Get Fit with Exercise! Was-->100 Pushups + 200 Situps. Join Me!

[TreeTired]

thanks!  Day 1,  I am using the 10,12,7,7,max  column

No real problem until that last one.... max was 4  vs ("at least 9")   so I waited a minute and did another 4.   That will complete day 1 for me. 

[poxpower]

You got a real thing for this scooby dude as a strength consultant. What does he total? Oly or PL?

He talks about boydybuilding and fitness /nutrition /lifestyle in general, basically trying to get people started into fitness / building muscle so they then go on to do whatever they like.

He's the MMM of fitness. No tricks, nothing to buy. Just a guy who got real buff and then decided to make youtube videos for fun to teach other people what he's learned, as opposed to the younger guys on fitness channels ( that I've seen) who do it for the money or to promote some product / gym / book / channel / fad diet.

I don't get your pushup police thing.

This is a rigged challenge from a website that promises impossible gains while trying to sell you a bunch of merchandise so I offered an alternative that maybe some people will check out, maybe not.

[TreeTired]

day 2 went well...  nobody tried to sell me anything yet.   I downloaded the free app for my Kindle, but I am still recording my efforts on an excel spreadsheet,  right next to my running log.
Today I took slightly longer rest periods... 2 min?    and managed the 10,12,8,8,12+ workout with 14 at the end for a total of 52.   Now I feel like going for a run!   :)

Actually if I can get to 50 consecutive pushups I will be happy.  I am a little skeptical about getting to 100,  but we shall see.   I might make a video if I get to a big number,  just for the doubters.   

[oldtoyota]

day 2 went well...  nobody tried to sell me anything yet.   I downloaded the free app for my Kindle, but I am still recording my efforts on an excel spreadsheet,  right next to my running log.
Today I took slightly longer rest periods... 2 min?    and managed the 10,12,8,8,12+ workout with 14 at the end for a total of 52.   Now I feel like going for a run!   :)

Actually if I can get to 50 consecutive pushups I will be happy.  I am a little skeptical about getting to 100,  but we shall see.   I might make a video if I get to a big number,  just for the doubters.

No one tried to sell me anything either via that app. Not sure what his deal is with that app.

[ohyonghao]

I've started this challenge in the past and made it into week 4 or 5 or something.  Recently I've been wanting to get more fit again, sort of let myself fall out of shape.  Now that I've been biking every day I thought I'd throw in some other exercises to help with core strength.  Now that there are apps out there I'll give these a try again and see how far I can get.

What I learned from the first time I tried this is that it's okay to repeat a week a couple times, or to repeat the last day of the last week for a week.  I think I'm going to alternate pushups and situps, MWF Pushups, and TThS for Situps.  Just installed the apps on my android phone.  Sadly it's not any official app from the site, but I'll see how it works.

You can see my progress on my weight in the site in my sig.  We're about to release a revamp of the backend to make things much faster.  If anyone is interested in beta-testing a weight tracking program let me know.

[TreeTired]

Is there an Iphone app for this pushup challenge that actually counts your pushups as you do them?   The app on my Kindle just lets me click "done" when I finish each set.  Not really an advantage over maintaining an excel spreadsheet.

I completed week 1,  but on day 3 I fell a little short on the last set,  which calls for the most you can do, but at least 13.   I maxed out at 10, but then took a 2 minute rest and did another 5. 

Next week I will try to progress to week 2,  but I see some possible repeated weeks in my future.

[jba302]

I had a thought while lifting today - you guys doing this pushup challenge should be doing some pulling activity too - rows, pullups, etc. It's a good idea to be anterior/posterior balanced in movements for long term joint health.

[oldtoyota]

I met the pushup part of my challenge. I'll admit to some impatience with the app and decided to do it my way.

Walking: 30 minutes
Pushups: 100
Situps: 90

I did the above pushups/situps in sets of 10 or 20. They were all good form.

Thank you for the tip to try rowing. I do not have access to a rowing machine, but maybe I can use weights and pull inward to get as close as I can to that motion.

[Hamster]

Thank you for the tip to try rowing. I do not have access to a rowing machine, but maybe I can use weights and pull inward to get as close as I can to that motion.

If you have free weights, you can do dumbell rows or barbell rows. Just google for examples. 

