pushups!

[nightowl81]

What is the best/quickest way to work up strength to do on the toe pushups? I can't really do any on my toes, I can't bring my chest close to the ground and back up, my muscles kinda just give out.

- Is it better to do what I can on my toes, even if I'm not going fully down? Or do them fully on my knees?

- Should I only do a few reps? Or do like Cathe does in Gym Styles and do as many as I can of the 70+? Or should I do as many as I can everyday? Every other day? Once a week?

 

[Gayle]

There are a number of different strategies for working up to on the toes pushups.

I think full ROM is important, so I would start by doing them on your toes, but modifying the angle so you can get all the way down and back up. For example, do them with your hands at countertop height, then work down to the height of a step with two sets of risers, etc...until you find that you can pump them out with your hands on the floor.

Pavel writes about a method called GTG (or Grease the Groove) where you do short sets of an exercise (like 5 reps, not to failure) several times throughout the day. I did this with pushups and it helped quite a bit.

Hope this helps.

 

[meowracer]

http://hundredpushups.com/

This is also a very good site that has tips and a method to help you build up your endurance for push ups.

 

[Gayle]

Here's a short video with some good push up modifications:

http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/CrossFit_DevelopingPushup.wmv

 

[JeanneMarie]

I used to think push ups from the toes was all about arm/shoulder strength. I couldn't really do them, and always dropped to my knees thinking it was okay because my shoulders were still getting a work out. While that may have been true to a certain extent, it wasn't until I built up my core strength that I was able to do push ups from my toes. At that point, I realized the huge benefit to my entire body, of doing them from my toes.

If you will focus on building up that core area (planks, planks, and more planks), I think you'll find the toe push ups easier to tackle!

Good luck!

 

[nightowl81]

http://hundredpushups.com/

This is also a very good site that has tips and a method to help you build up your endurance for push ups.

So, doing them 3 times a week is better then letting those muscles rest for a week?

 

[meowracer]

I don't think they need a week of rest as long as you aren't doing heavy weights with the pushups. Like with STS, I couldn't manage to do the 100 pushup challenge b/c my chest would be too sore on days immediately following but I could still work it in - just maybe not 3 days a week. When I did it, I did it with regular weight work and it was ok. It reallly worked well but unfortunately, I didn't keep up with it. That bums me out too b/c I was doing more than I was ever able to before.