I did not get to write about my experience until now, so here we are. I will present the data first, then interpret the results.
Prelude
After years of a sedentary lifestyle, I started exercising in May 2017. During the first few months, I ran regularly, 3-4 times a week. Then in December 2017, I started working out as well.When conducting this experiment, I was already in good shape after 2.5 years of consistent exercise.
Treptower Park, Berlin, Germany.
Experiment setup
I split 100 push-ups into multiple sets. Between each set, I rested for 2 minutes.Within each set, I did as many push-ups as I could until failure. In the last set where I reached 100, I did not stop and still continued until failure. Because of that, I usually did 3 or 4 more than 100 push-ups daily.
Here is a sample day:
- Set 1: 30 push-ups
- 2 min rest
- Set 2: 22 push-ups
- 2 min rest
- Set 3: 16 push-ups
- 2 min rest
- Set 4: 12 push-ups
- 2 min rest
- Set 5: 11 push-ups
- 2 min rest
- Set 6: 10 push-ups
Success metric
A good experiment needs a well-defined success metric. I chose max reps per set as my measure of success.I always did the max number of push-ups in the first set each day and noted that number daily.
Hypothesis
My hypothesis was simple: if I did 100 push-ups every day, I would increase the max number of push-ups I could do in a single set over time.Ideally, the increase should be linear and I should be able to do more reps every one or two days.
Das experiment
I love charts, and this article would be incomplete without one. The chart below shows the max number of push-ups I did in a single set from day 1 to day 30.Max number of push-ups I did in a single set from day 1 to 30.
On the very first day of the experiment, I was able to do only 26 push-ups in the first set. However, there was almost linear growth during the first couple of days and I was able to do 36 push-ups on day 12, 10 more compared to day 1.
That was incredible. I estimated that I might even reach 50 push-ups, or at least 45, on day 30.
That is not exactly what happened afterwards.
After day 14, my reps plunged and I ended up with 28 push-ups on day 30: just 2 more than day 1 and exactly the same as day 2.
Analysis
In my humble opinion, this experiment demonstrates the importance of recovery.I trained the same muscle group every day. Without rest days between workouts, my body was not able to recover, and I completely erased my gains starting from day 14.
What about age?
At the time of the experiment, I was in my late thirties. A 20-year-old might need less recovery time, so the results might differ. If you are younger, I still recommend trying this experiment yourself and comparing your data.Next steps
I am planning to run a push/pull challenge soon: 100 push-ups one day and 20 pull-ups the next day.That means 15 days of push-ups and 15 days of pull-ups in 30 days. Since each workout will train different muscle groups, I hope I will get enough recovery this time and increase max reps per set linearly.
https://fehmicansaglam.net/100-push-ups-challenge-from-an-engineers-perspective
