1 week and 700 pushups later…
3 weeks into the lockdown, I realized I’ve had enough. Everyone knows how our muscles ache after a strenuous task. But we fail to grasp how a lack of movement and staying in a pose for long durations can also trigger pain in muscles/joints. Sitting on bed and chair for hours meant I was entering that phase where we feel tired all the time despite not doing much.
Lack of movement and staying in a pose for long durations can also trigger pain in muscles/joints.
Since going out wasn’t an option, I began considering home workouts that don’t require any physical equipment.
I knew pushups involve a lot of different muscle groups from the upper body to the lower body, so it seemed like the perfect exercise to begin with. I did 30 on the first day, skipped the next day, and did 40 the following day. You can see the problem — I wasn’t consistent. Actually, the inconsistency was a symptom; the real problem was the lack of a framework. That’s when I committed to taking the 100 pushups a day challenge. On 19th April, I got up before 6 am and, instead of going back to bed, left for the terrace. After strolling for 10 mins, I began my first set of pushups, and before the sun was out in the sky I’d completed 5 sets of 10 pushups each. That was the perfect start I needed.
Actually, the inconsistency was a symptom; the real problem was the lack of a framework.
I was back on the terrace the same day at 6 pm in the evening to do the remaining 5 sets. I look my time and after 30 mins, I was done. I knew the challenge was on. After returning to the room, I updated my WhatsApp status to announce to my friends and family that I’ve undertaken the challenge. A few of my friends also joined. After 7 days and 700 pushups later, here I’m sharing my experience with you all hoping some of you will get the kick to take on the challenge yourself. It’s absolutely worth it!
The strength equation I’ve subscribed to:
Strength = Workout + Nutrition + Rest
1. Workout
My program is split into 10 sets.
5 sets in the morning + 5 sets in the evening (proper 12 hr rest period in between)
1 set = 20 jumping jacks + 5 squats (will address this later) + 10 pushups
Pushups:
1 set of incline pushup = For warmup
2 sets of decline pushup = For muscle growth
2 sets of standard pushup = For endurance
Now, the “squats”. I play table tennis on a regular basis. If you’ve played the game, you’ll know that feet movement is critical for playing good shots. Before your hands more, the feet have to be in position. Every time I’d do a leg workout, my form would greatly suffer. So, I’ve been skipping leg heavy exercises in the gym.
When I did 100 squats on 20th April, I couldn’t feel my legs for the next 2 days. Since squats weren’t the main focus, I skipped them for the coming 2 days and only post that resumed with 5 squats in between sets.
2. Nutrition
Every special challenge requires a secret ingredient!
Here’s the post-workout meal I’ve adopted since the start of the challenge:
400 gm curd (14 gm protein)+ 50 grams of muesli (10 gm protein)+ some chocos (for taste: 1 gm protein)
Preparation time = 1 min
There are many great nutrients in this meal. However, to keep things simple let’s focus on protein content for now — which is essential for muscle growth and recovery.
25 gm (breakfast)+ 25 gm (snacks) + 30 gm (from lunch and dinner)= 80 gm
breakfast = snacks = post-workout meal (they’re all the same)
I also keep bananas in stock for a random hunger rush during the day.
One of the in-direct benefits of the challenge has been an improvement in my appetite and gut health.
3. Rest
You can be sure you’ve had a proper sleep if you wake up without an alarm clock.
These days I’ve been sleeping in 2 phases of 5+2 or 6+1 or 6+2.
Since it’s summer season here, it can be hard to get proper sleep at night when there is no wind. This has resulted in me waking up in the middle of the night on a few occasions. Sleeping in the day compensates well for it.
Bedtime: Between 12:00 am to12:30 am
Uptime: Around 6:00 am
Afternoon slot: Around noon for an hour or 2
The afternoon break is more like hitting the reset button and getting a fresh start for the remainder of the day.
Challenges for the current week:
1. The number of squats will go up.
2. Currently, I take 20 mins to complete 5 sets. Will try to bring down the time to 15 mins.
3. Introduce 1 more pushup variation: Diamond pushups
PS: It’s just the beginning!
