CyclePower Pups: the new, combined thread

[yellow]

OK, since we decided in the last thread to combine the two groups, I wanted to make sure we had a thread containing both group names. Of course anyone can play...you don't have to be a former cyclepup or powerpup.

I'm on my easy week, back down to week 3. I won't tell ya what my last exhaustion test was...only that I was sorely disappointed (I was 10+ lower than I thought I would be based on my previous test, and, no, I did not think that I could do 100)! :rolleyes:

Grits, have you tried your 100 yet?

[OakLeaf]

Well here's my plan.

Finish out Week 5, Column 2 for the third time - so far this time I'm finally hitting the minimums (even going over by just a couple).

Next week, Week 6, Column 1, and consider that a rest week. Maybe it's not enough rest? Find out when I get there. My delts have been pretty sore ever since my first pass through Week 5 (it did resolve between weeks this time though), and I'm also having a lot of forearm fatigue toward the end of each day's program, but it doesn't seem to be enough to get them sore and build muscle. Maybe I need to add some wrist extensions - I've been slacking off on forearm work for the last, oh, year.

After next week, then an exhaustion test - my first one - just out of curiosity.

I did finally have a "Holy Cr*p" moment, but it wasn't about the number of pups I'm doing. I was leaning over the back of the sofa looking at my computer, with my upper body propped on my hands. I reached over to scratch an itch on the back of my arm and touched this rock. "Holy cr*p, that's my triceps!" :D

Not sure if they're as big as they used to be when I rode a Harley though :p now THAT thing took some muscle!

[SadieKate]

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b310/SadieKate/herman2002445681022.jpg

[SadieKate]

My left shoulder has now completely gone haywire and it's aching as I sit here. It was doing OK until I tossing and turned all night. So I will be going back to Column 1/Week 1/Day 1 and finding some kind of low stress position.

[katluvr]

I have totally fallen off teh PUPs wagon...just like my diet!
So I will start again on Monday...not sure wehre I will start. (Oh yeah, starting my diet again on Monday, too:rolleyes:)

I am doing EXCELLENT w/ my 1/2 marathon training program...but can't seem to do anything else!

[yellow]

SK, I want you to know that I haven't done a headstand in at least a week. Just been too busy squeezing in after work but before dark funness that is of higher priority than inversions. But I do like to be inverted.

I'm not sure if my arms look any different, but they are most definitely smaller! (WTF?) I put some arm warmers on this morning for the first part of my run and they would not stay up. :rolleyes: I almost chucked them into the maples...

I'm liking this easy pup week!

Oh! And kat, training for a half mary is worthy of your attention, especially if it's your first half. You can always start back on the pups later. Or just do whatever you feel like to give your lower half a li'l break.

[Grog]

My back hurts. In a funky way that I don't really like.

I'm scaling down quite a bit for now. I'll try to maintain my max (20) somehow tho'.

[spindizzy]

My coach has me doing 3 sets of 8 x 100m sprint (run) repeats with 20 PU and 30 crunches between each 100m, so that's 480 :eek: PU I get to complete tomorrow...ugh! Did 360 last week.... and I thought Sunday was a day of rest....(I think I'm whining)

[OakLeaf]

There's no way I did 58 in my last set today. Not possible. Stupid DH was watching and not counting. I must have miscounted.

Anyway, looking forward to backing off a bit next week!

[java]

Turns out I've a broken wrist, so no PUs for me for awhile. :rolleyes:

[emily_in_nc]

Poor java, I'm so sorry to hear this! :( Even when you're "healed", I suspect it will be even longer before your wrist can take the amount of weight that pups require. It's hard enough on my little bird wrists with no breakage in their history!

Today I finished up week 2 (for the second time since I didn't do well enough on the exhaustion test to progress to week 3 before), so hopefully I can finally progress to week 3 -- plan on doing the exhaustion test on Monday. Please oh please let me do 16 pups!

[aka_kim]

I'm beginning to believe that pups and cycling aren't a great combination. The last two weeks I've done the Week 5 Column 1 schedule, and continue to have a lot of overall shoulder and triceps discomfort while riding. Column 1 felt relatively "easy" while doing the pups, but I don't seem to be recovering well. I think I need to build a better base before trying to move on, so I'm going to continue with some sort of modified Week 5 for the next week or so.

[OakLeaf]

Owie, owie, healing vibes to all y'all on IR - there seem to be an awful lot of you!

Question for those who've already done rest weeks: are you still maxing out in the last set? If not, how many are you doing in comparison to either the fixed sets or your previous max?

[NoNo]

Sorry to hear about the wrist. Sadly, I think the wrist I sprained this summer is acting up again. I've been getting sharp pains randomly, dropping things from time to time. I think it needs some rest.

