Decided that I want to do something about my strength and my all round fitness, and I've decided to make a start by giving this a go.

http://www.hundredpushups.com/

Hopefully this easy-to-follow program will kick start my core strength and also my arm strength before I move on to other things



I will also be trying to do some cardio (more about that in a bit) which will also go in this blog. I will probably also be trying to do other stuff for strength, although I'm not yet sure what form that will take, and hopefully having somewhere to note it all down and keep track of it will motivate me to keep doing it.



Finally, I've also decided that I want to regain some weight to try and help with my strength, which has dwindled over the last few years. I used to be about 165lbs (75kg), but I lost a lot of weight (unintentionally) and dropped to about 140 lbs (63.5kg) in about 2008 and I've never really got it back. I'm a shade under 6' tall, which makes me fairly skinny now and I've finally got fed up of it.



I just turned 37, so I realise that all this won't be as easy as it would have been 15 years ago, so GL me!


TT

A bit more about my cardio, which will mostly be running. I've always been decent at running long distances, and I want to set myself challenges for 1 mile, 5k and 10k, and hopefully also for a half marathon and full marathon.

First thing I want to do is try and get my 5k time below 20 minutes again. When I left school I could do about 18:30, but then although I kept running as an adult, I never bothered timing anything for years. About three years ago I ran a timed event in what I now consider to be my PB of 22:02. It was independently timed, so I wasn't aware of what time I'd run until I finished but I do remember taking it easy most of the way and feeling I could have gone faster, so I think the potential is definitely there. If there are guys who are over 60 who can break 20:00 then there's no excuse for me not being able to.

I have barely run at all in the last two years, but the other day I went out and ran a GPS measured 5k in 27:55, which is pretty terrible. I started out slowly because I wanted to finish 5k, not burn out half way, and as I realised I could still run and not be gasping after a few minutes I picked up the pace and still felt good at the end, so with some regular running I should be able to slash my time down a good amount again pretty quickly. I'll look a little more into how to go about improving later on, but first I just have to get out on the road on a regular basis.

And now for my first actual logged activity.


I'm starting the 100 pushups at week 1, and I'm starting in the middle column. I didn't do the initial test, because I know what I'm capable of right now and having looked through the program I know the first column won't challenge me enough, while the third column will burn me out .

While I am going to try and do this within the planned 6 weeks, I'm not going to cut corners. So if I fail a level then I'll go back and do it again rather than pressing ahead to a level I'm not ready for


Week 1 Day 1

			Target			Achieved
Set 1			6			6
Set 2			6			6
Set 3			4			4
Set 4			4			4
Set 5			Max			15
Total						35

Felt OK after set 5 after a short recovery. Next session on Monday, when the target looks like this!

			Target
Set 1			6
Set 2			8
Set 3			6
Set 4			6
Set 5			Max

Getting a pullup bar and doing a set of chinups after every pushup set seems like a good idea.

The frequency method from GSLP is (I think) doing ~60% of your max reps in each set, and spreading the sets out over the day. Going up slowly in volume every week. It might be similar to the pushup challenge.

GL getting the 100!

subbed

How you been TT?

I decided I am going to take this seriously, so I already got an over-the-door chinup bar, also a basic set of weights with barbell, 2x dumbbell and about 100lbs in small plates 1lb to 10lb. That's plenty for anything I can lift at the moment except possibly a deadlift, which I haven't tried yet.

So anyway, I found out that at this stage I can only manage 3 chin-ups when totally fresh Doubt I'm ready for "sets" of those between other exercise at the moment, so hopefully I can come back to chin-ups in a couple of months with a bit more core and arm strength.

Along with my pushups I am going to try mixing in a few squats and some dumbbell work. I didn't get a bench, no point, as I literally won't have space to use it until we move. As it is, everything will have to be done in a small space alongside our bed.

GSLP isn't in the FAQ, so had to google it. Greyskull Linear Progression. Based on a couple of reviews I found, it does look like a similar principle to hundred pushups, continuous tiny increases in work done. I'll look deeper when I am able to add new exercises.
Thanks.

Been OK thanks, how about yourself?

Couple of small changes, I got married and had a kid She's now 19 months old, and is the best thing ever. She's the main reason why I decided I had to start doing this. She really tall for her age, already weighs over 26lbs, and I already find it tough to carry her more than about a mile if she gets tired. Also, she's very active, and I don't want to reach a point in about three years time where she can outrun me because I've not done anything.

I think a lot of people start the program at that level of strength. You can just do a lot of singles throughout the day.
Regarding bench, I read something recently about how using a resistance band for your pushups activates your chest muscles in a much more similar way to benchpressing than normal pushups do. Idk how useful that info is.

