I actually did this workout 5 times. The first two times I did exactly the same workout, and the next three added variation to the exercises to hit different muscles. You'll see that there was decent improvement in the number of reps excecuted in within the timeframe; this was done with one rest day between the two workouts. Increases and decreases to the reps in following workouts are really valid comparisons as they were different movements.
Workout 1:
Pullups: 72
Pushups: 180
Workout 2:
Pullups: 78
Pushups: 198
Workout 3:
Pullups (Palms Up): 78
Pushups: 183
Workout 4:
Body Row: 99
Pushups (Elevated Feet): 172
Workout 5:
Pullups (Wide Grip): 74
Pushups (Hands at Hips): 116
I am fairly sore as a result of these intense workouts, but I also feel stronger and leaner. Also of note, my left shoulder had been aching for months from a diving squash injury, but surprisingly within the first 2 workouts the pain is essentially gone and the shoulder feels much more stable. While weight lifting hadn't been making the problem worse, it certainly wasn't helping. Higher rep bodyweight exercises seem to have been the fix.
I will definitely be keeping this routine on my regular list of workouts. It should be easy to adjust both rest periods and reps as my body adapts.
Challenge #16: The 30 Minute Pullup / Pushup Challenge
Challenge: Do the maximum Pullups / Pushups you can complete in two 15 minute periods
Category: Physical
This is a challenge based on a workout routine by Nick Nilsson, and it's very straight forward. We have chosen pullups and pushups as the two exercises, but this method can be applied to pretty much any body weight exercise. We are going to do the routine once and the beginning of the week, and once at the end, to see if there is improvement.
The basic steps, outlined in this article in full, are as follows:
Pullups:
1. Do 3 reps
2. Rest 10 seconds
3. Another 3 reps
4. Rest 10 seconds
As soon as you can no longer complete 3 reps with only ten seconds of rest, you increase the rest interval by 10 seconds for a total of 20 seconds of rest. As soon as you can no longer complete 3 reps with 20 seconds of rest, you increase to 30 seconds, and so forth. This cycle continues for 15 minutes.
Pushups:
The same!!
You can rest for several minutes between exercises.
In total, this routine will take about half an hour. See how many reps of each exercise you can complete within the allotted 15 minutes per exercise. This shouldn't be overly taxing on your body, but you will complete way more reps than you would with typical sets.
Let us know your numbers if you give this a whirl.
Category: Physical
This is a challenge based on a workout routine by Nick Nilsson, and it's very straight forward. We have chosen pullups and pushups as the two exercises, but this method can be applied to pretty much any body weight exercise. We are going to do the routine once and the beginning of the week, and once at the end, to see if there is improvement.
The basic steps, outlined in this article in full, are as follows:
Pullups:
1. Do 3 reps
2. Rest 10 seconds
3. Another 3 reps
4. Rest 10 seconds
As soon as you can no longer complete 3 reps with only ten seconds of rest, you increase the rest interval by 10 seconds for a total of 20 seconds of rest. As soon as you can no longer complete 3 reps with 20 seconds of rest, you increase to 30 seconds, and so forth. This cycle continues for 15 minutes.
Pushups:
The same!!
You can rest for several minutes between exercises.
In total, this routine will take about half an hour. See how many reps of each exercise you can complete within the allotted 15 minutes per exercise. This shouldn't be overly taxing on your body, but you will complete way more reps than you would with typical sets.
Let us know your numbers if you give this a whirl.
Results: Whatever it is, do it. 6 Hours of Leisure.
David:
As you might imagine, this was an enjoyable "challenge." Again, some people will laugh at the idea that taking 6 hours of leisure is something you have to try to do. For me it took a lot of effort, but the dividends were very rewarding.
A visit to my Grandmother's home in Louisiana recently reminded me that I have been wanting to improve my pool game. I have always been a so-so player, but really enjoy an evening shooting pool with friends. I took this week as an opportunity to kick-start my dive into this hobby.
I ordered "Byrne's New Standard Book of Pool and Billiards
" and spent a chunk of my 6 hours reading about some of the basic techniques of pool. Concepts like draw and follow were something I was already familiar with, but my reading opened up a whole new understanding of the game. I also watched a handful of 9 ball championships on Youtube. For anyone who hasn't watched a pro run the table, it is a must see. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXKP2Pqtjxs
Most difficult was finding the time to play. I forced myself to walk away several evenings a little earlier than I would have otherwise, but found that the reward far outweighed the sacrifice. A couple games of pool really helped diffuse the stress at the end of a long day of work.
