A little help? Push ups and BBW

[Lil' Kitsune]

Hello fellow nerds,

 

I need some help and this is the best place to ask for it. I started getting back on track again with the start of the current challenge (half done already?!?) with primal diet and the BBW. I'm still not up to the  full reps in the workout for squats and lunges, though slowly working on that and I'm doing 2 circuits with plans to add the third soon.

 

Push ups are my trouble spot: I'm stuck on wall push ups right now, 10 per circuit. I tried starting some high incline push up using a chair back with it tucked to the wall and I might be able to do 4 of those the first circuit, maybe 2 on the second. Trying to fight the battle on both fronts: Lose this fat (285lbs right now) and build strength. 

 

What's the better plan? Keep doing as many less than great high inclines as I can and fill the rest in with wall push ups or just do more wall push ups? Is there a better option C?

 

No knee push ups for me, please. Trying to build the good form habit. Would like to get into free weights at some point too, though no money for a gym yet, nor space/money to get set up at home right now.

 

Thanks!

[Harleytrypp]

Hey Kitsune,

 

Congratulations on you effort so far.  I had the same problem with Push ups... I could only push out 4 about a month ago.    I am up to 7 now.  The advise I was given is do "real" push ups, as many as you can.  Don't worry if its only a few, just work on form and push through as long as you can keep form.   If you want to "finish a set", in your BBW, with modified, or wall push ups, great.  But to get better at push ups, do push ups. 

 

I wish you success.

Harleytrypp

[Morrigainz]

 

 

 Keep doing as many less than great high inclines as I can and fill the rest in with wall push ups 

 

This is what I would do

[MariahSnow]

This is what I would do

I second that. And also, keep track. So if today you do 4 pushups on the chair, tomorrow (or the next day) try to do 5. You'll get there!! I'm still on incline pushups on a coffee table. I just can't make that transition to the floor for some reason. Don't let it get you down. Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.

[Relic]

option C : (if you like extra options)

start with a short strength routine, rest 5-10 minutes then do the BBW

the strength routine would consist of 2 max sets of pushup, pullup, and squat progressions that you can do for 2-10 reps. Rest 2-3 minutes between sets.

For the BBW use movements that are easy enough to where you can do three rounds before your muscles start giving out.

[Kunai]

Another option would be something like the angry birds workout. Instead of doing, for example, 3 sets of 10. Do 30 in as many sets as it takes.

[cn3wton]

I found a video online about how to build it up fast.  Do as many as you can of the most difficult type, then work your way down to finish the set with others.

 

Why are you so against knee push ups?  If done correctly they aren't a hindrance to form.  Most people think of knee push ups as having your knees at a 90 degree angle but that's not actually correct.  You just use your knees as the contact point instead of your feet.  You keep your upper leg in line with your upper body just like normal push ups.

[I-Jo]

because most people never truly translate knee/modified push ups to full push ups.  

 

in theory it works- but there is a lot of evidence of people being able to do LOTS of modifieds and NO real ones.

 

it just doesn't translate well- knee push ups are too "easy" and full proper push ups are too "hard"

 

so elevating them but keeping proper form really helps with that translation.

I don't mind to do BOTH as a suggestion- but lean toward the full elevated with less modified/knee push ups.   It just ISN"T the same. 

[cn3wton]

I could see not doing them if your not trying regular ones at all.

[I-Jo]

well lots of people can't do regular ones with any semblance of proper form- but can manage knee push ups with great form and a decent number of reps.

 

better to do a good elevated one than half ass ground ones-  I think it's better than knee push ups ultimately in the grand scheme of things. 

[TankGrrl]

In my current 6 week challenge I am trying to get to 10 full form push ups. At week one I couldn't even do a single one, but I could do 10 on my knees.

At the beginning of week 5, this very morning, I managed 9 full push-ups XD

 

My personal method to get there has been to do 1 set of as many as I can manage every single day. First I would try the full push-up, at first of course I couldn't even lower myself properly so I would go down as far as I could yet still hold it, and push back up. It may have been only a few inches but it was something. Then I would do 10 modifieds. I did a different kind each day to mix it up, one day negatives, next day inclines, next day knees. The first week it felt very awkward and unnatural to be holding myself in that position but I kept doing it anyway and trying to get the form right and the day you push out that first one is pretty quick in coming.

 

And that's it. It takes literally 2 mins to do and I've done it in the garden, the kitchen, at work, in the computer lab at uni... where ever I am

 

I've found the consistent testing everyday really helped me see the tiny changes in progress.

 

*disclaimer* I was doing the NF fitness workouts 3 times a week in addition to this, so the DB rows and other upper body stuff was helping me too

[I-Jo]

^^

 

yup- this is what I inadvertently started doing many years ago on my own- glad to know I figured out something right!! 

 

having to do pull ups for a PT test in college- and the women's bathrooms had 2 pull up bars- I would do 1-2 every time I hit the head in barracks.    My max at the time wound up being 14 I think.   I did the same thing at my apartment 3 years ago- pull up bar in the doorway- every time I left the bedroom- I had to hit it and bang something out.  Needless to say I got better. 

 

Love this article

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oIB-V4m26GwYkbyw_tSKsQlbxs3uy60IrcRSteJBcqA/edit?hl=en_US

[Lil' Kitsune]

Thanks for the great suggestions. It's good to know that I wasn't too far off. I'm going to keep going with the do as many as I can of the difficult ones and a full set of my 'normal' ones. Once I'm able to do a full set of the hard ones, they become the new normal and we carry on. TankGrrl's right: push ups are an easy thing to fit in just about anywhere, no reason not to do some every day.