Mark's suggested fitness program doesn't seem to fit page

[Drlove]

Hey,

I tried doing Mark's suggested fitness program as listed in the free e-book.
Well a few things: planks; sitting on my elbows like that feels really bad. My elbows can't reach a full 180 degree extension and that seems to be a source for a few nerve compression-like symptoms (annoying tingling and such).
Furthermore, the extremely high reps, squat for 50 and so on make me sick. After 1 cycle I couldn't go any further, and I feel like I'm doing an aerobic workout and not a strength workout.
The substitutes to push-ups and so (if you can't do 50 pushups do incline pushups) just doesn't feel well on my wrists, and I don't perform any better in the easier variations in comparison to the normal variations.

I'm sure Mark's program is good, but I don't think it goes well with my body. I just can't stand endurance training, and I feel it's holding me back A LOT if I go over 15 reps.

Any thoughts on the matter?

Thanks in advance.

[Ripped]

If you don't like it, try something else where you're going heavier. But remember the main message. Yes, you can get a descent body with as little as a few hard workouts per week, because it is mostly diet that will determine your physique. But aside from that, get plenty of activity in your every day life, fun stuff such as play or what ever.

Maybe try a couple HIT workouts instead? Choose movements that hopefully work the muscles well, but don't hurt the joints.

[Drlove]

If you don't like it, try something else where you're going heavier. But remember the main message. Yes, you can get a descent body with as little as a few hard workouts per week, because it is mostly diet that will determine your physique. But aside from that, get plenty of activity in your every day life, fun stuff such as play or what ever.

Maybe try a couple HIT workouts instead? Choose movements that hopefully work the muscles well, but don't hurt the joints.

Thanks for the advice. Though at the moment I'm training home, and in the army at least most of the time I wouldn't be able to access any gym equipment, so that'll have to do. I think I'll make adjustments in the movements, and in the amount of reps.

[szorn]

Keep in mind that there are hundreds of different bodyweight training programs out there and many are available for free online. However, when working with bodyweight exercises there are only a few ways of progressing-
1) make the exercise harder / change the leverage
2) increase the reps sets, etc
3) do more work in less time / decrease rest
4) add intensity techniques
5) add external resistance

You can figure out various ways of using bodyweight exercises for strength in 5-10 rep range. Marks program is a happy middle between strength and endurance. keep in mind that if you are in the army, endurance training will be far more important anyway and it's something you just train to develop.


Steve

[Drlove]

Keep in mind that there are hundreds of different bodyweight training programs out there and many are available for free online. However, when working with bodyweight exercises there are only a few ways of progressing-
1) make the exercise harder / change the leverage
2) increase the reps sets, etc
3) do more work in less time / decrease rest
4) add intensity techniques
5) add external resistance

You can figure out various ways of using bodyweight exercises for strength in 5-10 rep range. Marks program is a happy middle between strength and endurance. keep in mind that if you are in the army, endurance training will be far more important anyway and it's something you just train to develop.


Steve

Thanks for the advice. About the endurance and the army, I'm not in a fighting unit, so the endurance training there will probably be kept in a minimum I will be able to handle.

[PrimalMama]

good advice thus far...

I haven't poked around your other posts to see if you have a lot of weight to lose (I'm actually guessing you don't, since you're in the Army, so this advice might not apply), but sometimes you need to lose weight before you CAN workout without hurting yourself... the "funny" thing about bodyweight is that it's often heaviest when you're the most out of shape.

I'll add that for me, I often have to work up to something... for example, I'm a swimmer, not a runner. I need to swim regularly to build up my health/endurance before I can even DREAM of going for a run (much to my running sweetie's chagrin)
I need to do lots of pushups and bar glides (not sure what else to call them - it's basically swinging on a bar with good form like women's gymnastics UB, leading into a kip) before attempting pull-ups.

I think something like the 100 pushups program does a great job of giving manageable chunks of work leading up to a goal - and you can always do that program with incline or knee pushups.

[Knifegill]

Don't forget Mark's mission is to help guys like this:



Get their health back. So the fitness starts off very easy, and gets a person to a level of health that, arguably, will keep them mobile into old age. That's all most of us really want - a long, healthy life.

