I can't do them - I try and try but I just can't! My elbows just won't unlock and let me dip. I think I'm scared of falling flat on my face.
I'm going to print out Krista's pushup page and work on it.
Not even one from your knees?
Try pressing from the floor to start the push-up. There won't be any risk of "falling flat on your face". Even if you only manage partial ROM pushups from your knees, they will make you stronger if you work hard on them.
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I hate push-ups. I think they are the spawn of the devil but damn if they make your arms look so good.
Unless you are both strong and light they are very hard. I am a pretty good presser, but 20 push-ups is about all I have in me at this bodyweight.
I do them standing up - with my feet about 18" (?) from the wall. My knees are shot so I can't do them from my knees, and like the rest of you, full body ones are not possible at this stage of my life/WL. The wall ones really work my arms though.
concentration curls- sit on a bench with your legs bent and a little wider than shoulder width apart. Taking a weight in one hand, place your elbow on the inside of your knee/thigh part and bend the weight up towards your shoulder and down to your calf.(palm up) I do 3 sets of 10 of these, you might start at a 5lb weight. Alternate to the other arm.
chest presses-lie down on a bench or the floor and take a weight in each hand. You want to raise the weights (palms away from you) with a straight arm directly over your chest and then lower your arms bending at the elbow to an even line with your shoulders. Do not bend your elbows lower than your shoulder line. Again, do 3 reps of these.
chest flies- lie down on a bench or the floor and take a weight in each hand. With the weights (palms together) pull away from each other slightly arching your arms out by your sides along your chest line. Do 3 reps of these.
These are basic arm excercises and by no means am I an authority on these but I've tried to describe them as best as I could. Over many months of doing these, I've gradually gone from 5lb weights to 12 and 15 lbs and the sculpting of my arms is really dramatic!!! Start slow and you'll be okay. good luck!!
Thanks for the suggestions, I think I'll try the standing up press-ups and work my way towards doing press-ups on the stairs, progressively getting lower.
Pat, my knees are strange as well. The puff up a lot - no reason necessary. In fact they seem to have a mind all of their own. I've always put it down to having ridden motorbikes in all weathers in my 30s - I only stopped when my knees got painful.
Woo hoooo!! I tried the wall push-ups and they are great - and I've started practising doing the stairs push-ups as recommended by Krista. I'm going to have to work slowly at those because, although my arms are holding out, I seem to have a real fear of hurting my face by falling on it (which is possibly why I hated sports at school).
But don't forget in order to have defined toned muscles you need to have a good low fat clean diet and to do plenty of cardio in order to burn the fat on top of the muscle in order for the muscle to pop through...
Hope this helps and keep us posted on your progress...
My PowerPump class does kickbacks, extensions and the skull-crusher ones, but I never considered doing the extensions sitting on a ball - hmmm, may have to try that. I worked my poor tris hard on Sat, they are still sore!
For push up problems, try doing them on a stability ball. You can keep it up on the thighs for beginners, and gradually push the ball out towards your ankle (advanced).
Best exercises for trimming inches off arms quickly??
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The wall ones really work my arms though.
Right on Sistah!! 
