Self-Weight Exercises (Push-ups, Crunches, etc)

[exil3d]

Hey, before I start, this is my first post here, and I'd like to say hello to everyone. I've been lurking for about a month, and have been following the advice of many different people on these boards. I lost all the weight I gained over the holidays and then some.

But on to the topic of the thread -

I am currently doing 5-7 sets of 20-30 push ups daily or every other day, and maybe 4-5 sets of 50 crunches also. I can feel and see it working.

What i'd like to know is if the same rules for weight lifting applies with exercises you can do by yourself. I don't think I'm over-exerting myself because I find that I can do more and more of each everyday.

Maybe I'm just being worried over nothing, but i'd like to know if there's anyone else out there who does something similar.

[abrannan]

Which "same rules" are you referring to? Weight-free exercises can be a great way to tone and shape your muscle, but lose their effectiveness ove time at building muscle.

[nonskanse]

Oi! I wish I could do 20 pushups.

I assume the same rules do apply for weightlifting as self-weight stuff, but like abrannan says, as you gain the ability to lift heavier things and at the same time lose weight, the effectiveness will be reduced to toning only. This sounds like what might be going on with your push-ups, since you're doing a lot of reps with what has become a fairly easy weight for you. You'll lose weight because you're being active, but if you want big arms a gym and a day or two with a trainer now and then are probably your best bet.

So how did you get to 20 pushups/set? I can only do about 5 "real" pushups (no hanging stomach, no waiting 30 seconds in between each one).

[abrannan]

The best benefit to this type of lifting is that it reduces the amount of muscle weight you're losing. By continuously working the muscles, your body will be replenishing the muscle tissue, rather than shedding it in your weight loss.

[exil3d]

I could already do 20 push-ups naturally. To me, it is all about will power to move on and do more, but if you find yourself absolutely unable to stand anymore, i'd suggest getting down on your knees instead of just collapsing and doing more.

And sorry I haven't responded for a while, I have limited access to the internet.

And yes, what abrannan says is true. Which is why you have to do different types of push ups while adding more weight, I guess.

And yes, I want muscle endurance, not big bulky arms. Other wise i'd be at the gym.

[nonskanse]

Then its all good. Just don't overexert and you'll be happy with the results.

I've tried the knee-pushups and I can do more of those, so I'll build up.

My upper body strength ain't all that great, to say the least. Better than a lot of girls my age, but thats still pretty horrible, especially since it used to be pretty decent.