One Million Push Ups

Death by Chocolate tonight

2012-01-26T06:39:00.000-08:00

Weight 211.6 lean 156.8 fat 54.80

Finished the day with a 938 calorie deficit -not bad considering I had a business lunch out yesterday and was 2 and half hours drive away from home at dinner time. Being on the highway I decided to grab a couple of chicken snacks wraps for the drive home and a McCafe. Not the best decision. I did burn 987 calories doing push ups, chins a little work with some dumbells and a little pounding on the speed bag. All in all not a bad day. I dropped almost a half pound of bodyweight -scale is moving in the right direction. To night I have to work -we are having an event that is being catered by Death by Chocolate. Here's hoping I can resist.

21 playing cards

2012-01-25T05:45:00.000-08:00

Jan 18-220 jan19-220 jan21-220 Jan 22-234 jan23-231

Total push ups/chin ups 382,079

I have adjusted the daily number of push ups and chins I am doing up from 220 a day (really closer to every second day) to 231. I have basically taken a deck of cards and counted out 20 playing cards. I hit the floor and do a set of ten push ups. When they are complete I flip a card over and rest 30 seconds before starting the next set. Once I count down the 20 cards I move over to the chin up bar and for each chin up I do I flip over one card. To up the total push ups and chin ups I just added a playing card to my stack of 20. So instead of 200 push ups. I am now doing 220 and instead of 20 chins I now do 21. With 30 seconds of ret between each set this whole workout takes me about 25 to 30 minutes to complete.

half million by the summer

2012-01-18T15:18:00.000-08:00

jan14-289,jan 16-280, jan 17-255

total push ups/chins 380,954

Logging some more push ups/chins this afternoon. Still trying to keep up the 220 a day rate and bump this up closer to an average of about 300 a day. Doing 200 push ups and 20 chins a day seems not to be creating to many joint problems. My right elbow is a bit tender but this volume tends to be working out okay for me. I will try to keep increasing the daily volume at a reasonable rate. Would like to get to a half a million push ups/chins by this summer. Lets see if we can make that happen.

Another 660

2012-01-13T06:17:00.000-08:00

Jan8-220 ,jan10-220 Jan 11-220

Total push ups/chins 380,130

Logged a few push ups and chins this week. As I mentioned on my other blog I am doing 200 push ups 20 chins and 200 deep knee bends as a warm up for whatever other working out I do that day. If you have read my other blog you will have heard about my Abs by April program and that right now I am really interested in hitting a daily target for calorie burn. I am doing whatever I can to hit the burn number. Push ups and chin up are great at burning calories but doing them daily for an hour or more can really burn you out quick. There is nothing magic about the 220 (200 push ups and 20 chins). I just chose this so I would have some kind of daily target to hit. I think I will likely work this up to about 300 a day. Nothing magic about this number either but it just seems like when I am averaging about 300 push ups a day people seem to notice and ask me if I am working out or something. Anyway here is another 660 push ups/ chins towards my goal of doing a million push ups/chins.

How many calories does a push up really burn?

2012-01-08T08:30:00.000-08:00

Jan7-150

Total push ups/chin 379,470

Well I was a little curious after trying to look for an actual number of calories burned per push up on the Internet. So I strapped on the polar heart rate monitor and did 150 pushups. I did 15 sets of ten push ups resting 30 seconds after each set. This took me a little less than 11 minutes. The verdict - 96 calories in 11 minutes. The myfitnesspal would have told me that I had burned about 110 calories in this time. The rate I read off of wikianswers would have been off even more instead of burning 2.1 calories per push up. I was burning about 0.64 calories per push up. So at 3500 calories in a pound of fat I would need to do almost 5500 push ups to burn off a pound of fat. Well I better hit the dirt.

2 calories burned per push up?

2012-01-07T09:02:00.000-08:00

Dec30-72, Dec31-200 Jan 2-332, Jan 4-326

total push ups/chin 379,320

It felt like I hadn't done a post in while so I thought I should update my total. I have been focusing on getting ready for my April trip to Mexico (as described on my other blog -link below). - so I was curious to see if I could find a reasonable estimate of how many calories are burned per push up. When I am using the Polar Heart rate monitor I am sure I am getting a more accurate measure of how many calories are being burned. After doing a little research I found the answers ranged quite a bit. Most of the fitness apps estimate that you burn about 10 calories per minute. As an estimate I guess this is fairly accurate but typically I don't do ten minutes or 40 minutes straight I will usually do sets and then have 30 or 60 second rest period. I read an answer on wikianswers saying that you burn 2.1 calories for every push up you do . I am going to track a few workouts with the polar and see what kind of results I get. I will try to give you my answer of how many calories per push up.

