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Upper Body Strength

  • Creator
    Topic
  • June 23, 2022 at 4:26 pm #68479
    Silviana Ciurea Ilcus
    Participant

    I struggle with the push-ups in the upper body strength workout; even the easiest variation presented is impossible for me 🙁 I remembered the advice of a former trainer of mine, and started doing push ups against the wall. Is that OK? Will that indeed help me build up to the first variation presented? Should I be doing any additional weight lifting/other exercises in my attempt to build up the muscles to be able to do an easy push up?

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Posted In: PRIVATE Female Uphill Athlete Training Group

  • Keymaster
    Coach on June 23, 2022 at 4:34 pm #68483

    I also struggle with push-ups!!! Doing push-ups against a wall is a great way to modify the exercise. As they get easier slowly move your feet back and maybe try using a bench or box next. Then progress to doing them on your knees. If you can do them on your knees adding a weight vest is a great way to make the strength jump from knees to toes.

    You are still building strength in all of these variations-you are just meeting yourself at your current strength and that is what we all need to do 🙂

    I hope that helps!
    Maya

    Inactive
    Anonymous on June 23, 2022 at 6:51 pm #68493

    Hi Silviana,
    Maya’s suggestions are spot on. You can also use a chest press movement on a bench with dumbbells as a complementary strength movement to build up muscles in the chest and arms. Also do planks for up to 60 secs or work up to 60 sec planks.

    I have athletes begin by doing push ups on a counter top at home or a barbell on a squat rack at the gym.

    Once you can progress to doing push ups on the floor on your knees, I then have athletes begin in a plank position, lower their body toward the floor as if about to do a push up on the toes, but then touch the knees to the floor and push back up on your knees. Learning to do the lowering portion of the push up builds strength and quality form, and it is an eccentric load so you gain a ton of strength over time. Reducing reps with this practice may be important so try starting with 3 sets of 5 reps and building reps.

    Eventually one day after doing this you will lower down on your toes and voila you’ll be able to push back up!

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