Push Ups - Straight Leg or Bent Knee

hoffmasa

hoffmasa

Cathlete
I was just curious how everyone else is doing with the Push Ups? I can not do push ups with a straight leg, especially with doing as many as these dvd's are requiring. I'm amazed at Cathe's ability to do them and continue to actually talk through the movement!

Is anyone else experiencing this? Any input is appreciated.
 
Well, I just did disc 1. Let's just say I did what was necessary! Managed straight leg through the warm up, then it was bent knee. At one point I even had to do "granny style" (lower my chest and keeping my butt up - my muscles were that wasted! Glad she showed that modification in Cathe TV :)) Good luck!
 
I'm totally on my knees for the majority of these. I tried to do the straddle ones with the step but only got 6 of those out. For the bootcamp ones, I just did regular on my knees. Something to work towards - doing all the pushups on my toes! It's nice to see that I'm not alone in this though.
 
It depends on the style of pushup. For the most part I can handle a straight leg pushup. There are a couple I have to do with bent knee or a WIDE straight leg base (which takes some of the weight load off a straight leg style) Low ends and military style require the modifications I mentioned because those two particular style bother my shoulders or put too much load on my triceps.
As long as you are working the correct muscle group, I wouldn't be worries about any kind of modification one might need. It is always better to be safe than sorry!
Brenda in Indiana
 
I just finished Disc 1 and I did ALL my push up on my knees. Aside from doing the 1RM testing I haven't lifted weights since July.

Robin
 
Pushups!

AARGH! With discs 1 and 4, weeks 1 & 2, I was able to do a few straight leg at the beginning of each set, then dropped to my knees. Till the last set in disc 4--could NOT finish that final push UP. Well, today was disc 7, week 3: not only did I drop to my knees, I had to go to the table top position for several reps. The last set I even paused the DVD so I could get them done, could not keep up with the count. I am not feeling stronger yet! :(
 
I'm a push up wimp... for now. :D I'm doing the bent knee modification. I'm on week 2, and I've noticed an improvement already as far as being able to complete the reps. Forget the straddle pushups though. I'm just not able to do them yet. I also do the bootcamp ones bent knee. I'm hoping that by meso 2, I will be able to do most (if not all) straight leg.
 
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All knees, I tried to do a couple straight today, but there are like 100 of them, so knees it is!
 
I'm doing two weeks of each mesocycle 1 week, so I've done Disk 1 twice. The first time was a killer, I did most on my knees, but had to go "granny style," as someone said above, for a few and ended up a rep or two behind at the end of the last few sets. The second time I did it, okay, it was still a killer, but I was able to start out on my toes and then finished on my knees, doing all the reps. So, I'm definetely improving. I do Disk 4 tonight. Did I see drop sets? AARGH
 
Disc 1 for me today. I got through the 1.5 push ups like a breeze--thought I had it made. Well, I didn't. Bent knees all the way for me, but I'm proud that I didn't have to resort to table top.

Question: When doing the straddle push ups, obviously I can't do those on my knees. I resorted to doing regular pushups if I just couldn't do the move since I was using bent knees. Did anyone else do this??

--Tara
 
MsTara said:
Question: When doing the straddle push ups, obviously I can't do those on my knees. I resorted to doing regular pushups if I just couldn't do the move since I was using bent knees. Did anyone else do this??

--Tara
Click to expand...

Tara-you CAN do the straddle push ups on your knees! I'm repeating weeks and when I did the straddle pushup sthis past week for the second time, I tried putting my knees on the outside of my step (with legs spread/straddled as in Cathe-style) and it worked really well! Try it!

Gayle
 
I hate push ups. I was able to do straight leg for the first 4 and then had to modify to finish out. I did this for the standard, wide, standard (the first 3 sets) and then my chest gave out on me for the remaining sets and I could not do another one straight leg and had to modify, even though I attempted one here and there. I did Disc 1 yesterday and today I am definitely feeling it. I am sore. I have been stretching ALL DAY. :eek:
 
I started with straight leg. Iknew I would not last long because have radial/medial/ulnar nerve palsy and all the complications tha go with it!! Then I switched to on knees!! I thought for sure I would be good with those. Ulitimately I ended up with table top!! Disapointing, however if I consider my injury into th mix I definetly gave it my all.
 
