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Started by Suzanna McGee, October 7, 2016 · 5 Replies · 220 Views
Pushups are definitely not the strongest part in me. Never been. Here I am, working on them until one day I will achieve mastery perfection. Can I please get tips on what to focus on the most at this point? The struggle is real 
This was set number 4, so it is good to see where it starts breaking down when I am tired.
Hi Suzanna,
It looks like you're still working hard, awesome job! As your lower your body you have a small pike in your hips. Remember to maintain PPT throughout your entire set. Keep it up!
Unfortunately your body line is breaking already at the first rep (your upper back is going up - arching - then you go back to posterior pelvic tilt). For your shoulders there seems to be an angle where they have less power, the movement is not smooth trough the whole range of motion.
What i am currently doing to overcome the (imo huge) gap between PE1 and PE2: a set of PE1 to warm up, then regular push ups on the floor, but only 2-3 veeery controlled reps x 3-4 sets, and then add some volume on "PE1,5" (= hands on knee height, for example a chair).
Keep up the good work!
Thank you, @Jeffrey Bittner and @Petra Dvorak. Yea, working hard. This thing is horrible for me—a long body, long arms, the struggle is real I will make sure to keep my PPT through the entire movement. And probably try to do what you do, Petra. You are right, the jump from PE1 to PE2 felt substantial. I didn't have many issue in PE1, but these real push-ups are rough for me. I've been playing with the shoulder angle (as you suggested that in this angle I am losing power), but found that there is no better angle… I shall just keep working…
Good work Suzanna,
We're all stronger and weaker in different areas. I was in the Police Force and we did 350 pushups during one 3 hour training session, I was a pushup machine! But they were elbows out using the chest muscles. Doing these strict elbows by the side 'tricep' pushups is a lot weaker. I just nailed 4 x 6 level so 5x15 seems like another galaxy far far away. It's the journey not the destination though isn't it. I'm 6'1, 76kg and 44 so we are similar in stats. I'm cheering us on!
@Steven Gilmore thanks for your comment. It's interesting to see that you as a man doing many push-ups in the past also struggle with this GST style push-up… You are right, we are similar in statue, you are just 1 inch taller and 3 kg heavier. I'll be curiously following your journey here… what you can do, I can do!!!
I am amazed now seeing it's been already 2 weeks since I posted my last post… I have been working on the push-ups diligently, doing 5x6 reps. I was making them prettier and prettier each training session. They are getting now to a form that maybe even @Alessandro Mainente would find them super pretty Anyway, I got the best compliment ever in the gym yesterday, while doing my pretty sets: a gentleman who used to be a high level bodybuilder in the 70-80s passed by and said "Girls are not supposed to be able to do push-ups like these!" I must say I almost jumped into a planche from happiness, ha ha. I don't think that it ever happened to me to be considered the "push-up girl". I know I do this for myself, but still, all these frustrations of feeling weak, but staying on it with discipline, now show that a change is happening.