Push-ups....or more like fall downs?!?!?

karebear_1987
karebear_1987 Posts: 8
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey all;

So I've been watching what I'm eating for a few weeks and today decided to start prioritizing exercising more specifically. I've been walking home from work instead of taking the bus or subway but now want to be more consistent.

I have a few questions. Is it okay if it's late at night? I read on a few websites that's one of the worst times to work out BUT I'm not an early riser and I have to work and then go to Korean class until about 10pm every night. Does that affect anything.

Also, push ups...those suckers are hard. I did half of the p90x calisthenics video tonight and was able to keep up quite well with everything but the push-up portions...I can't even do a push-up and they're doing like push up knee kick things! I tried them all but really just wasn't physically capable. Is there something else I should be doing during those segments to build up the muscles BESIDES trying and then falling down on my stomach each time because I can't do it?!?!?!

Love the help from anyone. AND feel free to add me as a friend I'm hoping to get a few :)

Replies

  • Cwilbanks12105
    Cwilbanks12105 Posts: 99 Member
    People have different opinions about night workouts, mainly they're considered bad because it supposedly makes it difficult for you to go to sleep. IMO, you get your exercise in when you can, and if that's 10pm at night then so be it. But then again, I've never had a problem falling asleep after a workout, quite the opposite actually lol. As for the pushups, I'd just do pushups on your knees during that portion until you can build up your strength to do what they do. That's what I did with Insanity.
  • jsjaclark
    jsjaclark Posts: 303
    I work out at night if that is the only time I can fit it in. Like another poster said - I think it mainly has to do with how it affects your sleep and if you can fall asleep after doing a workout.

    For pushups - just try to do regular pushups (on your knees) until you can work up to doing pushups on your toes. Don't worry about doing the fancy ones yet. I can do tons of pushups on my toes, but still have a hard time with some of the advanced types.
  • Farmgirl67
    Farmgirl67 Posts: 54
    I started out doing pushups against the wall and gradually worked my way to the floor on my knees. They still aren't easy, but I am slowly getting better.
  • frootcat
    frootcat Posts: 194 Member
    I can't do push-ups either, not even the knee ones. I read you can work on your required upper body strength by first doing them against a wall, moving your feet further back as you get stronger, then against, like, the kitchen counter... then the back of a couch... then the front of the couch... further on down 'til you're on the floor. I am not sure if this works because I'm still in the wimpy stage, but ... it probably can't hurt.
  • rand486
    rand486 Posts: 270 Member
    Any exercise is good exercise. It would be crazy to refer to exercise at any time of day as "Bad".

    I go to a martial arts gym 3 nights a week, and I don't get home until about 11 PM, but my sleep pattern is fine. I go to bed about 2 hours later, after having a small protein-y meal, and some "cool down time"

    I started Jiu Jitsu almost a year ago, and I lost 30 lbs this way, and gained a TON of muscle, so calling evening/night exercise training "bad" is simply not true.

    Just make sure you're eating healthily, and remember that weightloss is 80% diet.

    As for pushups, there's a greay bodyweight fitness book called "Convict Conditioning", and if you can look past the chest-thumping, prison time anecdotes, the advice on pushups and other exercises is really good. It's designed to help people go from no strength at all, to being able to do pushups and the like, and beyond.

    Cwilbanks1210 is right by saying starting off your knees can/will help. That's a decent intermediate step until you can do full pushups.
  • rand486
    rand486 Posts: 270 Member
    frootcat, absolutely! That's what "Convict Conditioning" teaches, as I mentioned before. Finding intermediate steps to build up to it.

    Good form is very important, and the best pushups should be 2 seconds going down, hold for 1 second, 2 seconds coming back up. Exhale on the way down, inhale on the way up.

    (I have no affiliation with the book haha, just a big fan!)
  • joycemhall
    joycemhall Posts: 164 Member
    I have done P90X and I couldn't do one pushup when I started. I followed the 'modified' version they always have on their workouts and I started out doing them on my knees. Now I can do about 25 regular pushups, so my advice is to start out with the modified version and do the best you can. Over time, you will definately see an improvement.
  • Lissette_Brooks
    Lissette_Brooks Posts: 173 Member
    I can't do push-ups either, not even the knee ones. I read you can work on your required upper body strength by first doing them against a wall, moving your feet further back as you get stronger, then against, like, the kitchen counter... then the back of a couch... then the front of the couch... further on down 'til you're on the floor. I am not sure if this works because I'm still in the wimpy stage, but ... it probably can't hurt.


    I can't do wimpy ones either! I have like zero strength in my arms even though I have been trying to build up strength in them for weeks! I'm gonna try the wall thing and see if that helps..


  • karebear_1987
    karebear_1987 Posts: 8
    Thanks so much everyone for your help! I think I'll try doing the "modified" push-ups and even start with the wall ones...I honestly just picked p90x because I've heard about it...and well nothing else :). But I enjoyed most of the other exercises!

    I'll look into the book BUT I'm not sure how I feel about going to the ONE English speaking bookstore and ordering it ;)!.

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