[jba302]

Oh, I meant barbell rows. I guess regular rowing works too though :).

[oldtoyota]

Thank you for the tip to try rowing. I do not have access to a rowing machine, but maybe I can use weights and pull inward to get as close as I can to that motion.

If you have free weights, you can do dumbell rows or barbell rows. Just google for examples.

Thanks! I will google for examples.

[Ian]

I attempted to do Week #3 a while back but I felt I risked injuring myself, so I took a little time off. I've chosen a new pattern: I'm going to repeat one day of the challenge, doing only as many in the final "max" rep as I feel comfortable doing. Once I pass the listed minimum, I'll move to the next day. It's been interesting seeing my strength increase incrementally each time.

Total Pushups So Far: 867

[ohyonghao]

Just finished the first week on both Situps and Pushups.  My schedule is Pushups - MWF, Situps - TThS, rest on Sunday.  I also signed up for a 5k in June and hope to start training for that.  When I did the test for Pushups I stupidly pushed to do 11 and had to reset the program because it put me in too high of a set.  Seriously, the first set after doing 11 on the test is hitting 12 and 14?  So I dropped to a lower level and was really feeling it on Tuesday and Wednesday.  Now on Saturday I don't feel sore at all from Friday.  Look forward to next week and seeing what the results will be like.

Last total: 44 Pushups 12 Max, 107 Situps 40 Max.

[TreeTired]

completed week 2.    I do much better if I give myself a little extra rest time between sets,  like maybe 2 to 2 1/2 minutes.  I still have problems with the very last set.    The workout is 16, 17, 14, 14, and then max -  AT LEAST 20!!!!   so,  I did the first 4 sets, but on the last one I could only do 15, so did that, rested and then did another 6.  Sunday I do an exhaustion test...

Don't forget, now you've completed Week 2, it's time to take an exhaustion test. Perform as many good-form push ups as you can manage before you physically can't do another one.

Can't guess how many that will be, but my initial test was 20,  so after completing week 2 anything less than 30 will be kind of disappointing.

[Trying225]

Do your wrists ever hurt after doing pushups? Is this bad form or just out of shape?

[TreeTired]

Do your wrists ever hurt after doing pushups? Is this bad form or just out of shape?

not me, but my elbow sometimes gets sore, especially if I push UP too hard and fast and the arm goes past straight which puts a lot of stress on the elbow.

[Russ]

They will probably hurt for a little while, similar to any new activity for a joint. For a couple reasons:
-your tendons and other connective tissues take longer to strengthen than the related muscles. only way to fix this is by doing more pushups, just don't hurt yourself
-regular pushups only extend the wrist in one direction, so there's a risk of muscle imbalance in your forearm which can hurt. That probably isn't what's going on for you since you just started, but doing something like this will help keep you in balance as you progress. Use VERY LITTLE weight starting out, like sit really far back on your knees with almost no weight on your wrists, and forget about the pushups part. These aren't muscles that people use very often. For anybody who does lots of pushups without forearm/wrist pain, give these a try anyway. It's amazing how refreshing it feels / how much better my wrists felt afterward. Even if there isn't something obviously wrong, it was like taking off wet socks at the end of a long day and you say "huh, I guess my socks were damp, this feels better now"

[jba302]

Do your wrists ever hurt after doing pushups? Is this bad form or just out of shape?

not me, but my elbow sometimes gets sore, especially if I push UP too hard and fast and the arm goes past straight which puts a lot of stress on the elbow.

Also look up "self myofascial release." I can't squat or bench properly without doing a lot of active recovery on my origin / insertion points of my triceps/biceps/quads/hamstrings, this is one of the best ways to keep the nagging pains at bay (also active release therapy - ART, or Graston). I would suggest having a beer or 10 before your first session.

[oldtoyota]

completed week 2.    I do much better if I give myself a little extra rest time between sets,  like maybe 2 to 2 1/2 minutes.  I still have problems with the very last set.    The workout is 16, 17, 14, 14, and then max -  AT LEAST 20!!!!   so,  I did the first 4 sets, but on the last one I could only do 15, so did that, rested and then did another 6.  Sunday I do an exhaustion test...

Don't forget, now you've completed Week 2, it's time to take an exhaustion test. Perform as many good-form push ups as you can manage before you physically can't do another one.

