More sets, fewer reps per set or fewer sets, more reps?

At your level of strength, you can do pretty much whatever you want and it will bring results. This is a good thing. As long as you're getting stronger it just does not matter. Weights are probably a bad idea for you at the moment, and this is coming from someone who's been involved in powerlifting for years. It just doesn't make http://www.alwyncosgrove.com/bodyisabarbell.html: In fact when you think about it, the only reason to ever use external load (i.e. weights) is because your bodyweight is not enough resistance. Yet most guys are making exercises harder by adding external load, when they aren’t capable of handling their bodyweight in the same exercise. I’m constantly amazed by how many people I meet who can bench press whatever pounds of weight, but are unable to perform 10 correct push ups (typically due to a lack of core strength and synergistic muscle stability. As far as I’m concerned – unless you can do an easy twenty push ups, you have no business getting under a bar for bench pressing.

Totally up to you on how you vary the time factors. I would say the general idea is that you are fully engaged for the full thirty seconds. It's common that you are pushing out the "last" rep when the timer beeps, whether you hit the wall 15 seconds in and you may want to keep trying or even try holding a static position. If you are easily blowing through a ton of reps and the timer beeps you can definitely slow down to make things harder. Specific time constrains on reps would be http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/likness15.htm, but you really don't need to worry about all that, just slow down on the lowering part. You may want to take a closer look at Circuit Training to get a better idea on how to set up your workouts. Your legs are always going to be vastly stronger than your arms so don't worry about trying to match them.

I have a question about time, then: If I, say, try to redo my sets into time-based activity (say, to start. as many pushups as I can do in half a minute) is the rule to pace yourself so you're failing at 29 seconds, or to do as many as quickly as you can and then see what else you can squeak in even if you have to rest for a few seconds at 20 seconds in, or is it to continue for 30 seconds, period, even if it takes you three minutes to get an actual 30 seconds of a particular exercise? My wife has been bugging me to do some outside activity, and with good reason, so I think I'll start doing the strength-building stuff on MWF, and do a brisk walk or a bike ride for at least half an hour TTS, to start. On a program like Simple Fit for bodyweight exercises, I can do way more squats, for example, than I can do pushups or pullups (I'm ordering a bar for my doorway, but I'm not sure I'll be able to do one pullup just yet). Do I keep to their sets, or mix and match until my arms catch up to my legs?

Beyond changing exercise, which is always a fantastic idea, there are only a few varables you need to look at to change the intensity of your workouts. These are all interrelated and will change depending on your goals -Repetitions -Tension -Time (speed falls under this) Tension is going to be set since you are doing bodyweight exercises (and we aren't talking about dynamic exercises like plyometrics). Repetitions are going to probably be a fairly linear upward vector due to tension constraints and increases in neuromuscular efficiency. Time is going to be the biggest factor here. You can take any instance and change it to have major affects on your workouts. Change of rest time between sets. Change of lowering or lifting speed during reps. Change of possible pause times within the sets (between reps, pause at full contraction, etc.) Or you could use time as the deciding factor in how long your sets take rather than reps. X second(s) sets while counting reps to keep tabs on changes therein. And so on. I also second what http://ask.metafilter.com/141753/More-sets-fewer-reps-per-set-or-fewer-sets-more-reps#2028720 said. Keep up what you're doing and have fun!

Sit-ups vs. crunches is pretty much common knowledge. As for leg lifts, I have back issues and did a lot of digging to find the amount of information that I did. I apologize, but I haven't currently got the time or energy to find those specific physicians/studies again. Certainly don't just take my word for it, though. That's not unreasonable at all. I should probably avoid stating things like that when I don't have cites under my fingers, as well.

moira, please direct me to the source of your evidence, thanks

Yet most guys are making exercises harder by adding external load, when they aren’t capable of handling their bodyweight in the same exercise. I’m constantly amazed by how many people I meet who can bench press whatever pounds of weight, but are unable to perform 10 correct push ups (typically due to a lack of core strength and synergistic muscle stability. As far as I’m concerned – unless you can do an easy twenty push ups, you have no business getting under a bar for bench pressing. To elaborate on my first comment -- the premise of the above paragraph is basically sound, with some caveats. Simple bodyweight exercises will be effective for building strength up to a point. Not everyone will agree about where that point lies. I'd have to disagree that someone needs to be able to perform an easy 20 pushups before attempting a bench press for a few reasons. The bench press and the pushup aren't exactly the same exercise -- weighted vs. unweighted squats or chinups would be a much better illustration of the basic point here. In any case, sets of 5 bench presses performed with light weights are going to be much easier than a set of 20 pushups for a novice. The load of that bench press can be increased in very small increments, so steadily increasing the weight on the bar is a reliable method for steadily increasing strength. Even someone who can't perform a single pushup can bench press with very light weights and steadily increase the load. I'd argue that most people will have an easier time reaching a set of 20 pushups by progressively loading their bench press than by hammering away at pushups and trying to get more reps. Also, anybody with a decent bench press who can't do 10 pushups due to "lack of core strength" is not squatting, deadlifting, or pressing overhead. Heavy movements like these that are performed on your feet will provide plenty of work for all of the muscles of the lower back and abdomen. Crunches, situps, leg-raises, etc., are all fine assistance movements, but are not really necessary in a program incorporating the aforementioned major lifts. So, in conclusion: unweighted movements will make you stronger up to a point where weight will become a more useful variable to manipulate than reps. YMMV. There is no reason to be afraid of weighted movements provided you start light and learn to lift correctly. And you don't need to be obsessed with "core" exercises if your program incorporates heavy full-body movements. Also I meant to say that toe-touches are not a useful strength movement like pushups and squats.

Wow, way to go! It's awesome that you're progressing so fast and losing so much weight! I agree with all of the above suggestions, but I have a question. Have you thought about doing a sport? You don't have to start running the floor in basketball or diving for a ball in volleyball, but starting to maybe kick a soccer ball around a field or hitting a few balls in a raquetball court will give you a break from all that working out (which can get boring, trust me). Plus, as you gain strength and lose weight, you'll find yourself doing better and better at your sport, and you'll have something to show off to your friends or significant other if you decide to start playing in leagues or pickup games. Good luck!

Sit-ups are terrible for your back. Crunches are great for it. (They develop muscles that help to stabilize things.) There's some evidence that leg lifts actually put more strain on your lower back.