Push Ups

B

Bernard

Cathlete
Hi All,

While I was doing the Energy Sprint tape last night, I failed dismally at attempting Karen's push ups using the step. Instead I had to revert to doing an easy push up on my knees, on the floor.
What I am wondering is how many out there can do a FULL push up ? How many can you do without collapsing ? And how long did it take you to achieve that push up level ?

many thanks

Anna
 
Hi,

I usually do 8, and if I rest I can do maybe 6 more, and if I rest again about 4 more. But it took me a while to get to that level. Lifting very heavy on my chest workout has helped, but really you need to just keep attempting the straight leg push-ups. If you can only do one, great. If you try straight leg push-ups 2x a week, eventually you will be able to do two, then three, and so on.

Cari
 
Yes, it is definitely a challenge. I think Cathe's plank work definitely helps in being able to do more pushups. Also, the isometric holds she uses sometimes during pushup work increases your strength plus working through those sticky points. My goal is to do 15 straight leg correct form pushups. I can do about 5 before I collapse! My experience is that the knee on the floor pushups do nothing to increase your ability to do straight leg pushups. It is better to do 1 straight leg pushup correctly than 10 knee on the floor, IMHO.
 
Ditto to what Cari said! :)

Going heavy on my chest workouts (bench presses/flys) really helped me develop upper body strength, and just sticking in there and doing as many straight leg push ups as I could at any one time helped me develop the strength to do more each time.
So if you can only do 1 or 2, do them, and don't worry about how many you didn't do, be proud of the 2 you did, then each week try to push out 1 or 2 more, before you know it you'll be doing them all! :)

Donna
 
Anna:

I am a self-confessed ecto-chick wimp! I never do full push ups, only the knees variety!

But Aquajock, is she sees your post, will chip in and tell you of how she trained to do full push ups and can now pump them out faster than I can type this post!!!

Clare
 
RE: Aw, shucks folks . . .

. . . I'm blushing, I'm blushing.

Yes, I've been able to train up very nicely in the push-up department, although I've never been able to go over 51 straight-leg decline push-ups without a break, and I believe our own Honeybunch can belt off 75. So we need to call her too . . .

The only way to get good at push-ups is to do them. And do them off the toes. But you can start with wall or table push-ups to do a more moderate decline, and then just keep going down and down throughout a weeks-long program until you're comfortable doing them with both the hands and toes on the floor.

My standard upper body routine has always begun with push-ups, and I do as many as I absolutely can; then I go to pec flyes, then bench presses, and then a finish-off set of push-ups. Get 'em out of the way while your pec muscles are still fresh. Also, although I know many of Cathe's strengthening routines put the ab stuff at the very end, I'm a bottom-up person: do leg strengthening (warms up the quads), ab strengthening (warms up the core) and then push-ups, which will work not only the pecs, anterior delts and triceps but also recruit the abs/core and quads as stabilizers.

Just keep doing them. The only reason women feel they can't do them is that . . . well, they feel they can't. And so they don't try.

Annette Q. Aquajock
Your Inner Drill Sergeant
 
RE: Aw, shucks folks . . .

Thanks Annette !

You have inspired me ! 51, that is sooooooo impressive ! :-wow

And calling Honeybunch ! Please can we have your 2 cents ! 75 ! OMG I am speechless ! :-wow :-wow

Thankyou so much for the information ! I will start off doing them against the wall !

anna :)
 
RE: Aw, shucks folks . . .

Annette..
I noticed in the other thread you said do push-ups everyday. Wouldn't you consider this overtraining?? Atleast for the chest, tri and shoulders?? Instead of doing however many Cathe has us do in our workouts do you think you should just start out with pushups and do as many as you can solid and then move on to the other strengthening exercises??
I suppose on non-training days I could do 10-20 without tearing down any muscle fibers. Should I do this??

Thanks!

Janice
PS. You are my idol!!
 
RE: Aw, shucks folks . . .

Hi Annette,
May I ask how old you are? I'm assuming that you are are under 40? Just curious because I am older than that and really struggle with the pushups.
 
RE: Aw, shucks folks . . .

It doesn't matter how old you are. I am 45 and can do about 30 straight-leg pushups. It just gets better with practice. Age is no deterrent.
 
RE: Naughtoj and Sunset Beach

Hey, Janice! If I said I did push-ups every day, I misspoke; I do push-ups every WORKOUT, even on those days when I teach aqua (Wed. p.m. and Sat. a.m.)(I get in 2 sets of 20 each on the pool deck before class), and I do land workouts 3 other times (Mon. p.m., Thurs. p.m. and Sun. a.m.). To me, I just don't feel complete unless I do cardio AND total body weight and ab work each land session, and push-ups are pretty much a given. However, I do agree that one can totally overtrain with push-ups, and I've done it myself in the past! All things in moderation . . .

Sunset Beach, I turned 41 in July.

Annette Q. Aquajock
 
RE: Aw, shucks folks . . .

Others have said it as well, but don't let the age thing be a deterrent! I'm 46 & don't have a problem with pushups, although I'm certainly not in Annette's class! Lately I haven't seen how many I can do until failure, but I know it's at least 24 (& I mean straight leg). Now I'm curious & will have to try it & see.

Leslie
 
RE: Age factor, no way!

I'm hitting 60 this december--it's taken me over a year, but I can now hold a plank for almost a minute (think it was Aquajock that turned me on to planks) and now as a result of the planks can do 8 straight leg pushups, albeit not as low as they do on the videos. I am assuming that is ok? Is going all the way down important?
 
RE: Age factor, no way!

Doing push ups is more a factor of body type, limb and torso length than age. For petite people with low centers of gravity and short limbs and torsos, it will be easier, even if a short and tall person weigh the same--it's a matter of physics and lever arm lengths.

For me, at 6 feet, with very, very long legs and arms, I may never be able to do a straight legged push up--my center of gravity is very far away from the pivot point of the exercise, and the lever arm length of the working body part is long enough that the amount of force I have to exert and the distance I have to cover is much greater than my fellow exercisers who are more petite.

So, if ya can't get 'em perfect, do modifieds! The goal should be to do more than you can now, rather than to keep up with people who have different body types.

Keep pumpin'!
Maribeth
 
Big breasts

If you have big breasts you elevate yourself further from the ground. I am not massive in the chest department, but I find them easier on the step (8") or with push up bars.

Yen
 
RE: Big breasts

The Hooter Factor has never been an issue for me. Most people think they're my shoulder blades . . .

Annette Q. Aquajock
 
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