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Starting doing body weight exercise training

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Comments

  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 3,462 Mod ✭✭✭✭Black Sheep


    I actually agree that we should set high but achievable standards for people, and that we shouldn't normalise poor fitness... But if this fellow had come out with a table of fitness standards that set out ambitious standards based on what people are theoretically capable of doing you can be sure that people would have been crying salty, salty tears. Because as a population our performance is so far under what we're capable of it's uncomfortable reading, as Cilian says above.

    In a way, by making the numbers the average, they do have a chance of shocking the general population out on complacency. The OP in this thread, who would consider himself fit, finds he cannot perform even half of the average number of pushups for his category. I think it does make it a lot harder to dismiss a weak performance if you're genuinely being compared to an average of all of society, not compared to an active or athletic cohort of people.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,909 ✭✭✭✭iguana


    I come at this with the perspective of someone who became overweight and increasingly unfit by my late 30s. While I ultimately take complete responsibility for that, one of causes of me sliding like that was due to a tendency to judge myself based on social norms. Which is probably an evolutionary trait but one that just isn’t healthy when social norms are very out of whack with biological norms. To me I wasn’t fat or unhealthy, I was just ‘a bit out of shape’ because I was very average among my peers. And I would have still had a reasonably decent amount of fitness compared to most of my friends at the time. If I’d read a fitness test like this I would have done it, managed fine and congratulated myself on being fine after all and had a chocolate bar to celebrate.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 27,505 ✭✭✭✭GreeBo


    iguana wrote: »
    I come at this with the perspective of someone who became overweight and increasingly unfit by my late 30s. While I ultimately take complete responsibility for that, one of causes of me sliding like that was due to a tendency to judge myself based on social norms. Which is probably an evolutionary trait but one that just isn’t healthy when social norms are very out of whack with biological norms. To me I wasn’t fat or unhealthy, I was just ‘a bit out of shape’ because I was very average among my peers. And I would have still had a reasonably decent amount of fitness compared to most of my friends at the time. If I’d read a fitness test like this I would have done it, managed fine and congratulated myself on being fine after all and had a chocolate bar to celebrate.
    It is very easy to let things slip alright, what saves me from this and gives me a wakeup call is that I'm a skinflint so still wear clothes that are 10 years old (at least!), if they stop fitting then its time to act! :o


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,802 ✭✭✭✭Alf Veedersane


    The bar sounds low but they are minimum standards for a profile of person and I think we overestimate the general public's ability to meet those standards.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,909 ✭✭✭✭iguana


    GreeBo wrote: »
    It is very easy to let things slip alright, what saves me from this and gives me a wakeup call is that I'm a skinflint so still wear clothes that are 10 years old (at least!), if they stop fitting then its time to act! :o

    I’m a skinflint too but I worked in a charity shop!

    These days though I’m back in some stuff I wore as a teenager in the 90s.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,909 ✭✭✭✭iguana


    I got down and tried and could do 4.....yes I know.

    When you tried to do a push-up did you fully engage your core? A lot of people just looking at a push-up tend to think it's just about the arms and chest. But you aren't going to do them very well without full core engagement. (It's why I think people need to be careful with knee-push-ups, they are too easy to do without good core and lower body engagement.) I'd suggest practicing vacuums for a few days and learning to really engage your transverse abdominis. Before I start a set of push-ups, I kneel down, breathe deeply into my belly, breathe out, engage my transverse abdominus and start. With my whole core engaged, my lower body automatically engages too and the whole movement is just so much more controlled.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,466 ✭✭✭✭Ush1


    Mellor wrote: »
    It’s a test, not a training system.
    They may not ever do push-ups, but if they are strong and athletic they could if they tried.

    I didn't say it was a training system. As I said, it's an arbitrary test.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,295 ✭✭✭External Association


    The late Tony Busan used speak of the various areas of fitness, aerobic, core strength and muscular, poise and balance. Can't remember the rest.

    But OP, with a light bodyweight just being able to do 4 pushups is physically weak. It's a lack of balanced fitness.

    The very same as somebody who spends all their time in the gym saying I can run for 4 minutes straight without stopping.

    Besides core work will act as a shock absorber for a runner and increase stamina. All top track and cross country runners do core work.


  • Site Banned Posts: 78 ✭✭Jerrykay6


    I was listening to Professor Niall Moyna a few weeks ago saying that a person of my age should be able to do I think it was 24 press ups or something.
    I got down and tried and could do 4.....yes I know.
    I am physically in good shape and had no problem with the running targets that he was suggesting, I am well over the thresholds so there's no problem there. I've always enjoyed running but I know I need to start doing more body weight exercises, etc. I have zero interest in significant muscle gain, it just isn't for me. So I have no interest in starting to do weights, etc. I do however want to do body weight exercises, can anybody recommend any good programmes/apps/etc which might be a good starting point?
    Needless to say, Google is a plethora of all sorts of info, so I said I'd see what has worked for others, etc in this regard.
    Thanks for reading!
    (BTW, I really don't enjoy weight exercises!)

