Push Ups: Just checking in...

During my workout last night, I was curious to see where I stood in terms of my abilities regarding a fitness friend for life: the ol’ push up. Keep in mind I hadn’t been doing regular push up training for over 2 months now, unlike during those hellishly intensive training sessions I underwent from mid-May all the way to early August of this year (too long…can you feel it? (c) Daft Punk). Since then, I’ve taken it easy on the push up tip, adding a few sets of push ups to my workout routine here and there or pumping out some reps while watching my nightly horror movies. You know my steez.

So this time around, I did three super-sets of push ups and dead lifts for kicks (5 minute break in between super-sets). And here are the results:

Super-set #1: 75 push ups; 12 deadlfits (7+5)

Super-set #2: 65 push ups; 11 deadlifts (6+5)

Super-set #3: 55 push ups; 10 deadlifts (5+5)

These were followed by three super-sets of tuck crunches on an exercise ball and weighted calf raises (with a barbell resting across my upper back/shoulders). But this post is supposed to be about push ups, so I’ll spare you those details.

Now my point with all of this is to illustrate that there has indeed been some lasting effect from all of that training over the summer. I can do 50 push ups pretty much at will. If I push hard, I can hit 60+ and if I push extra hard like my life depended on it (a feeling which I sometimes use as motivation), then it appears that I can hit the 3/4 century mark (although I was pretty drained and winded after hitting 75). I would love to hit 100 again, but I might have to undergo some extra training to return to that summit.

To re-iterate once more (with feeling), I’m not a big guy or buff at all: 5’ 5”, 123lbs with about 11% body fat (I don’t post pix of myself, so you’ll just have to use your imagination). But one of my goals in completing all of these physical challenges in the 2K9 was to turn my body into an efficient and even more agile machine, capable of performing the most useful and essential compound exercise movements repeatedly (natural movements that could save myself from danger…if I were ever caught in an action movie). I think I’ve succeeded thus far. And I’ve also learned that if the mind is truly willing, then the body will follow suit. Our bodies are capable of so much more than we think; you just have to push yourself hard and want it bad enough. And you are now leaving Cliché City. We hope you enjoyed your stay!

One Hundred Push Ups: The Final Test (eighth take is enough?)

Tonight’s Game Plan: max out on the first set and increase by 20 reps every set thereafter:

30 ——> Whoops. I guess this was my warm up.

(5 min break)

50 ——> Decent, but it’s still only the beginning.

(5 min break)

70 ——> So far, so good.

(7 min break)

50 ——> Oh sh*t, I fell 40 short of the intended goal. So far, not good.

(8 min break)

?? ——> refer to below.

The Checklist:

• Gear: Yellow Everlast muscle top, blue/gold Reebok b-ball shorts, white Adidas ankle socks, white/silver Jordan Jumpmans, black G-Shock GW-M5600 Tough Solar watch.
• Tunes: 1G iPod Touch sitting on the iPod Hi-Fi speaker, playing a Teddy Riley produced playlist (composed of Guy’s The Future, Blackstreet’s self-titled debut and the Teddy Riley produced tracks from MJ’s Dangerous LP).
• Beverage: A mix of Mega C Vitamin Water and Labrador Spring Water (I also popped a multi-vitamin right before the first set). Housed in an Astro Boy mug.
• Protein Shake (for consumption later on): 200mL of water, scoop of whey powder, a chopped up banana, 1.5 tbsp of almond butter, 100mL of unsweetened organic soy milk, topped up with a tsp of oats.
• Additional mental preparation during the 8 minute break before the 5th set (in other words: stall).
• Gentle stretching of the triceps and pectorals for added flexibility and (hopefully) stamina.
• Bow once again to Bruce Lee poster.
• Let’s goooo! (c) Black Milk

The Push Ups (for set #5):

