For the last couple of weeks while working through the 100 pushup challenge, I’ve been peaking in the final set at between 60-65 push ups. I was getting quite worried that I wasn’t going to be able to complete the personal fitness challenge, until I managed to do 73 in the final session in week six. That made me think that I should be able to get through the 100 pushups for the final strength test but wasn’t quite willing to bet the house on it.

As it turns out, it was lucky that I didn’t bet the house on it as I failed in my first attempt at the 100 pushup challenge and only manged to do 98! I was really close but I began to really struggle when I got to 85 and by 95 I could barely lift my weight. Not wanting to go down without a fight, I took a ten second break, literally, did another 20 pushups and collapsed after completing 118 in total.

Unfortunately however, while 10 seconds isn’t very long – I didn’t make it though the fitness test. I’m going to repeat week six and increase all of the numbers per set and see how I go next weekend. A little disappointing, I was really hoping to get through it but I’m not completely disappointed beacuse of the additional 20 I managed.

Next week I will succeed!

After starting the one hundred pushup challenge half way through July, I have now completed all of the required sessions which will theoretically allow me to do 100 push ups consecutively.

Session one was probably the hardest in week six, which you might find a little strange. It involved five sets, with a minimum set of 35 and not less than 55 in the fifth for a total of 220 push ups. The third set from week five I completed a total of 235 push ups over eight sets but doing the same number of five sets really pushed me and I was only able to meet the requirement.

Session two jumped from five sets upto nine sets but on lower repetitions per set. Workout number two required a minimum of 18 in any set, not less than 58 in the ninth set for a total of 246 pushups. As I mentioned perviously, the lower repetition count sets suit me far better and I managed to meet or exceed the requirement for a total of 268 pushups. Frustratingly, in a few fitness workouts I’ve managed to get between 60 and 65 in the final set but I haven’t managed to exceed it – which was beginning to sow seeds of doubt that I’d be able to make it the 100 pushups.

Session three was nine sets and was going to be a challenge, as it required a minimum of 274 total pushups in the workout – up approximately 30 from the previous session which is a big jump. The workout required a minimum of 22 in any set and not less than 60 in the ninth. To try and get past the magical 60-65 pushup barrier that I seemed to be stuck on, I trained per the requirements and managed 73 pushups in the ninth set – which I was very happy about.

Now I just need to get through the final 100 pushup strength test in the next day or two.

Last week was the fifth week of the 100 push up challenge and it was certainly a challenge. After making it through the fourth week with a reasonable amount of comfort in the end, I was unsure how the change in the personal fitness regime was going to work out. As I mention, session two and three from week five increased the number of sets from five to eight but with slightly lower repetitions.

Session one was a continuation from week four, still five sets but with all sets over 30 except one and at least 40 in the fifth. After getting through week four, this set didn’t prove too difficult and I managed to meet or better the minimum per set with 49 in the fifth for a total of 185. I’ve been trying to make sure I do more per set than required, which has been the plan all along to guarantee that I’d complete the next work out and its been successful, beating the previous peak total work output by 21 push ups.

Session two was the first of the eight set work outs in week five and as I mentioned in week four, I wasn’t completely sure if it’d go in my favour or not. As it turned out, my hunch was correct – more sets on a lower repetition count was definitely more comfortable as it was closer to the style of workouts I’d do at the gym. Set two required a minimum of 18 per set and not less than 45 in the eighth. I blasted through the eight sets, doing at least 20 per set and pushing out 65 in the eighth for a total of 220 – an increase of 35 from two days earlier and I was stoked.

The third session of the week was again eight sets, requiring at least 20 per set and not less than 50 in the eighth. While I managed to blow past the total work output in the second set compared to the first for the week, unfortunately I wasn’t able to accomplish the same feat in the third. I still beat the requirement for each of the eight sets but only managed 64 in the eighth for a total of 235. While not a bad effort, I was hoping to make at least 240-245 to put me in good shape for week six.

I’m looking foward to week six, first work out is five sets and the following two are nine! If I can make it through the third set, I’m quite confident that I’ll be able to do the 100 consecutive push ups as the third session has a required total output of 274 push ups!