Pushups???

jaqcan
jaqcan Posts: 498 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I did a 30 day challenge in April that built from 15 pushups a day to 40. I did this and found definition in my biceps triceps and chest. I was doing "girl" pushups since I'm still obese. But after that was over I started the "easy" pushup challenge that started with 3 a day and builds to 20. I'm TRYING to do regular on my feet pushups, and it's SO HARD. Should I go back to doing knee pushups until my weight is lower or struggle through the "easy" challenge? I can barely do 3 at a time. I've built up to 14, but my form isn't that great because they're so hard.
Opinions please?
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Replies

  • gdyment
    gdyment Posts: 299 Member
    No shame in doing it from the knees or on an incline as long as it's challenging. Once the knees are too easy then move up. Also there's nothing to say you can't try something like 2 good form full pushups then the rest from knees per set.
  • SuggaD
    SuggaD Posts: 1,369 Member
    I only do girly pushups still. They work.
  • ccourcha
    ccourcha Posts: 316 Member
    Try incline type instead of the girl form. I am working on this as well. Where I walk during lunch, there are several benches along the way. I stop and do 20 incline pushups per bench. Not as hard as plank or horizontal form.
  • strong_curves
    strong_curves Posts: 2,229 Member
    I do the incline pushups too. I'm working my way up to knees and then eventually I will get to plank style pushups. They're tough to do no matter what your size is.
  • PAtinCO
    PAtinCO Posts: 129 Member
    I would do as many on your feet as you can and then switch mid-set to knees when you need to. That way you can get a better idea of your progress as you go.
  • ew_david
    ew_david Posts: 3,473 Member
    Start against the wall and move your way down over time. Wall, counter, 5th step, 4th step, 3rd step, etc., until you get to the floor. It will take time. I couldn't do a real push up to save my life...now I can.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    Brother that's fantastic! I think the calculation is ~67% of your body weight in a full push-up. Keep trying to do a correct one and as you lose weight you'll be able to do more, but definitely stick with doing what you are able to do - from the knees or otherwise.

    I could barely do 15 when I was near 280 and can knock out 50. Have a goal this year to get back to 100.
  • icrushit
    icrushit Posts: 773 Member
    Move up as you're ready I say. Practicing planks may be helpful though, as full pushups are really just planks with a horizontal pushing dimension :smile:
  • jaqcan
    jaqcan Posts: 498 Member
    CSARdiver wrote: »
    Brother that's fantastic! I think the calculation is ~67% of your body weight in a full push-up. Keep trying to do a correct one and as you lose weight you'll be able to do more, but definitely stick with doing what you are able to do - from the knees or otherwise.

    I could barely do 15 when I was near 280 and can knock out 50. Have a goal this year to get back to 100.

    Does my profile pic really look like I'm a "brother"? Sad! I'm a girl, just a fat one. ;)
  • aggienes
    aggienes Posts: 4 Member
    I still do girl pushups! Nothing wrong with that. My wrist tends to really hurt, so my trainer recommended that I just do girl pushups. Pushups work out your chest and arms, it has nothing to do with your legs. :wink: I'm not sure what type of challenge you are doing, or if was only regular pushups. I think if you want more definition, try different variations so you work our different parts of your arms and chest. I got more definition doing different types of pushups( I started with 10 wide grip pushups, 10 regular pushups, then 10 narrow grip push ups; 3 reps) all doing girl pushups. Hope this helps!
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    I agree with trying incline pushups. You can make them progressively harder by changing the angle.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    When I was working up to full pushups, I did them in 3 sets. I would do as many as I could as full pushups and then top them off with incline pushups so that I was doing sets of 10. So maybe do a mix.
  • farfromthetree
    farfromthetree Posts: 982 Member
    You can also try something called hand release push ups...I am sure there are you tube videos on how to do them. My trainer has people do these if you cannot do reguar push ups
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    jaqcan wrote: »
    CSARdiver wrote: »
    Brother that's fantastic! I think the calculation is ~67% of your body weight in a full push-up. Keep trying to do a correct one and as you lose weight you'll be able to do more, but definitely stick with doing what you are able to do - from the knees or otherwise.

    I could barely do 15 when I was near 280 and can knock out 50. Have a goal this year to get back to 100.