[Grits]

Sorry, Yellow, I haven't checked this thread in a while and didn't see your question. I have not done my 100 pushups, and don't know that I will ever try for that. I did finish my six weeks and honestly feel like that is enough of an accomplishment. I want to go back and start over doing them on my toes, which I have never, ever done before, but am giving myself a little break first.

I did go to the gym today and did my upper body workout that I haven't done since starting the PUPs program, and boy has my strength improved! More weight, more reps, could hold a plank longer. I am really glad I did the 100 pushups plan (I sound like a testimonial, maybe they'll put me on their website!).

[emily_in_nc]

Whew...I managed (just barely!) 16 pups for my end week 2 (second try on that week!) exhaustion test today, so I will finally be able to move on to week 3. I'm doing column 1 all on my toes and had only done knee pups in my life before starting this challenge, so I have definitely improved, though much slower than most of you. I'm small and just don't have the muscle mass, but hopefully this program will help with that (I do know I'm stronger since I started with an exhaustion test of only 9). I'm still totally in awe of those of you logging the high numbers!

[Pedal Wench]

I'm officially out. After both 3-Days, I had really slacked off, plus my wrist was always hurting. Officially diagnosed tendonitis, so it's in a hard brace for two weeks. No pups for me. The doc just chuckled when I asked if pups were allowed.

[michelem]

I'm finally able to graduate from Week 4! YAY!!!

8 days ago, I did Week 4 Column 3 and really struggled to eek out the minimum maximum of 40 for my last set. I had to rest a couple times at the top before getting going again to complete the 40. Well, took 8 days off and voila! I whipped right through all 5 sets of Week 4 Column 3 "big girl" PUPS: 29-33-29-29-40!!! :D

I'll be interested to see what my exhaustion test reveals in a couple days time . . .

[emily_in_nc]

8 days ago, I did Week 4 Column 3 and really struggled to eek out the minimum maximum of 40 for my last set. I had to rest a couple times at the top before getting going again to complete the 40. Well, took 8 days off and voila! I whipped right through all 5 sets of Week 4 Column 3 "big girl" PUPS: 29-33-29-29-40!!! :D

WOW! I simply can't fathom ever being so strong! I am humble in your mighty presence.... :o

(Congratulations!!!)

[OakLeaf]

PedalWench, oh no, not another injury in this group :( Mind your doctor now and heal up quick.

Smilie, if you're still out there, I just read this (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2008/10/06/GR2008100600982.html) about rotator cuff health in the Washington Post (may require free registration) and thought of you. Among other things, the director of sports medicine at Duke recommends that you do pups with a narrow stance (hands closer to your body).

For my rest week I've gone down to Week 4, column 3, and I'm not maxing out in the last sets - just doing a few more than the minimum. I'd like to rest enough that my delts aren't sore at all before trying to go on - I'm just tired of them hurting :o

[yellow]

For my rest week I've gone down to Week 4, column 3, and I'm not maxing out in the last sets - just doing a few more than the minimum. I'd like to rest enough that my delts aren't sore at all before trying to go on - I'm just tired of them hurting :o
You have sore delts and you're considering week 4 column 3 a rest week????!!! :eek: I just finished week 4 column 3 again and it didn't feel restful at all! :p

I started to have a little tennis elbow flare and moved my hands in (narrower) and viola! no pain. I think I like that narrower position better anyway. It seems easier.

[OakLeaf]

You have sore delts and you're considering week 4 column 3 a rest week????!!! :eek:

Ha, in retrospect I should've backed off a bit more :o After three passes through week 5, anything from week 4 seemed like it was going to be a rest! :p Not sure yet what I'm going to do next week.

[Grog]

I've backed off big time, doing only two days this week, and two sets of more or less a dozen each day.

I'll try to do three sets this coming week. But my shoulder muscles really don't like this very much. :(

[Kimmyt]

I just started this, my fiance and I are just getting into Week 1.

[aka_kim]

I made a third pass through Week 5 Column 1 last week, since I wanted to try to feel comfortable and develop some sort of base. On Day 2, I was feeling so perky that I decided to try doing full pups for the 7th set instead of the decidedly wimpy ball pups I normally do, and amazingly I eked out 9 full pups. Amazing to me, since when I started oh so many weeks ago I couldn't manage even 1.

Next week I'll be out of town without the fitness ball and bar bells, but will hopefully feel good and rested for the following week, which should finally be Week 6!

[yellow]

Well, I don't think I did myself any favors by backing all the way off to week 3 two weeks ago. I did day 1 of week 5 column 3 yesterday and barely made the minimum maximum. Will drop back to column 2. I can easily do over 40 pups when rested, but no way can I do the column I'm in theory supposed to be able to do.

:mad:

[Grog]

I did 2 X 15 this morning in the locker room after commuting to work. I always hope that nobody walks in on me, that would be awkward.

It felt hard enough. I've done 20 last week, 25 in the weekend, now 30. I'll maybe stick there for a day or two before increasing to 33.