Can't guess how many that will be, but my initial test was 20,  so after completing week 2 anything less than 30 will be kind of disappointing.

I think this is awesome!!

One thing that the app doesn't do is adjust for age. On the other hand, it does allow us to change the resting time between sets. In that way, it's flexible.

Good for you on working toward this goal!

[oldtoyota]

I am struggling due to the cold. Call me a wimp or whatever you want. I'm owning my lameness here.

Back on the wagon regarding exercise!

[ohyonghao]

Started second week of pushups last night, today I don't feel any of the soreness I did after the first day last week.  Look forward to doing situps tonight.  I was able to squeeze out 13 on my max.  Feels pretty nice to be hitting 49 total pushups in a day.

Does anyone have a problem with their foot feeling like it's getting stretched too much while doing pushups?  I've tried to mitigate this a bit by doing them with my feet pressed against a wall but I have to watch out for the nail strip under the carpet.

Latest totals: 49 Pushps Max  13

[HK-Expat]

This type of program is more about increasing stamina than strength. (And that's fine.)  In other words, increasing your reps at a constant weight will not tend to increase your absolute strength that much: I.e., following this program is not likely to result in a radical increase in one's maximum benchpress weight.

Interestingly, the flip side of this is not true: increasing your strength WILL tend to increase your total reps at a lower weight.  Anecdotally, I tried a similar program to get to 20 pull-ups, but I discovered that doing weighted pull-ups instead resulted in a faster increase in the number of unweighted pull-ups I could do than the unweighted program alone.  I suspect adding in some heavier benching (or using a push-up accelerator, basically a long piece of rubber stretched across the back that has the effect of increasing the weight of the push-up somewhat) may increase the speed of the gains.

Thanks to this thread, I am inspired to focus on increasing my push-up and pull-up counts.  Thanks!

[TreeTired]

HK-Expat  (I am an exHKexpat, ca 1987)   I am going to ask my wife to sit on my back while I do pushups this week. 

[HK-Expat]

HK-Expat  (I am an exHKexpat, ca 1987)   I am going to ask my wife to sit on my back while I do pushups this week.

lol.  My wife occassionally puts our (18 month old) daughter on my back for push ups but I'm not strong enough for the wife herself. (I hope that's a delicate enough way of putting it!)

You may have been in HK the same time as my uncle!

[TreeTired]

omg!  Is this program scientific,  ie based on anything... or is it random?

week 2 ends with,  16,17,14,14,  20+=
and then week 3 starts with one less,  14,18,14,14,   20+

And here I am on week 3, day 2, and I see:    20,25,15,15,   25+     That is quite a leap!

I actually completed it,  but the "25+"   was in 2 parts,  17 and 10,  and I took an extra 60 seconds rest between sets.

[Ian]

omg!  Is this program scientific,  ie based on anything... or is it random?

That was my feeling as well. I can definitely do more than I could at the start, in reps or at once, but I've also done approaching 1000 pushups so far this year - it seems like just about any plan that makes you do something so frequently will make you get better at it.

[oldtoyota]

omg!  Is this program scientific,  ie based on anything... or is it random?

week 2 ends with,  16,17,14,14,  20+=
and then week 3 starts with one less,  14,18,14,14,   20+

And here I am on week 3, day 2, and I see:    20,25,15,15,   25+     That is quite a leap!

I actually completed it,  but the "25+"   was in 2 parts,  17 and 10,  and I took an extra 60 seconds rest between sets.

LOL. I got impatient with it and just started to do my own thing to gte to 100. The bottom line is to find what works for you in both body and mind--and for your personal goals. Some want to work on increasing strength. Some just need to get started exercising. Some want to work on endurance.

[oldtoyota]

Does anyone have a problem with their foot feeling like it's getting stretched too much while doing pushups?  I've tried to mitigate this a bit by doing them with my feet pressed against a wall but I have to watch out for the nail strip under the carpet.

Latest totals: 49 Pushps Max  13

I have not had that problem. I mostly rest on my toes without stretching out my foot too much. One idea might be to wear shoes to prevent the stretch???? Would that work for you? I am no expert so use or toss this idea as you see fit.

