I can't do push ups

2

Replies

  • steflbrown
    steflbrown Posts: 168
    When I started 30DS, I couldn't do them either. I just did them against a wall first. Then, once those got easier, I did them against the counter (adds more weight) and so on. I'm doing girly ones now, but I can already tell that it's getting better. I'll be doing regular ones soon!
  • Bankman1989
    Bankman1989 Posts: 1,116 Member
    Jill,

    Repetition is the most important thing. push ups develop your chest and arms. If you think about the motion how when you bend your arm your chest contracts you can do more than just "girly" push-ups to get ahead.

    i teach spinning so I have my girls do them on the bike, somewhere between 300-500 a class. It tones you up while you are also getting an aerobic workout in. I would also just "hold" the regular push-up position as long as possible like a plank and repeat this several times.

    Good luck!

    Marc
  • ALittleBitLess1
    ALittleBitLess1 Posts: 119 Member
    Try against a a wall or some planks for a while first, this will strengthen your core, then you will more likely be in the right position when you try girly or full push ups.
    Its quite commen that people cant do them because they dont get their positions and balance right to start with.
    Also when you do then concentrate on doing one or 2 well and controlled as you would with weights, not how many you can do!!
    good luck
  • holothuroidea
    holothuroidea Posts: 772 Member
    Me neither! I'm currently working towards doing a push up, and doing 5 sets of 20 is one of my fitness goals. :)

    I started out on the kitchen counter and did them until I could do a full 5 sets of 20, then I moved down to table level, and then to chair level. I couldn't find a sturdy enough chair to do pushups on so I moved to the stairs (which is such a good idea I wish I'd thought of it from the beginning).

    Also in crossfit I learned a modified pushup that is really excellent so I'm incorporating those too. Here's how to do it:

    Start in normal pushup position, "the plank."
    Lower yourself down to the ground slowly. If you can't do this, put your knees down.
    Once on the ground, come up to the "cobra" position (like in yoga).
    Move from the cobra back up to the plank and you just did a pushup!
    Now do 20 more! :D
  • turkeyhunter60
    turkeyhunter60 Posts: 319 Member
    I'm a guy. Used to do 'em all the time in high school. However, 40 years went by and they became almost nonexistent. Then, I started boot camp at work. Just like everyone says, start easy, build up. It will come. A year ago, the first day we ever did boot camp, we did three sets of ten. Most of us quickly ended up on our knees. Now, a year later, we have done as many as 150 in a thirty minute workout. I have done most NOT on my knees. Go get 'em girl. Start easy, build up. Use the wall, then your knees, then get serious. You can do it. We're behind you.
  • Lupercalia
    Lupercalia Posts: 1,857 Member
    Instead of girl pushups, do negatives. Training the negative of an exercise is very effective.

    Start in the "up" or "top" position of a normal push up (on your toes). Lower yourself as slowly as possible. Then put your knees down and push yourself back up. Rinse/repeat.
  • Cassea7
    Cassea7 Posts: 181 Member
    One month ago..i couldnt do a push up either. I would do maybe one girly ..then I would just hold in plank on my knees..Then progressed to a few more girly pushups..just kept pushing and trying and now I can do full military pushups!! My husband cant believe it..We have been married 25 years and he said he has never seen me do a regular pushup..he said "IMPRESSIVE"
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    yes you can.
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
    I was in the same situation and doing them just half way down and increased my reps but still couldn't get myself down lower but continued getting stronger in the area I was working on. What helped me was starting flat on the ground face to floor and struggling with it and getting nowhere. I worked on getting my whole body up instead of just my front or backside first. Getting down and getting nowhere helped more then continuously doing them half assed since I could do about 12 half assed and 0 fully.

    I tried doing negatives but there'd be a point where my arms would just collapse every time. Seriously, every day try from the ground up and don't stop despite the frustration.
  • spidey11186
    spidey11186 Posts: 141 Member
    try strengthening your core. If your arms are as strong as you say they are, perhaps your form is making you feel awkward. Make sure to do lots of sit ups, oblique workouts, as well as dead lifts. Keep working those arms too. Do both pushups and pull ups. Make sure to always balance out your workouts by working out the opposing muscle groups too. Keep at it. You'll get there.
  • shred_me_up
    shred_me_up Posts: 267 Member
    just keep doing girlie ones then progress :D this was me not long ago. now i can do 20 good ones :D
  • markpmc
    markpmc Posts: 240 Member
    ... It makes all the burpees I do especially difficult. Plus it makes me feel really weak and out of shape. Tips, anyone?

    Keep trying. Everyone has to start somewhere. You'll be amazed where you are in six months if you don't give up!!
  • ALittleBitLess1
    ALittleBitLess1 Posts: 119 Member
    http://www.hundredpushups.com
    Maybe a different approach may be helpful. It's worth working on them because they are a great overall upper body exercise.
    Good Luck.

    I highly recommend this program. I haven't completed it yet, but the amount I can do is steadily increasing.

    Thanks for this, jus did the day one, always been a sticking point of mine, hope this programme gets me over it!! going to share with a couple of friends too
  • anotherYRwiser
    anotherYRwiser Posts: 20
    I agree with the suggestion of beginning against a wall and building up. I actually tore my rotator cup in my shoulder trying to do push ups.

    I don't know how much you lift for weights - but is it as much as your body wieght? My Dr. yelled at me for jumping into full push ups right away - he said a person needs to realize that you are lifting your entire body weight when doing a push up. Your shoulders and arms are generally not used to that amount of wieght!
  • tryinghard71
    tryinghard71 Posts: 593
    Loved this post and the responses. Makes me feel great and to not give up. My goal this year is to be able to do at least one real push up and one real pull up. Will just keep pressing on!
  • xilka
    xilka Posts: 308 Member
    I couldn't either, and now I can do 12 full push-ups.

