push ups nightmare!!

sami_joyce84
sami_joyce84 Posts: 23
in Fitness and Exercise
i am trying out different exercises n dvds etc now the one thing i cannot do is push ups i cnt even manage one i need help please any tips to get me going :-)

Replies

  • DonnaLeeCattes
    DonnaLeeCattes Posts: 492 Member
    can you do them on your knees?
  • staceypunk
    staceypunk Posts: 924 Member
    Do a modified version. Stay on your knees and concentrate on holding your tummy in tight and keeping your core tight.
  • sami_joyce84
    sami_joyce84 Posts: 23
    no its my arms i just cant bend them im not sure if its fear thats stopping me or im too heavy :-(
  • hsubharas
    hsubharas Posts: 26 Member
    Stand about 1-2 feet from the wall and lean on the wall to do your push ups. Do the pushups against the wall to start. Then do some on your knees. Go from there. You can do it!!!
  • Just_Scott
    Just_Scott Posts: 1,766 Member
    If you cannot do them from your knees--lean against a wall and start there. #1 Wall #2 Knees #3 Plank #4 Military push up. Good Luck!
  • DonnaLeeCattes
    DonnaLeeCattes Posts: 492 Member
    no its my arms i just cant bend them im not sure if its fear thats stopping me or im too heavy :-(
    Just keep trying hon, I was that way when I started too. I still can't go all the way down, I only go about half way :)
  • sami_joyce84
    sami_joyce84 Posts: 23
    thank you guys was starting to feel a bit low about it all but i will keep trying and will trying the wall version too :-)
  • iamkass
    iamkass Posts: 122 Member
    I'm really bad at them too. I can sometimes do one set of 10 (modified), but never a second set. What I do instead is lay on my back and do the push up motion with weights. The muscles will eventually get decent enough to be able to do them more consistently.

    ETA: My inability to do push ups is all upper body strength and has nothing to do with my core. So this works for me, but your needs may be different.
  • jchite84
    jchite84 Posts: 467 Member
    Start with incline push ups - Do them on stairs or a table. When you can do 12-15 without a major struggle move a little closer to the ground until you are doing them on the floor. You can also start with isometric holds. Start in push up position with arms fully extended (up) and lower yourself about halfway down and hold there for 30 - 60 seconds.
  • HannahJDiaz25
    HannahJDiaz25 Posts: 329 Member
    If you cannot do them from your knees--lean against a wall and start there. #1 Wall #2 Knees #3 Plank #4 Military push up. Good Luck!

    This...and if you need a step between the wall and knees you can do them on steps too (be ware of rug burn...i learned the heard way haha!)

    I did my first real pushup a couple of weeks ago. Last week I did eight! I have never been able to do a push up in my life. Good Luck building up!!
  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
    When I started P90X, I could only do 4-5 pushups on my knees when the video people were doing 15-25. It took a long time but I'm on my toes now and can do roughly have the reps they do. I'm excited for the day when I can do just as many.

    Start small on your knees and you will eventually develop the muscles enough to do them the standard way. Good luck!
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    Stand about 1-2 feet from the wall and lean on the wall to do your push ups. Do the pushups against the wall to start. Then do some on your knees. Go from there. You can do it!!!

    This is the way I started, with incline push-ups. You can also do them on a table, a chair, a bench, anything that elevates you enough to do a few reps. I've done them on my knees in the past, and I progressed faster doing incline push-ups. You can keep finding lower objects until you've reached the floor. Best wishes!
  • bearkisses
    bearkisses Posts: 1,252 Member
    i'm really bad at them too. but the more i keep at them, the better i get. keep at it!!! and good for you for trying :D
  • saxmaniac
    saxmaniac Posts: 1,133 Member
    Skip the knee ones, and do regressions (a new term I learned here). Do the proper form, but at an angle to reduce the weight. Wall, counter, chair, etc., until you hit the floor.
  • sami_joyce84
    sami_joyce84 Posts: 23
    yes definitely going to try the steps/wall ones as soon as kids have gone to bed hopefully will be feeling a little more positive about them later xx
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    no its my arms i just cant bend them im not sure if its fear thats stopping me or im too heavy :-(

    Start off doing them against a wall. The further back your feet are, the harder it will be. From there, progress to a table or desk. Then, if you have stairs, do them on stairs, starting high and moving to lower stairs as you can. Once you get to the bottom stair, you will be able to do a few on the floor. If you don't have stairs, go from the table to a chair and then to whatever lower safe surface you can fine.

    I know a lot of people like to do them from their knees, but this hurts my knees and seems to use a different angle on the arm so I I just gradually lowered the incline. I can now do 20+ military pushups in one set (last Sept I could only do two), and can do 100 in half an hour.

    They are still hard though. I love that I can do them, but still hate doing them.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    Stand about 1-2 feet from the wall and lean on the wall to do your push ups. Do the pushups against the wall to start. Then do some on your knees. Go from there. You can do it!!!

