However, the situation has modified within the last decade. While fitness remains to be a giant a part of my life, I fall into the camp of many: I rarely, if ever, do push-ups and truthfully hate them after I do. These days, I’m often in a position to do about three to 5 regular push-ups before exhausting myself. I definitely prefer doing them on my knees, but even then it’s still a struggle.
In November, I took on the 30-day plank challenge, which step by step took me from doing a 10-second plank on the primary day to a full 5-minute plank by the top. Before it began, I used to be nervous that I would not find a way to progress fast enough or persevere within the challenge of holding the board for five minutes after 30 days. But I made it (and I’m still making boards!).
It was so successful that I made a decision to try the same approach to regain strength for push-ups: I got here up with my very own 30-day push-up challenge, starting with just three standard push-ups on the primary day, then adding two push-ups a day for the total 30 days. I used to be hoping that by rebuilding my upper body and core strength, I could start loving them again. (Well, possibly love is far-fetched, but hating them may be a very good start.)
So I opened a latest Excel spreadsheet and typed in my plan. By adding two pushups every day, I’ll have 61 pushups by the top of the month.
How the 30-day push-up challenge went
When I threw myself on my legs and arms for 3 push-ups on the primary day, I secretly hoped that I’d feel great and that I’d actually find a way to start out with five push-ups. But after three I could tell my form would collapse if I attempted any more, so I finished.
And I quickly began to query the entire project. If I could only do three, was my idea of adding two push-ups a day totally unrealistic? I considered withdrawing from the project altogether. Self-doubt began to creep into my head, screaming, “Who were you considering?” After all, a lot of the fitness challenges I’ve taken up at one time got here from other fitness professionals, not something I got here up with alone.
However, it seems that while I used to be most nervous in regards to the key numbers at the top of the challenge, the primary week turned out to be by far the toughest. When you are only in a position to do three or 4 push-ups, adding two a day means a big percentage increase, and I’ve really struggled. My armpits ached (those pectoral muscles were weak!) and I got right into a negative mindset, looking too far ahead and getting discouraged as a substitute of just specializing in getting through in the future at a time.
Ultimately, worrying about what would occur was a waste of energy: my body caught on to what I used to be doing, and the challenge began to construct. easier because I did more push-ups. Sure, I had some tough days attempting to do the previous few reps where I used to be hitting numbers like 35 after which 45. But after I did about 15 without stopping, I had loads more confidence and self-esteem in my body and strength.
It’s far too heavy to debate here, but feeling the decline in strength and fitness through the years has been incredibly painful. I finished strength training consistently for years after my injury, and I chastised myself for letting that aspect of my fitness slip away.
While I hope most individuals have not undergone the exact same circumstances as me, I’m sure many can relate to falling out of a fitness routine and realizing months or years later that you just’re not as strong and fit as you must be anymore . This generally is a hard pill to swallow. And returning to exercise may be very overwhelming.
The biggest thing this 30-Day Push Up Challenge did for me was to re-instill a way of confidence in me. This confidence got here not from drastic changes in my physical appearance, but from rediscovering a component of me that had slipped away.
Whatever has been holding you back from trying hard workouts, be it self-doubt, insecurities about your body, lack of motivation, and even an injury like mine, taking over a fitness challenge is a fantastic solution to get structured that permits you to be responsible and builds self-efficacy and faith in your personal body and remember that you may be fit and you may be strong.
Ultimately, I loved the challenge. It made me feel more like my old self again. More importantly, it jogged my memory that I could take one small step a day – adding just two push-ups – and with dedication and patience get where I desired to be.