    While you may be aerobically fit, not being able to do 4 press ups is incredibly weak. The good new is you can make great strength gains very quickly if you start training.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,295 ✭✭✭External Association


    Jerrykay6 wrote: »
    While you may be aerobically fit, not being able to do 4 press ups is incredibly weak. The good new is you can make great strength gains very quickly if you start training.

    Especially weak with a light body. But as you say, loads of hope, easily worked on.

    I'm 16st, mid 40s and do 3 sets of 20 pressups a day. I'd run a best mile in 6m 20sec. Ok for my age and build. Could be better.


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  • Site Banned Posts: 78 ✭✭Jerrykay6


    Especially weak with a light body. But as you say, loads of hope, easily worked on.

    I'm 16st, mid 40s and do 3 sets of 20 pressups a day. I'd run a best mile in 6m 20sec. Ok for my age and build. Could be better.

    I forgot to mention that the fact op is looking to address this issue is fantastic. But it definitely needs to be addressed. Not being able to do a few press ups as an adult male is incredibly weak, it would be akin to being gassed from a short walk, in terms of aerobic fitness.


  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 3,462 Mod ✭✭✭✭Black Sheep


    OK lads, I think he's got the message at this stage. His question was how to begin to program for improvement, in fairness.


  • Site Banned Posts: 78 ✭✭Jerrykay6


    OK lads, I think he's got the message at this stage. His question was how to begin to program for improvement, in fairness.

    To be fair a sub 20 5k is an excellent standard of aerobic fitness, if op applies some of that discipline/consistancy toward strength training he will be in a much better position in no time at all.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,111 ✭✭✭PhilOssophy


    Jerrykay6 wrote: »
    While you may be aerobically fit, not being able to do 4 press ups is incredibly weak. The good new is you can make great strength gains very quickly if you start training.

    I didn't say it wasn't. In fact, I said just that in my original post. Hence the thread. Hence my wish to do something about it.

    Mods - you can lock this thread, I'm unfollowing. I should have known. After all the responses, I think 1-2 posters offered something constructive other than being condescending a holes.


  • Site Banned Posts: 78 ✭✭Jerrykay6


    I didn't say it wasn't. In fact, I said just that in my original post. Hence the thread. Hence my wish to do something about it.

    Mods - you can lock this thread, I'm unfollowing. I should have known. After all the responses, I think 1-2 posters offered something constructive other than being condescending a holes.

    if you took the time to read my replies properly without getting your knickers in a twist you'll notice I complimented your excellent aerobic fitness on more than one occasion and also mentioned how you'll have no problem improving your strength if you apply some of that determination toward strength training.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,111 ✭✭✭PhilOssophy


    Jerrykay6 wrote: »
    if you took the time to read my replies properly without getting your knickers in a twist you'll notice I complimented your excellent aerobic fitness on more than one occasion and also mentioned how you'll have no problem improving your strength if you apply some of that determination toward strength training.

    Yes and my original post said "can anybody recommend any good programmes/apps/etc which might be a good starting point?".

    So I was looking for "I followed this programme / app / etc and found it great". Not "you are in very bad shape, 4 press ups is terrible" responses. I fng know it is.

    I think 1-2 posters above have offered helpful advice in this question. Everyone else seems to just want to rant and patronise about the problem which I know myself I want to fix, which is why I started the thread in the first place.

    Anyway, I'll move along and look elsewhere as there's not much help above.


  • Site Banned Posts: 78 ✭✭Jerrykay6


    Yes and my original post said "can anybody recommend any good programmes/apps/etc which might be a good starting point?".

    So I was looking for "I followed this programme / app / etc and found it great". Not "you are in very bad shape, 4 press ups is terrible" responses. I fng know it is.

    I think 1-2 posters above have offered helpful advice in this question. Everyone else seems to just want to rant and patronise about the problem which I know myself I want to fix, which is why I started the thread in the first place.

    Anyway, I'll move along and look elsewhere as there's not much help above.

    reddit calisthenics is a good place to start. Would reccomend joining a gym and following a structured programme (reddit fitness) once possible.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,295 ✭✭✭External Association


    Yes and my original post said "can anybody recommend any good programmes/apps/etc which might be a good starting point?".

    So I was looking for "I followed this programme / app / etc and found it great". Not "you are in very bad shape, 4 press ups is terrible" responses. I fng know it is.

    I think 1-2 posters above have offered helpful advice in this question. Everyone else seems to just want to rant and patronise about the problem which I know myself I want to fix, which is why I started the thread in the first place.

    Anyway, I'll move along and look elsewhere as there's not much help above.

    Without a gym there are a lot of things you can do at home.

    Do 3 sets of pushups a day and build up the number in each set.
    Do same with situps.
    And same with planks and side planks.
    Do 3 sets of mountain climbers.
    Do 3 sets of tricep dips using a chair against a door or wall.
    Do 3 sets of bridging, lying flat on your back with alternate legs raise on a couch\gym ball.

    You have an exceptional aerobic base to start with. There are 101 core strength for beginner videos on youtube.

    I think many of us here are so used to these exercises through various sports that we're taking it for granted everyone knows them.


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