# Why can't I do push-ups any more? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 24, 2011, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-do-push-ups-any-more/600602 "2011-10-24T04:42:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-do-push-ups-any-more/600602/1 "2011-10-24T04:42:54Z")
I used to be able to drop and give you 100 effortlessly. I haven’t really done many for several years, but about a month ago I started on the [100 pushups](http://hundredpushups.com/) interval training program. I’ve previously done C25K by the same people, and I’m also currently doing the 200 situps program and am getting on really well - I no longer have a significant gut, my belt is two inches smaller, etc. But the pushups… I’m going backwards. I got to the week 3 exhaustion test and managed 25, so ended up in [column 3](http://hundredpushups.com/week3.html). But since then, I haven’t been able to complete any of the exercises. After not being able to complete day 2 in column three, I dropped myself down to column 2, then went back to day 1 of week 3, and I couldn’t finish that either. It’s not CV exhaustion, it’s completely muscular - when I’m doing reps, after about 15 pushups, I simply cannot lift myself any more, but I could still go out and run three miles immediately. It’s incredibly disheartening. Is it my age (44)? Not enough protein in my diet? Any suggestions on how to improve? ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-do-push-ups-any-more/600602/2 "2011-10-24T12:31:00Z")
I believe you might be suffering from a medical condition known as “being a girlie man”.😃 ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-do-push-ups-any-more/600602/3 "2011-10-24T12:37:40Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > I believe you might be suffering from a medical condition known as “being a girlie man”.😃 Shit, didn’t know there was a scientific name for it. ☹ I’ve stopped drinking beer recently - could this be the cause? ---
**Author:** ![6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e19adc/32.png) [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-do-push-ups-any-more/600602/4 "2011-10-24T12:38:35Z")
Other than count by 5s, I got nuthin’. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-do-push-ups-any-more/600602/5 "2011-10-24T12:43:13Z")
It’s a mystery. I haven’t done a pushup for decades and I am terribly overweight but I was able to do 100 at my first attempt. That’s binary of course. ---
**Author:** ![6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e19adc/32.png) [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-do-push-ups-any-more/600602/6 "2011-10-24T12:46:49Z")
My WAG is that you just have to build up that upper arm strength, **jjimm**. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-do-push-ups-any-more/600602/7 "2011-10-24T12:51:59Z")
> [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](#): > > My WAG is that you just have to build up that upper arm strength, **jjimm**. Well yeah. Thanks. But the weird thing is I’m going _backwards_. The more I exercise, the harder it gets. ---
**Author:** ![Baracus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@Baracus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baracus)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-do-push-ups-any-more/600602/8 "2011-10-24T13:11:51Z")
How much of a break were you taking between attempts? I am not a workout guru, but my understanding is this can happen if you repeatedly work your muscles to exhaustion without sufficient time in between for recovery. It would kind of makes sense that you had an easier time recovering from the lower rep portions of the program. ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-do-push-ups-any-more/600602/9 "2011-10-24T13:13:43Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Well yeah. Thanks. > > But the weird thing is I’m going _backwards_. The more I exercise, the harder it gets. Two things could be at play. If you find your ability is decreasing, you need to allocate yourself more rest time between workouts as well as up your protein intake. Additionally, you may need to increase the water you drink to help keep your system well hydrated and flushed of toxins that build up as you build muscle. If this does not arrest the problem, you may need to see a doctor and get a physical. There could be issues that you are not aware of like blood pressure concerns or other chemical imbalances. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-do-push-ups-any-more/600602/10 "2011-10-24T13:15:19Z")
You might just need more rest. I know I used to be able to do a lot of swimming and plenty of other things too all week. Now I have a hard time doing two good sets a week. Last week I had one great set on Tuesday, on Thursday I got through 3/4 of what I had done before and felt like crap. Try not doing as much, especially if you’re trying to do a couple of other challenges as well, and try making the days between sets longer and see if that helps. I’m only 38 by the way, though way out of shape right now. ---
**Author:** ![6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e19adc/32.png) [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-do-push-ups-any-more/600602/11 "2011-10-24T13:15:40Z")
Here’s a bit more stupid stuff from me: Are you exercising at the same time each day? Meaning could you sometimes be fatigued before you start? Are you breathing properly? Do you kind of feel defeated at the beginning of the set? Maybe you’ve improved the strength of some upper arm muscles, and the others are having to catch up. ---
**Author:** ![FordPrefect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FordPrefect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordPrefect)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-do-push-ups-any-more/600602/12 "2011-10-24T14:44:29Z")
I find my ease/difficulty with push ups is in direct correlation with how much I stretch my chest muscles. The less I stretch, the sooner I am fatigued and the weaker I am. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-do-push-ups-any-more/600602/13 "2011-10-24T15:02:39Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > I’ve stopped drinking beer recently - could this be the cause? Well, reducing alchohol intake has been none to have a number of negative side effects such as: - Lowered self confidence - Adversity to engaging in risky or awesome behavior - Feeling the need to do more physical activity - Inability to sleep until one in the afternoon - People seem less interesting and more tedious This might be contributing to your sudden need to do all sorts of pushups.