Can you do a push up?

[GreenCaterpillarOnALeaf]

I am 26 and I cannot and never have been able to do a push up. DH says most women my age could do at least one, I think that’s BS. Btw other than my lanky arms I am quiet strong, I can leg press a lot and squat a decent amount, I am a healthy weight as well. I can pick up my kids so really I think I can do all I need to do.

So, can you do a push up? Either the one where you’re on your knees or the normal one. If you’re older then I guess my question is could you do one when you were at your peak physical fitness?

Ha I am 60 and can do 15!
I couldn't do any at 25.
Practice, first on your knees, first table top position, then at an angle with your legs crossed behind you and in the air. Also practice the plank.
I am quite proud of my 15 push ups!

You’re going to attract all the people who can do multiple push ups to your thread OP 😂 (me, and I’m proud of it cos I had to work for it). I’m 41. It’s harder for women than men btw!

Yes I regularly do two sets of regular 15-20 pushups as part of my weekly work out. I am over 40, I could do up to 50 when I was in peak form (about your age, before my kids and some shoulder issues)

My 9 year old daughter can do 10 good form push ups because I told her it is important, same as I did for her brother.

It is expectations, not sex.

When I do a class I’m always surprised at how many really impressive strong women do knee push ups. It’s a very hard movement!

You definitely work up to it, if that’s your goal, but I think it’s not unusual at all to not be able to do one. The difference in upper body strength between men and women is far greater than the difference in lower body strength, so I would guess even a very out of shape man can probably do a decent single push up with no training at all.

59 and I can do multiple push ups and also pull ups but fewer of those

A couple of years ago I started at 3 and by the end of the year I had worked up to 12 proper consecutive push ups. Now I’m back down to 6 or 7 because I don’t do them consistently. I’m 46.

I can but only the ones on your knees which I'm not sure counts!

I consider myself fairly strong - regularly lug big bags of compost around and can ably wrestle a nine year old 😀

Okay he’s now bet me £100 that I won’t be able to do a push up by Christmas Day this year so now it’s absolutely on. I’ve always had spindly long arms and quite a small upper body so I don’t think I’m exactly primed for it but I am 100% going to be able to do one. Right now I can’t even do one on my knees so I guess I’ve got a bit of a way to go.. I’m driven by the need to prove him wrong and because my PE teacher always used to make fun of me so I’m very motivated.

I can do multiple not great ones, with my knees on the ground and realistically my chest is not going down as far as it should.

So, not really but sort of.

Go get your £100!

https://www.thepushupchallenge.co.uk/training-guide

I’m not strong and I can do about 10. I can do them properly in terms of upper body strength but it upsets my diastasis recti which doesn’t heal due to chronic cough, so I do them on my knees for that reason.

Fine but you bet him back he can't do the pickups women find very easy and men find very hard.

It's about body mechanics not fitness particularly.

x.com/SonyaDouglas/status/2067530795481210997

A couple of full push ups , quite a lot if I have my hands on a step , I’m over 60.

No, and I've never been able to do them. My upper body and shoulder strength is (and has always been) absolutely zero when it comes to pushing or pulling my own bodyweight around.

When I was a kid and having swimming lessons, the instructor would tell people to get out of the pool and everyone but me could put their hands on the top of the pool surround to push down, give a jump and get out easily. I had to use the steps. No chance at cartwheels. I was utterly useless at the pommel horse in gym as well and as for the ropes - wtf? Other people could shin up them easy as pie but me? I couldn't even hold on to anything and dangle with arms stretched, let alone pull myself up...

No. I am 51. I can dip a bit, but not chin to the floor and back up.

Advice from my old martial arts teacher: Do not do the knee ones, but do a proper push up on an incline and lower yourself.

As per my user name I can do several push ups and burpees.
I’m well over 70.

He's wrong, you have to train to do them. I can do a couple but I couldn't when I started strength training.

No chance now - but I certainly could in my 20s.

I cannot do even one. I did Joe Wicks YouTube videos for two years during and after lock down. Still couldn't do one.

I can do the ones on my knees but I can't do the normal ones. I don't seem to be able to coordinate myself properly. Equally it is not something I am particularly interested in being able to do, I can carry heavy enough things, do sit ups etc.

I am in my 40s and I can. But when I was your age, I could only do about 4 or 5 proper ones, and I followed the 100 push-ups programme until I genuinely could do 100. You have to ignore the bit where it claims it's a 6-week programme though - it took me about 5 times that long to get there.

Nearly 50 and I can do maybe 5 or 6 perfectly then my form goes.
I can plank like a motherfucker though...

I can. I can probably do 15 and I haven’t touched any weights for 3 or 4 months. I have a broad back and shoulders and very defined muscles even though the only exercise I currently do is tennis. My running is shocking though so I think it’s a personal propensity rather let than talent. ( I’m 56)

I am 35 and can do 10+ on my feet. But I started from nothing and it’s taken me a few years of strength training, pilates and practicing on my knees to get here. I’m not sure if this is right but I heard that actually the average woman can do 0 as our body shape and lower muscle mass (compared to men) makes it a difficult movement. I think they are talking about good technique and full depth though. But a push up is not really a natural movement for the body, compared to something like a bodyweight squat. Also, my Pilates teacher always says push ups involve your shoulders and back but the most important things are your core and chest strength. I can confirm my push ups became way easier when I started doing heavier chest presses, I had always thought my arms and shoulders were the problem

Just tried. Quite pleased with myself that I could do one proper one, as I haven’t done anything recently to merit being able to, other than lose a lot of weight. May do some more now I know I can do one!