Benefit of doing press-ups, sit-ups at home

PrettyBoy

Just wanted to get a few opinions from people here as I've heard conflicting views on this idea recently.

I'm doing 5 evenings a week in the gym - would there be any benefits from me doing, say, 100 press-ups or sit-ups every morning or would it be pointless? Is there a way it could work by possibly alternating press-ups and sit-ups on different days in order to allow sufficient recovery time for chest, arms and abs?

Inspector Coptoor

PrettyBoy wrote: »

Just wanted to get a few opinions from people here as I've heard conflicting views on this idea recently.

I'm doing 5 evenings a week in the gym - would there be any benefits from me doing, say, 100 press-ups or sit-ups every morning or would it be pointless? Is there a way it could work by possibly alternating press-ups and sit-ups on different days in order to allow sufficient recovery time for chest, arms and abs?

It wouldn't do any harm as both are fairly easy exercises to recover from if you aren't a complete novice to training

Burkatron

PrettyBoy wrote: »

Just wanted to get a few opinions from people here as I've heard conflicting views on this idea recently.

I'm doing 5 evenings a week in the gym - would there be any benefits from me doing, say, 100 press-ups or sit-ups every morning or would it be pointless? Is there a way it could work by possibly alternating press-ups and sit-ups on different days in order to allow sufficient recovery time for chest, arms and abs?

If you're recovering sufficiently enough from the gym then there's no harm in doing extra! But then again you could just put extra intensity/load into your workout & leave the extra work at home! You'd be better off doing the latter & taking the time at home to work on your mobility!

siochain

good way to kick start your metabolism and I really believe some exercise in the morning is an excellent way to start the day. Just make sure your stretching out your lower back as doing 100 sit ups ever morning will catch up with you after a while without the right care.

Zombienosh

I wouldn't tbh, It depends what you're doing in the gym really, but If I was doing 5 nights a week I'd try to make sure I get enough recovery time. 5 nights a week + mornings is intense and you could just over train, It all depends what your goals are and what your programme is like.

Burkatron

siochain wrote: »

good way to kick start your metabolism and I really believe some exercise in the morning is an excellent way to start the day. Just make sure your stretching out your lower back as doing 100 sit ups ever morning will catch up with you after a while without the right care.

Not being smart as I think it's what you meant, but it's hip flexors that will need to be stretched out, not the lower back after all those situps!
OP, core/midline stability excercises like planks & their variations would be a better option if you're going ahead with this!

El Horseboxo

Every morning I do 3 sets of push ups and 3 sets of weighted serratus crunches as part of something I was trying out to help with increasing my wide grip pull reps. Ex marine in work gave me this pull up program and doing the push ups and crunches seem to have helped me over a plateau. I can recover quick from them.

siochain

Burkatron wrote: »

Not being smart as I think it's what you meant, but it's hip flexors that will need to be stretched out, not the lower back after all those situps!
OP, core/midline stability excercises like planks & their variations would be a better option if you're going ahead with this!

yeah you have a point and in no way being smart, but the way a lot of people do situps it will cause lower back issues before causing hip flexor issues.

Burkatron

siochain wrote: »

yeah you have a point and in no way being smart, but the way a lot of people do situps it will cause lower back issues before causing hip flexor issues.

It's the tight hip flexors that usually cause the lower back problems from incorrect sit up form!

Think of what muscles you use to situp! If done correctly it's the abdominals, if done incorrectly it's the hip flexors which are chronically tight in the majority of people from sitting down all day! If you shorten your hip flexors, mainly Iliacus & Psoas (iliopsoas if you must) even more, they pull on the spinal attachments of the psoas = back pain!

Stretching & treating the back won't do anything for it! The couch stretch is 1 of the best relievers of back pain if done consistently!

siochain

fair point