If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Pushups and running, running and pushups. Sometimes I feel like that’s all we’re writing about here lately. Fear not! We have no intention of letting the site become so mono-thematic (or duo-thematic, as the case may be). There’s lots of good stuff coming up that has nothing whatsoever to do with running or pushups.
But right now? Right now is time for the the final day of the second week of the Get Fit Slowly one hundred pushup challenge. Here’s the schedule for those doing week two:
And here’s the schedule for those like me who are repeating the first week:
Remember that to rest at least 120 seconds between each set. It’s fine to rest longer if needed. Also note that those on week two should perform an “exhaustion test” sometime over the weekend. Set aside some time to do as many pushups as you can in one set. You’ll use your result to determine how many pushups you do during week three.
Update: Yay! I managed to complete week one this time. I maxed out at 14 pushups, which was up from 9-1/2 last week. On to week two next week. I would love to hear from others who repeated the first week. Did your performance improve? Are you moving on, too?
Read about this project at One Hundred Pushups.
Mac
21 responses so far ↓
1 fit36.com // Jun 27, 2008 at 7:38 am
You keep stressing that it’s okay to rest longer than the prescribed period, but… If you hope to have the stamina to make it through 100 consecutive pushups at the end of the program, you really shouldn’t be cutting yourself too much slack here. I’d think it would be better to repeat a week (or two) rather than extend the break just to make it through.
2 Steve Watts // Jun 27, 2008 at 7:38 am
i’ve been getting back into the old push-up’s recently, and before a friend pointed me towards this challenge i’d jus been tryin to incrimentally Up my total each week…heh, got to one stage where i was doin summat similar to this system, every 10 minutes [for however long i felt!] i’d bust out 30.
i’m on DayThree of WeekTwo tomorrow, its Well harsh, but absolutely loving the difference i’m feeling/seeing even after this short a time.
and can’t beat the messed up feeling of collapsing after those Level5 reps!
good luck gettin to Week Two this time bro.
3 Leslie // Jun 27, 2008 at 9:28 am
I made the mistake of doing my pushups today AFTER a hydro-training class. Naturally, they were much harder for me today than they were earlier in the week. I did accomplish all of them even if I thought the last max set was going to kill me.
I have to say…part of me is looking forward to the exhaustion test tomorrow to see how far I have come. A big part of me is not looking forward to it though. I mean really…it is called an exhaustion test. That just doesn’t sound fun to me :-).
4 LeahB // Jun 27, 2008 at 10:05 am
I somehow just stumbled across this site, and wouldn’t you know that I’m just finishing up my “Week 1″ of the push up challenge (sent to me by a friend who is also partaking). I hate it, but I love it, and I can’t wait to do more than 10 in a row! My boyfriend is also doing the challenge, and I’m looking forward to his successes too…. ahhh… sweet success…
5 Chris // Jun 27, 2008 at 11:32 am
I think I’ve caught up with you guys! I’m on Week 2 Day 3 too, though I basically skipped one day of Week 1 and have done Week 2 on consecutive days. Probably not the best approach for improvement, but I’m doing column 3 and while I can say is very challenging, it’s not yet kicking my butt. I haven’t yet done my push ups for today, I’m going to do them tonight. I did 66 pushups total for Week 2 Day 2, which was pretty impressive for me.
Week 3 column 3 looks very hard.
6 Al // Jun 27, 2008 at 12:18 pm
I finished Week 2, Column 3 today. It wasn’t pretty, but I made it through. 15/15/12/12/15
My plan is to max out tomorrow, then make the decision whether or not to move on to week 3 or repeat week 2.
Next week I need to focus on sleep, hydration, and diet (in that order). This week’s been a wreck.
7 steve // Jun 27, 2008 at 1:20 pm
Nice progress everyone!
I got through week 2 quite comfortably (http://www.runbulldogrun.com/push-ups/hundred-push-ups-the-end-of-week-2/) and am looking forward to the exhaustion test tomorrow. I may do a few before my main set just to get my arms working - I usually struggle on the first set no matter what day of the plan I’m on…
Good luck to all!
–Steve
–www.hundredpushups.com
8 macdaddy // Jun 27, 2008 at 2:05 pm
I’m feeling much better today! 15,15,12,12,21. I’ll be moving on to week 3…ouch
9 drifting // Jun 27, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Feelin’ crappy today, and I missed W2D2 last set min by 1 on Wednesday, so I thought I’d try it again.
W2D2.2: 16,13, 11, 11, 11. Backsliding! Ah well. I’ll try W2 from the beginning again next week.
