Part 2 of Response:

Okay, but what if I still want to build up those arms?: I’m not entirely sure the equipment you’re working with here, but you might want to try some traditional dumbbell/free weight stuff at lower weights and see how it feels. If it’s too much, don’t be afraid to go way down and start with 5 pound (I’m not sure what that is in kg) weights, or even a resistance band with low resistance. These are great home options too.

If you have full gym access, you might want to also try assisted machines with adjustable weight. They don’t have the full range of motion that really helps those stabilizer muscles build like the free weights or bands, but they are a good way to essentially get a spot from a machine assist to keep you steady, using good form, and lifting in a way that’s comfortable for you. Ask an employee or a friendly person for help if you’re not sure how to use a machine properly.

Otherwise, you’re gonna need some options. I like working arms (biceps and triceps) with either shoulders or split up with something else (chest and triceps, back and biceps, arms and legs, etc.) depending on the week. If you have the time to do a dedicated bicep and tricep workout that’s totally fine, but usually doing them in an appropriate combo means I’m not taking a full day to just focus on these smaller muscles and lets me add them in somewhere else so I can instead use that extra day for cardio, yoga, rest, etc. Again though, if you have the time and want to do them alone, that’s great too!

As far as exercises go, the best resource to show a lot of great variety for arm (and shoulder) workouts that I can offer for free are in the P90X Arms and Shoulders routine video that’s up on the internet archive still. Again, the instructor will tell you what’s doing what, how to modify it as needed, how to do it safely, etc., so it’s worth skimming through and seeing what arm exercises you want to try.

(Note: The same disclaimer about the opening static stretches being outdated applies. I’d also say that the Upright Rows and the Crouching Cohen Curls are questionable these days. You’ll still see both recommended in a lot of resources like bodybuilding.com, etc., while others discourage them. They demand such a proper form that I don’t put them in my routine and sub them out if I’m actually doing the P90X program. It’s hard to keep that form with higher weights and as you get more tired, so they become very risky at causing injuries, not worth it in my book. Even when they don’t result in injury for me, my form starts getting sloppier the more tired I get so I’m not even getting the most out of them that I should, just burning energy that should be put into a different exercise).

A note about the biceps: Again, since they aren’t really used in push ups you don’t need to build them up to increase your push up number. But, it’s good to balance those arms out, especially to take some of the strain off your legs when lifting heavy things in your day to day life. Take a second to flex your bicep, then rotate your wrist back and forth. You’ll see your bicep move depending on where your wrist is turned. This is why the full range twist is important on static bicep curls and why doing things like hammer curls can help fill out the bicep completely.

A side note here that’s related, it’s worth doing some back exercises too to balance the body out (and improve wrist strength!). If you start getting a strong big chest, posture and balance can suffer if you haven’t also been working your back muscles up to.

About those legs: You’re doing great by thinking about your core as it’s important in making sure you can do other things like push ups and arm exercises with proper form. Skating is also great but you might want to do some leg exercises on a day of the week. Skating is fantastic at aiding that plyometric function in the legs if you can switch and use both to push with ease – those quick strength pushes that you need for athletics are in the motion, as well as helping with balance muscles for the leg you keep on the board when pushing with the other.

It’s also a nice bit of cardio that can build endurance and breath control. But, for leg strength itself, you need strength training routines. And you might not care about legs and that’s totally fine too. I barely did anything with them back in my “glamour muscles only” days. But one of the things you mentioned was lifting heavy stuff, and getting stronger at lifting with legs is exactly what leg strength training builds if that interests you. It also supports the other muscles – wobbly legs can hinder your stance during arm exercises, even push ups, whereas strong legs really can help you get that martial artist stance that let’s you get the most out of proper form in exercises that have otherwise nothing to do with legs.

Proper Nutrition and Recovery Days are important too: Make sure to get enough sleep, protein and nutrition to support your routine. Sometimes people work extremely hard consistently but find themselves never improving, even after months and months of staying dedicated. That’s because recovering is just as important as working out. You break down your muscles during exercise so that they can rebuild stronger. But, if you’re breaking them down and then not getting enough sleep or eating enough protein, they don’t rebuild and just keep breaking down, hence why you can stall in progress even when working out every week.

Look into what your protein needs, calorie needs, and nutrition needs are for your body weight and goals to make sure you have enough to rebuild your muscles after working out. Make sure to get enough sleep since that’s when the repair really takes place. If you find you haven’t been doing one or both of these, it might actually be the reason why you stall at 7-10 push ups instead of finding yourself increasing over time!

Ending Notes: This is a lot and there’s always more! There are great examples for more core exercises too if you need or want them, but I hope this is a good starting point. Definitely come back and ask for help when you need it, there are a lot of people here to do so. Also, report on your progress if you want (don’t feel pressured to though) if anything specific really helps and works so others in a similar situation can try what you’ve found works!

Edit: Accidentally had Congdon Curls listed as a safety hazard before. Crouching Cohen Curls are the bicep exercise that I meant to list as a safety issue. Congdon Curls are generally fine but pay close attention to your back on the hammer down motion – if it feels like it’s straining your back instead of your biceps then readjust your stance and lower weight, or cut them out of your routine if that doesn’t work.