Confusion...confusion everywhere

[Aren73]

Hi all

I'm new, sorry if this post is in the wrong section, my phone doesn't want to divulge which section is the correct one.

For a few months I've been trying to build up my body. To look good, to be strong and keep healthy.

The first things anyone said to me is nutrition. So I've decided to eat clean, replaced the usual sugary cereal with porridge for breakfast. I always eat home cooked meals, trying to include a good amount of protein in my food. I've stopped eating all manner of sweets and chocolate (because why not?) and cut all sugary drinks from my life. Overall I feel my diet is good. Maybe not super 200kg of protein a day 0 fat crazy but definitely on the good end of the healthy scale.

Next I started working out. I don't live anywhere near a gym and I can't get to one regularly. So I started bodyweight.

My weeks have looked like:

Day 1: 3 sets of 15 pushups, 3 sets of 10 wide arm pushups, 3 sets of 5 triangle pushups.

Day 3: 3 sets of 15 sit ups, 3 sets of 10 lying leg raises.

Day 5: 3 sets of 15 squats, 3 sets of 10 walking lunges.

Since I have started I've improved on all fronts. Doubled my sets in all of the above. I used to be able to do 26 pushups max, now I can do 45. I've added lifting the lower part of my chest at the top of the leg raises. I've also put a lot of effort in keeping my form correct.

So, the problem? The growth I originally experienced at the beginning isn't there. Or rather, it's not there for my pecs, shoulders etc. My abs are happily growing and getting better each week, however my upper chest isn't growing much even though I'm doing more reps.

I've been given confusing and contradicting advice. Watching Jeff Cavalier's Athleanx videos on YouTube he says to do more reps till fatigue. Then do 1.5 times that on my second set resting mid exercise without relaxing. My physical science friend tells me to do forced negatives....but what is the point of doing negatives on push ups when I can already do a lot? Then some people say to do decline push ups....and then some say do few reps because lots of reps doesn't bring out muscle....

Soooooo, all those seem contradicting or at least confusing. Any advice? I want to really push out my chest but also give it a nice shape. My lower body exercises seem sorted for now, just my chest worries me.

I have also invested in a pair of dumbbells for my birthday but haven't tried chest exercises with those yet, I like push ups too much

Thanks for the help!

[Spear Warrior]

Next I started working out. I don't live anywhere near a gym and I can't get to one regularly. So I started bodyweight.

My weeks have looked like:

Day 1: 3 sets of 15 pushups, 3 sets of 10 wide arm pushups, 3 sets of 5 triangle pushups.

Day 3: 3 sets of 15 sit ups, 3 sets of 10 lying leg raises.

Day 5: 3 sets of 15 squats, 3 sets of 10 walking lunges.

 

- You really need to add some pulling exercises to balance the pushups. (Pull-ups and/or rows).

So, the problem? The growth I originally experienced at the beginning isn't there. Or rather, it's not there for my pecs, shoulders etc. My abs are happily growing and getting better each week, however my upper chest isn't growing much even though I'm doing more reps.

 

- This is completely normal. The big increase at the start is when you went from nothing to something. Don't expect as big an increase when going from something to something more. Also, your body has to get used to working out at the current level.

I've been given confusing and contradicting advice. Watching Jeff Cavalier's Athleanx videos on YouTube he says to do more reps till fatigue. Then do 1.5 times that on my second set resting mid exercise without relaxing. My physical science friend tells me to do forced negatives....but what is the point of doing negatives on push ups when I can already do a lot? Then some people say to do decline push ups....and then some say do few reps because lots of reps doesn't bring out muscle....

 

- Both are correct and incorrect, depending on where you want to go. Do you want to practice endurance and do a million push ups? Do a million push ups. If you want to push harder every time you have to increase the difficulty of each push. Elevated legs, weighted upper body and other ways are possible. Don't do few reps without increasing the resistance, because that's easier than what you are doing now. I think your friend means that you need to increase the resistance of your pushes.

Soooooo, all those seem contradicting or at least confusing. Any advice? I want to really push out my chest but also give it a nice shape. My lower body exercises seem sorted for now, just my chest worries me.

 

- Again: Add pulling exercises to balance the push.

I have also invested in a pair of dumbbells for my birthday but haven't tried chest exercises with those yet, I like push ups too much

 

- Use them for your shoulders. I didn't, and had to work on them for half a year.

- Lateral raises (straight arms to the sides), front raises (up along the front of the body), inverted flies and shoulder presses with low weights helped me a lot.

I hope this helps.

I am no expert though, so feel free to doubt everything I said.

[Aren73]

Thank you that makes more sense now. So if I want to get bigger better looking muscles what do I do, endurance or increase the difficulty?

As for the pull ups I do have a pull up bar and I've been giving it a go, what should I do with it? Of course normal pull ups but anything else?

Also what should me week look like? Currently I have a day for upper body, a day for abs and a day for legs. If I do push ups on a Monday how long do I have to wait till I can exercise those same muscles again? I get that no rest means no gains but what no one had told me how long a rest before I can exercise the same muscle group again.

Sorry for all these questions but I have so many questions and no one to answer them. I feel that if I was better informed I could get a lot more out of it all.

Thanks for your reply, it has definitely made some things clearer!

[Spear Warrior]

Reddit's bodyweight fitness sub has some quite good information. Read this and look at this training routine. Feel free to change it a bit, depending on what you want to achieve.

 

I can normally do hard exercises about every other day, and lighter ones up to 5-6 times a week. Feel what your body tells you. We're all a little bit different.

[Anim07734]

In general, every other day is a good schedule for intense training, though what counts as "intense" really depends on you.

 

I'll also recommend refining your goals some.  Wanting to be stronger and look better is great, but there are a million and one ways (at least) to get there.  I suggest deciding what you like doing and want to get better at and training for that; you'll get stronger, look better, AND be better able to do the things you enjoy.

 

As for starting points, the Beginner Bodyweight Workout (on the NF blog) is an excellent first step.  I also suggest looking at startbodyweight.com's plan, as it includes a dozen progressions for just about every bodyweight exercise, so you can find the one that works for you and know the next step to work towards.