Week 5 - Day 1 - Second Attempt on 8/30/2008

Things did not go well at all today. I got up bit early in the morning to do pushups. I did the first set of 30 pretty easily. As I was getting ready to do the second set, My son wakes up and is going around the house calling me out. He comes over and he wants to play. So that puts a stop to my pushups.

Later when I was playing with him and I threw him a ball, Immediately I felt a pain above the tricep muscles and below the shoulder bone. I ignored it at that moment and couple of hours later, I tried to do the pushups again. This time I completed the first two sets of 30 and 24 pushups and while half way thru the third set, I felt the pain again and I stopped immediately fearing it would get worse. I still have little bit of pain in my arm, especially when I am driving and streering the wheels or lifting something heavy.

I think I know why I have this pain in my arm. Yesterday I did a lot of pushups and at atleast 25 pushups with my son stiiting on my back. Yesterday was supposed to be my rest day, but I could not resist, especially when my kid enjoys the pushups i do with him sitting on my back.

I am going to rest till monday and then I will repeat W5D1.

Week 5 - Day 1 on 8/28/2008

I still cant believe that i did 112 pushups today, I have no idea how I did 29 pushups more than my previous attempt on W4D3. Although I did not finish all the sets, I am thrilled at having done so many pushups and to have pushed myself this hard. All this difficulty to finish up the sets must be only in my head.

I was required to do 30,24,22,20, Max(at least 30)

I was able to do 30,24,22,20,16

Last week I had cut short the resting period betweek sets, But today I needed the 60+ seconds rest between and before the final set I took atleast 120 seconds of rest. Looking forward to repeating this day on saturday

Exhaustion Test

I did 35 pushups today on my exhaustion test. I am thrilled to have done so many pushups in one attempt, I have never done this many pushups even in my teenage years. The first 25 pushups were almost effortless, and then did one by one untill I got to 35.

Week 5 looks really tough, I don't think i will have the patience to do 8 sets in week 5, Usually In the morning I am in a rush and pushups are also performed at a fast pace. I am thinking of doing only 5 sets of W5D2 & W5D3. In other words combine Leve1&2 into one set and so on. I will try thi for a day and if it does not work out, I will go back to 8 level pushups on D2 and D3

Week 4 -Day 3 on 8/25/2008

Finally completed W4D3, Although my dissapointment at not being able to do additional pushups in the last set still remains. It's like my hand frozes and my mind quits after the last pushup on the last set. Anyways still happy to complete Week 4 and looking forward to best my previous attempt in the Exhaustion test.

I decided to make the pushups a bit more challenging by making the resting periods much shorter. I waited just 45 seconds before the 2nd,3d and 4th sets instead of 120 seconds and waited 60 seconds before the final set.

Week 5 looks very daunting, especially W5D1, Looks like it's going to be a long W5.

Informal Test of Strength

Few days before i began this pushup program, Itried to put by 2.5 YO son on my back and tried to do pushups. I barely managed to do one. My son weighs about 35lbs. He loves it when i put him on my back and do pushups. This is a fun test of strength that i plan to do occasionally. This pushups is slightly different from regular pushups, Instead of pushing my body all the down, I only push little more than half way down.

Couple of weeks ago, I tried this, I was able to do 8.Today I tried this test again and I managed 15 nonstop pushps. I could have done more, but decided not to, since I have to repeat W3D3 tommorow.

Week 4 - Day 3 Second Attempt on 8/22/2008

I don't know if it's my hands or me that gave up with just one more pushup to go. I was required to do 20,15,15,15,Max (atleast 18). I managed 20,15,15,15,17.

In some ways it's very frustrating to give up one step short of final destination, i was looking forward to the exhaustion test and week 5. At the same time, it's no big deal, I will try again on sunday. I took a little too much rest between 3rd and 4th sets, more than my usual 60 seconds at least 120 seconds. To compensate for the overresting, I decided to take a much shorter rest (45 seconds ) between 4th and 5th set. After the seventeen pushups, I coud not lift myself up for the final one and just collapsed on the floor.

Week 4 - Day 3 on 8/20/2008

I skipped a day to do this set of pushups, becasue I was way too much tired by all the walking we did in Montreal.

I expected this days pushups to be a bit more difficult than last two days. I failed to complete the 3rd and 5th sets. For this I can partially blame my wife :). I was doing these pushups in my hotel room and while I was doing the 3rd set, She was walking around me, which totally messed up my concentration and I just could not do any more after 11.

I was required to do 20,15,15,15, Max(at least 18)

I was able to do 20,15,11,15,12

I will attempt this day again tommorow. In the mean time, My current concern is that I am unable to do any more additional pushups in the last set. Most times I am barely able to complete the minimum required pushups. Part of the reason I believe is my weight, I have to find a way of loosing my weight similar to the pushups program, challenging, inspiring and fun.