On hold for now

I can't seem to find the half hour a day this takes more than once a week lately. I could have fit it in today, but when I looked at the last entry and realized it was exactly one week ago, I decided that this just isn't fitting in right now.

With much personal disappointment, I'm announcing my failure to complete the 100 Push Ups.

Week 5f, Day 1

Where the heck have I been? Beats me, but I do know that I'm back to jelly arms.

I lost the better part of two weeks in there someplace. I tried to pick it back up with the middle column of Day 1 on Week 5. Made sets 1 & 2, but lost it on 3, 4, &5. No surprise, really, considering that I've been a slacker. Still, it's a bit of a let down.

Well, hopefully I'm back in the routine.

Week 5e, Day 2

Well, missed the Wednesday target for Day 2. Matt was on a field trip, so I had to pick him up at school at 5:00. Then I had to run back home to get Abby in her car pool to swim practice. Then I had to figure out how to get Matt some dinner (McDonald's, unfortunately). Then off to Boy Scouts for Matt, and First Aid/CPR for me (I'm now Red Cross certified). By the time I got home, it was 9:40 PM, and I was wiped out.

So, Day 2 on Thursday. Sets 1-7 went well. A little tough on the last couple on 6 and 7, but made it through. Got to 22 on Set 8 (minimum is 40) before I cried like a little girl and took a break. But last week, I only got to 16 on Set 8, so that's an improvement!

Now, how the heck am I going to get Day 3 in? Friday is Halloween, family coming over Saturday. Maybe I'm giving up the M-W-F routine.

Week 5e, Day 1

Completed sets 1-3 OK. Got to 16 on set 4 before doing a face plant. Set 5? No way. A bunch of little breaks.

And after that Boy Scout camping trip in the rain, I'm totally exhausted.

Week 5d, More excuses

As I predicted, the frenzy of packing and driving to the Boy Scout campout was enough to fill the entire weekend, from the end of Friday to late on Sunday. There was absolutely no time on Friday to do Day 3, and the rest of the weekend had me far too busy to take a break for push ups. In the tent? Under a tree in the rain? Perhaps next to the campfire?

Week 5e starts tomorrow. I believe I'll be able to get 3 days plus and exhaustion test in, and be back on track.

Week 5d, Day 2

Sets 1 - 7 went well (18, 18, 20, 20, 14, 16 with 45 second breaks that I may have stretched to closer to a minute, but not much more).

Set 8 wasn't so good. Made the first 16, took a short breather, then a few more, then more breaks. Man, that's a hard number to make!

One advantage I'm definitely getting - tonight I had First Aid / CPR class. I think I was one of the few of us who didn't look like they needed medical attention after doing several minutes of chest compressions! It's amazing how all that old training comes right back.

Boy Scout campout this weekend. We leave right after work and school on Friday. I may not get to Day 3 or the exhaustion test this week. I'll play it by ear.

Week 5d, Day 1

Going in to this week, I know I'm not finishing. I'll at least do the first two days push-up workouts, even if I can't do the rest.

Today, I did just about the same as last Monday. At least missing the end of week 5c didn't leave me with a setback.

Oddly, I felt completely sick to my stomach for about the next 45 minutes after finishing today. Yuck.

Week 5c, Excuses?

Friday should have been Day 3, except for 2 things. One is that I got a flu shot on Friday, and I think the needle hit something it shouldn't have hit. I generally don't complain about needles. I've traveled overseas enough for work that I don't think vaccinations are that big a deal. But after this shot, I had this shooting pain that went from my shoulder right down to my elbow. Excuse number 2 for Friday is that the after work hours were packed. Get home, figure out where the kids are (school was closed), get the kids changed, get rid of the kids, get changed, and get out to dinner with my wife and some friends for our anniversary.

Well, what about Saturday? Between Matt's allergy shot, two (yes, two, 2, dos, ii) Boy Scout events, a football game, a quick run to go geocaching to get my 300th find, picking up a friend of Matt's to get some quick dinner, and a haunted hayride, I had about 30 minutes of downtime, and decided not to do push-ups. Yep, that's right. I just didn't darn well feel like it.

Today, I just plain feel like garbage. There's a cold running around, both kids are sneezing, and I think I'm fighting it.

So I'm just going to start Week 5d tomorrow evening. And then I'll prepare for next weekend's excuses. Camping Friday through Sunday with the Boy Scouts.

Week 5c, Day 2

Pushed straight through sets 1 to 7. The last few in each set started to hurt about 2 or 3 from the end - not so much that I had to stop.

