The push up challenge (and I swam 5km)

[Ekliptix]

3 months ago my friends started a 1 year push up challenge.
On day 1, I do 1 PU.
On day 2, I do 2 PUs.
On day 3, I do 3 PUs.
Do this for 1 year.
It's something around 66,000 total PUs.
They can be broken up during the day, thank god.

It's day 126. There are 5 of 10 people left in the competition. Some have dropped out from other sports injuries but hope to heal and catch up.

Observations:

At the beginning, I think I could do 9 PUs in a row, max. If asked, I could do 40 in a row no problem right now. My max is 61 in a row (something special was going on that day).
My elbow was getting sore. I did some tennis elbow style stretches and it helped, but I eventually changed my PU form from elbows-out to elbows-in. The PUs are harder now, but my elbow feels good.
I tried a bench press 2 weeks ago. Did my body weight (195lbs) 5 x, which is a new PB for me. It's 100% from doing PUs. I'm hoping for 225 x 3 as my next test.
My chest is bigger.
Starting in the morning is important. I do some at work when I'm taking a break.
My belly has not shrunk


https://youtu.be/uQxwzR7cV5w


Swimming

Last year my gf (used to swim competitively) told me I could swim across the lake where my family's cabin is (Shuswap). It's 2km and 400' deep in the middle. Last summer, we did it with a boat aside us. It took 50 min. I couldn't believe it. I'd never considered swimming that far. It seemed impossible.
This year, I've been doing 1km, 2km, 3km, and finally a 4km swim at Lake Sundance to practice. All breast stroke.
I watched some youtube vids about how to do breaststroke so I can improve my efficiency.
Last week I got some friends on Shuswap to join min in attempt to swim 5.5km, from a starting point to our cabin. Everyone but me dropped our after 2km. I finished in 2hr 30min. Did the breast stroke the entire way. Was so fucking boring but I pictured the end and it finally came. No soreness, except for a little in the shoulders. I'll probably never do it again haha. 1-2km swims are good for me now.


I'm the tallest one.
https://i.imgur.com/dW4V1CKh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/zN6LVc1h.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/k34GiYvh.jpg

I'm feeling great compared to before the PU challenge. It will be weird to stop after 365PUs on day 365.

[Disoblige]

Congrats on your success, but the 365 challenge seems silly for the first month and likely gets unreasonable as you get into the later stages. Like, when you get into the 200 some push ups a day, that's just ridiculous (even if you split it up).

Challenges such as the one hundred push up challenge seem better. I did those with great results and on average could do around 50-60 push ups in a row.

Anywho, look forward to see how you feel on day 200+ haha.

[scboss]

Sick work!
Pushups have always been a staple in my routine as they have tons of benefits. I got a 59 year old client hitting 120 in 3 sets with a 90sec break and I already found that impressive as hell. Looks like I gotta step my game up no way i could hit 365 in my wildest dreams hahahahah

[LilDrunkenSmurf]

I really need to up my push up game. I can do 225x3 but tire out at 20 push-ups. It's one of those things where the only thing that gets you better at push ups, is more push ups.

[R-Audi]

Why breaststroke? Front or backstroke would be faster and more efficient.

[LilDrunkenSmurf]

Because it's harder and therefore more challenging?

[Brent.ff]

Why breaststroke? Front or backstroke would be faster and more efficient.

thats what i was thinking. Breastroke for 2.5 hours. Ugh


Because it's harder and therefore more challenging?

Breaststroke is way easier then free

[max_boost]

I wish I could swim in open water. Props dude.

[vengie]

That's impressive! I can hardly swim two laps of the pool without nearly drowning.

[403ep3]

I never did the 365 days, but in July I started at 20 push ups and added 5 every day while also doing 100 squats a day. Boy was that hard.. 165 by day 30 was rough

Good luck on 365!

[benyl]

Breaststroke is way easier then free

Easier how? It is way less efficient that free. The only thing it could have going for it is the ability to keep your head above water, but that drops the efficiency even more.

[Brent.ff]

Easier how? It is way less efficient that free. The only thing it could have going for it is the ability to keep your head above water, but that drops the efficiency even more.

