 Poster: A snowHead
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Please no laughing (I'm aware of the possible innuendo) - I'm deadly serious.
Is a press-up something easy to do - I can't even do a girls one properly resting on my knees with my ankles crossed. Is it all down to a lack of strength or a lack of technique - is it because my method is not correct or just because my arms aren't up to it?
Can anyone else not do one?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Megamum, keep practicing and you will soon build up the required muscle groups. Press ups are very good for you.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I'm not very good at them, not enough core strength still (I sag in the middle) but I can do loads of sit ups, wierd eh 
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This time last year I could do 40 with someone watching that they were being done properly to a timed bleep (and then the PTI told us to stop). Don't think I could do that many now mind...
Not being someone who knows much about physiology I can't comment on why you can't do them. It is likely a strength issue (I could only manage a couple of naff ones at one stage), so a bit of practice as FtS says and the muscles will realise what your trying to do and you'll improve very quickly. I love press ups, you can just get down and do them in a bit of open space, no equipment, nothing - just you and gravity.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I would personally say press ups are more of a strength matter rather than a technique matter.
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once you've got the girly ones sorted, try a few "easier" proper ones - with legs spread wide apart and hands well outside line with shoulders. Press ups can be weird - I've seen monster pro rugby players struggling, so don't worry too much about it, there are plenty of alternatives to do
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Quote: |
Do them against a wall until you get strong enough
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I can't work out what you mean by that... against a wall?
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I think a lot of women have difficulty with press-ups.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Megamum, if you struggle with full press ups start against a wall and slowly work towards getting parallel to the floor. next stage could be doing them with hands on the edge of a sofa for instance. important thing is to keep the back straight. Also, try some easy ones with elbows close in to the body...
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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jonm,
You stand away from wall like a push-up that has been tilted over in one of those film special effects(think Fred Astaire dancing on walls)...
Read the GI Diet book by Jenny Brand Miller ... they had someone write exercises for those likely to need Low GI - ie at risk of diabetes or diabetes... So they are designed for those not of gym junky states.... They start with wall push-ups...
Alternately check out Lisa Westlake's "Strong to the Core" She uses a fitball - but idea is similar.... start standing up with wall if you need to.... as you get stronger go to floor but make them easy - ie lift hands so less weight on arms... If you need harder than normal stick feet on a fitball....
(Note Lisa is an aussie physio... this idea has been used for a long time here... I am surprised it seems uncommon)
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You know it makes sense.
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skimottaret,
Hurrah... someone gets it 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Megamum, no, you're not the only one - I can't do any of any description, even at British Military Fitness
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Poster: A snowHead
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Ordhan, another good one for activating the core apart from the leaning rest you described is the "plank". 
I found it in a ski exercises book. You again have 4 points of contact with the ground, your palms of your hands (but with your forearms flat on the ground, upper arms at right angles to the ground) being 2 points and then with both feet balancing on toes on the floor being the other two points. Then you hold it there as long as you can with your back straight so your back looks like a "plank" of wood as it were.
It's hard but a good one for developing the inner core muscles. So I'm told. I'm no expert. I should think it's not a good exercise for those with a weak lower back though.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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VolklAttivaS5, I think that one's in Wii Fit.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
| I think a lot of women have difficulty with press-ups. |
I think that's because a lot of women, including me, aren't very strong in the upper body. I used to be able to do proper ones, but not many these days - and even just shifting furniture and things, I am becoming very weak. I need to do more, but I find press ups (and pull ups) difficult because of arthritic hands - those exercises put a lot of strain on them. I think I'll do that "plank" one, because it puts the weight on the forearms. No excuses, then....
I'm OK with sit ups. All the exercise classes to sit ups, but not many do press ups.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I'm glad its not just me - I shall persevere with them I think - maybe try some of these wall ones. Sit-ups I'm doing - 30 each morning, but I wanted something for the arms too. The daft thing is that I wouldn't have thought my arms weren't strong - I've milked goats night and morning for the last 15+ years and you would think all that squeezing action would have done some good 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Megamum, 10 years of doing them in the military regulary!!! " You are 10 seconds outside your target time for tonights march drop and do Push ups" " Hooah Sir How Many" "Till you die from doing them"
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DB, ah thank you.
I wonder what the lady said when she flopped back down again? I think it might have been something along the lines of "Aah thank God for that!"
Even a minute doing it is flipping hard. The most I've managed is 2 minutes I think....
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| DB wrote: |
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In boxing training we do press ups with a clap inbetween each rep
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Those are fun.
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and press ups with one person holding the other persons feet off the floor. |
Taekwondo we did them on fingertips, one foot on top the other.
| VolklAttivaS5 wrote: |
Even a minute doing it is flipping hard. The most I've managed is 2 minutes I think.... :lol: |
At 90 seconds the lactic acid bath is fully drawn and it becomes pointless. Split it up into multiple 70 second sets.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Quote: |
Taekwondo we did them on fingertips, one foot on top the other.
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I used to be able to make a cake while breastfeeding a baby and dictating a Ministerial submission
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pam w, That's multi-tasking - the chaps just won't comrehend
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| pam w wrote: |
breastfeeding a baby |
Is there an easier version, against a wall maybe?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Megamum, I wouldn't worry about it. My wife (who is both young and fit) struggles with them too. I'm not much better either, especially if I haven't done them for a while. It seems to involve a specific muscle group that doesn't get used for very much else. For example I do a fair bit of mountain biking which requires strong arms, but it does nothing for my ability to do press-ups. Only actually doing press-ups seems to help.
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| uktrailmonster wrote: |
| For example I do a fair bit of mountain biking which requires strong arms, but it does nothing for my ability to do press-ups. Only actually doing press-ups seems to help. |
The problem with -not- doing them is that one winds up with a physique like long-time rock climbers, hunched over with disproportionate shoulder and wing development and nothing but underskin fat up front. So clothing doesn't drape well, and a nicely erect dancer's posture becomes more and more difficult.
Oh, and there's no tricep structure to define those well-exercised biceps either.
BTW, an old set of metal road bike drop bars make a nice pressup stand and extend the range of motion available. Particularly for women. 
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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maggi, one has to keep oneself busy while waiting for the gorgeous bloke. There aren't many around, after all!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I can't do them either, but I did bike 22 miles yesterday on my new mountain bike. Seriously good fun.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Megamum, I was in a similar boat until a few years ago... couldn't do even a single press up, even from off my knees.
Decided to keep on practising until eventually i could do one off my knees. Over a few years i built this up bit by bit by bit until i can now do about 20 pull press-ups in one go.
If you want to do it, relentless practice will get you there... but you're certainly not the only woman that can't do them, i know plenty!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Megamum, you're not alone. Lots of women can't do press-ups! We did a challenge at the gym where I work last month doing a bench press with an olympic bar (20kg for women - about the same as a press-up off the knees for most women), and many of them couldn't do one. I think the female winner did about 60, and I managed a creditable 35. I can do about 20-25 full press-ups, but don't find them easy and I train quite a lot.
All the suggestions are good - start against a wall, then develop to knees, knees with feet raised and finally full press-ups. Some chest presses should also help you, but this doesn't develop the core muscles as well as full press-ups do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Another incompetent here - but then I can't bend my hands back beyond 45° anyway so have to use fists as a support instead of flat hands when I try
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eng_ch, try the roadie handlebar idea.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Megamum, You're in good company - I cant do them to save my life I blame it on having grotty shoulders. Perhaps I could if I persevered - I'll try the 'up against a wall ' suggestion
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