Musing about building strength- based on situps and pushups.
 

These days I do a modest number of situps and pushups a few times a week. Well, 3 times a week to be precise. I'm not trying to accomplish any great fitness program this way - I know that crunches are better than situps etc. and I have no illusion that this is of any particular use to my riding ability or anything else. It just feels good to use muscles that I don't usually condition and to make some progress with them. Maybe it's just winter boredom.

Anyway, the general program is that I do 5 sets of each, 3 days a week (Ssshhh. I actually do them on the carpet in my office, interspersed with work). The first 4 sets are the same number, and then I push my limits on the 5th set.

What is interesting is how easy it is to make progress and build strength. Early on, I could only do about 10 of each in the longest set, and I hurt for days afterwards. Now my first 4 sets are about 40 of each and the last set is 60-70, and I've only been doing this for a few months.

Now I know that this easy progress is because I'm just starting out - it's akin to how one easily adds miles and speed in the first season of riding. Also, this is not cardio. Still, what impresses me is that I can make such tangible progress with so many rest days. I would never think of sitting out cycling or some other substitute cardio 4 days a week. (well, that's also because I love riding, of course)

It just reinforces what we already know about building strength for anything - INCLUDING CYCLING - Your muscles need to be pushed to their limits AND THEY NEED PLENTY OF REST.

Core strength is very important for cycling, don't be disillusioned.
http://www.cycling-fitness-center.co...hTraining.aspx
http://www.bicycling.com/training-nu...g-fitness/core

I have been working on mine this winter as well and will carry it through the entire year from now on. Just another part of my routine.
I do several things but one is a single wheel roller I use.

I wouldn't call these numbers modest, especially for push ups. If you are doing 230 push ups a session, that is more than I do in a week. And even for sit ups that's impressive.

Good for you.

By the way, what do you suppose your co-workers think you are doing, grunting in your office with the door closed?

Amazing number of push ups. I hate them, but manage to squeak-out three sets of 10 to 12 twice a week. Sit-ups are not useful to me. I prefer weighted sitting crunches with 80 to 90 pounds. We have a machine at home that allows that.

Just added a hyper-extension bench/Roman chair for the back. That's an area very difficult to build strength I think.

My favorites are up-right rows and squats.

I found as got older, climbing ladders did me in. I have to do that for house maintenance. I figured climbing rungs must be a great exercise, so I do about 150 rungs a week on an 8-foot step ladder in our garage. Now that is weird, but it keeps me ladder-fit and in shape to climb the stairs in out part-time two-story house.

Al

Nobody does situps. Crunches are old school now.

I find the new words like 'core' annoying, but the truth is that
situps and crunches don't do all that much for the core.

Pushups are great. There are different kinds, you might want to mix it up
with some variations.

I also like to spread out resistance exercises over the course of the day.

I break up the body into areas, legs, butt, core, shoulders, arms.

There is also a front back and push/pull aspect.

So I will do leg/butt exercises. Squats, deadlifts,kettlebells, resistance bands.

This is a good place for exercises that need little or no equipment.
http://www.youtube.com/user/PerformanceU
http://www.youtube.com/user/Performa...45/pzmc12D72vI
http://www.youtube.com/user/Performa...51/8hoiwnkFAHE
http://www.youtube.com/user/Performa...69/YVwES7pzs6s

this one is great, if you don'thave some butt strength you can't do it right.
If you do, there should be some tenderness/soreness like he says.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gztBydYNEMk

this one is also tough, I can't do it, maybe down the road
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_coZsl0OLE

I also use rubber bands a lot.
http://www.performbetter.com/SearchR...tegoryID_E_360

I use the 2 widest of these for squats and deadlifts at home (you have to cut them so they will be a band)
http://www.performbetter.com/detail....tegoryID_E_358

Butt exercises help cycling, and they don't get the attention they deserve.

My experience is different -- I have always had a lot of trouble building strength or bulk in the upper body, and I have to work hard to maintain what little I do have.

