Is it effective only to do push-ups & sit-ups?

[Citizen?]

After a too long winter I'm thinking about starting some workout, without having enough time to go to a gym regularly.
Because I don't have any workout equipment, beside a home-trainer and a (max.) 14 kg (~30 pds) dumbbell, I thought about getting up half an hour earlier and doing push-ups & sit-ups every morning.

Do you think this workout makes sense?

I know I won't get a "Hulk"-like body of it, which is not my aim, but I'd like to strengthen my body, get a flat and hard belly, maybe a slight six-pack.

Thanks for your opinions.


Citizen?

 

[drew21]

You need to work other body parts like your legs. I would look up a routine without weights on the internet. i'm sure there are a few decent ones. Also, if you want to make progress you need to check your eating habbits. You can train all you want but if you don't eat right, your gains will be negligible.

 

[Provider]

Anything is better than nothing.

 

[Juggers]

All I do is push ups and sit ups right now, and I run. When I get some weights is when the games begin

 

[drew21]

Like I said diet is the most imporatant thing if you want to get a 6pack. You can have the strongest abs in the world and they will not show one bit if you have fat. Eating properly is the number one key.

 

[ggogeta]

depends on what are your goals... Big muscles, or rather endurance muscle (really tight and long lasting)

You won't gain that much strenght though.

I personally do the 5 push training... try to do 5 one hand push ups on the wall... great you can do this, so try one hand push ups on the table, feet on the ground... cool you can do it... now try one hand push ups on a chair, legs on the ground... NICE now try it lower and lower... no more than 5.

When you can do 5 on the ground... put your legs higher and higher. You will gain strenght this way.

Anyways it depends on your goals... then you can ask people how to attain these goals.

 

[Citizen?]

@drew21:

Also, if you want to make progress you need to check your eating habbits.

I'd say I have quite balanced eating habbits. I eat vegetables everyday, cooked vegetables once or twice a week, fish once a week, about every second week meat, drink only mild mineral water and juices, one or two glasses of milk a day . . .
Maybe I should reduce my chocolate consumation, but besides that I think my eating habits are quite well.
I'm slim, the Body Mass Index says, I have the ideal weight for my height, so I don't need to burn any fat before I can start gaining muscles.

You need to work other body parts like your legs.

For the legs I thought to use the hometrainer or go jogging for half an hour.


@ggogeta:

depends on what are your goals... Big muscles, or rather endurance muscle (really tight and long lasting)

Something in between I'd say. I want to become stronger and get a better endurance. So no Schwarzenegger body but also no African-marathon-runner-body.
I wanted to know if there's a sense in starting an push-up, sit-up-workout, if I can become a good shape only with these exercises.
In autumn I'm going to study, so maybe then I'm going to have more time and be able to attend a gym regularly. But until then I only want to do the p-u-s-u-exercises.

 

[9cyclops9]

@drew21:
I'd say I have quite balanced eating habbits. I eat vegetables everyday, cooked vegetables once or twice a week, fish once a week, about every second week meat, drink only mild mineral water and juices, one or two glasses of milk a day . . .
Maybe I should reduce my chocolate consumation, but besides that I think my eating habits are quite well.
I'm slim, the Body Mass Index says, I have the ideal weight for my height, so I don't need to burn any fat before I can start gaining muscles.

So if you only eat meat once every 2 weeks, and fish once a week, what are you eating the other times? You should be eating lean protein with every meal. Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, etc. Also, the BathmateI is not really an accurate measurement. According to it, I'm obese by a longshot. But I have very low bodyfat and am in good shape. Body composition is a much more accurate measurement to go by.

For the legs I thought to use the hometrainer or go jogging for half an hour.

Nope. By working your legs, he means doing things like squats and deadlifts. Doing heavy leg work is the fastest way to grow big muscles, or get stronger, leaner, or whatever your goal may be. Obviously you can't do those things yet, but doing things like step-ups or lunges with your dumbbells will be a decent substitute until you can get in the gym.

Which, by the way, if you have a spare half an hour three times a week, that's plenty of time in the gym to get great results.

