Push ups for a 5 year old

[Lazarus52980]

My 5 year old son has expressed interest in the presidential fitness award. We have been working on this for a little while and based on the 6 year old levels, he needs to be able to do the following:

Run a 1/4 mile in 1:55
Do 33 sit-ups in 60 seconds
do the Sit and Reach to 3.5" past his feet
Run the shuttle run (I can't remember how fast right now)
and do either 2 pull ups, or 9 right angle push-ups.

We are doing well on the first 3, the shuttle run we have not done much with because its winter and there is so much snow on the ground, but my real concern is the push-ups. I am not super athletic, and have never really been so, so I don't know how to teach him how to use proper form, nor do I have any idea how to help a 5 year old develop muscle for that sort of thing. Could anyone give me some advice on how to approach this, and also, which is easier to work on, 9 right angle push-ups, or 2 pull-ups?

Thank you all very much in advance.

 

[SKC]

good luck with this, and props for encouraging your child's pursuit of fitness.

I'm sure others more well versed will chime in. Is he able to do any pushups right now? If not, you might have him do the easier version where he rests on his knees instead of his toes.

 

[Alone]

Work his way up on the knees then on his toes. If his wrists hurt he can use knuckles. Just make sure his back is straight.

 

[McWatt]

I'd suggest focusing on heavy compound lifts. Deadlifts, squats, and a gallon of milk a day will not only earn him his presidential fitness award by age 6, but get him elected president by age 11. He might run into trouble with the minimum age for the president set out in the Constitution, but I think a weekly regimen of power cleans should be enough to alter Article 2 and ensure his political triumph. If he's not a US citizen he might want to add some cardio, too.

 

[Lazarus52980]

I'd suggest focusing on heavy compound lifts. Deadlifts, squats, and a gallon of milk a day will not only earn him his presidential fitness award by age 6, but get him elected president by age 11. He might run into trouble with the minimum age for the president set out in the Constitution, but I think a weekly regimen of power cleans should be enough to alter Article 2 and ensure his political triumph. If he's not a US citizen he might want to add some cardio, too.

The milk might be an issue, he is lactose intolerant...

 

[douglasb]

The milk might be an issue, he is lactose intolerant...

Tell him to work through it. It will pay off once he becomes governor of California.

 

[ZOOYUKA]

This may be an idea. This a program to a hundred push ups. I know you are shooting for only 5, but I still think it may help. The program can be geared for people who cannot even do one pushup and will give you a tactical way to progress. If he focuses on the first few weeks I think he will be in great shape.
http://hundredpushups.com/

A good way to help him with the pull ups would be having him do negatives. Raise him in the up position and have him lower himself as slow as he can. Do this over and over.

Why focus on one? Tell him he can kick ass at both and help him get there!

 

[dealmaster00]

The best way to get better at an exercise is to simply keep doing that exercise until you've reached your target. Even if he can't do any pushups his first try, keep trying again, or have him do something easier than a pushup. Also, pushups and pullups use very different muscles, so if he struggles with one, he can try the other.