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Monday, August 11, 2008
A girl’s gotta have a fitness goal
Here’s a girl with a goal.
Kristen Seymour, a writer for That’s Fit, recently announced that she’s taking on the One hundred Push-ups Challenge. She’s now into week three and up to 50 push-ups in a row.
You go, girl! That’s totally cool!
I’ve written a series of posts on here before about the benefits of push-ups to women. Read them here,here and here.
Sometimes I don’t think we women challenge ourselves enough when it comes to fitness. We baby ourselves, sticking with comfortable weights and not going much beyond that. I’ve caught myself doing it, and my husband has accused me of doing it.
You’re not going to improve, get stronger or break into new territory if you don’t push yourself.
My current major fitness goal is to do unassisted pull-ups by the end of the year. I’m slightly beyond two-thirds of my body weight. I’m struggling a bit with a plateau right now that I can't seem to get past. But I hit the pull-up machine every time I’m at the gym, and I keep trying. (Here’s a hint: If you can’t make a 10-pound jump, try finding a five-pound weight to sit on top of the weight stack. That way, you can increase in smaller increments, but still increase.)
Having fitness goals gives us something to strive for, a road map as we try to make ourselves better. If you stick only with what’s comfortable, you won’t improve.
There’s a saying that I like: “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten.” That’s true in fitness, and in life.
Maybe I’ll take on the 100 push-ups challenge next.
Working the chest: Pec Deck Flies vs. Dumbbell Flies
I hear debates in the fitness world about the pros and cons of free weights and selectorizers. Which is better?
I was doing some dumbbell butterflies at the gym the other day, and I thought it would be fun to look at dumbbell flies versus butterfly machines.
First, a description of the butterfly machine, also called the pec deck butterfly. This Web site describes it this way:
"Using a Pec Deck machine, seat yourself in it accordingly. Perform the exercise by squeezing your forearms and elbows in together so that you virtually touch them together at the peak of the movement. Be sure to really squeeze your pecs at the peak of this movement for a one-count. Return to the start position and repeat."
When I do dumbbell butterflies, I usually lay on a flat bench. You can also do them on an incline bench. Here is a description of flat bench dumbbell flies.
"Position yourself on a free-standing flat bench, flat on your back. Have your spotter hand you each dumbbell. When you begin this movement, you want your arms to be stretched out wide to your sides with your elbows slightly bent and your palms facing inward, toward one another. When you lift the dumbbells up together, visualize hugging a giant tree trunk. At the peak of the movement, really squeeze your pecs together for a one-count. When returning to the start position, be sure to lower the dumbbells in a slow and controlled fashion."
This article on about.com gives a good discussion of free weights vs. machines. Some of the pros of weight machines are: they're supportive, they're easy to use, they save time and they're less intimidating. However, they can be too supportive and limit the ways you can work your body.
The pros of free weights include versatility, functionality and building whole body strength. However, they can be hard to learn, there is more risk of injury, and they can be confusing.
Personally, I think there are benefits to both types of exercise, depending on what your purpose is. The dumbbell flies are more difficult -- as are most free weight exercises -- and they make me more sore. I try to do them most often.
But some days, I just don't feel like lifting the free weights, or the free weight area is too crowded, or I'm in a hurry, so the butterfly machine does just fine. The butterfly machine is also a great finishing exercise. If I have done several free-weight chest exercises and need one more to finish up, the butterfly machine is a great one to jump on.
Which do you prefer, free-weight butterflies or butterfly machines?
In response to my series of posts last week about why women should do pushups, I received the following comment from a reader:
“Being like one of the boys is alright if you are one of the boys. However, I have noticed that when women work out on heavy exercises (the type that men normally do), their body starts to change and take on the muscle size and look of men! If a woman wants to compete with the men at all cost, I guess the heavy exercise is the thing for those women to do. However, running or similar exercises can be done where women are healthy, but still look like a woman!”
And so, as a woman does strength training and advocates for other women to do so, I just couldn’t let this one pass without addressing it. I have to do my part to correct the misconception that women can’t or shouldn’t lift weights.
First, let’s look at some evidence from Women Fitness, a Web site run by a group of experts, all of which have impressive credentials and backgrounds.
They give a list of top 10 misconceptions on bodybuilding, which I encourage you to check out. They’re all good arguments, but number seven on their list is pertinent to my post here:
Female bodybuilders are trying to turn themselves into men “This couldn’t be further from the truth. If anything, women that transform their physiques are attempting to become better women, not men. I attribute this thinking to a society that continues to be disturbed by their level of physical development due to commonly held misconceptions of gender and being unable (or unwilling) to separate an athletic pursuit from a woman’s sexuality. Some will always see female athletes in sexual terms and use them explain what they don’t understand. If a woman with muscle is more of a man, is a man without muscle more of a woman?”