@ggogeta:


Something in between I'd say. I want to become stronger and get a better endurance. So no Schwarzenegger body but also no African-marathon-runner-body.
I wanted to know if there's a sense in starting an push-up, sit-up-workout, if I can become a good shape only with these exercises.
In autumn I'm going to study, so maybe then I'm going to have more time and be able to attend a gym regularly. But until then I only want to do the p-u-s-u-exercises.

If you can really not get in the gym for half an hour three times per week, I'd suggest adding chin-ups and dips if at all possible. You can get a chin-up bar for $20 at any sporting goods store. You may have to improvise with the dips, but it shouldn't be too difficult to find two objects around the house that are sturdy and about the same height.

I'd imagine you're going for a Men's Health-type body. You won't get that way without weights, but until you can make it to a gym, push-ups, chin-ups, dips, step-ups, lunges, and sit-ups will get you on your way.

 

[goldmember]

You won't gain that much strenght though.

It is a fallacy that you need weights to look good or get stronger. I have been doing hardly any weight lifting (only dinosaur lifts, like sandbag carries and dumbbell carries) for the past year and have gotten hella strong. I have been getting better and better as a grappler, and have much stronger holds and lung power from bodyweight exercises and wrestling. If you choose to do only pushups, keep the elbows in; not flayed out like it is usually shown. Try throwing in some pullups as well. Situps are much better for building functional strength in the abs than crunches, so good choice on that one.

 

[ggogeta]

It is a fallacy that you need weights to look good or get stronger.

What I meant is that a gym training with many reps wioll ead to a better endurance, but the strenght gains will come slowly.

But I agree 100% with you that exercices that uses all the muscles is wayyy better than the gym. What about doing some military style marches with a 70 lbs bad well rigged onto your back... 13 km would be a good indication of your overall shape

I attend a gym because it's easier for me to train there. that's it.

 

[Citizen?]

@9cyclops9:

So if you only eat meat once every 2 weeks, and fish once a week, what are you eating the other times?

Cooked vegetables once or twice a week, different kinds of pasta twice a week, pizza once a week, plain fare.

Also, the BathmateI is not really an accurate measurement.

Well, I didn't know that, but people say I got a model's figure, my only problem is that my muscles are limp after a long winter were I was only sitting around doing nothing.

Body composition is a much more accurate measurement to go by.

How can I measure it? Or do I need to go to a doctor for it?

Which, by the way, if you have a spare half an hour three times a week, that's plenty of time in the gym to get great results.

Really? I thought it would need 3-4 times a week for 1-2 hours to do an effective workout in the gym.

You can get a chin-up bar for $20 at any sporting goods store.

Sounds good, but the door frames are quite old and made of wood and I'm not sure if the bar, when I'm hanging on it, would damage it somehow.

I'd imagine you're going for a Men's Health-type body. You won't get that way without weights, but until you can make it to a gym, push-ups, chin-ups, dips, step-ups, lunges, and sit-ups will get you on your way.

A body like on the picture would rather be a long term goal, cause I guess, even with regular gym-workout, it would take 2,3,4 years to reach it. For the moment I try out the exercises you told me.

Thank you for your advice.

@goldmember:

If you choose to do only pushups, keep the elbows in; not flayed out like it is usually shown.

I did that and somehow it feels easier to me, but maybe it's just because I only did ten of them. What's the advantage of this exercise compared to the normal push-ups?

Also could you tell me of your workout plan or a link to a good site with bodyweight exercises?

In any case thanks for your advice.

@ggogeta:

But I agree 100% with you that exercices that uses all the muscles is wayyy better than the gym. What about doing some military style marches with a 70 lbs bad well rigged onto your back... 13 km would be a good indication of your overall shape

That reminds me of my military service . . .

 

[ggogeta]

that reminds me of mine too rofl

btw you should not exceed 1 h-1h15 per gym session. because if you worked really hard, the body starts to use muscle to make energy... sounds counter productive to me.

 

[REDZULU2003]

If you choose to do only pushups, keep the elbows in; not flayed out like it is usually shown

I'm confused ... or maybe I'm stupid could you explain more so I can understand please.

 

[Juggers]

I'm confused ... or maybe I'm stupid could you explain more so I can understand please.