Set 8 was a different story. I made it to 17 before I had to take a quick break to stop myself from breaking my own nose. After that, I kept on to 40 in gradually decreasing groups. 17, 25, 31, 34, 37, 40.

Then I got to thinking. On Saturday, my exhaustion test without having done 120 push-ups first was 47. It doesn't make sense to do 120 in 7 sets, then still manage 40 in a row. What does seem to make sense is that I'll keep redoing Week 5 until I can get through it. If that's what it takes, then that's what it takes.

Keep on pushin'!

Week 5c, Day 1

Did sets 1 & 2 with no real problem. Had to stop after 20 on set 3 and restart. Likewise at 17 on set 4. I needed a bunch of breaks on set 5.

Still, it's an improvement over Week 5b, Day 1.

Although there will be a Week 5d.

Week 5b, Exhaustion Test

47. Not as many as I had hoped after last week's 44. A little discouraging, but still an improvement.

Off to week 5c! I've got some scheduling problems coming up the next couple of weekends. I may get moved off the M-W-F-Sa timing.

Week 5b, Day 3

Sets 1-4, pretty smooth.
Set 5, fought for the last 2, but made it.
Set 6-7, a few breaks.
Set 8, well, let's not talk about it.

As I said yesterday, this Week 5 was better than last Week 5. We'll see how next Week 5 goes.

At this rate of repeating weeks, I'll never have another birthday!

Week 5b, Day 2

Made it all the way through sets 1 through 6 with no breaks and no rug burn to the face! Almost made it through set 7, but had to stop at 13 for a short breather. Set 8 took a bunch of smaller chunks, and by that time, I was thinking about blowing chunks. Should I do this before dinner?

As long as I keep thinking I'm improving, I'll keep on pushin'!

Week 5b, Day 1

Well, there will be a Week 5c.

The first set (28) was no problem. It shouldn't have been, since I did 44 on the exhaustion test two days ago. I almost made it through the second set (35). At 27, I lost it. From then on, I could do more than half of each set, then a quick break to let the pain ease up, then finish in one or two more chunks. The 35-or-more at the end took me 4 chunks.

I still did better than the original Week 5, Day 1. Progress is progress!

Week 5, Exhaustion Test

44.

6 more than last Saturday.

I probably could have squeezed one more out, but my form would have been less than perfect, so I stopped with an honest 44 rather than a bogus 45.

44.

Looking back, that's exactly double the number I did on the exhaustion test prior to Week 1.

No, I'm not doing 100 push-ups here at the end of Week 5, which is really my 6th week when you count Week 4B, but I am making progress. I have no doubt that I'll eventually be doing 100 push-ups in a row.

Keep on pushin'!

Week 5, Day 3

You can't tell, but I'm typing, then deleting, then trying again. Maybe I should just wait until I've regained some control over my arms and hands.

Made it straight through set 6 (18, 18, 20, 20, 17, 17). Couldn't do set 7 (20) without stopping at 13. Set 8 (45) took me about 8 chunks to get through. After about 28, I couldn't get myself off the ground more than 3 times in a row. I added drooling on the carpet to tonight's exercise! Lovely.

Exhaustion test tomorrow, followed by a repeat of week 5 next week under the same column.

Week 5, Day 2

I looked at the count of push-ups and figured this wouldn't be so bad, except for maybe that 40 push-up last set. Then I looked more carefully and saw that I only got 45 second breaks! What the heck?!?!?

I had to take pauses on sets 7 & 8. Lots of pauses on set 8. My form got a little sloppy at the end, too. Week 5 hurts!

Week 5, Day 1

Holy moley! What a jump from last week! The combination of moving from column 1 in Week 4 to column 2 in Week 5 and the insane increase in the number of push-ups in Week 5 Day 1 has left me hurting. Jelly arms. Short of breath. Rug burns on my face.

And the clear understanding that I'll be repeating Week 5. To be completely honest, I didn't come close to completing Day 1. I did the first set of 28 with no problem, waited 60 seconds, then did the second set of 35 in about 6 or 7 smaller groups with as little gap between them as I could manage. Same on the remaining sets. I did the total number of push-ups, but I didn't do them straight through.

Day 2 looks a little more sane, but I'm not sure what to expect with the increased number of sets. It's sure going to get interesting this week!