Dissatisfaction with the quality of the equipment at my local bar led me to do some research on pool halls in NYC. I spent 2 hours at Society Billiards on Friday night; the tables, cues, and space were all superb and made for a great overall experience. Several of the pool halls have weekly leagues and I am determined to join for some stiff competition as soon as I feel ready.
Forcing myself to find time to read, watch, and play pool for a significant chunk of time has really kindled my interest in the sport. I am certain that these short 6 hours will have a lasting effect on my ability and desire to find time for sidelined hobbies in the future.
Jamie:
This challenge was awesome! Naturally. 6 hours? Try 48.
I went camping in Joshua Tree with my girlfriend for 2 nights. We 'backpacked' in to our campsite about a mile to a secluded spot with a great view. During the day we napped in the shade in the midday heat, did some bouldering (rock climbing low down without ropes), hiked, and just hung out.
I hadn't been camping in quite a while, which is too bad since we used to go pretty regularly in CO. It's a little harder to motivate in the LA area when you have to drive through weekend traffic for 3 hours to get to a decent spot, but Joshua Tree was worth every bit of the drive. If you've never been, go. It's like being in a Dr. Seuss book.
This challenge, while fairly easy, was a good motivator to just go something with no thoughts of the real world for a little while. I am no stranger to leisure on the weekends, but I also usually put in a couple hours on side projects each day, and if I don't I feel guilty. Not this past weekend! Good times.
If you haven't taken any extended time to just kick it and do something you want recently give yourself the gift of doing so, it's worth it.
As you might imagine, this was an enjoyable "challenge." Again, some people will laugh at the idea that taking 6 hours of leisure is something you have to try to do. For me it took a lot of effort, but the dividends were very rewarding.
A visit to my Grandmother's home in Louisiana recently reminded me that I have been wanting to improve my pool game. I have always been a so-so player, but really enjoy an evening shooting pool with friends. I took this week as an opportunity to kick-start my dive into this hobby.
I ordered "Byrne's New Standard Book of Pool and Billiards
" and spent a chunk of my 6 hours reading about some of the basic techniques of pool. Concepts like draw and follow were something I was already familiar with, but my reading opened up a whole new understanding of the game. I also watched a handful of 9 ball championships on Youtube. For anyone who hasn't watched a pro run the table, it is a must see. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXKP2PqtjxsMost difficult was finding the time to play. I forced myself to walk away several evenings a little earlier than I would have otherwise, but found that the reward far outweighed the sacrifice. A couple games of pool really helped diffuse the stress at the end of a long day of work.
Dissatisfaction with the quality of the equipment at my local bar led me to do some research on pool halls in NYC. I spent 2 hours at Society Billiards on Friday night; the tables, cues, and space were all superb and made for a great overall experience. Several of the pool halls have weekly leagues and I am determined to join for some stiff competition as soon as I feel ready.
Forcing myself to find time to read, watch, and play pool for a significant chunk of time has really kindled my interest in the sport. I am certain that these short 6 hours will have a lasting effect on my ability and desire to find time for sidelined hobbies in the future.
Jamie:
I went camping in Joshua Tree with my girlfriend for 2 nights. We 'backpacked' in to our campsite about a mile to a secluded spot with a great view. During the day we napped in the shade in the midday heat, did some bouldering (rock climbing low down without ropes), hiked, and just hung out.
I hadn't been camping in quite a while, which is too bad since we used to go pretty regularly in CO. It's a little harder to motivate in the LA area when you have to drive through weekend traffic for 3 hours to get to a decent spot, but Joshua Tree was worth every bit of the drive. If you've never been, go. It's like being in a Dr. Seuss book.
This challenge, while fairly easy, was a good motivator to just go something with no thoughts of the real world for a little while. I am no stranger to leisure on the weekends, but I also usually put in a couple hours on side projects each day, and if I don't I feel guilty. Not this past weekend! Good times.
If you haven't taken any extended time to just kick it and do something you want recently give yourself the gift of doing so, it's worth it.
Challenge #15: Whatever it is, do it. 6 Hours of Leisure.
Challenge: Find 6 hours to pursue a hobby, activity or interest you have been putting off.
Category: Lifestyle
Life gets busy, and a lot of us end up "burning the candle at both ends." We can be so overwhelmed by the everything we try to accomplish in a day, that we forget to find time for things we really love doing. I (David) have been particularly swamped lately, working long days in the office and evenings of freelancing, writing the blog, or other things on a never ending list of things to do. This may be defined as workaholic. Not everyone will have this problem, but a lot of people I know are compulsively busy. I rarely seem find time to do things I really WANT to do. This week, we are going to DO IT.
