Bash out 1,000 push ups a day for a couple of weeks – how hard can it be? Well, it turns out, pretty difficult. But are the results worth it?
I tried doing 1,000 for just one day ages ago, and failed miserably. It turns out 1,000… is a lot. Who knew? Last time, I got to 300-odd and became so feeble, and managed so few reps between rest, it would have taken me a week to get to the end. I gave up, humiliated.
Since then, I’ve incorporated push ups into my daily workout routine. I’m now ready to take on my demons.
One major detail I need to include… I’m currently in quarantine in an Australian hotel with plenty of time to kill. The plus side is I won’t have problems fitting this challenge around my day, the high point of which is a trip to the bathroom. The negative is they’re feeding us the most disgusting food ever. There’s more nutrition in the cardboard box the meals come. Don’t take my word for it.
My strategy for success:
I approached this challenge with caution. I’d failed before and didn’t want to again. So my plan was to do 100 every hour until completion. The 100 reps were broken into 50/30/20 sets.
Day 1: This feels easy. I sailed through today’s goal without much trouble, only taking a few hours. I stuck to batches of 100, but cranked out a century every 30 minutes or so. I did have to chop my reps from 50/30/20 at the 700 mark, instead doing 30/30/20/20. But so far, no real muscle tightness.
Day 2: Oh, I spoke too soon. Yesterday’s efforts are already kicking in. Everyone morning I do as many push ups as possible in two minuets. I’d kicked off the week hitting up to 95, this morning 75. Lactic starting stinging after a handful or reps now. This doesn’t bode well. I still managed to tick off the 100 rep sets relatively easy, but have had to break the rep sets into more manageable 30/30/20/20. I’ve got to remind myself there’s still a long way to go. Don’t peak too soon.
Tip 1: Make sure you keep track of set and write them down as soon as you’re done. I broke this simple rule, forgot whether I’d ticked the set off and had to do another set just in case! A painful mistake.
Day 3: Similar feeling as the day before – I’m starting to notice a little fatigue from the off. There’s a twinge of soreness creeping into my shoulders. Nothing that’s changing the rep rate. I’m trying to get as many done before lunch as possible. 500 before noon. With more hours in the afternoon it should make hitting today’s goal easier.
Day 4: The physical effort seems to be getting easier – I think my shoulders are getting numb to the effort. But the boredom of the routine is starting to kick in. The first two days were a journey into the unknown – could I do it? How would my body react motivated me to find out. Now I’m sure I can get through, I’m confronting monotony. The challenge is the repetition.
Day 5: I’m hitting my stride. I’m working 220 push ups in with a morning hit of chin ups. By 8am I’ve already done 320, which sets me up for the day.
Tip 2: Adding some pull exercises to pushes is making me feel more balanced and helping warm up.
Day 6: Fatigue is kicking in… hard. My shoulders are feeling it the most. I’m flooded with lactic acid. But this isn’t an impossible challenge. I know it’s doable, physically. Do I have the mental strength, that’s now the question.
Day 7: Believe it or not, this is getting easier. I’m now breaking reps into max efforts – about 50 reps. Breaking. Then hit it again. I’m trying to vary techniques to move the stress across my muscles. Wide, narrow stance, mixing up my hand positions. This helps.
day 6 
day 7 
day 8
Day 8: Same as before. I’m noticing my shoulder range of movement getting more limited. Must stretch more!
Day 9: I feel like I’m getting demising returns. The effort is well within comfortable effort, but I can’t push past 50 in a single go. That suggests I need a rest or need to start lifting heavier now. But two weeks is the goal! Let’s get to the finish line.
Day 10: I’m trying not to think about this any more. Just become habituated. Every time I think about getting something to eat or drink, bash 100 out. Less thought, more results.
Day 11: I’m regretting this challenge. I can’t see many benefits but I’m feeling tighter by the day. I’d probably be getting more gains by adding rest days and lifting heavier.
Day 12: I’m really sore when I start first thing in the morning. This is now a battle of will. I know I can hit the numbers. Mind over matter. Just need to get through the last few days.
Day 13: The end is in sight so I know I can get through this. I’m focusing on maintaining good form. To get sloppy now defeats the purpose of the challenge. As my motivation wanes, I’m trying to do more push ups before lunch – crack 500 at least – otherwise the remaining number weighs on the rest of the day.
Day 14: Final day, and it’s our travel day. We’re free from quarantine so I’ve got to do the bulk of push ups on a brutally painful Brisbane airport carpet. This is probably the easiest day because I’ve got nothing better to do as I kill 10 hours waiting for our flight. Mission accomplished. My arms are numb but I managed to keep knocking 50 out every 30 minutes or so.
Conclusion: When I started, I wasn’t sure I could finish. But this shows that with will power, you can push through. I’m going to rest for a few days now. My shoulders are so tight and sore that it will take a week or so to recover. I’ll then do a fitness test to see what improvement – or lack of – I’ve managed.
Not everyone will have time to take on two weeks of push ups. But testing your limits is well worth it. Try to get outside your comfort zone regularly. Why not try 1,000 in a single day. See what you can do. I’m sure you’ll surprise yourself. Good luck. Put your challenge below on the comments and let me know how you go!
