Insanity - I can't do push ups! Help! :o(

I am nearing the end of week 3 of Insanity. I love it and am seeing progress and results but I still can't for the life of me do a push up with correct form!

It makes it really difficult for me to complete level one and two drills, moving push ups and push up jacks. I just get down on my knees and try and go down as far a possible... Very frustrating!

I would love to be able to do all the moves correctly to achieve maximum results.. Anyone had this problem and overcome it? Any tips?

Help!

Pleeeease

Thank you :-)

Replies

  • brentbarrie
    brentbarrie Posts: 532 Member
    Practice practice practice. I just started month 2 and there's a couple things that I can not do for the life of me.
  • JJordon
    JJordon Posts: 857 Member
    My pushup progression.

    Started in November with...

    Standing Slanted Wall Pushups. Went to 50.

    Then...

    Lean Over-Table Pushups (incline is deeper than a wall) Went to 50. By December. (you need a strong table, if not move to the next version)

    Then...

    Knee or Girl Pushups. Went to 25. In January.

    Then....

    FINALLY....

    ONE SOLID TOE PUSHUP. In February.

    And never looked back. (generous amounts of protein was consumed to make sure I was benefiting from all this effort. Check your macros)
  • MercenaryNoetic26
    MercenaryNoetic26 Posts: 2,747 Member
    Keep trying. Do what you can (even if it's just 1 push-up) then go to your knees and do what you can from there. Each time you do them, you should be able to do at least one more rep.
  • wifeymou1112
    wifeymou1112 Posts: 129 Member
    My pushup progression.

    Started in November with...

    Slanted Wall Pushups. Went to 50.

    Then...

    Table Pushups (incline is deeper than a wall) Went to 50. By December.

    Then...

    Knee or Girl Pushups. Went to 25. In January.

    Then....

    FINALLY....

    ONE SOLID TOE PUSHUP. In February.

    And never looked back.

    Cool, thanks for response. Did you do all these reps daily?
  • RTheHutt
    RTheHutt Posts: 46 Member
    Was going to post essentially what JJordon beat me to - but will add, you can also use stairs for a convenient range of inclines (i.e, try with your hands on the 4th stair, if that's too easy, go to the 3rd, etc).
  • wifeymou1112
    wifeymou1112 Posts: 129 Member
    Practice practice practice. I just started month 2 and there's a couple things that I can not do for the life of me.

    Haha well, I can't jump either. I have to turn away from the screen because they jump their knees so high I feel inadequate!
  • wifeymou1112
    wifeymou1112 Posts: 129 Member
    Was going to post essentially what JJordon beat me to - but will add, you can also use stairs for a convenient range of inclines (i.e, try with your hands on the 4th stair, if that's too easy, go to the 3rd, etc).

    Cool, thanks, should I be working out the triceps at the same time as the bicep??
  • wifeymou1112
    wifeymou1112 Posts: 129 Member
    Keep trying. Do what you can (even if it's just 1 push-up) then go to your knees and do what you can from there. Each time you do them, you should be able to do at least one more rep.

    I can't even get one push up I can barely bend my elbows, it's pathetic! I will keep trying though :-) thanks
  • I so know what you mean! It's frustrating not being able to do all the exercises properly because I feel like I'm not getting the full benefits. However... as I complete my 6th week I am improving and can do a few push-ups now, even if my chest doesn't make it all the way to the floor like they do on the dvd! I think it's OK to modify things a wee bit, like doing them on your knees. As long as we are still trying to give it our all and can feel our muscles working then surely that has gotta be worth something and we'll improve with more practice. Keep at it and remember you ARE getting stronger every time you do this killer (but somehow addictive) workout.
  • MercenaryNoetic26
    MercenaryNoetic26 Posts: 2,747 Member
    Keep trying. Do what you can (even if it's just 1 push-up) then go to your knees and do what you can from there. Each time you do them, you should be able to do at least one more rep.

    I can't even get one push up I can barely bend my elbows, it's pathetic! I will keep trying though :-) thanks

    NOT pathetic. Keep trying to do the one every time... then drop to the knees. You WILL get there. I promise.
  • Sharonbed4d
    Sharonbed4d Posts: 163
    The only way to get better at pushups is to do as many as you can and keep trying. I got better by doing as many regular as possible then dropping to my knees and going until failure. Good luck!
  • wifeymou1112
    wifeymou1112 Posts: 129 Member
    The only way to get better at pushups is to do as many as you can and keep trying. I got better by doing as many regular as possible then dropping to my knees and going until failure. Good luck!

