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?

I started doing daily press ups on New Year’s Day, starting with just one and adding in one per week. We’re on the 27th week of the year now so I’m doing 27 every day this week. At the moment I’m doing them without a break but I can see myself needing a break in a few weeks! It’s been surprisingly easy building them up in this way but the last few are still hard!

I'm 59 and don't think I've ever been able to do a full push up. However, I can do about 16 on my knees.

No and never have been able to. Can do the ones from my knees. I have flimsy little wrists which seem to be the main issue. We used to have these handle things that went on the floor and I remember being able to one or two using those. Just not on fast hands.

Early 40s, can do at least 100. Can bench myself too. But I've been weight training on and off for years!

I’m the least fit person ever and I can do 30.

66 and I can do a couple. I can do 30 half push ups. But that's because I had to do some work on my arms because I was getting too feeble to move my sofa, so I worked up to it. I could do push ups when younger because I worked on a farm throwing bales around, but post motherhood I lost the ability and had to regain it.

I can at 50 but couldn't at 26. Like anything it's just practice and technique.

Hang on I’ll try.

I can. When I was in my late 30s a fitness class instructor said she wanted everyone in the class to do one full push-up the following week, and I accepted that as a challenge and went away and worked at it. I've never lost the ability to do at least 10 at a time and can train to get up to 20.

I have a friend who is around my height and weight and able to lift as much as I can for upper body strength training, and she has never managed a single push up. We've concluded that the difference is our relative body shapes. Her limbs are longer than mine and her joints are almost hypermobile whereas I'm compact and not very flexible.

Cannot even do one, my arms just don't seem to move that way, even with regular Pilates.

I can do them after training for a couple of years. I do 3 sets of 10. I’m 50yrs old.

Tips:

Start on your knees
Progress to straight legs - put your arms wide apart not straight down.
Put a block under your chest and just aim for that, rather than the ground to begin with.

Honestly - if I can do it, you can op! 💪💪🏻💪🏽💪🏾💪🏾

No! I'm mid 40s and it annoys the heck out of me that the 80 yr old lady who sets up next to me in pilates class every week can, but I most definitely can't!

Get help

I consider I am fully down when my boobs touch the floor...

I would have thought the majority of women could do 1 when they were in their 20s but perhaps i'm mistaken.

Pullups on the other hand...

I could just go braless then I barely need to move to get them to touch the ground!!LOL😆

I can do knee ones and maybe 1 of the regular ones. Even though I weight train 3 times a week I still have quite weedy arms!

I am 47 and can do maybe 3 sets of 12 then drop to my knees. I was taught at age 33 after first child. I got taught in negative push up. Of google shows how. It’s like start from a plank and keep trying even if fall and eventually it comes

I can do just under 40 in a row.

My standard gym routine is 5 x 20 strict press ups.

I have now started to progress to weighted press ups, so a strict press up but with a weight plate on my back.

I am much older and have just checked - yes I can do at least one full one - on knees I suspect 3 sets of 12 would be no bother

I can but I have broad, muscular shoulders.

Yes, on a good day I can do 10. I’m 50, and I’m at the peak of my physical fitness right now by the way.

I doubt I could do them in my 20s, in my 50s I can do multiple.

Is using my arms to get off the floor classed as a push up if so then yeah i can.

Same. I'm 46 and not fat but unfit.

I don't think I ever tried in my 20s, but I picked them up in my 30s at some point- wide arms help me a lot, and wide feet help some people too! 55 now and can do lots, but still much prefer to do with my hands much wider than a traditional push up.