Can’t do a single pushup

[carlamaejose]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn Brah, see a physiotherapist. You either have something going on or you’re not doing the progressions with correct technique/form to develop strength. You also don’t seem to be doing nearly enough - incline, you should be doing 25 per set pretty easily before moving on.

 

[briannahamel]

For anyone telling you to take TRT, tell them to get fucked. You don’t ever be able to get off of it. You’re going to feel lethargic if you don’t workout and relax whenever you get the chance. Also another simple entry level would be cold showers.

 

[cooldude123]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn You need to do an activity that’s more than just push-ups to get more compound muscle gains. You’re running up against weak muscles somewhere, so working a different yet related exercise may help.

 

[fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn]

@cooldude123 any suggestions? my entire body is extremely weak so where would you recommend one start in my position

 

[cooldude123]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn So, there’s yoga and Pilates. I suggest the former because getting used to certain positions, such as planking and downward dog, could help. Doing the “shoulder” pushups of starting from downward dog, as well as modifying your push-ups (wide for chest) can work under-used muscles.

 

[franciscovelasco]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn are you able to do several sub maximal sets throughout the day?

For example, a set when you wake up, and then a set after your morning routine, a set before and after lunch, a set when you get home, and a set after you’re done doing whatever it is your do right after you get home.

I’ve found it to be a pretty good way to get the reps in without being overly taxing.

 

[fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn]

@franciscovelasco Well I’m not able to do a single pushup so I don’t see how I could do that

 

[jermgray1]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn The comment didn’t say you have to do full push-ups. Do a variation that is doable for you and do them throughout the day. That might be negatives or high incline. For negatives you don’t need to push yourself back up. Just control the descent for 4-5 secs, then flop on the ground and reset.

 

[fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn]

@jermgray1 that’s basically what I’ve been doing for a few months now but I haven’t gotten any stronger

 

[franciscovelasco]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn You don’t have to do a single pushup.

You said the closer you get to 45 degrees, the harder it gets. So do a push-up with your hands on a table or something.

Start where ever you are. Monday-Friday, if you can only do 1, then only do one. Take the weekend off.

The next week, do two. (This is an example. If you can do 3 kinda comfortably, great! If not, do two.)

When you get to 8, re-evaluate the angle you need and repeat.

 

[fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn]

@franciscovelasco I’m unable to do a table at this point. I’ve been doing a high cabinet for a few months but have failed a single rep on anything lower.

 

[franciscovelasco]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn How many times a day? How many days a week?

How’s your diet? Sleep? Stress levels?

 

[fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn]

@franciscovelasco 3-4 reps of 10, 5 days a week.

Diet is alright. Sleep isn’t great (I have an untreatable sleep disorder). I have no real source of stress in life despite feeling a large amount of stress (irrationally, I suppose).

 

[franciscovelasco]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn And you’ve been doing that for months?

Okay. There’s a bit to unpack here.

I read in another comment that you’re quite tall, I’m assuming that means your limbs are pretty long. Understand, that puts you at a disadvantage as far as the biomechanics are concerned. More distance to travel = more work to do. Basic physics, but I’m sure you know that. I say that make the point that you shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. You’re untrained, and that’s okay. You’ve already done the hard part in committing to make a change. Everything now is trial, error, and not giving up in the meantime.

As far as the sleep goes, I’m no sleep specialist, but you need to do whatever you can to sleep as well as you can. Anyone into fitness will tell you that sleep is vital to recovery, which it sounds like is your problem. I don’t know about anyone else, but if I sleep like crap, I perform like crap. Do whatever you can do sleep as well as you can. Sleep and your diet should be your priority here.

As far as repetition volume goes: assuming you just did 30 repetitions a day, that’s 150 reps a week. That’s way too much volume for someone untrained, especially with recovery issues.

That program that I outlined in a previous comment was a bastardization of the routine that we used when I went to the US Army airborne school. When I started, I struggled to do 4 chin ups, and when I left, I was doing sets of 10 comfortably. The first week, we did a set of 4 before and after chow, breakfast/lunch/dinner. The second week, we did 6. The third week, we did 8.

Admittedly, I’m also 5’7” with my T-Rex reach, so it bears repeating: don’t be so hard on yourself.

If I were you, I would take a week off. Sleep as best you can and get your protein in. Then, see where you’re at. Reevaluate from there.

Also, if a psychologist is on the table for you, might not be a bad idea to talk to one, though I suspect at least part of the stress is because you’re being too hard on yourself.

 

[fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn]

@franciscovelasco Thanks for the advice!

I’ve been in psychotherapy for around a decade and I’ve been to several top sleep specialists, all of whom were baffled by my condition and could not treat me. At this point it seems like I’ve just lost the genetic lottery with regard to sleep and stress levels.

 

[franciscovelasco]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn

lost the genetic lottery

That might be the case, but it’s not insurmountable. Genes aren’t everything, and I’m confident that you can overcome them. You can do this!

Also: happy cake day!

 

[chrincle]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn Do you feel the exhaustion and fatigue in your muscle after doing 10 reps ?

To let your muscles grow you basically wanna give the signal to the body that the current state of muscle is not enough to fulfill the purpose by using them until they are tried out.

So if you don't feel the sensation of your tired out muscles after your workout you need to increase the difficulty by adding more reps or by going to a more difficult variant.

Progressive overload is key if you wanna advance don't stay at the same level but increase the difficulty over time. Workout until you feel your muscles get tired no matter of the variant and total amount of reps.

I don't even count my reps anymore. I feel like it is based on my general energy level and time of the day so I just focus on my form instead and keep doing reps until Im done haha (close to failure of the excercise) and do this for a couple of sets like 3-5.

 

[fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn]

@chrincle Yeah I feel fatigued at fewer than 10

 

[esperanza20]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn Have you gotten any bigger as you worked up to the 3-4x10 you've been doing

 

[fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn]

@esperanza20 Nope