One hundred push ups--9.1.08 start group

[OakLeaf]

I'll do Day 2 & 3 on Fri/Sat.

This is your coach speaking...

Rest days are important in an intensive program like this. The workout days are what stimulate muscle growth, but it's the rest days when you're actually getting stronger. The younger you are, the quicker you can recover, so if you're in your 20s it's less of an issue. One skipped rest day isn't going to kill you, and if you're younger, it shouldn't significantly set your progress back, but making a habit of skipping rest days is setting yourself up for frustration.

I totally get that doing this as part of a group is a huge motivation, but don't compromise YOUR workouts just so you can report stats on a particular day of the week. If you want to report with this group, why not report your day 2 stats each week instead of day 3? Or... SK asked us to report on Sunday morning - so you could do your pups Wednesday, Friday and early Sunday and still be on day 3. Then do Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday next week and you're all caught up.

[OakLeaf]

I'm 41 and can do 24 right now before total collapse. Not timed, right?

So where do I start on the spreadsheet....? 3?

No, not timed.

Yes, you're in group 3.

We're working this program. So even though we're reporting a day 3 TOTAL, we're doing these push-ups in sets - five sets the first four weeks, then moving up to eight and nine sets. I plan to follow the training plan pretty much to the letter. I don't know that it's any better than any other plan, but it's there, so I'll try it.

Which brings me to...

Did everyone notice that the rest time between sets changes from day to day? It seems to me that mixing up the rest time is important to our ultimate goal of increasing the number we can do in one set. So I'm planning to pay attention to that part - do the pups where I can keep an eye on a clock with a second hand, or have a stopwatch.

[NoNo]

Did day three last night: 5-4-4-3-10=26. I'll see how much longer I can hang in, but I'm definitely feeling it in my wrist between the pushups and the increased riding.

[tulip]

No, I'm not volunteering to do it next week because I haven't figured out the system yet. Once I do, I'll be happy to help out. Thanks for all your work.

[Aggie_Ama]

Day 2 is tonight and I am still sore from Day 1! I am interested to see if I am able to beat my max from last time or if it is harder.

[SadieKate]

Did everyone notice that the rest time between sets changes from day to day? It seems to me that mixing up the rest time is important to our ultimate goal of increasing the number we can do in one set. So I'm planning to pay attention to that part - do the pups where I can keep an eye on a clock with a second hand, or have a stopwatch.

Yes, I did! I have to figure out what to do. 90 secs is an eternity in my less than patient world. 30 no problem. 90??? It'll probably get easier to rest as the workouts get harder.

I'm using the child position with my arms back by my feet to give my shoulders a rest.

jesvetmed, as far as reporting your Day 3 total on Sunday morning, remember I'm on the west coast. Use the PUC,s plan; the first week is going to be a bit discombobulated no matter what.

[SadieKate]

Did day three last night: 5-4-4-3-10=26. I'll see how much longer I can hang in, but I'm definitely feeling it in my wrist between the pushups and the increased riding.

I just entered this on the spreadsheet. I hope you don't mind me using you as the example but this way everyone can see what data I'm entering.

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?k...=0&single=true

So, you did 5 more than the minimum on day 3. Good for you!

[NoNo]

Not a problem at all. 10 was a struggle, but I think by next week I'll be feeling pretty good.

[jobob]

Ooooh, game on!

[jesvetmed]

Alright - I was a bit behind, so got up this am, had coffee, and did my DAY 1 sets. 10/10/8/6/10. We did a bunch of decline pushups the other night at boot camp, so I'm still a little sore from that. I figure I'll get in Fri afternoon and Sunday afternoon -- then be on track to keep up with you all.

THANKS! This should be fun. Challenged a friend to join in, also.

PS... I'm throwing in the same number of crunches, since I'm sweating anyway. This is GOOD! I'm bad about my ab work.

[OakLeaf]

Some stretches to do after your pups:

Chest stretches (each link has instructions and illustration)
Anterior deltoid stretches; push your chest out while doing this one to deepen the stretch in the chest muscles
Overhead triceps stretch

Make sure you're getting enough protein. We're building muscle, so we'll need extra.

Expect to be sore... a LITTLE sore... for pretty much the whole program. If you're so sore that it interferes with your other activities, that's too much, and try taking an extra rest day and/or eating more protein. But really, with body weight exercises and a limit on the number of sets and sessions, that shouldn't happen after the first day, if at all.

If you start getting joint pain, that's not good. Yes it's tough to drop out of a program because your body won't do it, but that's better than keeping on and aggravating an injury that could take months to heal. If you can back off the number of reps and/or do one of the modified types of pups, and do them without ANY joint pain (during or after the workout), do that, give yourself a week and then try increasing the reps again. Have someone check your form, and/or use a mirror. If it's still painful, then STOP. If you start getting weird but non-painful things going on in your joints - noise, clicking, crackling, etc. - pay attention to that as well and don't let it develop into something painful.

[Flur]

So today I'm a bit sore on the front of my shoulders and between my shoulderblades. This is where I'm usually sore with doing a lot of chaturunga reps, but I'd expect with regular push-ups I'd be more sore in my pecs. My hands are in the right spot as per the hundredpushups website, and I'm engaging my core and not sticking my butt up. Does anyone have any ideas how to modify my form to work my pecs more?

[bluebug32]

PS... I'm throwing in the same number of crunches, since I'm sweating anyway. This is GOOD! I'm bad about my ab work.

Great idea!

I like to do these while I'm making dinner. Do one set make the salad to recover, do the next, put something in the microwave, etc. I'm too impatient to sit and wait for 90 seconds to go by.

I lifted weights today so tonight's pushups might be a stretch...

[OakLeaf]

So today I'm a bit sore on the front of my shoulders and between my shoulderblades. This is where I'm usually sore with doing a lot of chaturunga reps, but I'd expect with regular push-ups I'd be more sore in my pecs. My hands are in the right spot as per the hundredpushups website, and I'm engaging my core and not sticking my butt up. Does anyone have any ideas how to modify my form to work my pecs more?

I wouldn't worry too much about it, especially this early in the program. Everybody's going to be starting out stronger in some muscles and weaker in others. Once you've worked up to enough reps, your delts will catch up to your pecs. But generally, the wider your hands and elbows, the more a pup emphasizes the pecs.

[wackyjacky1]

Day 2 is tonight and I am still sore from Day 1!

Me, too!

So here's today's report:

Group 1, Week 1
Day 1: 2/2/2/2/4
Day 2: 4/3/2/2/5

I'm actually feeling more soreness in my abs than my shoulders.

(And this is one of those occasions where I'm glad I live alone...it must be quite a sight to see me grunting and groveling on the ground. )