http://20poundsdifference.blogspot.com/

Push ups as Cardio

2011-12-29T13:18:00.000-08:00

Dec27-265, Dec 28-200 Dec 29-440

total push ups/chins 378,390

Now that I am doing this Abs by April program, I am getting a few more push ups and chins done. It kind of makes you want to post a little more frequently now that I have a few push ups to report. I bought myself a Polar FT7 today. Just wanted a heart rate monitor that would tell me how many calories I was burning. I wasn't sure if the calorie burn figures on my myfitness app were all that accurate, so I felt like having a little more accuracy would help with the program. I did a 30 minute workout of sets of 10 reps of push ups. After each set I would rest no more than 30 seconds between sets. If you use the old Heart Rate formula where you substract your age from 220- I likely want to be in between 121 bpm and 155 bpm which is 70 to 90 percent of maximal heart rate. Giving myself only 30 seconds of rest I was easily within this range the whole half hour. This allowed me to get more than 400 push ups done but also get a really good workout in with a good calorie burn. Most of the time I was around 80 percent of mhr. I might try the same kind of workout with chin ups tomorrow. Maybe sets of 3 with 30 seconds of rest in between sets.

Back to Higher Volume

2011-12-26T17:05:00.000-08:00

Dec20-215, Dec 21-100, Dec26-101

total push ups/chins 377,485

I will start adding to my total of push ups and chin up again. If you read my other blog you can see the details as to what my new plan is but push ups and chins ups will likely be a serious part of it:

http://20poundsdifference.blogspot.com/

Today I did mostly chin ups with a set of push ups at the end of my bodyweight workout. After an extended period of time when I am not doing multiple sets of chin ups and/or push ups everyday it is hard to get a lot of reps in each set. For example I finished my chin up work out with a set of 30 push ups-it was pretty hard and I had to take a few breathing breaks. Typically a set of 30 would make me sweat-but it wasn't a maximum rep set by any means. Anyway I am sure the volume per set will come up pretty quickly when I have a few days of higher volume workouts under my belt. Pretty excited to see how the new program is working after day 1 of ABS by April. Again if you want to know the details -check my other blog.

Back to High Volume

2011-12-19T06:22:00.001-08:00

Dec 15-66,dec17-120, dec18-70

Total push ups/chins 377,069

Now that I am doing a two week trial of higher volume I can make some inroads into my million push ups/chin ups goal again. Not that number of push ups/chins I have done over the last couple of days could be considered "high volume" it is still a lot higher volume than you would do during a trial of Occams protocol. I am still using myfitnesspal to track my calories in versus out. Since I started the 4 hour body program I have been using it mostly to track my grams of protein more than watching the calories per say. I do wonder how accurate the calories burned for each activity are? For example when I do a half hour of push ups does the app really accurately reflect the number of calories I have burned. I have been thinking I should pick up one of those heart rate monitors that also calculates number of calories burned. Now that could take me to a whole new level of obsessiveness. Well maybe Santa will bring one.

New Trial

2011-12-14T20:03:00.000-08:00

Dec 14-210

total push ups/chins 376,813

If you are reading my other blog you will know that I am going to try two weeks off Occam's protocol and then go back to the protocol to do a little experiment. I am not making huge progress on the protocol but I seem to at least be making some gains. I am curious as to whether these gains are mostly due to the higher level/amount of protein I am eating. I am curious the protocol focuses on doing the least exercise you can to produce results. Logically this whole theory makes sense to me. However I wonder if it is attractive as a theory just because anything where you put in little effort and get big results-well who wouldn't think that was attractive. After all if we all could have a job where you didn't have to work too hard but you made a lot of money, well doesn't that sound like a good deal. College or professional athletes spend ours a day working out or training. If you really want something aren't we all taught that you really have to work for it? Anyway going to do a trial of high volume high protein-lets -let the scale be the judge of what works best.

Trial of Occam's Protocol

2011-12-01T06:28:00.000-08:00

total push ups/chins 376,603

I am going to do another trial of Occam's protocol. I won't be doing any push ups or chins as part of the workouts so for the next month or so I will be posting on my other blog:

http://20poundsdifference.blogspot.com/

You can check out how I am doing over there. I will likely return to my goal of ding 1 million push ups/chins ups some time in December or January. So you can catch me back here then. In the mean time check out my other blog-we'll see if we can make this Protocol work.

