Thursday, July 13, 2006

Thoughts about push ups

What a challenge this simple exercise can be if you are willing to allow it!

I started off kissing the floor, and feeling my arms shaking with the effort of trying to lift my body. I was unable to do one proper push up..even from my knees. Each class I found that I could do a few more.. until finally I was able to get a good 10 push ups in a row. Normal ones. I was quite satisfied with myself.. Ah.. but there are a variety of push ups to entertain us with.. Inclined push ups, on one's wrists, on the knuckles, clapping push ups, fingertip push ups.. and more.

It's hard to believe that something as simple as lifting yourself up off the ground can be SO difficult.

I've learned some amazing facts about push ups.. World records:

-Non stop: 10,507; Minoru Yoshida (JAP), Oct 1980
-Most in 1 hour: 3,877; Bijender Singh (IND), 20 Sept 1988
-Most in10 minutes (women): 426; Renata Hamplová (TCH),
-Rekord-Klub SAXONIA Record Festival in Schwedt, 2 Sept 1995 One-armed,
- On back of hands, one hour: 441; Bruce Swatton (GBR), 12. May 2003
- With hands on raw eggs: 112; Johann Schneider (AUT) (They have a video available on the site to see how he did it)
- Finger-tips, 5 hours: 8,200; Terry Cole (GBR), 11 May 1996 in Walthamstow

Taken from : http://www.recordholders.org/en/list/pushups.html

Wow! What people are capable of accomplishing with training, and perserverence. Here I am happy when I can do my limited amount of push ups... ah but then I aspire only to be the best that I can be.. and not to outdo anyone but myself. Sometimes, when I'm training at home, my little children will come up and ask to ride Mommy's back when I'm doing push ups. They almost stand in line as if they are waiting for a carnival ride. I start from the 6 year old, and work upwards to the 12 year old. I have to give them only 10 push ups elevator rides each.. and by the end of that.. I barely can move. But you should see the look of joy on their faces that they were able to sit on their mom like that.. ha ha ha..

4 comments:

Mathieu said...

I can imagine their grins. That's a lot of pushups too. Bench press adapted. I like it.
You do those non-stop?

10,507 push ups non stop. Damn. Ouch!

Mir said...

Well.. no.. I don't do them non-stop. I have to stop to allow the kids to switch places. So I'd say 4 sets of 10 reps.

Oh I totally agree with the sentiment of 10,507 non stop!!!!! How in heaven's name! and how long did that take him to do it?

frotoe said...

Wow!! My goal is 50. I could not imagine over 10 thousand?? ha!

Mir said...

Me too, frotoe! Well... one good thing about knowing that someone has achieved such a great amount of push ups is that it makes the thought of doing 50 not so scary... at least it's not 10,000! Ha ha ha...