Pressups on your knees

Budo.Judo.Kev

Why are females encouraged to do press ups on their knees? Is there any truth to the reasons?

metrovelvet

I presume you mean pushups?

Its thought that its a compromise for us because we have weaker upper body strength, which is generally true, but real pushups are still better for us ultimately - so good for keeping your boobs in shape and good for abs too.

Budo.Judo.Kev

Sorry I thought pressups = push ups and chin ups = pull ups. Are they actually different exercises?

Some people have told me abdominal pressure on the womb or something is an issue. I just thought it was because most girls don't have strong arms.

metrovelvet

I never heard the womb excuse before!

No its because we have weak arms [I can only do 2 real pushups but I do 1000 crunches a week no problem - ridiculous- I wish I were better at them.]

Pressups are where you push your weight back so your facing upwards on your hands and knees and push up and down - for your triceps.

Budo.Judo.Kev

oh is one a tricep exercise and another a chest exercise. learn something new everyday. i only started going the tricepy ones recently. they're making my arms bigger don't know if that would be a good thing for a girl. thanks.

accensi0n

Budo.Judo.Kev wrote:

Sorry I thought pressups = push ups and chin ups = pull ups. Are they actually different exercises?

They mean the exact same thing.

yomchi

At an instructors course I did in the states last year it was said that push ups for women increases pressure on the womb if they are done with knees off the floor. The tight contraction of the lower abs or something is adds unwanted pressure - so they said.

Must google it and see

g'em

Jon wrote:

At an instructors course I did in the states last year it was said that push ups for women increases pressure on the womb if they are done with knees off the floor. The tight contraction of the lower abs or something is adds unwanted pressure - so they said.

*sigh* urban mythology. This one always makes me laugh. A womb is strong enough to enlarge and expand with a growing foetus, stretch to around 20 time its normal size, and those same abdominal muscles that support and strengthen it throughout gestation supposedly strain it during exercise?? About as true as Tony Quinn's claims about his products tbh.

That myth has been perpetuated since god knows when to make women feel better about the fact that many of them can't do regular 'guys' straight leg push ups, and to give male trainers another ego trip to stop women training the way they do.

Women can and should be able to do regular push ups. Starting with the knees down version is fine to gain initial strength, then you can do them feet wide, finally feet together.

dudara

It's a myth alright, but starting with push-ups on your knees is a good way of getting into the groove.

Smellyirishman

accensi0n wrote:

They mean the exact same thing.

I thought pressup/pushup were the same alright, but is there not a difference in your grip (suppinated etc..) between a chin-up (palms facing you) and a pull-up (palms facing away)? I have probably confused two other names, or mis-matched the palm directions, but I think there is a difference between chin-up and pull-up.

g'em

Smellyirishman wrote:

but is there not a difference in your grip (suppinated etc..) between a chin-up (palms facing you) and a pull-up (palms facing away)? I have probably confused two other names, or mis-matched the palm directions, but I think there is a difference between chin-up and pull-up.

you're right, there is a difference between the two.

Chin-ups with your palm facing you (supinated) will use the biceps as well as the back, where as pull-ups, with your palms facing aaway (pronated) isolate the lats and are generally harder. But both are fantastic for the back tbh and there's oodles more variations in grips other than those two. using a variety of grips will probably give best overall development.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

BaZmO*

g'em wrote:

and to give male trainers another ego trip to stop women training the way they do

:rolleyes:

metrovelvet

I guess in American English they are used differently. Push ups and press ups are definitely different here.

and to give male trainers another ego trip to stop women training the way they do.

You know what... ive noticed that women trainers/instructors usually encourage you to do the real pushups and its the men who let you off the hook with the ones on your knees.

Budo.Judo.Kev

Thanks G'em, situation solved, no more pressups on their knees unless they want to.

g'em

excellent!! but less of this 'unless they want to' malarky!! I'm presuming you're coaching girls and the simple fact is, lots of girls moan a lot and don't push themselves anywhere near the levels they're capable of when training. Hopefully if you're inolved in MA the girls will at least have copped on that to get the most out of the sport they have to put the effort in, so encourage them to do do push-ups without using their knees when possible. Plenty of them will convince themselves they can't when they're actually more than capable of knocking out even two or three 'real' ones. It's a great ego boost for a girl to realise she can be on the same strength level as a guy and still look girly and feminine

Dragan

metrovelvet wrote:

You know what... ive noticed that women trainers/instructors usually encourage you to do the real pushups and its the men who let you off the hook with the ones on your knees.

Or perhaps, just due to a general lack of knowledge on the part of most trainers as to what the actual differences should be between training for males and females i.e. very little , they just buy into the rumour of pressure on the womb????

Or perhaps, the males trainers are simply being bitches about it, and afraid to get in the faces of girls who are half assing "because their a girl"???

Either way, i believe the take home message here is, do push ups!!!!

Dragan

BaZmO* wrote:

:rolleyes:

Actually, you'd be amazed, i have seen dudes leave workouts early rather than stick around and watch our own G'em lift more weight than they can.

So while you might be happily comfortable with your nut sack, a lot of dudes aren't.

metrovelvet

Dragan wrote:

Or perhaps, the males trainers are simply being bitches about it, and afraid to get in the faces of girls who are half assing "because their a girl"???

I think it could very well be that!

Dragan wrote:

Either way, i believe the take home message here is, do push ups!!!!

Wah. MV starts crying! I hate pushups!

Plenty of them will convince themselves they can't when they're actually more than capable of knocking out even two or three 'real' ones

This is so so true. It took me a long time - its still taking me- to realise its all in your head and another mental block to hurdle. And these things are good for you spiritually too because you force yourself to knock out the myths you grow up with about your "handicaps" [i cant think of a better word right now but you know what I mean.] Maybe by next week I'll be able to do 3 real pushups.