These are my core and resistance exercises that I do. Group 1 is Monday, Group 2 is Tue etc... It takes about 45 minutes to 60 minutes to do each day's. Some times I will skip a day and do double the next day and keep the total time down by mixing upper, lower and core into the recovery time. I don't ride on Thursday and it is a good day to catch up on missed days. When the outside riding gets ramped up in march the workload will be condensed and I'll work on maintaining what strength I've developed. I do most all of the listed tasks except the wall stand push up (may attain the strength in a week or two), the dragon flys because I don't have a bench and the calf raises because I don't have any movement in one ankle after getting it fused last year.

Group 1

Exercise #1) 3-Degree Med Ball Pushup with three med balls. Do the first set with a wider than shoulder width grip, second set at shoulder width grip, third set at inside shoulder width grip: 2 sets of max reps for each of the stances with 3 min between sets. Website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bRjW...eature=channel

Exercise #2) 3-Degree Med Ball Pushup with four med balls. Same format as 3-ball, but with one more ball so each foot is on a ball, and do with 2 sets/ for each stance width – normal, wide close.

Exercise #3) Plyometric Pushup with just the steps, NOT the risers as in the U-Tube video. 3 set of max reps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGkJZ...eature=related

Exercise #4) Dragon Flag Leg Lifts with bent variation. Do the variation to start with this, and scroll down to that in the webwindow. There’s a video at the bottom of the page. Do 3 sets of max reps. http://www.theflyingspirit.co.uk/dra...-tutorial.html

Exercise #5) V-ups with Bosu Ball. Do 3 sets of max reps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xK57...eature=related



Group 2

Exercise #1) 3 different types of L-Pullups: 1) Palms Away Alternating L-Pullup – do the first set with a shoulder-width grip, the second set with a wider than shoulder-width grip, and the third with a very close, inside shoulder-width grip. 2 sets of max reps for each of the stances with 3 min between sets. Website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKl_n...eature=related

Exercise #2) Palms in (L-Chinup) same routine as in the Pull-ups. Website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZSst-g4aeo

Exercise #3) Lying Vertical Windshield Wiper 3 sets of 6-10 per straight out, right side, left side. So you’d have anywhere from 18-30 per set.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHhMH...eature=related

Exercise #4) Knees Bent Hanging Leg Lift. 3 sets of max reps

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8N_11m5DbSU



Group 3

Exercise #1) Knees on balance ball front lateral raise followed by the side lateral raise. Do side right after front while balancing on the ball the whole time! Scroll down the PDF I have attached to Lateral Raise (knees on ball): 3 sets of moderate reps (not to failure and more like 8-12 reps at light weight) http://www.beastskills.com/Handstand...20beginner.htm

Exercise #2) Knee or Feet assisted upside down pushup. Go to the “How to Perform” part of the webpage and either have feet supported as in picture, and kneel on a Balance Ball for knee support and do pushup with hands and head very close to ball. Do the same 3-degree stance as in you did in the pushups for 1 set each stance for 10-12 reps with 3 min between sets. Again, first attemps should be done kneeling on a balance ball with your hands positioned on the floor very close to the bottom of the balance ball. Website: http://gubernatrix.co.uk/2008/01/handstand-push-up/

Exercise #3) Handstand push-up facing the wall OR just do the Negative as in the video. If you cannot do one rep, then do exactly as in video BUT with no roll. Instead walk yourself back down the wall as in the second video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lj2KZwbr_jo

If you can do several reps then do this as follows in the video: Do 1 set of normal grip, one set of wide grip and one set of narrow grip for 1-5 reps each.

http://www.ehow.com/video_2254636_do...-push-ups.html

Exercise #4) Dragon Flag Leg Lifts with bent variation. Do the variation to start with this, and scroll down to that in the webwindow. There’s a video at the bottom of the page. Do 3 sets of max reps. http://www.theflyingspirit.co.uk/dra...-tutorial.html

Exercise #5) V-ups with Bosu Ball. Do 3 sets of max reps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xK57...eature=related



Group 4

Exercise #1) Upsidedown Bosu Ball Squats. Do 4 sets as in video to full parallel position with alternating hand positions.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/215325...de_down_squat/

Exercise #2) Single Med Ball Squat 4 sets of 1-10 reps with 3 min between sets. Website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j92IlNAjJeg&NR=1

Exercise #3) Dbl Med Ball Squat 4 sets of 1-10 reps. Just add another med ball and go one leg/ball.

