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Original poster

Press ups - can you ?!

69 replies

Orangedays · 10/02/2015 21:54

My gym trainer says an 'average ' woman can do 1 to 2 press ups.
So what do you think ? Is he wrong ?

OP posts:

TessTackle · 10/02/2015 21:57

I can't

iwantgin · 10/02/2015 21:58

Yes. but it's quite hard.

maitaimojito · 10/02/2015 21:58

I can do 8-10 in a row now but that's only after a few months' training at the gym. Before I could only do box press ups.

I wouldn't have thought many women can do them without training. I go to classes at the gym occasionally and I'm usually the only one doing full press ups.

confusedandemployed · 10/02/2015 21:59

I can do a few more. But not many and I am pretty strong

ClartyYakker · 10/02/2015 21:59

depends if I'm allowed to do them on my knees or not! I could probably manage 3 -4 full press ups though before collapsing.

Littlepumpkinpie · 10/02/2015 21:59

Yep he's very wrong I can do 50 proper push ups. Pull ups I can do 15 body weight and anything between 5/10 if I put weights onto a belt same applies to dips. Go and fire that trainer and find one that don't talk garbage

peppapigonaloop · 10/02/2015 22:01

Yep I can do 40 plus I would say.. Just a question of building up your strength.. Make sure your form is good, start on your knees and move up to full push ups. Lift weights to build arm/shoulder strength. All women can do push ups your trainer is talking crap!

sleepwhenidie · 10/02/2015 22:07

'Average ' woman who works out regularly or 'average' as a whole population? I'd hope most women who exercises regularly could manage 1-2 but considering that is what, less than 30% (?) of all women, I'd guess most of the 70% couldn't do it...in which case he's pretty optimistic . I can do at least 30 but strength train regularly.

meglet · 10/02/2015 22:08

he's talking crap.

pre-dc's and during my most intense kickboxing phase (late 20's) I could do over 40 'boy' push ups. me and my ex gymnast friend used to challenge each other.

I'm 40 now and out of practice but I can still bang out 15 of them.

KristinaM · 10/02/2015 22:11

I can do more than that and I'm in my 50s

He doesn't sounds very great TBH, what do you think of him ?

jemstipp · 10/02/2015 22:14

Bit of a dick

RiojaHaze · 10/02/2015 22:18

I can knock out 20+ with my hands wide and at chest level. I get told off that these aren't correct though, and I should hand my hands slightly turned out with my upper arms tight to my sides so that my elbows come into my waist in the lowered position.

I can only do 3 of those full, more on my knees.

actiongirl1978 · 10/02/2015 22:27

I'm off to see how many proper push ups I can do before bed. I'll report back!

EugenesAxe · 10/02/2015 22:34

When I started training I did a press up test and did one. That was on my knees, tits to the floor and back up. So he's right as far as I'm concerned! After several weeks of weight training I am expected to be able to cope with about 8 of those.

ImBrian · 10/02/2015 22:58

Even when I climbed several times a week and could do full pull ups no problem I couldn't manage one press up! My almost 60 year old mother who does no exercise however can do 5!

AggressiveBunting · 11/02/2015 01:12

He's probably right. The average woman probably can't do more than 2 strict pressups in a row (on their toes/ chest to floor), without snaking.

That isn't to say that the average woman isn't capable of building strength to do far more than that, but if you tested the status quo, he's probably ballpark.

bananaramadramallama · 11/02/2015 01:29

He's talking bollocks.

In the RAF a 39 yr old female has to do 8 man-style 'full' press ups minimum to pass that part of the fit test - this is apparently based on the average that the population as a whole should be able to do.
(I just managed to do them and I was very strong, but I've known quite a few women I've worked with that have banged out 30+ easily).

It's all about practise and good form, really - strong core helps. You can start by doing them on an incline (stairs or worktop), then keep dropping the incline lower until you are on the floor.

Mmmicecream · 11/02/2015 01:44

I was all motivated after reading this and just managed 25. BUT I really like press-ups as a thing to do for core strength so probably do them more often than other strength exercises - about once a week or so. I remember when I could only do 2 though, and I wasn't unfit then, just weak.

sleepwhenidie · 11/02/2015 07:28

I think you've nailed it mmmicecream, most women probably don't do press ups generally so won't be able to more than one or two (sorry banana but the women going into the RAF probably don't fall into 'average' category ). That's not to say they wouldn't be able to do lots more with practice. I don't think the trainer deserves the put downs he's getting here unless he is saying that 1-2 is a goal/maximum a woman could manage ....can't believe he is, as a PT he has surely come across lots of strong women .

PorkyMinch · 11/02/2015 07:31

I don't think they can do them without training easily, but I imagine most people can learn.

I couldn't even do one for most of my life. Now, after doing them with varying regularly for the last eighteen months, I could do up to thirty.

actiongirl1978 · 11/02/2015 07:40

I can do ten proper ones comfortably (well I was gritting my teeth at the end but still!) my arms were slightly wide and I was tucking my elbows into my sides as I came down.

I know that I can so 36 pivoted ones on my knees with chest right to the floor in a minute and this was with great form in front of a personal trainer who was timing me.

actiongirl1978 · 11/02/2015 07:41

Having said that, I do lift kettle bells and do chest presses and do pilates which involves a lot of arm work.

fooolofbeans · 11/02/2015 08:03

i think this depends on exactly what he means, if you took 100 women off the street and challenged them to do strict full press ups he's probably right the outcome would probably be an average of about 2 reps.

if he's saying with training that's all a women can ever do he's clearly wrong as evidenced above.

i personally found it quite motivating to be able to do at least 10 and have my PT tell me that the majority of women cant perform greater than 3 strict press ups

Suzannewithaplan · 11/02/2015 09:28

I agree that without strength training the average woman would struggle to do full, strict press ups.
I certainly couldn't do any.
Lowering yourself to the point where your elbows are at 90 degrees is surely only half a rep. ?

PollyPooic · 11/02/2015 10:45

it's an incredibly negative remark isn't it, would be interested to know context in which it was said, I much prefer to hear about women (and men) who have trained to the point where they can do impressive things

I know men who don't even know the difference between push ups and tricep dips (they did a few of the latter and thought it was the former) and couldn't do even one

(was in a mixed group gym induction recently and if that is a snapshot of the average knowledge of fitness and general physical prowess I think the trainer might have said 'most people' rather than women)

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