so, i'm sort of a weak guy. really skinny, really small arms. i realized i was pretty weak when it started getting hard to actually lift heavy thing and carry them around without feeling like i was going to die. i'm not proud of this, obviously, and i haven't always been this way. i've sort of lazed around for a really long time since i got to college. i decided i needed to do something about that, but i'm not really big into exercise (if you can't tell) nor am i big into going to a gym. so i figured i'd start simply with doing push-ups. i started doing them about a month and a half ago, every day, 3-5 sets of 20 push-ups throughout the day. as i said, i'm not interested in "bulking up," or even looking good with my shirt off (which would be nice, but, as hairy as i am, i'll never look good with my shirt off). ever since i've been doing it, i've noticed that it's taking effect. i can tell that my arms, my upper arms, not my biceps but the muscles on the bottom, have gotten bigger. when i don't flex i can feel that the muscle has grown, and when i do flex i can tell that the muscle is a lot stronger than it was before i started the push-ups. my arms haven't taken on that "tone" look, but, like i said, that's not really the goal. my question is this, i figured that by doing about 3-5 sets of 20 push-ups (sometimes more, sometimes less) a day, eventually doing 20 push-ups would feel like doing nothing at all; would get easier over time. but in all reality, most of the time, it feels just like i've started doing them that day. is that normal? also, i realize that push-ups alone are not going to make me stronger in a physical sense, but i figured it wouldn't hurt to start doing them. small steps right? i dunno, any insight would be appreciated.
Well...my fat ass ain't no sports trainer but I might know what's happening. If you're doing push ups every day with no rest days...your triceps probably don't have time to recover properly. Recovery/rest days are just as, if not more, important to any exercise program than the actual days you exercise. Your muscles (and everything else) need time to heel. Try throwing in a few rest days each week. Or alternate between push ups one day, pull ups another, and lunges on another day so that you're giving the other muscle groups some rest. Just my two cents... You might ask Fitzy or Stinkfoot...they seem to know their stuff as far as exercise and the like.
that makes sense i have been doing them every day, straight thru and it is like my muscles are constantly sore, not super-sore, but i can tell they're a little strained i've just started doing 50 crunches a night, so maybe i'll give the pushes a rest and just focus on the crunches and maybe i'll just alternate like you said thanks for the input though
push ups mainly target your pectorial muscles (chest). Have you seen any improvements there? If you want to work out your bicepts, the best thing to do would be to just invest in some dumbbells and do curls.
I once had it explained like this by my soccer coach. Exercise or strain causes your muscles to have thousands of tiny little tears, which then are repaired by the body filling in the tears with more muscle, thus making you stronger. But your body needs rest time for the repairs to be completed, that's why you're meant to work on upper body one day, then legs the next. If you don't, you end up keeping your muscles in a constant state of disrepair making you weaker in general.
^i knew that, but reading it makes the current situation make sense @neodude - not really, they're not even sore, but it is evident in my triceps another thing i've sort of noticed, is that b/c i can see changes in my triceps, my biceps sort of look strange. mainly because my triceps look and feel more "taut" and my biceps are kind of flabby, lol. so after all this time and seeing those changes, i've realized that, yes, it might be time to invest in some dumbells. i'm just low on cash, but it is definitely something i'm keeping in mind. again, i appreciate you guys' input. and i want to reinforce (though it makes no real difference) that i'm not doing these things to get stronger in a toughguy sense, moreso in a practical sense. i've just realized what a weakling i've let myself become and i'm trying to improve that. however, as it is obvious, i don't fully know the best ways about going about these improvements. obviously i know that just push-ups isn't going to solve this problem, but as i mentioned before, taking small steps.
Hey man, I do push-ups and pull-ups every other night. I've been doing it since I was 16 and things have surely have changed. Make sure you are eating well too, and getting proteins, not just those in supplements like whey, natural protein is much better for your muscles. When I was 16 I noticed after working out like this for months, my muscle gains were very minor. Once I changed my diet and focused on it more, things drastically changed! Also these are very small ways to bulk up, mostly these forms of excersise just help keep you in shape, try lifting weights, go grab a couple of 20 lb free weights and mess around, you will see change MUCH quicker. And if the pull-ups get boring, try strapping some weight to yourself and going at it, then the next time you try pull-ups without the weight, you'll see what I mean Good luck! P.S. Make sure you are doing cardio prior to your work out, like a quick run, or jumping jacks even can help get the blood pumping, your work out will be much more beneficial, if you don't already!
sounds like good advice man, but remember, i'm not really trying to "bulk up" i'm just trying to get to a point where when i lift something heavy and i carry it a distance i don't stop and feel exhausted so quickly. however, i'm definitely going to get some kind of weights here in the near future.
