STW Fit Club – one hundred push-ups time again!

Right. Time for an affirmative action plan.

http://hundredpushups.com/

There were a good few of us who did this last year with varying degrees of success. I found it very motivating to know that others were sharing my pain. I never did quite make the “century” but I think I managed 72 in a single set.

Do the initial test and then follow the instructions for week 1 to determine where to start. Some advice from last year’s experience:
[*]
Don’t be too ambitious with your starting point. I went right in at week 3, column 2 last year and found it VERY punishing. I found I had to keep repeating days until I succeeded before moving on and the final set for each day was very tough. Better to build up a bit more slowly and avoid injury.

Concentrate on good form. I tended to resort to half-arsed push-ups towards the end of sets where I was only cheating myself and then failing woefully on the next day.

If you injure yourself, STOP and rest until the pain has gone completely.

Expect some “weeks” to take more than a week…

So – who’s in?

I've started at Week 1, column 2 this year which will hopefully avoid injury to my dodgy right shoulder.

Just done day 1: sets of 6,6,4,4,22

This is a great way to improve core strength. It's great for the small muscles in the back as well as the shoulders. I found that it did wonders for the constant niggling back pain on the bike.

I'll do it

I'm in for it too- although whippets will tell you that extra bulk adds weight, I could probably do with a bit more!
Also i think if you do crash on the bike a bit as i do, stronger muscle around the shoulders/arms can reduce extent of injury.

Right, I'm in. Good discipline for the spring training program!

I'm in. As of tomorrow morning I shall be participating.

Just finished week 3. 😆

I'm in. But we all know I'm core so I started by just doing the hundred push ups. 😉 How about adding in the 200 sit ups and 200 squats thing too for a more rounded programme?

Just managed 20 on the 'initial test', so I think I ought to give it a go. I'm a bit unfit atm.

I'm in. But we all know I'm core

I thought you'd left us AGAIN! 😉

Last time I spoke to you, you were "broken".

I'm intending the sit-ups and pull-ups as well but I'm starting with this and I'll phase these in.

Stuartie_c – I still am broken. I have had the winter from hell health wise, so might just take this year off to sort my body out. 🙁

I'll start it, but not until Sunday. If I start before then, the cholesterol in my blood from the weekends bingeing would block most of my arteries before I finished the first set.

hmmm this sounds like a good idea. just done the inital test got 20 and it seems nice and easy to follow.
I'm in. Now will I forget and not follow the plan before the end? lets see!

I started tonight before I even saw this post – so I guess I am in.
Week 1 middle column – not being a hero

I'm in but it's 2.35am so I'm not going to start doing press ups now, will start tomorrow…..I mean later

good idea. Will do the test this evening.

I started this about 3 weeks ago as I am hopeless when it comes to push ups.

I started the initial test and it put me a the very bottom week one, column one. I did the test, then couldnt do the next set after a couple of days as the tendons connecting my arms ot my chest were utter agony. So i parked it up to let them heal. I'll start again tonight.

Just did the initial test and scraped into Rank 3 by ONE pushup! I'd be happier if I had just missed Rank 4 by one pushup tbh! 🙂

I'll have a think about which days best suit me and start the plan next week . . . . or the week after . . . . .

😉

I didn't do the initial test this time round because I'm fairly certain I can manage about 25-30 before failure (being of wiry build).

Trouble is this compels me to start in week 3, column 3 which is a whole world of pain.

No heroics this time round…

I'm in – didn't finish it last time…

been at this since before christmas, started wk2 progressed easily to wk5 column1 then stuck on wk5 column2.

never manage three sessions a week, never managed over 50 in a set 🙁

Week 5 column 2 is where I got stuck too. I just found it too difficult to do the final set and I ran out of time before heading to the Alps for the summer.

I did manage a single set of 72 though, which was pretty impressive progress from the initial test of 25-ish.

Are you doing column 1, 2 and 3 every week? I just stuck to the column 2 regime all the way through.

Been stuck at week 5 column 3 for a couple of weeks now, what happens when you reach the hundred. Do you then try to build up to do sets of a hundred or just a hundred in 1 session?

ive been basing my column selection on the most recent test results, or where i havent managed a clear week, just repeated the same.

at one point i was going back to wk4 col3.

must try harder to find three sessions a week, every week.

didnt mean to put a downer on the thread – ooops

the plan certainly works and all of the steps were achieveable while i kept at it.

i feel stronger, i look better and im better in bed more radcore on the bike.

Yup – it's all these things and more. 🙂

Unfortunately I've just sliced the top off my finger with a **** bread knife… May put the plan on hold for a few days.

Like the look of this – I'm in…
So legs are okay, shoulders and arms should be good in 4-5 weeks – but what about this roll of blubber around my middle that my missus keeps staring at??? 😕

I've tried it twice and both times my left elbow has started hurting quite considerably after a week or three. Anyone got any ideas how to avoid this?

Just did my initial test and week-one day-one… My recovery regime is currently a nice glass of wine… This could be fun…

Started yesterday.Ache today. have more to do tomorrow. I hate pushups.

Should really do this. Will do the initial test tonight.

edit. Managed 10, this could be slow and painful.

i will have a go at this managed 62 in a minute as a kid so be interested to see how i get on.

Just did the second session.
I still ache from the first session
I hate pushups.

In the second group, shameful performance 🙁

Ha 🙂
Despite being 40 years and 5 months old this is the first time I've encountered any tangible 'benefit' of being "40+"

ie. I'm now at the bottom of a higher rank as opposed to being at the top of a lower rank.
Fool!

Managed 14 so I'll se how I get on

I'm up for this, will try the test tonight once I get home from work.

That's Week 1, Day 2 done.

Sets of 6, 8, 6, 6 and 20

Still feeling the effects of Day 1, but the muscles should get used to the effort soon enough.

I am due to do day 2 of week 1 today and I am putting it off for as long as possible – I am still really sore from Tuesdays effort. 🙁

I'll try it. 19 on first test, stupid overlong monkey arms…