Sounds logical to me. And expert enough for me to accept. I especially like the final question. It drives the point home.
Kathleen Ekdahl, a certified fitness instructor and personal trainer with more than 12 years experience in fitness and a background in clinical research and cardiovascular medicine, offers this on The New England Wellness Web:
"Women, in particular, see tremendous benefits from strength training. Traditionally, women relied on cardiovascular activity and a low calorie diet to change their physical appearance. Unfortunately, low calorie diets merely punish the soul and plummet the metabolism, and, without including consistent strength training in our program, effecting change can be an impossible goal. Also, aerobically overtraining can lead to injury. We now know that strength training is absolutely essential if we wish to create visual changes in our bodies, and we've discovered that the benefits of strength training extend far beyond the visual."
This effectively rebuts my anonymous reader’s opinion that women should do running exercises, but not “heavy exercises.”
My next piece of evidence also rebuts this opinion. It’s from Health World, Strength Training for Women, by Wayne L. Westcott, Ph.D. He says:
"There is essentially no difference between men and women with respect to exercise technique, training procedures or strength development. ... You may have heard that women should not do strength exercise for one of the following reasons.
Strength training makes women too muscular and bulky.
Strength training is a waste of time for women because they are not capable of developing strong muscles.
Strength training is dangerous for women because their bodies are not designed to exercise with resistance.
Of course, none of these reasons is valid and such misinformation is incorrect. Actually, very few women have the genetic potential or enough natural testosterone to develop large muscles. Firm, fit, functional muscles, yes -- large muscles, no.
Women who do not strength train lose about five pounds of muscle every decade of adult life. That leads to a lower metabolism and a gradual increase in fat weight (about 15 pounds per decade), as well as a less fit, firm and attractive appearance.”
I don’t want to lost muscle, nor gain fat weight as I age if I can help it, so I intend to keep lifting those weights.
I have been going to a gym now for several years, and I haven’t turned into a man yet. All of my woman parts and female functions are still quite intact.
That’s me in the photo. Proof that I am not a man, even though I lift weights.
If my anonymous reader simply doesn’t like the toned look of women who lift weights, that’s okay. We all have our opinions and preferences. If it’s an issue of attractiveness, I’m not worried about that, either. I am happily married, and my husband has no complaints whatsoever about my fit body.
However, if people with opinions like my anonymous reader spread them around and use them to discourage women from being as strong and healthy as they can be, then that’s what hurts us.
Ladies, we can’t let them hold us back.
Have you ever been discouraged, or heard of a woman being discouraged from strength training? What was the person’s argument? How did you handle it? I’m curious. Let me know.
But I haven't yet discussed why pushups are good for women.
The reason is simple: They offer several benefits that give you more strength to do the activities you do every day.
Pushups are efficient, and they are cheap because you can do them almost anywhere.
However, they are not easy! It does take time and dedication to train yourself to be able to do them -- and do them properly -- but the benefits are worth it.
What are the benefits for women to do pushups?
According to Megafitnesscenter.com, pushups offer the advantages of stretching, weightlifting and cardiovascular all in one exercise. "Apart from increasing upper body strength, a pushup workout program, when pursued properly, also develops abdominal and hip stability. This leads to a more balanced upper and lower body as well as good shoulder, trunk and hip movements," the site says.
Pushups proffer the benefits of stretching, weightlifting and cardiovascular exercise as well.
It also helps to get more toned shoulders, trunk, butt, upper and lower body.
Pushup exercise, if pursued rightly, increases upper body strength and brings about more abdominal and hip stability.
A workout program of pushups works on large number of muscle groups and helps to retain whole body fitness.
It actively works the chest, triceps and deltoids together with stretching of back and the biceps.
Undoubtedly, pushup is the best exercise for the chest, but it is a great exercise for the abdominal and lower back muscles. Besides all of the above, it works for the quadriceps too.
How do all of these benefits translate to everyday life?
Here are some ways doing pushups and other upper-body exercises have helped me.
I do the grocery shopping, and I have three cats. Thus, it falls to me to buy cat litter and cat food. I am strong enough to lift a 20-pound bag of cat litter and a 25-pound bag of cat food from a low grocery shelf and into my bascart without strain.
Are you a cat or dog owner? Can you lift big bags of food or litter? Wouldn't it be great if you could?
I am doing a gardening project in my backyard. This has involved transplanting several boxwood bushes. I have no trouble wielding the shovel to dig a hole, then dig the tree up and carry it across the yard to where I want it. Those bushes aren't the lightest things in the world, either!
Neither is a bag of soil. Have you ever tried to carry one across the yard? It’s much easier to lift or drag it where you need it with some strength in your arms, shoulders and core.
