PvP wanted: Bodyweight racing partner

['Roos]

So I'm terrible at working out. If there's one thing this challenge has taught me, it's that I really don't like regular workouts. I HATE THEM SO MUCH. (maybe I won't if I ever do them long enough to get in a habbit, but I haven't gotten to that point ever, yet)

But I know I need to do some bodyweight exercises at least, to maintain my muscle mass while losing weight. The only time I've voluntarily (and even eagerly) gotten down to do some pushups is during the 1000 pushup challenge. Because I WAS GOING TO GET TO 1000. I don't think I can convince myself that I need to do this with squats, pushups, rows, etc, but if I was racing someone.... Which is where you come in! Do you need some modivation? Do you want some help getting into the working-out groove? Do you want to be more awesome in a face off against.... me?!

Wanted: Someone to do bodyweight exercise races with.

The Rules:

No exercising on consecutive days. One day off in between bodyweight exercises at the minimum.

Must be performed during a bodyweight circuit (ie, you can't count pushups you do at work in the lunch room, then at home before bed, and in the bathroom when you wake up to pee - you have to do them in a circuit)

Consecutively harder exercises will count for differing values of the 'classic' exercise (ie, a pushup done on a two-stair incline will count for two pushups, etc)

Which exercises? My thoughts are:

Squats

Walking lunges

Pushups

planks

(???)

If you're interested, please respond. I'm thinking a minimum of 2000 for each of these, though things like squats (which I can do like a mad beast) maybe more (?). Prize to be determined (aside from awesomeness).

[tomkai]

Ooooh, I am down. I'm all about some competition, and I'm only doing body weight stuff for the time being. Watch how you brag about your squats though. I don't want to burn you too bad Normally I do my incline pushups off of the side of a Jeep. I'm not sure how that would count, hah.

['Roos]

Sounds awesome! How about we both do a 'callibration' workout tonight - warm up, and then see what our max pushups in one set, squats in one set, plank length, etc is. Any thoughts on a prize?

[tomkai]

I'd prefer tomorrow if that is alright, as I'm still slightly sore from yesterday. I do my body weight workouts MWF, but I can adjust if it works better for you. If we did do it tonight, I'd just be shooting slightly low. As for a prize, how about a shiny new NerdFitness tshirt?

['Roos]

It seriously doesn't matter if I do it tonight and you do it tomorrow, or whatever - if you worked out yesterday, Wednesday works great for me. NF shirt sounds like a good prize.

[Morrigainz]

I'm going to follow this competition with interest

[Laurenji]

This competition looks awesome, but I'm still such a weakling. I'd probably have zero chance...

[tomkai]

Alright, so what are we racing to? Bouncing off of your idea, and because I'm feeling masochist-y and math nerdy, it could be the PI-Thousand Challenge!

3,000 push ups

1,000 bench dips? (I'm up for anything, but I'm not sure what is 3x harder than pushups...)

4,000 lunges

5,000 squats

9,000 seconds of planking

That sounds huge numbers, and would take a couple months. Still, do-able definitely. Also, I typically do my workouts in circuits, like 15 push ups, 20 squats, etc, then do multiple circuits of that per routine. Sound fair? Also, we can do the multiplier as a function of bodyweight. So say I did 200 lb squats (unlikely), that could count as two squats since I'm 200 lbs. I'll probably stick to bodyweight, cause I don't have a gym at the moment, but I think it'd be nice to have the ability to make each rep more difficult as time goes on. Decline pushups could count maybe 1.5x?

['Roos]

those numbers sound INSANE but they also sound AWESOME. I HATE bench dips so much, I should probably do them, so yeah. We can work out scaling as we go along but so far your initial forays look plausible. Going to do my self-test right now!

['Roos]

So these are my one rep maxes (ie, how many I can pound out in one consecutive go - I didn't go to failure with the leg exercises as I didn't want to fall over)

Pushups: 14 (I got a loooong way to go on these)

Squats: 50

Plank: 60 seconds, now I kinda want to puke

Walking lunges: 40 (one step = 1 walking lunge)

If you'd like to we can officially start tomorrow (with your workout), friday, or next monday/tuesday - either way. I too do circuits - reps of everything and then go back an do more reps. I was also knocking around inverted rows, as those kick my ass no joke (or dumbell rows with my 35 lb kettlebell).

[chammy]

This is a really awesome challenge

[tomkai]

We can start tomorrow. My max pushups is also about 15 (though decline), and I usually plank about a minute. Not sure about squats or lunges (with one legged squats I can hit about 15), but I'd guess I'm in the same neighborhood. This should be a good one. Would you prefer to do inverted rows instead of bench dips?

