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Over the last five or six years—and honestly, ever since the disruptions of COVID—I have noticed a massive, troubling shift on our training mats. I call it the “Push-Up Test,” and it highlights a major crisis in childhood resilience.
When a child walks into our dojo today, it doesn’t matter if they are 5, 10, or 15 years old—an overwhelming number of them cannot perform a single, proper push-up or a single sit-up.
Back in the day, if you had a class full of kids, there might be one child who struggled with basic bodyweight exercises. Today, I look at an introductory class of 20 to 25 kids, and absolutely nobody can do a push-up. When an entire room of children lacks basic core and upper-body strength, there is a much bigger problem going on.
The Missing Link in Gym Class
When I see this happen, I always ask the kids and their parents the same question: “Do you guys do push-ups or sit-ups at school?”
The answer is almost always a resounding no. They don’t even do them in gym class anymore. The modern school system has systematically stripped away the physical challenges that past generations used to build baseline strength.
Here is the connection every parent needs to understand: If you want your child to develop internal grit and perseverance, they have to be physically strong.
I am not talking about weightlifter strong or building massive muscles. I am talking about natural, functional body strength. A healthy child should be able to manage 10, 15, or 20 push-ups using their own body weight without a problem. Physical strength breeds mental resilience. When a child learns to push through physical friction, they build the neurological wiring required to handle mental and emotional hardships.
How to Practice the “Down-Position” Push-Up at Home
Since they aren’t getting this physical development at school, we have to bring it back at home. Parents, you can easily turn this into a fun summer activity. During a TV commercial break, challenge the family to pop out a couple of repetitions. I love doing the “push-up and high-five” drill with kids to keep it engaging.
But if your child is starting from square one, you need to teach them the correct form. Most people do push-ups completely wrong, which causes kids to fail and give up.
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Do NOT start in the up position with your arms straight. It is called a push-up, meaning you should start on the floor.
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Lay completely flat on your stomach to begin.
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Lock your legs and keep your knees straight so they don’t touch the ground.
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Push your body straight up from the floor, and then lower your entire body back down flat.
Do not let your child sag their hips, dip their back, or move like a worm or a slinky. Keep the legs locked and the spine straight. Start in the down position, push up, lay all the way down, and repeat.
Resetting the Standard
Young kids and young adults desperately need functional body strength to build character. If they aren’t being challenged to move their own body weight, their baseline for what is “hard” drops significantly.
If your child’s school isn’t providing the physical structure they need to stay strong, healthy, and resilient, then it is up to us as parents to step in. We either need to build these habits at the living room carpet or place them in a kick-butt karate class that restores old-school physical standards.
At Championship Martial Arts – Kenosha, we don’t lower the bar; we help kids build the physical strength and mental grit to leap right over it. If your child is ready to trade screen-time slacking for real physical confidence, bring them out to our Kenosha dojo and let’s get them started on their first push-up.
Visit Our Southeast Wisconsin Locations
Kenosha: Championship Martial Arts – Kenosha | 📞 (262) 288-9919
Racine: Championship Martial Arts – Racine | 📞 (262) 205-5929
Oak Creek: Championship Martial Arts – Oak Creek | 📞 (414) 250-7615