Almost Cried at the Gym

Terytha
Posts: 2,097 Member
Because, despite my best efforts, I utterly failed to do a single push up.
So I had to do the one they used to call the "girl pushup" when I was a kid, the one on your knees. I've always extremely resented that it was called that and that it was offered only to the girls like we were weaker and inferior. I always refused to take the easy options offered to the girls for gym exercises in school.
And now I don't have a choice. I'm physically too weak and too heavy to push myself up.
It's weird how my brain has latched onto these old things from my childhood and left them as benchmarks for my entire life. Even though my trainer pointed out there's actually an easier pushup and what I did was a solid medium and not bad for someone who never does pushups...
I feel like I failed.
Building self esteem sucks. I feel like I've come a long way and then the slightest tap cracks the whole thing and it turns out I built it out of egg shells and crackers.
I'm OK, just frustrated.
So I had to do the one they used to call the "girl pushup" when I was a kid, the one on your knees. I've always extremely resented that it was called that and that it was offered only to the girls like we were weaker and inferior. I always refused to take the easy options offered to the girls for gym exercises in school.
And now I don't have a choice. I'm physically too weak and too heavy to push myself up.
It's weird how my brain has latched onto these old things from my childhood and left them as benchmarks for my entire life. Even though my trainer pointed out there's actually an easier pushup and what I did was a solid medium and not bad for someone who never does pushups...
I feel like I failed.
Building self esteem sucks. I feel like I've come a long way and then the slightest tap cracks the whole thing and it turns out I built it out of egg shells and crackers.
I'm OK, just frustrated.
26
Replies
-
You tried, right? That's worth a lot. 💙5
-
Not many can do push ups period.. keep trying though.. you'll get there.6
-
You can only get stronger from here! I started with push ups on my knees too, there's no shame in that!5
-
You tried and that's what matters.1
-
1. Congratulations on doing it anyway.
2. Stop calling them "girl pushups." They're *modified* pushups for those who are unable to the the traditional version for whatever reason. I don't do "boy" pushups. I just do pushups, and I do whatever pushup I have to in order to meet my goals.
3. Which brings us back to #1. Congratulations on doing it anyway.
I have a bum knee and a cranky left rotator cuff, so I'm temporarily doing modified pushups using stairs instead of my knees. We will get better at this together and someday we'll be totally done with tyrannosaurus arms. *roars and crushes a car*24 -
I"m sure you could get there. Maybe start benching with some light weights to gradually build up to it.
2 -
ElizabethKalmbach wrote: »1. Congratulations on doing it anyway.
2. Stop calling them "girl pushups." They're *modified* pushups for those who are unable to the the traditional version for whatever reason. I don't do "boy" pushups. I just do pushups, and I do whatever pushup I have to in order to meet my goals.
3. Which brings us back to #1. Congratulations on doing it anyway.
I have a bum knee and a cranky left rotator cuff, so I'm temporarily doing modified pushups using stairs instead of my knees. We will get better at this together and someday we'll be totally done with tyrannosaurus arms. *roars and crushes a car*
#2 is spot on.. I have lower back issues.. when I restarted training.. had to do it on my knees until i get used to it again.
Op.. is it upper body strength or holding the form?
Start building up your core first then upper body muscles.. Push ups will be easy by then.3 -
You didn’t fail, you found a way to make it work and that is awesome. I was once in a hard yoga class and was too embarrassed to modify the poses so I snuck out, that was a failure.5
-
ElizabethKalmbach wrote: »1. Congratulations on doing it anyway.
2. Stop calling them "girl pushups." They're *modified* pushups for those who are unable to the the traditional version for whatever reason. I don't do "boy" pushups. I just do pushups, and I do whatever pushup I have to in order to meet my goals.
3. Which brings us back to #1. Congratulations on doing it anyway.
I have a bum knee and a cranky left rotator cuff, so I'm temporarily doing modified pushups using stairs instead of my knees. We will get better at this together and someday we'll be totally done with tyrannosaurus arms. *roars and crushes a car*
#2 is spot on.. I have lower back issues.. when I restarted training.. had to do it on my knees until i get used to it again.
Op.. is it upper body strength or holding the form?
