As I mentioned in August, we should all challenge ourselves each month with some form of exercise, for example, push-ups, planks, squats, etc. In our daily lives, I think that due to stress from our jobs or life in general, we forget about our health and maybe get lazy. And yes, even a retired man has stress. To add a personal story, I found out last Monday that my Jeep Wrangler had a manual clutch assembly recall. Of course, I found it out after my clutch started slipping to not even engaging and a lot of smoke, a two-hour wait for roadside assistance tow to the dealer. I was also notified that parts for this recall are unavailable. Therefore, I have a rental car until I hear from the Jeep dealer. Fun stuff!.
Now, back to my September challenge. I decided to do four sets of pushups to failure. These pushups were not done all at once but throughout my day. I even had one day where I forgot about my last set and did it at 11:00 p.m. If you have read the About Me section of my blog, I tore my left rhomboid major muscle. This muscle extends from the scapula to the neck. On certain days, especially after exercise, I will feel pain from the scar tissue. This lasts for a short amount of time until the muscle can relax a little bit. This made the pushup extremely challenging but I was determined. By the 16th, I could not only feel the pain but I could feel my endurance dropping based on the amount of pushups I could do in one set. I added an extra set doing five sets throughout the day.
My highest set was 82 at one time. If you saw the Top Gun: Maverick movie, you recall if they got shot down in the exercise, they had to do 200 pushups. So, I\’m not there yet. My total for the month was 7817 pushups. I am not going to lie and tell you that when my friends and acquaintances commented on my arms, it didn\’t give me a really good feeling as well as boosted my motivation.
In order to track my workout and number of pushups, I originally started documenting them on a printed calendar sheet. However I was curious about the total number of pushups completed, so I started on an Excel worksheet that would automatically calculate the daily and total amount. I, then, expanded it for each of the months. In October, I decided that my new challenge was not only going to be decline pushups but I was also going to do decline situps with a rotation with a dumbbell, starting with 20 lbs. This can also be done with a medicine ball if you have one. I have the Bowflex SelectTech 1090 Adjustable Dumbbell which I can adjust the weight from 10 – 90 lbs. And no, I am not sponsored by Bowflex as of yet. Since I am doing two completely different exercises this month, I once again adjusted my Excel spreadsheet. I am also adding a Dashboard to the spreadsheet to show graphs or the highest number of reps, etc. When I complete the spreadsheet, I will share it with all of you who are interested in tracking your monthly challenges. I have found that tracking and recording your exercises is the best way to hold yourself accountable. Remember to consult your doctor before any intense exercise. It is also important to remember that everyone has to start someplace, do not be discouraged or ashamed about where you start. Over time, you will improve and that is the only thing we can ask for. I hope to hear from you about your progress.