    Does my profile pic really look like I'm a "brother"? Sad! I'm a girl, just a fat one. ;)

    LOL - ok my bad on that one and can't see anyone's photo due to net restrictions. I assumed (and making an azz of myself) based on your "girl" pushups comment.
  • jaqcan
    jaqcan Posts: 498 Member
    farfromthetree wrote: »
    You can also try something called hand release push ups...I am sure there are you tube videos on how to do them. My trainer has people do these if you cannot do reguar push ups

    Interesting
  • joepratt503
    joepratt503 Posts: 191 Member
    Better to get the volume in over strict vs modified push-ups. The goal is to do as many as you can to truly fatigue your muscles. Look at it this way, I may be able to curl a 60lb dumbbell but my aesthetic results will be better if I do more sets/reps with 40lb.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    edited May 2015
    When I was working on building number of pushups, I would do as many on my toes and then drop to my knees to finish the set. Next set, start on the toes again. It can build quite quickly (relatively speaking) this way. Good luck!
  • DirrtyH
    DirrtyH Posts: 664 Member
    Is doing an incline somewhere in between a "girl" pushup and a normal one? I find that the "girl" pushups are a little too easy, but a regular one is still way too hard. I'm looking for something in between to help me work up.
  • DawnEmbers
    DawnEmbers Posts: 2,451 Member
    I tend to do incline because on my knees just never worked for me because I carry a fair amount of my excess weight in my stomach. That combined with not being tall results in my stomach touching the ground before I've gotten very far on the push up. At the gym I started with just the rail and have slowly worked my way lower for the incline during the stages of New Rules of Lifting for Women that involve push ups as part of the program.

    Keep working at it and you'll eventually get to where you can do them all right on the floor. It just might take more than a month at this point is all.
  • JustinAnimal
    JustinAnimal Posts: 1,335 Member
    I say do as many as you can with proper form (as good as you can) and then finish them off with the "girly" push-ups.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    DirrtyH wrote: »
    Is doing an incline somewhere in between a "girl" pushup and a normal one? I find that the "girl" pushups are a little too easy, but a regular one is still way too hard. I'm looking for something in between to help me work up.

    An incline would be something like putting your hands on a table or desk rather than flat on the floor. Your feet are on the floor. One way to do this would be to do it on stairs. Each time you get to the point where you can do 10 pushups, move down one step to make it more difficult.
  • G33K_G1RL
    G33K_G1RL Posts: 283 Member
    nutmegoreo wrote: »
    When I was working on building number of pushups, I would do as many on my toes and then drop to my knees to finish the set. Next set, start on the toes again. It can build quite quickly (relatively speaking) this way. Good luck!

    I also did this. Starting having a hard time doing 4x10 knee pushups, and now I can almost do 4x20 regular pushups. Just do as many as you can on your toes and finish the set on your knees. Next workout, try to improve!

  • joepratt503
    joepratt503 Posts: 191 Member
    Incline push-ups aren't just an easier version of a push-up, they are different altogether. It will work your front delt more and depending on where you let the bench (or whatever you are inclining on) different parts of the chest. If your goal is more push-ups its wall, knee down, and then strict as the progression as far as I know.
  • rupertspenser
    rupertspenser Posts: 567 Member
    Joe is right... you can separate out between kneeling push ups and strict (for example starting at box pushups... and working your knees further and further away till you are at 3/4 push ups) but essentially wall, kneel strict is you best progression.
  • jaqcan
    jaqcan Posts: 498 Member
    I did 8 GOOD full form pushups, then dropped to knees and did 20. Would that be 1 set? Should I try to do that twice a day? Do it in the same hour? All the advice has been great so far. I want to push myself, but I also find I need a number to strive for, not just "do it until I can't".
  • rupertspenser
    rupertspenser Posts: 567 Member
    ok thats a good start... though i have a question? when you go to knees... are your knees under your hips? or further back?
  • jaqcan
    jaqcan Posts: 498 Member
    rupertspenser wrote: »
    ok thats a good start... though i have a question? when you go to knees... are your knees under your hips? or further back?
    They are all the way back
  • rupertspenser
    rupertspenser Posts: 567 Member
    ok cool so close to full push ups... then what you need to do is
    do 8 full... rest for 1min ...
    8 full... rest 1min...
    8 full.... rest 1 min...
    then do as many as you can... try for 12 (i know it sounds hard but try it and see how far you can go....
    does this make sense?
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,741 Member
    Sounds like you're doing a great job! I agree with the previous poster - try to do 3 sets of 8 with rests in between. Then build up from there.

    And yes, you do look like a woman! The other poster could not view profile pics. Wasn't intentional.
  • jaqcan
    jaqcan Posts: 498 Member
    rupertspenser wrote: »
    ok cool so close to full push ups... then what you need to do is
    do 8 full... rest for 1min ...
    8 full... rest 1min...
    8 full.... rest 1 min...
    then do as many as you can... try for 12 (i know it sounds hard but try it and see how far you can go....
    does this make sense?

    And not do any knee pushups?

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