How Effective Are Push Ups in Maintaining Muscle Build and Preventing Muscle Loss?

[Frank2500]

I have a question. As I mentioned a while ago to those of you who had a chance to read one of my previous posts, I'm going to be away from the U.S. for at least a year, to take care of a few things in my home country in Central Africa. Body building isn't big at all where I come from, and the gyms in most of the cities don't have close to half the equipment that is available in the U.S. In that sense, I am worried that being away from the gym for that long will cause me to lose a lot of muscle toning.


Someone suggested to me a few weeks ago that I should develop the habit of doing push ups frequently when I get there. He said that push ups won't enable me to build more muscle, but that they would help me maintain whatever muscle that I have already built. The thought of probably having to start all over again frightens me because I've worked extremely hard for two and a half years to get to this point. Might anyone have any suggestions?

 

[Quagmire911]

You can still be strong without doing weights specifically.

Go to www.rosstraining.com and get Never gymless by Ross Enamait. That would be a great start for what you are after.

Sandbag work (really cheap to get), kettlebells, sled work(very chea homemade), tyres, sledgehammers, bodyweight and weighted body moves, rope work...the list is endless.

Read some of the articles on the above site too, there are topics on how to make useful equipment with limited funds.

Good luck.

Ps-Ross Enamait weighs 175ish and can deadlift over 500lbs, he doesn't train the deadlift...

 

[Frank2500]

Re:

Thanks, Quagmire. I wish I didn't have to go at this point in time but many times, life is unpredictable. I'll most likely end up losing quite some muscle toning from being away for that long. Nonetheless, I'll check out the link you posted when I get a chance.

 

[shaunuk]

OK so the gyms in your home country might not be as good as ones your used to now, but all you really have to do is keep doing squats, rows, bench press etc. Surely you'll be able to do those in gyms in your home country?

 

[Quagmire911]

Thanks, Quagmire. I wish I didn't have to go at this point in time but many times, life is unpredictable. I'll most likely end up losing quite some muscle toning from being away for that long. Nonetheless, I'll check out the link you posted when I get a chance.

That shouldn't be necassary. You should be able to maintain/improve with the stuff I outlined above. Be creative.

 

[The Bat]

Have you though about doing box jumps, stair cases, etc.? Here is a link that outlines these exercises: http://www.exrx.net/Lists/PowerExercises.html (Look under Plyometrics)

 

[Mr Autobahn]

Someone suggested to me a few weeks ago that I should develop the habit of doing push ups frequently when I get there. He said that push ups won't enable me to build more muscle, but that they would help me maintain whatever muscle that I have already built. The thought of probably having to start all over again frightens me because I've worked extremely hard for two and a half years to get to this point. Might anyone have any suggestions?

Hogwash! Your muscles aren't THAT smart...

Heavy load is a heavy load... What I would do is learn as many bodyweight exercises I can before going back to Africa.

And bodyweight exercises make you STRONGER and you will find that you can actually lift MORE weights when you get back.

 

[Kerpal]

Pushups aren't going to do anything for your lower body. Anyway, even if you lose some muscle, you will gain it back quickly once you get back to training due to "muscle memory". Just use sandbags and stuff, I wouldn't worry about it too much. This is the nice thing about using unconventional training methods and not caring too much about what you look like, you don't worry about stuff like this.

 

[Gomorg]

I second rosstraining.

 

[Frank2500]

Re:

Thanks to you all for your responses. I was away from the computer for a while, so I wasn't able to read your responses until now. Getting a machine shipped out to me over there will be very equipment. I'll have to hustle and see what I can come up with following your suggestions. The thought of having to start from scratch if I return to the U.S. is what bothers me the most.

 

[MrS]

"Never Gymless", the book.

Go to Iron Woody's site (no joke), and get some resistance bands, you can do all kinds of **** with that.

 

[speed dawg]

I love pushups. It's the only chest exercise I do. I do them a variety of ways. They have kept my chest looking very developed. Not as much as when I was bench pressing heavily, but I don't lift heavy weights anymore, mainly due to injuries.

I am very satisfied with the development pushups have given me, but I also don't want the bodybuilder look. Pushups have been the prize chest developer since the beginning of time.

 

[EFFORT]

All you really need is a barbell with 180lbs in plates . After that all you'll need is your maintenance in calories.

 

[MrLuvr]

why would pushups not do anything for ones muscles? what if a person is benching less than his body weight? wouldnt pushups still build muscle till he got to the point that his body weight was not enough resistance?