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Push ups and shoulders

MsMaven

Veteran

Does doing push ups build up shoulders and upper arms in women?

I am definitely not a mesomorph. I have long skinny arms. Last year I decided that working with resistance bands wasn't doing much for my upper arms and with those cute sleeveless dresses from Boden I decided to work on push ups. I did them from the knees, but that bothered my knees.

I've gotten to the point that I can do them from a bench, but not yet strong enough from the ground.

I don't gain much weight in my upper body--it's mainly in the post menopausal mid-section and belly. I have noticed as I get out my tailored blazers for cooler weather that they seem a bit tight through the shoulders. I Googled the topic, but just turned up articles about men building bulk with push ups. In the last week I've read 2 articles about 2 female weight lifters, age 51 and 82.

Anyone here have experience with this? My arms are much firmer and look better, but they still belie my age. Mainly I'm trying to stay strong and look a bit better. I wouldn't mind having better shoulders either.

Sorry, no before and after photos today.

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21 replies

Latest reply was from MsMaven

Anonymous

Yes. It is my understanding that push ups build glorious frontal shoulder muscles. I gotta believe the triceps get pulled into the equation. YAY YOU.

I just started doing push ups in December.

Windchime

Veteran

My arms have always been quite thin, and I’ve never had much upper arm strength. The one exception was a few years ago, when I went to an exercise class three mornings a week for an hour. We did numerous push ups and other upper arm strengthening exercises with weights— far more repetitions than I would ever have done on my own, I mean a hundred or more per class. After several months, my friends actually started commenting about the definition in my upper arms(!)

Unfortunately, I had to quit the class because we also did numerous lunges and squats, also using weights, and I started having constant knee pain as a result.

Oh, and a push up tip—try doing “push downs” in the beginning—get yourself into the top of a push-up position any way you can, and lower yourself to the ground. After a couple of months of doing those, you’ll probably be able to do an entire push up.

Anonymous

Yes, they most certainly do. Those, and shoulder raises. The tricep, btw, is one of the strongest arm muscles for women - and a nice tight tricep helps define the upper arm too. Just a tip: you'll be able to do a full-body pushup more successfully with a strong core. Same with one from the knees. I hope I'm not inviting argument or dispute, and I hope I don't sound like a know-it-all jerk.

MsMaven

Veteran

Yes Stirling I do want to get at those triceps. Good idea on the push down, Windchime. I just tried that and could only go about halfway down before collapsing. Still, I'm a lot stronger than I was. I have arthritis in my knees, but it doesn't bother me too much if I am careful, which means no more squats and lunges and lots of the yoga I used to do.

Lisa, I didn't know triceps was one of the strongest muscles for women. I've always felt like mine were kind of weak. I like the idea of better frontal muscles too. I've been working on core muscles too--I had to stop doing some of my old exercises from physical therapy because of my knees. I'm also working on plank and side plank and I look for whole body strength training exercise. And thighs.

If I keep this up, maybe some of my shoulder-pad less jackets will hang on my built up shoulders a lot better by next summer.

Runs With Scissors

Veteran

I have the same body type and the same arthritis. I don't do push ups, but I found that using an air resistance cycle with arm bar thingies (technical term, lol) strengthened and toned my shoulders and arms significantly -- probably not as targeted as push ups, but I like the workout I get on the bike. Been doing this for five years now, since my doctor suggested I stop running.

Like Lisa says, core strength is also important, and unfortunately the bike doesn't help much with that!

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Anonymous

The triceps can bear more weight than the bicep , which is a better way of looking at it . Many women have weak triceps , you’re right , but they are easy to strengthen . Anyways - hope you enjoy your new shoulder line

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Any combination of push and pull exercises will do it, in time, and with consistency. Push ups are easy (HA!) because, no equipment needed. (Not easy for most of us otherwise.)

If you can get a combination of things going -- pull downs, push ups, rows, etc. you will get the best results. Of course body type does play a role in how this plays out. A person with slim sloping shoulders is never going to have a big broad shoulder line. But you'll get more definition and a tiny bit more bulk if you eat enough protein.

Anonymous

Excellent tips, Windchime and Lisa P. I will certainly incorporate both your tips into my future workouts. Thank you.

Runcarla

Veteran

Yes, but it can be pretty darn hard to really 'bulk up' IYKWIM. Despite swimming for years, it took me a year of weight training and yoga before I could do a good Chaturanga.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I have been doing pushups for many years, in yoga and other ways, and I do have defined shoulders but not bulky, and my neckline is slopes. A lot is determined by your genetic body shape.

Sal

Veteran

I do a few press ups along with weights. Despite having strong looking shoulders my arms are not that strong. I have bulked up a bit around the shoulders and biceps - and while my arms are toned I do have some flabbiness on top of the muscles. It does make top shopping a bit harder as the fit can be too tight on the upper arm - not always but sometimes.

I do it for strength and toning and it is good for women's bone mass as well. I do not love doing weights - but I do them!!

Kettle bells and dumb bells are also good.

