100 Pushups

[pegkerr]

We always start karate classes with "30-20-10" which means 30 jumping jacks, 20 crunches, and 10 pushups.

I hate pushups.

I mean, I really, really HATE pushups. Having my gall bladder out was a great excuse to drop them from my workout routine, and I've been awful about re-incorporating them back in. But I know they're important. A lot of karate requires a great deal of core strength, and pushups are great for that.

So I've decided to start the 100 Pushups Challenge on line. I did the beginning assessment, determined to do the tough type, on the toes, and I managed . . . 8 pushups. I blush to confess it. How damnably embarrassing.

Okay, okay. I accept the challenge. I will do the six week program and (hopefully) will be able to do 100 pushups when I'm done. Thanks to jbru and minnehaha K. for pointing out the site and leading by example.

Comments

Just make sure...

[dlandon.livejournal.com]

You take care of your wrists. I can't do push-ups because of bad wrists, after a little time off I can do them, but then my wrists'll be in bad shape the rest of the week.

Fwiw. But good luck!

- D

Re: Just make sure...

[avengangle.livejournal.com]

Ditto. Well, one bad wrist, but it comes to the same thing.

Otherwise, I'd so be there.

Re: Just make sure...

[dragonpaws.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm a wrists bad person as well. And they go bad so easily... So be careful!

Re: Just make sure...

[satakieli.livejournal.com]

Me too. Have you tried knuckle pushups? They work for me, though they're a bit more effort (because I'm pathetic, and those extra few inches are hard).

[brigidsblest.livejournal.com]

I'd like to take your class. Ours starts with either 50 or 75 jumping jacks, depending on who's teaching that day. I have bad knees, so on a good day, I can manage 50, but usually it's between 35-45. Then we do 30 crunches (I can do crunches all right, despite being overweight; my ab muscles are strong) and 15 push-ups (I can do 4-6, so you've got me beat). There's also a lot of side crunches, leg lifts, stretching, and so on.

Ugh. And it's worse in the summer, because our teacher never runs the A/C, and having 15 people doing all that in a small space drives the already-high temps even higher.

[mereilin.livejournal.com]

I'd rather pushups than crunches. But good luck with your quest!

[aome.livejournal.com]

I did two. :P Will managed 21. I will say that I haven't done any upper body or core exercises in several months (bad me!). I'm trying to armtwist Will into giving it a shot, but if he won't, maybe I'll use you as my conscience and see if I can stick to it. My left wrist is prone to carpal tunnel so I can't guarantee it will allow me to do this, but ... I would love to improve my core strength to help with running and general fitness and maybe this is the kick I need.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

The website suggests several different variations for the pushup if you have physical limitations, including the knuckle pushup, pushup from the knees, bench pushup and even wall pushup. The knuckle pushup variation is suggested if you have wrist problems. See here.

[aome.livejournal.com]

Does the 100 pushups challenge still count if you've done 100 knee pushups? I can do at least 10 of those in one shot, but it kind of feels like cheating. I've never done knuckle pushups (they're punishment at the tae kwon jo dojong) but maybe I'll give it a try.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Knee pushups are fine. The point is just to increase the number you can do, whatever style, so that you can get stronger.

[sociofemme.livejournal.com]

Oooh, this looks...well, not fun, but challenging and interesting! I did 14 and Steve did 10, so we're egging each other on to see if we can do it. We'll see! :)

[huladavid.livejournal.com]

How long ago did you have your gall bladder out? I think it's a bit early for me (it's been three weeks, I think, since my surgery). I have, however, been getting back into the dance warm ups we used to do when Val, Sue, (and various others) & I were belly dancing.

Wonder if I can still do a back bend?

Don't think I'm gonna try anytime soon, though.

Good luck with all this!

[livsmama.livejournal.com]

I did 3. Jim did 20, but he has spent his nights for the last four years doing heavy lifting all night long, I would expect him to be able to do more.

This system looks very do-able. Are you going to start next Monday? I would like to play along (I always find the most interesting stuff from you!)

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Yep, I figure I'll start Monday.

[bekkio.livejournal.com]

I'm in the first week of my 2nd try at this challenge. I started a few weeks before Portus and saw a huge improvement in the number and the quality of the pushup I could do by the end of the 2nd week. Unfortunately, I didn't keep them up once I got to Dallas and really dragged my feet trying again. Good luck!

[enegim.livejournal.com]

I'm on week 4. I did 2 push-ups at the initial test; now I can get through 20 most of the time. But the first day of week 5 is going to kill me.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

I am on week 4 as well, and am having a do-over day for W4, D2, because when I tried it I failed spectactularly. So it goes. I suppose if I can't get through it on a second try I'll repeat W3.

I haven't looked ahead to W5 yet but I know there's another strength test after W4.

K.

[jbru.livejournal.com]

I had some pretty strong soreness after the first week and stopped and then never got back to doing them again. It's probably time to start again and make sure to take my arnica when I'm done!

[kiwiria.livejournal.com]

Ooooh!! I used to be able to do 50 when I did jui-jitsu (back when I was 14), but now I doubt I'd even be able to do 10 properly. I'll definitely be joining you in this!

... I'm gonna need a workout icon for this!

[mark356.livejournal.com]

I can do thousands of crunches, but not more than 20 pushups at once. I think that pushups are much, much harder than they sound, and they really take a whole lot of arm strength as well as a little core strength. Good luck on the project!