He means keeping them close to the lats, "tucked" almost like pushing right off using the triceps. When you flay your elbows out you work more of the chest but put more pressure on the shoulders which could be dangerous...a lot of people bench with the elbows tucked in too. I hope that helped :blush:

 

[REDZULU2003]

I understand more now. So when one does a pushup, ensure that the elbow doesnt go outwards ... makeusre it goes more inwards towards the body.

 

[Rude_God]

As provider said, anything is better than nothing.
Push ups if done correctly can really help strengthen your arms and upper torso. You won't get much bigger from them, but they will help tone you up and increase strength. Try to increase the number you do each week, even if just by 1.
Sit ups, you need to make sure you are actually working out your abs when you do them - if you don't feel the burn, you're doing it wrong. A guy on this forum (forgot the name soz) with wicked abs recommends doing them really slowly and then holding the maximum tension position for a bit before relaxing - and I'd listen to that advice.

 

[pullups]

It is a fallacy that you need weights to look good or get stronger. I have been doing hardly any weight lifting (only dinosaur lifts, like sandbag carries and dumbbell carries) for the past year and have gotten hella strong. I have been getting better and better as a grappler, and have much stronger holds and lung power from bodyweight exercises and wrestling. If you choose to do only pushups, keep the elbows in; not flayed out like it is usually shown. Try throwing in some pullups as well. Situps are much better for building functional strength in the abs than crunches, so good choice on that one.

well the reason your holds and grips are stonger is from the carries. If what im thinking of is correct that is. aka you put 2 dumdbells in your hand and you walk a long distance or something of that nature and you try to hold them for as long as possible. anyway, the lunge power might mean you are more explosive, not necessarilly stronger. pull ups are very good and the reason they do build alot of strenght in people is because either A they can't do that many or B they use weighted pull ups. Im just curious, if you dont work out with weights...how do you workout your legs? just by running and jumps...hope not.

 

[ggogeta]

Im just curious, if you dont work out with weights...how do you workout your legs? just by running and jumps...hope not.

Pistols.

Put 1 leg in front of you, standing on 1 leg only. then lower until your butt touches your foot ( still one legged there) keeping the other leg right in front of you. Then, stand up (still one legged!)

If you're strong you can do 5-10 of those. You'll need some flexibility, but who does not need that.

 

[Juggers]

Pistols.

Put 1 leg in front of you, standing on 1 leg only. then lower until your butt touches your foot ( still one legged there) keeping the other leg right in front of you. Then, stand up (still one legged!)

If you're strong you can do 5-10 of those. You'll need some flexibility, but who does not need that.

Those are really really good...but they are really hard to do at first. I like to do rolling ones where you roll foward on one leg and squat up...

 

[goldmember]

Pistols.

Put 1 leg in front of you, standing on 1 leg only. then lower until your butt touches your foot ( still one legged there) keeping the other leg right in front of you. Then, stand up (still one legged!)

If you're strong you can do 5-10 of those. You'll need some flexibility, but who does not need that.

I do 20 "pistols" on each leg. Hindu squats. Jumping lunges. Wrestling. Wall Chair. The list goes on....

 

[goldmember]

well the reason your holds and grips are stonger is from the carries. If what im thinking of is correct that is. aka you put 2 dumdbells in your hand and you walk a long distance or something of that nature and you try to hold them for as long as possible. anyway, the lunge power might mean you are more explosive, not necessarilly stronger. pull ups are very good and the reason they do build alot of strenght in people is because either A they can't do that many or B they use weighted pull ups. Im just curious, if you dont work out with weights...how do you workout your legs? just by running and jumps...hope not.

good insights. But wouldn't you say that "being more explosive" would make one "stronger"? After all, the guy who is more explosive and can lift 300 pounds compared to the less explosive guy who can't break the sticking point...you wouldn't say the guy who lifted the weight isn't stronger--he's just more explosive!

 

[ggogeta]

good insights. But wouldn't you say that "being more explosive" would make one "stronger"? After all, the guy who is more explosive and can lift 300 pounds compared to the less explosive guy who can't break the sticking point...you wouldn't say the guy who lifted the weight isn't stronger--he's just more explosive!