[TreeTired]

This is ridiculous.  Week 3,  day 3 is   22,  30 really?  THIRTY?, 20,20.. 28+
I just did an exhaustion test on Sunday, and I maxed out at 28, so how can I do 30 in the middle of a workout?  So I did the 22,  then I broke the rest into 2 parts  with a brief rest, so 30 was 22+8,  and the 20s were 17+3,  and the last 28+ was 14+14.  I am going to repeat week 3.

[Half-Borg]

Well I suppose the program is meant for teenage boys, which can grow a lot of muscles in one week.

[oldtoyota]

I am hungry for more and considering running a 5K or maybe a half marathon. I have not told anyone in real life about this thought, because I am not sure how serious I am. For one, I am 100% wimpy about the cold.

If I do it, I will likely start with the couch-to-5K program. I was thinking I could run/walk from my job to a certain subway station and get the workout into my day during my normal commuting time. I have a feeling that I am more likely to do it if I do the run right after work instead of coming home first...

I tried this before and had to stop due to breathing issues. I am going to take it a step at a time and see if I can do it...

[ohyonghao]

I am hungry for more and considering running a 5K or maybe a half marathon. I have not told anyone in real life about this thought, because I am not sure how serious I am. For one, I am 100% wimpy about the cold.

If I do it, I will likely start with the couch-to-5K program. I was thinking I could run/walk from my job to a certain subway station and get the workout into my day during my normal commuting time. I have a feeling that I am more likely to do it if I do the run right after work instead of coming home first...

I tried this before and had to stop due to breathing issues. I am going to take it a step at a time and see if I can do it...

If you like interesting stories and zombies there is a c25k program that I've been using recently while I'm preparing for a couple 5k's this year.  You can read my review of it on my blog.  The program is called Zombies, Run! 5k by Six to Start.  After each run I'm looking forward to the next one so I can hear more of the story.

[oldtoyota]

I am hungry for more and considering running a 5K or maybe a half marathon. I have not told anyone in real life about this thought, because I am not sure how serious I am. For one, I am 100% wimpy about the cold.

If I do it, I will likely start with the couch-to-5K program. I was thinking I could run/walk from my job to a certain subway station and get the workout into my day during my normal commuting time. I have a feeling that I am more likely to do it if I do the run right after work instead of coming home first...

I tried this before and had to stop due to breathing issues. I am going to take it a step at a time and see if I can do it...

If you like interesting stories and zombies there is a c25k program that I've been using recently while I'm preparing for a couple 5k's this year.  You can read my review of it on my blog.  The program is called Zombies, Run! 5k by Six to Start.  After each run I'm looking forward to the next one so I can hear more of the story.

What a cool idea! I will look into it. Thanks!

[ohyonghao]

I finished week 3 now, even though I was able to complete the pushup challenge  I've decided to repeat week 3 and to try some bench pressing this week to supplement my exercise.  Situps I will continue to move on with week 4, they seem to be pretty easy.  Looking through my records I had previously tried this program in 2010 and made it up to week five and doing 55 pushups during the Max portion, hopefully I can make it back up to there and complete week 6, then just keep doing week 6 for the rest of my life.

As far as running is concerned, there is a noticeable difference between running on the treadmill and outside.  According to my research I may have gotten shin splints from this one run outside.  It seems counter intuitive to me, but are shin splints when you have pain below the calf muscle, sort of close to the foot on the back of the leg?  I always thought of shins as the front of the leg and could never understand how people got hurt there.

Today is my rest day, I'll see how my legs are feeling on Monday before doing my short 15 minute jog, I may just rest again until Tuesday.

Current Totals: Pushups 92, Max 25; Situps 190, Max 55

[Hamster]

As far as running is concerned, there is a noticeable difference between running on the treadmill and outside.  According to my research I may have gotten shin splints from this one run outside.  It seems counter intuitive to me, but are shin splints when you have pain below the calf muscle, sort of close to the foot on the back of the leg?  I always thought of shins as the front of the leg and could never understand how people got hurt there.

The pain you are describing is probably Achilles tendinitis. You may get more of that running outdoors because you are going up hills or just running differently. Not medical advice, but I would suggest doing some reading on it, consider stretches and very slowly increasing distances and particularly gradual introduction of hills.

Shin splints are usually more anterior and probably have to do with repetitive force at the attachment of the ankle/foot stabilizer muscles along the tibia (shin bone), among other reasons.