• 1-10: Went by in the half blink of an eye, although I do remember counting each rep (that little detail is for very near future reference).
• 11-20: Here we are in the near future and for some reason, I have little recollection of this segment (I was blasting through the reps very fast). I do remember counting 16-19, but that’s it. If for some strange reason I forgot how to count and thereby skipped any numbers, I will try to compensate for that later on (odd, maybe I was just mentally tired… or had a brain fart).
• 21-40: Running like a (scared) machine, although at this point in the program, I can almost do 50 at the drop of a hat. When I started, I could only do about 30 or so before needing to stop. So the program has been successful in that capacity.
• 41-50: Halfway mark. Although I’ve been here many times, I tried not to think about it because I had bigger fish to fry. I was feeling alright and not lagging like I usually have been lately at this point. I have 70 firmly in my sights.
• 51-60: Almost on cruise control now. Odd seeing as how it’s somewhat late in the game (but not quite the eleventh hour just yet). Making sure to bend my arms/elbows at 90 degrees each time (still cutting a surprisingly fast pace though).
• 61-70: Because I failed at reaching 90 in my last set, I figured I would just shoot for 70 again. But I also told myself that if I felt good at 70, then I should push for 80 (if a then b; very simple logic here). And so I did.
• 71-80: OK. This is only my 4th time ever doing this many push ups in a row. And you know what? I was feeling quite good at this point considering the circumstances, which is surprising as hell as I was all ready for the muscle failure monster to jump out and grab me at any given moment. In the meantime, keep pumping baby!
• 81-90: Approaching no man’s land (my highest consecutive total to date has been 91, which I reached only once until now). Better yet, it appears that the after-burn energy kick that I’ve been waiting on for weeks has finally arrived! I think. Yes, I was finally hitting my second wind energy burst, for real. Where the f*ck has it been this whole time? Well, time to push (up) harder than I’ve ever pushed before. THIS is my chance.
• 91-92: New personal record. No time to celebrate though. I’m gradually tiring, but can you blame me? The 11th hour has arrived and I am NOT going to mess this up. Nosiree, Bob! (c) Flanders
• 93-94?-95: I remember thinking to myself “NINETY-FOUR?” as soon as I counted off that rep. I was in sheer disbelief that my body had lasted this long. Again, I thought to myself: How did I get all the way up here? The view is lovely. But at this point in the game, single reps feel like they’re worth ten a piece.
• 96-97-98-99: During this span, I fatigued briefly and then hit an unprecedented THIRD wind. Nothing was going to stop me as I did NOT want to start this all over again. And then…
• 100: I’m finished! (c) Daniel Plainview.
• 101-102-103-104: For good measure (in case I did skip some reps between 10 and 19, which I don’t think I did, but you never know). Holy $#!+.

The Aftermath:

• Unlike with the nearly traumatizing (I’m only half kidding) Two Hundred Squats final session, I felt just fine as soon as I got out of the push up/plank position that I had spent nearly 2 minutes locked in to. So nothing to report of in terms of muscle shock or injuries. Mentally though, I wasn’t sure if I had legitimately reached the goal(d) as the alleged blank spot early on weighed a bit on my thoughts. Skeptical disbelief was the general feeling. Then I thought, ah f*ck it! I DID IT!!! Then I raised my arms like a dork to the delight of no one but myself (it was late at night and I was the only one still “up and at them” (c) McBain). 12 weeks of training + 7 failed test attempts = ONE HUNDRED & FOUR PUSH UPS IN A ROW! Yes, that deserves to be in all-caps alright.

So the journey to the top of the mountain is a long and arduous one indeed (I forgot who said that phrase which I paraphrased, but hopefully they’re not reading this). The proverbial mountain I speak of is (IMO) the holy trinity of body-weight compound exercises: Pull-ups, Squats and Push-ups. Every single major muscle group in your body is covered by the sum of those 3 efficient yet brutal exercise moves (no additional weights are required). And the truth is that many individuals avoid these moves altogether because they are hard to do and aren’t exactly a barrel of laughs and/or monkeys. But they work! (that is, if you put in the work) Simply put, fitness fads come and go but these 3 moves never go out of style, which is a big reason why I chose to do each of these 3 wonderfully crafted endurance programs (many thanks to the respective creators for giving us something to shoot for). I used the number 3 a lot in that paragraph.

To say the least, putting myself through my own personal boot camp took some serious self-discipline. It was also fun to take the time over the past 27 weeks to document my journey through each of these 3 fitness programs, both for myself and for my 3.7 readers (I’m just kidding…maybe 5.2). So why did I undergo the 100 Push Ups Program? And the 200 Squats Program? And the 20 Pull-Ups Challenge? I simply wanted to see how far I could push the limits of my body (and the timing of coming across those aforementioned websites couldn’t have been better). As an encouraging bonus, about a month ago a friend commented that I looked healthy and that it showed in my form, posture and overall look (and I didn’t even mention how I had been doing these multiple endurance programs until after she made those uninitiated comments). Knowing that healthy progress is being made makes it all worth it.

