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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:
Suzannewithaplan · 01/03/2015 21:04

single arm weighed pull up
wow thats quite something Shock
who is this woman Talk?

TalkinPeace · 01/03/2015 21:07

suzanne
She's a mate at my gym whose kids are at school with mine.
Nobody special.
She did lots of classes but got bored so started working on gymnastic / pyloric body weight exercises

sleepwhenidie · 01/03/2015 21:13

I read an article by someone who had their dc's doing simple body weight stuff like push ups just once a week and he was absolutely astonished at how quickly they improved.

Suzanne, you mean lat pull downs yes? Thanks, I'll give that a go Smile

Suzannewithaplan · 01/03/2015 21:25

Sleep, yes I mean lat pull downs, using the same grip as you use with pull ups so as to replicate the movement as closely as possible.

How many reps does she get Talk?

TalkinPeace · 01/03/2015 21:31

Suzanne - 5
if you are on FB I'll PM you the link to her videos
she's linked to a whole gang of the bikini fit brigade

Suzannewithaplan · 01/03/2015 21:33

Oh thanks, please do Talk, I'd be very interested to see them!

airedailleurs · 01/03/2015 22:13

I used to be an athlete, and trained 10 times a week in my mid to late 20s. As I remember (many moons ago!), I did a lot of body-weight circuit training (interesting to see that this is now fashionable btw!), and I increased gradually. It does seem amazing now as I can hardly do 10!

Showy · 01/03/2015 22:21

I train ruddy hard, do a lot of weights and core strength. My upper body strength is my forte.

I can do around 40 if I really push it but lose form at about 30. It's muscle memory though. Once you've cracked it and do them regularly, they become as easy as any exercise. I do push ups every day.

Suzannewithaplan · 01/03/2015 22:29

are we talking full range of motion press ups, ie from arms fully extended to chest on the floor?
Or arms extended to elbows at a right angle? ?

airedailleurs · 01/03/2015 22:34

mine were the latter; I used to do bench press with weights as well which helped...I don't think I ever tried full ROM press-ups before

Suzannewithaplan · 01/03/2015 22:44

ah, there is quite a difference!
half reps are much easier, but full ROM will give you better muscle development

Suzannewithaplan · 01/03/2015 22:46

infact thats not just a half rep, its the easy half of the rep

Suzannewithaplan · 01/03/2015 23:36

I think these claims need to be backed up by video evidence :o

give me a couple days and I'll post mine (not that I'm any great shakes in the press up department)
anyone else want to put their money where their mouth is.....

sleepwhenidie · 02/03/2015 07:14

I don't know about video evidence but if you want full ROM then I admit that's a very different number than the one I claimed earlier, probably about 6! Most men I see doing push ups don't even do full ROM Smile

ErrolTheDragon · 02/03/2015 07:49

I still can't do a single full pressup - and I started trying over a year ago! I do the shred type things regularly but have to do the modified(knee) forms of pressups. I've not given up trying - I'm doing some sets of inclined pressups every other day to try to build up the number of those with good form and gradually work downwards.

Well done all of you above average women! Smile

Suzannewithaplan · 02/03/2015 08:51

?Well a virtual press up challenge might be fun?
But seriously, I had assumed that we were talking about full range of motion and was in awe of those who are doing sets of 30 or 40.

Anyone who can do more than 10 or so half reps then would make better strength gains by focusing on full reps?

TalkinPeace · 02/03/2015 11:37

Tricep pressups : elbows grazing ribs - 10 and then I need a break

Wide pressups : nose to floor - 10 max - they are not good for my elbows though

Wide pressups - to upper arm horizontal, but fingertips are level with collar bones, no further forwards - 30-40

Showy · 02/03/2015 13:00

Suzanne, 'money where your mouth is' sounds a lot like you're accusing people of making stuff up. Grin I probably won't be posting videos of myself on MN tbh.

I do different press ups depending on what it is I'm trying to work. If I'm doing a core intensive workout, I do things very differently to if I'm really trying to push my shoulders/arms. Sometimes I focus on triceps, sometimes on biceps, sometimes on delts. Sometimes I use press up bars, sometimes I do it on one leg. Sometimes I spider my knee in to my elbow and press up. Sometimes I combine with abdominal twist and stretches. If doing full range of movement press ups I tend to do 3 sets of 16 with a 30 second break. I wouldn't do more than this or it would bugger up my wrists.

Suzannewithaplan · 02/03/2015 14:35

it was tongue in cheek of course Showy
(because no one on the internet makes stuff up Wink)

wrists are my main problem with press ups, I rarely do them unless with bars, prefer to use other things for chest/delts/tri's

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