Pushup question

pspace
pspace Posts: 2
edited October 1 in Fitness and Exercise
Is it better to do a few pushups with toes down (male pushups) or twice as many with knees down (girl pushups)?

Replies

  • JennLifts
    JennLifts Posts: 1,913 Member
    do as many regulars as you can, then drop when you start to fail. If you're hitting high numbers, you can add a weight plate to your back.
  • trainguy917
    trainguy917 Posts: 366 Member
    I would guess doing either one to failure would end up being of about the same benefit, though I'm no expert.
  • bluemist248
    bluemist248 Posts: 207 Member
    Bump
    I too would like to know the answer as all I can manage so far is the knees down one!
  • RachelSRoach1
    RachelSRoach1 Posts: 435 Member
    "male" pushups are more difficult thus have more health benefits.
  • lookpretty
    lookpretty Posts: 276 Member
    I personally would say quality exceeds quantity, if you are not strong enough to do "man pushups" with good posture do knee pushups until you are strong enough to do the others well
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    do as many regulars as you can, then drop when you start to fail. If you're hitting high numbers, you can add a weight plate to your back.

    I agree with this, do as many as you can on toes, then drop to knees and continue until failure.
  • pika8202
    pika8202 Posts: 9 Member
    Why not do a few on your toes, and then a few more on your knees?
  • sophjakesmom
    sophjakesmom Posts: 904 Member
    pay close attention to form. A bad pushup can really hurt your shoulders. keep your hands in the plain of your shoulders and do as many as you can on your toes. Then move to your knees.
  • Kywesley
    Kywesley Posts: 7 Member
    It all depends on how many you can do and how stable you are. Pushups are great for building upper body strength as well as core stabilization. If your goal is upper body strength then you can certainly do the knee pushups, as you will have many of the same benefits. As you build that strength and stabilization you could then switch to the full classic pushups.
  • KyleB65
    KyleB65 Posts: 1,196 Member
    I would say it is better to do proper push ups from your toes.
    If you are just starting. Then go from the knees until you are strong enough to do 10 normal push-ups.
    From their do sets of 10 until you can do 100 (10 x 10) easily.
    Then mix it up. Try 10 with your feet raised (on a chair) , put your hands together, spread them apart (wider than your shoulders), add in burpee's with push-ups, etc.

    Have fun!
  • leftymac
    leftymac Posts: 169 Member
    And "modified pushups" is the better term. Just because a guy doesn't have the upper body strength to do a regular push up, doesn't make him a girl.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I think it really depends on your goal. Are you trying to build muscle, or just keep the muscle you have firm. I do 100 desk pushups 4-5 days a week because I want to keep my arms and chest firm (no bat wings and the girls not sagging to my waist). I don't do them to failure or go for the harder on the floor style though because I don't want to build "muscley" arems. If you are trying to build muscle, then you want to do the hardest that you can and increase the resistance as you can.
  • MLgarcia3
    MLgarcia3 Posts: 503
    The modified version takes the core out of the movement so I would stick to regular push ups and stay off the knees.. if you can't do them then start at a 60 degree angle until those are easy, then a 45 degree, then 30 degree.. then on to regular push ups.. My friends that can't do the regular ones yet do them from a bench.
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    I've written a blog about how to progress your push-up routine from easy to hard. Basically, take your target number, do as many as you can of the hardest type then finish the set with the easier type.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/BerryH/view/how-to-do-10-full-push-ups-what-worked-for-me-126396

    Hope this helps!
  • aj_rock
    aj_rock Posts: 390 Member
    A few metrics that I've heard thrown around is 40% for knees push-up, and 60% for full push-up in terms of % bodyweight.

    Basically, take your weight, multiply by 40% for knees, and that's the equivalent amount you're pushing if you loaded that weight on a bench press instead.
  • rachmaree
    rachmaree Posts: 782 Member
    And "modified pushups" is the better term. Just because a guy doesn't have the upper body strength to do a regular push up, doesn't make him a girl.
    I like this :)
    I also think you should try to do as many pushups on your toes as you can, then switch to the modified ones.
  • datzun
    datzun Posts: 198
    I've been trying to get my upper body strength up. I've started with 'modified' or 'girl' pushups. Working my way up to 'regular' or 'guy' pushups. I could probably do the regular pushups now, but my ankles and wrists don't seem to be strong enough. :(
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,331 Member
    do as many regulars as you can, then drop when you start to fail. If you're hitting high numbers, you can add a weight plate to your back.

    I agree with this, do as many as you can on toes, then drop to knees and continue until failure.

    Or place your hands on something higher than your feet like a bench, coffee table, stair step. etc and keep doing them from your toes. With push-ups it is all a matter of leverage. To make them easier have your hands on a platform higher than your feet, to make them more difficult put your feet on a platform higher than your hands.
  • 27strange
    27strange Posts: 837 Member
    This is a great site/plan for working to up your pushup abilities.... http://hundredpushups.com/

    There is no such thing as a "girly" push-up. They are called modified push-ups.

    I would recommend doing as many traditional push-ups as you can and then drop the knees down into modified push-ups once you can't do anymore. Both methods, with the right form, will build strength and endurance.

    Best of luck!
  • iAMaPhoenix
    iAMaPhoenix Posts: 1,038 Member
    Bwah!!! I just found out I'm a girl because all my pushups are done on my knees.
  • pspace
    pspace Posts: 2
    Hey, thanks for all the replies.

    I didn't mean to offend anyone with the male - female descriptions, but those are how they were explained to me and I thought they were commom terms. I stand corrected and will use regular and modified descriptions from now on. Thanks again for the replies.
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