Building strength for pushups?
Thread in 'Exercise' Forum started by Poppy, Mar 7th, 2014 at 04:23 AM.
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Mar 7th, 2014, 04:23 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 283
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Building strength for pushups?
This particular exercise is very difficult for me. I have carpal tunnel, and bending my hands back can be quite painful at times. This makes traditional push ups nearly impossible. Does anyone know of any alternatives or different methods that are easier on the wrists?
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Mar 7th, 2014, 16:02 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: EC
Posts: 449
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I can not handle them in the traditional form either but it is due to lacking the strength mostly on my right arm. I can do a few traditional ones but for the most part I drop down to my knees and do the "girlie" ones. If you can not do that you might want to start with doing them against a wall. I think those are 25% of a traditional one, and girlie ones are about half.
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Mar 7th, 2014, 16:50 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 225
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One way to make pushups easier on your wrists is to buy a pushup bar or place your hands on dumbbells and then perform the pushups. It changes the angle of your wrists and makes it much more comfortable than trying to perform a pushup with your palms flat on the floor.
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Mar 8th, 2014, 04:15 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 283
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Great suggestions! I didn't know you could do them standing upright. That's genius! And the breakdown definitely helps. Thanks for the tips. I feel a lot more positive about this now.
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Mar 8th, 2014, 11:59 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: UK
Posts: 7,879
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Can you do a modified press up where you do the press up on your hands and knees, and you cross your legs behind you. I have to do them like this as I'm just not strong enough to do normal push ups.
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Mar 8th, 2014, 19:00 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: West Dorset, UK
Posts: 122
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Start by doing them with your hands on the edge of the kitchen worktop, also changes the angle of the wrist.
Those small pushup bars are ok actually, once you get good at pushups they work well to let you get deeper into the bottom of the pushup than hands on the floor would, increasing chest muscle (pecs) involvement.
Good luck
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Mar 10th, 2014, 17:33 PM
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Join Date: May 2013
Location: Here!
Posts: 5,930
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Nice tips, I hate pushups and have avoided!
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Mar 10th, 2014, 18:01 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 302
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First, if you have carpal tunnel I would suggest Tai Chi exercises for your whole body. Trust me on this one.
Second, I would suggest optimizing your Vitamin D3 levels around 50ng/ml minimum. Check out Dr. Mercola's articles on it.
Third, I would suggest doing something other than a push up. Maybe something with small free weights or isometric exercises.
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Mar 15th, 2014, 04:36 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Liverpool, UK
Posts: 710
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You could try and do alternative exercises with dumbbells as suggested, there are plenty ways of working the same muscles just in a different way. I struggle with push ups too!
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Mar 22nd, 2014, 03:15 AM
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 10
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Yeah a pushup bar or those perfect pushup things might help.
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