10 Jodi // Jun 27, 2008 at 4:21 pm
I shouldn’t have done the harder column on Wednesday. Today was way hard. I eeked out the minimum pushups though.
Are we supposed to do an exhaustion test this weekend?
11 BK // Jun 27, 2008 at 6:42 pm
I just completed Week 2, but only on column one! I only was able to do 3 in the initial test. Although I’ve improved a lot, I have a feeling I won’t be able to do the minimum of 15 to precede to week three. Instead, I think I’ll start over, but doing column 3 this time around. Anyone have a suggestion as to whether it would be better to just repeat week 2 at the higher column or start over back at week 1?
12 Timmy // Jun 27, 2008 at 10:23 pm
I’m a week behind, but feeling really good about the challenge. Spreading the word at the office and others are picking it up as well.
This should help my own personal health/physical challenge of learning to play ice hockey, where core strength is the key.
13 Andrew is getting fit // Jun 28, 2008 at 1:39 am
I repeated week 01 and my performance on the max set about doubled each day.
Very happy.
14 Pam // Jun 28, 2008 at 2:03 am
15,15,12,12,24! I did, however, crumble to the floor in pieces trying to get #25, which would have equaled my initial fitness test. Still not too bad to be doing nearly the same amount AFTER doing the other 54 push-ups too.
With the (finally!) warm weather, I got to wear a sleeveless shirt this week. A friend (who had no idea I was doing this challenge) said,”Your arms look buff. Are you lifting?” Enough said - I will definitely be sticking to this program!
15 grimsaburger // Jun 28, 2008 at 2:26 pm
I did my exhaustion test today and got to 16, which is eleven more than my initial test. I can’t complain!
No one’s said anything about my arms, but Spouse did stop mid-sentence a couple days ago to stare at my midsection and ask, “Have you lost weight?” Considering that I went to the dr. on Monday and knew that I’d shed only one pound since February, I think I can safely conclude that the push-ups do as much for my abs as for my arms…
16 steve // Jun 28, 2008 at 2:28 pm
nice work grimsaburger!
just did my exhaustion too and somehow managed 48 - 18 more than my initial test 2 weeks ago
I’ve also added some new info to the push ups web site. More details here:
http://www.runbulldogrun.com/push-ups/hundred-push-ups-week-2-exhaustion-test/
Keep up the good work!
–Steve
–www.hundredpushups.com
17 bmis // Jun 28, 2008 at 3:35 pm
Lost a day yesterday, but just finished W2D3: 15, 15, 12, 12, 17.
I’ll take it. Plan to do the exh. test tomorrow.
18 a different Steve // Jun 29, 2008 at 4:12 pm
I am doing week 2 day 3 so I am a little behind schedule but feeling great. My first day my rotator cuffs were sore but I am doing this the same day as I do my other weight training. No soreness since but I have noticed my back feels better, too. ( I am recovering from a herniated disc in the lower back)
My motivation: I am going on vacation at the end of July and always try to do ’some’ pushups during my trips so this is good timing. I hope to be able to do this in the hotel room in Florida. THANKS!
19 Pplukas // Jun 29, 2008 at 5:03 pm
I also repeated week one as well, now using a couple of books below my hands so that the belly does not touch the floor. Day one was pretty hard because I had to focus on getting down enough as well as on trying to make the books stand stable. For the last set I could do only two.
For day two I changed strategy, so I moved to my room and separated the beds enough far so that I could be between them, and the base could make the books stay fixed, so I could be focused just on the push-ups, and it worked!!
Yesterday I did day three, and Icould do 11 1/2 for the last set. I will be moving into week 2 for tomorrow.
20 Drew // Jun 30, 2008 at 7:47 am
I just finished W1D3, only I didn’t read the instructions too well! I accidentally combined the 15/15/12/12/>15 from W2D3 with the 15/13/10/10/>15 from W1D3 into 15/13/12/12/>15. Plus I’ve only been giving myself 60 seconds of rest in between sets on all days.
Oh well. Live and learn. (And hopefully read!) I’ll move on to week 2 on Thursday. Yeah, I got started on an odd day. But I figured that it’s not much of a time committment anyway, so starting on a Thursday isn’t that bad.
I was able to do 26 before I started. The best I’ve ever done was 40 a year ago. I’m looking forward to blasting past my PR.
Thaks for the link! Should be fun!
21 The Vegan // Jun 30, 2008 at 2:37 pm
I did my pushups on Friday right before rushing out the door for a weekend float trip. W2D3: 10, 8, 8, 5, 15.
Leave a Comment