it's good that you're seeing a difference, and while the pushups might not feel much easier you are almost certainly stronger, seeing as how your muscle has grown. have you gained weight? that might explain why they are still tough. I would advise you to train your whole body and not just your pecs and triceps. add in pull-ups and squats or lunges, and you'll have a basic full body workout. it is generally not a good idea to train the same muscles every single day, as your muscles grow stronger when they rest, not during the actual exercise. this would be highly beneficial for your goal as well, if you think logically about it, what are you doing with your push ups? pushing, right? so you should be much better at pushing things now than you were, but if you want to carry stuff easier you're gonna have to work on your back, biceps (pull ups) and legs (squats/lunges.) if you want to start with weights, I would highly recommend just getting a gym membership instead. any decent gym will include at least a basic program writeup and have one of their instructors go through it with you. don't worry about people looking at you or whatever in the gym, because 1. everyone is too obsessed with themselves to care about you and 2. most people in the gym are there because they need to gain or lose weight anyway, so it's not going to be full of perfectly sculpted people frowning upon your scrawny physique.
i really appreciate all the responses to my thread here the logic thing actually popped into my head somewhere before posting here, but i think it was just a fleeting thought but it definitely makes sense, i should, by now, definitely be super awesome at pushing things, lol i definitely need to switch it up, whenever i get some weights i'll be super happy right now i don't have any money, but maybe i should go check out the goodwill and see if anybody's dropped any off there i should really also take up jogging, but that falls under my same (failed) logic as the gym membership thing which, behind it all, the main reason for most of that is because i'm just so awkward, and i'm always so aware of it, that i just assume i look retarded not only that, but i also run like a fucking goof but these are all stupid little things that i just need to get the fuck over mainly because whenever i do, i'll actually make my way over to the park where there's a 1.5 mile track all the way around where i can run and then also i can do pull-ups there, somewhere, maybe on the monkey bars
Horace -in my early 20s I was really skinny like you - 6'2" about 135 lbs. I was sensitive about my skinny body, but I was a rock climber, and started doing pullups with my palms facing the other way, not towards me - and got up to 20. Also some weight training which strengthened my pectoral muscles and back. And dumbells which helped build up my forearms and wrists. I also strengthed my legs by going to Mt.Everest, etc. Now I am 6'2" and 188 lbs and in great shape. Just had my high school reunion, and I think I had the best body in the class. If I did not have my girlfriend with me, I think I could have bedded some of the girls I dated in high school and only got to first base. So don't give up hope. You can get better. Oh, and I always sucked at pushups...
haha, nice well, i don't foresee mt. everest in my future (esp. not after reading into thin air) however, i do hope i get something out of this like i said, i'm not trying to bulk up, but getting in shape would be nice for this lazy ass stoner i mean, i know i've still got work to do, but every time i rub my underarms and feel how much more meat is there just from doing push ups i feel happy not completely-satisfied-happy, but awesome-something-is-working-happy
Muscle building is not muscle tearing like many people believe. The pain and soreness you feel is not that the muscle is damaged, it's just lactic acid produced by the muscle cells. It does not do any harm to exercise everyday with no break days. It actually has potential to make you stronger. Eat right, keep doing these practices, and also stretch. Stretching is very key to muscle toning, building, whatever, because as you bulk up, your muscles tighten on the ligaments and tendons. If you can remember as a kid how limber you used to be, being able to touch your toes without bending knees, you now may not be able to because your muscles have grown and your connective tissues have tightened. Stretch stretch stretch. One big reason why Bruce Lee was such an amazing and powerful martial artist, is because he practiced stretching. Also, almost every workout has a counter-workout to exercise opposite muscles. One group of muscles work to push your body, another works to pull it. Training both of these groups together will make you that much stronger and more limber. google: complimentary muscle groups or something like that.
you should check out this website: http://hundredpushups.com/ it is a program all laid out, that tries to help people achieve the goal of being able to do one hundred consecutive push ups. I am only on week two of it, but I definitely think that if I keep with the program for the full six weeks, that it will help.
I really can't add much to the good advice already given, but If you continue your current regiment of exercise, before you know it you'll be purchasing clothing from under armour :cheers2: Hotwater
depends on what kind of push up... I can do easy 200 quick twitch push ups.. arms close to the body.. Push up training is easy since thses muscles have quick twitch features.. much like rappid punching.. hee... heee..... @teh, I cant read this whole thread atm... but dude thats good you not a couch potato. You have to switch up as some of the guys and gals said... LOL. eating protein alone isnt gona give the body energy, it will be good for muscle building. but slow on the energy.. You have to feed yoourself some carbs too... If you dont have weights Make some...... Say going to the store getting a case of soda. Use it as a weight as you walk home.. 12 pack culrs.. its a little cardo too as you walk...too... insteed of just walking dragging your bags of groceries. do little curls.. it looks gay as hell.. But the less rested your musclee are the more your gona look like your in shape... but you need to rest them to grow.. isometrics.. stretch and stretch.. your muscles will grow at a faster rate if you rip tear and rest... Only working one area of yor arms out is goan make you look like popeye.. lol... Push ups good.. Do change positions of your hand placements.. wide and narrow. Place a weight on your back.. dont have one find a big Building block.. or get building blocks and toss them around in your yard like in Rocky 5.. whatever one dude fights the russian... Lawnmowers are also good for the same areas but also, Flys and back arm workouts like over head press woking out your shoulder and variation of the overhead press really isolates the delts. Get a mirror.. get a tan.. get a new girfreind.. :cheers2:
