Posted: 9/9/2008 6:45:27 PM EDT
| When I was in the Marines we did the same exercises every day, but the conventional wisdom on the civy side is to allow individual muscle groups one day off between workouts. Which reality do you subscribe to? |
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When I joined the Air force I could do 2 pushups. After 6 weeks of doing them every day in basic, I could do 3. Probably not because I was much stronger, but rather because I lost some weight in there. Fast forward 5 years and I could do 1 1/2 pushups as a base. Skipped the pushups and instead picked a weight that I could bench press 3 sets 6-12 reps. twice a week and I actually made progress, being able to do 11 pushups after 2 months. Now if someone was already good at pushups and they are doing like 50 of them, then it starts to become more of an endurance activity and I wouldn't be afraid to do them 2-3 days in a row. But if you push yourself hard and reach failure 2-3 times, then I'd definitely take the next day or 2 off. By failure I mean hardcore muscle failure, not "it's getting uncomfortable so I'm going to stop", I mean the muscles WILL NOT go anymore. |
| Pushups are pretty low intensity - normal rep range is more focused on endurance vs. strength or hypertropy and will generally not require the recovery time that a higher intensity workout would. Whether or not doing lots of pushups will be the best vehicle to meet your overall goals obviously depends on what those goals are. |
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My pushups suck. I need to do 15 for my PT Test (using a 3 inch block, touching sternum to the block every time). I can do 15, but it about kills me. Plus, I have REALLY long arms. I'd also be interested to know if doing them every day v. every other day is helpful. |
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If going to failure, every other day, if just doing some reps, then every day, even several times a day. When I was working up on pushups, I would do 4 or 5 reps during the day of 30 pushups each time. Just a good way to tone, doesn't take a lot of time. When I worked at a smaller PD I made it a goal that everytime I went into or out of the station I would drop and do a quick 30. YMMV 
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I am currently doing 4 sets of 30 push-ups, and 4 sets of 100 crunches every other morning. I want to do about a 30-minute workout in the mornings before work, because I feel like shit if I just roll out of bed and go. I do enough cardio after work that I don't feel that I need more of that; I'd like to do something to build strength instead. So, I should be good doing my current routine, bet every morning now? Or I'd appreciate recommendations for other evolutions. |
| Sounds like your morning routine is pretty close to being more cardio. If you want to build strength, maybe try a weighted vest? Add weight until you can only do 8-12 good ones (after a warm up set). Some days have so much weight that you can only do 6-8, some days lean closer to 12-15, but then do them plyometrically. |
good idea - i might steal that. |
So, do you actually get anything out of doing push-ups and sit-ups everyday, even though you are not "tearing your muscles"? Increases in strength or endurance? |