Almost Cried at the Gym
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But you know what, you did it. We all start someone, push ups from our knees. And we get stronger and better! It's about progress! To keep going! My biggest advice is be kinder to yourself! You wouldn't tell your best friend/daughter she's weak or failed. You'd encourage her! So well done to you today, that's was a great effort, you did good! Just keep trying, never quit❤0
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Rome was not build in a day... more like 300 years. Don't think it will take that long. Takes time to develop upper body strength. Lower body have larger muscle groups compared to upper. Start lifting. Chest, back, and triceps work WILL help with pushups. Make sure your protein is high enough to help maintain lean mass as you lose. Remember.... Resist and Bite!1
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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.
A staircase works great, too. Start with your hands on the highest stair you can reach (in pushup position). When you can do 5 or so pushups fairly easily, move down a stair.
You haven't failed unless you've decided to stop trying.3 -
My approach at the gym is to do the best that I can; In a Body Combat Class (Les Mills); I might do an advanced tuck jump and a modified push-up.
Starting out or starting back; you have to creep until to can walk, that is why there are so many modifications for working each body part.
You’ve got this✨1 -
push ups are hard. There's no reason to feel bad about it. I've never done a real push up. I try doing modified push ups on the stairs so I can go down a stair as I get better, but it kills my wrists. Not sure what I'm doing wrong. Push ups just suck.0
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notapilgrim wrote: »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.
A staircase works great, too. Start with your hands on the highest stair you can reach (in pushup position). When you can do 5 or so pushups fairly easily, move down a stair.
You haven't failed unless you've decided to stop trying.
I don't have stairs. I failed at the bench level one too.
I'm not giving up but I hate feeling this pathetic.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.
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.
3 months is just the beginning of your fitness journey. There is no reason to think you can’t improve from here. Of course you can! That’s why it’s called a “journey “.1 -
notapilgrim wrote: »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.
A staircase works great, too. Start with your hands on the highest stair you can reach (in pushup position). When you can do 5 or so pushups fairly easily, move down a stair.
You haven't failed unless you've decided to stop trying.
I don't have stairs. I failed at the bench level one too.
I'm not giving up but I hate feeling this pathetic.
Well I’ve read some of your other posts and you have helped others with useful advice. Go gentle on yourself. Pathetic is a harsh word.
I have workouts that suck all the time it’s not pathetic, just progress can be slow at times and growing muscles/ gaining strength is hard work and takes years of effort.
. You are in the gym and are building/ have built some good lifestyle and diet habits. That’s more than most people ever manage to achieve.1 -
You did not fail. You have goals...short term, intermediate, and long term. One of your goals it to get healthier overall. You MENTALLY decided to do it! For some, that alone is a goal into itself. “I’m too busy”. “The gym cost too much” etc. you decided you would start the process AND you actually started. Now, you work on hitting goals/check points with every exercise. Keep moving forward. Message me directly and I can help you with a program to get you to that push-up and beyond.0
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My wife can do loads of proper form push ups. I can't do any! I'd be modified all the way. Sounds like you have a goal to aim form. Get googling how to do a pushup. Also remember that you are pushing your body weight so it will take time and patience.0
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cupcakesandproteinshakes wrote: »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.
Push ups are hard for anyone.0 -
notapilgrim wrote: »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.
A staircase works great, too. Start with your hands on the highest stair you can reach (in pushup position). When you can do 5 or so pushups fairly easily, move down a stair.
You haven't failed unless you've decided to stop trying.
I don't have stairs. I failed at the bench level one too.
I'm not giving up but I hate feeling this pathetic.
First step. Stop feeling that way.. it's not good mentally. If you done it before you can do them again. Be patient.1 -
Many hugs to you, OP. FWIW, I'm fit now and can do both kinds of push-ups and sometimes, when I'm tired, I still have to revert to the modified kind. Fitness isn't linear, and you'll go backwards and forwards even when you've attained your fitness goal. It's okay to be sad or disappointed. And then we have to dust ourselves off and keep pushing. Even when you're on your knees, struggling to do a push-up, you're still doing so much better than if you were lounging on the couch. Onward and upward! We got this.2
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I cannot do ANYTHING that require upper arm strength, push ups, pulls ups, even a plank and my arms are like "Nooooo"
But you tried, and with practice you'll only get stronger and be able to do more of them!
It's like, I do YouTube videos and I do dance cardio.
And the first time I did it, I didn't even make it to the end and I was jumping around like a sack of potatoes. But after a couple of weeks, I noticed I was lasting longer on the video and I had better form and looked less potatoey LOL!
So don't worry about it! You tried, and you can only get better!
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Well, with all this in mind and some flashbacks to my martial arts days, I did some experiments at the gym and I think it's a body mechanics slash form thing.
Like, I can't do a full pushup, that's 100% my noodle arms. But I could do the bench one as long as I started with straight arms, rather than with my chest on the bench.
So it's like... angles. I used to have to do a lot of new martial arts moves in reverse too.
I think I'm bad at engaging the appropriate muscles.1 -
I know exactly how you feel! I tried a 7 minute exercise app the other day - I struggled with star jumps, couldn’t do a single push up and completely flattened trying to do the plank! I tried too but will keep trying! Something must have worked a little as my abs aches a bit the next day. Keep going, tiny steps and you will get there. Good luck 🤞1
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notapilgrim wrote: »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.
A staircase works great, too. Start with your hands on the highest stair you can reach (in pushup position). When you can do 5 or so pushups fairly easily, move down a stair.
You haven't failed unless you've decided to stop trying.
I don't have stairs. I failed at the bench level one too.
I'm not giving up but I hate feeling this pathetic.
Kitchen counter, then? Anything that gets you up past 45°, really.
Pathetic?!? What, you think everyone else is born able to do pushups? 😉1 -
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notapilgrim wrote: »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.
A staircase works great, too. Start with your hands on the highest stair you can reach (in pushup position). When you can do 5 or so pushups fairly easily, move down a stair.
You haven't failed unless you've decided to stop trying.
I don't have stairs. I failed at the bench level one too.
I'm not giving up but I hate feeling this pathetic.
I couldn’t do bench ones at first but I could do them at kitchen counter height - maybe something to try. I found counters were good for a couple of reasons, one being that I am often in the kitchen and cranking out a few pushups is a good way to get stronger without having to plan my life around it.
You’ll get there!1 -
I understand being frustrated but don't think of it as a failure. Think of it as an attempt to become stronger. You have started and as you continue trying one day you will succeed.0
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