Can’t do a single pushup

[esperanza20]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn I don't have a scale handy to try to get a better estimate. But figure maybe as estimates

Standing arm-length from a wall, you're maybe bearing 10% of your bodyweight when you push off the wall

At a 45, you're maybe bearing half your body weight

Those estimates are probably terrible but regardless. The amount of weight borne is a huge jump to make without getting some more muscle mass.

 

[fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn]

@esperanza20 I’m not able to do a 45 degree angle. Also I didn’t progress to my current level, I was able to do a slight incline from the beginning. I haven’t progressed since beginning.

 

[harveycp123]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn Do you do any other training or just trying to do pushups? Do your muscles feel fatigued or sore after training? Which muscles feel sore (chest, shoulders, arms, back, core)?

 

[fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn]

@harveycp123 Recently it’s just pushups. In the past I’ve done other training throughout my body. My entire body feels fatigued.

 

[harveycp123]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn Can I suggest you actually try reduce your pushup intensity but start to work other exercises for different body parts: eg squats (use a table or something to hold onto if you can't do it unassisted), lunges, plank (start with easiest variations), running, jump rope or jumping jacks. This will strengthen the rest of your body and give your upper body a break to recover. Also it will improve your cardio and blood flow to the muscles so you don't fatigue as easily. Another thought is to find a gym and do some bench pressing with lighter weights to help develop the upper body muscles (and mind muscle connection) required for proper pushups. With weights it is easier to slowly increase the difficulty. Failing that, find a PT that can help put you on a good program. Good luck and keep going you will improve it just takes time.

 

[revlife]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn Perhaps you could be seen by a neurologist & they can do an EMG (electromyography) to test your muscles & did a little deeper as to why you are quite weak despite continued efforts to overcome & that you cannot develop any muscle tone (from what I am gathering).

Also, do hold your breath a lot? Feel tense & tight in your torso/neck/shoulders? Not sure what kind of work you do, but if you sit at a desk or use a cellphone a lot, your posture &/or poor breathing can affect several different things. Do you know if you have a forward neck, anterior/posterior pelvic tilt? Perhaps you have imbalances in your muscles & it’s affecting your form.

Breathing properly allows oxygen to get into your blood stream & improve muscle development & recovery. This also can help with chronic stress & lethargy. If you have poor form & improper breathing, it’s difficult to have gains. Can you blow up a balloon easily?

 

[victoria37]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn Join a climbing gym. It's a full body exercise that you can pace and see progress with!

 

[tands411]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn Get some resistance bands that attach to your door and start with those.

 

[quest20]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn Knee pushups at 45 degrees? With your height you have a lot of stabilizing you need to do before even doing the pushups portion.

Do negatives, do isometric holds, do inverted / down dog pushups to hit down different angles, do 1 armed bench press press to force more muscles to get activated…

 

[littleofferings]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn If you have some stairs use them as a starting point, lean onto the tallest step and do a series of push ups there, 20 or so a set, three sets a day. After a week go down a step, repeat. However much you weigh is also going to be a factor, the lower the step the more your weight is going to affect things. If you're having difficulty lifting more than 30lbs even after a regular work out session after some weeks, you might need to see a doc, you're either doing something drastically wrong or you have a serious ailment.

 

[aggiewhoop]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn You can do push ups with Hampton. He's great

If you don't want to watch the video:

Pushups > Knee Pushups > Inclined pushups > Wall Pushups > The mere Push movement in the air

Hampton's videos are the greatest for the most beginners beginners out there.

Let me know what you think

 

[lewiscalledhimmaster]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn If you have practiced several times a week for months, it’s likely a muscular skeletal issue or potentially neural. Worth checking it out with a doctor. How’s your general posture? Are you able to do a pull-up? Are you alright at running? I ask because if it is a muscular skeletal issue you’d likely have issues with other fitness aspects of your life. Push-ups aren’t easy to start but after months you should have rapidly progressed.

 

[deborah33]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn I am the same way 6’7 and 230. I got a bench and a bar and using that to work my way up to bodyweight.

 

[damia]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn What improved my push ups from 3 to 30, was by doing the bench press. Start light to get the movement down and what's comfortable for you, then go as heavy as you feel is safe. You're "supposed" to be sore in your chest, but when I first started I got sore in a lot of different places like the back of arms, front of shoulder even my hips. What I'm trying to say is don't worry too much about being perfect just push for a PR in weight or reps at least once a month, and you'll reach your goal.

 

[john417]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn Saying this now, I'm not any sort of expert in this at all, but I'd recommend doing DB bench presses to build up that base and try again. Start off 5 or so pounds and build up when it becomes easy. Though from the responses I've seen dude you probably want to see a professional about this, as you should at least be able to do 1.

 

[rodney75]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn I just became 18 about a month ago and I've always been a pretty skinny guy(now getting better). Until about a little more than a month ago I couldn't do a single push up and had difficulty doing inclined push ups too but then I just kept at it and now after almost a month I can pump out 11-12 push ups easily in a set and can get upto 14-15 if I really push myself. And I also follow grease the Grove method which I think helped me improve so quickly.

 

[kiaraxo]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn I highly recommend bands. Putting both arms through one band and situating it to rest just above your elbows. I could never do push ups until I tried this. It allows you to do a full push up and thus get the desired range of motion whilst also helping you at the hardest part of the movement (the bottom, where the band will become the most taut). Find a strong band to begin with and as you get better, use bands with less resistance. I still can't do push ups unassisted, but this method gave me the confidence boost needed to keep trying

 

[fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn]

@kiaraxo Do you know of any solid YouTube tutorials of how to use bands like this?

 

[kiaraxo]

@fjdajfkldajkbfejfnsiqn

 

[kiaraxo]

The second video uses the bands I use personally