I can’t even do a wall push. Not even one

[mmarijuana87]

@alidvx You can do it! I had similar struggles and it took me a long time to realize that part of the reason was that I didn’t know how to listen to my body. I had no mind body awareness and couldn’t tell what muscles to squeeze or if I was/wasn’t doing the thing. It took time and I’m still working on some things (I still struggle with my right hip/glute for example), but being able to tell “oh when I do this movement I should be engaging x muscle and feeling it here” has been a game changer. And unfortunately that just comes with time! Don’t give up, you got this!

 

[joyfulspirit68]

@alidvx Start slow! Starting out with a plank is probably not a great idea.

Get some exercise tubes and a few light dumbbells. Use this and start with just a light weight. The tubes will have some exercises with them. For dumbbells, I do about 4 moves that include side lifts, overhead press, triceps (behind the head) and curls. Even if you start with 1 or 2 pound dumbbells, it doesn't matter. Use the one or two pound dumbbells the first week and then add more reps. Once that is easy, get a dumbbell that is a little heavier and use that.

If you have a stationary bicycle, that would be great! Do 2 easy minutes every day for a week. Increase to 3. Once you get to 5 minutes a day, increase the difficulty.

Try countertop pushups. Start with two! I do countertop pushups while my microwave is working. The 2-minute food warm-up gives me a workout!

Good luck and just keep going. Start slow and don't have ANY expectations. Just keep at it. You will be surprised that one day, you feel stronger and you actually enjoy your workout.

PS: I'm 78. If I can do it, so can you.

 

[staceihs]

@alidvx I can plank for a few minutes, can do pushups and pullups, and I still shake as soon as I start planking. It means your core is engaged and you're improving! If you're planking (or any exercise) and it's easy, it's not doing anything for you. Keep it up, you'll get to where you want to be.

 

[youu]

@alidvx You just need to build it up bit by bit. Even two second planks are better than sitting there on the couch doing nothing. At least you're aware you need to be fit and you are trying! Like the others have been saying, keep going!

 

[mar254]

@alidvx I've been training for like 2 years and still can't do a single sit up, and I can only do 3 pushups on my feet before I have to put my knees down. Don't judge yourself too hard on your weak spots, just keep training and improving. You'll be better at some stuff than others, so don't let it get you down.

 

[nc6041]

@alidvx Keep going! With consistent work you'll have amazing progress. It's only up from here!

 

[dawn16]

@alidvx If you have access to dumbbells those can really help with building upper body strength. Long term you can start with wall pushups then progress to doing them on a steadily decreasing incline. But if you can’t do wall pushups yet dumbbell shoulder and tricep exercises with dumbbells can be a good first step before that. And even once you can do wall pushups they are a great accessory.

For abs if your form is only breaking down somewhere into a set rather than right from the start, start with very few reps and work up from there. If you can only do 5 good pairs of bicycle crunches instead of the prescribed 10, start at 5 and try to add a rep or two every workout or every week.

 

[busterofwar]

@alidvx Be kind to yourself!

We start where we are, and work at getting better. The good news is that putting in honest work means that something has to get better! It might "just" be getting closer to what normal people can do... but if you haven't been there in a long time (or ever!), that's a huge accomplishment.

Be proud of yourself for starting to get better, and appreciate all the little improvements that happen along the way.

 

[goodchristian1]

@alidvx I also reccomend using light dumbbells as a starting point to be able to get in some reps and build up strength from there.

Also, try varying forms of exercise to find something you like, if you are demotivated. Sports like swimming or rock climbing will give you a lot of upper body strength, too. If you do try rock climbing, do a course and learn some technique. With correct technique, a lot of it is done via pushing yourself up with your legs, not pulling with your arms. Otherwise I would guess, that you would have a bad experience again.

 

[ededmills]

@alidvx Pilates on the mat! I've never yet met a pilates teacher who wasn't worth their weight in gold when it came to adjusting exercises to their students ability level. Find a beginner class and keep at it, they'll help you understand how your body works, and you'll pick up the know-how to engage your core and properly align your pelvis, hips and spine, which will come in invaluable when you eventually progress to more strenuous bodyweight exercises. In addition to pilates, try putting aside a half hour for dumbbell exercises at least a few times per week, switch to higher weights whenever possible -- as high as you can lift while keeping good form -- and check back in a few months, I promise you'll be surprised by how much you've progressed.