Don’t think I’m gonna stop here though. What now, you ask? Perhaps another detox (one where I would eat, of course, like what I did back in January). And I also plan on breaking my personal plank holding record of 4 minutes and 14 seconds. But don’t expect any elaborate bi-weekly progress reports on that because the plank is pretty much a one shot deal with no training required (either I do it or I don’t). And speaking of progress reports, thanks so much to YOU for reading all of this and following along without falling asleep or tuning out…although there’s really no way that I can tell :) Keep reaching for the fitness stars!

Final Score (each total indicates consecutive repetitions achieved):

• 25 Pull-Ups
• 214 Squats
• 104 Push Ups

One Hundred Push Ups: Back In Training

It’s been over a week since I last took a shot at the One Hundred Push Ups challenge (that being my 7th attempt at the final test). And since that last failed attempt, I busted my ankle which made things more difficult to support myself in the already challenging plank position (an obstacle I definitely do not need). As a result, last night’s session was simply a training session and NOT a test attempt, in order to re-familarize my body with the required endurance and hopefully get me back into the game. The only goal in mind was to hit 50 consecutive reps in each of the 5 sets. Now, here’s what happened:

63 ——> Nice leadoff!

(5 min break)

55 ——> Double nickel. Good!

(5 min break)

51 ——> Still above the status quo.

(6 min break)

50 ——> Just made it; fading fast though.

(7 min break)

72 ——-> Very nice finish!

Even though I still need to take lengthy breaks, I’m quite happy that I haven’t regressed too much. Music was the catalyst in that last set. I was getting quite tired after the 4th set, then MJ’s Jam came up on my Touch just as I was getting into position for the final set. Didn’t want to disappoint The King, so I busted my ass past 70 (when I had technically run out of gas by 60). Makes me think that I will not only need to reach 70 reps without getting tired, but I’m still waiting on a miraculous energy burst late in the game (70s, 80s) in order to get me anywhere near the century mark (doing 10 more reps while completely exhausted is plausible. But 20 more? Nearly impossible for me). Also, it might help if a hyped up, dope track that I wasn’t expecting randomly starts playing just as I’m beginning the set or when hitting my breaking point. Yes, apparently I need the planets to align for me to reach 100.

One Hundred Push Ups: The Final Test (Potentially Lucky Take 7)

Max out on every set:

50

60

40

20 ——> whoops!

71

50

(5-10 minute break in between sets)

Tsk-tsk. I’m regressing again. The pain I feel when I quit a set doesn’t even hurt a whole lot. It’s more of a feeling of: I’m gonna feel so much better when I let go of the bar and get out of the torturous plank position to catch my breath (edit: this is also known as the ah f*ck it! mentality). So my body just gives in to the desired relief. Yet my mind is like: only X more sets of 10 to your goal! Hey, WTF are you doing?

So there’s a disconnect right now that I can’t seem to solve. I think it’s also that, with push ups, your body is constantly tensed up, your muscles are always flexed and you’re using up energy every single second. Unlike with squats, where you can rest for a moment at the height of the movement, because technically you’re just standing and you do that everyday without thinking of it. But who spends regular intervals during the day resting in the push up position? Perhaps I should start doing that and maybe I’ll finally get somewhere.

In order to hype myself up, I was listening to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles OST while pumping out the reps (speaking of which, I’ll be catching a special screening of the 1990 classic film at the Mayfair Theatre this Saturday afternoon…if you’re in Ottawa this weekend and you’re a TMNT freak, you better catch this rare showing while you can). And the nostalgic tunes worked to an extent. But not as far as I had hoped. So I punished myself with a 10 minute high intensity interval training session (my cardio isn’t great so that almost killed me, especially after them bitch ass push ups). In any event, have a great weekend everyone.

One Hundred Push Ups: The Final Test (A Sextet of Take)

You know the drilly; do as many push ups as is humanly possible:

30 ——> Already broke my new 50 minimum policy…bra-vo.

