(no subject)

[felicula]

Three weeks ago today, less than a month ago, I did an initial test to see where I would be if I started the One Hundred Push Ups Program. The idea was to pick a style of push up I could do, then do as many good-form push ups as I could to see which level of the program would work best for me. First, I tried a standard push up. Dude. I am pushing 280 lbs and haven't spent much time strength training. I couldn't even get my whale-body off the ground using a standard push up. Okay... so I tried knee push ups. I managed 8 good-form knee push ups before crying "Uncle."

The program prescribes 3 workouts a week, allowing a day of rest between and two days for weekends. By the end of the first week, I could do 15 knee push ups in one stretch after an already-challenging workout for a total of 46 knee push ups that day. By the end second week, my maximum at a stretch was 20 knee push ups with a total of 56 push ups, adding up all five sets for that day.

Enter the third week. My optimistic side was depressed to learn that I was no longer in "column two" on the workout page for the week. Rather than dropping it, I set my sights on "column one" and found that even column one was extraordinarily challenging for my current level of strength, level of fitness, and weight. Still, I found that I could do it. I could make it through the workouts. Granted, my maximum at a stretch hasn't exceeded 21 knee push ups, but the workout totals went from 70 on Monday, to 76 on Wednesday, and -- Holy Crow! -- 83 knee push ups today.

I fully intend to stay on Week 3's numbers for next week, so that I can give my strength a chance to get used to this. From my experience with week three I hypothesize that the program was not designed with very heavy people in mind. That's okay though. At any point I can re-use a week's workout to keep building on what I've done so far. It isn't like there's some set date where I have to be doing a hundred push ups -- or else! I think it's heartening to see the improvement that I've felt over just three weeks of the program. Four weeks ago I couldn't even bring myself to do 10 in a row, and I've more than doubled that. It's helping me stay a bit more aware of what I eat, and it encourages me to keep up with my water-drinking. None of this can be a bad thing.