# New challenge 100 press ups!



## MrGrumpy (9 Oct 2012)

Decided to try something extra on top of the cycling, my legs get a good workout riding fixed and playing football however my upper half could do with some toning. So have embarked on this http://hundredpushups.com/ thus far just on the first week but surprising how weak my arms are. When I was 16 i could do a hundred easy peasy when I was karate training!


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## ColinJ (9 Oct 2012)

I was surprised at how much difference losing weight made, last time I was skinny. I went from being incapable of doing even a single press up, to being able to do 20 without any upper body training at all.

I think I'll have a go at this challenge, when my health improves. I could do with a stronger back and core when tackling steep hills because it is usually my back that gives up first on hard rides. Legs, heart and lungs are normally just about up to the job.


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## Trevrev (9 Oct 2012)

Done that. Up to 130 now in one hit. Nice steady pace.
I now concentrate on raised leg, slow press-ups. They really hit the spot. Can only manage around 60 to 70 doing it this way though.


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## numbnuts (9 Oct 2012)

I think I could manage one or two <goes off to try> got to two  try three tomorrow


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## MrGrumpy (9 Oct 2012)

cool did it make you feel stronger on the bike etc. Take it you started off not getting many done in one hit but have gotten stronger since?


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## dan_bo (9 Oct 2012)




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## MrGrumpy (9 Oct 2012)

@numbnuts I managed 20 on first try but was aching afterwards, it certainly gives you a good workout!


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## ColinJ (9 Oct 2012)

dan_bo said:


> View attachment 13649


There is something hypnotic about that clip - I must have watched it loop about 20 times before I realised that I was slipping into a trance!


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## dan_bo (9 Oct 2012)

I'll have a go proper when i've got over a hand op. I can do 40 on a 18" high coffee table without blowing a gasket- does that count? without this op i can't lay my hand flat.......


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## Trevrev (9 Oct 2012)

MrGrumpy said:


> cool did it make you feel stronger on the bike etc. Take it you started off not getting many done in one hit but have gotten stronger since?


 It took me over a year of slogging away. Started off doing about 15.
I've got nice toned upper now, not sure if i'm any stronger. Hasn't helped me on the bike that i've noticed.
I did get a bit obsessed with them at one stage, doing 400 before i started work. ( in batches of 100!) I now do very slow press-ups to really work my upper body.


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## david1701 (10 Oct 2012)

seems like a shout now the evenings are drawing in


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## BrianEvesham (10 Oct 2012)

Oh this takes me back to my fit days. I used to do 100 push ups every morning but I found that 5 one arm push ups on each arm a better work out.


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## MrJamie (10 Oct 2012)

I think ill do this too, I tried it a couple of years ago and improved quite quickly as I was also losing weight well at the time. I never got close to 100 in one go, more like 4 sets of 25, but still way better than struggling to do 10.


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## defy-one (10 Oct 2012)

I have been doing them for the last 3 weeks. Started off struggling to do 2 sets of 10. Now i can do 3 sets of 12.
Another exercise to strengthen your core strength is to hold the top of the press up for 1 min. In yoga and pilates it's know as "the plank".
Thanks to "that cc member" for telling me about it


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## sittingbull (10 Oct 2012)

I think I'd struggle with 100 consecutively, but a while back set myself a target within 10 minutes and built up to 330 in batches of 50/60.

I use push up bars (which may make it easier) as my wrists don't like my hands being flat on the floor.

I do 20 pull-ups (palm forwards) each night which I prefer


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## Drago (11 Oct 2012)

100? I can do 300 in a hit!

A versatile exercise, and with some slight adjustments can target different areas. For example, rotating the hands outwards isolates the triceps, close grip for trips and anterior deltoid a etc.

Good luck with your goals - a month and you'll be there, no probs.


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## srw (11 Oct 2012)

Doing more than 15 or 20 of a single exercise does nothing for strength. Doing a single exercise only works one set of muscles. The set of muscles you work in press-ups are not much use in cycling.

If you want to work your upper body - and that's probably sensible - do a range of exercises covering lower and upper arms, shoulders, back, chest, abs and core.