[tomkai]

Woah. I realized a dumb mistake on my part. Pi is 3.14159 not 3.1459, so we need another 1000 of something! As long as you want to keep up the theme, at least, hahaha.

[tomkai]

Day 1 in! I did circuits with the following reps per set, with the competition total in parenthesis. Rowboats (which apparently aren't common) are just another ab exercise. I felt one was needed to balance everything out. I did the first set pretty much to exhaustion, as I would've for a calibration set. It looks like I've got a edge in pushups, but you've got one on me in squats & lunges. The throw down has begun!

pushups: 20, 12, 15 (47)

squats: 40, 30, 30 (100)

plank: 60, 60, 60 (180)

dips: 10, 7, 5 (22)

lunges: 30, 20, 20 (70)

rowboat: 30, 21, 0 (51)

['Roos]

HURRRWAAAHAAAAAAARGGGGGH!!! BRING IT! (workout day is tomorrow so my numbers will be in then. Also, my math is at times super sketch. (Math major -woot!)

['Roos]

So... I kinda overdid it tonight and imbalanced my electrolytes and got dizzy and fell down like, a half hour after exercising. Remediating factors will be engaged in in the future!

Pushups: 15 15 12 (42)

Squats: 50 40 40 (130)

Rows: 10 10 10 (30)

Plank: 60 60 60 (180 sec)

Lunges: 40 40 40 (120)

Day 1 and this has brought out my competitor in more than just a little way. HURRRR (*feels slightly ill*)

['Roos]

Day 2 of working out. I skipped two days - it got me monster sore on Thursday - and did a lighter workout due to Lady stuff and general laziness - WHERE ARE YOU?!

Pushups: 15 10 (67)

Squats: 40 30 (200)

Rows: 10 12 (52)

Plank: 60 60 (300)

Lunges: 40 30 (190)

[tomkai]

Alright. I missed my Friday workout for no good reason at all, but I'm going to call it a strategic regrouping. IT'S GOIN DOWN!

pushups: 20, 20, 15 (102)

squats: 47, 40, 50 (137)

plank: 70, 70, 70 (390)

dips: 13, 15, 12 (62)

lunges: 40, 30, 30 (170)

rowboats: 0, 25, 20 (96)

FWAAARGHHH! The race is truly on. You are thumping me in squats.

['Roos]

Yeah, but my arse is getting tanned on dips and pushups. Also, am I supposed to be rowboating? If so how do I do it?

[tomkai]

You don't have to, it's just something I do cause I find it to be a good ab workout to supplement the planks. It goes after the obliques more. Apparently it more commonly goes by the name Russian twists.

Its just been following the cut and paste from my workout log, since it gets mixed in with the rest of the circuit routine (which also explains why I miss entire sets, cause its a secondary thing).

['Roos]

Hahahahaha- my obliques looked at those and laughed. (in an 'omg we can't do those' kind of way)

[tomkai]

Yeah, that guy is a bit insane. I took a boxing class at the end of last year, and my instructor got us to do them. They suck horribly at first, but after a few weeks, they became one of my favorite exercises we did.

['Roos]

Pushups: 20 20 18 5 (130) (I thought i had another set in me but it turns out I didn't)

Squats: 40 45 40 (325)

rows: 16 16 16 (100)

Lunges: 40 40 40 (290) (some were weighted with my 35 lb kettlebell - I counted those as 1.25 of a lunge)

planks: 60 60 60 (480)

HYURRRR!

I did some weighted lunges, one-leg somewhat-assisted squats, and more rows than usual. The two leg modifications KICKED MY ASS. I'm SO SORE. Also, planks are what was making me illish - I have to find some way to breathe better while doing those.

[tomkai]

Yesterday I got caught up on some job stuff, so here's what I would have done yesterday:

Pushups: 20, 20, 20 (162)

Squats: 30, 36, 33 (236)

Planks: 75, 75, 75 (615)

Dips: 15,15, 15 (107)

Lunges: 17, 25, 25 (237)

Rowboats: 30, 30, 25 (181)

YAAAARRR! (I'm feelin pirate-y today...)

The squats were assisted 1 legged, so that's got the 1.5x multiplier. I'm thinking I'd like to go back to decline pushups next go round, how about a 1.5x multiplier there too? Also, I tossed a 40lb dumbbell in a backpack for the lunges. I could not figure out a good way to hold it by my side.

Also, I was trying to find out the best way to progress to the free standing pistol squats, and I came across

showing a progression for training. I thought you might find this useful as well.

['Roos]

I agree with all proposed multipliers! My legs are DEAD from attempted pistons and weighted lunges on Tuesday. Holy crap! I'll probably be doing a 'light' workout tonight because I am still hobbling around a bit.