100 Pushup/200 Sit Up/200 Squat Challenge
So, you know how every once in a while I get some cockamamie idea, like running 21.1 km or climbing up a mountain? This is one of those.
I first heard about this 100 pushup/200 situp/200 squat challenge from Dan on our Grouse Grind and maybe it was the lack of oxygen to my brain at the time, but I said, “that sounds like a good idea! “
The idea is that by the end of a three-day per week, six-week program, you will be able to do 100 pushups/200 situps/200 squats. In a row.
Before you start the program, you have to do an “exhaustion test” – as in, you do the exercise until you can’t do the exercise anymore. It’s meant to gauge your ability at the start to put you on the right workout schedule. Sounds like fun, right?
So I did my exhaustion tests this weekend. I think they show that I’m a runner:
- squats – 105 [anything above 41 is considered “excellent”]
- sit ups – a sad, sad little 23 [in the “poor” range of 0-37. But it’s like “upper poor”]
- pushups – a pathetic, pathetic 4 [in the “are you sure you really want to do this?” range. *sigh*]
And that’s where I am starting out. And today is my first day of training! Feel free to play along at home!
Image credits:
“You pathetic maggots,” originally posted on Flickr by The mofoJT
I actually tried the 100 pushups part earlier this year, and it went okay for the first while. I was making decent gains, and holding my own in column three the whole time. But there was just some point (week five, I guess?) where the additional push ups become totally not gradual, and I failed and failed and failed, and got pissed off, and quit.
And then I wept.
Oh my gosh I totally wanna do that with you. I’m sure my worst would be the squats. I can do around 10-12 pushups in a row, last I checked… wooo! :p
Oh yeah… if the poor range for sit-ups is 0 to 37 and you can do 23, I would call that “middle poor” not “upper poor.” 😛
Oh, pushups. I will cheering from the sidelines, but I am just too top-heavy to pull that off. I mean, I am top-heavy normally, but it’s just comical now.
@Kalev – In a strange twist of fate, “middle poor” is also my socioeconomic status. Did you do your initial tests yet? When are you starting the challenge??
Haven’t done the initial tests yet. Was going to this week but left my swimming stuff on the bus which screwed over my schedule plus have been spending most evenings socialising.
Okay, my initial push-ups were 15. My initial squats were 63. I was impressed with the squats number and disappointed by the push-ups one.
I can’t seem to do crunches right now… am having abdominal muscle issues. Will go see a doctor and let you know how it goes.
Abdominal muscles issues – that doesn’t sound good! Hope everything is OK!
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I'm doing this with the iphone apps for the pushups and the squats! I'm in week 2 with the pushups and i'm just starting the squats.
I too thought “Hey. That sound sounds GREAT!”, but every time on the last pushups rep where you do as many as you can I really start to think I'm crazy!
Lewis
I've been a total deliquent with my program. Despite it being only about a half hour, three days a week to do the three things, I never seem to manage to find the time to do it. I think I have to restart week 2 for the third time and really be serious about it!
I only started Week 1 Day 1 today (and only on the pushups) so maybe I'll catch up!
I did awful on the “max” at the end. I was supposed to do at least 9 and I managed 4. 🙁
I'm just about to do a max test to see where I stand on each of the items. Then I figure I can restart my Week 2 on Tuesday (as I am going for a run with Alicia and Kim tomorrow, so not really the best day to do other exercises on!)
I've been doing the pushups thang for several weeks now. I'm at week 5, and, yeah — the difficulty appears to be getting exponentially harder. But — I started out being able to do 30, and now I can do … 59?
You are a better person that I! I'm *finally* on week 3, and I'm in column 1 (where 1 = wimps). But slow and steady wins the race, right? Please?
200 squats – I did it during the test …. no problem. I did 51 pushups during the test. I thank God I’m a runnning because it keeps me fit. I think I should reach 100 pushups within a week. Runners are fit !!!