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## Spinney (11 Oct 2012)

I can do about 5 if I keep my knees on the floor. Is being an ageing girly enough excuse?


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## Drago (11 Oct 2012)

srw said:


> Doing more than 15 or 20 of a single exercise does nothing for strength. Doing a single exercise only works one set of muscles. The set of muscles you work in press-ups are not much use in cycling.
> 
> If you want to work your upper body - and that's probably sensible - do a range of exercises covering lower and upper arms, shoulders, back, chest, abs and core.


I think this chap might disagree...

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Bronson_(prisoner)

It always interests me when people who do not have a developed upper body have a high opinion about what such a set of muscles can and can't do while cycling. How would they know? Take it from a power lifter with 19" guns and a 53" chest - it's a boon, most especially when riding technical off road sections.


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## srw (11 Oct 2012)

I don't think he would...

And I'm not sure a criminal lunatic psychopath is the best witness anyway.


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## Rob3rt (11 Oct 2012)

defy-one said:


> I have been doing them for the last 3 weeks. Started off struggling to do 2 sets of 10. Now i can do 3 sets of 12.
> *Another exercise to strengthen your core strength is to hold the top of the press up for 1 min. In yoga and pilates it's know as "the plank".*
> Thanks to "that cc member" for telling me about it


 
BTW, The Plank is not the top of the press up position, the Plank position involves resting on your forearms. This makes it harder than the top of the press up position.


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## DougieAB (11 Oct 2012)

Think I'll give it a go! Mind you, we are off to France next week for holidays so might be better to wait until I return. I'll try not to eat and drink too much! Hah, who am I kidding


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## defy-one (11 Oct 2012)

Rob3rt said:


> BTW, The Plank is not the top of the press up position, the Plank position involves resting on your forearms. This makes it harder than the top of the press up position.



I'll try that aswell


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## RAYMOND (12 Oct 2012)

I regularly do 30 straight press ups,followed by 20 with my legs on a chair,followed by 20 with legs on chair and on my fingertips.
All part of my general exercise iv'e been doing all my life.


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## RAYMOND (12 Oct 2012)

By the way your body as to be rigid,no flopping the belly.


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## Beebo (12 Oct 2012)

I am going to see how I get on. Will give myself until Christmas as 6 weeks seems a bit too soon. 
Tried my test and only managed 10, that's a long way to go.


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## Mark Grant (12 Oct 2012)

defy-one said:


> I'll try that aswell


To make it harder still, move your elbows forward of your shoulders.


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## JoeyB (12 Oct 2012)

The plank is evil.... That is all... I look forward to it the least at Circuits lol


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## Trevrev (13 Oct 2012)

RAYMOND said:


> By the way your body as to be rigid,no flopping the belly.


 
No Way!!!!!!


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## defy-one (13 Oct 2012)

I can hold for a minute on my hands,with arms locked out version.
On fore arms is a killer


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## monkeylc (13 Oct 2012)

ColinJ said:


> There is something hypnotic about that clip - I must have watched it loop about 20 times before I realised that I was slipping into a trance!


 
I've been watching it for three days solid now


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## srw (13 Oct 2012)

defy-one said:


> I can hold for a minute on my hands,with arms locked out version.
> On fore arms is a killer


My PT does a plank test with his clients. One minute of "classic" plank - on forearms and both toes. Then 15 seconds with each arm and leg raised in turn. Then 15 seconds each on opposite arm and leg. Then 30 seconds plank.

The plank is very good exercise for the core muscles, and it's core and abs which are most useful for solo cycling, as a strong core and abs makes it easier to stay riding for longer. Tandem pilots need more shoulder and chest strength because keeping the heavier machine upright is more difficult than keeping a solo bike upright.
On the other hand, that doesn't mean bulking up - that simply adds weight, which is unhelpful.

100 press-ups will not build core or abs strength. Nor will it really build upper body strength, as reps over 15 or 20 aren't about strength - it will simply build stamina, which is something cyclists are usually quite good at anyway.


