>Cathe,
>I've started on your workouts since last Fall in November. I'm
>serious about being healthy. Lost lots of weight by eating
>clean, gained muscle, and feel great.
>I'm doing push ups using my knees. I still can't do but only
>3 push ups with legs streight, then I have to revert back to
>knees. How can I gain the muscle needed to do streight leg
>push ups? This grandma of 53 is determined!
>
>Seriously involved in staying in shape,
>Janie
Dear Janie: I think I can help you learn to do "manly" pushups using the system of progressive overload. I am older than you, by the way, and I can do them. And if I can do them, so can you. It's just a matter of gradually training your body to accept the challenge. Most women can't do pushups because as you have discovered, we lack a lot of upper body strength. If you are already doing pushups from your knees, with your hands flat on the floor, you are halfway there.
All you would need is your step bench. The more risers you have, the better. I will put my method below, for someone unable to do any pushups even from her knees. Just pick up your own start point based on your level of fitness.
Using four risers on each side, with a total step bench height of 12 inches, perform pushups from your knees. When you can do three sets of 8, remove one pair of risers and work from a 10 inch platform. Again, when you can do all three sets, remove another two risers and go down to 8 inches. And do on, until you are doing pushups with your hands on the floor, from your knees.
Put all the risers back on your step bench and begin doing pushups from your toes. Strive to get three sets of 8. However long it takes, that's okay. When you can do those, remove one set of risers and repeat at 10 inches. Keep bringing the platform down one level until you're on the floor.
You can learn to do decline pushups much the same way, only this time, start with your toes on the four inch platform, and keep adding risers as you get stronger.
If you don't have all those risers, just use the two you probably have. This method will still work, although it may take you a bit longer to decrease the levels because you will be starting at a relatively difficult 8 inches. But the progressive overload is still the same.
Most women give up on pushups because they flop down on the floor and attempt them from their toes and pretty soon they're "kissing the carpet" as Cathe said in one of her routines. The leap from pushups on your knees to pushups on your toes is great. By teaching your body how to accomplish this in smaller doses makes it something almost all of us can do, with enough grit and determination.
Please try this system. You may very well surprise yourself!
Regards, Marlene