is it harder for big busted women to do press ups or am I just weak!

[BishCalledWanda]

I consider myself pretty strong and fit... However I have a huge rack and long arms and find full press ups a struggle! I can do three max full ones in decent form. Is it worth persevering or are some people just not built for them? Are they beneficial to core strength?

[shesprints]

At 5'4'', 148, you will likely have trouble with any bodyweight exercise simply because your weight is high for your height and you're likely carrying a fair amount of fat. So bodyweight exercises like press-ups (I call them pushups, must be a regional thing) and pullups will be difficult. That can be good, though! You can always do sets of 2-3 and build from there.

[BishCalledWanda]

Yeah good point haha but I have always found them a struggle even when thinner.the thing is I am very muscular framed and don't think I have much fat except boobs and hips..I think so anyway but could be in denial! Is there a good way I can measure my body fat accurately? What would be a good weight for someone my height who is a muscular hourglass?

[thehobbes]

Ohhh I thought you meant bench press - which should be easier with larger boobage because you'll have less distance to travel. Press ups = push ups? Just keep working at it, lots of people post here about having trouble doing push ups, pull ups, and other similar things. I don't think it has a whole lot to do with height/weight unless somebody has extreme numbers (it'd be very difficult for a 300lb person to do pull ups for example.) I think we have fairly similar proportions, before lifting nope couldn't do a whole lot of pull ups, push ups, etc, now after a lot of practice I can, just keep hitting it hard OP.

[oregonchick76]

Yeah good point haha but I have always found them a struggle even when thinner.the thing is I am very muscular framed and don't think I have much fat except boobs and hips..I think so anyway but could be in denial! Is there a good way I can measure my body fat accurately? What would be a good weight for someone my height who is a muscular hourglass?

You have to consider a strict push up is the equivalent to benching something like 65-70% of your body weight. So if you can't bench 90-100 lbs, you will have a hard time with push ups.

[steindayle]

I consider myself pretty strong and fit... However I have a huge rack and long arms and find full press ups a struggle! I can do three max full ones in decent form. Is it worth persevering or are some people just not built for them? Are they beneficial to core strength?

Pics for body fat estimation

[BishCalledWanda]

Thanks everyone for great advice and encouragement. I feel so fat and ignorant compared to all of yous...yes press ups is what we call them this side of the pond usually. Gonna check how much i can press at the gym next week and go from there. Will post pics defo will be really useful to know my body fat and areas I need to improve etc very embarrassing though as I've had two kids..

[BishCalledWanda]

Should i go on how much weight I can lift for one rep or 12??

[Madi-J]

Should i go on how much weight I can lift for one rep or 12??

Start small and increase as needed. Check YouTube for videos on form. Please try not to injure yourself in order to determine why push-ups are difficult for you. I am definitely not an expert, but if it were me, I would start with the bare bar and do sets of 3-5, adding 10lbs (5lbs per side) until I got to a weight that was hard to do. Keeping in mind that depending on how much weight you have to add before it gets difficult, your arms will tire a bit from everything leading up to that weight. Make sense? I don't know if it would be different over there, but over here, your standard bench press bar weights 45lbs, in case you didn't know...I didn't when I started and was very surprised that it was so heavy, hahaha.

[thehobbes]

I saw this invention this guy made for a fitness machine, even though they didn't name it this it literally is an assisted push up machine. I was like damn now that is a great idea, just like the assisted pull up machine, considering how many people are unable to do an actual push up to start with. Not sure the name but some dude called Cactus Jack makes it, saw it on the show Shark Tank. I watch that show soley to see the people who create specialty peanut butters and cupcakes so I can then google it and order them, srs. There's a lot of fitness crap on there every time though.

[Madi-J]

I saw this invention this guy made for a fitness machine, even though they didn't name it this it literally is an assisted push up machine. I was like damn now that is a great idea, just like the assisted pull up machine, considering how many people are unable to do an actual push up to start with. Not sure the name but some dude called Cactus Jack makes it, saw it on the show Shark Tank. I watch that show soley to see the people who create specialty peanut butters and cupcakes so I can then google it and order them, srs. There's a lot of fitness crap on there every time though.

