Hundred Pushup Challenge – “I’ll leave pushups to the boys”

I told my best friend, the Cultural Contributor, about the Hundred Pushup Challenge. She is typically… skeptical of my antics, but ultimately supportive. This proved no different.

Gymrat Jane: “So, I’m doing this thing. It’s called the Hundred Pushup Challenge. You shoul do it, too!”

Cultural Contributor: “Like, girl pushups or real pushups?”

GJ: *Eye roll* “Real pushups. Big-girl pushups!”

CC: “But, like, don’t pushups give you big pecs? Aren’t those boy muscles?”

GJ: “Well, no. Not really. I mean, I need all the help up there I can get. It’ll make me look like I’ve got cleave!”

CC: “Yeah. I think I’ll leave pushups to the boys.”

It’s something I’ve thought about, though. I am in no way a body builder, but I am a bit muscley. I worry that it might be too… masculine.

Are muscles for  boys?

I feel like women are told to be looong and leeeean a la pilates. I never really learned how to lift weights. I just started lifting. Perhaps I chose the wrong method of lifting. Bobby(@xfitjax) said he’d help me come up with a workout and Jason (@iwearyourshirt) said he’d send me his “clean diet” spreadsheet to help me get rid of my fat. But he said it’s hard and I don’t know if I can emotionally handle “hard eating” right now.

My body insecurities don’t have to do with my muscles. I know that I’m not single because I can benchpress more than most girls. I’m not doing the hundred pushup challenge to bulk up or get fit. I just love being strong. Fake it til you make it, I guess. Strong on the outside maybe means strong on the inside? Eventually?

Yesterday was Week 2, Day 1 (I’m in Group 3) of the chalenge: 14, 14, 10, 10, 15. 63 total? Stupid math.

So while I may end up with big pecs, I don’t think I’ll leave pushups to the boys. I’m having too much fun.

I was Dominated by Bobby (@xfitjax) in Pushups

The bet: Jason of www.iwearyourshirt.com couldn’t do 30 pushups in a row, and 100 pushups in 5 minutes.

The stakes: Whoever wins has to post a picture declaring they were dominated by the other participant to all possible outlets (Flickr, Facebook, Blog, Etc.).

The results: I wish I could claim complete domination, but Bobby (who is absolutely ADORABLE, even in Pink — and whom i wasn’t aware was participating in this little contest… *ahem*) was able to crank out 100 pushups in 5:02 and given that we didn’t have an official stop watch, we gave it to him. Poor Jason… poor poor Jason… He and his 250 lbs of muscles were able to get through his 30 consecutive, but stopped short of 100, squeezing out 84.

Then, the challenge was put back on me… Could I manage 30 in a row? Hmm? HMM!? Never able to turn down a physical challenge, I kicked off my cute little kitten heels and got down on my office floor (under my desk in order to shield me from the possible passers by) and cranked out 28 consecutive pushups. I give myself credit. A) I was in my work clothes, B) I had already done my pushups the night before and was supposed to take a day off, C) I’m a chick who can do 28 Big Girl Pushups!!

So while I beat the pants off of Jason Sadler, unfortunately, I was pwned by Bobby and now I must pay. Here is my penance.

I was dominated by Bobby (@xfitjax) in pushups.

But I COMPLETELY DOMINATED Jason (@iwearyourshirt)!!!

Hundred Pushup Challenge

Hello there. Been a while, eh?

I have come back to issue a challenge. Well – to document a challenge that has been issued (or some such nonsense).

It’s the Hundred Pushup Challenge – A program designed to get anyone to complete 100 consecutive pushups in 6 weeks. It’s based on a book from what I can tell, but I should also mention up front that I’m not promoting the book in any way. Unless they eventually pay me. In which case I’ll totally pimp that. :)

The challenge was issued on Twitter. @AliHolden I believe was the one who brought it up. She was challenging @MaryCateOMalley to see if they could do it. I am not a “see if you can do it” kind of person, so naturally I made it slightly more competitive. Then, like the genius that I am, I threw the gauntlet down to Jason Sadler of www.IWearYourShirt.com (@iwearyourshirt), this megabuff shirt-trepreneur who happens to be wearing a different t-shirt every day this year, essentially selling his life Star Jones style. Kind of. He’s awesome and I’m a fan-girl, so when he accepted the challenge, I knew it was GAME F-ING ON! Well, then I decided to just challenge everyone. My friend Chaz jumped on board, and now my cousin is in!

Here’s how it works….

You take the Initial Test to see where you start. It’s “do as many pushups as you can”. So I did. I got 20 , so for my age, that puts me at level 3. You can start at 0, although they kind of recommend not so much that.

Then … you start.

The entire program can be found on their website. Here is Week 1. Since I’m level 3, my first workout consisted of 5 sets: 10, 12, 7, 7, asmanyasyoucanbutatleast9 (I did 10) with one minut’s rest in between sets. My total was 46.

Since I did my test and my week 1 in the same night, my total (non-consecutive) for the night was 66. Suuuuuucky but I was only moderately sore in the morning.

Today, Jason challenged me to record myself doing my pushups… something I was VERY skeptical of doing for a number of reasons. A) I’ve been anonymous up until now. B) I’ve never recorded myself. C) It’s be in my ratty-ass gym clothes doing PUSHUPS. But you know I can’t turn down a challenge, especially not from a boy.

So I did it. Today was Hundred Pushup Challenge Day 2. 5 sets: 10, 12, 8, 8, asmanyasyoucanbutatleast12 (I did 15). Total today? 55 53 (Thanks, PRSlaveDC. And Jews ARE good at math. Just not me. I suck.).

And, as promised…. Video.

Hi. I’m Lisa.