55 ——> Back to status quo.

70 ——> Hmmm…unexpected.

80 ——> Haven’t hit 80 straight in over a week and a half.

64 ——> The inevitable drop off.

(5 to 10 minute break between sets…I did what I felt like)

No new personal bests to report of (again). But at least I made it to 80 for the 3rd time ever. That gives me a glimmer of hope as I was caught in a 40-60 rut for the past 11 days or so and was afraid that I would be stuck there for a while. Breathing was important, as it always is. And the only strategy that continually gets me results is the balls-to-the-wall “do the reps as fast as possible” approach (with some considerable mental and physical hyping up beforehand). The slower I do the reps, the quicker my energy drains (or at least, that’s what it feels like). Hey, whatever works, right? Bottom line though is that, at almost TEN WEEKS in, the almighty 100 continues to elude me *smh* over and over again.

One Hundred Push Ups: Just for fun

Wasn’t shooting for the holy one hundred mark today on this lazy Saturday afternoon (need to conserve some energy for the evening). But I had about 10-15 minutes to kill while waiting on something. So I did 4 sets of push ups (since I hadn’t trained all week long) in the meantime. And I came up with a new rule:

Every set that I do from here on out must amount to no less than 50 push ups (which is the halfway mark of the goal). So even if I can only do 30, this will hopefully teach my body to dig down deep to find that extra 20 or so from somewhere. Because one day, I just may find myself once again at 80, completely drained of power, and will need that major extra umph! to get me over. It’s all psychological.

Anyways, today’s 4 quick sets simply went like this:

60

63

50

55

(5 min break in between sets)

No new records, but simply a new standard in minimum push ups has been set. After all, I need to flip the script to get me to the promised land, right?

One Hundred Push Ups: The Final Test (Take 5ive)

3 sets of burpie push ups to start off. Let’s go!

Push Ups (attempt max amount of reps on each set)

63

44

45

14 (push up, interrupted)

50

50

70

(5-10 minute rest in between sets)

That’s it. No new personal highs attained (other than 336 push ups in 7 sets…a record I don’t really care for right now). Quite disappointed in myself. I just couldn’t shake the 40-50 barrier for some reason. And also, that extra high gear I was hoping for in the 60s and 70s never kicked in. And I so need that when running out of fuel while driving into no man’s land. Although it has only been 2 days since my last test (as I usually take a 3-4 day break). Perhaps I’m in need of a longer recovery period before the next test (which will be my unprecedented 6th attempt *groan*). All I know is that the longer these sessions go on, the more taxing it becomes. My mind REALLY wants to hit the century mark. It’s whether or not my body wants it just as badly. How sexy.

One Hundred Push Ups: The Final Test (Take Fore)

Note: Started off with 3 sets of push-up styled burpies to get the entire body warmed up. Then, after a 5 minute break, I went right into the max sets:

max 1 ——> 50

(6 minute break)

max 2 ——> 70

(5 minute break)

max 2.5 ——> 20 (lost concentration, so I decided to start over)

(5 minute break)

max 3 ——> ??

It must be said that I took almost 5 days off from the push up test due to much of my free time this week being spent on renovations/cleaning up in and around the house as well as just having a small life away from exercising and tumblelogging (believe it or not). Not sure if that helped any to give my chest and arm muscles some rest or if it caused them to regress in size and power. Either way, I found out exactly where I stood today.

Notice how I only did 3.5 sets before I was satisfied with my results (and I’m not easily satisfied as you can probably tell in my previous posts). The burpies helped to pump blood into the muscles and warm them up without fully exhausting them (which was the point). As a result, my new personal high in consecutive push ups is…*MPC drum machine roll*…

NINETY-ONE!

Then I took a 10 second break and did 10 more just for fun. Of course those extra reps do not count, but it’s a wonder how much a few seconds of rest will give you when you’re already pumped up. Around 50, I knew I could make it to 70. At 70, I pushed hard to make it to 80. By 80, it was almost all mental from there and the rate of reps slowed down considerably (once again, I try and do the reps as fast as I can to out race muscle failure…that’s just how my body works). Also, my usually steady core started to shake in the 80s, a sign that my entire support system was feeling the strain. As a result, 91 was my absolute breaking point (my muscles were practically frozen considering they were in constant hardcore stress for a considerable amount of time). And I’m quite happy with that result.

