Gothos, on 16 April 2013 - 09:20 PM, said:
OK so I don't have access to any hardware right now (if I pass my practical exam for the job I'll get free gym access twice a week, mind you) but I'm just doing some pushups now and then. I started just about 4 weeks ago, could do only 20 in a set without falling on my face, and just two sets in an hour. Now I can do three sets of 30, and it's actually fairly exhausting. Planning to go up to three sets of 50 morning and evening. Not sure of the timeframe, but maybe by the end of May is probable? Yeah, let's make that a goal.
From then on (and if I have some funds to spare), I'm planning to buy one of those bars you can stick in a doorway and do regular pullups.
What do you guys think of the effectiveness of those excercises?
Well if you're just interested in general fitness and keeping your muscles from atrophying, then those are some great workouts. If your form is perfect with your push ups, you'll be working your core and lower back as well as your triceps, shoulders and chest. Pull ups are awesome for you. Hands down. Everything about them is great. They engage your arms, your back (One of the largest muscles in your body to be general) and they're just an awesome workout.
Concerning your progress as to how many push ups you'll be able to do by the end of May, it all depends. If you're hydrating properly and eating correctly, your body is going to build muscle and get itself used to working in those ways. It's possible by the end of May, and it also might not be. Everyone is different physiologically. If you've ever been actively into fitness and strengthening exercises, your body will rebound quickly and you'll be just fine I would imagine. I would recommend switching up the way you do your push ups, so your body doesn't get so used to doing the same exercises. i.e. try doing sets of explosive push ups (As you come up, come off the ground and clap), or do decline push up sets (Feet raised up on a chair or bench) or diamond push ups (Hands forming a diamond, works your triceps more), or pause reps (Do one, go half way down and hold for 10 seconds, then continue and do this every other rep). Switch up your sets like that and it'll stimulate more growth. You don't want your body getting used to the same workouts, because your body is proactive. What I mean by that is that it seeks to make the things you do easier. So for a time you'll build muscle, get stronger, and make progress with push ups, but when it starts getting easy for your body to handle, it will stop stimulating that growth because it's so used to doing that motion, and you'll find you'll hit a plateau. To be succinct, be proactive yourself, switch it up and keep it different.
When you start doing pull ups I would recommend doing them over hand (Palms facing away from you). They'll most likely be a little more difficult at first, but doing it this way engages your back more than your biceps, which is what you want (I think
). When I first started doing pull ups I was managing 3 I think. It's been four years since then and now I think my max is something in the 40s range... I know it was 45 about a year ago, it might be less now. Anyway, the way I went about it was doing a pyramid workout, and this can work well with your push ups as well. It went like this.
1 pull ups - 10 pushups
2 pull ups - 10 pushups
3 pull ups - 10 pushups
4 pull ups - 10 pushups
5 pull ups - 10 pushups
4 pull ups - 10 pushups
3 pull ups - 10 pushups
2 pull ups - 10 pushups
1 pull ups - 10 pushups
If you need a hand, have someone push on your lower back and help you get your reps, or kip a little, it won't hurt you as far as things go. As you get stronger, switch it up some more, do a pyramid set starting at 3 pull ups going to 7 pull ups and back down with 15 or 20 pushups in between, when you're comfortable, try getting a belt and adding some weight, or holding a dumbbell between your feet as you do it. However you want really.
Hope that stuff helped mate.
This post has been edited by Assail: 16 April 2013 - 09:43 PM