[Ian]

This might be an odd question, but is there are best way to rest between sets? I feel like stretching my arms instead of keeping them still; that seems to make me feel slightly more tired at the end of the rest minute, but for all I know it could be better for my muscles. Does anyone have info on if this matters?

[TreeTired]

I'm out.   I took a week off, but even after a week my arms were too sore to get back into it.  I think pushing (up) too hard to keep up with this regimen will eff me up.   I will go back to doing the occasional 10,  maybe 20 pushups and leave it at that.


And not that I am the person to ask, but I found myself moving my arms around between sets, letting them hang loosely and shaking them and even swinging them around a little, and rubbing them.   (Not continuously)

[ohyonghao]

The pain you are describing is probably Achilles tendinitis. You may get more of that running outdoors because you are going up hills or just running differently. Not medical advice, but I would suggest doing some reading on it, consider stretches and very slowly increasing distances and particularly gradual introduction of hills.

Shin splints are usually more anterior and probably have to do with repetitive force at the attachment of the ankle/foot stabilizer muscles along the tibia (shin bone), among other reasons.

Thanks for the tips in there.  Upon further research I do believe it is the Achilles tendon, may have been a mixture of both, but the Achilles was sore the longest by far and has caused me more trouble in the runs I have done since then.  I have taken some Ibuprofen and rested on it, while starting to do some plyometric exercise to help strengthen it and other muscles used in running.  At work I take the opportunity while going up stairs to do heel lifts slowly.

My first jog afterwards it hurt almost right away, I then rested another few days and my jog last night it didn't start to hurt until the end.  Now when I feel it starting to hurt I don't push through the pain, I take it easy, alternate between a slow jog and a walk depending on how it feels and head home.  I'm hoping that my next run I should be able to make it the entire 5k without it acting up.

[ohyonghao]

For my weekly update I have started week 4 of pushups and did 102 last night in the set.  I will be beginning week 5 of situps tomorrow.  I was sick on the weekend so this has pushed off my schedule slightly, but I'm not doing it to compete with others, but to get fit.  I think the key to me is if I can't complete a set I'll repeat a day or a week, and for pushups I have made sure that I stay at a level below what they say I should be in, no cheating or pushing myself to barely make the next tier.

Is anybody else still doing this challenge?  Any tips that can be shared?

This might be an odd question, but is there are best way to rest between sets? I feel like stretching my arms instead of keeping them still; that seems to make me feel slightly more tired at the end of the rest minute, but for all I know it could be better for my muscles. Does anyone have info on if this matters?

I have that just resting, walking around a bit, and maybe drinking a little water in-between sets to work for me.  I haven't tried stretching between sets yet, you might try doing a day without stretching between sets and the next time stretch between sets and compare how you feel.  Don't forget to report back so we can all learn.

Pushups: Total 102, Max 30; Situps: Total 285, Max 100

[oldtoyota]

For my weekly update I have started week 4 of pushups and did 102 last night in the set.  I will be beginning week 5 of situps tomorrow.  I was sick on the weekend so this has pushed off my schedule slightly, but I'm not doing it to compete with others, but to get fit.  I think the key to me is if I can't complete a set I'll repeat a day or a week, and for pushups I have made sure that I stay at a level below what they say I should be in, no cheating or pushing myself to barely make the next tier.

Is anybody else still doing this challenge?  Any tips that can be shared?

This might be an odd question, but is there are best way to rest between sets? I feel like stretching my arms instead of keeping them still; that seems to make me feel slightly more tired at the end of the rest minute, but for all I know it could be better for my muscles. Does anyone have info on if this matters?

I have that just resting, walking around a bit, and maybe drinking a little water in-between sets to work for me.  I haven't tried stretching between sets yet, you might try doing a day without stretching between sets and the next time stretch between sets and compare how you feel.  Don't forget to report back so we can all learn.

Pushups: Total 102, Max 30; Situps: Total 285, Max 100

My advice is similar to what you wrote--rest, walk about, drink some water. That's what I do. =-) Welcome!

[Ian]

Don't forget to report back so we can all learn.