The most important thing about today’s test is that 100 looks plausible now. It can be done and once I drill that into my brain, give myself the proper rest and warm up before the test, then I know I can do it and can finally put this last challenge to bed for good. Only 9 additional reps stand between me the promised land of push ups. And when that happens, you will hear about it first right here.

One Hundred Push Ups: The Final Test (Take Tre)

Push Ups (max out on every set):

30

(5 min break)

40

(5 min break)

50

(5 min break)

65

(6 min break)

40

(10 min break)

62

(7 min break)

42

Sadly, no personal records were broken tonight. The heart was there. But the body was not. I actually didn’t start to give it my all until the 4th set (which would explain the 30, 40, 50 set pattern). By then, I just kept going further and further, waiting for that endurance magic to show up so I could kick it into overdrive. But alas, it never came. So in the end, I just went for a personal cumulative high: 329 in 7 sets.

I don’t know what went wrong. Maybe I should have gone 100% in the first 3 sets as well. Or perhaps I shouldn’t have eaten all of that poutine an hour before I took the test (all of the dreamy fat and grease may have made me a bit sluggish). Either way, nothing of significance to report tonight. My all-time high in consecutive push ups is still 80. I’m afraid it might stay there for a little while.

One Hundred Push Ups: The Final Test (Take Dos)

Push Ups (give it your all for each set):

max I ——> 63

(10 min break)

max II ——> 40

(6 min break)

max III ——> 55

(5 min break)

max IV ——> 51

(10 min break)

max V ——> 31 X 3 - 63 / 3 + 8(14^0) = __ (remember BEDMAS)

Now, if you’re too lazy to do the simple math, I’ll save you the effort: I am proud to say that I achieved a new personal high of EIGHT-Y (consecutive) PUSH-UPS!!! 8-0. Is it 100? No. But is it awesome though? Hell yeah! I don’t mind this natural, slow and steady progression. It’s all just whetting my appetite for when the goal(d) is finally attained.

So as you can see, I started strong but slacked off in the middle (if you consider 40, 55 and 51 slacking off…which I now do). By set #4, I was still waiting for that extra little magical something to kick in (such as hitting the half century mark and still feeling energized). And it finally happened in the 5th and final set for the night.

Funny thing is that my Mom walked in and asked me a question just as I was hitting 50. But I couldn’t answer her since talking while doing the reps would expend valuable energy (plus I was deep in concentration and didn’t want to blow this chance at a new high). So she asked me the question a couple more times, then finally noticed that I was occupied and purposely not saying anything (nothing personal, Mom). 80 was actually my goal for the evening, so hitting it was super sweet to say the least. I think I could’ve done a couple more, but my excitement upon reaching 80 caused me to leap off my Power Gym and raise my hands in victory like an elated dork. Then I finally answered my Mom’s question (she was waiting patiently).

So this strategy is working like gang (and ghost) busters. Set 4 or 5 seems to be where the inexplicable magic hits (and believe you me, I am impressed with however the hell my body is kicking into overdrive after doing so many reps). I don’t know what’s going on, but I will need to maximize that burst of energy if I want to hit 100. Or rather, I need to work myself up to the point where I can hit 70 and somehow still feel energized(!). That sounds close to impossible right now, but not entirely out of the equation. Although I admit I am very competitively stubborn.

Edit: Mental preparation and positive affirmations seem to do wonders. Oh, and bowing to a poster of Bruce Lee also seems to generate desired results. Thank you Master Bruce.

One Hundred Push Ups: The Final Test (Take Won)

Ambient background music: DJ Premier’s 55-minute Michael Jackson Tribute Mix

Push Ups (Do as many as possible):

max ——> 33 (TF?!!!??!)

So I went in pretty cold. Although I thought I had warmed up enough with 30 jumping jacks (because I didn’t want to expend any energy, see?). Plus I spent a few minutes staring at my Power Gym while doing breathing exercises and preparing myself mentally like a Shaolin monk. I guess it wasn’t enough. But I didn’t plan on stopping ‘til I got enough (push ups). And I wasn’t expecting 100 this early, to be honest.

