8
The question of why push-ups are harder for women can be answered by looking at anatomy. In general, women have less muscle mass than men.
Why Are Push-Ups Harder for Women? All the Info
It’s no secret that push-ups and women aren’t always the best of friends. It’s no coincidence that there are modified women’s push-ups, where you touch the floor with your knees. However, the reason for this isn’t a lack of strength.
- The explanation for this challenging exercise lies in female anatomy. Women have significantly narrower shoulders and a wider pelvis than men. Men have an advantage when doing push-ups due to their broader shoulders and comparatively narrow hips.
- Due to their anatomical structure, women find it harder to maintain balance during push-ups. Maintaining a straight body position is significantly more difficult and requires more strength than men need for this fitness exercise. As a result, it’s not uncommon for the pelvis to sag and for posture to be incorrect.
- Another explanation lies in the shoulder joint. For women, this is one of the most mobile joints in the body, making it extremely difficult to remain stable in this area.
- Another reason is that the chest is one of the most frequently trained muscle groups for men. This gives them a significantly stronger foundation, allowing them to perform push-ups with greater stability and strength. For women, on the other hand, the chest is rarely included in their workout routines.
How Women Can Improve Their Push-Ups
While it’s true that push-ups are harder for women, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do about it. With a little training and targeted preparation, you can easily incorporate push-ups into your workout plan, even with a female anatomy.
- The plank is a great exercise for strengthening the core muscles and the shoulder girdle, which is important for stable push-ups. Both the classic and the side plank are ideal.
- If push-ups from the floor are too difficult, start with wall push-ups. To do this, stand about an arm’s length away from the wall and push against it by bending and straightening your arms.
- By doing triceps extensions you’ll train your arms accordingly. For this, you’ll need a dumbbell with weights of your choice.