I guess he meant endurance strenght. ? Good thing you can do 20 of those. You must be a pretty strong man.

 

[pullups]

I guess he meant endurance strenght. ? Good thing you can do 20 of those. You must be a pretty strong man.

wow hold the phone guys. being explosive and stronger are very different. i should now, I ve played football for a long time and that is always preached. being explosive includes quickness, strength means just that being able to moving heavy things. If we compared 2 people, both starting at about the same fitness and strenght levels, and then we made one lift weights and the other not and then throw them under the squat rack i guarantee without a doubt in my mind that the person that lifted could do more.

 

[ggogeta]

wow hold the phone guys. being explosive and stronger are very different. i should now, I ve played football for a long time and that is always preached. being explosive includes quickness, strength means just that being able to moving heavy things. If we compared 2 people, both starting at about the same fitness and strenght levels, and then we made one lift weights and the other not and then throw them under the squat rack i guarantee without a doubt in my mind that the person that lifted could do more.

But I doubt that the gym guy would not suffer from multi muscle challenge, such as fighting, or bringing heavy things from point A to point B. Sure you get stronger in a gym, but for those specifis ( say, squats) only, where a training where you are using all the muscles simultaneously really is more beneficial overall.

Gym makes you look good, and the way you want ( say, bigger pecs/ biceps/ anything) And overall training, non muscle specific targeted training makes you look good, but you are growing everything at the same rate. Depends on what are your goals.

I think Wresling definately can't be trained in a gym only, it has to be old school exercices.

And hyperthrophy definately can't be trained easily from exercices done at home

 

[pullups]

But I doubt that the gym guy would not suffer from multi muscle challenge, such as fighting, or bringing heavy things from point A to point B. Sure you get stronger in a gym, but for those specifis ( say, squats) only, where a training where you are using all the muscles simultaneously really is more beneficial overall.

Gym makes you look good, and the way you want ( say, bigger pecs/ biceps/ anything) And overall training, non muscle specific targeted training makes you look good, but you are growing everything at the same rate. Depends on what are your goals.

I think Wresling definately can't be trained in a gym only, it has to be old school exercices.

And hyperthrophy definately can't be trained easily from exercices done at home

case in point...they are 2 very different things.

 

[9cyclops9]

Explosiveness and max strength aren't the same, but to say they're "very different" is not accurate.

Explosiveness is also referred to as "speed-strength." It's a measurement of the rate of force development, or the ability to generate force quickly. Obviously, if you can't generate much force in the first place (low max strength), there's no way that you'll generate it quickly. So max strength is a component of speed-strength/explosiveness.

Olympic lifts and plyometrics are the best ways to build explosiveness (and in that order). Big compound movements such as squats, deads, bench presses, military/push presses, chins, and rows build max strength, and explosiveness to a certain extent in beginner and intermediate lifters.

This makes me think of a recent article series on training for MMA by Chad Waterbury. He still has 2 more installments to publish, but it looks like a very sweet series.

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1016556
http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1034530

 

[goldmember]

Good points, everyone. I am training to get better at throwing around people, while some are training to throw around symmetric metal objects.

 

[ggogeta]

Good points, everyone. I am training to get better at throwing around people, while some are training to throw around symmetric metal objects.

Nice

 

[Citizen?]

by Rude_God:

Sit ups, you need to make sure you are actually working out your abs when you do them - if you don't feel the burn, you're doing it wrong. A guy on this forum (forgot the name soz) with wicked abs recommends doing them really slowly and then holding the maximum tension position for a bit before relaxing - and I'd listen to that advice.

Thanks for the tip, I tried it out and it's awesome!


At the army we did some special push-ups:
You go down like always but when you push-up you only go up half and then you start seesawing (hope it's the right word). That means you slightly go up and down again and again and after some five to ten repetitions you finish the push-up.
My muscles burned like hell when I did this.

What would you say, guys? Are these kind of push-ups preferable to the ordinary ones?

I have to add that when I do push-ups I lay my feet on something so that head, shoulders and legs are on about the same level.

 

[ggogeta]

by Rude_God:



Thanks for the tip, I tried it out and it's awesome!


