Could use some advice on getting fitter.

Hendrix89

Hey there, first time on this forum.

Right so I've never really been 'unfit' exactly and I'm quite healthy in general. However I'm almost 20 now and I have no tone (noticeable muscles) in my arms or chest at all and it's time for that to change.

Stats:

5'9 (176cm)

10 1/2 stone


Now I've never really been a weights person and I don't really want to have to use them tbh.. if that's possible. I don't exactly feel the need to get ripped anyway. Just relatively fit and strong.

So far, for the past 2 months, I have been doing regular pushups daily. I started off small and managed to work myself up to 50 reps (current stage), which I can sometimes do quite fast. I have been doing one set of these three times a day coupled with a further 20 elevated pushups (w/ legs resting on a high table) immediately after each set of the 50 regulars.

I have also attempted pull ups but I'm no good at them. In fact I'm terrible.

Anyway so far, apart from the increased amount of pushups I can do, I have noticed no difference in my arm muscles or anywhere for that matter. There's just no definition there..

Also to add, I have been doing regular 30 min walks every day/night although I know that doesn't do much as far as this is concerned.

Any advice on how I can actually start getting results? Thanks.

GymJohn

Hendrix89 wrote: »

Hey there, first time on this forum.

Right so I've never really been 'unfit' exactly and I'm quite healthy in general. However I'm almost 20 now and I have no tone (noticeable muscles) in my arms or chest at all and it's time for that to change.

Stats:

5'9 (176cm)

10 1/2 stone


Now I've never really been a weights person and I don't really want to have to use them tbh.. if that's possible. I don't exactly feel the need to get ripped anyway. Just relatively fit and strong.

So far, for the past 2 months, I have been doing regular pushups daily. I started off small and managed to work myself up to 50 reps (current stage), which I can sometimes do quite fast. I have been doing one set of these three times a day coupled with a further 20 elevated pushups (w/ legs resting on a high table) immediately after each set of the 50 regulars.

I have also attempted pull ups but I'm no good at them. In fact I'm terrible.

Anyway so far, apart from the increased amount of pushups I can do, I have noticed no difference in my arm muscles or anywhere for that matter. There's just no definition there..

Also to add, I have been doing regular 30 min walks every day/night although I know that doesn't do much as far as this is concerned.

Any advice on how I can actually start getting results? Thanks.

If you want to change your shape and buid muscle you need to use weights, which you are doing already - your body weight is a weight!

Also if you want to get strong you gotta lift something heavy!

You can get decent results with body weight training but it's easier if you use weights. By doing weights you will enhance your metabolism which means you'll shed more fat and see the muscle definition which is essentially the tone you are looking for.

Instead of pull ups you can try a body weight row which is essentially a reverse push up.

Hendrix89

Thanks for the helpful advice John.

Wasn't aware of the 'body weight row', which I've just googled, and it looks like a nice little exercise. I'll definitely fit that in, if I can find a way to do it properly at home.

Anyway so basically what your saying is that bodyweight exercises, which I have been doing, will increase strength and fitness in time but just not as fast as lifting actual (heavier) weights? If I can keep up my pushup (and perhaps the bodyweight row) exercises then I'm happy to stick to them if they will give my gains over time.

If you really think I would benefit from some weights then I might just try some. What kind of weight range would you suggest I start with?

Colm_OReilly

Hendrix,

Can I ask why you don't want to do weights?

Check out www.CrossFit.com for general fitness or StartingStrength.wikia.com for a pure strength program.

Hendrix89

Colm_OReilly wrote: »

Hendrix,

Can I ask why you don't want to do weights?

Check out www.CrossFit.com for general fitness or StartingStrength.wikia.com for a pure strength program.

Well maybe it's just me being an idiot but I have been led to believe that weight lifting stunts/limits growth.. Not sure if it's true or not but it's enough to cause me some concern. I'm very self conscious about my height and want/hope to grow taller, even slightly, in the next few years. So I obviously want maximize my growth potential (if there is any left). If I was 6ft I wouldn't be giving this a second thought.

It's not just the above reason alone though. I just like the thought of getting fit by the more natural (simple) methods. Don't know why exactly..

But I'm willing to give weights a try in the future so some advice on them would be helpful. And thanks for that link. I'll check it out.

Roper

Hendrix89 wrote: »

Well maybe it's just me being an idiot but I have been led to believe that weight lifting stunts/limits growth.. Not sure if it's true or not but it's enough to cause me some concern. I'm very self conscious about my height and want/hope to grow taller, even slightly, in the next few years. So I obviously want maximize my growth potential (if there is any left). If I was 6ft I wouldn't be giving this a second thought.

The stunted growth thing is mostly myth. What age are you?

The reason you're not developing muscle is because your body has grown to the extent that bodyweight push ups will allow, and now has adapted to the work you're giving it to do. There's a magic rep range for muscle growth and you've long exceeded it.

You need to do pull ups, need, must. Everyone is sh1t at them, don't worry! If you can't pull up at first you can try negatives, which involve a jump to the top (assistance from your legs) and then a slow lowering down to the ground. That's a nice, simple one for doing at home.

Edit: Just saw you're nearly 20. Any risk of stunting was apparently in young teens., although there's some dispute over it in scientific and athletic circles. You may not grow too much more (23 is roughly the time you'll stop for good) but if you can't be tall at least weights will make you wide

Colm_OReilly

Pretty much +1 on what Barry (Roper) said above.

To stunt growth you need to break the growth plates in your bones, and that's exceedingly rare with weight training.

Amongst other myths include:
Squatting below parallel is bad for your knees, and by extension, your soul.
Low fat/High Carb diets are good for you.
Red Meat is bad for you.

Hendrix89

Okay thanks for the advice guys.

I'll think about weights then.

unreggd

Colm_OReilly wrote: »

To stunt growth you need to break the growth plates in your bones, and that's exceedingly rare with weight training.

Is it not because increased muscle around joints puts pressure on the bone > slows it's growth?

Roper

unreggd wrote: »

Is it not because increased muscle around joints puts pressure on the bone > slows it's growth?

LOL where did you hear that? Is that really doing the rounds? If that were the case then your teeth would never grow due to the pressure of the gums.

Muscle=soft and flexible
Bone=hard and (pretty) unyielding