Training advice please

[toast boy]

Hi all,

I'm after a bit of advice regarding modifying my training, so I'll give a bit of background first.

I used to be seriously skinny (6'1" and 9 stone), did no exercise and ate like a pig until a couple of years ago I decided that I needed to start looking after myself a bit more. Started doing body weight exercises and a few runs a week. Got to 10 stone, gained a bit of muscle definition and generally felt quite fit.

I have been at this point now for over a year and am continuing with the same kind of exercise and I'm feeling like shaking it up a bit. I was going to follow the 100 push ups plan but when I looked at it I noticed that there are a selection of different programs now, I'm sure when I first saw that site it was just push ups.

My question is, since there are a number of programs, would it be best to combine a couple at once to vary my training or should I concentrate on one at once, complete it, then move on to the next one?

To clarify my goals - I'm not necessarily looking to put size on here, I'm just looking for a change in my training and a bit of a challenge, in an ideal world I'd like a little bit more muscle but I'm more concerned about just being generally fit.

[RemainAllHoof]

If you just want to be more fit, then do more cardio.

If you want to bulk a little more, then the general consensus seems to be to lift heavier loads. Doing 100 press ups, therefore, will improve your endurance and ability to do press ups. To build pectorals, bench press.

OC et al will be along shortly!

Edit: check out the Pistonheads Transformation Contest thread.

Edited by RemainAllHoof on Friday 4th November 22:44

[toast boy]

Cheers for the reply.

I'd figured out that I'd stopped gaining size because I'm not increasing the weight lifted. Does that mean then that all those challenges essentially just increase endurance rather than strength?

[RemainAllHoof]

toast boy said:

Cheers for the reply.

I'd figured out that I'd stopped gaining size because I'm not increasing the weight lifted. Does that mean then that all those challenges essentially just increase endurance rather than strength?

I forgot to say you also need to eat more protein so the muscle can heal and grow.

Yes, it's about endurance. Not a bad thing if, for instance, your job involves pushing things away from you all day, but unless you make the work harder, why should the muscle continue to grow? I suppose one way of looking at it is that if you bicep curl a pencil 500 times a day, would you expect to have Arnie-sized muscles?

[Welshbeef]

I would have to add do three sets of 50 burpees with a max 3-5 min break between each set.

That will certainly improve endurance - it's a total head fk mind proper hard core. Sounds easy but that most certainly isn't the case.
You need to buy nothing except t shirt shorts or trackies and trainers or bare foot. Apart from that just a piece of ground and enough height for the star jump.

Well worth trying it give it a gp see what you think

[RemainAllHoof]

They'd improve your cardio-vascular system, so undoubtedly good for you, but they would only improve your endurance to do burpees but not, for instance, to climb Everest or run the London Marathon... unless you wanted to burpee up Everest or around London.

[toast boy]

Hmm. I see where you're coming from with the endurance/strength thing.

I think the plan of action then is to complete all of the push up/chin up/squat/crunch challenges just because I want to, but then maybe start increasing the difficulty afterwards to maybe gain a little bit of size. I'm reasonably happy with my cardio at the minute, although I would like to do a little more if I could find the time.

[RemainAllHoof]

Certainly, if will make some difference on all levels. I (skinny git) want to bulk up (not get fat but build muscle) so am just doing it the old fashioned way.