Pushups and Pullups only for bulk?

freakovv
freakovv Posts: 18 Member
Is it possible to gain size from doing high rep pushups and pullups till failure?

Backstory :- I had 3 stomach ulcers and i lost about 15kg(33pounds) over a period of 4 months. I'm almost recoverd but parents won't pay for the gym membership till i get a green flag from my doctor. I really wanna gain back my size and was wondering is it possible or am i just wasting my time!

Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
    How old are you?

    You're likely going to miss a lot of muscle groups
  • Sambo_fitness
    Sambo_fitness Posts: 137 Member
    You will gain muscle with the right diet, however, that would be a workout that you do not want to do daily. Muscles need ample amounts of rest time.

    Tony Horton has a workout series called P90X3. In this, one of his workouts called "The Challenge" focuses strictly on push-ups and pull-ups til failure. I would check it out.

    However, you need to get an okay from your doctor before you start any workout regime.
  • BryanHoffman74
    BryanHoffman74 Posts: 50 Member
    Costco
  • freakovv
    freakovv Posts: 18 Member
    sammyeuph wrote: »
    You will gain muscle with the right diet, however, that would be a workout that you do not want to do daily. Muscles need ample amounts of rest time.

    Tony Horton has a workout series called P90X3. In this, one of his workouts called "The Challenge" focuses strictly on push-ups and pull-ups til failure. I would check it out.

    However, you need to get an okay from your doctor before you start any workout regime.

    Its been a month since i started working out, 3 days a week started from 40 pushups in a go now im close to 100 but gains are very minimal.
    Diet is on point and i take ample of rest as i always get very sore with high reps body weight workout.

    I'm building endurance with my regime for sure but for size im still sceptical about!
  • YosemiteSlamAK
    YosemiteSlamAK Posts: 1,230 Member
    Diet plays a major role in your weight gain. I would recommend speaking to your doctor about getting a referral to a dietician who can help you work out a meal plan to help you add on muscle weight.
    If your doctor won't sign off on you doing exercise, trust that they know what they are doing or get a second opinion. I had ulcers several years ago and my doctor okayed me for exercise, but gave me a list of contraindications, one of which was exercises that require breath holding.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,389 MFP Moderator
    edited December 2017
    Can you, yes, but it wont be as effective as a barbell. But you really should get on a proven progressive overload program like, you are your own gym.

    And you will want a calorie surplus.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1
  • jamesakrobinson
    jamesakrobinson Posts: 2,149 Member
    Missing legs completely. Lots of gainz being left on the table that way.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    Be wary of elbow tendinitis from high rep push ups everyday.

    Will you make some strength/endurance/Muscle progress? Maybe.

    Are you missing 80% of muscle groups. Yes
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    freakovv wrote: »
    Is it possible to gain size from doing high rep pushups and pullups till failure?

    Backstory :- I had 3 stomach ulcers and i lost about 15kg(33pounds) over a period of 4 months. I'm almost recoverd but parents won't pay for the gym membership till i get a green flag from my doctor. I really wanna gain back my size and was wondering is it possible or am i just wasting my time!

    you shouldn't be doing anything without the agreement of your doctor...
  • pbryd
    pbryd Posts: 364 Member
    If I wanted to rebuild size with no equipment (rather than do high rep work), I'd work towards attempting 1 arm push ups and pulls and keep the reps low.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,977 Member
    edited December 2017
    Be wary of elbow tendinitis from high rep push ups everyday.

    Indeed, I developed elbow tendonitis twice doing 100 pushups, 50 pullups and 75 dips (PPDs) 3x's a week in sets of 4x25, 5x10 and 5x15 respectively with and w/o wearing a 25# vest. Still recovering from this routine the 2nd time around.

    Just tried a few of these again today w/o a vest. The pullups affect the elbows most; tender again after doing just 10. Not as noticeable an effect doing pushups and dips.

    Surprisingly, did one set each of 10 pullups, 25 pushups and 15 dips w/relative ease after what has now been a 3 month "rest" period. Didn't lose as much strength as I thought I might after the layoff.

