Noobish Q=How many times per week?

[Jack Bando]

Any exercise I do is in home (pushups, curls, squats), so no weights, except really small hand weights.

Now, if I exercise on Monday, and am not sore the next day...

1)Did I not do enough Monday?
2)Should I exercise on Tuesday?
3)How many times per week should one exercise?

Thanks everyone

[skunkworks]

Soreness is not a good gauge of whether you had a good workout or not because it can be caused by things unrelated to the intensity of the workout or how fatigued your muscles are. Read more about DOMS and how eccentric movements can cause it (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_onset_muscle_soreness).

Bottom line is that you're not moving enough weight doing pushups, curls, and squats to need much of a recovery process. After an initial week of soreness, I wouldn't be surprised if you never got anything more than some light stiffness from doing pushups, curls, and squat, which would mean that you could exercise every day if you wanted to. I don't know how much good it would be doing at that point besides building some muscle endurance since you can only increase the volume of exercises and not the weight.

[Colt McCoy]

[ QUOTE ]
Soreness is not a good gauge of whether you had a good workout or not because it can be caused by things unrelated to the intensity of the workout or how fatigued your muscles are. Read more about DOMS and how eccentric movements can cause it (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_onset_muscle_soreness).

Bottom line is that you're not moving enough weight doing pushups, curls, and squats to need much of a recovery process. After an initial week of soreness, I wouldn't be surprised if you never got anything more than some light stiffness from doing pushups, curls, and squat, which would mean that you could exercise every day if you wanted to. I don't know how much good it would be doing at that point besides building some muscle endurance since you can only increase the volume of exercises and not the weight.

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You can increase the intensity of the exercise a variety of ways. Some involve things like raising your feet when doing push-ups, but the main way is simply to increase the muscle contraction as you grow stronger similar to isometric exercise. It won't get you as strong as progressive resistance, but you're not as limited as one would think.

[skunkworks]

Colt,

Bodyweight exercises are great for people that don't have access to weights, such as:

1) People in prison
2) 14-year-old kids
3) The morbidly obese

Really though, this bodyweight exercise stuff should be replaced with some weights for resistance training. It's just a lot easier that way, but I guess if his fitness goal is to do lots of reps of something (50+) and not have much functional strength, that's okay.

[Colt McCoy]

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Really though, this bodyweight exercise stuff should be replaced with some weights for resistance training. It's just a lot easier that way, but I guess if his fitness goal is to do lots of reps of something (50+) and not have much functional strength, that's okay.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree that progressive resistance (ie. lifting weights) is by far the most efficient way to gain strength. However, one CAN develop a great deal of strength through bodyweight exercise. I think you're underestimating it greatly. As I said there are ways to make it more intense. It's not just about high reps.

[skunkworks]

Colt, I know you can do fancy things like headstand pushups and inverted triple-toe lutzes, and I know there are some books out there with some ridiculous bodyweight exercises. I don't doubt on calisthenics one bit. But weights are still better. /images/graemlins/smile.gif