Christmas baking

2011-11-30T06:37:00.000-08:00

nov 21 -311,nov 23-31, nov 26 -306, nov 27-32

total push ups/chins 376,603

If you are reading my other blog you will know that I have had a few weeks of on again off again consistency when it comes to working out and eating right. As far as push ups and pull ups go, you can see above that some days have been good, some pretty meager and I out and out skipped some days all together. It has been a little busy at work- but some days I have just been to lazy to work out. Time to get back at it. Hope to get a good workout in tonight. Otherwise those plates of cookies and Christmas baking at the office will begin to overtake me, or at least my waistline.

First Class Program

2011-11-17T13:15:00.000-08:00

nov 10-444,nov 11-136, nov12-123,nov15-162,nov 16-288

total chin ups/push ups 375,923

I have worked my way through all of the "Basic Program" routines in the You Are Your Own Gym program. Tonight I do workout number 2 of the "First Class" program. Still likely the variety of the workouts- some are Tabata's, some workouts are ladders or intervals. Anyway am enjoying the program -anything to keep it interesting and motivating to be consistent. You can check out Mark Lauren's website here: http://marklauren.com/

I have the Kobo version of his book and the Ipad app- would recommend them.

A little more consistancy

2011-11-09T19:52:00.000-08:00

Nov3-180,nov5-102,nov6-155,nov7-127,nov8-282,nov9-188\

total push ups/chins 374,770

This week I have been a little more consistent in doing push ups or chin ups on a daily basis. My daily numbers are not huge this week, but I am a little more concerned with a consistent workout schedule than big numbers this week. I am still doing the You are Your Own Gym workouts and then supplementing with a few extra sets of chins and/or push ups. You can check out my results on my other blog to see how I'm doing with my weight and body composition:

http://20poundsdifference.blogspot.com/

Work out a few skip a few

2011-11-02T18:39:00.000-07:00

oct22-125, oct24-78, oct 25-78,oct 26-408,oct30-289,nov2-140

total push ups/chins 373,716

I haven't posted in a little while. I have been off and on again with my chin ups and push up routine. I workout for a couple of days then I miss a couple of days. Overall I have been working out a few days a week-so I suppose I have to be satisfied with that and push forward from here. Despite less than stellar consistency with working out I have managed to hold the line on my weight gain. Not sure if I am going through some age induced slow down of metabolism -but I seem to be having a really easy time putting on weight and a much harder time pushing it back down. Anyway you can check my other blog for details on that drama

http://20poundsdifference.blogspot.com/

More YAYOG

2011-10-19T20:15:00.000-07:00

Oct 13-548,oct15-144,oct16-122, oct 17-156,oct18-120,oct19-102

total push ups/chins 372,598

Still working on the You are Your Own Gym (YAYOG) program. I have been doing one or two of the workouts a day. I haven't done the Gorilla workouts in a couple of days, but some of the basic level workouts on this app-can be done fairly quickly so I am sure I will do a few on days I am pressured for time.Anyway so far so good-the YAYOG workouts add a little variety to the daily grind of push ups/chin ups. They are keeping things interesting and motivating. I'll keep you posted.

11 days worth of workout in a couple of days

2011-10-12T19:47:00.000-07:00

Oct 10--487,Oct11-428, Oct 12-30

total push ups/chin 371,406

In the past few days I have done 6 days worth of workouts from the You Are Your Own Gym Program and 5 days worth of workouts from the Gorilla Workout App. The Gorilla Workouts are pretty brief in level one, so it is not too hard to get a few done in a day. The YAYOG workouts are a little longer but at the basic level they are only 35 to 40 minutes. So far so good on these programs. Workouts are tough enough to make me sweat a little, but not so hard that I feel completely spent for the rest of the day. Now I am only on the basic levels- so I suppose it is good I am not feeling they are too tough. Gotta have something to look forward to. I have been avoiding the scale. Will post my weight in a day or so on my other blog. I have been using myfitnesspal to track calories in and out. I haven't done to bad. Given the calorie deficit of the last few days I should be down a pound the next time I weigh in.

Gorilla Workouts

2011-10-10T10:44:00.000-07:00

Oct 8-73, oct 9-102

total push ups/chins 370,461

If you are checking out my other blog: http://20poundsdifference.blogspot.com/ you will have read that I am trying out the You are you own Gym and Gorilla Workouts apps on my ipad. I figure all chin ups and push ups is great to a point, but throwing in some other exercises is probably not a bad thing. These apps focus on body weight exercise routines-mostly in circuits- so this will get the heart rate up as well. Also not such a bad thing. I am starting at the basic level on each of the apps- just substituting full push ups or chins where the routine calls for a pull or push exercise that is not as demanding as the regular exercise. So for example the first routine on the Gorilla Workouts "basic" routine calls for push ups from the knees- so I just substituted regular push ups for these. I am not sure doing these workouts will drive up my push ups/pull ups numbers as I will be doing other exercises in between, but I figure the variety will keep me interested. I will be less likely to miss workouts due to boredom. Although I am not sure that boredom is the reason I miss workouts, laziness or lack of time maybe. Anyway should be fun.