Staysfit

Veteran

I have been a swimmer for years, I lift weights, I do yoga and Pilates. I have definition in my arms, and maybe broad shoulders compared to the rest of me, but I don’t have large muscles. Weights are good because they maintain muscle mass as we age, and they also stress bones enough to stimulate some regeneration/growth and that helps to protect them against the decalcification that slowly happens as women age. If you lift enough weight to stimulate HGH that is even better still. Working the large muscles of the legs, back and core help preserve our balance as we get older, as does working the fast twitch T1 muscle fibers which respond well to lifting weights even in older people. (Lifting to help our arms look good isn’t something I have considered much.) Muscle groups come in pairs of extensors and flexors, so whenever you work one group, it’s a good idea to work the other to maintain balance.

Women generally don’t build large muscles because we don’t have the right hormones available in our bodies to allow for this. Also, after a certain age, it’s more likely that you are going to be fighting to maintain and strengthen the muscle you have rather than building a lot more. I still can’t do push-ups or pull-ups well but I keep trying. I think it has a lot to do with the physics of the length of my body compared to the length of my arms in addition to my strength. There are some exercises that someone shorter cannot do, that I do easily, etc.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

I've posted about my favorite trainer, Cori Lefkowith, on here before. The site with her programs tends too much towards commercialism and flash for my taste, but she is the real deal, with certifications that come at fitness from every angle, college athlete, then later a state champ in an entirely different sport, and she is fantastic at specializing whatever you need. She replies to questions very quickly, and there are simply no excuses with this woman--she will come back at you with a tailor-made solution to fit whatever situation you just threw at her. Anyway, here are a couple freebies from her, and a link to one of her paid programs. She's way into activation, myofascial release, and high protein, as you'll see.

https://redefiningstrength.com.....y-workout/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?.....-ufSBWmngb

https://redefiningstrength.com.....exercises/

https://pullupchallenge.redefi.....#038;utm_m (Staysfit, you might like this one)

From her arms program: While the bulk of our strengthening routines, or strength workouts,
should be made up of compound moves, even if we want to tone our arms, some isolation moves should also be included.

However, don't get caught up in trying to do only isolation moves for those "problem areas.

Compound moves are key to build functional strength, burn body fat
and build muscle. Even hybrid moves, that work more muscle groups at
once, can be key if you are short on time.

Anonymous

Ok, so here's the thing. Push ups work the shoulders (deltoids), back of the arms (triceps), chest (pectorals), muscles under your armpit (serratus anterior), and your abs. But which muscles are targeted the most depend on the type of push up you do. For example, a standard or modified (on knees), mostly target your chest muscles. Wide push ups (arms wider than shoulder width) target the shoulders and chest. Narrow push ups (hands closer than a standard push up) targets the triceps more. Form is key to strengthen the muscles you are targeting.

If you are looking at toning all the muscles in your arms and shoulders, push ups won't do it alone. You need to add weights (dumbbells) to strengthen your biceps. Yoga and pilates may be another way for you to go if you do not want to use weights.

I have been working with a personal trainer for over 1 1/2 years and my arms are very toned, with slight muscle definition (I have always had skinny arms and legs - ectomporph, but great flexibility.) My routine is train 2x's a week with trainer (lot of weight training) I also have a protein shake during these workouts. 2-3 days a week on my own in which I concentrate on aerobic activity (bike, treadmill,elliptical, or rowing machine) core and glute strength, and posture/balance. My balance has become so very good that today I was able to stand on a balance board on one leg while doing lateral arm raises with 5 lb dumbbells.

What I like about working with a trainer is that he is always changing up what I am doing so that my muscles do not adjust to a routine. The training is not one on one, but a group in which we are each given different exercises to do.

Runcarla

Veteran

A big YES to the benefits of a good personal trainer!

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

danusia and runcarla, working with Cori is the closest I've come to regular meetings with a personal trainer, and I have to agree with you. The way she modifies little things I wouldn't think of--not just the familiar variations to hit different muscles like the pushup example but to make an exercise harder or easier or assist in injury recovery, and other goals I can't even remember is eye-opening!

anne

Veteran

I envy people with skinny arms and haven't had them since I was 16. Mine look alright from the front but back and sides not so much. See pics

Ditto to everything Sal said!

Of course as everyone says there are health benefits to weights.

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annagybe

(website)

Veteran

Anne! Your arms are fine, in fact great

anne

Veteran

Thanks Anna, I guess they are not too bad in the photos. I think what I see that I can't easily show anyone, is how my arms seem too big for my bust. I usually wear padded bras do this isn't so evident when clothed! Also every time I had a skin fold test I was told I was carrying excess arm fat.

cindysmith

Veteran

Being a stagehand gave me shoulders, lats, arms...
When I had to do physical therapy for some shoulder issues, they had me doing handweight exercises. If you like, I can take pictures of the pages the therapist printed for me to do the exercises at home and send them to you, they were designed to rebuild my shoulder and arm.

MsMaven

Veteran

Thanks everyone--lots of good suggestions here. I faded away this week because I finally gave in to a cold--sometimes you have to admit you need to stop and take a rest!

In the past I've done weights, machines--as far back as Nautilus, where I was rushing through the circuit and gave myself a rotor cuff injury--still have to stretch every day to keep that one working.

I looked at my chest and upper back and see no muscle definition, but do have a little in my upper arms. In the New Year, (now) I want to get my MD to prescribe p/t for knees and balance--which is a lot better now.

Cindy and Fashionintern, I do want to expand my repertoire of upper body moves once I feel decent again. I'll check the links you've posted and get back to you. Thanks.

This is my O'Hare cold--shouldn't blame the airport, but I seem to come down with it every year a week after leaving Chicago.