New for 2010: Project Push-Up
photo by the u.s. army
The last time I was at the gym, sometime between doing crunches on an exercise ball and stretching my hamstrings, I noticed a woman on the mat beside me who was pumping out more than a dozen push-ups. She was like GI Jane with a ponytail. I was impressed.
Later, I read a few blogs whose writers pledged to do 50 or more push-ups. As if 50 were nothing. Nothing!
Then the day after Christmas, my family started talking about fancy gym equipment—my father’s the guy who bought an Abs Slide in ’96—and how simple exercises may be best. The conversation shifted to push-ups.
And, of course, that got me thinking about Jack LaLanne. I remember watching him hock juice machines when he was something like 80. Between shoving carrots down the juicer he would drop to one hand and do 30 amazing push-ups. One hand. At 80. Sheesh. (In case you were wondering, LaLanne broke a world record by doing 1,000 push-ups in 23 minutes.)
I, on the other hand, am way less than half his age and I couldn’t eek out 30 push-ups if you offered me $1,000 for doing it. Even if you let me do the girly version. Pathetic? I think so.
The thing is, even people who can pump iron on gym machines have a hard time doing push-ups. The exercise requires you use your entire body weight—no help from levers, or cords. It’s really the very best measure of physical fitness.
So, because all signs keep pointing to push-ups, I think I’m going to make 2010 the year I actually do 10 in a row. Or 20. I may go crazy and do 30. It all depends on how lazy I get by February how fast I get strong.
As I start Project Push-Up, I could use some help from anyone much stronger than I am. Can you drop and give me 50? (If not, how many can you do?) Do you do it with one hand behind your back? How’d you get to that point? Did you start with the girlie version—or did you do it the traditional way from the start?
12 comments
I can do 0 push-ups, but I can do 0 girl push ups. I would love to be able to do push-ups but where do you even start when you truly can not even push up once?
[Reply]
Tracey Reply:
December 29th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
I’m right there with you! I can lift weights, but no matter the difference I see in my arms, push-ups are always too hard. Where do you start? That’s precisely what I hope to find out. My best guess is to just drop to the floor and try. Then (when I fail on Try No. 1) I’ll give it a go tomorrow. I’m thinking that eventually I’ll be able to muster up enough strength to push my body up from the floor. Unless anyone else has a more scientific and tested method…
[Reply]
Try using less than full body weight at first. Prop your hands on a low but sturdy table in the beginning. That will let you ease into it and once that is too easy you can move to the floor (and hopefully will have built up enough strength to push up your full weight).
[Reply]
Tracey Reply:
December 29th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
Good call, Jill. As much as I want to be Superman, I guess I’ll have to start easy. Though I might need to use a wall before moving down to a table.
[Reply]
I love push ups! I can do about 25 consecutive pushups w/ good form and then I drop to my knees until just below failure.
Push ups are one of my favorite body weight exercises because you can do them ANYWHERE and no equipment required. Plus they hit just about your entire upper body!
Great challenge! I’m cheering you on!
[Reply]
Tracey Reply:
December 30th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Joanna—So true, no gym membership or fancy equipment required!
FoodFitnessFreshair—Remembering to breathe is the hard part for me, too.
Struggler—5 to 10 on a good day is pretty darn good in my opinion!
Laurie—I do remember Jack LaLane saying the exercise is the best for physical fitness. I like your idea about the bathtub, but I fear I’d slip and conk out. I’m a bit of a klutz.
Sagan—Thanks for passing along the 100 push up link. It’ll be great to have some instruction. I’m pretty darn good at the plank, but I’ll have to push it over a minute to challenge my weak arms more. And 35 push-ups? I’m impressed!
[Reply]
Ah push ups are the death of me! They’re so hard! I can do a solid 15, and then from there, my push ups become mutated. I don’t mind the girl version though. I can actually really feel my muscles doing the girl version and don’t have to focus the whole time on remembering to breathe. That’s a good resolution though. I might try to do the same.
[Reply]
I’m having a hard time transitioning from the girly ones to proper push ups. The first are a bit too easy, the second, way too hard – I can do maybe 5-10 on a good day.
Of course, if I actually showed up for all my fitness classes, it might be different
[Reply]
I love that you mentioned Jack LaLane, who, by the way, at 95 just underwent heart valve surgery and is recovering nicely! He once said that if you have time for only one exercise, do push ups!
I used to be able to do them, but have really slacked off lately. I find the best way to work my way back into them is to prop myself on the rim of the bathtub. That seems to be a good height and still provides a good challenge.
[Reply]
Great goal! I’m a big believer that push ups are one of the best ways to judge total-body fitness.
I completed the 100 push up challenge just over a year ago, so they have a neat training program for working your way up to doing 100 consecutive push ups (but you could start off with as many as you like, because 100 is definitely daunting!). Here’s the link to their website: http://www.hundredpushups.com/index.html
Right now I can do about 35 consecutive, and I started off doing the regular ones right off the bat rather than the ones on the knees. Walking is a good way to build up core strength, and also try holding the plank as another way to help build the same muscles you use for push ups (start with holding for just 15 seconds and work your way up to holding it for 60 seconds or more).
[Reply]
I can barely do 15 regular ones before I drop and do girlie pushups like Joanna – and I lift weights on the regular. I’m with you on the challenge – a few before bed and when I wake up in the morning and I’ll be one-handing it in no time (… okay I was being overly dramatic there
[Reply]
Tracey Reply:
December 30th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
Girlxoxo, I’m with you: Can’t this be an overnight success kinda thing?!
[Reply]
Leave a Comment