I'm 5' 9.5" and I can do push ups without a problem, though it took me a while before they got easier. My only tip is to start with just a few and add on more as you're able to. And do it regularly - it's much easier to increase your numbers if you're doing them 3-5 times a week than if you're only doing them sporadically. Planks and push ups are a regular part of my post-running routine.

I never even thought of modifying my push ups that way. I wll try that from now on!

part of the problem with a lot of tall women is how narrow their shoulders are relative to the length of their arms. try putting your hands further out and don't worry about getting nose down to the ground - as you get stronger, your positioning will naturally start feeling a little weird and you'll move yourself back into alignment. also, starting with your feet spread - and i mean really spread, like a yard or so apart - makes it easier to stabilize yourself when you're just starting out.

I have a strength and conditioning coach who confirmed getting technique right for me is actually harder, mainly because I'm all limbs and v little body squats, push ups are harder, he started me pushing off a bar around/ just above waist height, upped that to wearing a 5then 10 kg vest then pushups from knees, then just lowering myself to the floor, now I can do 20 decent pushups with decent depth (boobs near to floor) this was in conjunction with lots of core work, planks, plank walk ups, roll outs etc but I'm v pleased its worked

So there's hope!

Cindy, thanks for the tips. I tend to agree that doing them daily is key (and losing body weight and esp. belly weight, for me). I'm currently doing 30 Day Shred and Ripped In 30, so I am definitely doing them everyday. But I do them on the side of the couch arm, on my toes. I'm hoping to work my way down to lower and lower assisting surfaces, until I'm on the floor on my toes.


Everyone else, thanks for sharing. I was starting to think I'm the only person who doesn't just pump out a dozen push-ups at will.

You can DEFINITELY do push ups, eventually, even if they're harder (which means they're doing you more good per set! Win!). I spent most of my life believing I couldn't build upper body strength, and was astonished to discover when I started regular training that I can, in fact, develop muscles in my upper body.

Lots of people knock push-ups on your knees, but they can actually be a great tool if you're doing them properly. The trick is to keep your back flat, your butt down and in line with your back and knees, and to drop your shoulders so you're not hunched at the top. You're operating as a lever, and the mechanics are the same whether you're using your feet or your knees as a fulcrum.

It should look like this: https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT72KAlSl8FI2fcVtCLuJQLpT61bDaaKeI9IR7n29bSwJ7LKq0usQ
Never, never, never like this: https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT6L-RARHPIsKc857buDjoKuX20se8pX5uoUA7aZtsZwSql1seylQ

Focus on keeping your body low, and squeezing your shoulder blades back and together. It will help you engage your lats and keep from hunching your shoulders. It will also probably be more difficult, and if the best you can do is to hold it at the bottom, then start with that until you're strong enough to start pushing. The point is that you CAN achieve a push-up, it just might be more challenging for you than it is for the girl next to you. That's okay. Focus on proper form and good control. It will serve you better in the long-run, I promise.

The other thing I would say is that doing them on your knuckles instead of on flat hands can be a huge help. It's challenging at first, but it will rapidly strengthen (and hence, protect) your wrists, and it's worth the initial awkwardness.

I read something that makes a lot of sense to me and I'm working on it now (because pushups have always eluded me)...

Apparently if you start with girl pushups you're doing yourself a bit of a disservice - it's harder to graduate to "real" pushups. So - what you do is start your pushups with your hands on something high - a wall, or - in my case - the kitchen counter. Once you can do 5 of those easily, move to something a little lower. I moved to my dining room table. Once you can do 5 of those easily then move a little lower - I'm currently doing pushups on my fireplace hearth about 18 inches off the floor. I THINK that the next step will be the floor - woohoo!

I'm liking your thinking.