One Hundred Push Ups Challenge

[Craig]

Actually, I'd be surprised if I could manage any as after hurting my left wrist a couple of years back I can't actually bend it back fully any more. Perhaps I could do some on my knuckles, although that sounds painful!

Knuckle pushups aren't painful if you have a soft floor, ie carpet or cushions etc. I've seen a few websites recommending them, to avoid injuring your wrists. Or you could get some pushup bars.

I've been doing this hundred pushups for a few weeks now, after someone posted the link on another forum. Though not quite following the weekly plan as I keep forgetting or am busy / tired out after other things.
I hadn't done any pushups at all for years, and my max at the start was 14. I'm now in week 3, and up to a max of 30, so definitely improving.

[annie]

I succumbed to this challenge and managed a rather feeble 23 before my left shoulder started niggling.  It is a start though and hopefully I will be able to improve on this given time.

[Che]

What about the one-handed push up challenge? None at all, and my shoulder has just made some funny noises.

[Andrij]

What about the one-handed push up challenge? None at all, and my shoulder has just made some funny noises.

Never tried those, but used to be able to do a few 'clapping' press-ups.

[Che]

Never tried those, but used to be able to do a few 'clapping' press-ups.

They've got nowt on a one armer, I'll tell you now.

[Andrij]

Never tried those, but used to be able to do a few 'clapping' press-ups.

They've got nowt on a one armer, I'll tell you now.

I agree.  *makes note to search for vid of Jack Palance doing one-handers at Oscars*

[Jaded]

Hmmm. But can you hear the sound of a one-handed clap push-up?

[Sergeant Pluck]

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=AGxL5AFzzMY

[Blade]

I tried and managed just 19......but I am getting on a bit in years now. Pushing 60.

Will put the hundred on my New Years resolution to-do list

[teethgrinder]

17 push ups is very good.
Most people can't do 5. Not proper press ups when your nose touches the floor but your belly (unless it's a bit porky), chest and middle do not, so you get no rest inbetween anyway.
If you can do 17, I'd do reps of 3-4 and 3-4 sets (3 or 4 push ups, 3 or 4 times) either daily or every other day if you can still feel your arms a day later. Then build up your amount of sets. Then build up the number of reps in a set.
I worked up to around 300 a day in sets of 50 when I worked shifts. Before I started, I could only manage 20.

For comparison, Britains' "Most Dangerous Prisoner" Charles Bronson does 1 minute of press ups first thing in the morning on some days. He'll do about 100 in that minute. He held the World Record for press ups in a minute which was a few over 100. He has held a number of World Record for that type of thing.

[Wobbly John]

I'll give it a go, but I probably won't be committed enough to do the hundred.

I just did 20 and that made me a bit dizzy.

In the 80's I used to play american football (in the UK) and we did a few 'display' drills and scrimmages at local fete's. We used to do press-ups with the feet of the guy in front of you on your shoulders - about a dozen players doing press-ups with only one pair of feet on the ground. If you were a fraction of a second late on lifting they were really tough!  

I didn't use press-ups much in those days, but I would do 3 sets of 200 sit-ups  , so I know it's possible to build up to silly numbers when you do exersises regularly.

[Fixedwheelnut]

The guy who runs the circuits that I go to does a particularly nasty set of pressups.

hands shoulder width apart, feet together.
5 pressups
move each hand a couple of inches together, and spread the feet a bit
5 pressups
move each hand a couple of inches together, and spread the feet a bit
5 pressups
move each hand a couple of inches together, and spread the feet a bit
5 pressups
move each hand a couple of inches together, and spread the feet a bit
5 pressups
move each hand a couple of inches together, and spread the feet a bit
5 pressups

you end up the your thumbs crossed and the feet really wide apart.  Pressups in that position HURT.   (I can feel it pulling my shoulder open again where I tore the ligaments back in 2004)

 Sounds like our Sensei, he would make us do ten arms shoulder width, then ten clapping in between as you push up, ten arms apart further and ten hands together, then ten on your clenched fists.
 Another favourite was to team people up in fours and form a square so everybody had the others feet on there shoulders, harder because your own feet were higher and you had the extra weight on you're own shoulders.

