Push ups & Pull ups

I'm 14 now and I got my pacemaker when I was 7 so I've had it almost all my life, now that I'm in high school my pe teacher needs to know what I can and can't do. I have NEVER EVER done push ups or pull ups in my life EVER. My doctor recently sent a note saying I CAN do both push ups & pull ups. I'm really worried because I don't lift upper body, I'm scared that it will feel weird. My doc. says I shouldn't do many( no more than 10). I will get my battery changed this fall so I wouldn't be doing any of that for 4 months anyway, but I'm still really scared and nervous anything u guys have to help me feel better about this would be so nice. Thanx


2 Comments

try

by biceps72 - 2011-09-14 12:09:04

and do

1 pushup

then 1 pullup

my sense of things is that doing these exercises wont hurt you or your PM.

These are not easy exercises. They both take some upper body strength.

My sadvice is to "practice these" in the privacy on your home. Learn how to do both exercises correctly with perfect form!!

Do 1 then do 2, then do 3

You are about to hit a testosterone spike " you have your own steroids"-- in the next 4-10 years you can get as strong as you want to be.

Don't be afraid, just work on form, have a spotter (someone to help you) and don't give up. Up your protein intake.

You can do it. Nothing comes easily or quickly. This will take months but it will be worth it-- seriously!!!!!! Never give up-- NEVER!!!!!!!

It's time to face the music!!!!!

by donr - 2011-09-14 12:09:32

You cannot evade exercise your entire life. Have you EVER done just ONE push up or pull up? A journey of a thousand miles starts w/ but a single step. You talk like you feel fine. That you have become an excellent host to a PM & it feels ritght at home in your chest.

Your Dr. says you can do them. You have medical clearance, which means the guy who planted the device has confidence in it.

Lemme tell you - those leads are a part of the inside of your heart. They are stuck there like Capt Ahab's harpoon in Moby Dick's side. Mine survived an auto accident that should have killed me. My Cardio was surprised they stayed put, the impact was that hard. AND!!!!! one of them had only been there SIX weeks.

So much for the leads. Let's go to the PM. It's not going anywhere, either. It is all snuggy and happy in its pocket. The leads are firmly attached to the PM, you cannot pull them out - they have a screw holding them in place. What about where they go into the vein leading to the heart? Well, that vein ha, by now, grow around those leads & formed scar tissue so tough the have to be CUT out. Why do you think your cherst cavity doesn't fill w/ blood ever day?

Now let's talk wierd. Yep, you'll feel wierd, especially the first time or two & WHEN the rest of the guys your age are watching. OK, so how do the Guys treat you? Like some sort of a cripple? Like a normal kid aged 14?

This advice comes from a man who was nearly last man in his class in PE in college. I was the anchor - so I know what wierd feels like in the gym class. Here's how to get past this situation:

Start at home, in the privacy of your own room. Do ONE PUSHUP tomorrow.. Just one to get the feel of what it's like & to get started feeling confident about your ability to do them. You talk like you have no confidence in your upper body strength. Makes sense, if you've never exercised. Now, pushups can be hard - especialy if you've never done them. There's a way to start out that will be easier than the normal pushup, where the arms support the entire body weight. Start out w/ your knees on the floor, so the legs' weight don't figure into what your arms have to support & lift. You have to start at the beginning, & the beginning is ONE. Do that several times a day till you can start to do a second pushup. Add slowly.You have the rest of your life ahead of you, & it's a marathon, not a sprint!

Pullups are a different problem. Don't be surprised if you cannot do any. They are tough to do. A lifetime ago for many people, when I was just starting out in the Army, pullups were part of the physical fitness test. The number to get a max score was a mere 18!!! Did you know that women (Girls) really struggle to do pullups? They just don't have the same upper body strength as men of the same age. Boys & girls are different (Have you figured that out yet?)

Here's what I suggest for getting started on pullups. Finda bar. If you canot do one pullup, you must start out by hanging from the bar w/ your chin ove the top of it (Supporting your weight by your hands & arms, of course.) Do not expect to be able to hang very long. 10 - 20 seconds to start. Try to work your way up. To give you an idea how difficult this is, my #1daughter, who was an Olympic class athlete could do 9 pullups when she entered college. But, she could only hang like that for about 35 seconds. I will warn you, bulding upper arm strength for this exercise is difficult. Do ou have access to a gym where the have weights suspended from cables that permit you to begin lifting something less than your own weight? That helps. My #2 Daughter, who was an Olympic class creampuff when she entered college could not hold her own weight but for 10 seconds. I got a bunch of steel weights, hung them over a pulley in the ceiling of our basement & she started out being able to pull up a mere 40 lbs. A lot of practice & she could lift her own weight.

You've got a long row to hoe, but w/ a bunch of work, getting to learn what it feels like to do this exercise, you can make it. Unless you have a special circumstance, it'l feel wierd, but you can do it.

BTW: I started this well before the first comment by Biceps. Note he said the same thing & he's a fitness nut!

Good luck!

Don (Old enough to be your grandfather & started where you are now!)

You know you're wired when...

You run like the bionic man.

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