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I was shocked by how many of you were interested in joining me for the one hundred pushup challenge. Because so many of us have the same goal, I’m going to post a a short reminder every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I know that some of you have already started the program, and that others won’t start it for a while, but I’m under the impression that most of us are starting it today. My hope is that daily reminders will keep us all on track.
Here, then, is today’s workout schedule:
Most of these reminder posts will be short two-paragraph blurbs. This first post is a little longer to touch on two important points.
Proper form
I looked at a couple dozen web sites over the weekend trying to find a definitive description of good form. There isn’t any. Hands close together? Wide apart? Feet together? Apart? Look straight ahead? Look down? There’s no agreement on these points, and I don’t think it matters.
Do the best pushup you can for your body. You’re not competing with anyone besides yourself. You’re not penalized if you need to do this challenge while resting your knees on the floor. You’re not penalized if your elbows are out instead of back. The important thing here is to move from a state of doing almost no pushups to a place where you can do one hundred of them.
This video demonstrates the form I use:
There are other videos which demonstrate other “best” forms for pushups. You should choose a method that is comfortable for you. Be consistent. Be strong.
Starting point
I did the initial pushup test again on Friday and Saturday, this time focusing on consistent form. Unsurprisingly, I found that I was unable to do as many pushups. On Friday, I did seven and on Saturday I did eight. So, I’m using the middle column of the plan. As I learned this morning, the middle column is hard.
I did okay for the first two sets of seven pushups, but the third set of five was more difficult, and the fourth set of four was a challenge. I rested for 120 seconds instead of 60 seconds before the final set, and was able to eke out six good pushups as my “max”. (Remember: your rest periods are at least the time indicated on the schedule — you may rest longer if needed.)
Don’t feel bad if you’re unable to do a day’s exercise. Do your best. The program has a built-in safety valve. If you’re not able to complete a week, you simply repeat that week before moving on. There’s a good possibility that I’ll have to repeat a week. That’s fine. I’m okay with that. Getting to 100 pushups in seven or eight or even twelve weeks is not a failure.
Read about this project at One Hundred Pushups.
Mac
39 responses so far ↓
1 Red // Jun 16, 2008 at 7:54 am
7 weeks? 8 weeks? Man, I couldn’t do a pushup till I was in my teens, now you have babies doing push-ups.
This should be interesting to follow.
2 grimsaburger // Jun 16, 2008 at 7:55 am
The form thing got me too. I’ve been doing yoga, so I instinctively started at plank position, with my hands directly under my shoulders. Yeah, that didn’t work. I ended up with my hands a bit wider, like in the video. Better, but certainly not easier. I’ve got a nice stiffness going in the front of my shoulders now, after having done only 13 (2, 2, 2, 2, and 5).
3 gale // Jun 16, 2008 at 8:02 am
Has anyone seen a printable chart of the entire workout schedule? I’m one of those people that would like to have it on paper and mark it off… I can re-create, but thought I’d check first to make sure I didn’t miss it on the website.
Thanks!
4 Leslie // Jun 16, 2008 at 8:41 am
I did my pushups this morning (I am in the first column) and it was quite a struggle for me. Actually, seeing how hard it is for me made me even more committed to do this than I was before. Clearly, this is something I really need to work on.
5 Bo // Jun 16, 2008 at 8:49 am
I figured I’d join in with this after seeing my RSS feed this morning. For anyone that wants a slightly more difficult challenge, go for knuckle push-ups. That’ll build up calluses on your first two knuckles as well as upper body strength. If you’re going to work out might as well build up as much as you can at the same time.
6 aDOLFOrUIZ // Jun 16, 2008 at 9:07 am
Hi gale:
After reading your comment I extracted the charts from One Hundred Pushups and made a PDF out of it.
Here is the URL to the file:
http://insideart.wordpress.com/files/2008/06/ohp-unofficial-guide.pdf
Hope it will motivate more people on doing the program
P.S. I just started with it too
7 A.M. // Jun 16, 2008 at 9:13 am
I was thinking about it - you offering to remind me is enough to shove me over to doing it. Thx!
8 Nottheangel // Jun 16, 2008 at 9:32 am
I barely made it through day 1, but so far, so good. I can do 4 pushups as max at once apparently with a lot of resting.
