Workout
100 Push-ups by September 16th: And the number of push-ups I can do is...
- pushup (via mikebaird)
One.
One full to-the-ground-and-back, excellent-form push-up. Then I just sort of sit there, off the ground, but unable to go back up again. I'm pressing, but I'm going nowhere. It's embarrassing and no one but my cat is watching.
I want to be able to do a full pull-up by the end of the year. I plan to celebrate the New Year 2011 with a glorious pull-up. Why? I have no idea. Because I knew someone who had to do it to join the Air Force. Because I remember this girl in grade school who could do them and I thought it was unbelievably badass for a girl to be able to do pull-ups. Because it will make me more awesome on the rope swing.
But right now, I require 75% assistance on the assisted chin-up machine. Not good. So I decided to start with push-ups for the fall, and work on pull-ups all winter.
liz mentioned hundredpushups.com, a six-week plan to get you doing 100 push-ups. Six weeks from today is September 16th. Let it be known, yea, and shouted unto the housetops that on September 16th, I shall to complete no fewer than 100 push-ups. Preferably not involving my knees.
Hundredpushups.com recommends that you consider some alternative form of push-up if you are unable to do five push-ups. I hate knee push-ups-- the indignity-- but I guess I will have to start there. Hopefully a couple of weeks of them will help get me off my knees. I really want to get to 100 full push-ups.
So the number of knee push-ups I can complete with good form (really, truly good form) is... nine.
This is appalling.
This cannot stand!
So here I vow that from this day forward, I shall complete the prescribed sets of push-ups every other day. So shall it be mlogged, so shall it be done. Forever and ever, amen.
- Login or register to post comments
Email this page
Comments
don't disparage the knee-push-ups! they're a real strength builder if you do them with excellent form! and, you can totally get to the pull-up...it was one of those goals i finally reached during one of the previous challenges :-)
Submitted by msh258 on 08.06.10 at 09:22.
i agree with msh! the knee pushups are still good!
good luck with the 100 pushups training plan!
Submitted by CJ on 08.06.10 at 09:45.
Yaaay! I am so excited you are doing this challenge too!! I couldn't do full push ups for a really long time (the 1,000s finally got me there). I think knee push ups are totally valid and if you keep it up you will do full ones in no time. You could also try doing full ones on an incline by putting your hands on a sturdy table and doing them from there as another variation and then slowly lower the incline until you are on the floor. Yay! I'm excited for challenge friends!
Submitted by liz on 08.06.10 at 10:03.
This is awesome - I love this goal!
Submitted by FatBottomSlim on 08.06.10 at 10:33.
I must confess I'm a knee push-up girl myself; they are still plenty challenging. I commend you on your goal - it's a great one!
Submitted by zuzupetals on 08.06.10 at 10:44.
I always thought push-ups were a breeze! THEN, I was taught the correct way to them.....not so easy :(
Submitted by michlny on 08.06.10 at 10:44.
Try employing unstable surfaces, like a bosu ball or an earthquake, when doing pushups. You not only need to train your muscles for strength, but also your nervous system for firing off those muscles appropriately... so no need to diss the knee pushup.
Submitted by Mr. Mohawk on 08.06.10 at 11:17.
also, if you do the knee pushups as fast as possible, it will help build up to more. so do what you can, how you can, as fast as you can. you'll find in a week you're doing many more than you expected.
Submitted by sandyliz on 08.06.10 at 12:59.
@liz, we are going to rock this! @msh258, you are my hero. I wants that pull-up.
Thanks for all the advice & support! I had really been wondering how I can move from knee to full push-up... like would it just magically happen if I do enough knee push-ups? I like the incline-working-toward-the-floor plan. And I will try to do my knee push-ups as fast as possible. I will do my best to employ an earthquake. Maybe I can get one on Craigslist.
Submitted by sadie on 08.07.10 at 08:41.
"Maybe I can get one on Craigslist."
hahaha, pure genius. I might write a poem about that. (seriously, though, unstable surfaces build up smaller, often neglected muscles... that's why it's important to employ various approaches to the pushup or any other exercise you want to master.)
Submitted by Mr. Mohawk on 08.08.10 at 01:21.
You can do it! Last Saturday I did 186 pushups - full out, straight leg pushups - in my morning bootcamp. It was awesome!
If you wanna do straight leg pushups, train straight leg pushups! If they are too hard, then elevate the upper body; find a countertop to do pushups on... when those get easy, find a bench or chair or sofa back that is a bit lower and do pushups there. When those are easy find something lower... you get the picture! All of these are still in that same body position of the straight-leg pushup. Soon you'll be zipping off sets of 10 like they're nothing!
Do them throughout the day. You only get stronger by DOING them. So what if people look at you as if you're a lunatic. You've got a GOAL! Work at it!
Keep us informed so we can cheer you on!!
Submitted by dprtree on 08.08.10 at 06:26.