    Start with standing push-ups, use your kitchen counter.
    Then on your knees.
    Then full push-ups.
  • InnerConflict
    InnerConflict Posts: 1,592 Member
    http://www.hundredpushups.com
    Maybe a different approach may be helpful. It's worth working on them because they are a great overall upper body exercise.
    Good Luck.

    I highly recommend this program. I haven't completed it yet, but the amount I can do is steadily increasing.

    Thanks for this, jus did the day one, always been a sticking point of mine, hope this programme gets me over it!! going to share with a couple of friends too

    You're welcome. Regardless of whether you are able perform the recommended reps per set, still do all the sets. A set of 5 is better than giving up and doing 0. I could only do about 30 during my initial test. I am now over 60.
  • weffie11
    weffie11 Posts: 91
    I started using the stairs. I'd increase one at a time and, when I could do ten, I'd move down a step (still doing the 10 from the step above). By the time you get to the floor, you can do several in a row as you've already gradually increased your body's ability to do them! Worked for me!!
  • Hadabetter
    Hadabetter Posts: 942 Member
    I started using the stairs. I'd increase one at a time and, when I could do ten, I'd move down a step (still doing the 10 from the step above). By the time you get to the floor, you can do several in a row as you've already gradually increased your body's ability to do them! Worked for me!!
    This! That's what the link demonstrates.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gL1593kROa8
  • nlehmann
    nlehmann Posts: 164 Member
    Sounds like you are in good shape, I wouldn't recommend girly push up's either. It may be a mind over matter preventing you from bending your arms. Make your goal just to do one not it. Check your form, they are much harder with your hips loose and your head down. Find a perfect plank and send your belly button down at the same time as your nose. Your whole body should be in engaged.

    Also, play with the widths of your feet and arms. The closer your arms are together the more challenging it is. Good Luck!
  • chymerra
    chymerra Posts: 212
    pushups are mostly chest strength so continue doing modified pushups and then work your way up to standard ones.

    pushups come in many varieties - standard, wide, chatarunga (ie. military), phlange (where your hands are closer to your ribs). start with standard and wide in modified form, then work your way up to standard (plank position)

    when i first started, i could only do 3 standard ones. the only way to improve is to keep doing it and keep challenging yourself to do just one more. after a few weeks of consistent pushups, i can now do pushups like nobody's business! just be sure to keep your body ramrod straight; tighten your core, focus on the floor in front of you (don't curl your chin to your chest) and engage the quads.

    also work your chest other ways ie. chest press (incline/decline etc).
  • Mummyadams
    Mummyadams Posts: 1,125 Member
    Does anyone have any advice on doing a full push up? I can barely get my arms half way down. I even struggle doing the girl style push up's.

    Struggle with the girl push ups (on your knees). Just do them. This won't be easy but do them anyway. Once you get to the point that you can do 8-10 in a row for a couple sets then start with real push ups. Of course you might not be able to do one so switch to doing negatives. Do one set of negatives where you cheat to the up position and then slowly lower yourself down to the floor. Finish out with a couple sets that you can do on your knees.

    Keep adding in more and more of these negatives. The more you can do the easier it's going to be to do actual push ups. This is going to work better and faster than anything else. Why? Because doing negatives is exercising the exact same muscle in the exact same position that a real push up done in. A negative is an actual push up. You're just doing the down half of the exercise. You're also engaging your core, back, legs and all the other muscles you need to strengthen to do push ups.

    Do these 2-3 times a week. If you're serious and keep this up you should be able to do actual push ups in a reasonable amount of time.
    This!
  • mmk2988
    mmk2988 Posts: 43
    I struggle a lot in doing push ups. I can't do it half way either for more than 5 times.
    That doesn't mean I am weak, I can lift around 200-250 pounds in dead lift and can push a car upto 100 meters non stop, can move a almirah with load in it easily. but I can't able to do this.
    Any techniques or will it take time. Any need to use dumbells to gain strength?
  • groversa
    groversa Posts: 450 Member
    When I started insanity three weeks ago, I could only do like 5 girl pushups at a time, but doing them more and more, gave me the strength to do more and more, now I add in a "boy pushups" for every so many girl pushups I do, when i feel stronger, i'll bump up the ratio with the regular pushups. The best way to be able to do more, is to do them. :)
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    we do three different options in ballet barre class. There's a pushup for everyone.
  • gnrshelton
    gnrshelton Posts: 358 Member
    I have a friend that is a fitness trainer. I once told her I could not do push ups and she gave me this tip. Start off doing your push ups off the wall standing up. It sounds weird but its a good start.
  • mmk2988
    mmk2988 Posts: 43
    tried on wall, can do max of 15 at a time. At what leaning degree from ground it is effective?
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
    You can also wrap resistenace bands around your back and hook them ends on your thumbs instead of using a weight vest. I can't do military push-ups either. I can hold myself up in push-up/plank position for a long period of time, just cannot complete a push up. Can do the girl ones though. I just added teh resistenace bands and it makes the girl ones hard!!! I could't even do those last year..

    Baby steps = big progress!
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    tried on wall, can do max of 15 at a time. At what leaning degree from ground it is effective?

    we used to do the wall ones in Karate class. You just want your back to be straight.
  • sally_jeffswife
    sally_jeffswife Posts: 766 Member
    Try doing dumbbell chest presses and pull ups they will excercise some of the same muscles

Categories