hundredpushups.com

[Thelasko]

Been doing it for a couple of weeks now and seem to have plateaued after the third endurance test! Hoping it's just a blip and that I will be able to get to 100 in one go.

I tried it a while back, and the same thing happened to me. After the 3rd or 4th week, it just becomes too aggressive and my body can't keep up. I think there is something wrong with the plan.

I also recommend keeping close track of the rest period between sets. It changes!

[majabl]

I tried it a while back, and the same thing happened to me. After the 3rd or 4th week, it just becomes too aggressive and my body can't keep up. I think there is something wrong with the plan.

I also recommend keeping close track of the rest period between sets. It changes!

Yes, it's the aggression that wipes me out. In the exhaustion tests I did I was in the top set for each, so have ended up doing the following (actuals/minimum):

Week 1 48/45, 54/50, and 64/57
Week 2 68/63, 76/71, and 85/81
Week 3 92/80, 101/100, and 124/120
Week 4 120/120, 140/140, and then failed to get to 160

I then went back to week 3 and found that harder than I did first time round, so my body's getting this week off and then I'll try dipping back into week 3 on Monday.

The most I've managed in one go was 36 :-S

[az]

Doing a hundred reps of any exercise in a row would mainly increase your stamina, not your strength, which in the case of muscles involved in push-ups is pretty useless.

So what's wrong with stamina/endurance?

I build some walls in my basement last year. It took me five days. Putting up the studs and the wallboard require a lot of upper arm endurance. Lots of strength would not have helped me get the job done in the short time I had.

There is much more to health than just muscle strength. Besides, building up muscle bulk is a lot easier to do if you have lots of endurance. More endurance = more efficient blood flow and metabolism.

Being able to do 100 pushups seems to me to be more useful in the real world than being able to bench-press a car.

[Netsu]

I haven't thought of that, I guess it's because in my daily life I rather carry some heavy stuff to and from the basement rather than build walls
But then in the case of the lower body (legs and abs) endurance is much more useful for me.
[edit] Oh, and when it comes to more efficient blood flow, I guess it's not relevant to what muscles you train. You can just jog and your overall fitness will benefit, but I could be wrong here.

[BGFG]

Doing a hundred reps of any exercise in a row would mainly increase your stamina, not your strength, which in the case of muscles involved in push-ups is pretty useless.

Triceps, pectorals, forearms, intercostals, useless ? how so ?

anyways, I can get up to 80 on a good day and 30 pull ups, doing some swimming for aerobics.

[Thelasko]

I rather carry some heavy stuff to and from the basement rather than build walls
But then in the case of the lower body (legs and abs) endurance is much more useful for me.

I think strength would be more beneficial to moving heavy stuff to and from the basement than endurance. Granted, it depends on what you consider endurance.

For me, I consider endurance anything over two miles (3.2km), a trip to the basement is much less than that.

P.S. Lift with your legs!

[chucky chuckaluck]

Being able to do 100 pushups seems to me to be more useful in the real world than being able to bench-press a car.

what if you were at the beach and a big, fat guy fell on you? moreover, as the two exercises use essentially the same muscles, if you could bench a car, you could probably knock out a 100 pushups (unless you weigh more than a car).

[Erik Trybom]

Training only one part of your body will likely cause imbalance in your muscles. Pushups do exercise several muscles, but mostly in the front of your body. In particular, I suspect a plan like this would cause your shoulders to be pulled forward, giving you a crooked back.

I would recommend setting up several goals for different exercises. Pushups, situps, chins/pullups, kneebends on one leg etc (that one is difficult!). Add some aerobic goals as well, like running or swimming a certain distance in a certain time.

[aktiwers]

[CJ Master]

Akti, thanks for that pic! I'm cracking up!! That was great =D