Push-ups Club

[~Beth~]

Today pushups 5,5,5,6,6,6=33

[eXtremE]

I cranked out nine in a row yesterday.

I lost weight when I began this WOE. The lighter you are, the easier the pushups and the more you can do in a row.

[amgmmg]

I am doing the push ups but not sure if I am doing well. Not sure if I go down enough.

How would I know?

[~Beth~]

Hi amg, hope someone else answers you, because I am not an expert on pushups. I think John had posted some links to videos on pushup form earlier in the thread

I'm just doing girlie pushups from the knees

Today...
5,5,5,6,6,8=35

[amgmmg]

Hi Beth

Thanks. I did watch videos but I never know if I am doing it right or not. I should film myself ding them.
I am also doing ladies push ups. I tried the other ones, but I think I do the 100 on my knees and then try the other ones.

Thanks
Andrea

[~Beth~]

Wow, Andrea, if you are doing 100 already, that is great!

.......................

pushups today

5,5,5,6,7,9=37

edit.. just did 1 more set of 10, total for day 47

[JOJO1947]

Still doing push ups here. Just did some, but fell 1 short of 40 in a minute. Only 39 in 0:59. Over 40 in a minute on some exercise days, but our bodies vary from day to day.
I'm up to about 130 total push ups each day, but only do them about twice a week. Allowing the muscles and tendons to rest and recover. At age 63, avoiding injury is most important. Thus I no longer do daily exercise of the same muscles. Bike about 3 times a week. Pushups twice a week.

Anyway, saw some senior examples of fitness to aim for as we age.
Some inspiration for those of us wanting to keep fit past age 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90.

Woman age 72 doing push ups
(she could go down just a bit further in her push ups, but given how many she does in 1 minute, it is still very impressive

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1BCzZBMMd0

Also vegan man age 72

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvsGXuyYgv8

They show him and mention his diet.
(must note though, he was a former champion. I don't normally show former champions because they aren't the "everyman" role model, however I thought the inclusion of his diet was important)

90 year old dancing woman who does the splits.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0c3cKfNj7c

Can't prove she is 90, but it seems like a family video and I can't imagine they wouldn't tell the true age.
Most impressive is how easily she gets up at that end of the video.

We'd all better start practicing now if we hope to be agile at 90.

Looking at the 72yo woman doing pushups - WOW! My current goal is 50 - am at 30 now at age 67. But at age 57 I couldn't get out 2. The way I got better faster was to lower myself slowly from the 'up' position, hold it at the bottom, then come back up the easy way using my knees, then start all over lowering slowly. We are about 25% stronger in the eccentric part of an exercise than the concentric, and concentrating on just the eccentric part of an exercise will get faster results.

[~Beth~]

Wow, great videos. Thanks for re-posting them

Great inspiration!

Really loved the 72 year old grandma
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1BCzZBMMd0

Thanks jojo for the idea of starting in the full pushup position and lowering down from there, then doing the raising portion from the knees. I will try that next time

[amgmmg]

Beth

NO I am not doing 100 yet. I am in week 3 of the 100 pushups challenge. But, I think I will go back to wek 2. I was not doing it properly I think and today I struggled.

[waingapu]

Beth

NO I am not doing 100 yet. I am in week 3 of the 100 pushups challenge. But, I think I will go back to wek 2. I was not doing it properly I think and today I struggled.

Not sure what kind of 100 push ups challenge that is.

As I've looked around over the past year I have found many sites where they have a challenge and a weekly timetable.
Almost always the timetables are far too rapid for most people.
This is especially true for those who are over 40 or who are carrying excess weight.

I think a sensible timetable is about 12 months to one's initial goals.
I might imagine that falling short on some weekly challenge could lead to discouragement and stopping entirely.

Without looking at my old calendars, I think I have taken about 18 months to get to where I am now.
That going from about 15 push ups at once, to over 40 in 1 minute. However, for a long time I was mired at about 25 to 29 and then had a sudden ability to do more.
Recently I was sick for about 10 days and didn't do any push ups for two weeks. So when I started again I held it to 30 in one minute and 120 total, down from my normal 160 twice a week.

My advice is to be careful about weekly timetables both because they're hard to hit and because you don't want to over do and risk injury.

The goal is to be fairly fit and agile at age 60, 70, and 80. Able to drop down to the floor, do some push ups, then stand up without assistance or effort. By 80 very few folks can do such.

Though I post some of the videos, I don't think 72 year old women who can do over 50 push ups in 60 seconds are practical.
I would guess that particular woman spends days and days in the gym and has been doing so for perhaps 20 years.
I wish there were more very fit but not crazy fit role models.

Hopefully everyone here can keep their long range goals in perspective and end up at 70, 80, and 90 with some strength.
At 64 I have found that if I don't keep exercising I lose muscle very very quickly. That process will only speed up with each decade.
There won't be enough caregivers for all those in the Baby Boom generation so we really need to focus on diet and steady exercise.
I fear very few are doing so if my neighborhood is any example to go by. Amazingly few folks over 50 do much of any exercise.
I can't imagine their diets are much better.

Keep up your long range goals. I'm going to try to maintain 40 in a minute and perhaps aim for a new level for a 2 minute test.
The two minute test is what the military uses for their entry requirements.