9 Stefan // Jun 16, 2008 at 9:54 am
Hi JD,
After performing the initial test on saturday (17 - yeah!), I started my workout this morning :-). I too found it to be really tough. The first and second level were no problem, the third level was hard, well and the forth level I couldn’t do. After two pushups my arms magically turned into pudding… I had to increase my rest period significantly (to about 3-4 minutes) before I succeeded. Anyways, in total I did 41 pushups today, which is great!
10 drifting // Jun 16, 2008 at 10:36 am
I’ve been meaning to start adding some sort of bodyweight training to the cardio I’ve been doing, and this was just the push I needed. Thanks! And the reminders are going to be a great motivator.
(T1: 15 - W1D1: 10, 10, 8, 6, 7) Hitting that last rep in the last set was rough!
Really enjoying this blog, guys. We’re in very similar boats, it seems. I started the slow road to fitness last spring (33 - 6′1 - 255#) and had kind of stalled out at 225-230# over the winter. Your blog has reinvigorated my cardio regime, with a resulting drop to 215# since Feb. I’m much fitter than I was initially, but the weight is slow to disappear because I long ago fell off the tracking-and-conscious-management-of-food bandwagon (which, in my experience, is the only way I seem to make rapid/steady drops in weight). Seeing your discussions here of similar experiences alongside the variations in your weight loss numbers has really brought the issue back into focus for me. So, the 100 push-up challenge & food tracking are now on deck thanks to you guys.
And while I’m writing an inordinately long comment, one final thing. Running (off and on) has been my main source of exercise so far, but I don’t run with anyone, and few in my life know anything about running: I recently did myself proud and thought you guys, at least, might appreciate it.
The 10k race has proven to be a big motivator for me, as it seems to have been for you. Last April I ran in my first 10k - finished in 61:16. Ran the same race again in April this year - finished in 51:02 - I was very pleased.
Inspired by GFS, I put some more focus into my training (meaning I actually did it on a regular basis) and on Friday I ran in another 10k - finished in 45:29 - I was shocked, and obviously pleased. It was a 400 participant vs. 55,000+ participant race, and with room to run, I completely blew my pacing in the first 3k. Faced with the need to slow my pace down, I decided “screw it - I’m going for it” and kept the pace up (through force of will in the last 4k) . I’m paying for it today in ridiculously sore/stiff quads, but it was worth it.
Anyway, I hope your blogging continues to keep you on track, because it certainly has me. Thanks again.
11 mhb // Jun 16, 2008 at 11:09 am
I’m with A.M. above - I just started an 8-week “couch to 5K” program a week ago and was looking for something to do for my (very weak!) upper body, and this sounded good but it’s a lot of new stuff for me. With the reminders, I’m in!
12 J.D. // Jun 16, 2008 at 11:11 am
13 Danny // Jun 16, 2008 at 11:13 am
I’m going to start right now. Thanks for the 3 day a week updates, I am going to do it along with you all. this is great for motivation!
14 Maria // Jun 16, 2008 at 11:16 am
Great! Many thanks! I started on Saturday (… insatiable curiosity? Insanity? Who knows …), so I’m on Day 2 today. I can honestly say that there was great soreness yesterday and even this morning, but as the day’s progressing, I’m feeling better. Time for Round 2 tonight!
15 Peter // Jun 16, 2008 at 11:50 am
Count me in for a tough set for the last one - do as many as possible. I got to 3, started going up for #4, and gave out. I didn’t rest as long as you did - maybe I should have taken an extra minute.
And yeah, this is definitely telling of how out of shape I am. (Not that push-ups were ever my strongest exercise.)
16 Laur // Jun 16, 2008 at 1:09 pm
I’ve read about this here yesterday and I was intrigued enough to write the program down - I’ve wrote it on a post-it note, to keep it handy. I wanted to start next week, but you actually motivated me to start now.
For the first two weeks I’ll try to do the third column, see how it goes, although I’m right on the limit (30 on the test). See you at 100
17 Token Fat Girl // Jun 16, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Hello! I found your blog from a blog of a blog and wanted to let you know I started the 100 pushup a day challenge!
Good Luck!
Lorrie
18 WeightLadder // Jun 16, 2008 at 2:37 pm
thanks for the update and for the reminder even if it was meant for you
I did fine (I have an ankle in need of surgery so I am on my knees for the challenge)…
I was on the 3rd level after an initial test and was able to do 20 pushups on the final level…
Certainly not gloating given the knee cheating I get to do, but I felt pretty good.
19 kazari // Jun 16, 2008 at 2:43 pm
excellent! this is a challenge my husband and i can both take on!