Exercise #4) Standing calf raise on Bosu Ball. If this is too easy hold a 10-20 lb dumbbell in each hand. Three sets of 10-30 reps. Website: http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cm...articleid=1273

Exercise #4) Bosu Ball Crunch. 3 sets of 8-20 reps. Website:

http://www.emuscle.com/skillVideo/We...-with--Feet-Up

Exercise #5) Hanging Windshield Wiper for 3 sets of 2-6 reps with 3 min between sets. Website:
http://www.straighttothebar.com/2007...g_windshi.html

ANY exercise that folks will actually do is good. You should feel some pride in doing what most people won't.

Speaking of pushups, I just ran across this website:

One Hundred Pushups
http://hundredpushups.com/index.html

I do a variety of the following exercise, splitting it into a couple of sessions, with a day of rest ever now and then..BTW, I just purchased a BOSU ball.

Squats using a rolling ball and 70 pounds of bar bell weights. I don't do "traditional" squats - too hard on my body.

Planks - 2 minutes. Side planks - right now 30 seconds.

pushups - from 35 - 45 in a row x 2 or as close as I can get

Dumbbell presses on the floor - 55 pounds each arm 3 x 10

Dumbbell flies on the floor - 40 pounds each arm 3 x 10

dips - full body weight 3 x 20 or as close as I can get

pullovers - heaviest weight I can pullover on the machine

lats - heavy as I can get it - 10 x 3

resistance bands for pecs and back - as much as I can 10 x's 3

band walking

Bridges using a fitness ball under my feet

inversion table - 5 minutes

a lot of stretching each day

some fitness ball ab stuff

Balance board and soon BOSU ball

Thats about it. I try pullups - but am lousy at them

I do no situps

Yeah, I followed that when I first started out, but I didn't like trying to follow the specific regimen. Also, I wanted to add at my rate, not according to a formula. Each session, I set out to do what I did last session, and if I can, I do a little more. Also, I didnt really have a goal of doing 100 pushups, per se - I just wanted to do what I could and then slowly improve. What I kept, though, was the 3-day a week routine and also the idea of doing 5 sets, with the last set pushing my limits. That has worked really well for me.

Some of you have some pretty elaborate routines. That's not for me. I do a set, go back to my desk or to my laptop on the couch, and 10 or 15 minutes later I go and do another. Did I mention that this is in the evening, when other people aren't around? I tend to work in my office 3 evenings a week - that's the life of a professor for you.

Also, some of you seem to think that the total number that I do is impressive. Thanks. I would have been impressed by the numbers when I first started out, but over about 5 months it's been really easy to build up by adding a couple to each rep when I feel I can. Maybe the pushups are easier for me because I'm pretty skinny these days (thanks to cycling). They would be harder if I had more upper body weight.

late - Thank you for those videos. I've been looking for something just like that.

I take my hat off to you sir. You have my respect for keeping at it. I have to confess that I too had a exercise routine but that went by he wayside when I had a prolonged illness. Now I am better and I just haven't started back at it. Why is it so easy to break good habits and so hard to start them. You have inspired me to get back at it again.

I found that my pushups and pullups reached a maximum after a few months, and I haven't increased the total much since then (twice a week starting 3 years ago).

In Strength Training Past 50, the author cites studies that show that gains from 3x/week are only slight versus 2x/week. Same thing for 2 sets vs. 1 set. Good book.

I followed that program in the year of my 55th birthday. I set the goal of doing 1 push up for every year old I was on my birthday. It was difficult but it got me to 55 consecutive push ups. I never went on to try 100.

I think variety helps, and I found this useful: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X72LtRcXR6g

Not knocking you, but that is too complicated for me.

It is impressive that you do all that, though.

You're welcome.