    Will you make some strength/endurance/Muscle progress? Maybe.
    Are you missing 80% of muscle groups. Yes

    I do/did PPDs to mainly to develop/maintain upper body strength. Not to "bulk" up or build muscle per se. They contributed to upper body muscular definition but did not/have not contributed to any noticeable increase my upper body size. However, I have been eating at maintenance (not a surplus), which is probably another reason why there has been no noticeable increase in my upper body size.

    I would not expect any different result for the OP.

    In addition to PPDs, I did/do compound lifting, rowing and hiking for general fitness and overall muscular development which I assume includes the other 80% of the body's muscle groups.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    sgt1372 wrote: »
    Be wary of elbow tendinitis from high rep push ups everyday.

    Indeed, I developed elbow tendonitis twice doing 100 pushups, 50 pullups and 75 dips (PPDs) 3x's a week in sets of 4x25, 5x10 and 5x15 respectively with and w/o wearing a 25# vest. Still recovering from this routine the 2nd time around.

    Just tried a few of these again today w/o a vest. The pullups affect the elbows most; tender again after doing just 10. Not as noticeable an effect doing pushups and dips.

    Surprisingly, did one set each of 10 pullups, 25 pushups and 15 dips w/relative ease after what has now been a 3 month "rest" period. Didn't lose as much strength as I thought I might after the layoff.

    Will you make some strength/endurance/Muscle progress? Maybe.
    Are you missing 80% of muscle groups. Yes

    I do/did PPDs to mainly to develop/maintain upper body strength. Not to "bulk" up or build muscle per se. They contributed to upper body muscular definition but did not/have not contributed to any noticeable increase my upper body size. However, I have been eating at maintenance (not a surplus), which is probably another reason why there has been no noticeable increase in my upper body size.

    I would not expect any different result for the OP.

    In addition to PPDs, I did/do compound lifting, rowing and hiking for general fitness and overall muscular development which I assume includes the other 80% of the body's muscle groups.

    I think you are inadvertently agreeing with what I said.

    You didn't gain muscle but you got stronger and maybe leaner (which will come from recomposition effects).
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,977 Member
    edited December 2017
    sgt1372 wrote: »
    Be wary of elbow tendinitis from high rep push ups everyday.

    Indeed, I developed elbow tendonitis twice doing 100 pushups, 50 pullups and 75 dips (PPDs) 3x's a week in sets of 4x25, 5x10 and 5x15 respectively with and w/o wearing a 25# vest. Still recovering from this routine the 2nd time around.

    Just tried a few of these again today w/o a vest. The pullups affect the elbows most; tender again after doing just 10. Not as noticeable an effect doing pushups and dips.

    Surprisingly, did one set each of 10 pullups, 25 pushups and 15 dips w/relative ease after what has now been a 3 month "rest" period. Didn't lose as much strength as I thought I might after the layoff.

    Will you make some strength/endurance/Muscle progress? Maybe.
    Are you missing 80% of muscle groups. Yes

    I do/did PPDs to mainly to develop/maintain upper body strength. Not to "bulk" up or build muscle per se. They contributed to upper body muscular definition but did not/have not contributed to any noticeable increase my upper body size. However, I have been eating at maintenance (not a surplus), which is probably another reason why there has been no noticeable increase in my upper body size.

    I would not expect any different result for the OP.

    In addition to PPDs, I did/do compound lifting, rowing and hiking for general fitness and overall muscular development which I assume includes the other 80% of the body's muscle groups.

    I think you are inadvertently agreeing with what I said.

    You didn't gain muscle but you got stronger and maybe leaner (which will come from recomposition effects).

    I don't think the agreement was "inadvertent."

    It was intentional. Don't think I voiced any disagreement w/what you said. I was just offering my own spin on the subject taking off on what you said b4 me.
  • billkansas
    billkansas Posts: 267 Member
    Check out the book "You Are Your Own Gym" by Mark Lauren. He's got a lot of clever ways to make body weight exercises more challenging (pause/hesitation reps, unstable surfaces, one arm or one leg, etc). Probably not as effective as heavy barbell exercises, but they can be done anywhere, anytime, with little or no equipment. There are some serious exercises for every body part. I'll do some of these while at the playground with kids. I get my workout in while kids are outside and they get their "workout" in ;)