100 Push Ups Week 4 – End Of Week Test
Today was another single set to failure test day.
Result? 60!
Woot! Good improvement. Looking forward to keeping the momentum going. As I crossed 50, the thought “You have to be kidding me” flashed through my mind. Made me smile all the way until I collapsed on the floor in a huffing & puffing heap.
How are you guys doing?
My Yondan Test – A Thankfully Great Day
Earlier this year I took the Yondan (4th degree black belt test) in Aikido. Below you will see the first of 20 videos that were filmed during that test. It was a good day, and I am very grateful for all my dojo-mates who worked with me for six months previous to the test (especially my Uke during the test, James Berry.)
I am, as always grateful beyond expression to my wife, Daisy, whom I met on the mat and who has always been an inspiration to me and very gracious in letting me devote lots of time to practice.
My Sensei, James Friedman, of course is the most directly responsible for what I have learned. All of the teachers at the dojo have given lots of time and energy over the last 13 years while I stumbled my way to this point. To them I owe a great deal of thanks and debt, and plan to repay it by passing on what I have learned.
To our teacher from Japan, Kato Hiroshi Sensei, I feel great gratitude for his amazing skill, the example of practice he provides and his willingness to always push his own boundaries.
Lastly, to O’Sensei. Eternal thanks for birthing this wonderful martial art.
Let em know what you think. Cheers!
100 Push Ups Week 4, Day 3
Week 4, Day 3:
Instructed -
- Set 1: 29 reps
- Set 2: 33 reps
- Set 3: 29 reps
- Set 4: 29 resp
- Set 5: 40 reps minimum (to failure)
120 seconds rest between sets.
Achieved-
- Set 1: 29 reps
- Set 2: 33 rep
- Set 3: 29 reps
- Set 4: 29 reps
- Set 5: 50 reps
Woot, I says! Grand total of 170 push ups in the set, and 50 in one set beating my personal one set record by 7.
Not bad for a days work!
How are you guys doing with your personal fitness goals? I’d love to know.
Cheers!
100 Push Ups Week 4, Day 2
Week 4, Day 2:
Instructed -
- Set 1: 25 reps
- Set 2: 29 reps
- Set 3: 25 reps
- Set 4: 25 resp
- Set 5: 36 reps minimum (to failure)
90 seconds rest between sets.
Achieved-
- Set 1: 25 reps
- Set 2: 29 rep
- Set 3: 25 reps
- Set 4: 25 reps
- Set 5: 43 reps
Up to a grand total of 147 pushups today. Soared right past that personal record.
Also found out that one of my dojo-mates has been inspired to take up the challenge as well. Nothing like a little friendly competition to spur one on!
Having Fun With The Slap Chop
Okay, the last time I tried a Slap-Chop-like device it was an epic failure. Limbs were endangered. However, from the looks of the model featured in the link below I would likely have more success. In any event, the video sure does provide some great mental fuel for kitchen fun.
“Slap your troubles away!”
100 Push Ups Week 4, Day 1
Week 4, Day 1:
Instructed -
- Set 1: 22 reps
- Set 2: 25 reps
- Set 3: 21 reps
- Set 4: 21 resp
- Set 5: 32 reps minimum (to failure)
60 seconds rest between sets.
Achieved-
- Set 1: 21 reps
- Set 2: 25 rep
- Set 3: 21 reps
- Set 4: 21 reps
- Set 5: 32 reps
Astute readers will not there is a day missing in the pattern. That’s due to my trip to Seattle over the weekend with the kickboxing instructor from our dojo (Vajra Granelli.) We went to Tenzan Aikido to teach a two day kickboxing seminar. Vajra is a big fan of push-ups. We did a few 20 rep sets before and after class on Friday, and on Saturday one of the six cross-training stations he ran us through at the end of class was push-ups for two minutes straight. I figured I got my push-ups in. 
Today’s set is still showing good improvement. A total of 120 push-ups in one workout, which is a personal record for me. Woot!
100 Push Ups Week 3, Day 2
Week 3, Day 2:
Instructed -
- Set 1: 20 reps
- Set 2: 25 reps
- Set 3: 15 reps
- Set 4: 15 resp
- Set 5: 25 reps minimum (to failure)
90 seconds rest between sets.
