturally that's about the time the director would let us know that the half time show for the year would be 8 mins (or whatever) long, and remind everyone that the uniforms were wool and that we would be wearing them in the summer heat for the 1st game, so stay hydrated. That's when all the brass suddenly wished they played woodwinds instead. Anyone who was really bad at it got better fast, because the penalty for breaking attention early was push ups. :) My calves and arms were always in their best shape after the end of marching season... LOL.
  • rshields9093
    rshields9093 Posts: 20 Member
    1. Strength training is absolutely something you should add. Greater strength makes all other goals (including fat loss) easier to attain.
    2. Pushups are an EXCELLENT exercise and you should learn how to do them.
    3. It does not matter that you cannot do one right now. As others have said, do them against a wall, do them on your knees, do them against a (sturdy) table or counter. Experiment to find the angle that gives you a challenge but that you can do a few reps. Keep doing them until you can do something like 15 reps and then move to a more difficult angle.
    4. Consider lifting weights if possible. One advantage of weights is that they can more easily be scaled up or down to what your capabilities are. But still keep trying to do pushups b/c they are an excellent all around compound movement that can be done anywhere and should always be in your toolbox.
    5. Pushups are a particularly satisfying exercise b/c as you get stronger AND you lose weight they get easier. So you are attacking from two sides and will generally see good progress (which always makes us feel good).
  • jrowens3224
    jrowens3224 Posts: 31 Member
    I agree with everyone else. Do easier versions of a push up. I have to do bent kneed pushups right now because I can't do many pushups either. Keep at it and you will improve!
  • TheFitHooker
    TheFitHooker Posts: 3,357 Member
    I suggest getting Jillian Michael's 30 day shread, she is the one who got me doing push up's, I started the video at 180 lbs at 5'2.5 in height. I could not do 1 push up back then, I did the girly push up's and couldn't do many of those. The thing about this video is you don't have to do as many as they do, just at what you can do, you feel yourself starting to strengthen up and you'll eventually get it. I did the video twice before I was able to do real push up's the 2nd go through I could do 5 real push up's, this was close to a year ago, well this summer will be a year ago. I'm currently able to do 65 push up's because it is something I worked at every day, I tried to do a real push up every day, eventually I was able to. I say keep working at it. Your body is a lot stronger then your mind is, you just have to push it.
  • kimika23
    kimika23 Posts: 59 Member
    I would incorporate some now. Can't do a push up on the floor, so do them against the wall, then move to counter top, then to chair and before you know it you will be a push up on the floor. Keep challenging yourself . Don't give up. If you want to move to the floor before you can do a full pushup, just do what you can and then hold at the top of the pushup (a plank) you will be amazed how soon you will be doing pushups. Remember on the floor you can do them from your knees too. As you master then then you can change hand positions on the floor. Have fun!

    ^^ What she said! I was going to recommend wall push-ups too!
  • ejwme
    ejwme Posts: 318
    I'm actually on day one of the hundred pushup thing. I can't do one without knees. My plan is to follow the plan using my knees, then when I can do one pushup without my knees, I'm going to start over from scratch.

    At the same time I'm doing the two hundred squats one... but I can already do 50 (I'm a runner, so the imbalance is predictable). I'm more doing this one so I can feel a little better as I struggle with the pushups, ending on squats so that I'm not demoralized.

    So keep doing what's hardest - it's how you grow, but maybe find something that's easier for you to do as well, and use it like "workout dessert". After grunting and thrashing, end it on a high note. It will make looking forward to the next one that much easier :D

    good luck!
  • Lissette_Brooks
    Lissette_Brooks Posts: 173 Member
    I can't do push ups either. Even the girlie knee push ups I have a hard time doing. I think like the others have said with mixing strength training with cardio it will help build endurance. I am also going to try the push up wall/ table/ floor idea. I downloaded the 100 push up app. Maybe look into that one to. Good luck. :)
  • notthatthis
    notthatthis Posts: 218
    Regarding 100 push ups. Nice to do, but is it necessary or practical. Answer no, in fact it could be detrimental to good physical function. Any strength exercise should be maximum 3 sets of 15 reps, once you can do that then find a pushup variant that is harder or add further resistance with weight or more practically with resistance bands.

    You want to be training Type II a and b muscle fibres and they need progressive overload. The minute you make something 100 or 200 or 500 you are doing aerobic training not strength training. People should especially remember this when thinking about doing excessive rectus abdominus exercises on their back like silly crunches.
  • sofielein
    sofielein Posts: 539 Member
    I'm no expert as a 5.2 female but I am deliberatly holding off exercise that only makes me feel like failure.

    That is, I can do 1 push up and that's it (and I'm not even big).

