Pushups are a common and effective upper body exercise, used for gaining strength and as part of most physical fitness tests. Pushups are a good barometer of overall fitness, and while some people struggle to string together a high number of reps, others cannot do even one. If you have trouble getting your body up off the floor, it is likely due to one or more common reasons.
Poor Technique
Technique is important in all resistance training exercises, and the pushup is no different. Your head and spine must be aligned, and your body must be straight to complete a successful repetition. Ideally, your hands are beneath your shoulders in the setup position; your feet are relatively close together. Move your feet a little wider apart if you have balance problems. Try pushup handles if your wrists get sore from the standard pushup position.
Weak Pushup Muscles
In all likelihood, it is muscle weakness that is causing the bulk of your problem. Pushups require upper body strength. If your upper body is not strong, you won't be able to do pushups. Strengthen your triceps, shoulders and lat muscles in your upper back, and you will probably have more success. Try the shoulder press, lat pulldown and triceps pushdown to build the muscle power you need for pushups.
Focus
If your workout focus is primarily on aerobic activity and lower body exercises, it is not difficult to understand why you can't do pushups. The nature of the exercise dictates that you need upper body strength. If it is important to you to be able to do pushups, change the focus of your workouts to incorporate more upper body work.
Training Help
An effective way to work your way up to doing full pushups is to try modified pushups. Try pushups from your knees rather than with a straight body. If that is still too challenging, lean on an angle against a table or countertop and do pushups that way. Practice daily and progress to the real thing as soon as you are able.
Member Comments