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Pushups, crunches, and dips.

Old 01-28-06, 04:07 PM
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Pushups, crunches, and dips.

I am starting a simple pushup, crunch, and dip workout program. Question that I have though...should I do the exercises with a day off in between (as with weights) or should I just do 'em when I can, as often as I can (kinda like they make you do at bootcamp)?

I'm thinking about doing multiple sets of 20 reps throughout the day. For example, pushups...20 in the morning, 20 mid-day, and 20 in the evening, each day.

Basically I just want to be able to do a lot of pushups, crunches, and dips.

Thanks!
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Old 01-28-06, 06:28 PM
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From what I understand and what trainers have told me, it is best to do them on the same day as weights and take a day off in between because push-ups and dips fatigue the muscles -- but by using the body's mass rather than a machine. Crunches, I've been told, can be done every day, but I have found I need a day off. I tried to do crunches every day, but found myself burned out cranky and sore and started hating to do them. But I have a friend who does them every night and enjoys them. You'll find what works best for you. Just make sure you think in terms of what you can sustain over the long-run, for six months.

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Old 01-28-06, 06:51 PM
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Hi,
for a simple program get a cheap set of weights. You can sometimes pick up weights and a bench in a yard sale.
Have a leg and back day, a day off and then an arm and abs day, and then a day off (from lifting, you could certainly ride).

There are lots of exercises you can do. The classics are still the best. A lof of exercise routines you wll see assume you are doing steroids. That's why you will burn out when you try them. Try different schedules, I suggest you do the one I mentioned for 2 or 3 weeks. Then try a arms/legs/rest schedule. I have done a 6 day
body builders schedule, very complicated, but I got seriously overtrained.





If you can't get weights, go to a medical supply house and get a couple pieces of different diameters in about 12 foot lengths of surgical tubing. You can do a zillion exercises with the stuff. You can loop it around plumbing and do seated rows, crunchs against resistance, and several more. You can stand on it and use it to provide resistance for squats, curls,
overhead press, etc. One time I used it to do leg extensions on chair. I ripped the chair apart.
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Old 01-30-06, 01:20 PM
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I'd do them on the same days as weights. You can do you push up before you get on the bench as a warm up. Crunches are best felt on a swiss ball, you can also add a dumbbell for more resistance. I also do dumbbell press on the swiss ball. You can work more muscle groups using a ball. The stabilty helps developes you core (back and abs).
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Old 01-30-06, 01:41 PM
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Thanks for the replies...but I'm not working with weights. I was asking about strictly doing pushups, crunches, and dips.
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Old 01-30-06, 01:44 PM
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You can do either one. Since you are only using your body weight, it is not that critical to take a day off in between because you're not overloading your muscles. It sounds like you are doing a lot of reps at a light weight, as opposed to being in the weight room doing like 8 reps at heavy weights. So maybe like try every other day at first, to get started, then you can do back to back days. You need some recovery days though, to build muscle, but it is not as critical if you're doing light weight / a lot of reps.
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Old 01-30-06, 05:22 PM
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Hi,
I recently started following the Five Basic Exercise program developed in the 60s by the Canadian Air Force. It advocates a daily program of toe touches, situps, back arches, pushups, and run in place. You move up a level when it gets too easy. I am getting more toned, but I'll take a day off when I feel strained.
See more here: https://www.statesa.com/gettingfit/5bx.php Download the booklet and see what it says about a daily baseline of physical activity.

Chuck
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Old 01-30-06, 08:24 PM
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The most important thing is to just do them. I never use a plan and on good days, I try to do 200 pushups and atleast 30 minutes of cruches. The pushups i do whenever and the crunches I do usually in front of the tv. Right now Im real busy and don't really have time to do the crunches, but I commute on my bike, so it makes up somewhat. Don't let people tell you you have to take days off for abs. Do it everyday until it burns etc. Pushups, some days I get elbow pains etc, so I decided to cut down to 150 recently and take one day off. SO again, I stress, just do them and you will see results.
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Old 01-31-06, 09:05 AM
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I used to lift weights for years but have switched to pullups, pushups, dips, crunches and core work. I'm trying to emphasize cycling now so my focus is simply trying to avoid too much upper body atrophy. I want to shed a few pounds and am prepared to lose some upper body muscle but I don't want to waste away to nothing. I do the pullups, pushups, dips two or three times a week allowing rest between sessions like you would for any resistance training. If your sets are intense and to failure, you have to rest. If your sets aren't to failure and not too intense, you could probably do them every day but why would you want to? Don't you have other stuff to do?
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Old 02-02-06, 03:04 PM
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I'll tell you of a great pushup exercise. You need a bosu ball (one of those 1/2 balls with a flat surface) With ball side down, place your hands at wither end of the flat surface. Do the pushup with one leg in the air x 10, then with the other leg in the air.
Next with hands on the floor, place feet on a pilates ball, then do the inverted push-up.
push-up's and core work. two great exercises, one great result.
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