Best way for women to build up to proper pushups?

Luciicul
Luciicul Posts: 415 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all,

I want to be able to do a proper push up, and currently I have a problem with form where my arms can take the load but my stomach sags (belly/hips first to hit the floor, and last off it). Looking for advice on the best graduated exercise plan to achieve this goal.

I have been using the 7 minute workout app, do 3 circuits of the “beginner” workout, twice a week - this includes pushups, squats, triceps dips, wall sit,etc. I can do all the exercises fine, except the pushups, and that is preventing me from moving up to a harder level workout.

I can do plank for at least a minute. I can do vertical wall pushups fine, can do pushups against the kitchen bench or table fine, but form collapses if I try to do them at a lower angle - coffee table or floor.

I’m not sure whether to keep doing them on the kitchen bench, in the hope that if I do it enough I will one day be able to do it at a more horizontal angle, or if I should do more/longer planks or some other core exercise.

I also run and do yoga, exercise every day, alternative between these three things.

Working out from home, trying to use just body weight, but I do have a small set of handweights, a yoga ball, and some resistance bands.

Many thanks for any advice you can give 😀

Replies

  • eve7166
    eve7166 Posts: 223 Member
    I was able to learn to do real pushups by starting doing knee push ups. I looked up a 100 push up challenge and used the chart to gradually increase my push ups. Not even half way through I was able to start adding in "real" push ups and finish the sets with knee push ups. You dont have to do the challenge just gradually add on push up to your sets like 4 sets of 3 and then 4 sets of 4 etc and work your way up until you gain more strength.
  • ElizabethKalmbach
    ElizabethKalmbach Posts: 1,416 Member
    You may have good success with a more gradual progression. I've always preferred doing pushups working my way down a staircase. Once I get to 20 good form pushups on a stair, I move down to the next stair and start pushups there until my form starts falling apart, then move back up to the next stair to finish my set.
  • jeagogo
    jeagogo Posts: 179 Member
    I agree with the comment above. Table to coffee table might just be too big of a jump in height for now, so finding a way to try on a slightly higher surface may be necessary.

    I would also recommend checking your form when you are doing pushups against a counter or table - how well are you engaging your core there? When you hold a plank, check your form again - are you dumping your weight into your hands or really squeezing through your core to help you feel "light" on your hands? In either position - how are you engaging the muscles of your back and shoulders? The shoulder shrug move mentioned below is good for helping to identify where you should be at the top of your pushup.

    Here are couple options you can try if you are comfortable holding a strong plank with good form. They can both be adapted to do on an incline as well. I'm not great at explaining things, but you should be able to find videos with demoes of these moves:
    • Plank shoulder shrugs. Starting from a plank, engage your scapula to "shrug" your shoulders, which should lift your torso and round your upper back/shoulders just a bit.
    • Pushup negatives. Start in your high plank, then slowly lower your body to the floor. Try to take at least 3 seconds to lower down. Reset and repeat.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    Stairs not knees - pushups from knees takes away a lot of the core engagement and using stairs also gives better progression. For example when you can do a dozen using stair four come down to stair three.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    Do planks to help with core strength/stability, and pushups from the toes (not knees)... do them against a wall or on stairs or similar to adjust the effort/"resistance"
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    personally i don't find graduated plans to do a push-up help anyone - coming from a military background -i've had too many females tell me they can't do push-ups because "they are female" (to a female)

    get yourself into a position where you can see your form in the mirror and do a push-up

    for me, i imagine that i have a string around my waist that is holding me up - if your form sucks, you don't count it and do another one - once your form is good, do another and keep building
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
    edited February 2020
    A good place to start is negative push ups. This works well with pull ups as well. Get yourself in a push up position and lower yourself to the floor slowly...6-8 seconds. If that is too long to maintain good form and avoid collapsing to the floor start with 4-6 seconds. Eccentric movements are great for building strength. Lower your body down and don't collapse and make sure your entire body touches the floor at the same time. That's one rep. Perform 8 reps or start with less if you are losing form. You may have to start with just one and build up. Focus on engaging your core so your hips aren't sagging.

    Also, work on planking and other core work as a week core seems to be at the forefront of your problem. If form is still bad then maybe move to inclined push ups and decrease the incline over time. My first preference is negative...second would be incline...last would be knee push ups as those are going to take away core engagement which is at the root of your problem.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
    Strength training? I read you have to be able bench press about half your body weight to do a push up. It’s a general guideline not a requirement.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 5,948 Member
    sijomial wrote: »
    Stairs not knees - pushups from knees takes away a lot of the core engagement and using stairs also gives better progression. For example when you can do a dozen using stair four come down to stair three.

    I 2nd the bolded...
  • MaltedTea
    MaltedTea Posts: 6,286 Member
    Most every PT I've asked over time says some variant of "just do it!" Like literally "drop and give me 20" style military pushups. No knees. No height or arm mods.

    Umm, I'm still not great at them though so 🤷🏿‍♀️
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    I lost a lot of strength so I started on knees after my third pregnancy, once I could do 10 I moved on to regular push-ups. Mind you it could have been muscle memory that helped me out too. Stairs or on a bench is a good option too.

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