Pretty new to this myself so someone else can probably give you better advice.

OK, rest day from pushups, so this afternoon I'm continuing to get used to squats

I don't have space for a rack either, so the amount I can squat is not limited by my leg strength, but by how much I can safely hoist up and back over my head onto my shoulders, and more importantly back again to get the bar off. I'm going to see if I can work out a way to support the bar at a sensible height to get under and pick up, so I can get to a more challenging weight pretty soon.

So, instead of starting off doing small sets of big weights, I'm doing plenty of reps to get basic technique right and at least give my legs something of a workout. I had no idea what I could do, so I started at just 40lb the other day, but realised that was just a bit too easy even for me, so today I put it up to 50lbs and I will build from there. I have 1lb and 2lb plates so I can easily make small weight increases as needed. It's still not too difficult, but I can't yet go up to what I could really squat and still be certain I can get the weight off again.

Today I completed three sets of ten lifts at 50lbs. At this weight I could have done more reps too, but I can't risk going to the max until I can get the bar properly supported. It's a starting benchmark, and my goal for the short term will be to add a rep each time to each set, then add a pound in weight after that and see how it feels.

So, next time I'll lift 11,10,10, then 11,11,10 then 11,11,11 and then add weight and go back to 10,10,10 etc. Again, the plan here is small increases.

Hmm, I'm sure that would work fine if you're in jail and therefore had lots of spare time, or perhaps worked in a gym, not sure how you're supposed to work that into a typical day in real life though. But I suppose it make a lot of sense in theory.
Thanks, again something I'll look into.

grats man!

Sounds like a good reason to get back into fitness mode. Who knows, your daughter could end up being an athletic beast given her current stats haha, and she'll need a competent first dadcoach if that's the case.

Man, you remind me of a time when Stars was good

You're right, most people aren't home for large amounts of time at once.

The actual idea is just putting the bar in a doorway you walk through 6-8 times a day, and, in your case, doing a rep every time you walk under it. 15-20 minutes between sets is more than enough at this rep range.

i actually want to see a no bs 100 pushup performance by someone in H&F. chopstick was making great progress but never got there. gogogogo.

Week 1 Day 2

			Target			Achieved
Set 1			6			6
Set 2			8			8
Set 3			6			6
Set 4			6			6
Set 5			Max(7+)			11
Total			33+			37

First three sets were OK, but fourth set I started to feel it and fifth set was tough. I also took about a minute more than the recommended 90 seconds break before starting the last set, otherwise I had a feeling I might not get there. Mixed feelings about it all; I'm disappointed that my max in the last set was >25% lower than last time, but happy that five set total was two higher.

Overall, this felt much harder than the first day, perhaps one or two reasons for that. I slept little and badly, because I stayed up past 2am last night trying to watch the tennis. Also, before I even started set 1 my arms/pecs were still feeling it from the accumulated efforts of the first day's pushups and yesterday's squats. Legs are OK from yesterday though, which is good.

The numbers in this challenge go up steeply quite quickly, so I already can't see every other day being realistically enough time for my muscles to recover and feel fresh. I think I am going to try a three day rotation of pushups, squats, running. So tomorrow will be squats, a run on Wednesday and back to pushups on Thursday, when the target is this

			Target
Set 1			8
Set 2			10
Set 3			7
Set 4			7
Set 5			Max(10+)
Total			42+

A three day rotation is already blowing a six week schedule out of the water for getting 100 pushups. With rest days and exhaustion tests, it's now at least 10 weeks even if I never fail a stage, but I don't care, because I'm really serious about the bigger goal.

We definitely want her to be fit and active, which is why we already let her walk as much as she can rather than pushing her around in a chair. As for coaching, I'm pretty sure my wife already has some serious plans for her to be a world class tenpin bowler, which will leave the coaching firmly at her feet. I'll probably only be required for driving and carrying duties!



OK, I'll see if I can find a way to give it a go. Not starting today though, my arms still feel empty almost an hour after finishing.



Found chopstick's thread, had a quick skim, looks good, and I will read it properly a bit later this afternoon.

Hope I can deliver the 100 for you. If I do get there though, it'll be more like at least Christmas than Halloween.

Squats day today. Target was 11+10+10 at 50lb, but felt really easy, like I could have done twice as many. 50lb isn't challenging me at the moment, but I can't add much more weight until I figure out a way to support the bar in the limited space I have and not have to lift it all the way to get it on and off my back. I'll continue doing them, and stick to my plan to slowly add weight, but from next time I might try 15+15+15, or perhaps just do more sets of 10, idk yet. Hopefully the pushups will help my arm strength improve so that I can confidently lift more on and off anyway.

Also, out of curiosity and because I still had plenty left in the tank, I loaded the bar with every last plate I have to see what I can deadlift. It all came to 112lb, which I managed comfortably. It was interesting to find out, and I'm pretty certain that I could at least manage my own bodyweight, though maybe not much more. So when we have the space I'm definitely going to need a bench, a rack and some more plates.

Front squats might be easier. Keeps you from having to press the bar back and forth over your head.

So, my haphazard start to this whole project continues. My babysitter (aka my mother) couldn't get here and look after my daughter so that I could go out for what would have been my first planned run. The four days in a row of planned exercise already done represents my best effort since I care to remember, and I didn't want to it stop there, so I decided that as my arms felt rested I would have a pop at day 3.

Week 1 Day 3

			Target			Achieved
Set 1			8			8
Set 2			10			10
Set 3			7			7
Set 4			7			7
Set 5			Max(10+)			17
Total			33+			49

Again, first three sets were OK, but fourth set I thought I was going to wobble. I pushed through all seven anyway and decided after that I still felt fine, and was probably just slightly badly positioned. I did take an extra minute break before tackling the fifth set though, which might be a bit of a cheat. Anyway, even though the last couple of set five were a huge effort, I'm pleased that my max is back up again. Also my arms don't still feel empty an hour afterwards like they did on day 2, so I decided that day 2 was probably just a consequence of carrying my daughter a considerable distance on Sunday afternoon, which I didn't have to do yesterday.


Over the week so far, I still don't know how I really feel about the hundred pushups challenge, apart from that I'm pleased that I've finally decided to do SOMETHING. I mean, I think the fact that the daily targets are there is both motivating but also slightly artificially limiting. I don't really see why I should suddenly go from 35 reps to 49 over the course of just four days, I'm not suddenly nearly 50% stronger. For the time being I guess I shall just put it down to lol-variance and be happy with it. I shall muse on this as I continue and perhaps I will have a better theory when I have a better sample size.


I'm still not sure how I'll manage exercise over the next few days. Tomorrow we're doing a lot of little things that need doing, and we'll be in and out of the car all day. Then from Friday to Sunday we're off to Cornwall to visit my wife's relatives. I'll be doing all the driving, and it's a long way, about a seven hour drive each way. I definitely won't have time for a run tomorrow, so maybe I'll try to squeeze in a few squats in the morning, and maybe a few more pushups somewhere on Friday and finally go for a run on Saturday. Perhaps on Friday I'll just do one set of as many as possible to see how I'm doing, or I might just hop to Week 2 Day 1, where the target would be this.

			Target
Set 1			9
Set 2			11
Set 3			8
Set 4			8
Set 5			Max(11+)
Total			47+

Also decided for fun to keep an overall running total of pushups. So far 35+37+49 = 121. Probably a decade since I've got anywhere near that inside four days too.



Thanks, didn't even know such a thing existed. I'm prepared to give it a try, but not sure if I'll find it all that comfortable. I'm now so skinny that I'd basically be resting the bar directly onto my clavicle, there's nothing else there apart from the skin. And even though I'm only on 50lb at the moment, obv I'd drop weight right back down again until I've got the basics of the technique for a front squat. We'll see!

Also, I just decided I'm going to take some "before" pics that I will then be able to look back at and compare to as I go along, to remind myself how I'm doing. I know this isn't going to be easy, it will get harder, and when I get to those harder bits I want to be able to remember how much I've achieved.

Oh, and I haven't forgotten that I've still got to go back and read chopstick's thread properly.

The last four days proved nothing other than the fact that long distance travel, stroppy toddlers, visiting relatives and keeping to a fitness schedule don't mix very well. Especially when you get caught in absurdly bad traffic both ways and spend about 19 hours behind the wheel. Finally got home at gone midnight last night, having had a super grumpy baby in my ear for the last five hours.

Today was my first exercise since Wednesday, if you don't include three easy miles on the flat on a bicycle. Which I don't.

I decided to crack on with the pushups, and here's how it went.


Week 2 Day 1

			Target			Achieved
Set 1			9			9
Set 2			11			11
Set 3			8			8
Set 4			8			8
Set 5			Max(11+)			16
Total			47+			52

Total pushups 121+52=173


All went OK really, felt like I could have done at least a couple more in any of the sets, except the last one, obviously. Must be quite a bit to do with the fact that because my arms have had a good rest since the last session. Decided to write up immediately, so I only finished a few minutes ago and already feel a bit rested after the last set, like there could be a few more in my arms if I really had to.

Next time.....

			Target
Set 1			10
Set 2			12
Set 3			9
Set 4			9
Set 5			Max(13+)
Total			53+

So the overall total next time will be one more than I achieved this time and every set will be a bit harder. While I know I am going to get there in the end, I'm still not 100% convinced that this is doable in the claimed 6 weeks, however much positive thinking you can throw at this, and I expect to see the margins between targets and achievements get smaller quite quickly.


Tomorrow will be squats day, and I'm going to give the front squats a try.

Pics coming soon....

Keep up the pushups! Looks like we are pretty close to the same pushup fitness level, but following different methods. I am doing daily pushup ladders, check out my log for the progression I am following. Basically this morning I did: 1x5,1x10,1x5,1x10,1x5,1x10,1x5 (50 total). I will do the same tonight and am increasing the number of reps weekly. My goal is to get to 75 consecutive pushups by Thanksgiving (and simultaneously win a bet with my brother in law).

Similar to you, I'm not sure the progression I am following will be sustainable. It will be interesting to see who prevails!

I am doing a similar thing with pullups, are you following any sort of progression/plan with your chins?

Yesterday I had to skip my squats because I unexpectedly found myself lifting a lot of heavy stuff up and down lots of stairs. So I'm claiming that as my exercise for the day instead. My whole body is still pretty tired from yesterday (this is ultimately the sort of thing I want to be able to banish) and this morning I had to carry the heavy toddler a fair bit during the shopping run so I'm going to just skip today as well. Can't believe I still haven't even managed one single cardio session in this log. Wife is away for four days from tomorrow so unlikely to be able to go out for a run before next week either. Tomorrow's plan is either pushups or squats, will decide nearer the time.

Found your thread. You seem to be way ahead of me in strength and fitness, you're probably a huge favourite to get to your goal first. I am going to get there, I can't afford not to get fit now, so for me it really is just a question of when, not if.

LOL. I can't do any meaningful number of chins yet. Simply doing one is enough to leave my biceps feeling a bit tired. Every now and then I plan to use a day to test my arms and see if they've improved enough to start to do a plan for them.

I still don't regret missing yesterday, but I just randomly decided to stop being a pussy, making excuses for today and just do some pushups.


Week 2 Day 2

			Target			Achieved
Set 1			10			10
Set 2			12			12
Set 3			9			9
Set 4			9			9
Set 5			Max(13+)			12 (FAIL)
Total			53+			52

Total pushups 173+52=225


Fell one short of the minimum on the final, best effort set. Despite my moaning about aches a couple of hours ago, I felt really good through the first four sets and thought I was going to be OK, but the last set went downhill really quickly after the ninth and I just couldn't lift myself for that 13th pushup. Happy that I tried though, rather than doing nothing. I already said I'm not going to move up to any level without having beaten the level preceding it, so next time out I will be repeating this one.

			Target
Set 1			10
Set 2			12
Set 3			9
Set 4			9
Set 5			Max(13+)
Total			53+

Seems weird that after just 11 calendar days I've gone from managing 35 reps to managing 52 twice in a row, basically a 50% increase. The psychological aspect of this is as interesting as the physical aspect.

Finally did some cardio! Woo!

Today's effort was an impromptu run when public transport let me down while I was on my way to collect my daughter, so I've decided to count that as today's exercise. Happened to have on suitable footwear for running, but was dressed in jeans and a collared shirt made of heavyweight cotton, with phone/wallet/keys/coins in pocket, so not ideal attire. I was also carrying a large book.

I covered just under three miles, took about 30 minutes, but that includes stops to wait for traffic. I think that's a pretty decent effort considering where I am at the moment and also not being dressed for running. Legs are already feeling stiff. That's probably enough for today. Tomorrow will likely be weights, as I haven't done that for a week now, then back to pushups on Saturday.

OK, this evening I finally read chopstick's thread properly, and one of the most important things I got from it is that I probably need to think about my form while doing pushups. They seem like such a simple exercise that I never even entertained the possibility that they *could* be done wrong, much less that I myself would do them wrong. Right now I've literally no idea if I'm doing them properly or not.

So starting from my next set I will be thinking about how I execute each rep, and comparing it to links by others to "perfect" pushups. If chopstick's experience is anything to go by then there's a decent chance they will feel harder than in previous sessions, so might be expecting a short-term drop in numbers from next time.

chopstick also had one or two interesting thoughts about the psychology of the program and talked about not liking the idea of going back to repeat days/weeks, instead thinking about it as "here's next session's target based on today's results", which seems more positive.

Finally, I'm thinking about getting a weighted vest to wear in workouts, to work my muscles that little bit harder, in lieu of the weight I hope to gain later.

Stepped on the scales again, still only 140lbs despite everything I eat. Seeing all these threads with people trying to lose weight, it all seems so wasteful. Don't they know how hard it can be to gain weight, and there they are just throwing it away like it's nothing