T Nation

Push Up Problem

Beginners
#1

Hi all.

I have been doing some beginner body weight exercise. It consisted of 5 exercies, 10 reps each and doing it 3 times in a row.
I used to do 30 push ups all together.

All of a sudden, I was no longer able to push my self up, from starting position lying on the floor and up until arms are almost extended - not once! My physio told me to take 1 week of restitution. But even after one week, I cannot do those damn push ups. If I start from a position with stretched arms, and lower myself, I can do 2x10, but I’m struggling. If i lower my chest to the ground, I can only lift my torso a few inches.
I eat healthy, make shure I get 9 hours of rest. I drink 2 cups of coffee a day(I probably shouldn’t) and I go to bed before mid night, but still to late for me to be fresh the day after - most days.

Does anyone have a solution for this, do you know what the cause of this could be?

#2

Did ANYTHING happen? Did you take a break or something? Please make sure nothing bad is gonig on; we’re not doctors.
From an exercise point of view, do them on your knees instead of your feet until you regain the strength. Plus - do not stick to 3x10 if you think you can do more. 10 push ups are very little and there is a lot of room for improvement.

#3

@Nighthawkz:
I was doing them as usual, and then all of a sudden, after id had done 7, I couldn’t push my self up more than a few inches. I tried 48h later, but couldn’t move more than a few inches, and then after 48h of rest I tried again and failed.
Then I called my physio and he said he had never heard about anything like that before. He told me to rest for a week, so I did that.
Today I could go half the way up a few times, but it was extremely hard. I tried from a position where I start with stretched arms and then lower my torso down and then push up. If I don’t go to low, I can still do them, i did 2x10 today like that.

#4

What does your diet look like? It’s a stretch, but maybe you haven’t been eating enough and have been losing muscle. Like Nighthawkz said, we’re not doctors, we can’t know exactly what’s wrong, but all I could really see it being is an injury, or you simply have become too weak to do it.

#5

Just read your second post fully. You have a weak bottom push. Start going all the way down and not partially. It will take time to build up the strength.

#6

@ Peter Novo:
Currently my diet is like this:
Morning: oatmeal with nuts, honey and butter and 2 fruit smoothies.
Lunch: Carrots and 2-4 loafs of dark bread with fish on.
Then another oatmeal or some dark bread with meat on.
Dinner: Vegetables(tomato, cucumber, onion), potatoes/brown rice and some meat, perhaps falaffel.

Right now, I’m probabæy eating 20% more than I did for the past few weeks, so yeah, maybe I haven’t been eating enough.

I haven’t felt any pain at all, so I didn’t think it was an injury, but perhaps it is. I hope not.

@Fuzzyapple.Train:

You mean going all the way down and then try to push myself up again or do you mean going all the way down and then starting all over from the top position and then lowering myself all the way down? Cos the first option is not possible for me right now.

#7

Hmm yea your diet seems to be fine, I’d throw in a couple of shakes but without knowing your height + weight I’d say it seems okay. Why can’t you push all the way up? Is it a pain thing or is it too difficult?

#8

[quote]PushPush wrote:

@Fuzzyapple.Train:

You mean going all the way down and then try to push myself up again or do you mean going all the way down and then starting all over from the top position and then lowering myself all the way down? Cos the first option is not possible for me right now. [/quote]

So you used to be able to go all the way down and back up without stopping?

#9

What about leg power ? Is it same as before ?
It might be a pinched nerve that cannot do it s job at a certain angle.
I wish you well but who knows some brain issue ?
Did you felt ?
Did you get it ?
Any major emotional stress ?
Do you hate your job/boss/classes ?
If it is a sudden very noticable change, even if i do not like doctors i would get a check up(explaining my situation).
Maybe a massage or accupuncture would unstock your energy or problem area.
Try foam rolling who knows.
Training as suggested is not a bad idea but at your age a big change in a little time is not OK.
Push-ups are tough for me but they allways have been.
All the best !

#10

@fuzzyapple.Train: Yes I did. Some times my back posture weren’t firm all the way, I caught myself ‘cheating’ by bending it a little bit sometimes, to make it easier.

@BHappy:
Leg power is about the same.
I didn’t really feel anything, all of a sudden I just didn’t have the power for it.
I was doing push ups as usual and then all of a sudden, I couldn’t do it anymore :frowning:
I like my job, but the problem with my boss is that he keeps telling me that I’m insufficient because I make to many errors, which I think is unfair. I did in the past, not anymore. I feel like he kinda want’s to fire me and not let me have enough hours, but I make sure that I get the hours he promised me.
I’m constantly paranoid about society, my GF broke up with me, and I have tons of other existential worries about myself and other stuff. A bit of anxiety.
I’m a recovering porn addict.

I have a personal theory too. I think it might be because of caffeine. I think that the caffeine interrupts my sleep. I only drink it in the morning, and only 1 mug(sometimes two though).
I don’t have time to quit it this weekend, but I will quit coffee for good on next monday.

I wrote my doctor a message yesterday, I’ll call my physio on monday. I’ll work out tomorrow, if I’m not completely wasted, but i might skip the push ups until my physio has answered me wether I should continue doing push ups until I see him at our appointment in about 2 weeks from now.

Perhaps I’ll skip work out this weekend, and wait until monday. I only got a couple hours of sleep this night, so I might not recover enough until tomorrow.

#11

@BHappy: My leg power is the same.
I didn’t really feel energy, besides the fact that I all of a sudden lacked the power to carry through the movement.
I got it after having done 7 pushups. Last three were just crap.
My GF broke up, Im anxious about a whole lot of stuff, and currently drink coffee, which often has a bad impact on me, I will quit coffee this monday, I need it in this stressful weekend. I have to convince my boss to give me the working hours I need and he constantly blames me for being inefficient. Which I’m not! So I’m afraid of loosing my job.

#12

btw. I’m also recovering from a porn abuse.

#13

Troll

#14

Ya this sounds retarded and the prognosis and questions from other people is just as dumb.

#15

So this is good news. You have no physical problem. Just figure a way to exit that downward spiral. Your right side is probably the weak link. Massage, accupuncture could probably be helpfull, not doctors. If you are broke do yoga from tv or librairy video or you tube. 4 times daily 4 minutes of deep breathing will be a plus.
All the best !

#16

@BHappy: I’m working my way out :wink: Yes, my right side is a weak link - my right leg is shorter than the left, causing trouble in a lot of ways.
I don’t know if I’m injured or not. I will have an answer monday!
Perhaps my doctor can be helpful, when he answers my mail.

#17

@Fuzzyapple.Train: Yes I used to be able to go all the way up and down without stopping, although it was a struggle for me.

#18

Your anxiety is related to your future. Your right side represents your future. Most doctors are ignorant in those matters. Use my suggestions to improve. Energy is meant to move, your energy is presently partially stucked. It is a bit like you were drugged and someone stole 1 of your lung.

#19

It was a dead giveaway when he said hes recovering from porn abuse. What the fuck is that?

#20

@Henburg:
yourbrainonporn.com/understanding_porn_addiction - it’s not a porn site, I’m not spamming nor trolling. If you honestly want to know what porn abuse is, this site will explain a lot.