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## compo (13 Oct 2012)

I had enough of pressups in the military.
When recruits, several of us who couldn't speak French, we would be lined up in the corridor and have to count off in French. When someone made a mistake or hesitated too long the whole lot of us would have to do pressups to the number that was wrong. It didn't help when the corporals changed the order, low to high, high to low, alternate numbers, anything to confuse us. We would be called out probably a dozen times between 8pm and 2am so we did lots of pressups. By the end of the night everyone was fluent from 1 to 30.


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## Drago (13 Oct 2012)

When you're feeling you're getting pretty good at the press up makarkey, that's when it's time to do then with one of your kids laying on your back.

We're you in the Legion compo, or the French Resistance?


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## compo (13 Oct 2012)

Drago said:


> We're you in the Legion compo, or the French Resistance?


 
French Resistance?? I'm not that old (or brave).
I was in the Legion, keeping out of the way of you lot for a few years.


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## Rob3rt (13 Oct 2012)

defy-one said:


> I can hold for a minute on my hands,with arms locked out version.
> On fore arms is a killer


 
I don't know why you guys find it so hard, I can hold the standard plank for minutes at a time!

I had to do many variations of the plank as during my rehabilitation for a knee injury, as part of a preventative measure for future injuries.

My assessment at a sports injury clinic involved doing single leg body weight squats, the plank for as long as I could (she stopped me when she got bored of waiting and gave me a more difficult version to do at home), side plank with one leg raised, sort of like a star jump style position (I could barely lift my leg, hence my hip flexor's were found to be extremely weak and a likely cause of bad running form and thus possible injury contributor) and some further plank variation laid on my back with my arse lifted off the ground and one leg extended.

I am genuinely surprise that so many people find it so difficult.


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## compo (14 Oct 2012)

Does anyone use a Bullworker. I find it good for arms and shoulders, but a Charles Atlas I will never be.


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## montage (14 Oct 2012)

Drago said:


> I think this chap might disagree...
> 
> http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Bronson_(prisoner)
> 
> It always interests me when people who do not have a developed upper body have a high opinion about what such a set of muscles can and can't do while cycling. How would they know? Take it from a power lifter with 19" guns and a 53" chest - it's a boon, most especially when riding technical off road sections.


 
Nobody cares how many pictures of George Michael you have on your wall


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## Drago (14 Oct 2012)

That's not a picture of George Michael - that's me heading off to the Village People Appreciation Society meeting.


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## defy-one (14 Oct 2012)

Did a fast 20 miles today .... Could feel my core was stronger. Didn't slouch on the bike. Shoulders and arms were hurting- but that's down to doing lots press ups and weights last night


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## MrJamie (14 Oct 2012)

I only managed 19 in the initial test


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## defy-one (15 Oct 2012)

I can hold for a minute + now .... Got talking to a lady about cycling & pilates and she suggested walking into the plank and back out after the minute hold ..... I feel like gillian whats-her-face! Lol
Doing this upper body strength work is paying dividends on the cycling performance.


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## BrianEvesham (23 Oct 2012)

Yep, the bug got to me as well. Started doing just 5 a day (struggle) now on 10 and getting easier.


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## NickJ95GB (23 Oct 2012)

i recommend press ups in the morning, 5 seconds after you've woken up, can manage 40, other than 30 if i do it regularly, so if you wanna cheat... try that


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## Trevrev (24 Oct 2012)

The best time for me is after i've done my commute to work, while my body is still glowing and hot.
I have a nice quiet corner in my department where i do my press ups in peace.


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## Yellow Fang (25 Oct 2012)

I used to press ups every night as a teenager. I got up to 126 non-stop. One thing I find is that it is tricky to tell whether you're doing a proper press up. If you are doing them slow and touching your nose on the floor, you can't do as many of them. If you do them fast, you'd risk breaking your nose if you tried touching the floor every time. Proper press-ups or not, they used to really take it out of me. It would take 5 mins to psyche myself up, two mins to do them and 5 mins to recover. I'd get to about 80 and my legs would begin to wobble. At about 100 my back used to weaken. I found they were good for building up your shoulders and pecs, but I think I must have favoured my right side because my right pec became bigger than my left.


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