[Tribal Rob]

I have concerns that your joints are not stong from what you posted, problems in your elbows doing planks and wrists doing push-ups. If you have done weights with machines before your muscle strenght could exceed your joints ability to use this stength in body weight excersises and lifting real things that arn't stabilized for you.

Bodyweight excerises should solve this over time if it is the case, and if you really need to do low rep stuff get something unstable like a sandbag, or maybe a lamb, they get heavier as they grow and you can eat them when they get big.

[EagleRiverDee]

I'd go less reps, more weight. 8-10 squats with weight will give you strength without all the high reps. Pushups using pushup stands would re-align your wrists, but you can achieve the same thing using a bench and doing bench presses with weights. I didn't quite understand your issue with planks- I only have my elbows bent at 90 degrees for planks, so that my body weight rests on my elbows and forearms.

But if you really hate that stuff, do stuff you enjoy. Whatever it is. Hiking, dancing, swimming, biking. It'll all help.

[Drlove]

good advice thus far...

I haven't poked around your other posts to see if you have a lot of weight to lose (I'm actually guessing you don't, since you're in the Army, so this advice might not apply), but sometimes you need to lose weight before you CAN workout without hurting yourself... the "funny" thing about bodyweight is that it's often heaviest when you're the most out of shape.

I'll add that for me, I often have to work up to something... for example, I'm a swimmer, not a runner. I need to swim regularly to build up my health/endurance before I can even DREAM of going for a run (much to my running sweetie's chagrin)
I need to do lots of pushups and bar glides (not sure what else to call them - it's basically swinging on a bar with good form like women's gymnastics UB, leading into a kip) before attempting pull-ups.

I think something like the 100 pushups program does a great job of giving manageable chunks of work leading up to a goal - and you can always do that program with incline or knee pushups.

Nope I'm not overweight. The funny thing is, the variations cause weird problems, not the actual exercises. (incline pushups feel weird, pushups on the floor feel good). Furthermore, like you've mentioned, we all have our "cup of tea" in our exercises. I'm really good in pull-ups in comparison to other exercises, but that's probably because I trained really hard on them, and neglected other things.

Don't forget Mark's mission is to help guys like this:



Get their health back. So the fitness starts off very easy, and gets a person to a level of health that, arguably, will keep them mobile into old age. That's all most of us really want - a long, healthy life.

I understand that, I guess we all need to make our own adjustments accordingly.

I have concerns that your joints are not stong from what you posted, problems in your elbows doing planks and wrists doing push-ups. If you have done weights with machines before your muscle strenght could exceed your joints ability to use this stength in body weight excersises and lifting real things that arn't stabilized for you.

Bodyweight excerises should solve this over time if it is the case, and if you really need to do low rep stuff get something unstable like a sandbag, or maybe a lamb, they get heavier as they grow and you can eat them when they get big.

Let me put that straight, my elbows can't fully extend to a 180 degree angle, and they do seem just a bit "off", wouldn't say twisted. That might be the cause for the tingling sensation. About the planks, something about putting my body weight in that position (feels like it's on the bones of my arms) feels weird, can't quite say why, but I don't think it has something to do with my joints. Maybe I'm just doing them a bit wrong.
About the pushups, the incline ones do feel weird. (But that's because they use an un-natural wrist position which would never pass if I were doing bench-presses for example). When doing regular pushups it feels quite alright.

Let's assume though that there might be something with the strength of my joints, I guess keeping up with the normal variations of the body-weight exercises should do.

I'd go less reps, more weight. 8-10 squats with weight will give you strength without all the high reps. Pushups using pushup stands would re-align your wrists, but you can achieve the same thing using a bench and doing bench presses with weights. I didn't quite understand your issue with planks- I only have my elbows bent at 90 degrees for planks, so that my body weight rests on my elbows and forearms.

But if you really hate that stuff, do stuff you enjoy. Whatever it is. Hiking, dancing, swimming, biking. It'll all help.

Well I don't go to the gym atm, so I guess I'll stick with body-weight exercises in the meantime. Normal pushups feel alright, it's the incline pushups that feel weird. Though using a stand might help even more.


Thanks for all the helpful answers, I really appreciate it.