    Thanks, I will keep trying! :-)
  • meagank28
    meagank28 Posts: 52
    my problem is push ups too! and the stretches, I can't reach the floor! :sad: but I have noticed I get a little farther each time. Don't give up!:
  • wifeymou1112
    wifeymou1112 Posts: 129 Member
    I so know what you mean! It's frustrating not being able to do all the exercises properly because I feel like I'm not getting the full benefits. However... as I complete my 6th week I am improving and can do a few push-ups now, even if my chest doesn't make it all the way to the floor like they do on the dvd! I think it's OK to modify things a wee bit, like doing them on your knees. As long as we are still trying to give it our all and can feel our muscles working then surely that has gotta be worth something and we'll improve with more practice. Keep at it and remember you ARE getting stronger every time you do this killer (but somehow addictive) workout.

    Cool, thanks for replying! My husband is super fit and does the exercises really well, perfect form and better than the people on the video!! I just feel sometimes that i'm the only one who's not doing it 100% like them :-) At least I have a goal :-)
  • ccj14339
    ccj14339 Posts: 3 Member
    I was in the same boat! I was doing all of the push ups from my knees - and was barely bending my arms. But I just kept going. I'm in the 2nd week of month 2 right now, and I notice I can do 2 full ones from my toes. The best advice I got was from someone who told me to always attempt to do at least 1 from the toes (even if you feel like you can't do any) - before going to the knees. So I did that - and I noticed that my knee push ups were getting deeper as time went on. And because I always tried to do at least one from my toes in each circuit before going to the knees, I noticed one day, I got one pretty deep one from my toes! Like I said, now I'm up to doing two decent toe push ups before going to the knee ones for the rest of the set. So it will come... don't give up. Just keep going. (the same thing btw for the knee tucks. my jumps are higher than they've ever been)...
  • wifeymou1112
    wifeymou1112 Posts: 129 Member
    my problem is push ups too! and the stretches, I can't reach the floor! :sad: but I have noticed I get a little farther each time. Don't give up!:

    Haha i love the stretches, if it were up to the old me i'd finish half way through the warm up! I see the stretches as resting time even though they kill me... I can't do a deep side side lunge on my left side without feeling like my ankle's going to snap! :-)
  • JJordon
    JJordon Posts: 857 Member
    My pushup progression.

    Started in November with...

    Slanted Wall Pushups. Went to 50.

    Then...

    Table Pushups (incline is deeper than a wall) Went to 50. By December.

    Then...

    Knee or Girl Pushups. Went to 25. In January.

    Then....

    FINALLY....

    ONE SOLID TOE PUSHUP. In February.

    And never looked back.

    Cool, thanks for response. Did you do all these reps daily?

    I did them about 3 times a week. I wanted to really get pushups, but also, I was like 320 lbs when I started. So it was also, hard on my wrists. When I got down to 285, it became bearable. At 250, its pretty good now. My current exercise program has me bust out pushups every time I lift weights, so I still do pushups and other variations like plank and burpees now, 5 times a week.

    I'm no longer worried about reps, but how slow and controlled alternating between a 4 count and 8 count pushup. Also, I'm more interested in variations like tricep pushups, knuckle pushups, spider pushups, push jacks, etc.
  • KalieHudson
    KalieHudson Posts: 307 Member
    You can try to do regular but then just go to your knees because on your knees you are still working. I saw something today about the difference of regular on your toes push ups and knee push up and how much you're really lifting. They said to get your scale and get in the push up position on your toes with your hands on the scale. Then do the same thing but on your knees. You can see the difference in how much weight you are lifting the difference between the 2 is about 25lbs.
  • booboo68
    booboo68 Posts: 302 Member
    If you have stairs in your home, use them. Start out at a stair that would be chin or cheek level if you were to fall face first. Use the stair to do the pushups. The next day or two, go a step lower and so on and by the end of a week, you should be able to do a full-fledged pushup. That's how I started doing it. Super easy to learn that way.
  • jodyb23
    jodyb23 Posts: 101 Member
    Thanks for asking this question! I'm having the same problem. Just finished up week 3 and can still not do the pushups and my knee jumps look more like hops. I'm going to take the advice and trying for one full push up before I switch to the knees. I still feel like I'm getting the effects of the work out even with the modifications so I think just keep at it and it can only improve.