Can you get well toned with just push ups and sit ups ?

[SVT Cobra]

deftron, i see what you are saying, and i would say yes, start doing some of what you were saying and stick to it, eventually youll increase it and want to do some more like lifting weights.

Ive been an avid powerlifter since my freshman year in HS when i played football, that was 7 years ago. I started that summer before, doing push ups and situps and things and going to the weight room just to get in shape, and running 6 miles a day, or doing a lot of sprints or speed work(more football oriented).

Then after my freshman season I really became serious and followed a strict lifting program that i still (with a few variations) adhere to today. I have used supplements like creatine, nitric oxide, and pro-hormones, but not recently and mostly just eating a lot and getting good qaulity calories and carbs and proteins.

my stats:
6'1
214lbs
Squat: 425 SL (strength level)
Bench: 310 SL
Power Clean: 385 SL

anyway i know you dont wanna get ripped or become a "beast" but what im trying to say is anything that you are doing now is better than not doing anything, start off with what you suggest and see where that leads. itll improve your overall health (mental and physical) and it does a lot of good, i would suggest soing some light cardio also, even if its just 1000 jumping jacks in your living room...itll work for you until you want to push it further. GL with your training

 

[0roo0roo]

you can. if you do cardio..eat healthy. exersize is exersize do reps until exhaustion..decrease each rep once u can't do a full one and continue. do leg lifts do get your lower abs..sorta sideways situps too. but fat doesn't spot reduce as said. eat fiberous food, drink lots of water. pullups are another easy one. there are different pushups too. elevate legs on chair or whatever. elbows touching your side etc. get a few freeweights. cheap. you can do plenty with em.

 

[Lorn]

Yes. DJ Qbert did.

 

[SVT Cobra]

oh i forgot to mention, a good whey protein supplement will help you with exactly what you are talking about.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Originally posted by: deftron
IF so, how many per day ?


edit: guess I should have said before...
I'm not trying to lose weight ... Already skinny, no bodyfat.
Just want to firm stomach and build up chest and arms a little

IMHO: push ups are a good upper body exercise. I think they are fine if you don't want to go to the gym, etc...

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Originally posted by: deftron
I don't mean muscular ... just toned

I'm already very slim naturally,
but I have a slight beer gut in the making

SO I just want to reduce my gut slightly
and build up my chest a little.


That's all

If you have a beer gut, that's fat. Situps will not do anything. The only way to get rid of it, as with any fat, is to change your diet/exercise.

push ups a re a good start for hte chest though.

 

[SVT Cobra]

Originally posted by: IHateMyJob2004

Originally posted by: deftron
I don't mean muscular ... just toned

I'm already very slim naturally,
but I have a slight beer gut in the making

SO I just want to reduce my gut slightly
and build up my chest a little.


That's all

If you have a beer gut, that's fat. Situps will not do anything. The only way to get rid of it, as with any fat, is to change your diet/exercise.

push ups a re a good start for hte chest though.

not true, done at the right time of day sit ups can be a great fat burning exercise

 

[Otaking]

Originally posted by: Son of a N00b


not true, done at the right time of day sit ups can be a great fat burning exercise

What time of the day is that? :Q

 

[imported_hscorpio]

Here is a list of exercises you can do without weights. Just sort the list to "show bodyweight exercises only".

 

[aidanjm]

Originally posted by: deftron
I don't mean muscular ... just toned

I'm already very slim naturally,
but I have a slight beer gut in the making

SO I just want to reduce my gut slightly
and build up my chest a little.


That's all

have more sex, it's the best exercise

 

[SVT Cobra]

Usually in the morning, doing cardio (or resistance exercises) are the best fat burning times.

When i wanted to brun some fat before i started lifting 2 yrs ago again, i would eat a larger than normal dinner, then right before bed drink a protein shake, which can help speed up your matabolism (theres a scientific explaination behind this, but its long, ill post a link l8r), then wake up, stretch, drink another protein shake (optional) and do some cardio, your body has the carbohydrates and energy from last night so you will not pass out (like some ppl can after not eating and doing some long runs, if you stay properly hydrated of course) and our body's system is still "waking up" which while running trains your body to burn fat quicker than any other source besides water and some carbohydrates from the muscles. Once again its a lot more in depth, looking for a good link.

Either way just doing something more than you were doing before is a big improvement.

 

[StageLeft]

Tone is a function of bodyfat, so of course you can. If you want to look stacked, forget about it.

 

[Argo]

To answer your question - no you can't. You need to exercise every muscle group to get really toned.

 

[CStan]

You can get fit doing a small amount of exercises. Personally, I am rather fit working out about am hour every 2 days + sports (mostly basketball). I basicaly do pushups (with my legs raised), triangle pushups, various ab exersies, and some simple exersises involving two 25lb dumbells.

 

[PingSpike]

Originally posted by: sonambulo
lower back crunches(i cant think of the name for them)

Supermans?

 

[PingSpike]

Regardless of what you do, make resistance training part of your workout. Its important both for losing fat and gaining muscle. Your body is naturally inclined to eat its muscle tissue before fat when dieting for fat loss, if you aren't making use of it.

 

[xirtam]

Try to eat more protein too.

 

[theLION]

hindu pushups, hindu squats, backbridge, pullups, and jump-rope is all you need

 

[SVT Cobra]

"supermans"

ive always heard them reffered to in my football days as "suicide crunches"

 

[Malladine]

yes

start on 15x3 reps of each. Move up as you can, aiming for 100x3 reps of each. You'll be Bruce Lee by then.

Of course cardio as well goes without saying, right?

 

[smc13]

Pushups are an ok exercise for the chest, shoulders, and triceps. You need to do a lot more reps then you would lifting weights. situps/crunches will build muscle in your abs. Doing lots of push ups and crunchs will build muscle and burn some fat so yes it will tone you.

 

[smc13]

Btw, doing lots of situps and pushups is a cardio workout. If you somehow could manage to do, say 10 minutes of sustained pushups and 10 minutes of sustained, then you have just done a great cardio workout. All a cardio workout is increasing your heart rate over time. doing 15-20 minutes of sustained calisthenics is a cardio workout.