Girl Push-Ups

[TheDevilAside]

I can do more than 1 full push-up. At no point have I said I can't. In fact I can do about 10 before I have to stop, but that's more to do with poorly wrists than anything else.

I assumed. When I said that people who can't do one regular push up are in poor condition, you seemed to take that statement very personally and defended yourself by saying something like, "say what you want to, but I'm in very good shape."

BUT I do know men that can lift heavy weights, but cannot do push ups.

How heavy is "heavy weights"? I don't believe that, honestly. Unless the guys you're talking about have never done any types of pectoral exercises, they're going to be able to do at least 5 push ups. Unless they can't benchpress 50% of their weight, and even if you weigh 300lbs, 50% of your weight isn't much. Are you sure you're not exaggerating?

Because the thread was about male/female push ups

They're not male/female push ups. They're two different types of exercises that work the same muscles to varying degrees. Are there girl/guy crunches? Girl/guy squats? No... Aefbird already pointed this out.

[AngelaG]

I assumed.

Well you know what they say about assuming!

Are you sure you're not exaggerating?

Yes I am quite sure, but thanks for patronising anyway!

They're not male/female push ups. They're two different types of exercises that work the same muscles to varying degrees. Are there girl/guy crunches? Girl/guy squats? No... Aefbird already pointed this out.

I was referring to the title of the thread. I don't know if you've noticed but it was called "girl push-ups"?

[47MartialMan]

Is it like anything that takes lots of determination, sweat, and practice?

[AngelaG]

Is it like anything that takes lots of determination, sweat, and practice?

 

Sure and it's also a personal choice. Personally I think that 100 push ups from the knees are just as good, if not much better as 25 full push ups. It's like sometimes I will do sit-ups and may decide to do 100, other times I will do full on stomach crunches and may decide to only do 50.

 

Variation. The spice of life!

[47MartialMan]

Is it like anything that takes lots of determination, sweat, and practice?

 

Sure and it's also a personal choice. Personally I think that 100 push ups from the knees are just as good, if not much better as 25 full push ups. It's like sometimes I will do sit-ups and may decide to do 100, other times I will do full on stomach crunches and may decide to only do 50.

 

Variation. The spice of life!

Yes, I can see that to a degree. The difference is 100 from the knees, being a exercise of stamina. The other, the 25 regular, are developing strength.

 

However, to strengthen the wrists and arms, the normal push up can be practiced as:

 

Phase 1. Keeping the body up in start position only. Using a timer, try to beat each previous time. try for about 6-8 weeks.

 

Phase 2. Hold the body and half up positon. Use the timer in the same fashion. Practice for the same amount of time.

 

Phase 3. Repear phases 1 & 2, with feet elevated on chair.

 

The key is to start of easy and beat each time.

 

Personal choice-granted. But women can do regular pushups given determination, sweat, and practice.

 

Then again, I know some guys that cannot even perform 5.

[AngelaG]

Has anyone tried doing push-ups where the hands start really narrow and gradually work as far out as you can go? Or round the clock push ups where one hand starts at "12 o' Clock" and gradually works its way around whilst the other stays still, then change hands. Or ones where you start with the fingers pointing inwards and then slowly change which way the fingers point. These are killers.

[steveb]

This is slightly off topic, but does anyone else do group pushups in their classes? This is where you get 4 people and each person puts their feet across the shoulders of the person to their left, creating a square where all 4 people only have their hands on the floor. Then, as a group, all 4 people do their pushups. It is a fun activity to break up the regular warm-up routine.

[DokterVet]

Yes, I can see that to a degree. The difference is 100 from the knees, being a exercise of stamina. The other, the 25 regular, are developing strength.

 

25 reps will mostly increase endourance. It is not an effective rep range for increasing strength.

[47MartialMan]

I see what you mean. I was keeping within the general confines

[TheDevilAside]

I really hate it when people misunderstand me, so I'm sorry, but I have to drag this on..

Well you know what they say about assuming!

It was a reasonable assumption, since you took a statement personally that had nothing to do with you, neither was it directed at you.

Yes I am quite sure, but thanks for patronising anyway!

I wasn't patronizing. I was asking a question and making sure you weren't exaggerating just for the sake of illustrating a point. I still don't believe you because what you're saying is highly unlikely. 99% of the time this is not going to be the case, unless they all have a very strange physical disability that allows them to lift "heavy weights" (again, what do you mean by "heavy"? And what kind of lift? I'm guessing you mean benchpress since you're correlating it with a pushup) on the benchpress, but can't repeat basically the same motion with half of their bodyweight (which in any case, shouldn't be a problem). Even if this is true, it doesn't serve as a relavent or useful point in your argument, because it's an anomaly.

I was referring to the title of the thread. I don't know if you've noticed but it was called "girl push-ups"?

No you weren't. You were referring to what the thread was about, not explicitly the title, you said so yourself. The thread was (yeah, past tense now) about two different types of push ups, not comparing the physical capabilities or disabilities of men and women. Which I don't have a problem with, but you approached it sarcastically and in a self-righteous manner.

Personally I think that 100 push ups from the knees are just as good, if not much better as 25 full push ups.

Unless you're training for extreme endurance against light resistance (which is impractical, whether you're a martial artist or a computer programmer) then doing 100 knee push ups is a waste of time. Full push ups will work your muscles harder, train to you resist heavier weight for longer periods of time, give you more explosive power, train you to recruit muscle fibers more effectively, and build muscle more effectively in a shorter amount of time. In this case, it isn't about variety. Doing 100 knee pushups is simply a waste of time... that's like ringing a doorbell 100 times rather than doing 5 fingertip pushups to strengthen your grip. Variety comes into play when you're talking about power lifting vs. calisthenics, which are both viable means of gaining strength.