[OakLeaf]

Well, Yellow had to go putting ideas in my head in the running thread...

I'd been off for a couple of weeks, first because of persistently sore delts and then because I tried to cut my thumb off in the kitchen. :rolleyes: So coming back to it now, it seemed like a good time for my first ever exhaustion test. Didn't do so badly either, although I really would've liked to eke out one more for a round number... my elbows just would not straighten :p

My left shoulder still isn't right and I'm getting a massage tomorrow. Probably take Wednesday off too after Torquemada has her way with me - then I'll try and get back to it.

Anyone else still in?

[Pedal Wench]

My wrist is still in the hard brace, so I'm still out.

But, I'm starting my Training Peaks plan (through www.lwcoaching.com) and she has me doing core exercises too. What else, or what modification can I do for pushups and pull ups with a bum wrist? Has anyone done them on your fist? Is that bad for your hands?

[Aggie_Ama]

I had stopped but now that we are getting hints of cool in Texas I need some indoor workouts on the days I want to hide inside. So I think I will retest and maybe start from scratch or midway like week 3. I would love to do 100 straight before 12/31.

[emily_in_nc]

I had to ease off some as my old shoulder injury (from a mountain bike fall) started bothering me again. I spoke to my Pilates instructor about it, and she thinks it's my rotator cuff. Here I thought the rotator cuff was on the back of the shoulder! She told me to cut back on pups and when I do them, not to go down as far. So, I'm just doing 20 full pups a few times a week, and I'm good with that for now. I may never make it to 100, but I've gotten way stronger than when I started and could barely eke out 9, and my arms look much better too!

[Veronica]

I'm not doing the challenge... but I wanted to share my very fun workout from today...

In between doing pull ups, my trainer had me doing push ups. I like push ups so much more than pull ups... These were special push ups though. Instead of just having my hands flat on the floor, I was holding onto 8 pound dumbbells. In between each push up I had to lift the dumbbell out to the side and twist up, alternating sides between push ups.. Three sets of 16 of those along with three sets of of pull ups. OUCH!

Veronica

PS There was more torture after that...

[aka_kim]

I finally completed Week 6 today! I suppose I cheated because I did the three days over an 8 day period, but I don't care. For the remainder of the week I'll repeat days 1 and 2 from W6, and then next week go back to Week 1 doing full pups! Yay! I'm both very happy to have made it through the program even if I may never do 100 pups in a row, and to finally be strong enough to do real pups (like everyone else :o).

[michelem]

I've been stuck at Week 5 Day 2, 3rd column for quite some time now. I just can't seem to eek out the minimum max of 45 after completing the preceding 4 sets. Tonight I had to get to the 45 by doing 36 (rest at top) + 6 (rest again at top) + 3 (barely). Also, I'm only doing the pups about once a week now. Maybe I'd progress faster if I did them more often! :rolleyes: Or maybe I should just drop down to knee pups when I fatigue . . .

[OakLeaf]

Veronica, T-pups with 8# :eek:, that is some core strength, and a great way to work the shoulder stabilizers. And pull-ups too, I've been totally neglecting mine :o... partly out of frustration that I've been stuck at 5 for the first set and 1-2 for a second "set" for like two years.

Maybe I need to start doing pull-ups similarly to this push-up plan - I bet I could do three sets of two and then a max out (of another one or two :rolleyes:) I hardly even watch TV, but every time DH has it on and one of those commercials for chin bars comes on, I start wanting one for home even though all my lazy self really needs to do is throw a rope over a joist in the garage.

Emily, yeah, pups can be hard on the rotator cuff, especially if you're doing them with a wide stance - are you doing them narrow, Pilates-style? You're right the bellies of the rotator cuff muscles are along the scapula, but they have their insertion on the head of the humerus - that's what allows them to rotate the arm, and it's why there's no bone-to-bone attachment in the shoulder socket. Here's the best illustration (http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00064) of that that I've seen. The shoulder is a wacky joint, really, crazier than the knee even - be careful with it. :(

Kim, way to go! And you are not the only one doing knee pups. Completing the program with ANY type of pups is a real accomplishment.

PedalWench, holding dumbbells is probably the simplest way to keep your wrists straight - knuckle pups are fine if they don't hurt your knuckles - but check it out with your PT. If it was me I don't think I'd do any pups until I was out of the brace. Any way you do them you still have to stabilize the forearms, and that means the tendons are going to be acting on your wrist bones. Knuckle pups actually seem to work the forearms harder than with your hands flat, I think. And with pull-ups, you're using the forearm muscles for grip... plus your weight is going to want to stretch the wrist joints... I'd definitely check it out. :( Might be a good time to start practicing those one-handed pups on the wall. :D

Michele, maybe you might try backing off to week 4 before you try to go forward again. That's worked for several of us. And yeah... three times a week is pretty much the minimum to make much progress at anything. :)

[Kimmyt]

Me and my fiance just reached the end of week 2 for this. We have almost doubled our total pushups since then! 100 doesn't seem so far away now that we're almost at the half way mark!