Super Obsessive Mode?

2011-10-08T11:09:00.000-07:00

Oct 7 -339

total push ups/chins 370,286

Thursday night I had a board meeting so worked 8 till 8pm that day. Didn't get home until after 9 so I couldn't be bothered doing any push ups or chins. Yesterday was a pretty good day. I spent about 40 minutes pounding out push ups and chin ups. I am hoping to get a good workout in today -drive those numbers up. It would be nice to get to the half a million point by New Year, but I would have to do over 1500 push ups or chins a day to get that far. My recent progress would suggest that this is unlikely -but who knows I might be able to force myself into super obsessive mode.

500 push ups a day

2011-10-05T20:28:00.000-07:00

Oct 2-218,oct3-156,oct4-264,oct5-264

total push ups/chins 369,947

Push up/chin up numbers this week haven't been too bad considering the fact that I am trying to get back into the routine of daily workouts again. I would like to get the numbers a little higher on a daily basis -but my right elbow is a bit tender. I think the pain is related to just getting my body used to doing a high number of daily repetitions of body weight exercise. I heard on the radio today that the way Simon Cowell stays in shape is a regimen of 500 push ups a day. I know from experience that I can pound out 500 or so a day- I am going to listen to my body as I drive the volume back up again. No sense blowing out an elbow. If I have to do one arm push up or chin ups everyday- my daily numbers will be even lower (if any at all).

No excuses

2011-10-01T10:17:00.000-07:00

Sept 11-337,Sept17-200,Sept 18-180 Sept 24-98

total push ups/chins 369,045

I haven't posted in a few weeks. Have had a few distractions in my life over the past couple of months. It is a long story and really not that exciting. Nonetheless if you are at all interested you can see my list of excuses on my other blog:

http://20poundsdifference.blogspot.com/

Anyway the short story really is you don't need a lot of time or equipment to pump out some chin ups or push ups- so I don't really have any good excuse. So I am swearing myself back on the bandwagon and today is day one of being back on the push ups/chin ups bandwagon again.

Three days in a row

2011-09-07T20:40:00.000-07:00

Sept 5-296,sept6-500,sept7-260

total push ups/chins 368,230

Okay a couple more goods push up/chin up days. A couple good days in a row- I need to keep this up. Feels good to crank out a few hundred push ups or chins each day. Most days this week I have done about a half hour of push ups or chins. The 6th was closer to an hour of push ups- broken into two workouts. One in the morning and one in the evening. I have a long day at work tomorrow-so hopefully I will get 15 or 20 minutes worth in the morning and a few before bed. Lets see what tomorrow brings.

Don't want to jinx myself -but back on the wagon

2011-09-04T09:25:00.000-07:00

Sept 4-245

Total push ups/chins 367,174

Not what I would call a roll but after slacking off for a while it feels good to get a decent workout in. The 245 I posted for yesterday was mostly chin ups. Wide chins reverse chins narrow you name it I did a few sets yesterday. My arms - biceps are a little sore today- which is a little reassuring that I worked pretty hard yesterday. Feels good. Let's see if I can keep it up today.

2011-09-03T09:10:00.000-07:00

aug 27-138, Sept 2-237

Total Push ups/Chins 366,929

If you check out my other blog you will notice that I have been whining about my lack of motivation.

http://20poundsdifference.blogspot.com/

My motivation and progress on my goal to reach one million chins ups and/or push ups have seemed to have been on the same trendline. Last night I had to force myself to go downstairs to the chin up bar. I knew I needed to get in at least a solid half hour of wroking out. Just get those endorphins flowing so I could get re -addicted to pushing and chinning "up". Well I did do about a half an hour. Pounded out 237 push ups and chins. Okay it takes at least three days in a row to start a pattern going again. So today I need to pound out at least 200 push ups, or chins. We have guests coming over for dinner tonight -so I need to get some of these done early in the day- so I better get moving.

Don't Jinx yourself

2011-08-27T12:24:00.000-07:00

aug 20-179

total push ups/chins 366,554

Okay you should never title a blog post back on the wagon again or boast that you are posting some good number. Inevitably you will jinx yourself. This wasn't a particularly great week for working out. After Chicago -I was a little swamped with work, it has been hard to be consistant with working out. I already did some push ups and chins today, but I am not going to post these numbers as I am hoping to bang out a few more before bed. Have a big dinner in the city tonight- so hopefully I don't get home too late to follow thru with this but either way already today I have done better than the rest of the week.