How to Do Push Ups If You Can’t Now?

Are you feeling frustrated because you can't do a single push-up? Don't worry. It's not impossible! In this tutorial, we'll look at how to get started with simple modifications and progressions that will help you build the necessary strength for a full push-up. With time and effort, you'll be able to conquer the push-up and start seeing the results of your hard work.

Method 1: Start with Modified Push-ups

Instead of starting on your toes, begin on your knees. This will reduce the amount of weight you need to push and will allow you to focus on proper form.

To perform a modified push-up, start on your hands and knees on the ground. Put your hands on the ground slightly wider than your shoulder-width and align them with your shoulders.

Keep your back straight and core engaged as you bend your arms and lower your body towards the ground. Return to the starting position and keep your body straight throughout the movement.

Modified push-ups are a great way to build strength in the chest, triceps, and core muscles. As you progress and build strength, you can gradually work towards traditional push-ups on your toes.

Method 2: Use Resistance Bands

Place the band under your hands and wrap it around your back. The band should be taut when you're in the starting position. This will add resistance to the push-up movement, making it more challenging. Some resistance bands come with handles attached. Hold onto the handles while performing push-ups to add resistance to the movement.

Start with a light resistance band and gradually increase the resistance level as you build strength. If you're unable to perform a full push-up, you can place the band around your back and use it to assist you in the exercise by pulling yourself up.

You can also use resistance bands to perform different variations of push-ups, like incline or decline push-ups, to target different muscle groups and increase overall strength.

Method 3: Do Wall Push-ups

Wall push-ups are a great way to increase capacity and build upper body strength. If you're new to push-up and find it intimmidating, wall push-up can help you do it with ease while still taking care of your proper form and build strength in a controlled environment.

To perform a wall push-up, stand facing a wall and put your hands on the wall, shoulder-width apart. Keep your feet a few inches away from the wall.

Push your body towards the wall, keeping your body in a straight line. Push back up to the starting position.

Because you are pushing against a stable surface, you can focus on proper form and technique, ensuring that you are targeting the right muscle groups. As you progress, you can gradually increase the number of reps and sets and also try different variations to target different muscle groups and improve overall strength

Method 4: Isometric Holds

Isometric holds are an excellent way for beginners to build strength and work towards performing traditional push-ups. An isometric hold is a type of exercise where a muscle or group of muscles contract without any visible movement.

To perform an isometric hold for push-ups, start in the push-up position with your hands on the ground, shoulder-width apart.

Push towards the ground and hold the position at the bottom of the push-up for a few seconds. Move your body up to the starting position and repeat.

Method 5: Increase Reps and Sets Gradually

To improve your push-up capacity, you should gradually increase the number of reps and the intensity of your push-up workout over time. This will help to build muscle and endurance, allowing you to perform more push-ups. Start by increasing the number of reps and/or sets you do each week, and gradually work up to doing more challenging variations of push-ups (such as diamond push-ups or plyometric push-ups).

Make sure that you're using the proper form and technique when performing push-ups to avoid injury and maximize the output of your workout.

Benefits of Daily Push-Ups

Push-ups are an excellent exercise for building upper body strength, endurance, and muscle tone. Some of the benefits of push-ups include −

• Target multiple muscle groups − Push-ups engage numerous muscle groups, including the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core. This makes them an effective exercise for building upper body strength and muscle tone.

• Improve posture − Push-ups strengthen your muscles to improve the posture of your upper back and shoulders, which can help to pull the shoulders back and keep the spine in alignment.

• Increase cardiovascular fitness − Push-ups are a weight-bearing exercise that can help to improve cardiovascular fitness.

• Easy to perform − Push-ups are simple exercises that can be performed almost anywhere, with no equipment required.

• Low-impact − Push-ups are a low-impact exercise, making them less stressful on the joints than high-impact exercises such as running.

• Increases bone density − Push-ups are weight-bearing exercises that help in increasing bone density and reduce the risk of Osteoporosis.

• Improves core stability − Push-ups require the engagement of core muscles to maintain proper alignment, which helps in building core stability.

• Cost-effective − Push-ups are a cost-effective way to achieve a full-body workout without spending money on gym memberships or equipment.

Remember to always start with your own ability and gradually progress. It's imperative to acknowledge your body's needs and rest when you feel fatigued.

Conclusion

Push-ups would be your ideal bet for building strength and improving your physical fitness, but you may find it frustrating to keep on with the push-up routine if you don't have the ability to do them now. However, with the right approach, anyone can begin doing push ups and work their way up to more advanced variations.

By focusing on proper form, making gradual progressions in difficulty level, and utilizing modifications as needed, you will soon find yourself mastering this classic exercise. With patience and dedication to your practice of push-ups, you'll be amazed at how far you will come!