20 amyj // Jun 16, 2008 at 5:43 pm
I’m in! I’m in the first column - 1 - 2 per set with some reliance on the knees-down position. I appreciate the form comments as I need to make some adjustments. I’m currently working on some other fitness goals, so this fits right in. My arms felt like noodles most of the day.
21 Katy // Jun 16, 2008 at 6:28 pm
I will be joining you. My trial was 4, so I am on the first tier. And day one results: 2, 2, 2, 2, 6.
22 Ross Goodman // Jun 16, 2008 at 11:24 pm
Oh, the morning after day 1 and I ache all over! OK I had a full day in the garden on Sunday but… it just goes to show how even doing a “few” pushups “must” be helping.
Ross
http://www.rossgoodman.com/2008/06/16/100-pushups/
23 Ross Goodman // Jun 16, 2008 at 11:26 pm
PS
I’m tracking my progress here:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pnOKksocWG0vYjG5eQYOucg
24 bryan duffel // Jun 17, 2008 at 12:14 am
I’m in. I’ll be tracking it and the rest of my exercise routine on my LJ.
25 Valerie // Jun 17, 2008 at 4:32 am
The morning after the first level I ache like crazy too….and to think I used to be able to do pushups! Oh well, I’m sure it’ll get less sore as the program continues.
26 Dave M // Jun 17, 2008 at 4:34 am
I’m in for the challenge! I just turned 40 a few days ago, and haven’t worked out in months (more like years). Anyway, I did 18 push-ups this morning for my initial test. Not too shabby for an old fart!
27 The Happy Rock // Jun 17, 2008 at 5:19 am
I did 17 for my initial test, and started on column three and I just barely managed to finish all the sets like drifter. My chest is quite stiff and a little sore.
28 Eric // Jun 17, 2008 at 6:52 am
Check out the “push-up post” I made in honor of this challenge at my physical therapy-related blog…especially if your shoulders start to hurt!!!
ERIC
http://www.npathinktank.com/2008/06/pondering-pus-u.html
29 Pplukas // Jun 17, 2008 at 7:27 am
My first day was also tough. I did as well the mid column. Before the last set I needed to rest 2 minutes or more. In the last set I did 6, but the last one was very hard to accomplish. Afterwards I remained on the floor by 5 or 6 minutes, because I could not lift my arms.
Today my arms are a little sore, but I’m afraid tomorrow I will need to put the keyboard on my legs because I will not be able to lift my arms higher…
No pain, no gain…
30 J.D. // Jun 17, 2008 at 8:50 am
31 Morquea // Jun 17, 2008 at 9:03 am
The reminder is a cool initiative. I’m already at my second day of week one, since I began last saturday.
I’m on the first column. It was really hard to do the two first level. Then I was surprised to find it easy tho complete the other levels.
I didn’t soreness or pain hours and days after. I just feel good (thought, I have constant pain in the legs for overcompensing a sprain ankle.)
I will also try to use that plan for sit-ups and squats.
32 tratch // Jun 17, 2008 at 9:23 am
I did the challenge last night and boy are my arms tired (*rimshot*)
Seriously though, I’m sore.
I made it through though, which makes me very happy. I’ll be checking this blog daily now, I was an avid reader of Get Rich Slowly and had no idea this existed!
33 Summer Fey Foovay // Jun 17, 2008 at 10:24 am
I’m late, but I get there. I did the test today. Surprised myself by doing 15 pushups. I’ll hop on board the M/W/F tomorrow. Will keep track on the blog above. I needed something to get me moving - been nailed to the computer waaay too much. Hubby has been wanting to start something, too - so I may get him going with us tonight
Chaaaaarrrrrggeeee
34 Johnny // Jun 17, 2008 at 10:48 am
I decided to give it a whirl, and like y’all, am quite sore. I was very surprised to make it into the second column (after all, I hadn’t done push ups regularly since high school) and managed to finish 7, 7, 5, 4, 7. My wife had to pull me out of bed this morning, but it was worth it…
35 Al // Jun 17, 2008 at 12:48 pm
JD -
This is hilarious! I read GRS regularly, but was unaware of GFS. Last week, I saw a post on AskMeFi about 100pushups, and decided to do it.
Short story long, I’m on the program, too, and did the third column Monday. Ow.
36 Corey // Jun 17, 2008 at 6:05 pm
I actually started early, on Saturday. My initial test I could do 20, so I’m in the third column. I’m already getting over the soreness and progressing quite nicely. See everyone at the finish line
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