Week 4b, Exhaustion Test

To summarize the exhaustion test:
Pre-test: 22
Week 1 and Week 2: Bad tests - did at end of Day 3
Week 3: 31
Week 4: 35
Week 4b: 38

My total is going up. Not fast enough to get me to 100 consecutive push-ups in 6 weeks, which is already going to be 7 weeks.

38 for Week 4b puts me in the 2nd column for Week 5. That looks like it's going to hurt. Stay tuned!

Week 4b, Day 3

Pretty good day. Work today was pretty much miserable, and all I really wanted was to come home and have a beer. Or two. Or, well, you get the point.

I got Matt packed for his Boy Scout trip, worked on Abby to get her ready for swim practice, and waited until Jen left for a tennis match. I had the house to myself, and had to make the decision between running around in underwear with a beer in each hand and some loud music cranking from the stereo, or doing today's push-ups. I compromised. Loud music & push-ups, with the promise of a cold beer, and a decision to keep all my clothes on.

I had no real trouble finishing each set in today's program. The extra time in between on Day 3 helps. For the exhaustion set, I managed 25. That's 1 more than Wednesday. It also means I did 85 push-ups in the space of about 11 or 12 minutes. Can't complain about that!

Big exhaustion test tomorrow to set the stage for Week 5.

Week 4b, Day 2

Sort of an easy day. I felt better today than Monday. Maybe it's because the break between sets is a little longer, even though there are more push-ups per set.

24 push-ups on the last set (minimum was 18).

Week 4b, Day 1

Not much trouble with today. I'm second guessing where I should be right now, but I'll do the week as I started it, and maybe rethink next weekend.

On the other hand, I managed 21 for Set 5, and the minimum for Set 5 under column 2 is 25, so maybe I'm in the right spot.

Week 4, Exhaustion test, and a decision

35. Not bad. Again, an improvement. Gotta love that!

I'm going to repeat week 4 with the new program. Call in Week 4B. Then, I'll continue with the new program until the end.

The problem was which column to do in the new Week 4. The exhaustion test from Week 2 is supposed to define the column for Weeks 3 and 4. Back in Week 2, I was doing the exhaustion test right after the Day 3 program. I could only pump out 16 that way. In Week 3, I did the exhaustion test on Saturday after resting from doing the program on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Am I repeating myself? Anyway, Week 3's exhaustion test produced 31 push ups. Week 4's total was 35. Which column to use for Week 4B?

Well, to be completely honest, I think both columns 2 and 3 are a bit beyond me. They're far enough away that I don't think I can just push myself a little harder and still make it. I'm going to stay in column 1 for Week 4B. If it's too easy, I'll complete Week 4B, then move up to the next column and start Week 4C next Monday. Yes, that means I'll be doing Week 4 for 3 weeks, but I think it's the best way for me to go.

Week 4, Day 3

Got through today with pretty much no problem, even after a couple of beers with dinner. And maybe before dinner. Yeah, well, it's Friday, say thankya.

Level 5 - push-ups-til-you-puke only got to 21 today. Tomorrow or Sunday will be the test of how many I can do in a row with good form and no breaks. Depending on that number, I'll decide whether I need to repeat the week, continue on this program, or move over to some equivalent stage on the new, improved 100 Push Ups program.

Week 4, Interlude

Over half way through and the program has changed. I read over on the Podcacher Fitness: 100 Push Ups forum that there were some changes. Seems that there were some comments back to the 100 Push Ups author that a warm up first set would be good, and that not progressing smoothly from week to week is a little difficult. I'm in a quandary.

I think I'll finish out week 4 as originally written. Then depending on how I do at the end of the week, I'll either start week 4 over with the new program or jump to week 5 in the new program. I've been keeping track of my push-up-til-I-puke numbers, so I think I can switch to the modified program and hit the right point.

Week 4, Day 2

Not so bad tonight during the push-ups, but now I've got arms that somehow feel hard as rocks and floppy as jelly at the same time. And in 10 minutes I've got to drive my son to his Boy Scout Troop meeting. If I never post here again, it's because I couldn't grip the wheel to steer!

1 more than last night on the final stage. Progress is progress! No pain, no gain, right?

Week 4, Day 1

Now, why did today hurt? I'm still in the first column because of jumping the gun at the end of week 2, so I thought I'd be just churning through this week. This was a little frustrating, and I had a brief moment where I was second-guessing myself for starting this program. Sonny!!! This is all your fault!!!

On the other hand, my level 5 push-ups-til-you-puke count was 20 (although I had a bit more than the 60 second break due to some odd timing in the house this evening).

Maybe I should be happy that I did a total of 73 push-ups tonight in the space of about 6 minutes.

