Push-Up Help!

mpeace1406
mpeace1406 Posts: 76 Member
edited October 1 in Fitness and Exercise
I suck at push ups. I can't even do the wimpy "on your knees" version well. Are there any ways for me to gain the upper body strength I need to do them? I have access to a gym, so if there are any weight machines I should be doing that would be great! Or is it just practice makes perfect?

Thanks everyone!!
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Replies

  • Ashleypeterson37
    Ashleypeterson37 Posts: 347 Member
    I can't either. I have no upper body strength at all....waiting for some responses...
  • ML0305
    ML0305 Posts: 227 Member
    I also cant do push ups...any advice or tips will be greatly appreciated!!!! :happy:
  • syates83
    syates83 Posts: 87
    I have issues too...but I think its practice makes perfect...just keep trying with the wimpy ones until you can do the "on your knees" version and then move on to the Big Girl Push ups! You can do it!
  • kpersons1
    kpersons1 Posts: 21
    bump
  • AJDistel
    AJDistel Posts: 93
    Just keep trying. When I first started I couldn't do more than 1 or 2 on my knees. Today I'm am up to 173 on my knees and able to do 24 regular ones. It'll take some time but if you push yourself you can do it.
  • MzMiller1215
    MzMiller1215 Posts: 633 Member
    What kind of weight training do you do? If you do chest and back exercises, that may help. It's hard for me to do push ups because I'm still heavy and I have to push all that weight up and down.
  • statia152
    statia152 Posts: 558
    Try doing "push ups" on a wall. It will help build some strength.
  • drblythe
    drblythe Posts: 163 Member
    I just started the 100 push ups thing.

    http://hundredpushups.com

    i'm just doing the girlie ones coz i also suck at them, but i'm hoping this will help build me up to the real ones
  • RNewton4269
    RNewton4269 Posts: 663 Member
    I do the whimpy ones too...terrible upper body strength. Been doing overall toning with strength exercises...and my trainer said that will help. Just takes time I guess.
  • ckdub428
    ckdub428 Posts: 453 Member
    Google 'Hundred pushup challenge'or if you have a iphone/ipod touch and get the app.
    it will have you do an inital test. Even if you can only do 1 this will work. And it will build you up to being able to do 100 in a set.

    I am going through it right now and I'm doing them on my knees and I can feel myself getting stronger. Not just my arms but my core as well. And my arms are getting smaller. I have lost an inch in my arms since starting the program.

    The best way to learn to do pushups is to just do them.

    Good luck and happy push ups!!
  • lynh564
    lynh564 Posts: 9 Member
    Start off doing push ups on a wall or use the bar of the smith machine and set it about waist high. The idea is to gradually lower yourself towards the floor until you can do push ups
  • Diary_Queen
    Diary_Queen Posts: 1,314 Member
    If you want to increase your upper body strength, try some light weight, high reps of dumbbell presses.... easier to push those weights over your head instead of pushing your head/body up from the floor. Also, you will need shoulder strength, core strength (lower back too, not just abs) - so planks might help... even if you have to start those on your knees too. Shoulder flys with light weights and tricep kickbacks. It's hard for all of us. I had to do some weird pushup last night for a video I was working through and I fell smack on my face. Thankfully, I use a very cushy mat!
  • TashaP2011
    TashaP2011 Posts: 142 Member
    One alternative you can try to gain strength is to do them up against a wall. Stand back a bit and lean on the wall, push back and repeat. Once you do these for awhile, the ones on the floor should become easier.
  • Stephaniebingletastic
    Stephaniebingletastic Posts: 59
    personally I find the normal ones are easier than the knee ones!
    I started body combat to tone my arms and back, and machines that you can sit on in the gym and work your back, chest and also ones you stand by to work arms can be used too, ask an instructor in your gym for some advice. you will be able to do a small number properly in no time...then practice makes perfect. Learn the proper technique too so you are not putting strain on your back or hyper tension in your knees.
  • oddyogi
    oddyogi Posts: 1,816 Member
    If you can't do them on your knees, start against a wall, then against a desk, table, or countertop, then move to your knees.
  • LushLoni
    LushLoni Posts: 161 Member
    Okay, I can't help, I too am rubbish and have a severe lack of strength in my arms.

    I am doing the wimpy ones right now, I'm going to try and do them regularly because I really want upper body strength!

    Mmmm.... my boyfriend doing push ups..... <3
  • katedonn5
    katedonn5 Posts: 16
    Start with the wall push-ups, moving farther and farther away. Then graduate to the knee push-ups until you can continute to the regular push-ups. Concentrate on your form and only go as low as you can in the beginning. Weight training will definately help this area, but I have found that push-ups and pull-ups are more about strength than muscle mass. It's important to be able to lift and pull your body weight so as you lose weight (assuming that's your goal) and your ratio of lean muscle to fat increases, it will get easier. That being said, I can do push-ups but struggle to do pull-ups. Some things are just easier :).
  • Jenlwb
    Jenlwb Posts: 682 Member
    Nice to know I'm not alone! I'll keep at it too, till i master it.
  • kasmir8199
    kasmir8199 Posts: 507 Member
    Any upper body strength exercises will help.

