Good job to everyone still chugging away, I have pushup envy. I really do, I put my beefiest brace on and tried to see if I could somehow still do a pushup through some combination of brace, alignment, and magic, and the result instead was horrible pain. Blown wrist and broken hand = no pushups for me for a long time.
In the words of Arnold, I'll be back. Someday (4-6 weeks), probably starting back over from scratch.
You guys rock!!!!! Due to Kona and my trip to India - yes just excuses!!! I will be starting my week one this week. I want to get to the 100 number and will get there just a bit later than the rest of the team.
I finished week 4 column 3 last night doing 160 total. I'm repeating week 4 again this week. I couldn't finish any of the final sets without having to stop and rest.
50. That was my total # consecutive pushups after today's test. So it looks like I'm moving onto week 5, and God help me 'cause I'm still gonna be on Column 3. This is gonna get ugly!
Nemo- Last year I found it easier to start with column 2, then do column 3 of the same week (say 5) before moving on to column 2 of week 6 then column 3 of week 6. This was MY key to hitting 100 last year.
Nemo- Last year I found it easier to start with column 2, then do column 3 of the same week (say 5) before moving on to column 2 of week 6 then column 3 of week 6. This was MY key to hitting 100 last year.
Awesome advice Michele! Thanks! I think that's exactly whe I'm gonna do. Seems like a much better progression for me. Last year I kept getting injured and ultimately just had to bail on the whole thing. I really want to make it this time!
Changed my mind. I just couldn't delete real pushups that I did so I took advantage of the power of the spreadsheet.
Any time I have to repeat a day or week I will use a formula to add the new effort to the existing effort. That way I get credit for doing pushups but anyone that looks at the cell contents will see that I did [= 80 + 85] for that Week/Day. Indicating I had to repeat that day and did better the second time.
Hey- whatever works for ya and keeps you motivated! I'll be doing the second column week 5 (per Michele's great advice) at lunch today. Still sore from the test, so I'm sure it's gonna be a little rough.
Even though my test put me in column 3, I found the workouts very challenging and ramping up faster then I felt ready to complete. So when I moved from week 3 to week 4, I dropped down to column 2. I know I won't make it in 6 weeks, last year it took me 10 weeks. I am OK with that.
A nice benefit is that I am not having nearly as much shoulder and neck pain this time around. Apparently swimming left those muscles strong enough to do pushups!
The spreadsheet can just keep going further to the right. 6 weeks won't happen for a lot of folks and it is setting some folks up for failure that 6 weeks is the time expected.
i think this is a great work out and plan, but don't be afraid to take more time!
Ok guys, I'm back and starting over. After that first week,My wrist and shoulders were hurting. then went in boot, at first not taking boot off at all, so balance was off. EXCUSES, i know.
I decided I am going to take this real slow to hopefully avoid injury. I plan to do it over 18 weeks, starting in column 1 of week 1, and progressing slowly. So it will take me 3 weeks for each week of program. I don't care how long it takes for me to do it , getting older, i find I have to take things R E A L S L O W or & . Off I go
Michele, THANK YOU!!!!! I did Week 5 column 2 today and man, that was MORE than enough!! I would have suffered badly if I tried the third column. I agree- taking your time to get there is totally fine with me too.
What I'm doing this time around is doing each day, 3x, on M/W/F.
That has left me with a lot of confidence that I'll have no problems in finishing and getting to the 100 without any issues. Obviously it'll take a lot longer, but I think it's worth it for me.
I'm feeling more confident about hitting 50 consistently now. Tested at 56 over the weekend. I got off a day again because I was obsessing over my OS FTP test yesterday. :-)
Today's set called for 40 first, then 50 a minute later. Didn't quite get that 50, but could have done the 50 in the first set for sure. Still a long road to go.
By the way, did I mention that when I got over 150 or so for the set I had to start worrying about making big heavy breathing noises in my office and sweating a lot?
Nemo- Glad my problems last year can help out others this year. I didn't forget how hard this feels. But we never give up, just modify.
William Jenks- when I do these in my office, I have to lock the door, take off my shirt, do a set and then stand near the window cooling off until the next set. I have gotten very good at staying out of sight from the other buildings. (My office faces a lake, but there is a building to the left curving around the edge of the lake.) But yeah- the sweating is always hard to explain.
I'm having a hard time completeing all the reps. I have been falling short by two or three push-ups in the last 2-3 sets. I have a test coming up this weekend. I'm sure I will be able to do more than my last test (40) I'm just not sure how many more.
Michelle - Thank you for the great advice on Columns 2 and 3! I was all excited about hitting 50 at my week 4 exhaustion test. But then I've not come near the last set MIN with the last 2 workouts. Talk about following a plan into a brick wall "Nope, my test said I'm in Column 3. I must do Column 3."
I must say it's pretty darn fun looking at the total at the end of each workout - "Wow! I did ###!"
@Michelle So funny! My window faces an interior brick wall... and I've had this office almost 20 years! :-(
@ Eric I'm hitting this week's sets ok, but I was doing that for two weeks (coming up a few short). For what it's worth, I took a short (30 sec?) break and did another 10 to get up to the right number. I also found that just repeating a week let me catch up. I'm supposedly on the last week (6), but there's NO WAY I'm that close to 100 consecutive yet. Figure next week or two will be spent increasing the number on that last set.
I did day 2 of week 5 yesterday. This is the point where you start doing double sets with fewer reps- so it kinda rounds out to 8x20 plus a final max set. These seemed a lot easier to me year- and this year was no exception.
