He joined some online challenge where he did a minimum number of push ups and people donated money, this sounded like a great thing. I have no idea which charity the money goes to, or if that place is doing anything useful with the money, or how much of the money is used compared to how much is spent on administration. I didn’t really look into it because after clicking on his link I got a bit annoyed.
Before I go on, I want to be clear, these sorts of money raising things can be great and some of the charities are excellent. I don’t want to discourage people from looking into if the money will be well spent, and then participating and/or donating. Look into the charity, and if they use the money well then go for it.
This is a fit and strong guy, he isn’t the usual overfat slob that tends to inhabit a corporate office. After looking at the link I was surprised at how few push ups were expected to be completed, as well as how few push ups he was completing each day.
Before I go on, I want to be clear, these sorts of money raising things can be great and some of the charities are excellent. I don’t want to discourage people from looking into if the money will be well spent, and then participating and/or donating. Look into the charity, and if they use the money well then go for it.
This is a fit and strong guy, he isn’t the usual overfat slob that tends to inhabit a corporate office. After looking at the link I was surprised at how few push ups were expected to be completed, as well as how few push ups he was completing each day.
The website said the following:
Participants will take on 3,139 push-ups across 24 days in June, putting the spotlight on the tragic number of lives lost to suicide in Australia in 2020.
These numbers are too low and there are too many days in there to complete the challenge. Why would anyone donate money when someone is barely reaching mediocrity?
Again, let me be clear that I am not discouraging people from doing these challenges or donating money to people who are completing these challenges. The death rate from suicide is far too high, the number of people silently suffering from mental health issues is extraordinary, and the more we can do to help the better. I am not trying to minimise the effects of mental illness. I am purely commenting on how unimpressive this challenge is, and how I feel it should be more to achieve greater outcomes.
If you plan to complete 3,139 push-ups across 24 days, that is less than 131 per day. That is not many push ups across an entire day. It is only five sets of 26 or 27 push ups, which isn’t too difficult for most people to do each day. I don’t understand why doing such impressively low numbers would entice any one to donate any money. If this was conducted over ten days, or even fourteen days, then at least it would be vaguely impressive and require some effort. Twenty four days is far too long as it means so few push ups per day, I think it detracts from the challenge as it is too easy for most people to complete.
The link also had some graphs where this person logged the numbers of push ups he completed each day. To my surprise he even had rest days every week. To my even greater surprise, instead of smashing out the push ups, exceeding the minimums like mad, and then going on to do some more, he barely completed 3,139 on the final day. Other than the days were he did no push ups, he was only doing 100 to 223 push ups on any given day. In my mind that’s weak.
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| The numbers he completed each day |
If you are new to push ups that is not weak, if you are doing personal challenges that is not weak, but if you are a strong and fit person who is publicising your push up prowess to encourage people to donate - then I think that this low number is pathetic.
He should have been doing hugely more push ups! More each day, more each set, and more in total over the challenge. Why barely meet the minimums when he could have vastly exceeded them? He should have tried harder and done something impressive.
I am a skinny person who is not particularly fit or strong. I recently completed a personal challenge where I did a minimum of 1,000 push ups per day for 62 consecutive days. That means I was completing more than their 24 day minimum every three days, and I did this for two whole months without a break. Being skinny means I did this without bulking up, so you would never guess by looking at me that I was even capable of this let alone actually having achieved this.
Now that I have finished doing 1,000 push ups per day challenge I am currently doing a minimum of 250 per day, every day, no rest days. I am doing these in one grueling set, I find this very difficult, but I do it every day without fail. If I were not as strong I would do two or three sets to reach this number.
I think I was largely irritated that a skinny unimpressive nothing guy like me was absolutely crushing his challenge, yet no one other than me was benefitting from it. Being skinny also means that I won’t bulk up, and if I entered this challenge no one would actually believe that I am completing the numbers that I am completing each day. So there is no point in me entering these challenges as no one would end up paying because they would assume I was lying.
If you are strong or ripped and you consider entering one of these challenges then I say go for it. Don’t just do the minimums though, absolutely crush the minimum.
I am a skinny person who is not particularly fit or strong. I recently completed a personal challenge where I did a minimum of 1,000 push ups per day for 62 consecutive days. That means I was completing more than their 24 day minimum every three days, and I did this for two whole months without a break. Being skinny means I did this without bulking up, so you would never guess by looking at me that I was even capable of this let alone actually having achieved this.
Now that I have finished doing 1,000 push ups per day challenge I am currently doing a minimum of 250 per day, every day, no rest days. I am doing these in one grueling set, I find this very difficult, but I do it every day without fail. If I were not as strong I would do two or three sets to reach this number.
I think I was largely irritated that a skinny unimpressive nothing guy like me was absolutely crushing his challenge, yet no one other than me was benefitting from it. Being skinny also means that I won’t bulk up, and if I entered this challenge no one would actually believe that I am completing the numbers that I am completing each day. So there is no point in me entering these challenges as no one would end up paying because they would assume I was lying.
If you are strong or ripped and you consider entering one of these challenges then I say go for it. Don’t just do the minimums though, absolutely crush the minimum.
The same money will be donated, and you will get more benefit from it and maybe someone else doing the challenge will see your numbers and put in a little more effort themselves. Aim for a day minimum of 250, do more than your minimums, and complete over 6,000 push ups across the duration of the challenge.
It is only 24 days, don’t bother with rest days. Try harder! Be more!
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