jkemp9

Don't know how many of you frequent the Training/Nutrition subforum, I would think most of you/us do, but for those of you who haven't seen this already, it's worth checking out if you are interested in cross-training. It's a pushup program that gradually works up to 100 pushups in 6 weeks. I'm giving it a shot to get rid of some much hated upper body fat. If you can't do a full push-up, i'm sure that doing a variation, like doing them on your knees, would be much better than not doing it at all. And I find that mapped out programs such as this are much easier to follow than working out all willy-nilly. Today is only Week 1 Day 2 for me so we'll see how it goes.

Here's the link:
https://www.bikeforums.net/training-nutrition/442137-100-push-ups-six-weeks.html

CliftonGK1

100 pushups in 6 weeks? That's only 2.3 pushups a day. I can do that.



Seriously, 100 in one session isn't happening for me any more. 75, maybe if I really strain. 50, more likely, but my wrists won't be happy with me for the next few days.

dbikingman

I'm doing week1, day 3 later today....after my ride. I found this site by following a link on a members signature line. I have been doing pushups for the past few weeks with the idea of doing 100. I was happy to find this site. Hopefully we can start a thread to encourage one another.

dbikingman

LMAO

Alathea

This is going to remind me of Basic and Infantry training all over again......

dipy911

Have you tried push-ups using 10-lb dumbbells? Instead of being flat on the floor, they are in a straight line with your arms. They sell those fancy push-up machines,https://www.perfectpushup.com/, but I find dumbbells work just fine and are cheeper.

lil brown bat

Pushups don't remove "upper body fat". They will build upper body muscle, but they cannot perform spot reduction any more than any other form of exercise.

SalminSam

I can handle the 2 it's the .3 that the killer for me................

sdastroguy

I'm not sure if my wrists will take this or not. But I won't know until I try. Kind of like getting ready to ride a metric century in a couple of weeks.

Thanks for the link and count me in.

jkemp9

lbb- I'm not trying to call you out, I'm just hungry for knowledge.

Say that instead of cycling I was doing only upper body exercises. Are you suggesting that I would lose fat equally from all over my body and not just the areas being exercise? Don't situps/crunches help reduce belly fat? Finally, why have my quads and calves become leaner much faster than the rest of me?

lil brown bat

Yup.

Nope.

Because you've built muscle mass there. You haven't lost fat in those areas any faster than you have anywhere else, you've just added muscle, so the fat that remains is smaller in proportion.

jkemp9

People with wrist issues- There are a couple people with the same problem in the training & nutrition version of this thread. Someone said that pushup bars, $15 at target, helped put there hands in a more natural position and helped with there wrist problems. You could also use a dumbell.

jkemp9

lbb- that blows my mind, thank you for the insight.

CliftonGK1

Thanx for the push up bar suggestions, everyone. They do help a little bit, but I wasn't really specific about why my wrists would hurt; it's my arthritis, and unfortunately there's not a whole lot that helps it.

I'm OK with not doing push ups, though.

Wogster

You lose fat equally from all areas, however fat cells are not evenly distributed throughout the body, so it appears to not be the case. There are a lot of fat cells around the middle, which is why the skinny model who has a body fat measurement of 1% and gains 1lb will get a little flab. It's also why the guy who is at 25% body fat, still looks like they have thin calves, but also looks 15 months pregnant.

Most overweight people, who do not exercise, have weak core muscles, and weak abdominal muscles, to things look like they are falling apart. Situps and crunches will strengthen those muscles, but when you spent 20 years weakening and stretching those muscles, you can't expect a week of situps to fix that. The problem for the cyclist is that 90% of the work is done by the leg muscles, so they don't gain upper body strength.

A good combination of exercises would be to combine cycling with something like kayaking which is mostly upper body, all you need for a complete workout is a set of wheels to attach to the kayak so you can haul it behind the bicycle, and a set of floaters so you can haul the bike behind the kayak.

flip18436572

LBB is correct. If you want to lose fat, you must burn calories and gain muscle. To lose stomach fat, the body actually has to remove body fat from the entire body. For men, that is usually the first place fat builds, and that will also be the last place fat will be removed from. I would probably have to find the anatomy & physiology books out to find the exact information, but it has to do with the genetic makeup and certain cells and how they react.

If you want to lose fat from your upper body, run, bike, swim, elliptical, lift weights, etc. Do all of the exercises!!!!

jkemp9

Upon lbb enlightening me, i did some research and found a few websites that said the same as flip. This is a little disheartening, thinking back to the first places I gained flab = stomach, chest, and thighs... I'm still going to do this push-up challenge though

flip18436572

There is a blog that I can't seem to find that will go into more detail if you want. I think the guys name is Tom Venuto or something similar. Or try BURNTHEFAT. Not sure anymore.

Caincando1

Believe me if there was a way to target body fat removal, my middle section would be as lean as the rest of me.

atcfoody

Okay, since were on the fat thing again (this time, I promise, no ranting), let me add a few things. When it gets right down to it, fat stores around the mid section are actually fairly easily to mobilize, where as those in the arms, legs, hips and thighs are a little slower. This is based on gender and genetics as much as anything else. Women carry fat on their hips due to its necessity for childbearing. Men, as we evolved, have been the predominant athletic sex (I'm speaking physiologically and biologically here, please don't take offense ladies), doing a larger majority of the hunting, fighting, and other strenuous activity. So, men are more likely to store fat around the middle, and it is generally easier to mobilize for use than the stores in other places. This is a good thing, but there is a down side. Fat around the mid section also means that there is fat stored around the heart. This takes up space in the pleural cavity, increasing the work load on the heart and the lungs (more pressure on the heart and less space for the lungs to expand). So while it is easier to remove, having it there in the first place is much more unhealthy.

As others have said, any aerobic activity will cause you to burn fat, gain muscle, and generally speaking, slim down. How much you loose and how quickly you loose it largely depends on how well you picked your parents.

One thing on pushups, they do almost as much for your ab's as situps and crunches do (if you do the pushups correctly). Try getting in the "front leaning rest position" (I hope I didn't just cause any basic training flashbacks for anyone), and then holding it for 20 - 30 seconds. You'll see what I mean.

D

lil brown bat

I'd actually say that the more critical muscles in kayaking, particularly whitewater kayaking, are the core muscles. The main power comes from everything from your knees to your chest -- if the core is weak and you take the load on your upper body, you're likely to get injured, even if your upper body muscles are already strong.

Core strength is so worth developing, as it supports and enables so many fun activities: kayaking, aikido (which is my main workout these days), skiing, etc. The need is less obvious in cycling, but believe it, it's still there.

Missbumble 

Ok - I am in! I did not think I could do one of these darn things. But alas I took the test -
https://]hundredpushups.com/index.html

And did about 4 - but\ really I think my chin is supposed to just about hit the floor so - probably only 2 real ones. (Mind you I am doing the bent knee type).

So I will start Monday - as I am resting after the exertion of my 4 push ups! (Nah actually getting ready for my first half century).

If anyone wants to monitor progress together - I am in!

Tom Stormcrowe

I'm not......bilateral arthritis in my shoulders. Pushups will trigger a flareup.

krazygluon

I saw this on another user's sig...Dying to start it...prolly will today since its an off day for me. (may be an off week till I can get my saddle to treat me nicer)

seymour5000

Just wanted to say: DON'T DO PUSHUPS OR PLANKS WITH HANDS/WRIST IN 90 DEGREE ANGLE!!!
I paid for it with developing tendonitis in my wrist. Use your fists, bars or handles of some squared off dumbells. Keep wrists at 0 degrees as much as possible.