Geoff- I'm with you. How cool is it at the end of the workout to look down and say "I just did 150 pushups!!!" Love that.
I've never been in the military, but I also kinda like being at this place where if someone said "Drop and give me 20" I could actually do it without any concern!
I've never been in the military, but I also kinda like being at this place where if someone said "Drop and give me 20" I could actually do it without any concern!
Absolutely!
Did my Week 4 day 3 today. Was really skeptical that I could do it, but I took the 2 minute rest between sets and made it happen. Just barely made the last set minimum of 40. But 170 push ups on the day is a good feeling.
Sounds like everyone is doing really well and working out the best way to get it done for them. Self coached works, with guidance.
Finally added my #s to the spreadsheet. 65 at my test yesterday. I'm encouraged that I might make 100 this time.
The stories of doing pushups at work are amusing to me. I have no door to close and can only imagine all the attention I would draw doing pushups in my cubicle.
Comments
In the words of Arnold, I'll be back. Someday (4-6 weeks), probably starting back over from scratch.
Some of you have some posting to catch up on!!!!
Due to Kona and my trip to India - yes just excuses!!! I will be starting my week one this week. I want to get to the 100 number and will get there just a bit later than the rest of the team.
WOW! That's awesome William!!! I finished up Week 4, barely! Next us is the test. I can't imagine getting over 30 at this point, but who knows!
I knew it was going to be a rough week and I figured I would need to do a repeat, I was right. So come Monday I'll be back at [3-1] again.
Good job on all the work everyone. This is a really tough challenge.
Awesome advice Michele! Thanks! I think that's exactly whe I'm gonna do. Seems like a much better progression for me. Last year I kept getting injured and ultimately just had to bail on the whole thing. I really want to make it this time!
Question - I have to repeat w3-c3, how do I chart that on the speadsheet? Do I replace the data or add this weeks efforts to last weeks totals?
This morning w3-c3-d1: 14,18,14,14,25 = 85
vDot 5K tomorrow
I'd suggest replacing the data. That's probably what I will do.
Any time I have to repeat a day or week I will use a formula to add the new effort to the existing effort. That way I get credit for doing pushups but anyone that looks at the cell contents will see that I did [= 80 + 85] for that Week/Day. Indicating I had to repeat that day and did better the second time.
Any thoughts?
A nice benefit is that I am not having nearly as much shoulder and neck pain this time around. Apparently swimming left those muscles strong enough to do pushups!
The spreadsheet can just keep going further to the right. 6 weeks won't happen for a lot of folks and it is setting some folks up for failure that 6 weeks is the time expected.
i think this is a great work out and plan, but don't be afraid to take more time!
Ok guys, I'm back and starting over. After that first week,My wrist and shoulders were hurting. then went in boot, at first not taking boot off at all, so balance was off. EXCUSES, i know.
I decided I am going to take this real slow to hopefully avoid injury. I plan to do it over 18 weeks, starting in column 1 of week 1, and progressing slowly. So it will take me 3 weeks for each week of program. I don't care how long it takes for me to do it
, getting older, i find I have to take things R E A L S L O W or
& 
. Off I go
Tracy- 18 weeks sounds about right!
That has left me with a lot of confidence that I'll have no problems in finishing and getting to the 100 without any issues. Obviously it'll take a lot longer, but I think it's worth it for me.
Today's set called for 40 first, then 50 a minute later. Didn't quite get that 50, but could have done the 50 in the first set for sure. Still a long road to go.
Wm
William Jenks- when I do these in my office, I have to lock the door, take off my shirt, do a set and then stand near the window cooling off until the next set. I have gotten very good at staying out of sight from the other buildings. (My office faces a lake, but there is a building to the left curving around the edge of the lake.) But yeah- the sweating is always hard to explain.
I'm having a hard time completeing all the reps. I have been falling short by two or three push-ups in the last 2-3 sets. I have a test coming up this weekend. I'm sure I will be able to do more than my last test (40) I'm just not sure how many more.
I must say it's pretty darn fun looking at the total at the end of each workout - "Wow! I did ###!"
@ Eric I'm hitting this week's sets ok, but I was doing that for two weeks (coming up a few short). For what it's worth, I took a short (30 sec?) break and did another 10 to get up to the right number. I also found that just repeating a week let me catch up. I'm supposedly on the last week (6), but there's NO WAY I'm that close to 100 consecutive yet. Figure next week or two will be spent increasing the number on that last set.
@Nemo Yeah! 50+ woo hoo!
Geoff- I'm with you. How cool is it at the end of the workout to look down and say "I just did 150 pushups!!!" Love that.
I've never been in the military, but I also kinda like being at this place where if someone said "Drop and give me 20" I could actually do it without any concern!
Absolutely!
Did my Week 4 day 3 today. Was really skeptical that I could do it, but I took the 2 minute rest between sets and made it happen. Just barely made the last set minimum of 40. But 170 push ups on the day is a good feeling.
Sounds like everyone is doing really well and working out the best way to get it done for them. Self coached works, with guidance.
I did not make the big set today (week 6, day 3). Just had to break it up with short rests to get the numbers. Maybe because I did 2 days in a row?
I think I'll put off the weekend test until Sunday. I can be sure I'm repeating the week, but that'll give me a better shot to see improvement. :-)
Finally added my #s to the spreadsheet. 65 at my test yesterday. I'm encouraged that I might make 100 this time.
The stories of doing pushups at work are amusing to me. I have no door to close and can only imagine all the attention I would draw doing pushups in my cubicle.