Real women do pushups

I remember way back in freshman P.E. class when our teacher made us do pushups. The boys had to do full pushups – in the full plank position, on their hands and toes.

We girls were told to do pushups with our knees on the floor because it was easier.

At the time, I didn’t question it. I simply assumed girls were unable to perform full pushups like boys. At the time, I certainly couldn’t, and no one encouraged me to build my upper body strength any further.

That changed a couple years ago. By then, I had been going to the gym for a few years, and I had developed enough upper body strength through other exercises that I decided to try some full pushups. Luckily, I have a supportive husband who encouraged me to give them a try.

So I dropped to the floor, and lo and behold, I ripped through a couple sets. I was so proud of myself! Since then, I have made sure to do three sets of ten pushups on a regular basis.

You see, I have to keep up my bragging rights.

I proved to myself that women can do full pushups if they commit themselves to developing enough upper body strength to do so – and they can achieve this in adulthood, even if they weren't athletic in high school.

Since I have achieved this ability, I have noticed that I am one of the few females at my gym who does full pushups. Why is this? Why don’t more women do full pushups?

Kelly Mills lends some insight in a guest article to the San Francisco Chronicle that women don't do push ups because they think of them as a man exercise. “We leave the push-ups and the dumbbells and the bench presses to the dudes, as though we couldn't possibly do such macho exercises,” she says.

Kelly calls on every woman to do pushups. I echo her call.

Ladies, drop and give me twenty!

It may take time and practice, but if you want to achieve it, you can do full pushups on your toes eventually. “If doing them from your feet isn't possible yet, start on your knees and do as many as you can, keeping your core nice and tight and bringing your chest as close to the floor as possible,” Kelly says. That’s good advice.

As for how to transition to doing full pushups, Joni Hyde, a Certified Personal Trainer and owner of WorkoutsForWomen.com, says on a post on BlueSuitMom.com to do one straight-legged pushup, then two bent-knee pushups alternating back and forth for a total of 15 to 18 total pushups. Then next time, go for two straight-legged to every one bent-knee. Eventually, you will be able to do all straight-legged pushups.

I would like to add something to Kelly’s call for women do to pushups. Let’s quit calling them “girls” pushups and “guys” pushups. I prefer the terms “three-quarter” pushups if your knees are on the floor and “full” pushups if you are up on your toes.

That takes the sexism out of it. Maybe using non-sexist terminology will encourage more women to give full pushups a try. And, maybe it will make guys who can’t do full pushups (and there are probably quite a few of you out there) not feel like they are wimpy or inadequate. Everybody has to start somewhere.

Where do you stand on the pushup issue? Can you do them? Would you like to try? I’m asking both men and women. Leave me a comment!