Is it bad to do this?

[funkedelic]

At the start of the new year i decided to make the choice to lead a healthier lifestyle and improve my diet.

I am about 5'9/5'10 145-150 pounds right now and have been since as long as i can remember. I am not boney or really skinny, i guess just average with some muscle tone.

Before the start of the new year i would pretty much eat nothing but fast food, and i would never work out unless it was soccer. I think its the competitive soccer that has kept me from getting a belly and getting fat all these years.

Since January i have given up soft drinks completely, haven't had a single coke this whole year! I did have a gingerale a couple weeks ago though, lol. I drink about 2-4 liters of water a day, oatmeal or vector for breakfast and i eat about 4-6 small meals a day. Diet consists of a lot of fruits/veggies, pasta, rice and of course chicken/fish/beef. I set myself one day a week to eat something that i would consider "un-healthy", since i figured if i completely cut out fast food out of my life, one day i would just give in and start eating it regularly again so once a week has proven to work well.

I hit the gym 3 times a day, cardio everyday i go for about half hour and i dedicate one full day on full cardio, .. running laps, treadmill, and the occasional wall climb at the U. The other days i hit the gym i focus on upper and lower body.

I have however gotten into a routine that i am now questioning. Everyday before i head out to work or school i like to do a couple exercises. I do about 20 pushups, 25 crunches, and 20 curls every morning before i start my day and then i do the same thing right before bed, 7 days a week along with the gym 3 times a week.

Is this overkill? Would i be doing more harm then good by doing the daily exercises or would my body basically get use to it? I know that you have to give your muscles time to rest. I have seen a HUGE difference in my body since i started. I have a lot more energy then i did before and my body looks a lot better then i thought it would at this point.

I don't want to be "huge" or gain anymore then 10 pounds. My ideal weight i guess would be 160 pounds, and i want to basically be really ripped.

Just wondering if i should change anything about what i've been doing, or seeing if anyone can give me any suggestions.

[djayz]

If youre looking to get toned the best method imo is to increase reps. Also it seems that no matter how fit you feel and full of energy the muscles and body do need a day of rest.

For 6 months I did pushups and crunchies at home 7 days a week. I noticed a difference in my energy levels and my body but due to work for the rest of the year I was only able to do my routine for 4-5 days of the week. In the last 6 months with my body getting rest I was able to up my reps on the days I worked out and noticed that it made a huge difference that my body was getting rest. No eating habits were changed so it was all in the reps and rest.

Good luck!

[funkedelic]

Originally posted by djayz
If youre looking to get toned the best method imo is to increase reps. Also it seems that no matter how fit you feel and full of energy the muscles and body do need a day of rest.

For 6 months I did pushups and crunchies at home 7 days a week. I noticed a difference in my energy levels and my body but due to work for the rest of the year I was only able to do my routine for 4-5 days of the week. In the last 6 months with my body getting rest I was able to up my reps on the days I worked out and noticed that it made a huge difference that my body was getting rest. No eating habits were changed so it was all in the reps and rest.

Good luck!

thanks for the advice, i have been bumping up the weight and trying to increase the reps each week. Maybe i should just maintain a lower weight and just increase the number of reps each week?

[djayz]

if you can increase the weight and the reps at the same time then thats better. But its usually one or the other.

[pinoyhero]

If you wanna get ripped the key is to first get your desired muscle mass, then start by getting your cardio done at the right time of the day and getting your diet in order. Dropping the soda is great but make sure you're not replacing it with gatorade etc. The pasta and white rice/bread you might eat is also killer for trying to get ripped that will slow you down hard. I'd also suggest some protien in the AM, the oatmeal is good but if you can go with a smaller portion of that and a couple of eggs. The morning exercises you do would be better replaced with a medium paced walk.

[funkedelic]

Originally posted by pinoyhero
If you wanna get ripped the key is to first get your desired muscle mass, then start by getting your cardio done at the right time of the day and getting your diet in order. Dropping the soda is great but make sure you're not replacing it with gatorade etc. The pasta and white rice/bread you might eat is also killer for trying to get ripped that will slow you down hard. I'd also suggest some protien in the AM, the oatmeal is good but if you can go with a smaller portion of that and a couple of eggs. The morning exercises you do would be better replaced with a medium paced walk.

thanks

[jcrules99]

If you have been using the same routine for increasing reps and weight over 6-8 weeks, you could try focusing on more of a hypertrophy phase, Use a weight that you can complete 8-10 reps with and take breaks less than 30 seconds, This will help increase the muscles size and the short break will keep your heart rate up which means you burn more calories, plus the lactic acid promotes hormones to the site, which help promote muscle growth

cardio is important if you wanna be ripped but as stated above diet is even more important

and for your original question, I personally do 3 sets of pushups till failure daily, along with working out 4-5 times a week, I am trying to build my chest though
as long as you are getting adequate sleep at night, you should be fine IMO