    I admire you for being able to start cardio at all - I haven't even been able to do that. But I am close and I will start. Walking and bit jogging will give me positive feelings. I will surely not start doing very challenging stuff

    It's just not time for me yet... and rather be happy with what I HAVE done rather than what I cannot do.
  • jacktin
    jacktin Posts: 24
    You are doing good with cardio, but you should strength/resistance for toning (since it is important to you). The trick is to start slow, and do ONLY what you can do. As a person with Lupus (autoimmune disease), I know first hand how hard this can be and I truly cannot do certain exercises or heavy weight lifting, but I do what my body can handle. Example: No way can I do a real push up because of my weight and joint issues--so I do wall push ups :)The old saying "Rome wasn't built in a day" comes to mind, but it did need some bricks to get started :p. Better to add some now and building up will get easier.

    Many work certain muscle groups on certain days. This has been recommended to me as well by my fitness coach and doctor.I do at least 3 rounds of cardio a week ( 30 min sessions,mostly step aerobics ) and I do strength or light weight exercise on the off-cardio days (though I do ab exercises 6 days a week). One of the days I focus upper body and another day I focus lower body. I may have issues with plateau right now, but I am still losing inches and am gaining definition in my face, arms,legs and abs.

    Start with no weight at first or maybe some soup cans then graduate to getting some resistance bands and maybe some heavier weights as you progress. Keep up the good work :D
  • notthatthis
    notthatthis Posts: 218
    You are doing good with cardio, but you should strength/resistance for toning (since it is important to you). The trick is to start slow, and do ONLY what you can do. As a person with Lupus (autoimmune disease), I know first hand how hard this can be and I truly cannot do certain exercises or heavy weight lifting, but I do what my body can handle. Example: No way can I do a real push up because of my weight and joint issues--so I do wall push ups :)The old saying "Rome wasn't built in a day" comes to mind, but it did need some bricks to get started :p. Better to add some now and building up will get easier.

    Many work certain muscle groups on certain days. This has been recommended to me as well by my fitness coach and doctor.I do at least 3 rounds of cardio a week ( 30 min sessions,mostly step aerobics ) and I do strength or light weight exercise on the off-cardio days (though I do ab exercises 6 days a week). One of the days I focus upper body and another day I focus lower body. I may have issues with plateau right now, but I am still losing inches and am gaining definition in my face, arms,legs and abs.

    Start with no weight at first or maybe some soup cans then graduate to getting some resistance bands and maybe some heavier weights as you progress. Keep up the good work :D

    But you do ab exercises 6 days a week, obviously you do not care about joint, lumbar, disc issues.
  • black_cats
    black_cats Posts: 29 Member
    I have the weakest arms/upper body. My boyfriend says I have t-rex arms!
  • Velum_cado
    Velum_cado Posts: 1,608 Member
    Just give it a try and work within your ability. If you have to modify moves to be able to do them, go ahead and do that. You can do pushups on your knees or against a wall to start out with. :)
  • sixout
    sixout Posts: 3,128 Member
    Download "100 Pushups" app on your phone. Android and Iphone both have versions. It'll help you work up to doing 100 total, and you go at a slow pace.

    Doing some now is the best bet. Cardio will never get you to where you want, muscle wise. Especially upper body.
  • donna_glasgow
    donna_glasgow Posts: 869 Member
    I would incorporate some now. Can't do a push up on the floor, so do them against the wall, then move to counter top, then to chair and before you know it you will be a push up on the floor. Keep challenging yourself . Don't give up. If you want to move to the floor before you can do a full pushup, just do what you can and then hold at the top of the pushup (a plank) you will be amazed how soon you will be doing pushups. Remember on the floor you can do them from your knees too. As you master then then you can change hand positions on the floor. Have fun!

    ^^ this ...

    I started the hundred push up challenge and I couldnt even do 1 military push up ... in fact I could only manage 3 push ups on my knees and it made my head spin ............... so I started on the back of my couch ....... after 1 month of pushing every second day I was able to do 20 military style push ups in a row. never give up :)
  • notthatthis
    notthatthis Posts: 218
    Download "100 Pushups" app on your phone. Android and Iphone both have versions. It'll help you work up to doing 100 total, and you go at a slow pace.

    Doing some now is the best bet. Cardio will never get you to where you want, muscle wise. Especially upper body.

    100 push ups is cardio.
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    Here's a blog I wrote about how to build up through different styles of push-up until you can do full ones. I had a shoulder injury when I started and had to go really slowly. Hope it helps! :flowerforyou:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/BerryH/view/how-to-do-10-full-push-ups-what-worked-for-me-126396
  • Faye_Anderson
    Faye_Anderson Posts: 1,495 Member
    Here's a blog I wrote about how to build up through different styles of push-up until you can do full ones. I had a shoulder injury when I started and had to go really slowly. Hope it helps! :flowerforyou:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/BerryH/view/how-to-do-10-full-push-ups-what-worked-for-me-126396

    Honestly this! I couldn't do one push up even after losing 85lbs, Berry sent me this link a couple of weeks ago and now I can do 5 (it's a start :wink: )
  • watergallagher
    watergallagher Posts: 232 Member
    Do ur best and forget the rest.

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