Pushups Crunshes and Dips

[needsomehelp]

How many of these a night do you all think I should do to tighten and tone up thanks.

[mBiOkXe08]

haha I know I dont know nearly as much about boxing and toneing up as alex and adam do, but one thing I have learned is nobody can really tell you how much you need to do or how long or whatever, everyones different(which more and more people keep on doing, but I did it too when I first started so I understand). The thing I go by is pushing my self til I truly cannot go anymore, cuz as long as you push yourself as hard as you can go til you cant do anymore you will see yourself gaining more and more strength and be able to go longer and do more reps. So my suggestion basically is just go til you cant go no more, everytime.

[GutShot]

you cant spot reduce fat... no amount of ab work will remove the FAT that is HIDING your already toned muscles.

Get a good cardio plan, have a set diet, do your research

Keep ab exercises to 3 exercises.
Dont think that doing 100 sit ups is a great feat, its meant to be building muscle not undertaking an ab marathon lol. If you can do alot of sit ups, use a medicine ball to make it harder... if your diet is correct then the abs will grow.

[AdamGB]

What do you mean keep ab exercises to 3? just 3 different types of exercise or 3 different sets per exercise... I do a tonne of different exercises fro my abs in one session, kicks, leg raises, twists, body raises, regular crunches etc

[GutShot]

You are probably over training your abs, more does not = better.

You wouldnt do 6+ exercises for any other muscle group so why for abs?

3 exercises for abs, consisting of 3 sets per exercises. But thats my personal opinion

[AdamGB]

I wouldn't do loads for my triceps and biceps because thats a very simple muscle group, in alot of cases just one exercise can work all of the muscle in that group to some level. Your abdominal is alot mroe complex though. I've always needed a wide variety to feel like I've worked the whole thing. Its definetly not over trained though because I'm making loads of progress with my performance on them.

[GutShot]

How is the abs more complex?

less complex than the delts for example, they have three heads which are worked at totally different angles depending on how the arm is lifted.

with abs, you curl up, curl down... where's the hard complex part?

all you have to do is focus on contracting the abs when exercising them, add weight to increase the intensity of the exercise and your set. If you feel you need to do the equivelant of an ab marathon to feel like you've worked the abs then your not training with the right level of intensity. My two cents

if your doing ab marathons then fair play, each to their own... i just do less to get the same results... 3 exercises, 9 sets in total...finished

[AdamGB]

so you do 3 sets of 3? I only do 1 set of each exercise but I keep it varied. I train for alot more movements than just felxing and extending my trunk.

I wouldn't exactly call what I do an ab marathon, you do 9 sets I do about 12...

[LarryB]

Push ups are great for building upper body strenght without bulking up

[lightweight132]

ok you asked "how many you should do". My resonse to you is 100% honest. Throughout the day I usually do about 2,550 different types of crunch's. Im not big on situps because a crunch, if done properly, is more affective. I also do 500 pushups


Make sure you dont have to go anywhere first because this can take a while!

[lightweight132]

Oh and dips! I do 5 sets of 25. When working your stomach dont forget to work out your lower back; if your stomach gets too strong it will cause back problems if its weak

[Scrap]

I find this thread interesting the amount of work some of you chaps do with muscle isolation programs.Where a good isometric stretch off the whole body would be more benefical only problem is it takes 1 1/2 hours.I see so much contraction going on, but no expansion happening Theirs problems ahead. Boxing remember is about balance and the body works ALL OR NOTHING

[md]

^ Dead right Scrap.

High intensity triple extension/flexion exercises are much better than isolating muscle groups if you want to achieve the best results.

Remember to work the muscles concentrically (shortening) and eccentrically (lengthening).

[GutShot]

what is a triple extension/flex exercise?!

"you see alot of contraction going on", errr.... thats what happens when you use your muscles unless i have been really doing something totally different?

i have had no problems what so ever in my training in the gym, what are you basing your broad statements on?

you two talk like you've had too many trips to mickey mouse's school of personal trainers

talk in english and cut the buzz word your hearing in mens health

[AdamGB]

Keep it calm lads...

When you exercise... obviously your muscles contract... but stretching them and extending them helps increase where they contract from. Do you know much about Sliding Filament theory GutShot? the lines of protiens in your muscle's sarcomere pull together during a contraction. If the contraction part of your training is to high in ratio to the stretching part of your training then you're contractions will not be as large as they could be compared to the length of the sarcomeres in your muscle cells because they will not be as long as they can be:



If you mainly base you gym routine around contraction and there is not enough stretching going on then the z discs are closer together and less contraction can occure between the cells. By implementing a larger stretching routine the Z discs are further apart and a more powerfull contraction can be acheived because the Myosin and Actin can pull together more.

Its not a case of 'not having problems' gut its a case of doing things so that you can be as efficient within the fitness level that you posses as possible.

I've chatted a few times with Scrap and trust me he is not the type of bloke who would read mens health of use 'in' terms of health and fitness fads. he knows his stuff

Lets have a proper discussion and try not to knock other peoples knowlodge and opinions please. no one in here can say that every single fact they say is gospel or that if they disagree with something its 'mickey mouse'