[Brad]

I've recently seen a few blogs point to a site called hundredpushups.com that outlines a simple training program to prepare you to do 100 consecutive push ups in six weeks.

The basic idea is extremely simple. Three days a week you do five sets of push ups in decreasing quantity with short breaks in between. For example, on day one, you might do 7, take a minute break, 7 more, minute break, 5 more, minute break, 4 more, minute break, and then as many as you can eek out. You then re-test yourself at the end of the week to see if you should move to the next step or repeat the same.

Anyone up for it?



With the Wii Sports and Wii Fit "games" giving me (and a few others here, I'm sure) an opportunity to do some basic exercising at home on my own time and without equipment, I figure tossing this into the mix can only help. Without these fun challenges, I'm a total bum WRT working out. I can only thank my awesome natural metabolism for keeping me slim and healthy. That probably won't last as I age out of my 20s, of course.

I used to do a bunch of knuckle push ups for a karate class I took in college several years back, but I don't think I ever got to 50 consecutive. 100 was unfathomable even then. Today I can only get maybe 20 consecutive proper push ups on a really good day.

So, last night I "took the challenge" and I started my first week of training today. Last night I managed 14 proper push ups for the initial test before I got all wobbly. That put me in the upper tier (yikes!) for the first week of training. I was surprised to find that I actually made it through the first day's setup this morning without too much exhaustion, completing 10 + 10 + 8 + 6 + 8 push ups (42!) with 60-second rests in between.

I figured I'd start a thread here to encourage some of you to try it out too, share your progress, etc.

Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor and can't claim any health benefits, advice, blah blah blah.

[Fahrenheit]

Ok...but does it have to be a whole summer?

I'm in.

[Brad]

Originally Posted by Farenheit Ok...but does it have to be a whole summer?

Well, seeing as summer just started last Friday, I figure now is the perfect time to get the maximum length of time to still count as "summer".

[Moogs]

There's no magic tricks. If you do as many as you can do, twice a day (maybe spread out a couple hours), you'll start picking up fast. NO SISSY PUSH-UPS though... back straight, nose to the floor, punks! Going half way to the floor is not a push-up.

Last summer I got up to about 60 full push-ups, after 3-4 weeks of "training". I stopped completely after the summer and could probably do about 35 right now. It's not that hard, especially if you're lighter and not a total weakling. I think the real heavy-set muscle-heads might have a harder time with this than lighter but muscular dudes.

[Capella]

Ugh, pushups. I used to have to do 50 in sets of 5 with 5 second rests back in AFJROTC, but I haven't done them since. Since it's been 2 years, I'm sure I'm out of practice and would take time to get back into condition.

This seems like a good idea for a fairly easy exercise for people to get fit with. Goodness knows your average person needs to get more exercise (myself included!)

[Kickaha]

Probably not a bad idea, I'm starting to get moobs. I'm too &*(%#% skinny to have moobs!

Stupid aging.

[Luca]

I'm gonna try this out. I'll work it into the biking I've been doing. One of my tires went flat and I was way too slow about getting it fixed... but now that it's done, I'm going to try hitting the trails at least 4x a week. I'm 1.5 miles from Lake Calhoun and Lake Of The Isles, which are about 3 miles around each. Yesterday I did Calhoun three times. Today I dunno, but I'm planning on doing about the same thing.

I gotta just get in the habit of it. I don't know how many times I've tried to get into it and eventually slacked off, either because of a bad spell of weather, a bike malfunction, or general laziness.

I think taking an hour out of my day to go biking is worth it. It energizes me and then I can play video games guilt-free

[turbulentfurball]

I'm up for it. Come Autumn, I plan to look like a venerable Adonis that no-one can resist. Well, any improvement on my current 'skinny runt' status will be a good thing.

[Bryson]

Ok: you're on.

Since becoming an awful desk-jockey, I can feel myself getting weaker. I'll start tonight with "the test". I bet I can do, like, 3. I'm a fat fucker, so I'm actually doing more work than you skinny nerd-types.

Maybe a poll to see who is in which "band"?

I'm not giving up beer though. No way.

[BuonRotto]

I'm in.

[Brad]

Originally Posted by Bryson Maybe a poll to see who is in which "band"?

Done!

[Moogs]

All right you monkies, I'm in...

[Bryson]

Actually...I'm confused...there are 7 "bands" but only three bands in the schedule. Have I misunderstood?

[Bryson]

Originally Posted by Brad Done!

No beer option? It's a very valid alternative in this case....

[Luca]

Originally Posted by Bryson Actually...I'm confused...there are 7 "bands" but only three bands in the schedule. Have I misunderstood?

That's weird to me as well. So the training regimen is the same if you can only do 13 pushups in a row (like me) or if you can do 28 in a row?

Originally Posted by Bryson No beer option? It's a very valid alternative in this case....

I modified the last option for you

[Brad]

Originally Posted by Bryson Actually...I'm confused...there are 7 "bands" but only three bands in the schedule. Have I misunderstood?

The poll refers to this:



However, when you start "week 1", you need to read very carefully:

So, you've completed your initial test and you're keen to start the program? Great! If you managed 5 or less push ups in the test, follow column 1. If you completed between 6 and 10 push ups, column 2 is for you. More than 10 consecutive push ups? Impressive! Column 3 is what you're looking for. For example: let's say you managed 8 push ups. Looking at the second column, Day 1 begins with Level 1 (7 push ups), a rest period of 60 seconds, before moving on to Level 2 (another 7 push ups). Rest for 60 seconds and continue with Level 3 (5 push ups) and Level 4 (4 push ups), before finishing with Level 5 and as many consecutive push ups as you can manage (at least 5). The 60 seconds rest between each level should allow you to comfortably complete the workout, but I promise it does get tough towards the end.