    As mentioned earlier, if you struggle with the knee push-ups, definitely try doing push-ups against a wall. Position yourself in front of a wall, as if your body was, say, a broom, propped up against it, and push off of it...then lower yourself..then push....you get the picture? This HELPS! As you get better and better, continue to increase your angle so that your feet are further and further away from the wall when you start. Sooner or later, you'll be doing pushups off the ground.
  • becka63
    becka63 Posts: 712 Member
    I started the 100 push up challenge when I could only do the girly ones. I'm now on the last week and although I need to do 30 or so ones from my knees, the other 100 (cos yes, even the lightweight challenge takes you beyond 100!) I can do properly. When I first started exercising, I could barely do even the modified ones, so I feel especially proud!
  • Rynatat
    Rynatat Posts: 807 Member
    It's something you have to build up to. 6 months ago I couldn't even do one "man's" push-up and my arms shook so bad doing even the "womans" knees & feet planted on the ground version I could barely get through 5!

    Now, I can do more "men's" push-ups than my Hubby (he was on his knees last time we did push-ups!) and I don't shake anymore. Granted, if I'm doing a lot of push-ups in a routine or an especially difficult circuit training routine, I may stick with "woman's" push-ups since I have shoulder damage, but I can still feel the burn (especially if I lift my feet off the ground so I'm balancing & using more core). You can also try starting out by elevating your legs on a step or low table (knees to feet supported) and upper body leaning down at an angle. This may help you start to build it up.

    Keep in mind, when you workout at a gym with different machines, free weights, etc., you're targeting different muscle groups and sometimes only 1 muscle at a time; push-ups, pull-ups and the like are COMPLETELY different from those isolated muscles groups because you're working several or full body muscles together which also takes good core, agility & balance. Again, this is something to build up to, slowly. Circuit training is great for getting that all-over body strength (I highly recommend Jillian Michaels No More Trouble Zones as she incorporates so many different circuits that hit EVERYTHING in your body in 40 minutes: I don't particularly like her, but I do like her workouts!)
  • CatMauro
    CatMauro Posts: 225 Member
    I will impart you with the wisdom that was once past on to me in my early military career. "You get better at doing pushups by doing pushups." Silly I know, but true. That being said what I have done in order to improve mine is to do alot of modifications ie: inclined pushups (find a set of stairs and with your feet on the ground, closest to the stairs, push up from the stairs, as you get stronger move your feet out and move one step lower until you can do them on the ground), high and low plank to improve your core, "girly" pushups or spread your legs apart for wide leg pushups, press downs (in the pushup position slowly lower yourself all the way down to the ground then in whatever way you can get back up to your initial position). As you get better you may also be able to do low-high plank (start in a high plank position then moving one arm at a time, without moving your legs, lower yourself into the low plank position then do the reverse to get back up again). If you need anymore let me know, after 8 years in the military I have about 100 different pushup type exercises in my repetoire.
  • Elleebell
    Elleebell Posts: 56
    Ugh. Push ups. I did ten last night after the treadmill and thought I was gonna die.
  • dbra58
    dbra58 Posts: 15 Member
    Here's a great site with lots of info about pushups...I did the standing ones in the past, after a shoulder injury. I can do a few of the "wimpy" ones now, and am working on it.
    http://hundredpushups.com
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Weight machines would definitely help. You could also start out doing them against the wall (standing up with your feet back a bit). Then move to the modified (on your knees or against a table/desk/chair) and work up to regular hard core pushups.
  • mandeiko
    mandeiko Posts: 1,657 Member
    I have issues too...but I think its practice makes perfect...just keep trying with the wimpy ones until you can do the "on your knees" version and then move on to the Big Girl Push ups! You can do it!

    This! KEEP PUSHING! You can start with wall push-ups, then knee girly ones, etc etc. I started without being able to do 1!! I can now do 10 real ones! :) You can do it! Stay focused! Do one more each day!
  • Fochizzy
    Fochizzy Posts: 505 Member
    My trainer and I have been doing a Push-Up Project. At first she had me do 3 sets of 12 push-ups on my knees. I sucked at this, she told me try going down a half an inch and doing the reps of that. I did then for 2 weeks and found I was going down almost 2 inches. Kept going 3 sets of 12, 5 days a week in a month I was going down around 6 inches (acceptable). Now she has me lean on a bar while standing and going as low as I can 3 sets of 12, 5 days a week. She says when I do better we will do what we did while on my knees in proper form. It felt like I was beating my head against the wall the first 3 weeks but I am doing much better.
  • mpeace1406
    mpeace1406 Posts: 76 Member
    Wow!! Thanks everyone for the awesome replies and tips!! I am glad to see I am not alone at sucking at push-ups, but it is encouraging to know that one day I may actually succeed at doing the "real" ones. :D I am going to look into the 100 push-ups website as well as just keeping on practicing. Thanks again everyone and keep those tips coming!
  • gioisa75
    gioisa75 Posts: 242 Member
    http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/CrossFit_DevelopingPushup.mov

    Nice demo on improving your pushup form!
  • ShannonMpls
    ShannonMpls Posts: 1,936 Member
    Start off doing push ups on a wall or use the bar of the smith machine and set it about waist high. The idea is to gradually lower yourself towards the floor until you can do push ups

    This exactly! The smith machine trick is working great for me.
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