Current Events > Do pushups and planks do anything?

(+) Yeah! (+)

If you have a tummy abs will not show up. So unless you are thin are these things pointless?

I meant sit-ups not pushup.

working out is never pointless

Biden is the greatest President ever.

How can Biden be the best president ever when he clearly has no abs?!

If your number one concern with exercise is how you look rather than the practical benefits conveyed thereby, then you need to reprioritize. Abs not being visible does not mean the underlying developed core strength isn't there.

They're far from pointless, and some of the best body weight exercises one can do; that being said, abs are largely a product of body fat, more specifically, the relative dearth thereof.

i herd situps doesnt really help flatten abs is that true cuh

Pushups strengthen your arms, chest, and upper back.

Planks are a great core exercise and you can benefit from them (or any ab exercise) besides just "having abs." Having a strong core will make you appear thinner, improve your posture and balance, and lower your chances of spinal injury.

Infinite number of benefits from pushups as well. "I don't plan on being thin" is a terrible reason to not do them, or any exercise.

Edit: I typed my post when there were still no other posts ITT, and I gotta say I'm proud of CE for having so many reasonable responses this quickly. CE is more health conscious than one might assume.

yeah, planks are a great way to make two minutes feel like two hours.

ThePieReborn posted...

If your number one concern with exercise is how you look rather than the practical benefits conveyed thereby, then you need to reprioritize. Abs not being visible does not mean the underlying developed core strength isn't there.

I am doing a lot of workouts. So this was just an add one .

I have been working out and typing on here in my rests.

Today I did ...

Dumbbell incline Press
Cable Seated Rows
lying Triceps extension ( I think I am doinf those wrong)
Cable Tricep pull down
Cable Kneeling Crunch
Curls
and half assed some planks.

Planks are objectively the best exercise for overall core strength, but only if youre doing them correctly. If youre not contracting the abs then youre just using your shoulders and hip flexors to stay up, and obviously thats not what you want. The biggest downside to planks is that holding one position gets boring as you get stronger. So you should experiment with different types of plank exercises once youve developed enough to stay raised for a minute with no issues.

scorpion41 posted...

Planks are objectively the best exercise for overall core strength, but only if youre doing them correctly. If youre not contracting the abs then youre just using your shoulders and hip flexors to stay up, and obviously thats not what you want. The biggest downside to planks is that holding one position gets boring as you get stronger. So you should experiment with different types of plank exercises once youve developed enough to stay raised for a minute with no issues.

I am like 30 seconds. I don't think I can get 1 min any time soon. lol

cjsdowg posted...

I am like 30 seconds. I don't think I can get 1 min any time soon. lol

Dont sell yourself short. A minute plank isnt that far off.

In 2022, I quit the gym after a few months of seeing no progress (at one point, went about 5 times a week during my lunch break). Around the time I quit, I saw a snapchat challenge of doing 100 pushups a day. I randomly decided to do this challenge. Started off with actually doing 100 a day (although I would gradually increase), but eventually switched to every other day since your muscles are supposed to have rest. I also started drinking smoothies and eating a sandwich for dinner. I dropped a lot of weight fast, and my triceps looked ripped. That was the only thing I changed about my lifestyle. But my arms were getting noticeably toned in just 1 month or 2 compared to not really seeing a change after several months in the gym. Probably like half a year if not more.

Jupiter posted...

In 2022, I quit the gym after a few months of seeing no progress (at one point, went about 5 times a week during my lunch break). Around the time I quit, I saw a snapchat challenge of doing 100 pushups a day. I randomly decided to do this challenge. Started off with actually doing 100 a day (although I would gradually increase), but eventually switched to every other day since your muscles are supposed to have rest. I also started drinking smoothies and eating a sandwich for dinner. I dropped a lot of weight fast, and my triceps looked ripped. That was the only thing I changed about my lifestyle. But my arms were getting noticeably toned in just 1 month or 2 compared to not really seeing a change after several months in the gym. Probably like half a year if not more.

Congrats on that change. Push-up are my bane since I am so overweight compared to my arm power. They are super hard lol.

ThePieReborn posted...

If your number one concern with exercise is how you look rather than the practical benefits conveyed thereby, then you need to reprioritize. Abs not being visible does not mean the underlying developed core strength isn't there.

Lol,
There's absolutely nothing wrong with someone working out for aesthetic goals.

Planks are boring since youre literally just waiting for stuff to happen and i still doubt its effectiveness as a hypertrophy builder compared to regular sets and reps.

push ups are a waste of time if youre already doing incline presses. theyre great for beginners but beyond a certain point you cant overload them effectively without jumping through major hoops.

cjsdowg posted...

Congrats on that change. Push-up are my bane since I am so overweight compared to my arm power. They are super hard lol.

Same. I have to do counter push ups because I'm so heavy. I can tell they're doing something though.

My workouts only consist of:
Push-ups (different variations)
Pull-ups
Kettlebell complexes

I feel like I'm in the 2nd best overall shape (but best physique) of my life. I'll be 40 this year btw.

I hardly ever do planks, but this got me to try. 90 seconds and my core is burning.

cjsdowg posted...

If you have a tummy abs will not show up. So unless you are thin are these things pointless?

I meant sit-ups not pushup.

Core strength is also important to increase your lift and minimize injury in complex lifts like the deadlift or the squat. So as part of a larger workout routine those exercises can be important to strengthen the part of your body responsible for keeping everything balanced, even if you have too much fat on you to get visible abs.

i know a guy that does 500 sit ups a day, he still has a big belly but he is super strong

Just because you can't see the muscle building under all that fat doesn't mean it's not building

Abs are absolutely not pointless if theyre covered by tummy. Strong core equals more gainz

With all you guys talk planks up i will add the. I c was can do it while watching tv