# When Chuck Norris does a push-up, he's actually pushing the Earth Down. How far? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 10, 2007, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-chuck-norris-does-a-push-up-hes-actually-pushing-the-earth-down-how-far/429468 "2007-12-10T14:29:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-chuck-norris-does-a-push-up-hes-actually-pushing-the-earth-down-how-far/429468/21 "2007-12-10T20:42:26Z")
[QUOTE=Freddy the Pig] It would seem, then, that the strength of the pusher-upper is irrelevant. Given that my mass and arm length are about the same as Chuck’s, my flabby Freddy the Pig push-up moves the Earth exactly as far as his manly-man Chuck Norris push-up. Is this correct? [/QUOTE] he can do it more faster, more often, and generate less waste heat. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-chuck-norris-does-a-push-up-hes-actually-pushing-the-earth-down-how-far/429468/22 "2007-12-10T21:13:13Z")
It depends on your point of view. If Chuck does a push-up on a ship in the Indian Ocean (roughly the opposite of my location on the Earth,) he pushes the Earth up toward me. Did the Earth move for you? ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-chuck-norris-does-a-push-up-hes-actually-pushing-the-earth-down-how-far/429468/23 "2007-12-10T22:21:27Z")
How does the elasticity of the excercise mat on the floor of his dojo (where he is doing his push ups) effect the equation, if at all? In other words, is some of his work/effort being lost through the friction (elasticity) of the mat “absorbing” it? (And any other not-completely-rigid material underneath him.) ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2007, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-chuck-norris-does-a-push-up-hes-actually-pushing-the-earth-down-how-far/429468/24 "2007-12-11T15:00:21Z")
How fast is the treadmill moving that Chuck is on? ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2007, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-chuck-norris-does-a-push-up-hes-actually-pushing-the-earth-down-how-far/429468/25 "2007-12-11T15:28:37Z")
This is weird. I had a dream about this question last night. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2007, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-chuck-norris-does-a-push-up-hes-actually-pushing-the-earth-down-how-far/429468/26 "2007-12-11T16:50:42Z")
[QUOTE=mlees] How does the elasticity of the excercise mat on the floor of his dojo (where he is doing his push ups) effect the equation, if at all? In other words, is some of his work/effort being lost through the friction (elasticity) of the mat “absorbing” it? (And any other not-completely-rigid material underneath him.) [/QUOTE] Most, if not all the energy absorbed on the compression is returned on the expansion. Surely, some is lost as heat and squishing noises. Does the mat scream a little when Chuck Norris does push-ups? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2007, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-chuck-norris-does-a-push-up-hes-actually-pushing-the-earth-down-how-far/429468/27 "2007-12-11T17:03:55Z")
It’s all a matter of frame of reference. With respect to Chuck Norris, the earth moves all the way down. With respect to Earth, Chuck Norris is the one that does all the moving. With respect to fan boys, Chuck Norris is the only frame of reference. Tris ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2007, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-chuck-norris-does-a-push-up-hes-actually-pushing-the-earth-down-how-far/429468/28 "2007-12-11T21:45:50Z")
[QUOTE=elmwood] Which gets me thinking of a possible solution for global warming: Chuck Norris can roundhouse kick the Earth into a more distant orbit. [/QUOTE] Most likely his roundhouse would just vaporize the Earth. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-chuck-norris-does-a-push-up-hes-actually-pushing-the-earth-down-how-far/429468/29 "2007-12-12T04:15:40Z")
[QUOTE=AskNott] It depends on your point of view. If Chuck does a push-up on a ship in the Indian Ocean (roughly the opposite of my location on the Earth,) he pushes the Earth up toward me. Did the Earth move for you? [/QUOTE] The earth always moves for me when Chuck Norris is involved. ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-chuck-norris-does-a-push-up-hes-actually-pushing-the-earth-down-how-far/429468/30 "2007-12-12T14:43:37Z")
[QUOTE=Randy Seltzer] Can anyone address the fact that Chuck’s feet remain on the ground, so he’s actually making the Earth pivot around his feet? Shouldn’t the answer be in degrees or radians? [/QUOTE] As a survival mechanism, all things pivot around Chuck’s feet. Out of fear. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-chuck-norris-does-a-push-up-hes-actually-pushing-the-earth-down-how-far/429468.md?page=1)