 I particularly hated the arms out in front whilst standing, clench and unclench your fists, each person counted out a set of ten, absolute barstard if more than fifteen people turned up. 

[Deano]

The guy who runs the circuits that I go to does a particularly nasty set of pressups.

hands shoulder width apart, feet together.
5 pressups
move each hand a couple of inches together, and spread the feet a bit
5 pressups
move each hand a couple of inches together, and spread the feet a bit
5 pressups
move each hand a couple of inches together, and spread the feet a bit
5 pressups
move each hand a couple of inches together, and spread the feet a bit
5 pressups
move each hand a couple of inches together, and spread the feet a bit
5 pressups

you end up the your thumbs crossed and the feet really wide apart.  Pressups in that position HURT.   (I can feel it pulling my shoulder open again where I tore the ligaments back in 2004)

 Sounds like our Sensei, he would make us do ten arms shoulder width, then ten clapping in between as you push up, ten arms apart further and ten hands together, then ten on your clenched fists.
 Another favourite was to team people up in fours and form a square so everybody had the others feet on there shoulders, harder because your own feet were higher and you had the extra weight on you're own shoulders.

 I particularly hated the arms out in front whilst standing, clench and unclench your fists, each person counted out a set of ten, absolute barstard if more than fifteen people turned up. 

When I used to go to karate lessons, I loved the warm-ups and you've brought it all flooding back.

The sensei had a particularly cruel trick which he saved for piss-ups... 

When it got to the stage of the evening where the beer was kicking in and everybody had an inflated sense of their own abilities, he would invite any willing participants to brace themselves against the wall with their feet in the air, toes facing the wall, face to the wall, hands on the floor.  From there, the challenge was to perform a push-up. 


More than one nose was broken attempting this

[Séamas M.]

I managed 20, looks like I'm starting at Week 1 Column 3. 

[Valiant]

At the moment I can do about 3

[Pingu]

I've just done 20* & now my wrists are sore 

* And they were harder than I remembred from my circuit trainng yoof

[GruB]

30.

[Crystal Tips]

Ooof, just tried the initial test, cant even get off the floor for a real one, but managed 7 half ones. So looks like I'll start with column 2 and maybe after a few weeks I can restart with 'real' press ups.

Pingu, I have probs with my wrists too - you can do it with clenched fists, or holding a dumbell if that makes it easier?

[toontra]

Initial test 30, which means (according to this) I should be pushing the 100 in 4 weeks.  We'll see.

[Hello, I am Bruce]

I did 22 for the test.  Then did week 3, day 1, column 2.

I've been doing bench presses at the gym at work, but will give that a break while I work up to 100.

[toekneep]

My upper body strength has always been rubbish so I think I will give this a go. I did 13 on the initial test which suggests that I will find the recommended regime quite tough to start with. I'll start Monday, if I have recovered from the test.

[Sergeant Pluck]

Well I'm going to start on Monday and do the Mon / Wed / Fri thing as recommended.

Despite finding 20 unexpectedly difficult, I'm not sore at all today.

[clifftaylor]

3 

[Jezza]

I did 22 for the test.  Then did week 3, day 1, column 2.

I did week 3, day 1, column 2 as well. I managed 37 in the initial test (I was doing karate workouts up until last year) but felt that column 3 was going to be too much to start. I was right.

Set 1: 12
Set 2: 17
Set 3: 13
Set 4: 13
Set 5: Max (17+)

By set 5 I was really feeling it. I couldn't get to 17, let alone more. I managed 15, and the last few took a while.   

[nicknack]

3 

Ha, ha! Beat you!

I did 4.