    This is the way I started, with incline push-ups. You can also do them on a table, a chair, a bench, anything that elevates you enough to do a few reps. I've done them on my knees in the past, and I progressed faster doing incline push-ups.

    This - when my trainer has me do them at the gym we do them on the Smith Machine? (I think that's what it's called) - basically an elevated bar. At home I've done them using the wooden bedframe at the end of my bed or using a balance ball (legs on ball hands on floor)
  • K_Serz
    K_Serz Posts: 1,299 Member
    If you cannot do them from your knees--lean against a wall and start there. #1 Wall #2 Knees #3 Plank #4 Military push up. Good Luck!

    Good advice here. I also see bcattoes gave similar advice. Dont worry if it feels like it takes forever to progress. As long as you can do 1 more rep, or hold that position for another 5 seconds.....your making progress.
  • Coach_Simon
    Coach_Simon Posts: 254 Member
    Stand about 1-2 feet from the wall and lean on the wall to do your push ups. Do the pushups against the wall to start. Then do some on your knees. Go from there. You can do it!!!

    I agree. Start doing them on the wall, then slowly decrease the height of the object you're using. I.E. Wall, then go down to a counter, then down to a bench until you're able to do them on the floor. Researches have shown that you stabilize your core this way, as compared to when you do them on your knees. They are more effective this way.
  • tolygal
    tolygal Posts: 602 Member
    Don't do them on your knees - do them on an incline, against a wall or the counter or the couch or a stool, etc.. When you do them on your knees, you don't get the same core strengthening and progress as you do if you do it on an incline (I'm probably not explaining this exactly right, but you're missing some key strength building if you do it from your knees - from what I have researched anyway). Then just gradually lower your incline and you'll get there.
  • bms34b
    bms34b Posts: 401 Member
    I agree with most of the stuff here that says to use height of hands to modify, not knees. If you have stairs, use them. It's an easy way to measure. Start four stairs up, do as many as possible, work up to twelve, then move down a stair. You'll be doing floor push-ups in no time!
  • Shan790
    Shan790 Posts: 280 Member
    Glad I'm not the only one that is terrible at push ups, I"ve gotten a little better through doing yoga, its building up my strength but I still have a ways to go.
  • kcritter77
    kcritter77 Posts: 162 Member
    WALL-1
    KITCHEN COUNTER-2
    STEP (ON KNEES)-3
    STEP (ON TOES)-4
    TOES-5

    I did mine on the bathroom counter at work for the longest time until I could build enough strength to do them on my knees. I had a wrist injury that kept me from being able to put weight directly down to my wrist. Doing them against the sink or counter took most of the pressure off and by the time my wrist was strong enough, I was strong enough!
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
    While the knee pushups are okay, they target different muscles than standard/military pushups. I agree to start with the wall pushups, if needed. But also work on holding a plank (the pushup position). Engage your core - this is a great abs workout. Hold it as long as you can without letting your back sag or your bum pop up. When you can do that for 15+ seconds, start lowering and raising yourself slightly. It doesn't matter if you can only bend your arms a little bit, you're building the muscle. Always control going down, it works the muscle too. As you get stronger, you can increase your range of motion gradually, and eventually you will be doing full pushups.
  • murphy612
    murphy612 Posts: 734 Member
    I agree with all the posts about doing them at an incline, starting on the stairs is a great idea. Forget the wall, doing them on a wall will not engage your core muscles and pushups are primarily a core strength. Also do a lot of plank, it will help. Keep it up, it took me a long time to be able to do them on the floor but now I'm up to 35!! You can do it :)
  • sami_joyce84
    sami_joyce84 Posts: 23
    well thanks guys i start on worktop in kitchen and can now do 20 i know its not much but im getting there thank you all :-)
  • jaskthotmail
    jaskthotmail Posts: 9
    When I first started working out I couldn't do 1. I kept trying for months while I was losing weight. I did them on my knees, I did them against the wall. I eventually could do 1 on the floor...then 2 and then one day I did 10 and now I can do 30 with excellent form. Before I could do 2 or 3 I was lifting weights several times a week and I started at 2.5 pounds, went up tp 5 pounds and now I'm at 10 pounds weights. It'll take a while but if you don't give up.....YOU CAN DO IT! It took me about 14 months to go from 0-30!
  • craigjmorton
    craigjmorton Posts: 24 Member
    If you have a smartphone (iphone/Android/WP) then why not download the 6 Week Fitness app or similar push up training apps?

    The 6 Week Fitness app (based on this site www.hundredpushups.com) starts you from level 0. I started and began with 5 sets of 1 rep each and if you can't finish, the app makes you redo that particular day over and over again until you can do it.

    The app in itself is very structure and takes you from doing 0 push ups to 100...maybe have a look at it?
  • sami_joyce84
    sami_joyce84 Posts: 23
    oh i will definitely look into that app thank u

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