Here is the Navy fitness standards for women age 45+
I am uncertain if that is a one minute or two minute test. (I think it is a 2 minute test)

http://www.navy-prt.com/femalestandard/45-49.html

http://www.navy-prt.com/femalestandard/ ... ndard.html

http://www.navy-prt.com/malestandard/malestandard.html

[waingapu]

I looked around and found some "non" superstar older folks who are still inspirational and showing us how we can stay fit and agile into our older years

#1. This guy only does 3 push ups, but looks like he could do more if he tried.
The reason why I include him is not so much for the push ups, but more for the ease with which he gets into position and then back up on his feet. THAT ability is even more important than the number of push ups he does.
Oh, did I mention, he is 100?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OyiJLk_zZY

#2. This guy is only 93. His form is not close to perfect as he doesn't go down far enough. But given the number he does and his ability to get up and down, I think his output is terrific. You can be sure he can get himself up off the floor without help.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWbOio9g62Y

#3.. **** Look at this 95 year old grandmother. Doing sit ups and then some push ups. Then watch her get off the floor.
She is very impressive and not even dressed for exercise. Women are supposed to have less upper body strength but she does very well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUdj0kjUHqA

#4. This lad is a mere 80. He doesn't go down quite far enough, but the 38 push ups he does in less than a minute are still impressive.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDaoUljV_Nc

#5. Here is a 81 year old. Very straight form from toes to head. He could go a little lower to be officially perfect, but all in all He does a great job. Again, another senior who can easily get up and down without aid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1RgBTn6Wwc

None of these older folks appear to be hard core gym rats. I don't imagine they put in excessive time on push ups or strength.
I'm sure all of us would want to be as fit as they are at those ages.
Slow steady progress will make that possible.
I think its a good goal for the next 30 years.

[JOJO1947]

Thanks for the links wanigapu! I'm 67 and very fit for my age. My workout partner is 45 and we are close in most areas. I have a little more upper body strength and she has more lower. That aside, I'm retired and certainly have the time to work out every day. As the years go by, I need to put a little more into it just to maintain. But who the heck wants to 'maintain?' I continue to increase the number of pushups, squats, walking lunges, time in the plank.......And I LOVE it! I love feeling this strong and 'young' and free of 'old age aches and pains' . I do a lot of balance/flexibility/stretching. My grandkids love doing yoga poses with me and are still trying to get in my signature pose - lying face up, hooking one foot behind my head. The day may come when I can't do what I can today, but I'm not there yet. I don't set the bar too high, but neither do I look for the least amount I think I should do. I'm grateful every day I have a 'glass half full' attitude. I have way too many friends/acquaintances my age who are starting to get noticeably weaker, less flexible, stiff joints etc. They have a "this is just part of getting older - I need to accept it" kind of negative attitude. I refuse to go there. 10 years ago, when I was a weak, feeling old person before I started to work out and eat right, I read an incredibly motivating book YOUNGER NEXT YEAR by Crowley and Lodge. That got me started, along with a personal trainer. Then at age 61, I myself went to personal training school for a year. Eating the McDougall way has added a whole other dimension to my health - a positive one. Bottom line is I work out one hour a day with weights or yoga and do 30 min on the treadmill. That's 6.25% of my day....not really too much, and I take off a day here and there if I want to. I'm currently working on a 10min plank - have done 5min 40sec so far. BTW this diatribe was not bragging, but a blog of my joy of living thanks to great nutrition and effective exercise. JoAnn

[amgmmg]

I am supposed to do pushups today, but do not feel like. I was also not enthusiastic running. Instead of running 50 minutes, I run 35. I think I will take a break today

[waingapu]

I am supposed to do pushups today, but do not feel like. I was also not enthusiastic running. Instead of running 50 minutes, I run 35. I think I will take a break today

Are you doing push ups every day? Don't worry about having days off. After my two weeks off during the flu and a cold, I did my first day back on the 16th and again today on the 21st. So I was off 4 days and that isn't unusual. I normally take 3 or so days off. It won't minimize your progress if on those exercise days you do a good effort.
I think push ups every day can be counter productive for many.

Today I really didn't feel like doing them but slogged through the first few rounds.
Did 20 girl push ups, then regular ones in sets as follows 10, 10, 33, 27, 20, 20, 20, and 20, for total of 160.
All the sets were slower than normal and I didn't try to speed it up.

I think we must all have a very long term outlook because we all face days we just don't want to do some.
And of course, over the years, we will all face weeks or even months when we may not be able to do them.
Those episodes are the real danger where one might easily just stop doing them or feel discouraged by having fallen back so far.
I'm sure motivation will be much more difficult at 80 than it is today.
Not sure any of us are fully prepared for that. That is why I like those videos of the older folks doing them.

BTW, 35 minutes of running is a very good effort. You should feel good about doing such on a day when you aren't overly enthusiastic. Keep it up.

[amgmmg]

[quote="waingapu"

Are you doing push ups every day? .[/quote]

Waingapu thanks for encouragement. I do not do pushups every day. I am following the 100 pushups challenge so it is Mon, Wed and Fri. but I relaly felt like doing nothing. Not even work, and felt down for the last 3 days.

ANyway, I hope tomorrow is another day. I will try on Friday.

Thank you
Andrea