Is this enough ?

Which workout routine or program is best for your fitness goal? Post your programs here!

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juan92
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Is this enough ?

Post by juan92 »

i want to stick to body weight for a while.

Monday- 8 pulls ups, 24 push ups, 40 sit ups, 40 squats, 1 min on the jump rope. do this for 5 circuits.

Tuesday- HIIT consisting of 30 seconds on the jumprope and 60 seconds at a jogging pace

Wednesday- same as monday

Thursday- same as tueday

Friday- same as monday

Saturday- same as tuesday

Sunday- rest
Mystik
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Post by Mystik »

Just a few suggestions. Drop the situps. Replace with the plank/side plank. Add some lunges. Add different variations of push ups to target more body areas. What kind of pull ups are you doing? There are many different kinds that each have their own uses. For example, hands shoulder width apart with palms facing you are great for your biceps. Wide grip ones are great for your lats, etc.

For your circuit, drop the jump rope. Do half of it at the start as a warm up, and finish with the other half of it instead of doing it 1 minute at a time.

Remember there's more to your core than just your abs. Train the whole thing or you're wasting your time. :D
Packard
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Post by Packard »

I'm not sold on "planks" as a exercise. It smells too much like an isometric exercise and those have been shown to be largely ineffective.

(Isometrics were very popular in the mid 1960s. But experience and later university studies showed it to be far less effective than working through the range of motion.)

Planks will also compress the lower vertebrae and may be an issue for some people with sciatica or lower back problems.

Muscles can do only two thing: Contract and relax.

Planks simply work the contraction with no range of motion.

I do agree that you should not treat your abs as an isolated muscle group. You should think "torso" when training the midsection.

Prefer a mix of stomach crunches (side, 3/4, middle) and leg raises. Adding some lower back exercises to the mix to balance the workout.
swanso5
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Post by swanso5 »

- why bodyweight only? depends on your goals mate
- there's better options sof rintervals then skipping, you can only skip so fast really
- you'll need a different set of exercises each session of the week for circuits and intervals
- all up not the best i've seen

being an elder stateman i thought you would have been all over the isometrics coming out of the 60's/70's...isomtrics actually allow you to recruit 10% more muscle fibres then eccentric/concentric lifting so they are still valuble in the right program

planks are super, i have all clients do them...the primary job of he core muscles is to stabilise the spine and resist movement at the lumbar spine, not flex, extend, rotate and bend laterally...the easiest of all core exercises (to teach, perform, no equipment etc)
Packard
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Post by Packard »

By the late 60s isometrics were largely debunked by a university study that showed that the strength at the particular location in the motion that was being worked by the isometric strengthened but the ability to work the muscle through the full motion did not. When used exclusively the ability to work through the full motion would slowly diminish.

I had come to that conclusion earlier when own tests (on own body) showed that I made no advances in strength by working isometrics.

Another method that was similarly debunked for strength purposes was the "negatives" where you allowed the weight to return to the relaxed position slowly did not promote any strength benefits.

I know that body builders like to do negatives but I believe conventional exercises at a lower weight are more beneficial.
swanso5
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Post by swanso5 »

iso's have a 15 degree carryover from the joint angle trained but tyhey can strengthen up weak points through the range of motion, as well as activating more muscle fibres which can be a good thing depending on which one's your activating

haven't done many neg's myself as i train on own...they might be handy but you need to be recovering like a demon through food, supp;s sleep etc to get any real benefit
Packard
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Post by Packard »

katiesuarez wrote:Truthfully, I cannot do planks because of lower back.
Leg raises while hanging from a chinning bar, or at a dip/leg raise station will work the lower abs remarkably well and will not stress the lower back like planks or leg raises done on the floor. Indeed, if you do these through the full range of motion they are probably the finest abdominal workout you can get (in opinion). They are quite difficult, however, especially if you are raising your legs to the ceiling (which is the way Dad always did them).

I raise legs to parallel to the ground and I find that these are quite challenging compared to any other abdominal workout. You can hit the obliques by lifting your legs to one side or the other.

I found this illustration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0ysNevIv0w

(He's swinging a bit too much at the bottom, but overall correctly executed. Lowering your legs more slowly will minimize the swinging.)
swanso5
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Post by swanso5 »

K - i think you should do them even for short time periods before pain comes and try and extend over time...make sure your squezzing your core and arse at the same time love

leg raises won't much either as you'll go into lumbar flexon further aggravating any lower back issues you have

any hanging leg raise is only minimal range of motion where legs are out in front and simply all you do is to pelvic tilt, legs won't actually move much at all let alone up behind your head
soaringhigher
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question

Post by soaringhigher »

has this worked for you???
Packard
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Post by Packard »

katiesuarez wrote:Truthfully, I cannot do planks because of lower back.
Planks and ab work with a wheel put a lot of compression on the lower spine. This can be very painful and additional training in experience will not remedy it. You are better served by doing exercises that do not compress the lower spine.

Some choices:

Ballet barre work. (Have you ever seen a ballerina with flabby abs?) Have someone show you how to do these--many of your friends probably went to ballet classes as children and can show you these. They include the plie, demi-plie, arabesque, etc.

High kicks will work the lower abs really well too. You can do this standing and kicking a heavy bag (like a karate kick), or you can simply do the kicks like the Rockettes do them.

Neither of these will compress the lower spine and both will work the lower abs, middle abs and upper abs really well.

Repeatedly compressing the lower spine until it hurts can lead to chronic conditions like sciatica, and in opinion should be avoided.
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