I also do them ALL on my knees. When I'm feeling strong, I have a nice straight back and my feet off the floor. I have to work to have good form and not cheat on my knees. My butt has a tendency to want to stick in the air as I get tired. :eek:

Fortunately, I do have a strong lower body. I expect a lot of women are in this situation -- basically, pear-shaped. :p
 
It starts with one.

Hi,

I was not able to do push ups on the toes either for the longest time. So I tried to do 1 rep on my toes and then drop to my knees. I increased that to 2 and so one. Now I can do about 25 before I have to stop for a break.

My record is 72 in drop set format - I was able to do that after I practiced with Gym Style Chest and Triceps workout. It took me about a year to get to that level. Also, I consistently increased my weights for bench press, chest flys, and other upper body workouts and eventually my push reps increased with ease over time. Pulls ups and Chin ups also help build the upper body.

You just have to practice, be patient, and keep at it.

My favorite phrase for getting to the next level in any exercise: it starts with one.

So start with one and go at your pace. In some time you will look back and be like - push ups no problem!
 
I read a really good article on increasing the # of pull ups/chin ups you can do (I'd provide the link, but I didn't bookmark it). In any event, some of what the author said can be used as advice for pushups, too. He said the only way to get better at pull ups is to do pull ups. He said, sure one-arm rows will increase back strength, but don't expect to do a bunch of those and then magically crank out 12 pull ups. So I think the best way to do pushups is to just keep doing them, whether on our knees or granny style, just keep doing them and next month or so, your #s will increase. And thanks to Cathe, there is no shortage of pushups in mesocycle 1!!

To tell the truth, I was really pissed at myself when I couldn't finish all the pushups from Disc 1 on my toes (heck, I couldn't finish the '30' reps on my knees!) but then I thought about it and I'm glad I didn't get it my first time out - it gives me a goal and a challenge to work towards.

As for the straddle pushups - I have the toughest time with those, but I find that the wider apart I have my feet, the easier they are.

Also, another trick is to do the pushups in a Low Impact Circuit sort of fashion - in that workout Cathe does the up motion on the knees, then the low motion on the toes, and vice versa - I think this helps. I try to do triceps pushups in this fashion because a straight set of on-the-toes triceps pushups, for me, is too tough. For now. :)
 
My upper body is really weak. I'm still not able to do a straight-leg on-the-toes push-up (currently doing on my knees, then table-top toward the end), but I'm hopeful that somewhere in meso 1, it'll happen. I'm also terrible with chin-ups/pull-ups. Just bought an Iron Gym (it's being delivered tomorrow) and I'm going to work on negatives first, to build strength. I also have Woody Bands as an option. I love the idea that "it starts with one!"

The first time I did disc 1 of meso 1, I had to skip the last set of push-ups altogether because I just couldn't squeeze one more out. This morning (I'm doing the 6-month rotation), I did disc 1 for the second time, and was able to do half of the final set of push-ups. So at least there's progress!
 
I'm doing all the push-ups on my knees. But, used to be, not only was I on my knees, I also couldn't get way low on the downbeat (chest nearly touching floor). I may still be on my knees but at least these days I'm moving more than 3"(without collapsing) when I lower down! It took forever to get to where I could do that. It's cool. I'll get there...
 
I'm doing all of the reps, but they are mostly on my knees! I can usually get through the first couple of sets on drop sets on my toes, but everything thereafter is all knees! So glad to see I'm not alone!
 
I start out on my toes and drop to my knees, pushups kill my wrists. I need to try the suggestion another poster had of using a rolled yoga mat. Straddle pushups are so uncomfortable for me, don't know what I'm doing wrong but my shoulders pinch (and wrists hurt) when doing these. Its so frustrating....aside from the pushups I"m loving Meso 1!
 
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