Pushups Are Too Damn Hard

[the_gneech]

Okay, what's the deal here? I can bench press 120 lbs. without breaking a sweat, but doing five pushups just wipes me out.

As part of my workouts, I've been trying to build up my ability to do pushups, since that and jogging are the two exercises in the Kung Fu classes that I just can't keep up with[1]. On a mostly-daily basis, I do as many full pushups as I can muster, then do knee-length pushups to fill out the number to twenty. Once upon a time I could do 15-20 pushups, but after my back injury last year, I have had to rebuild a lot of the strength in my lower back.

Currently, I can do 4 - 7 regular pushups before my muscles give out; the rest of the knee-length pushups don't generally give me much trouble, although I generally have to stop and rest for a moment around 15.

On the other hand, I can do ab crunches until the cows come home. [2] Go fig.

-The Gneech

[1] And I'm not jogging in northern Virginia summer! Even I'm not that much of a glutton for punishment!

[2] COW: "Excuse me, why are you doing ab crunches in my pasture?"

Comments

[torakiyoshi.livejournal.com]

What you need is a good elliptical machine. My roommate agrees with you that it's too hot; he spends the first hour of his morning at the air conditioned Gym on the machine, with a book propped up on the console.

As for pushups, you probably weigh more than 120. Especially if you're building up muscle bulk. Le Sigh. I want a home gym!

-=TK

[pholph.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, those wonderful 95 deg, 95% humidity days, where even the people who grew up living on the sun say "Fuck its hot".

Co-worker of mine lives in Arizona. A couple of years ago, he was in 118 deg heat, claiming it would be -GREAT- to get to the cool weather of 95 deg Virginia.

Stepped off the plane and proceeded to want to go immediately back home...

It seems that 118 isn't bad at all, when there's no humidity.

[wolff-slaven.livejournal.com]

I'm in excellent shape but I can't do many pushups or pullups. I always assumed it was because I don't have good upper-body strenth. Not to use that old sterotype about women, but I openly admit that is not my stong point.

[nekomimikun.livejournal.com]

The reason pushups are harder is because you are pushing up your entire body weight. Knee-length pushups cuts the weight you have to endure.