[emily_in_nc]

Emily, yeah, pups can be hard on the rotator cuff, especially if you're doing them with a wide stance - are you doing them narrow, Pilates-style? You're right the bellies of the rotator cuff muscles are along the scapula, but they have their insertion on the head of the humerus - that's what allows them to rotate the arm, and it's why there's no bone-to-bone attachment in the shoulder socket. Here's the best illustration (http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00064) of that that I've seen. The shoulder is a wacky joint, really, crazier than the knee even - be careful with it. :(

In Pilates class I do pups with a narrow stance as instructed (VERY VERY HARD!!!), but at home and when I started doing the 100 pups challenge, I do them with a wide stance. I'll check out the link. Thanks for your feedback!

[Pedal Wench]

PedalWench, holding dumbbells is probably the simplest way to keep your wrists straight - knuckle pups are fine if they don't hurt your knuckles - but check it out with your PT. If it was me I don't think I'd do any pups until I was out of the brace. Any way you do them you still have to stabilize the forearms, and that means the tendons are going to be acting on your wrist bones. Knuckle pups actually seem to work the forearms harder than with your hands flat, I think. And with pull-ups, you're using the forearm muscles for grip... plus your weight is going to want to stretch the wrist joints... I'd definitely check it out. :( Might be a good time to start practicing those one-handed pups on the wall. :D



Doc said no way to pups, but start PT tomorrow. He's not thrilled that I'm training for a 24-hour race either, but as long as I train with the brace on, he said i can try. But pups are definitely out, in any form, because I would still be trying to stabilize with the wrist, just like you said!

[yellow]

OK, who is still playing?? :p

I went way back down and almost started all over again and am back at the end of week 4. I had to drop down to C2 earlier this time around and am generally feeling much wimpier. W-T-F??

I'm considering diving wholly into Crossfit this winter. If I do that, then I'll probably dump the pups. We'll see; Crossfit might not work for me right now given my back "issues". I'm hopeful that it might actually help with some of the issues.

In the meantime, I'm going to keep on the pups. But I've given up the illusion that I might someday be able to do 100 in a row. I just have too many other things that I need energy for!!!!! :D

[Grog]

I keep doing a few push ups every week, usually two days of about 30. It just kills me. I don't understand this exercise. I'm not even working all that hard, 30 push ups is nothing, and the next day I feel so limp and tired and weak. Really weird.

So this morning I did three sets of 5. Whatever.

I'm not making 100 by my the new year, I can say so much.

[aka_kim]

I'm still playing!

I started from week 1 (C1) doing full pups a few weeks ago (I did ball pups the first time through the program). I'm actually repeating days this time instead of weeks (so far), whether I need to or not, just to try to avoid some of the problems I had last time around.

[Bruno28]

I think this is a great programme. I just started week 4 (in the feeble 1st column) doing half push ups. But when I started I couldn't do anything more than wall push ups so I feel I've made great strides.

My aim is to finish the programme on half push ups then progress to full push ups. I really feel I've gained strength and fitness and it is a really easy programme to follow - with measurable progress - so it's kept me going.

I recommend it to the easily discouraged :D

The next day you really feel like you've had a good work out.

[Bruno28]

After my 'it's a breeze' boastfulness I have hit the wall that is day 1 week 5 :o

[yellow]

OK, I just finished week 6 for the third or fourth time this week. Felt better this time around, I think mostly because I stuck to the schedule. It seems that if I miss just one day I pay for it later.

I'll probably just stay at week 6 through the end of the year and maybe try a test in the last days of 2008. It looks like I will be starting Crossfit in January, so I suspect I won't be in any condition to also do pushups. :rolleyes:

Bruno, weeks 4-5-6 are tough, tough, tough. Keep at it!!!

[aka_kim]

Did this program really start at the beginning of September!?

I'm in week 3 now, doing my slow ramble through the program for the second time.

Yellow, I'm cheering you on for 100 pups straight through - if anyone can do it, you can!

[michelem]

Hadn't done any PUPs since before Thanksgiving and tried to pick up where I left off (Day 3 of Week 5, 3rd Column) . . . HAH! :eek:Needless to say, I wasn't able to do the minimum max in the last set. :rolleyes: So, last night I dropped back down to Day 2 of Week 4, Column 3, and was able to complete all the sets easily (25, 29, 25, 25, 36). I'm encouraged to move forward again and keep consistency this time. :) I certainly won't get to 100 before the end of the year, but I'm definitely stronger than when I started! :D

P.S. OakLeaf, I see where you suggested that I drop back a week . . . good advice! :)