Advice needed, any help appreciated

fearnsey71

I been on my change of lifestyle for about 4 months and have managed to lose 36lb. Don't be too impressed 12lb was due to a major diabetes related incident, which is what motivated me to get started in the first place.

Anyway, I started reading the message boards and have tried to take on board some advice, the biggest being if I want to lose I have to work on my muscles. I have a bit of a knee knack which makes running at this point tricky, so I walk 3 miles every other day which is doing my legs good.

My question is I am working my way from vertical push ups to proper push ups - which is better, 40 sets of 10 reps or 30 non stop.

I realise I need to buy some weights and do more than just these push ups and any advice on how what other reps I can do other than push ups. (the knee knack makes kneeling painful as well).

anyway, thanks for reading this and as I stated any advice on reps v all in one would be really appreciated.

Cherimoose

Not 30 reps, unless you're training for endurance, like for a police exam. Typically in strength training you would do sets of around 10 reps, and when that gets easy, increase the difficulty (by using a lower hand position on pushups). You'd do about 3 to 6 heavy sets per muscle group (less if it's your 1st week) and repeat every 2-3 days.

By the way, walking isn't strength training. Can you do bodyweight squats?
Also try bodyweight rows, for the pulling muscles. Pulling and pushing sets should be about equal in number.

caagreisen

Hi there! One piece of advice I have is doing your reps slowly. I learned this while taking a weight training class and if you do reps slowly then you actually build more muscles in the long run. Another piece of advice I have is doing exercises that build up the strength in your knee so you don't have as much pain. I hope all goes well!

fearnsey71

Thanks for the advice. sorry I was a bit slow to respond, work, sleep etc. getting in the way.

It turns out that I can do squats. Not many, but it's a start. I just have to keep trying things because in my mind I still think my weight is preventing me from doing a lot of stuff.

fearnsey71

Wow. Just looked up bodyweight rows (being a newbie) and I don't think there is anything in my home strong enough to take my weight, let alone me be strong enough to do one. However I may, no I will come back in six months having achieved this goal.

heathersilas2015

Hey ! How are you . It is best to do 40 of 10 sets . Doing it non stop would be for if your training for endurance.

Ironmaiden4life

Well done on the weight loss and all the positive changes you're making

My first suggestion would be to consult with your medical provider regarding your knee issues and get their guidance on anything you should avoid before you start incorporating squats or other lower body resistance work.

Push ups incorporate a lot of core work so incorporating a good ab program will help tremendously with your goal. The abs are made up of an inner set and outer set, when most people start training they immediately go to crunches etc which neglects the transverse abdominals. It's a little like building a house, you have to start with the foundation and this is what the tranverse abdominal muscle is... your foundation. Start with stomach vacuums, transverse ab lifts and planks. Don't forget to add in exercises for your lower back, supermen and dorsal raises are great to help strengthen your back muscles which will help stabilize your lower back and avoid injury. You'll find lots of great videos on YouTube showing you the correct form. As you get stronger then start adding in exercises that target the rectus abdominals and obliques.

Keep going as you are with your push ups and as you feel you're getting stronger start progressing the exercise. If you're doing them against a wall in an upright position then the next progression would be to do them on your knees on the floor and from there build your strength until you're able to them with your legs extended. It will come trust me I really wouldn't get too hung up on rep ranges for your goal at the moment, work to failure and you'll be fine.

Keep up the walking which is great exercise and if you want to increase the intensity then work on your pace. Walking briskly is a great cardio work out if running is going to worsen your knee issues. You can also add more intensity by adding light hand held weights (1 or 2lb) or taking it on the teadmill and and walking on an incline

It sounds like you're really progressing with your health and fitness goals so you may want to think about signing up with your local gym and starting work with a personal trainer. Good luck

Azurite27

When i cant get to the gym to use the machines, I lay on an exercise mat and use dumbbells to work my arms since downward weight on my spine hurts. Walking is great exercise though and shouldn't be discounted.

wrealmusic

Greetings. just adding my 2 cents:-) lower body exercises burn a lot of calories. so squats, deadlifts, leg press are good. even if you start with body weight squats. get some knee wraps to help with the knee issues. I have the same problem with my knees. but weight training will really boost the metabolism. there is a wealth of info on sites like youtube on workout plans. the most important thing is consistency. stick with eating clean and working out. take it one day at a time. and learn your body. also add some form of stretching like yoga at least once or twice per week.

fearnsey71

thanks everyone for the kind words and advice. For some reason I am not getting notifications of replies. Sorry if it seems I am being ungrateful.

Mayor_West

The main thing I would add is that your diet is going to be paramount to your success or failure. As long as that is on point and you're consistently losing, then the type and amount of activity isn't nearly as important (e.g. cardio vs. strength). The big thing to remember is that as you lose, your ability to do physical activity will get easier, so don't feel as if you need to rush into doing anything that might incur or aggravate an injury. Take things slowly and ease into them over time.

fearnsey71

Thanks Adam