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That's week 4 done!
Pretty punishing final set of 33 which necessitated a couple of "arse in the air" stretches for the back.
Exhaustion test on Tuesday then start week 5 on Wed/Thu. I'm fairly confident about making the 36-40 for column 2 in week 5 which is daunting enough (up to 8 sets on days 2 and 3 with 45 sec rests only!)
I started week 2 day 1 today. I am ok until i get to the final 15 and had to have 3 goes at it. Will be repeating this week again by the looks of it i reckon. This 6 week plan is going to end up nearer 12 
can you settle a discussion between me and a friend about this? we are going to start doing this and did the initial test last week. we are discussing how far down you need to go - he reckons there should only be a fist between chest and the ground. i find going down that far pretty uncomfortable and usually only do it so as my shoulders/elbows/back are in a straight line. my theory is that a press up is similar to the chest press in the gym, and i wouldn't take that down to my chest as it puts too much strain on elbows etc.
anyway, i got 25 when i did it last week. usually do 4 sets of 15, twice a week so will have to skip a few weeks to find a level i'm happy with.
I use[url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/York-Fitness-Pushup-Stands/dp/B000N3T1C2/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=sports&qid=1244707917&sr=8-4 ] push up bars[/url] and go down till my chest hits the ground.....maybe why i am having to repeat every week
DGOAB,
I'm working on the "elbows at 90 degrees" principle and back up to near lock (but not quite as this would take the load off the muscles momentarily). Going any lower makes it much harder and seems to put too much strain on the elbows and my bad wrist.
Got me worried now that I might be cheating!
maybe i'll just tell him i'm right! when i did the test, i didn't find it was my arms that hurt first - it was my lower back. 😥 think i might wait until my back settles down properly and do a new test and start in a few weeks. i like press ups, one of my fave exercises in the gym 😳
it doesn't say anywhere how low you need to go - i reckon the lower it is, the more strain it puts on elbows/wrists and it does make it much harder as well
@ DGOAB:
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elbow bends to 90 degrees for a full press up.
Bimbler... those prison burpees are called barstwards, normal burpees don't include a press up. I like to do a few sets of those when out running.
Kev
Only just seen this.....
<goes off to bedroom to perform the 'initial test'>
(s**** all you like :lol:but, with floor to ceiling windows here in the lounge I don't plan to show the world just how unfit I am.... 😀 )
So, Week 1 efforts will start tomorrow....
initial test results
10 press-ups
20 sit ups 😳
now, recovery drink time.......... mmm Birra Moretti should do nicely
marsdenman, you did twice as many in the initial test as me and (IIRC) I'm rather lighter than you so it should be easier for me!
Mark Twight of Gym Jones think the chest should [i]touch[/i] the floor in a push-up:
Push-ups: chest touches the floor first, active shoulder and full extension at the top, body held as a solid plank, the hips do not move
- [url= http://www.gymjones.com/knowledge.php?id=20 ]Gym Jones: Quality[/url]
I'd always planned to retake the initial test after three weeks and to start again, so might start using this definition from that test onwards.
Week 4 exhaustion test - 40. Initial test was 25, so definite progress.
I could have kept going but that would put me into column 3 for week 5 and bugger that, quite frankly.
I'm not touching the floor on each one, but my excuse is that I don't have a great big barrel chest which would make it easier (also it hurts my bad wrist...)
Do um naked and go down til you, ahem touch the floor..
Then I wouldn't get very far down at all...
Started week 1 again, had a better offer than spending 10 minutes doing press-ups after work. 😳 damn my will power of rice pudding!!
mmm....muller-rice.....
Did the exhaustion test at the end of week 2 - 20 up from 11 so an improvement I suppose. Used to be able to do 20 easily though. 😡
used to do 200 a night, back when I was 18, used to work on a farm back then and was reasonably fit.
Now some 22 years on, after reading this post, I sweated out with just 35, with my Mrs sat laughing at me!
Think I might need to work at it a bit.
Great post btw.
I could be missing something as I've only skimmed all that's here, but is there a similar programme for pull ups anybody knows of? (Not necessarily 100!)