(5 min break)

max^2 ——> 50

Better. But I’ve been there before. I’m using more and more energy and the clock is ticking. I’m thinking how I can’t possibly be getting stronger now that ample blood is travelling to my arms and chest. Took some more Vitamin Water swigs.

(7 min break)

max^3 ——> 51

Damnit. Only ONE MORE rep? I’m getting tired. It’s past 2AM. But I’m not leaving until I’m satisfied, trust! OK, time to rest a bit again. Listening to the awesome mix; MJ is giving me more strength and motivation. Let’s try this again. Time to give it my ALL.

(6 min break)

max^4 ——>

1…10 (10)

1…10 (20) *breathing hard but good*

1…10 (30)

1…10 (40) *getting tough but not slowing down yet*

1…10 (50)

At this point I know I’ve reached my evening’s max. But I’m not as tired as I was the first 2 times I got there. Whutz happenin’? Sheeiiiiiit! Let’s push this further, yo!

1…10 (60) Keep going! (slowing down considerably now)

1…10 (70) Hit my all-time high! Can I eke out a few more reps though?

1…2…3…4…5…*thud*

SEVENTY-FIVE! A new personal consecutive best! Sorry to disappoint if you were expecting 100, but I am very happy with this result.

So the lesson learned here is that my first set, although I’m at my freshest then, is not where I’m at my best, ironically. My little muscles need a thorough warm-up (via push ups). Never thought I’d get better as the sets went on. I also realize that reaching the century mark could take a few more weeks. But at least I’ve got a strategy now (max, rest, max, rest, max). Next time I’ll get a better night’s sleep and maybe eat more potatoes. In the meantime, I just earned myself a lazy Sunday.

Post workout snack: Plain organic high protein yogurt with frozen blueberries, fresh mango and almonds mixed in (too lazy to make a shake at this hour, so this will do just fine).

Thank you for reading all of this. And a good morning to you!

One Hundred Push Ups/Two Hundred Squats: The Final Session!!!

Push Ups (Based on > 60 push ups):

26

26

33

33

26

26

22

22

max ——> 61.5 (after 10 minute break)

(45 sec rest in b/w sets, but I never do that, so 1 minute instead)

Finito!

————————————————————————————————————————-

Intermezzo: Took a break to make a shake.

————————————————————————————————————————-

Squats (Based on > 110 squats):

35

35

45

45

35

35

30

30

max ——> 111 (after 7 minute rest)

(45 sec rest in b/w sets…is NOT what I took; 60 sec rest, yo)

Do the math: that is 401 cumulative squats in one session (new personal record). Did the max set in exactly 2 minutes and 14 seconds (02/14 is my birthday, remember?). Also, I chose 111 as the target number in honour of MJ’s unparalleled string of number one hits. R.I.P.

Tapos!

One Hundred Push Ups: Week 6, Night 2

Push Ups (Based on > 60 push ups)

22

22

30

30

24

24

18

18

max ——> 61, (10 second break), 14 (for good measure)

(45 sec rest in betw…forget about it, more like 60-75 sec rest)

Did the first 8(!) sets in under 20 minutes, I think. Deliberately took a 7 minute break before the max set in order to generate a respectable number (and also I was almost completely exhausted after set #8 and could probably only do around 11 more with little rest). And it paid off as you can plainly see. Is it cheating? F*ck no. I’ve made it this far, therefore I’ve earned the right to take some liberties with the requirements.

About the max set. 61 is my second highest consecutive push up total ever. behind my all-time max of 70. Which is pretty damn good considering I did 188 total pushups in the 8 sets beforehand. So imagine if I was hyped up AND fresh (because I’m always hyped up before a set; it’s my tiny muscles that ultimately fail me). My mental game (where I break large tasks up into manageable pieces) was on point though, so a lot of credit should be thrown in that direction. 1nce again, my breathing and setting an early blazing pace were key to getting my numbers way up there. Like a well-oiled push up machine, really.

I can’t believe there’s only one more training session left! But that doesn’t mean that it’s almost over as I unfortunately envision myself failing the final test a few times (I’m just being realistic…100 is a fcuking lot of push ups). And I’m fine with that (after all, I failed the pull ups test 4 times, I think). But my failures will only make me stronger. And on that note, a good Saturday evening to you all.