You mean this?

http://buybodyjac.net/

[AnnalisaLynn]

Are you trying to do push ups from your toes without trying modified variations first? I have clients that never thought they could do push ups but simply taking them through easier variations of the movement to build up their strength made the difference. I don't think I have a single client between the ages of 14 and 70 that isn't doing some form of a push up even if it's 'women's pushups'.

Some started as far out as doing push ups standing with their hands on the wall first...then worked their way to hands on a bench...then to knees on the ground, hands on the bench...then knees on the ground, hands on the ground...then to full push ups. It can happen! Be patient and be consistent!

[thehobbes]

You mean this?

http://buybodyjac.net/

OMG yes that's it! Million dollar idea right there.

[BishCalledWanda]

Thanks so much everyone for being gentle I feel so ignorant! yeah I was doing them from my toes.. And trying hard to keep good form.. Can't wait to get on the bench and see how much i can lift, I guess I will need a partner though? Will ask an instructor.. That machine looks ace!! Gonna get on floor now n see if I can manage four haha..

[AnnalisaLynn]

Sounds like a plan and don't ever be discouraged. When I first started I couldn't get 3 push ups from my knees without feeling like I may split my sternum. Stay consistent...you've got this

[oregonchick76]

Thanks so much everyone for being gentle I feel so ignorant! yeah I was doing them from my toes.. And trying hard to keep good form.. Can't wait to get on the bench and see how much i can lift, I guess I will need a partner though? Will ask an instructor.. That machine looks ace!! Gonna get on floor now n see if I can manage four haha..

No, you don't need a spotter. Work with weight you can do for at least 3-5 reps. And don't put the clips on - if you fail, you want to be able to dump the plates.

[AnnalisaLynn]

No, you don't need a spotter. Work with weight you can do for at least 3-5 reps. And don't put the clips on - if you fail, you want to be able to dump the plates.

If she has never benched before it couldn't hurt to have someone there to watch her form...imo...

[itsagoodday]

I'm confused. How did this go from a thread on push ups to OP maxing out on bench? Does she even know how to bench? Because it's kind of sounding like she doesn't, which makes it a horrible idea. That, and I've never noticed a correlation between my push ups and my bench, so I'm not sure there's even a valid point to that experiment.

OP, the advice below is the best you've been given. You can certainly do as many push ups as you can from your toes, but build up some volume by doing sets with one of the other push up variations (on knees, hands on a bench, etc.)

Are you trying to do push ups from your toes without trying modified variations first? I have clients that never thought they could do push ups but simply taking them through easier variations of the movement to build up their strength made the difference. I don't think I have a single client between the ages of 14 and 70 that isn't doing some form of a push up even if it's 'women's pushups'.

Some started as far out as doing push ups standing with their hands on the wall first...then worked their way to hands on a bench...then to knees on the ground, hands on the bench...then knees on the ground, hands on the ground...then to full push ups. It can happen! Be patient and be consistent!

[Artemis00]

That, and I've never noticed a correlation between my push ups and my bench, so I'm not sure there's even a valid point to that experiment.

I agree with this^^^

I also have never noticed a correlation between push ups and bench. I could easily do sets of 10 push ups (and more) well before I could even bench 50% of my body weight. I have a friend that can bench 80-90% of her body weight and would fail after 12 push ups whereas I could bench the same percentage and easily do 50 push ups in a row. And now at a bench of about 105% body weight I can easily do sets of 10 clapping pushups whereas I know people that can bench 115% of their body weight and can't do even one.

With body weight exercises....the easiest way to progress after you are capable of doing one with good form is to keep doing that exercise with good form. So if you can do 3 push ups with good form...then do as many sets of 2-3 as you can throughout the day. Then strive for 4 reps. And keep doing this and you will probably see your numbers go up and maybe even move onto harder push up exercises.

[thehobbes]

Yep, there really is no correlation between push ups and bench, not sure why people always think that, it's a whole different exercise using different things (no stabilizers/balance involved vs those being used heavily and being very important.) And no, if you don't bench OP don't go trying to max test it, it would be pointless and dangerous. Learning how to bench though would be a good thing to do, take it slow and learn how to do it correctly.

(Only mentioned bp at first cause I didn't know what "press up" meant.)