Kendal, a pull ups programme:
[url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recon_Ron_Pull-up_Program ]Recon Ron Pull Up Program[/url]
Back to week 3 column 3 again, left it for a few too many days and found that week 4 was too difficult...
Week 2, day 2, left hand column (5, 6, 4, 4, 7). I think my 6-year-old daughter could do more.
My right wrist is killing me if I try more than 10. Any suggestions? And no, I won't stop [b]it[/b].
My right wrist is killing me if I try more than 10. Any suggestions? And no, I won't stop it.
@mattmagic on Twitter suggested using dumbells, rather than placing hands flat on the floor.
Currently on week 5, day 2. I managed to complete day 2 earlier with my max at 31. I don't think that I'll be able to do 100 at the end of next week though!
Good going rhysboy1!
I can't work out why I'm so bad at pressups.
I'm a johnny come lately to this. Just done the first test tonight and managed 26 - So I start on week 3 on Friday!
not happy, this is the 2nd day where i got weaker/less pressups, i have a feeling i'm a little dehydrated due to the silly hot weather..
I am just getting used to repeating weeks. So 6 weeks is going to be 12 probably...the plus point is there is no negatives from failing. Your still doing as many push ups as you can until failure so its all healthy stuff.
just finished week 4, albeit not to the schedule. I just can't do the recommended minimum at the end of each set...
God I only done it 3 times then forgot all about it, that was weeks ago!
Just finished week 2. Just managed the 8 for the final set.
everytime i see this it er reminds me to do some
i think most so far is 60 ish including the improper shag pile crapet shagging type ones
Yesterday I tried week 5 day 3 - I couldn't manage the 30 in set 8 (only 20). I'm going to do the exhaustion test tomorrow and probably repeat week 5 again.
how is this affecting your cycling for those doing all these press ups, knackered arms or stronger ? better at pulling the bike around, climbing and downhilling ?
curious to know.
Kev
EPIC FAIL!
Started week 5 after managing 40 on my exhaustion test after week 4.
W5, D1 sets are 28,35,25,22,35+ with 60 sec rests, but I knew I was in trouble in set 2. Only got as far as 18 on set 3 before my arms gave out completely. I am weak...
I'll try again on Monday, but I've got the feeling week 5 might take some time.
if you fail a weak do you just repeat until you've done it? Or just days that you fail on?
Thats sounds like an off-day to me, Stu once you've got that far in the series...
Could be an off day Jim - been feeling a bit wabbit for the last couple of days.
If I fail a day I just repeat it until I succeed then move on, so each "week" is taking a bit longer than the chronological time span.
Week 5 is a tough one - it's the last set that's the killer - my arms are normally completely knackered by then and I can't manage the max.
Just started the program after downloading the iPhone apps for both the 100 pressups and 200 situp. I'll be doing the pressups in the morning and the situps in the evening.
Start on week... Don't know, but the evaluation for pressups was 40, so not too shabby. Unfortunately, I could only do 40 situps as well, so I think I have a long way to go with that one.
Really quite looking forward to it. Strange that.
God I'm awful at this.
In the test I could only do 2. How bad is that? 2 press ups. Truly Awful.
Have just done week 1 and struggled to do minimum 5.
Getting better though, 5 much better than 2!
Another fail, but not as bad as the last one.
Managed 28,35,25,22 and 18 before failure. Last set should have been 35+
Been feeling a bit ropey the last few days, but I'm determined to get week 5 done before I head off for the Transalp next Tuesday.
Next attempt at day 1 on Friday - watch this space...
i'm still faffing about on week 4 day 2. today i managed 25,29,25,25,38 but i did have a fair bit more rest for last set.
i'm wondering if i should stay on this day until i can get the rest time down or proceed to next day. what is more benifical to my progress?, higher reps with more rest or lower reps with less rest? hmmm?
pullups still going well, slow but steady progress
This is ace. I love how stuartie_c is considering week 4 a fail and I am overjoyed as I completed week 2 day 1 last night.
Out of interest, which muscles does a push up use? I am either:
a) obviously very weak in this area
or
b) I have average size muscles in this area but my 6ft 6' 18st frame is considerably heavier to lift than most!
so.... anyone noticed any improvement in their off road cycling from doing all these press ups ?
Kev