At the army we did some special push-ups:
You go down like always but when you push-up you only go up half and then you start seesawing (hope it's the right word). That means you slightly go up and down again and again and after some five to ten repetitions you finish the push-up.
My muscles burned like hell when I did this.

What would you say, guys? Are these kind of push-ups preferable to the ordinary ones?

I have to add that when I do push-ups I lay my feet on something so that head, shoulders and legs are on about the same level.

If you wanna develop endurance, and overall strenght, push ups are for you. If you wanna develop strenght big time, push ups are for you also depends how you do them, and how many you can do those.

As you said, putting your feet at the same lvl as the head, that makes it more difficult. If you keep putting your feet higher and higher, you will be at a point where you can do a few of those... STRENGHT If' that's too easy, there are still the one hand push ups. Start by the opposite, meaning, head really higher than the feet, like on a table, and then when it's becoming too easy, lower your head ... until you can do 1 hand push ups with fets elevated hehe

5 reps 1 hand push ups would develop strenght big time ( after 5 you should be dead I mean, so gotta find a good push up position for this)

I'm doing the same push ups as you in the military these days. But also the position where you lower a bit, and KEEP it up until the sargent tellss you otherwise. Pretty fun

 

[Rude_God]

Glad that advice helped. I've been doing it myself and my abs are currently the best they've ever been. Unfortunately no six pack yet cos I still need to shed a layer of fat, thats the next stage
Though I can't take credit for the idea myself, it was some other guy here who suggested it, I'll give credit to the guy when I remember which thread I read it on.

 

[Citizen?]

As you said, putting your feet at the same lvl as the head, that makes it more difficult. If you keep putting your feet higher and higher, you will be at a point where you can do a few of those... STRENGHT If' that's too easy, there are still the one hand push ups. Start by the opposite, meaning, head really higher than the feet, like on a table, and then when it's becoming too easy, lower your head ... until you can do 1 hand push ups with fets elevated hehe

Well that's how I wanted to do them, but at the moment the equal-level ones are working fine. Also because I don't do normal push-ups, but the ones Goldmember recommended (with the elbows close to the body).
At the moment I'm only able to do 13 of them, but when I started last Monday it were only 11 so it's going upwards.

With one-hand-push-ups I'm waiting till I'm able to do 10 or 20 handstand-push-ups (with the back against the wall). Sounds curios but I once read it's a good workout and I'll probably give it a try one day.

Well, actually I'm doing the following everyday (okay, six days a week):

Equal-level-push-ups: till I can't do more
Sit-ups (rec. by Rude_God): till the belly hurts too much
Chin-ups: till I can't do more (poor 5 at the moment, but 2 more than last Monday)
1-&-2-legged-knee-bends: till I can't do more (didn't count, but I do them like the sit-ups, staying down in the squat, like skiers when they are going downhill, until the thighs start burning)

As you can see this is a very modest program, so I would be thankful if anyone could tell me some more bodyweight-exercises.

 

[ggogeta]

Well that's how I wanted to do them, but at the moment the equal-level ones are working fine. Also because I don't do normal push-ups, but the ones Goldmember recommended (with the elbows close to the body).
At the moment I'm only able to do 13 of them, but when I started last Monday it were only 11 so it's going upwards.

With one-hand-push-ups I'm waiting till I'm able to do 10 or 20 handstand-push-ups (with the back against the wall). Sounds curios but I once read it's a good workout and I'll probably give it a try one day.

Well, actually I'm doing the following everyday (okay, six days a week):

Equal-level-push-ups: till I can't do more
Sit-ups (rec. by Rude_God): till the belly hurts too much
Chin-ups: till I can't do more (poor 5 at the moment, but 2 more than last Monday)
1-&-2-legged-knee-bends: till I can't do more (didn't count, but I do them like the sit-ups, staying down in the squat, like skiers when they are going downhill, until the thighs start burning)

As you can see this is a very modest program, so I would be thankful if anyone could tell me some more bodyweight-exercises.

as long as you can only do a few of those, that's gonna be strenght that you will be developping.

Good job man.

 

[Rude_God]

How's your progress been with this?