Achieved-
- Set 1: 20 reps
- Set 2: 25 rep
- Set 3: 15 reps
- Set 4: 15 reps
- Set 5: 38 reps
Not bad for a workout at the long end of a day that started with 4 hours sleep and had two Aikido classes, one T’ai Chi class, and a 35 minute elliptical run. Sometimes I am not the brightest candle in the closet.
Re-learned tip for the week: When going back to lift weights at the gym after a 2 month break, you can do more than you should. Believe me I know that right now! My biceps are so sore I can’t actually straighten my arms under my own power.
Sweet Potato Au Gratin With Gruyere
This is one of my mainstays for pot lucks and such. Easy to make, and always well received.
Ingredients:
- 5 pounds Sweet Potato
- 1 Medium Red Onion
- 1 pint heavy cream
- ~1 pound Gruyere Cheese
- Butter
- 1 Tbl spoon Thyme
- 1/2 Tbl Spoon Cinnamon
- 1/2 Tbl Spoon Nutmeg
- 1/2 Tbl Spoon Salt
Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Grease up your pan with butter. Then put away the butter, you won’t be needing it again.
Measure out the spices into a bowl. I don’t actually measure the spices out myself. I’ve cooked this recipe quite a few times, and I let my mood determine how much to use. I highly recommend doing that, always makes the dish more personal, and not often too terrible.
If you are feeling a little spicy, add some ground black pepper to taste.
Next, bust out your Mandolin Slicer. These make for great think slices of sweet potato. If you don’t have one you will have to boil the sweet potatoes first, then cool them, then slice them thinly by hand. That adds a fair amount of time to prep. I’m too lazy for that, and was lucky enough to get one of these bad boys for a birthday present a few years back. Go to your local Japan/China town and get one. They’re cheap, quick, and safe if you pay attention.
Clean your sweet potatoes, cut a bit off of one end, and go to town!
The Mandolin will also make short work of the red onion for the next step.
Okay, once you have half the sweet potato sliced up, layer them into your buttered pan. Next half your red onion, cut off one end and peel the top layers of skin. Hang onto the uncut end for a grip while you slice the onion up on your Mandolin. Scatter those onions over your sweet potato base layer.
Then repeat. Slice up the rest of your sweet potatoes, layer them in, and then slice up the rest of the red onion and spread those over the top.
Okay, get out a mixing bowl. Grate your gruyere, nice and thick. Toss that into the bowl. Pour in your heavy cream, and the spices you mixed earlier. Stir that up with a fork.
Pour that over your sweet potatoes and red onion. Use the fork to spread out the cheese.
Cover with foil and put into the oven for 45 minutes.
At 45 minutes remove the foil and put back into the oven for 15 more minutes to boil down the fluid and brown/crisp the top.
Take ‘em out of the oven and let them cool a bit before serving. In a party of 20 people I often end up with some left overs. They microwave up fine!
100 Push Ups Week 3, Day 1
Week 3, Day 1:
Instructed -
- Set 1: 14 reps
- Set 2: 18 reps
- Set 3: 14 reps
- Set 4: 14 resp
- Set 5: 20 reps minimum (to failure)
60 seconds rest between sets.
Achieved-
- Set 1: 14 reps
- Set 2: 18 rep
- Set 3: 14 reps
- Set 4: 14 reps
- Set 5: 35 reps
Finally getting back to the challenge after a 2 week hiatus due to illness and birthday party fun.
Looking forward to keeping th improvement going!
An Inspiring Story About A Simple And Inspiring Routine
Jacob Alexander: King of Golden Gate Park.
In today’s busy world, Alexander is a throwback to the pleasantries of the past — to a simpler time when saying hello to a stranger on the street was the thing to do, not the thing to avoid.
People now “are wrapped up in doing what they’re doing, maybe thinking about other things, maybe they’re just too much in a hurry, they want to get to where they are going and back,” says Golden Gate Park gardener Jerry Colombana.
“But not Jacob,” says Colombana, who met Alexander 14 years ago by the tulip garden near the ocean. “He’s on a trip around the world and whenever he gets there he gets there. He’s got time for everybody he meets up with.”
Routine activities, done just for the joy of them. Those are great ways to put fitness and wellness back into our lives.
I’ve met Jacob, and have seen him on his walks. I used to do T’ai Chi in the mornings in the pan handle, and he also used to come into the stores were I worked when I worked on the Haight; Pacific Pharmacy before it closed, and the Ben & Jerry’s on Haight & Ashbury. Does my heart good to know he’s still out there.