Want to stop "girl" pushups

[furyfull]

I'm currently doing pushups as part of my routine. The pushups are done as alternating sets with cable rows. The pushups I've been doing are "girl" pushups (on your knees). Years ago when I was very active I would do traditional pushups. I just can't seem to be able to do more than two or three of the traditional pushup now.

Background info: I'm a woman. Been working out Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays. Have workout A and B that alternate days. Workout A is barbell squats, alternating sets pushups and cable rows, alternating sets swissball prone jackknife and weighted stepups. Workout B is deadlifts, alternating sets lat pulldown and dumbbell shoulder press, alternating sets weighted lunges and planks. I've been at it for a month and I've already increased my weights by 10-20 pounds and gone from 2 sets 15 reps to 3 sets 10 reps with the heavier weights.

Any tips on how to transition back into doing traditional pushups? Or is it just a matter of being patient and allowing my other exercises to help me build up the strength I need to be able to do a traditional pushup?

[mtownballer20]

Do negatives. Start up and slowly control down to the ground. Then use your knees to reset yourself back up, and do it again. Do reps of that.

[furyfull]

That's an awesome suggestion, thank you. Once I get the hang of them and feel comfortable adding some weight, how do you do that? Small plate on your back? Or do you not do that?

[AfroMidnite]

There's a lot of push-up variations to make it more difficult. Easiest way to add weight is with a backpack. But personally I'd say once you can bang out 20 or 30 regular push-ups you should graduate on to dips, bench press etc.

[euco09]

Do negatives. Start up and slowly control down to the ground. Then use your knees to reset yourself back up, and do it again. Do reps of that.

Agree with this. 'Girl' push ups wont really help to to transition to proper pushups even if you get up to like 50 of them. You just need to keep trying negatives (of proper push ups) until you can do one push up all the way. That's how I started anyway

[melDorado]

Do push-ups from a raised surface, low table, step, stairs etc. Then you can do real pushps instead of girl ones which are totally pointless yes. As you get stronger use a lower step til you can do them off the floor. Worked for me.

[furyfull]

Thanks for the tips! Really hate doing girl pushups. They feel so useless. If I can do at least 15 of them in a row without really breaking a sweat right off the bat from being inactive for a few years then they really do suck. I need a challenge. Going to try negatives and will also try using a raised surface.

[Tcedotal]

I read somewhere once that a regular pushup is like moving 75% of your bodyweight. So maybe once you can move that amount of weight it will become significantly easier.

[furyfull]

I read somewhere once that a regular pushup is like moving 75% of your bodyweight. So maybe once you can move that amount of weight it will become significantly easier.

I picked up You Are Your Own Gym by Mark Lauren. Thinking of supplementing my three day a week weightlifting with bodyweight fitness once or twice a week. I'd make it to the gym five days a week if I could if I had enough time. Figured bodyweight fitness at home for half an hour is doable and would help me achieve goals like normal pushups.

[Rabbitjb]

If you prefer to remain on your knees you can progress by leaning further forward and moving knees back until you can get to full push up position

[lsiberian]

For me my core strength was weak on pushups when I first started training. By adding planks to my routine back then I was able to dramatically improve my pushups.

[furyfull]

For me my core strength was weak on pushups when I first started training. By adding planks to my routine back then I was able to dramatically improve my pushups.

Planks are part lf my routine. It originally called for swissball crunches but there was an amendment to use planks instead. First one I did I held for 22 seconds. Hoping to hit 60 seconds before autumn comes. Here's what the amendment to the routine says:



ALWYN COSGROVE advised us:

CRUNCHES (Swiss Ball / Reverse) Jan. 7, 2014 I asked Alwyn if there were any other changes to the NROLFW other than doing planks instead of crunches. He said: "That's about the only change where I do not recommend the old program at all. That said, there's a lot of updates to the workouts overall, but it's only the spinal flexion stuff that I'd want people to avoid. There are lots of way more effective core exercises in NROL4A (Abs) - planks, side planks, val slide push aways etc." From a speed coaching session: "I'm not concerned about avoiding it (spinal flexion) as much as I am about not using that as the primary focus (ie crunches). The research is clear - the stability type exercises activate MORE muscle than crunches. Spinal flexion movements mean less activation therefore less effective for our goals." -Alwyn Cosgrove

Guidelines
Holding a plank for a period of time is "one set". So, as an example, instead of doing 15 crunches you hold a plank for as long as you can.Once you can hold a plank or side plank for 60 to 90 seconds you can move on to variations.