Less efficient, but way easier in that you can get longer breaths. If you're not worried about speed, you can pretty much breaststroke forever at a low intensity, while it's harder to keep a low intensity on free

[Chester]

Serious question, can you get adult swimming lessons that will teach you to swim long distances and tread water forever? I can swim, but not 5 km haha

[89coupe]

I just tried doing push-ups. I did 50 in under a minute.
I’m 6’ 200lbs

[max_boost]

Serious question, can you get adult swimming lessons that will teach you to swim long distances and tread water forever? I can swim, but not 5 km haha

Private lessons = $$$ or join the group. http://www.totalimmersion.net/coach/grant-molyneux

I was able to do 1km in the pool at a slow pace but after I stopped practicing I can barely swim 25m now lol :facepalm:

Open water, forget about it. :drama:

[roopi]

I just tried doing push-ups. I did 50 in under a minute.
I’m 6’ 200lbs

Where should we mail your gold medal?

[hurrdurr]

Where should we mail your gold medal?

:rofl:

[89coupe]

Where should we mail your gold medal?

Haha, I was just curious how many I could do in under a minute.:dunno:

Such a sensitive crowd.:rofl:

[Ekliptix]

To breast stroke vs front stroke, yes, I wish I could have done it front stroke but it tires me out after 1 min of front stroke. I opted for granny-gear (breast stroke) because I can maintain it for longer, even thought it's slower. Ex: I swam at 27min/km doing breast stroke. My iron man friend swam at 16 min/km doing front stroke (for 4km). 2 days ago I did 1km in 23min doing breast stroke, at a higher pace. I felt I got pretty efficient at breast stroke though, especially the glide portion of the stroke.

Brad, that's really good for PUs. I assume you're still working out, and if not I hope I can do that after being 'sedate' for a while. Today is day 131 for PUs. I did 60 before I left the house at 6am.

[89coupe]

Brad, that's really good for PUs. I assume you're still working out, and if not I hope I can do that after being 'sedate' for a while. Today is day 131 for PUs. I did 60 before I left the house at 6am.

Yeh I’m still working out, Mon-Friday, 1 hour a day.

If I go for broke I can push out 75.

I’ll be 46 this year, body is starting to age, haha.

[JRSC00LUDE]

Are these full chest to floor pushups? Pretty great if so.

Swimming, man I wish. I don't think I could swim 300m anymore. When I was a kid I could swim all day, now I just fucking sink. I wonder if adult lessons would help?

[Ekliptix]

Are these full chest to floor pushups? Pretty great if so.
Yes. For the first month I took my hands off the ground to train myself to get all the way down.

[max_boost]

Yeh I’m still working out, Mon-Friday, 1 hour a day.

If I go for broke I can push out 75.

I’ll be 46 this year, body is starting to age, haha.

looking good for 46 tho, old man lol

[JRSC00LUDE]

Yes. For the first month I took my hands off the ground to train myself to get all the way down.

That's awesome, I find the swimming even more awesome. I can't believe my lack of buoyancy, I kind of want to try training in it and learn swimming all over again.

[suntan]

Are these full chest to floor pushups? Pretty great if so.

Swimming, man I wish. I don't think I could swim 300m anymore. When I was a kid I could swim all day, now I just fucking sink. I wonder if adult lessons would help?

Yes absolutely. I took some last year because I fucking sucked at swimming.

I can even tread water now with just my hands. I can also flutter kick to tread water (which is way easier than egg beater).

[JRSC00LUDE]

Yes absolutely. I took some last year because I fucking sucked at swimming.

I can even tread water now with just my hands. I can also flutter kick to tread water (which is way easier than egg beater).

That's good to hear, thank you.

[RX_EVOLV]

Less efficient, but way easier in that you can get longer breaths. If you're not worried about speed, you can pretty much breaststroke forever at a low intensity, while it's harder to keep a low intensity on free

Agree. Breast is sooo much easier than free. I used to swim lots back in the University days (over a decade ago) and now I would go maybe once a quarter on a good day. Even with that, I can probably do breast non-stop for 30+ laps, whereas freestyle I definitly have take a break every 8-10 laps. Freestyle is also alot quicker though...

[outsider]

Ekliptix,

Have you completed the challenge? I read this and started it with a few guys at the beginning of the year. Hopefully we make it all the way through.