Press-ups

[jack]

Last week I did a full press-up for pretty much the first time ever! I did 15 on the trot, and managed it a couple of times since.

I think I accidentally got indoctrinated into two contradictory ideas, that press-ups were surprisingly hard but that everyone could do at least some if they tried... and I really couldn't, I could just about get off the ground, but only by levering myself up one part of the body at a time. And I was embarrassed to think about that.

But I started doing occasional press-ups from my knees, and for a little while I've been doing sets of those, plus sets of sit-ups, and last week I suddenly felt inspired to see if I could do a full press-up, and apparently I could! I could hold my body straight, but it was hard work for my arms to do even 5. But that's probably good practice.

Comments

[highlyeccentric]

Are you carrying your weight around your middle? I think I've seen some photos in Liv's journal but I can't recall you clearly, other than that Liv describes both of you as fat. Nevertheless, if you're bigger in the midsection your centre of gravity might make plank push-ups harder than they are for guys with evenly distributed weight or who are all chest and shoulders. I believe in my Dad's fitness training (air force) women are instructed to do knee push-ups for centre of gravity reasons, even though of course a good many women can do plank push-ups.

It's good to know it's a develop-able skill, though! Last I tried I couldn't even do knee pushups.

[naath]

My experience is that almost all of this sort of thing are develop-able beyond your ability when you have done zero trying-to-develop but not all bodies will co-operate with developing them to the same extent.

I think I have some bug about *how* pushups are meant to be done that I can't fix without advice or a fucked up back because pushups make my back hurt :(

[spaceoperadiva]

If you can't do knee pushups, you could try wall pushups. The closer your feet are to the wall, the easier they are to do. So you can start with your feet really close and slowly work outwards until you're able to do knee pushups.

[lavendersparkle]

I used to do push ups to develop my core strength when I was doing Krav Maga. I started doing them against a window sill, then the edge of the bath and so forth until I could do them with my hands on the floor.

[spaceoperadiva]

Congrats! Lots of people can't do any, so I think it's a huge accomplishment.