ok so some of the tendons in my left arm are a bit damaged, but before I did that, these tips worked pretty well. PUSHUPS: being able to do alot of pushups at body weight wont really increase muscle mass, unless you continually add weight. But if you want to get up to 100 pushups then do the 100 pushups routine, it works if you stick to it, I got up to about 60 consecutive pushups, but I dont weigh that much so ja. here is the link: http://hundredpushups.com pullups link http://twentypullups.com ignore the marketing, IGNORE IT or you could try doing 10 sets of one chinup for a week, then 10 sets of two and so one. Once you can perform 10 consecutive chinups you should be able to perform 1 pullup, I tried this method and it worked for me. To add weight you can either wear a back pack (or rucksack for americans) with some light weights in it, or if you are a BEAST you can attach extra weight plates to your belt/weightlifting belt, or you could even hang kettlebells off of it. remember to eat some protein afterwards or you will see slower gains
A while back I started using a ledge type thingy sticking out above my staircase to start doing pull-ups. It made my hands a bit callousy and at first I could only do 2 before dropping off but there's something about the exercise and pain that helps to give you something else to think about. I could never take myself out on a long walk or run because I'd just get distracted by my own thoughts but doing some resistance exercise with some improvised bits and pieces about the house was something I could handle. I can now do 7 pull-ups pretty much anytime with 10 in a row possible if I'm really full of energy and it fortunately didn't take too much time to start seeing improvements. It's really good to see yourself progress so keep going at it.
When I was young, I used to be able to do hundreds of pushups and over a dozen chin ups or pull ups in a row. I'm not even kidding. It is entirely possible. The problem is like you said: you can't build mass that way because you're always working out with the exact same weight. Now when I work out, I do it with weights instead. Bench pressing more than your body weight is going to do more to build muscle than a thousand pushups ever would. You're right about the protein, too. You don't need steroids or fancy supplements to build strength, but you definitely need protein. Oh, and by the way, I'm American and I've never heard the term "rucksack". We call them backpacks here, too. :smile:
