Ok so I just had a very cool moment and I wanted to share it with everyone! I have never been able to do real push-ups, I would try... and I'd get to the bottom position, and then I'd flop on the floor because I couldn't get back up! I've been doing them at angles,using the Smith machine bar for the push-ups in NROL4W, but curiosity got the better of me tonight and I wanted to try them on the floor.... I did three pretty easily! (making sure my arms got to 90 degrees) Then I got all excited and had to go tell my bf, then I said "I might be able to get 5!" So I tried.. and I got them! The last couple were really hard and I was shaky... but I DID THEM!!!!
So I'm quite excited! Just wanted to let you all know I have officially passed a milestone and reached a personal goal! (Now my goal is 10... and to keep on going!)
This program has been so great for me, and from reading the logs and seeing the challenge picture-updates.. it's been a great program for many ladies on here! So I wanted to congratulate everyone on their amazing progress and for sticking with it! We are awesome!!
Good job! I recently started trying all my pushups on the floor and I did five in a row the other night! This is huge for me, so I completely understand your excitement.
I switched to floor pushups this week, too. I can't go all the way up and down, but I can do them part way, which is a HUGE accomplishment for me. When I started my fitness journey I couldn't even hold myself in a push-up position.
__________________ Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.
Joseph Addison
but curiosity got the better of me tonight and I wanted to try them on the floor....
I think this is one of the most exciting parts of weight lifting and anaerobic exercises... that moment of trying something "just to see" and surprising yourself at being able to do it with good form and relative ease. Well done and congratulations on reaching a major milestone!
__________________
"If 'toning' is the goal, strength is the method." ~ Mark Rippetoe
I switched to floor pushups this week, too. I can't go all the way up and down, but I can do them part way, which is a HUGE accomplishment for me. When I started my fitness journey I couldn't even hold myself in a push-up position.
I'm wondering if it's better for you to be doing partial push-ups on your toes or if it's actually better to be doing them elevated (like on the Smith Machine bar or a bench) and be able to go all the way down. I'm thinking that getting that full ROM is important, too.
Thanks everyone! I was really excited! I'm gonna keep working on them now so I can do more!
Quote:
Originally Posted by missjane
I'm wondering if it's better for you to be doing partial push-ups on your toes or if it's actually better to be doing them elevated (like on the Smith Machine bar or a bench) and be able to go all the way down. I'm thinking that getting that full ROM is important, too.
Anyone else have any thoughts on that?
That's what I had to do to be able to do them. I was able to do them partially before, but I didn't want to do them at all until I knew I could do them RIGHT! (With good form and going all the way down to at least 90degrees.) I'm in stage 7 of NROL4W right now and it has us doing 4 sets of 15 pushups, which obviously I can't do on the floor... so I use the Smith bar set to about knee height. It's been great for working on my form.
I'm wondering if it's better for you to be doing partial push-ups on your toes or if it's actually better to be doing them elevated (like on the Smith Machine bar or a bench) and be able to go all the way down. I'm thinking that getting that full ROM is important, too.
Anyone else have any thoughts on that?
Either should work, prolly best to incorporate both ways if you use limited rom.
There's a similar pullup progression like that... you start at the top and lower yourself some and come back up, and as you progress you lower yourself more and more. Since the hardest part is coming from the bottom extension position, you slowly strengthen yourself through the whole rom till you can do them. Usually coupled with negatives and full rom angled pullups for best effect.
So with pushups... you'd combine angled pushups with negatives (slooooowly lowering yourself to the floor, hovering just at the bottom before the floor before ending each rep), and limited rom pushups where you go down as far as you can and still get back up... getting lower and lower each time.
By itself I'd say it's not as effective as other forms, and certainly not if you're not challenging yourself to go lower and progress as time goes on.
'm wondering if it's better for you to be doing partial push-ups on your toes or if it's actually better to be doing them elevated (like on the Smith Machine bar or a bench) and be able to go all the way down.
I was wondering the same thing myself. It was such a thrill for me to be actually moving, even a bit, that I just carried on with that set. I just finished Stage 2, so I guess I won't see pushups again until Stage 4, anyway.
__________________ Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.
Joseph Addison
I was wondering about the form last night myself and I got out the book to re-read the description. I was supposed to see how many push-ups I could do in 60 sec, and my boyfriend was timing me and he said you're doing it wrong. He said I shouldn't actually touch my stomach and chest to the floor at the bottom.
According to the book, a full range of motion is when you get 2" - 4" from the floor, then come back up. Hate when I have to tell him he's right.
Eh, so you're doing more work. So what?
As long as you're not taxing your shoulders too much, I don't think there's anything wrong with it. It's like the difference in ROM you get from dumbbell bench versus bar bench... ya know? If you have iffy shoulders, since going past a certain point makes them weaker, then perhaps bad... but if you're strong enough and don't have issues... ?
Is everyone doing pushups with their elbows in? Basically a tricep pushup? Because that's what I've been doing (and what the book says to do). I think I could certainly do more than 5 wide-armed pushups, but the close-arm are way, way more challenging.
good for you!
in the past week i moved to 3 sets of 10 in stage 1 and i've been doing all 3 sets of pushups on the floor. owwwww but go me!
missjane: my mom told me when i worked out with her a few weeks ago that since it's harder to do them on the floor, it's more work, so doing as many as you can on the floor (even if you get a slightly less than full ROM) is better than not doing any. besides, i've found i progress a LOT faster doing them on the floor than not. i was doing them all on a bench, and then i did 2, or 5 on the floor and it only took 2 workouts for me to go from doing the first 5 or so of 12 on the floor to all 10. since it's harder, i think you progress faster. i'd assume if you can't get any real ROM (i.e. you only move an inch or two), it's better to do them on a bench, but if you can get almost-full ROM (i get to 90 or just about but not below but i'm progressing!) it's better to do as many as you can on the floor
I was doing the pushups with my elbows out at the beginning, but now I am doing them with the elbows close to the body - I've had to go back up to 60degrees to finish a set of them.
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