I'm not sure what the point of the ranks on the first page are for. Perhaps it's just a general gauge for where you stand? It certainly doesn't have anything to do with picking which column you should use.

[Brad]

Originally Posted by Luca I modified the last option for you

Perfect!

[InactionMan]

I'm in.

But I'll start tomorrow. I've had too many cans of Black Label to do that kind of physical excursion tonight. As I creep into my thirties my naturally hyperactive metabolism is slowing ever so slightly. I had to cut out a bunch of crap to get back down to my ideal weight (and that was with biking about 20 km a day) so maybe if I throw some push ups in the mix I can start going back to McDonalds once a week.

Edit: I'll do the freaking test tomorrow.

[jdcfsu]

I'll give this a try. I used to do two sets of 15 push ups each morning to try and wake up but have gotten pretty lazy over the last few months. Good idea Brad.

[scratt]

I'm 40 next year and kicked off with 53 pushups.

When I get some strength back in my arms, and catch my breath, I'll post some more thoughts...

...what I can say is that cross trainer we have in the house is worth every penny, 'cos I haven't done any actual pushups for many years!

[Luca]

I did my test today (I voted) but I will have to start the program tomorrow. I went for a bike ride and I don't think my body would be up to a bunch of pushups on top of all that.

[Trumpetman]

I'm in. I'll do the initial test tomorrow morning.

[SpecMode]

I hate pushups so much...but as luck would have it, they're consistently my best score on my semiannual physical fitness assessment (when I actually have to do it, anyway). I can't do quite as many as I used to "back in the day" (around 70, when I only weighed around 120 pounds), but I can still push out just shy of 50 inside of 2 minutes.

This seems like a great way to push myself into getting back in shape, though; I'm in!

[709]

I'm in.

I'll do the test tomorrow (hopefully) or at the latest Wednesday. I'd do it tonight, but I threw out my back last night in the most ungraceful way ever. I'm of a mind to write a strongly worded letter to the manufacturer, because a man of my age should not be in this much pain for a simple body twist. So yeah, maybe this push-up thing will get my body limbered up. I haven't done a push-up since Phys-Ed, so I'm hoping for a good 3 or 4 to start things off right.

*SIDE-TOPIC* : So a friend drops off some of that shit that goes on as a gel, then gets really warm and then fucking freezing. Pretty cool, I have to admit, though it smells like something old people put on for chest colds. I put it on around noon today and felt like I could walk a bit, so I went down and did a few shots of Jager hoping that would tweak my back to normalcy. It didn't. I get back, put some more on, wash my hands and take a pee. Apparently this stuff doesn't just come off with water, because I went through an exciting half hour with my penis on fire, then fearing it was going to break off like the icicle it felt like. That's so me to do something like that. Almost as bad as the Jalepeño Incident.

[SpecMode]

Dammit, why won't it let me ++ you for that post?! I spent a solid two minutes laughing after reading it! (I got a few odd looks from some of the other folks around me, always a plus).

[Koodari]

I won't be going for the hundred, because I think it's more productive to advance to harder exercises with higher resistance or other challenges than shoot for ever higher reps in a basic exercise. The result is higher general physical preparedness, and you get decent reps in the basic exercises as byproducts - not quite as high as a person who would work exclusively to increase reps, but then again, I don't see much practical significance in being able to push up some more after already doing it thirty times or so.

Did the initial test to help populate the poll, although tired/hungry/etc., and didn't go to failure because I need to be able to do stuff tomorrow. 46 (clean) reps @ ~175lbs BW. Doing the test fresh, to failure, would have been certain to push the result up at least four reps and into Rank 5.

[Dorian Gray]

Did the test just now to get things rolling. Managed 23 clean push-ups before running out of will-power (it's friggin' 8 am here), so that places me firmly in Rank 3. Which is...disappointing. Would have managed another few if I'd went to failure, though probably not enough to get into Rank 4 without allowing the form to get ragged.

I'll not bore you with how many I used to do, etc. Let's see if I can hit 100 before the summer's out!

Must smoke less too.

[AWR]

Sounds good.

I went to the Doctor yesterday convinced I had lung cancer after 2 months of specific and persistent pains in the lung area. The good news is he told me I didn't have lung cancer that he could see. He also noted it was a good time to stop smoking, relating that his practice included several people in their early 40s who DO have lung cancer and face rather bleak prospects. With this news, I didn't smoke yesterday and will endeavor to not smoke again. This is all to say that I'm up for a diversion, especially one health-related.

My initial test went as anticipated - like shit. I did 15 push ups, which takes me just over the line of rank 3.

My body is a fine example of the haves and have-nots: all of my exercise is cardio/(predominately) leg-related (running and cycling). My upper body work outs over the past ten years have been centered on mowing the lawn and lifting big glasses of beer and wine.

Well done, scratt! That's a lot of reps for an old geezer's first go.

[Gargoyle]

Holy crap... I managed 2 (yes I repeat, 2) good clean press-ups. The third was... well, comical! I knew I was lacking upper body strength, but I thought I was doing better than that. In my defence, I am a fraction over 200lbs and it doesn't require a great deal of upper body strength to type for a living!

Looks like I am starting at the bottom. I am going to do week one for the rest of this week and then restart from week one next week.

If I can do this then anyone can. My goal is to reach the 100 before I am 31 in August. Which means I have 8 weeks so I can afford to repeat one or two weeks.

Here's an idea, we should keep this thread going with our progress, and anyone that doesn't post for a while we could send each other PM of encouragement!

[Fahrenheit]

"The Nike+ Challenge....for poor people!"