I can't do a push up or pull up

[chocheaven]

I've been trying for months now and I can't do a push up or pull up without assistance. I just feel so awkward doing push ups as though my arms aren't in the right place and I have barely any strength to get right down to the floor and back up again. I really want to be able to do both as I know how much of a good exercise they are for upper body strength. Any tips please?

[KathleenRyan]

For both pull ups and push ups, try keeping your glutes and abs tight throughout the movement. That's something that can help that not many people think about.

If possible, building chest and tricep strength doing very lightweight dumbbell workouts can also help (such as dumbbell floor press, dumbbell skullcrushers, tricep extensions...).

For working on pull ups, try focusing on only the "negative" part of the pull up. Cheat your way to the top using a really thick resistance band, someone lifting your legs, or just start at the top from a chair. Then as slow and controlled as possible, lower yourself down to the bottom of the pull up position. Working on the negative only will still strengthen your back and reinforce the pull up movement pattern.

Lastly - Make sure you're eating protein and fueling the muscles enough to let them grow.

[chocheaven]

For both pull ups and push ups, try keeping your glutes and abs tight throughout the movement. That's something that can help that not many people think about.

If possible, building chest and tricep strength doing very lightweight dumbbell workouts can also help (such as dumbbell floor press, dumbbell skullcrushers, tricep extensions...).

For working on pull ups, try focusing on only the "negative" part of the pull up. Cheat your way to the top using a really thick resistance band, someone lifting your legs, or just start at the top from a chair. Then as slow and controlled as possible, lower yourself down to the bottom of the pull up position. Working on the negative only will still strengthen your back and reinforce the pull up movement pattern.

Lastly - Make sure you're eating protein and fueling the muscles enough to let them grow.

Thank you