[Eumie]

Hi guys.

I'm in week 2 of my weight training. I mostly do squats and lunges and barbell exercises. Two days a week I do a total body cardio/strength workout that's short, but hard. The last three minutes of it is push-ups and variations on push ups.

I have problems with this for a couple of reasons. First, I can't do "boy" push-ups, and don't have precise form in "girl" push-ups because my stomach gets in the way of me lowering very far at all if I don't tilt my body a little. Secondly, my arms tire before I start to feel it in my back and chest. Lastly, I can't even make it through the whole three minutes if I DON'T do the variations, let alone if I attempt them.

So that leads me to my questions--First of all, how integral to weight training do you consider push-ups? And second of all, is this something I can work on later when I'm lighter and my stomach is not in the way and I've strengthened some of those muscles through barbell work, or do I just need to do some every day until failure?

What do your recommend? I appreciate any and all advice.

[zibsca]

Ahhh I have the same issue doing proper boy pushups. Have you tried wall pushups? They will help build up strength as you progress thru angle, eventually you'll get to the floor/boy pushups.

[astrophe]

I have to work on it from other angles before I can consider doing "standard" push ups or chin ups using body weight without modification.

I either have to work at chest press and lat pull down to strengthen the muscles used and/or lose some weight so I'm not having as much body weight to lift.

That's about it.

I doubt I'll be able to execute either until then. So I go with modified versions like wall pushups or slanted ones til I can get to where I can do a standard one.

A.

[Eumie]

Thanks, guys. That's kind of what I was thinking, but I really want to do this weight training thing the right way, so I figured I'd ask.

[Lifeguard]

I use the smith machine for push-ups. You can set the bar at whatever height is challenging for you & drop it lower as you get stronger. In my gym that is pretty much all the smith machine gets used for!

[devadiva]

I remember when I started working out I couldn't do them either and girl pushup were hard NOW they are my favorite. I have done 3 ROUNDS of p90x and they have a million different kinds and now am in my 2 ROUND of INSANITY and they have a million different kinds too I am still not great at MILATARY my favorite is pushup jacks. JUST KEEP at it and try a couple on your toes ALL the time. NOW PULLUPS.......thats another story I can only do a few still need to do chair assisted but I keep trying!

[Eliana]

You can also graduate off an exercise ball. Balance yourself at the hips or thighs and do a push up that way. The further down your body toward your toes you balance yourself, the harder it is.

[Eumie]

I started the New Rules book today, and I did my push-ups off of a chair back. It was pretty hard, but I think next time I'll try the couch for the low number of reps that they require.

I still have to work on getting an exercise ball and a replacement nut for our dumbbells. It's frustrating having to do one armed versions of exercises that should be done with both at the same time. But, it's working, because I sweat more and breathe harder than I do in cardio (probably because I don't push myself as hard in cardio). Plus, I can tell a difference in how I'm losing the weight since I've started doing more strength training.

Thanks for all the advice, ladies. Hopefully i'll get stronger and my belly will shrink so I can be doing real push ups in no time.

[ennay]

Originally Posted by Lifeguard

I use the smith machine for push-ups. You can set the bar at whatever height is challenging for you & drop it lower as you get stronger. In my gym that is pretty much all the smith machine gets used for!

+1