I'm trying to figure out if there's an easy way to test this. The problem would be making the tests for different methods equivalent - obviously you can't do them one after another. Back to back days of the full workout also wouldn't work, but I wonder if I could do a lesser version over several successive days. If I stretch it much longer than that, then at my current rate I'd be marginally stronger on the last tests than the first.

[Ian]

I've done an extremely non-scientific test of resting. I stopped my normal routine so I could do several workouts in a row light enough that they wouldn't affect one another. Efficacy of the rest was determined by the number of pushups done on the second and third reps as a percentage of my normal max, but I won't give those numbers because that would give a veneer of more accuracy than this merits.

Short version of the results: stretching during the rest slightly increases muscle pain, but also slightly increases performance after the rest. The effect is not very large, 15% at most. Focusing on breathing did not make a difference, swinging my arms did not make a difference (both vs keeping arms still). You might also want to read this from Jacob (of ERE fame) about different reasons for resting:

To bring the heart rate down? Then do as little as possible.
To recover air? Breathe out as much as possible to vent the CO2.
To eliminate acid or prevent buildup? Either slap the muscles hard and/or keep them moving with no-load.

That's what I have, hope it's useful to someone.

Is anybody else still doing this challenge?  Any tips that can be shared?

I kind of am, but I'm reconsidering. Trying to do the third week straight through threatened back injury, so I've shifted my pattern. I leave two days in between workouts and don't push myself on the final "max" rep. I repeat a single day until the final rep is greater than the suggested minimum. Progress is steady but slow, and I'm considering going back to a more varied routine.

[YK-Phil]

Is anybody else still doing this challenge?  Any tips that can be shared?

I am still doing it almost every evening. I started with 100 push-ups in sets of 10, then 200, 300 and I am now at 400 push-ups, in sets of 10 with about 20-30 seconds between sets. I used to do the exact same number of squats but I gave up squats due to pain in my knees and replaced those with a 20-minute High-Intensity Workout (Prime Mover) which I started back in October. I am now at level 7 which I can do relatively easily. I had a glimpse of level 8 and I am not ready to do it just yet. I really recommend Prime Mover to anyone who is looking at high intensity training in the shortest time.

[ohyonghao]

I've been slacking this past week, according to my app it shows 10 days have gone by.  About to kick back into gear, but I've had trouble sleeping since daylight savings.  Hopefully I can get a good nights sleep in this weekend and restart next week anew.

I am happy that last night I was able to kick my situp routine in the ass.  About to finish up week 5 this week and move to week 6.  After that I will probably just keep repeating the last day three times a week and measure my progress every other week, or once a month.

Pushups, sometimes I'm afraid to start.  Not sure if it's just me being lazy or what, just sometimes I don't feel all that motivated to do pushups.  Anybody have some tips for maintaining motivation while exercising?  Also having the same problem trying to get outside and run.

[oldtoyota]

How is everyone doing?

[ohyonghao]

How is everyone doing?

I got completely worn out and have stopped the program.  Got to about 4 weeks, repeated it, then worked a bunch of overtime and ran out of time each day and lack of enthusiasm.

This month I've restarted my exercise plan, but haven't quite integrated pushups and situps back into it.  Right now I'm running 1 mile every morning because I figure it takes only 10 minutes and is easy to fit into my morning schedule.

[Ian]

After a second back injury, I switched to a different goal (100 in five minutes). I am apparently unable to find the line between not pushing hard enough and avoiding injury, and back pain is too unpleasant to be worth a functionally minor increase in strength. Glad I attempted the program, and I'll probably do more focused exercise routines in the future, but I'm done.

[Ambition89]

starting this today after work.

[YK-Phil]

I still can't get around doing sit-ups. I may have a psychological blockage that stops me from lying on the floor, or even on a gym mat. I am still doing my usual workout alternating between Prime Mover HIIT (workout 8 now) most days, and a workout of 40 sets of 10 pushups and 40 sets of 10 squats, with 10 seconds rest between each set.

[oldtoyota]

I still can't get around doing sit-ups. I may have a psychological blockage that stops me from lying on the floor, or even on a gym mat. I am still doing my usual workout alternating between Prime Mover HIIT (workout 8 now) most days, and a workout of 40 sets of 10 pushups and 40 sets of 10 squats, with 10 seconds rest between each set.

What is Prime Mover? I have a feeling I should Google it.