For some, this may seem like a ridiculously easy challenge. For us, it means prioritizing, being efficient, and making sacrifices.
You may want to take the time to sit down briefly at the beginning of this week and make a quick list of hobbies, leisure activities, or interests that you have been meaning to pursue but just haven't found the time. If you bought a fishing rod, but haven't gotten out there to use it, find the time to break it in.
Find a minimum of 6 hours to focus on letting go and diving into one of these leisure activities. That means no business, work, chores, sleeping, eating, studying etc. For the purposes of this week, we aren't suggesting you be lazy. We are suggesting you get busy, but doing something you have been wanting to do, that was sidelined for seemingly more important tasks. The 6 hours don't have to be consecutive, but we are hoping they will be directed towards one interest.
Many of us understand the concept of a tipping point
, best described by Malcolm Gladwell, in which just enough of something leads to exponential change. Who knows, maybe 6 hours of focused leisure is just enough to start developing an interest into a lifelong passion.
Category: Lifestyle
Life gets busy, and a lot of us end up "burning the candle at both ends." We can be so overwhelmed by the everything we try to accomplish in a day, that we forget to find time for things we really love doing. I (David) have been particularly swamped lately, working long days in the office and evenings of freelancing, writing the blog, or other things on a never ending list of things to do. This may be defined as workaholic. Not everyone will have this problem, but a lot of people I know are compulsively busy. I rarely seem find time to do things I really WANT to do. This week, we are going to DO IT.
For some, this may seem like a ridiculously easy challenge. For us, it means prioritizing, being efficient, and making sacrifices.
You may want to take the time to sit down briefly at the beginning of this week and make a quick list of hobbies, leisure activities, or interests that you have been meaning to pursue but just haven't found the time. If you bought a fishing rod, but haven't gotten out there to use it, find the time to break it in.
Find a minimum of 6 hours to focus on letting go and diving into one of these leisure activities. That means no business, work, chores, sleeping, eating, studying etc. For the purposes of this week, we aren't suggesting you be lazy. We are suggesting you get busy, but doing something you have been wanting to do, that was sidelined for seemingly more important tasks. The 6 hours don't have to be consecutive, but we are hoping they will be directed towards one interest.
Many of us understand the concept of a tipping point
, best described by Malcolm Gladwell, in which just enough of something leads to exponential change. Who knows, maybe 6 hours of focused leisure is just enough to start developing an interest into a lifelong passion.
Results: Helping people who don't ask for it
Jamie:
This was an interesting week to have this challenge.
My first interaction was allowing a person on the street to use my cell phone when they were trying to make a call.
The other episode was much more shocking. My girlfriend and I were walking home after a wonderful afternoon of sailing off LA. As we reached an intersection, I watched a girl on a bicycle inexplicably attempt a left turn across traffic without looking. I started to say something to my girlfriend about it when I saw a car coming from behind her at the speed limit of 35 mph. He barely had time to see her, slam on the brakes and swerve, but it wasn't enough. They collided hard and she was thrown about forty feet through the air into oncoming traffic; luckily no other cars were there right at that second.
This was an interesting week to have this challenge.
My first interaction was allowing a person on the street to use my cell phone when they were trying to make a call.
The other episode was much more shocking. My girlfriend and I were walking home after a wonderful afternoon of sailing off LA. As we reached an intersection, I watched a girl on a bicycle inexplicably attempt a left turn across traffic without looking. I started to say something to my girlfriend about it when I saw a car coming from behind her at the speed limit of 35 mph. He barely had time to see her, slam on the brakes and swerve, but it wasn't enough. They collided hard and she was thrown about forty feet through the air into oncoming traffic; luckily no other cars were there right at that second.
Challenge #14: Helping people who don't ask for it
Challenge: Help 5 strangers who don't ask for help
Category: Comfort
Category: Comfort
Where we came from if you got a flat tire or had car trouble someone would stop to see if they could help in a matter of minutes. Now that we live in NYC and LA, that is no longer true. For some reason cramming massive numbers of people into a small area makes them uncaring or too afraid to help. I'll leave the reasons and analysis of the social psychology of the phenomenon to more qualified people.
So, while we probably can't change this sad state of affairs, we can at least do our own little part. This week we are going to help at least 5 strangers who aren't asking for help. Coworkers, friends, and family don't count, and neither does holding the door for someone (that should just be second nature). Join in and tell us whom you helped and how you helped.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)