Start building up your core first then upper body muscles.. Push ups will be easy by then.
I've been going to the gym 3 times a week for 3 months. If I don't have core strength by now, I doubt it'll ever happen.
And for the record, I don't call them girl pushups. That's just what they were called when I was a kid. It's always made me stubbornly not want to do them because eff that noise. I can do anything boys can do. And I could always do them.
Just, not anymore.6 -
You can actually become stronger pushing up from the knees. Once you build your strength you can do full push ups from there. I started from lying face down on the floor and pushing upwards onto my toes. Try that too2
-
you haven't failed, your body just isn't strong enough YET. If it makes you feel any better, I could barely do 2 pushups in a row when I started last April. Now, I can do around 50 in a row and do at least 100 every day... You just have to keep trying. A wider width with hands is a little easier than narrow.5
-
Even with 3 month working out at the gym (and a much stronger core), if you haven’t been working on doing push-ups, pushups are unlikely to happen straight out of the bag.
I took me close to 2 month to work from the wall push-up, through variations, to a floor push up.
I could plank like crazy, deadlift my bodyweight, etc, etc, but couldn’t do a push-up until I practiced doing them. (Even being able to bench half my bodyweight didn’t help)
As a child I loved walking in my hands, head/hand stands, and doing cartwheels, not a chance of me doing them now without working up to them (probably take me years). I do get the being able to do the boy stuff, I was known as Fred,
From your posts you seem to be making excellent progress both in weight loss and fitness, please don’t sell yourself short.
Cheers, h.10 -
I started with wall push ups, bc I couldn't do regular ones and due to surgeries, cant kneel. You are moving forward and that's what is important!2
-
You can do this. Work your way up. Use the wall, kitchen counter, a chair or the bench at the gym to start on an incline. Do dumbbell presses. When you get to 1 real push up, keep doing the modifications in addition to the real thing to build up your numbers.
Weight training is a great teacher of incrementalism. Hang in. You’ll see.4 -
I know it's frustrating and disheartening but please don't let it get you down.
I have been going to the gym since January this year and can plank for 2.5 minutes now but still do push ups on my knees. Some people in the group can't do them at all and do them against the wall. I will never be able to do a chin up. We just find the exercises that work for us... I don't like running and won't ever do it - hasn't stopped me losing weight and getting healthier though.
My challenge is the ab wheel. I always face plant when doing it. My core is strongish because I can plank and do Russian twists... But I have to keep working on the damned ab wheel !!
4 -
Pushups are friggin hard! I’ve been going to the gym 3 times a week with a personal trainer for over a year and I’m still not doing full regular push ups. I’ve been doing them at gradually lower and lower inclines and also do negative pushups on the floor where I just do the lowering part over and over again, but I’ll eventually get there and I’m sure you will too if you keep at it.2
-
Push ups are really hard.
You will get there. You don't expect to go to the gym and curl 50 lb dumbbells. It takes work. As do pus ups. Keep working on them and one day you'll get a full one on your toes0 -
Push ups are hard. I can’t do them. I do wall push ups. You do what you can to build up to your goal. It’s really not a big deal, lots of people can’t do push-ups, especially at the start of their fitness journey. No shame in it.0
-
Push ups are hard for women. I have been trying for 5 years to do them. I can do all of 5 now.
I think they are like any other exercise they need tons of practice to improve.
I still can’t do one pull up. I’ll get there.
Life can suck sometimes.2 -
Pushups aren't easy! A lot of people start with wall pushups instead of knee pushups. You're still relatively new to the gym. Keep doing knee pushups and strengthening your arms! I can lift a lot with my legs but it's taking forever to graduate from the "wussy" silver dumbbells I use for arms. I'm finally at the heaviest of them and am hoping to graduate from them before the end of the year!0
Categories
- 1.5M All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 387.1K Introduce Yourself
- 42.7K Getting Started
- 258.4K Health and Weight Loss
- 174.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.1K Recipes
- 231.8K Fitness and Exercise
- 316 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.4K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.1K Motivation and Support
- 7.4K Challenges
- 1.2K Debate Club
- 96.1K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 2.1K MyFitnessPal Information
- 20 News and Announcements
- 564 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 1.5K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions