It doesn't get easier...

... that's for sure.

Week 5, Day 3. All good until that final set (again). I pushed out 20 after a 60 second, instead of 45, break, then took another 45 second break before doing that last 25.

Rather than my shoulder, where I usually feel the weakness set in, this time it was all chest that let me down.

Progress test Sunday. 46 push ups puts me in Week 6, but yeah, good luck with that, I'll be seeing you around. I think 40-42 is more likely, putting me back in Week 5 Group 2 (40) or advancing to Group 3.

Getting there

For the record, (all calculations assume 30 seconds per set except for Week 3, Day 1 - where I used 15 seconds)

Week 3 Day 1 - 80 pushups in 6 minutes
Week 3 Day 3 - 120 push ups in 10 minutes

Week 4 Day 1 - 120 pushups in 6 minutes
Week 4 Day 3 - 160 pushups in 10 minutes

Week 5 Group 2 Day 1 - 140 pushups in 6 mins.
Week 5 Day 2 - 160 pushups in 10 minutes
Week 5 Day 3 - 172 pushups in 10 minutes

So despite some concern to the contrary, I AM getting stronger, if only because I can now do quite a few more push ups than I did before in the same time. I still couldn't get anywhere near 100, and I don't feel like I could do that many more pushups consecutively than I could before, but I CAN do more in the same time, so that's the right direction.

I know one of the best ways to increase body weight exercise challenges, like pull ups, push ups etc. is to decrease the time between the same sets. In other words, if you do 10, rest 15 seconds, then do 10 more, to up the challenge do 10, rest 12 seconds, do 10 more. This is pretty much what this is doing. The workout keeps your rest times the same, but adds a few more pushups. Same concept.

A month ago (Christmas time) 80 push ups in 6 minutes was somewhat of a challenge - in fact I failed it the first time around, only getting 21 of my final 28 - and now I'm doing 140 in roughly the same time. That's progress.

Week 5, Days 1 & 2

Update - My exhaustion test netted me 39 push ups. An increase of 9 over my previous best and putting me in the second grouping as represented here.

Day 1 (28, 35, 25, 22, > 35 [60 sec rests]) went well, though on the last set I took a 30 second break between 20 and the last 15 in the set.

Day 2 (18, 18, 20, 20, 14, 14, 16 >40 [45 sec rest]) has been, perhaps, the most challenging and tiring of the entire challenge. My arms are achy and TIRED. I pushed the last rest period t0 60, but remember, the chart says "or longer if required," so I feel I'm well within my rights. Maybe more importantly, I did all 40. Two short rests to catch my breath, but I'm guessing not more than 3 or 4 breathes, so about 5 seconds.

Day 3 occurs Friday and pretty closely resembles Day 2 until the last couple sets, where its 17, 20, > 45. Then its a progress/exhaustion test. After that it will probably be Week 5 Group 3 for me. You need to do 46 to get into the final week, and I'm just not sure I see it.

The great news is that after last week's post about possibly getting weaker, its obvious I'm not. A 39 on the exhaution/progress test, and 40 today after all those other push ups is something I COULD NOT HAVE DONE, before.

FYI - Week 5

If I get 40 or more, like I think I should, I'll fall into the third column of week 5. If I just miss 40, say 36 or more, I'll fall into column 2. I'd like to not get less than 36, that puts me in column 1.

Then again, if I get less than 31, I repeat week 4. I just can't see that happening though, since I just did 33 after a minutes rest from doing 29. Ain't. Gonna. Happen.

After week 5 though, the exhaustion test is 45. 45!

A disaster of Day 3

Got through the first part, 29, 33, 29, 29. A little problem at toward the end. And the good news: the first 29 came pretty easy. I think my exhaustion test should yield somewhere in the neighborhood of 40. I'm thinking to the North of that, but we'll see.

The last 29 were tough. I tried to phsych myself up for those final 40, but to no avail. I did 12, took a minute, 13, took 30 seconds, and finished off the last 10.

Is it possible I'm getting weaker?

Not really. First off, 30 used to be my high water mark. I actually used to do 30, 20, 10. Then, I was doing other exercises mixed in. Even so, 29 is now just a blip on the way to 120 push ups in 8 minutes and 160 in probably 10 or 12 minutes. I could have done 120 before I started, but the last few sets would have been 10s. And there probably would have been 2 or 4 sets of them.

I just seem to lack that "upper" gear I had last week and during Day 1 this week. I think maybe it is because I'm working out on my non challenge days. That ends today.

Saturday I'll run my test and post my results. Sunday or Monday morning, I'm not sure which yet, I'll start the next week & work out in the evenings of those days, so I have an entire day of rest, instead of working out in the evening and doing the challenge the next morning.

Push up, up & away

Morning - I've just had my oatmeal, with peanut butter & milk, YUM. I'm about to finish off the last of my first cup of coffe and go and finish off this week's push ups. Once I'm done I'll post to let you know how I did.

In the meantime, I'm now listed on the 100 Push Up Challenge page. Check it out here.

Less success...

Day 2 went, well, less successfully. I did the push ups Tuesday morning. I was a bit tired (perhaps from shoveling the night before). It was before work. After a 3 day weekend.

The only ones I couldn't do were the last "challenge" set, but the last set of 25 was pretty tough as well.

I'm hoping to close out this week with a good day Thursday, get all my push ups done, take my test Sat. or Sun. and move on.

I'm seeing improvements in muscle size. As for total number. I could do 30 when I started, I'm almost sure I could 40 or 45 now. We'll see this weekend.