wall push-ups vs floor push-ups

Options
razorbecky
razorbecky Posts: 134
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey y'all I know this has probably been done to death but...

I just started doing wall push-ups and I've gotten some really good burns from doing them. Can someone tell me if they are just as effective as push-ups done on the floor?

Replies

  • Lozze
    Lozze Posts: 1,917 Member
    Options
    No they're not as effective. When doing them against a wall you are not engaging your core as much as you would on the floor.

    They're a great starting off point but full push ups on the floor will always be more effective.
  • BruteSquad
    BruteSquad Posts: 373 Member
    Options
    The reason to do wall pushups is to build the upper body strength to eventually do the full floor push up.

    Normally you will do them against the wall and slowly work your feet further and further away until you can do pushups with your hands on the seat of a chair or couch. Then eventually you will be strong enough to do full on pushups.

    Great place to start though!
  • girlonfire15
    girlonfire15 Posts: 77 Member
    Options
    Wall push ups are a great way to build up strength for regular push ups, but they're no where near as intense as regular push ups. I would recommend regular push ups if you're capable.
  • elainecroft
    elainecroft Posts: 595 Member
    Options
    Wall pushups can be really great to start out or if you can't do floor pushups b/c of wrist or back problems, for example. But its still important to make sure you are using good form, keep your shoulders back and use your chest muscles, etc. Like has been said, you may want to add more core workout b/c you don't get as much as you would on the floor.
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
    Options
    Wall push-ups don't have the benefit of gravity, the stimulus is very different. I would suggest doing modified push-ups (on your knees) before doing wall push-ups. If those get easier then try doing them with your hands closer together and when those get easy to regular floor push-ups. When those get easier do dips on a horizontal or v-bar.
  • AlmondTheGreat
    AlmondTheGreat Posts: 92
    Options
    Yeah do push ups on your knees if you can't manage a normal one. Wall press ups won't be doing a great deal tbh.
  • razorbecky
    razorbecky Posts: 134
    Options
    Thanks for the input y'all
  • Lozze
    Lozze Posts: 1,917 Member
    Options
    I wouldn't reccomend push up on your knees over wall push ups. They are the most ineffective push up you can do. You're cutting off your core, the whole reason for doing push ups! Stick with the wall ones and work your way down.
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
    Options
    I wouldn't reccomend push up on your knees over wall push ups. They are the most ineffective push up you can do. You're cutting off your core, the whole reason for doing push ups! Stick with the wall ones and work your way down.

    The whole reason for push-ups is to build your chest, triceps, and even your front deltoids. If you want core work, do planks, situps, crunches, reverse crunches, leg raises, etc.
  • kcoftx
    kcoftx Posts: 765 Member
    Options
    I wouldn't reccomend push up on your knees over wall push ups. They are the most ineffective push up you can do. You're cutting off your core, the whole reason for doing push ups! Stick with the wall ones and work your way down.

    I agree with this. I was doing knees for 2 months and as good as I got doing them, I couldn't do a single full floor push up. I switched to wall, then incline and finally floor pushups and in just a few weeks I was managing several floor push ups!
  • Lozze
    Lozze Posts: 1,917 Member
    Options
    The whole reason for push-ups is to build your chest, triceps, and even your front deltoids. If you want core work, do planks, situps, crunches, reverse crunches, leg raises, etc.

    All the current recommendations for core work is to avoid crunches, sit ups and so on. Planks are great for core but are tedious. Push ups involve the entire core as you need to engage it to hold yourself. Yes it also works the arms and shoulders BR a push up is primarily a core exercise.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    Options
    You can use a staircase to work your way from the wall to the floor. Start with a step you can tolerate doing a set on, and progressively you move down the steps until you can do them on the floor.
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
    Options
    The whole reason for push-ups is to build your chest, triceps, and even your front deltoids. If you want core work, do planks, situps, crunches, reverse crunches, leg raises, etc.

    All the current recommendations for core work is to avoid crunches, sit ups and so on. Planks are great for core but are tedious.

    Completely depends on which trainer you're reading. Some promote, some are against, it's a matter of perspective.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    Options
    They aren't even close, but everyone has to start somewhere. Just keep trying to progress to the floor. Go from the wall to doing them on an incline, like a table top and then down to your couch or coffee table height and then floor, here we come! But don't stop there. Once you hit the floor you can elevate your legs onto that couch/coffee table, and then your legs go to the wall and you're doing handstand pushups!

    See, who said bodyweight workouts get stale after awhile? That's only 15% of the fun you can have with pushups.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    Options
    I wouldn't reccomend push up on your knees over wall push ups. They are the most ineffective push up you can do. You're cutting off your core, the whole reason for doing push ups! Stick with the wall ones and work your way down.

    The whole reason for push-ups is to build your chest, triceps, and even your front deltoids. If you want core work, do planks, situps, crunches, reverse crunches, leg raises, etc.

    While true, I think part of what they were getting at is that the plank aspect of pushups is a big part of what makes it so much harder than knee pushups or even regular bench presses. I know people that can bench their body weight easily but get winded on pushups, even tho a standard pushup is only about 65% of BW.
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
    Options
    I wouldn't reccomend push up on your knees over wall push ups. They are the most ineffective push up you can do. You're cutting off your core, the whole reason for doing push ups! Stick with the wall ones and work your way down.

    The whole reason for push-ups is to build your chest, triceps, and even your front deltoids. If you want core work, do planks, situps, crunches, reverse crunches, leg raises, etc.

    While true, I think part of what they were getting at is that the plank aspect of pushups is a big part of what makes it so much harder than knee pushups or even regular bench presses. I know people that can bench their body weight easily but get winded on pushups, even tho a standard pushup is only about 65% of BW.

    If people are doing bench presses properly (emphasis on properly) then their core should be plenty engaged. Benching one's body weight isn't all that significant, the real goal is 1.5-time one's body weight. If people are more tired after push-ups then after a solid bench session they're seriously doing something wrong. Now if you wanted to draw the same correlation between dips and bench press that's a more valid comparison I think.

Categories