Week 3, Exhaustion test

Did 31 before I started getting sloppy. I figured that was probably the right time to stop counting. It's also something like 40% more than the exhaustion test before starting week 1, so I'm definitely seeing progress. If I had skipped a day before the exhaustion test last week, I would probably have been at least in the 2nd column of difficulty, possibly the 3rd. I screwed that up. Well, next week's column is still based on last week's exhaustion test, so I'll stay with the program as it is. Next week's exhaustion test will set the stage for the week after. That's when it's really going to hurt, because I'll be moving up in difficulty. Hey - as long as I keep seeing progress, I can't complain too much!

Week 3, Day 3

Did it. Felt fine. I probably should be at a higher level. Oh well. Let's see about the exhaustion test tomorrow.

Week 3, Day 2

For the last 7 weeks (yes, I know, it's way too long), I've been fighting with the company that makes the video capture and editing hardware and software that I use. Today, I got the USB-connected box they sent me. My hopes went up high, because this was finally going to be the end of this, and I could get our little office area back in order. It didn't work. Of course, my blood pressure went up a bit. I tried a ton of different things, and finally realized that 9:30 on a Wednesday night wasn't the right time. I cleaned up the mess a bit, and relaxed. I started feeling pretty tired, and decided to pack it in for the night at about 9:45.

Then I remembered. Push ups.

I made it through week 3, day 2, but let's just say I didn't exactly overachieve tonight.

Week 3, Day 1

Well, not a big deal today. As I explained, I moved down from the macho 3rd column to the girlie 1st column. I got to thinking that this was a bit of a big drop, so I went back to the web site to make sure I wasn't screwing something up. I think I did. The exhaustion test at the end of week 2 is supposed to be done "within a couple of days of completing week 2." I did this test within a couple of minutes.

I'm going to try to do the sets on M-W-F, then the exhaustion test for the next week on Saturday or Sunday. Hopefully, I'll bump back up to at least the mid-level.

Week 2, Day 3

Today was a little tougher. I've got a little of the jelly-arms going right now. Today's final count for the "push-ups 'til you puke" sets the stage for next week. I'm sorry to have to admit that I only did enough to "qualify" for the first column in week 3.

Week 2, Day 2

Much better than Monday. I managed to do more than the minimum on the maximum level. OK, that doesn't make much sense. Each day, there you do 4 sets with fewer (or the same number) push-ups in each set, with a break in between each set. After the 4 decreasing sets, you do a 5th set where you do push-ups until you can't do them anymore. Push-ups 'til you puke, remember? On this last set, there's a minimum number you should do, which is more than the previous 4 sets. I did more than the minimum required on the last set where you do the maximum number of push-ups you can do. Got it? More than the minimum on the maximum level.

For instance, today's list went like this:
16 push-ups, 90 second break
13 push-ups, 90 second break
11 push-ups, 90 second break
11 push-ups, 90 second break
As many push-ups as possible, must be at least 15

Remember this. I won't explain it again!

Week 2, Day 1

Monday was a little tough. Jen was out, and I let the kids talk me into dinner at Uno's. After a couple of beers and an individual deep-dish pizza, I felt like I was waddling around the house like a pregnant lady. No offense pregnant ladies - you know how I feel about you!

I managed, but on the final "push-ups 'til you puke" level, well, I did the minimum push=ups and didn't quite puke.

End of Week 1

A few days ago, I was listening to the most recent Podcacher podcast. Sonny mentioned that he had come across the One Hundred Pushups web page, which lays out a training program to get any ball of soft flab to 100 push ups in 6 weeks. He publicly announced his intentions to start, and promised to publicly update his progress. I figured, what the heck, why not?

I took the initial test on August 25, and landed squarely in rank 3. In the interests of full disclosure, that's 22 push ups for a 43 year old before my form started to fall apart. That put me in the third (highest) column of the training program for the first two weeks.

August 25 was a Monday. I really wanted to be on the Monday - Wednesday - Friday schedule, to I compressed the first week of training into Tuesday - Wednesday - Friday. Tuesday went well. Wednesday, with only one day of rest, went a bit less well. Happily, Friday went much better, so I think the day of rest between each training day must really help.

I ended week 1 yesterday. My "do push ups until you can't" at the end of the session lasted for 17 push ups.

I'll start week 2 on Monday. I'm a little skeptical that I'll be doing 100 push ups by the middle of October, but I'm going to stick with this and see what happens.

Wish me luck!