Gardening is a popular hobby, and I'll bet many of you do it in some form. Gardening requires a good amount of lifting, bending and stretching. How well are you able to perform your gardening tasks?
My husband and I have moved more times than I care to count, and since I have worked out at the gym and started doing pushups, I have been able to lift or help lift heavy boxes and furniture. It feels great to be able to pick up and move a 20- or 30-pound box and carry it myself without strain. As you might expect, I was sore the day after the move, but not injured. I knew my muscles would heal, and they did.
For those of you who have kids, upper body strength can help you lift them. Many times, if I see small children beg their mothers to lift them and carry them, one of two things will happen. The mom will tell the child, "I'm sorry, honey, I can't lift you. You're too heavy." Or the mom will lift the child using her back, not her core, legs and arms. (Perhaps proper lifting technique should be the subject of a future post!)
I've only seen one example of a mother who squatted down and lifted her child using her legs and arms. She had well-toned arms and shoulders. I'll bet she does a few pushups or other upper body exercises!
If you're a mother, wouldn't you like to be able to lift your child without fear of injuring yourself? Yes, they will eventually be too big for you to lift, but wouldn't it be great to lift and cuddle them close to you just a little longer?
After my previous post urging women to do pushups, I started looking around YouTube to see if I could find some good videos that showed fit females demonstrating full pushups -- that is, on the hands and toes.
It's harder than I thought, but not impossible.
The first ones I stumbled on were several videos of buff bodybuilder women with huge muscles showing one-armed pushups, pushups with men on their backs and other feats of strength.
No, no, that's not what I'm going for. Too intimidating for us average women who just want to strengthen our upper bodies.
Then I found a couple that encouraged women to stay on their knees while doing pushups.
No, no, that's not right, either. We can do better than that!
I also had to wade through the videos of women taping themselves and posting them to show off how many pushups they can do. These are great morale builders, but not so good for learning proper technique. You have to look at some of these videos with a skeptical eye because the person in the video may not be doing it right.
Overall, the videos I trust the most come from personal trainers. They know what they are talking about, and they know how to break down the movement so you can learn how to do it right.
So, without further ado, here are some of the videos I found and my critique of them. I'll start with the ones featuring females, then I'll highlight a couple of good ones with male instructors.
Push Ups - Correct Technique Discussed
This is a wonderful step-by-step instruction of proper pushup technique. It shows a still photograph of a female in the frame, with fitness trainer Liz Harper and her husband doing a voice-over. Liz uses a little yellow circle to point to each body part, and she analyzes how each part should be positioned and how it is affected.
This video is really easy to follow. The still photographs allow you a really good look at what a female body should look like when doing a pushup.
CrossFit Push-up Standards
I like this one because it shows a fit female named Annie doing proper pushup technique. The video shows two views, which helps you watch her form from two different perspectives. It also shows some examples of improper technique so you know what not to do. Pleasant music plays in the background.
Weekly Challenge - Pushups
This video is a nice example of a fit -- but not bodybuilder -- woman who can do pushups. This is a nice one to watch if you just want to see a woman who can do it. She varies her hand positions several times.
However, I don't recommend this video for technique. It advocates doing as many pushups as possible as fast as possible. This goes against other videos I have watched, and other things I have learned about fitness. Exercise is not about doing reps fast; it's about doing them right.
Women Only Boot Camp "Push up / Mtn Climber workout"
This is a good video of a female instructor doing full pushups in combination with mountain climbers, a difficult-looking leg exercise that I might just have to try.
This is what I would call an intermediate video. She starts off showing a couple of three-quarter (on the knees) pushups, then goes right into full pushups, and says, "You know the rules for pushups." So you should watch one of the beginner videos and learn the rules for pushups before you try hers.
I checked out several videos on her You Tube channel, and she has a lot of good exercises for women, but I did not see one explaining how to do full pushups at the beginner level. So I had to look elsewhere for that.
Push up, push-ups for Women and Men: BodySpex Fitness
This is a great video for complete beginners. This is a male instructor, but he does specifically address women. He also breaks down all of the components of a proper pushup.
I especially like the way he starts out instructing you to be on your toes, and he recommends getting strong enough to do full pushups as quickly as possible. He also shows you how to do them on your knees, and how to build the strength to transition from the knees to the toes.
Chest Workout: Pushups for the Complete Beginner
In this video, the instructor, Scooby, does a great job of breaking down pushups for the complete beginner. He doesn't specify whether he is talking to men or women, which is great. Ladies can get a lot out of the information in this video without being intimidated -- and so can men. Scooby gives both the three-quarter and the full variations, along with good tips on form and technique.
What do you think of these videos? Have you found any others on the Web? If so, send me the link!
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!
