You’ve made it to week three! Congratulations, Persephoneers! I have to say that I’m really proud of all the work you are putting in to this challenge. Are the burpees getting any easier, even though the amount you have to do is careening into ridiculous territory? Are you starting to see some muscle definition in your arms that wasn’t there a couple weeks ago?
On a personal note, my challenge ended last Wednesday, on Day 18. I slipped off a step and sprained my ankle. Sunday was the first day that I’ve attempted to walk without crutches, and that’s just to get the short distances between the couch and the bathroom. I’ve never been so happy that we have a tiny one-story house. I’m still going to check in with y’all every week to offer moral support and encouragement. I also plan on picking up with push-ups and sit-ups where I left off so that we can commiserate on our collective sore muscles together!
I hope this week finds you healthy and a little stronger than you were last week!
25 replies on “100-Day Burpee Challenge: Week 3”
I’m in the process of doing my “buy-back” in pushups b/c it looks like it’s going to be a few more weeks before using my feet in exercising is even an option. 27 and 26 are done, now just 25! to go… what does that add up to? Oh, yeah…325. The string of profanities going through my head right now are not fit for anyone’s eyes. But I’m going to suck it up and try to do this. I’m so bleh that I can’t stand it, so a little exercise will do me some good.
So I managed to get 27, 26, 25, 24, and 23 done today. If I do any more, my arms will probably fall off tomorrow. I plan on doing my 28 and then pick up going downward from 22. I know that’s breaking the rules, but I’m already out, so I’m kind of making up my own personal challenge. I’m proud of myself. I did 125 pushups today. Fuck yeah!
So, I tried this burpee thing last night thinking I could start up the challenge a little late.
Holy Mary. Aside from falling face forward in my first attempt, I realized it had been a LONG ASS TIME since I had last done a push up. The rest of the time was spent figuring out how to do the burpee without falling over and trying to do a full pushup.
So, this is just great. I can’t quit now. I MUST be able to do these damn things. It is now not just a fun group challenge. It.Is.Personal. I will do it!
After I regain full movement in my arms…
Dude. They hurt. I’m on Day 23, though, and I’m getting some bad-ass biceps. I modify them to be a little less rough on my knees, but man. They suck.
Welcome to the club! We’ll all be here to cheer you on!
I know I said this on the other post, but I decided yesterday to start the challenge, and during my first burpee (ever?) I smacked my head into the knob on a drawer. Probably should have taken that as a sign, but no, I did two today. Sort of. I suck at them.
Burpees are evil. That is all.
EVIL.
Oh goodness! I hope you’re okay! Good for you for giving it another go. Practice will make them easier(ish), or at least make the movement less awkward.
I’m on day 5. They still suck. But for some sick reason I’m still doing them.
They don’t really ever stop sucking. They’re hard, but that’s why it’s a great exercise. It really does work everything all in one short but evil set of movements!
Somehow I didn’t hear about this for the first 16 days, so on Day 16 I caught up on all the previous days like the rules say. I kind of couldn’t move for a while after that? But I stuck with it. I can definitely feel it in my pecks! I started doing sets of plus or minus eight, and in between sets, I do crunches, lunges, swimmers, whatever I feel like. This is in addition to my daily(usually) run. Knowing I have to do the burpees, because I refuse to do the make-up day ever again, helps motivate me to do other workouts, too! I still can’t do them all fluidly or anything, though. Maybe by next week!
Edited to add, because I got distracted: I hope your foot feels better soon! My mom just took a step off their hearth last Christmas and twisted it all to heck. It was terrible! Heal fast, little ankle!
Welcome to the club!! The makeup at this point is a really good deterrent to not missing a day.
Best of luck with the rest of the challenge!
Suuuuuure, you have an ankle injury. Mmm hmm. I can’t hear you over the sound of my cursing your name on reps 17-22.
I can hear you cursing all the way down here!!!
So sorry to hear about your injury! Healing thoughts are being sent your way.
I jumped on the bandwagon a little late, so I’m only on day 12 now. That said, day 9 was when it started to kick my butt. I now finish every day by saying the last number out loud and then yelling “Fuck you!” because I feel like I have to blame somebody for how much I hurt.
Pileofmonkeys regularly tells me that she mutters profanities about me as she’s doing hers, so if it’ll help to give you a target to yell at, feel free!
I also found that yelling and/or cursing helps with those last few pesky reps.
Yelling and/or cursing helps just about everything.
Oh, get well soon! Today I passed the ten mark. I’m kind of getting into it, but still feel like I’m far away from making it one smooth movement.
And while we’re on the subject of exercise: other tummy exercises that don’t involve situps? My back can’t handle a lot of those.
My brother keeps harping on about planks. Also, anything to do with balance, whether it be sitting on a stability ball in place of an office chair, or practicing tai chi and karate katas.
Part of the problem, though, is that your abdominal strength and back strength are pretty closely linked and interdependent. The good news is, though, that if you can find manageable ways to strengthen your abs, your poor back might benefit from it, too.
Would the basic plank strain your back too much?
If you can get your hands on an abmat, they are pretty great. It gives you the full extension sit-up while cradling your back for support. We use them at the gym I go to, and I’ve found that they help greatly to reduce the back pain I usually get with doing sit-ups.
Leg raises (done slowly and carefully, especially with holding the positions for a little while) will work your abs without you having to move your back much at all.
Sad for your injury, girl.
It comes with the territory of being a life-long klutz. I thought maybe I’d outgrown it since I haven’t had any major issues since we moved into our house, but it might have more to do with having a single-story home and the only steps are two to get in the house and three on the back deck.