Can’t do a single pushup

[fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn]

(25M) I’m looking to get more fit. In my entire life, I’ve never been able to do a single pushup. I can’t do a single knee pushup either.

I’ve tried the usual progression from wall pushups (which I can easily do) to incline pushups over the past few months. While if the incline is nearly vertical I can do a few, I can’t do a single one as the incline gets closer to 45 degrees. This is even after consistent practice, several times a week for months. I just don’t seem to be improving at all.

Any tips from here? Are my muscles just permanently atrophied and untrainable?

 

[abidingbranch]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn This sounds like a medical issue. You mention chronic fatigue, no progress after months of consistent training, a whole slew of prior medications… there is something else going on here. If you aren’t getting answers from the doctors you have seen so far, keep looking. If your primary care physician isn’t getting anywhere in their workup for this, see if they can send you to a neurologist and/or rheumatologist for additional investigation.

 

[2iddoc]

@abidingbranch This is the advice you need to follow.

 

[friendlyinvader]

@abidingbranch I 2nd this

 

[luckycharmwa]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn What's your current wieght if you don't mind.

 

[luckycharmwa]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn Okay so you're a pretty normal composition. When you practice a variant you can do, what are the rep and set ranges looking like? 3sets of 10 or 5 sets of 5 for example.

 

[fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn]

@luckycharmwa 3-4 sets of 10

 

[luckycharmwa]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn If this is challenging for you right now. The last rep feels difficult to complete. If it is just try adding a rep everywhere to each set. If it isn't try doing as many reps as possible then subtract 3 or 4.

 

[christian6000]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn You could change this to 3-4 sets of 8-12.

Only increase the difficulty when you can easily hit 12 on all your sets.

Make sure you increase it to a difficulty where you can hit at least 8 for all your sets.

 

[jonny01]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn Reps do in fact not matter that much. If it wasnt challenging and you couldve done, say, 40 reps then your 10 reps would not stimulate any sort of progression.
You should rather look at it in terms of intensity. It your 10 reps are all easy, even the very last one, either do more reps or lower the incline.

 

[mgistinger1]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn If you do a plank do you struggle to keep you midsection up and braced?

 

[jesuscares4u]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn I’m older than you and I have this problem for years. Amazingly I’ve slowly gotten better over the past few months by doing hypertrophy training. Specifically, chest presses, chest flies, skull crushers, tricep kickbacks. Just really basic exercises, working my way from lifting 10-25 lbs over the past two months. I’m still not able to do a full off the knee push-up with perfect form, but I have gotten so much closer lately than I’ve ever been.

Stick with the basics and improve your overall weightlifting fitness and you will get there

 

[nicosie]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn I've got to ask, you're at a relatively average size for your height and assuming your American. You're at a good age. Is there some sort of medical condition you suffer from?

 

[fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn]

@nicosie Never been diagnosed with anything. I do feel generally ill on a consistent basis and have unexplained insomnia (though that’s generally been written off as psychological).

 

[nicosie]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn What's your diet like? Also (don't answer if it's too intrusive) are you on any psychotropic medication

 

[fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn]

@nicosie Diet is fairly normal. I’ve been on close to 50 psychotropic medications in the past, none of which improved my condition at all

 

[quest20]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn Have you had a rheumatological workup, cpk testing , muscle biopsy? Been to a PM&R specialist? What specialty and degree is your doctor?

 

[fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn]

@quest20 Nope, I’ve never had any of these, definitely worth looking into. My internist is very highly qualified yet is devoid of ideas to help.

 

[quest20]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn Doctors have specialties for reasons. An internist who admits he/she is devoid of ideas yet is not willing to recommend other physicians to help uncover less common issues is not helpful at all.

 

[trendymom2]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn Sleep is important, I agree with the others who suggested to focus on that. What do you do instead of sleeping at night? If you're watching screens when it's dark outside, the blue light is known to mess with your body's circadian rhythm. Try a week of screens off and lights dimmed at sundown, and get outside so you have bright sunlight on your skin in the morning after its time to be awake.

I like listening to audio books when I'm in bed, the routine helps me sleep more often than not. If you find a narrator distracting, try rainfall sounds, ocean sounds, or sleep music playlists.