The Form, It's All in the Form

Well I've been sticking to 240 push-ups a day and I've been neglecting a post about stretching like crazy. The good news is I found a slight variation to my push-ups that puts less strain on my traps. If I keep my eyes forward during my set, it almost feels easier on my traps. I'll have to do this continuously for a week or two to see if it makes a huge difference.

So far I've been doing tons of head rolls to keep my neck and traps loose. Desk work really doesn't help but hey could be worse!

I've noticed that my triceps are starting to look a little developed, making my biceps look small by comparison. I looked around for a stand alone pull up bar I could buy, but the cheapest ones are over $300. I figured for that kind of money I could take some welding classes and just bring in some pipes to open shop and make my own power tower; a custom pull-up bar with the added bonus of a new skill under my belt.

It's late and I'm feeling energized for no reason. The hardest part about these push-ups is remembering to do them. Yeah eight sets throughout the whole day isn't that much but I've gotten into the habit of leaving four sets until the last couple hours of the day. No bueno.

From 30 to 30

I've stayed at 30 push-ups a day but there's definitely some tightening in my traps. I had to have a break day where I did only three sets, and I had another cheat day this week where I only did five sets.

I did pick up the little 'perfect push-up' rotational platforms from my buddy who never used, they should help ease the constant strain on my wrists. I was surprised to discover that these little puppies make push-ups a lot more challenging, even without rotating the hands. It might have something to do with how much lower I can get my body with them. Or it may be the additional dexterity required to stabilize on them since they're basically bars on wheel bearings.

Anyway, I won't be increasing my rep count to 35 just yet as I feel 30 is still a challenge. I'm sure I could do it but I'd rather get my stretches down first to keep the tense traps under control. My arms definitely feel and look bigger, and I'm noticing some tiny gains on my chest. If I keep it up I'm guessing it'll be more noticeable after say, 16 weeks. Every now and then I feel some soreness in my pecs but that's a good sign! My posture is definitely improving and my shoulder cuffs feel much more secure. Years of desk work and competitive swimming wore them down and made them pretty loose (lol).

The main issue I'm having is the tight muscles. They feel extra tight after each set, which leads me to believe the push-ups are the main cause. I'll have to focus more on stretches, and I'll share a post probably tomorrow detailing the stretches I'm trying to focus on(mainly trap stretches). Although my yoga friend explained that if I stretch all the muscles around the traps, they'll naturally relax as well. I should really take the time to stretch in the mornings and evenings... maybe I'll start tonight.

So far I can't complain. I still look healthy, I'm making small gains, and haven't even thrown in sit-ups or pull-ups yet. Who knew that simplifying down to one compound exercise could be enough to get in shape. I'm sure if I committed to two hour gym trips and supplements I'd get pretty beefy, but my aim is efficiency and economy. So far I've spent nothing monetarily on my workout and I get to split up the sets throughout the day. Each set takes less than a minute, and I enjoy a little pump every now and then.

That's all for the push-up update.

From 25 to 30

It's been exactly a week since my post on the push-up routine I've started. Today(or yesterday I guess) I started doing eight sets of 30 instead of sets of 25. This puts my daily push-up count at 240.

At the start of the routine last week 25 push-ups in a row was quite challenging, but by Monday and Tuesday of this week it was a piece of cake. I'm starting to like the pump. It's a great anxiety buster and helps me focus at work.

I haven't noticed many gains yet, although this is only the start of week 2 into the routine.

What I have noticed is that my shoulders tend to sit wider rather than slouch, and my posture is more upright. My arms are a little bigger from the constant pump, but I haven't noticed anything on the pecs (this is probably from too much shoulder activation). Putting my feet up on something all the time feels like it puts some stress on my trapezius muscles, they've been tighter than normal. I've asked a yoga friend to show me some stretches later this week that I can perform daily to keep myself loose. I already have a theracane if it comes to having to push out any knots.

I took some pictures today. When I decide this project is over I'll have some photos to study.

I'm also considering putting sit-ups into the mix, and possibly making a super set of sit-ups and push-ups in the morning, to knock out two or three of the eight sets for the day in one sitting, alternating between the two exercises.

I've also changed my diet to exclude any processed sugar and minimized my meat intake to two times a week. I don't want to overwhelm myself with a strict diet so I'm starting with some simple rules. They should be easy to stick to. The diet idea is also a big money saver, I'll hardly be eating out at all. The diet is mainly to reduce my body fat % and to clear my skin of any acne.

Overall so far I'm feeling more alert and more calm. I'm able to control my emotions much better and I feel generally better and more upbeat throughout the day.

That's all for now.