CyclePups: 6 weeks completed, on to the extended play version

[OakLeaf]

or plateaux - I've definitely hit one.

I'm on my second run through week 5, column 2 and I'm still not making the last set minimum. Maybe I should step down to column 1.

Still, I'm doing more than I did last week. DH has the right attitude. "See? You're making progress!"

And since he's a photographer and incessantly taking my picture anyhow, I asked him to shoot me doing pups. My form actually looks pretty good to me! way better than I was afraid of, in those later sets when I'm getting tired

[katluvr]

I dont' even know what week I am on....of program or even doing program.
I messed up last week and only did one day.
I have done 2 days of this weeks....final day this weekend.
I have managed so far but barely...so I MAY repeat this week YET AGAIN!
So I understand. Yes, I am stronger...but 100 seems impossible.
To complete this week I have to eek out 35 in my last set. I do great set 1 and 2, weeken in the 3 & 4 set and then last one I am rubber arms. I could probably do a max in the 2nd set, but not after 3& 4.
But I plan to keep doing my pups!

[yellow]

I dont' even know what week I am on....of program or even doing program.
I messed up last week and only did one day.
I have done 2 days of this weeks....final day this weekend.
I have managed so far but barely...so I MAY repeat this week YET AGAIN!
So I understand. Yes, I am stronger...but 100 seems impossible.
To complete this week I have to eek out 35 in my last set. I do great set 1 and 2, weeken in the 3 & 4 set and then last one I am rubber arms. I could probably do a max in the 2nd set, but not after 3& 4.
But I plan to keep doing my pups!

kat, I really believe now after going through the entire program that doing the pups 3x a week as close to the schedule as you can is key. You won't hit the max some days, or be able to finish a set, or whatever. That's ok...just try to do pups 3 days/week and repeat weeks as needed.

I didn't get to the "ho** sh**, I can't believe I just did that many pushups" until after doing pups for 6+ weeks, and I was pretty AR about keeping on schedule. But I am now truly astounded at how many I can do. More than I've ever done in my life, for sure.

[emily_in_nc]

Thanks for all the support!

I finally got around to starting my repeat of week 2 today -- did Pilates class with some pups on Thursday, then helped DH pick up lots of wood yesterday so didn't need any more upper body work -- so today was finally the day.

I felt much stronger! I had my highest max ever on the fifth set -- still only 12, but each set felt much more solid, my form felt better, more in control, getting very low to the ground, etc. than last week.

So....perhaps when I finish this repeat week I'll actually "pass" the exhaustion test and make it to week 3! I'm definitely sticking with it!

[aka_kim]

I have to confess that, for the first time since beginning the program, I did not do all three days last week. My shoulders were really sore from the 160 pups called for on Day3 of the prior week, and bothered me all week. I did days 1&2 of Week 5 Column 1, but found I couldn't even use a floor pump to top off my tires without pain, so decided to take a few days off. I'll repeat Week 5 Column 1 this week.

[Grog]

Yesterday I felt too lazy after my 15 km run so I ended up doing my "day 3" (of the first week of my new, self-authored program) this Monday morning.

I did 11, 13, 9, 9, and 16, for a total of 58.

The plan for this week is to do:
10 - 12 - 9 - 9 - 15
11 - 13 - 10 - 10 - 10 - 15
and
12 - 14 - 11 - 11 - 16 (total 64).

Next week is a "rest week" where I will do two smaller push up workouts and, at the end of the week, aim to do 30 consecutive push ups.

(How organized can you get?)

[OakLeaf]

I'm just having a hard time facing the prospect of doing Week 5, Column 2 for yet a third time - even though I'm pretty sure if I do it that way, I'll finally be able to hit the minimums in the last sets.

It just doesn't feel like progress, even though I did more last week than I had the week before.

I'm about half inclined to go on to Week 6, Column 1 and call it a "rest week," since it's significantly less than Week 5, Column 2 with the exception of the last sets. I'm afraid to try Week 5, Column 3. Maybe Week 6, Column 1 this week, and Week 5, Column 3 next week.

I'll see how I feel later today.