Push Up Challenge!

     My hubby has recently decided that he wants to lose some weight. I think he looks like a stud but he was feeling a little flabby so of course I supported him in his weight loss endeavors. In the last few months he's managed to lose about 15 pounds and he's now adding push ups every day (sometimes several times a day) and has inspired me to do the same. I'm allowing myself to do "girl" push ups (on my knees) since the pregnant belly is too stretched out to hold a technically correct push up position. Anyway, he's working his way up to 100 push ups in a row and he's currently up to 70 (way to go!). I'm sadly only at 25 but hey, I just started and I'm 6 months pregnant so I say I should be cut a little slack on that one. ;) We do our push ups several times a day so that we're doing well over 100 total. It only takes a few minutes at a time which means you can do them virtually any time, any place. I'm really liking the way things are going. My husband is proud of his manly chest (though I thought it was pretty manly before) and my upper body is getting much tighter (something I appreciate since it's one of the few places of my body I still have some control over).

     I decided I wanted to issue the challenge to all of you to work up to 100 push ups in a row! Now, 100 is quite daunting, I admit. My suggestion would be to put to use some of the goal setting tips found here and make 100 push ups your long term goal and create some short term goals along the way (25, 50, 75...) that way you can feel small accomplishments throughout your long term goal.

     Push ups are an amazing exercise and here's why. Push ups work your pectoralis major (your chest) which makes you look, shall we say, perkier, your deltoids (in your shoulders), your triceps, your biceps, your abs, your lower back, various muscles within your upper back, and even your glutes (mostly when you're on your toes instead of your knees). Push ups are definitely a core exercise in addition to an awesome chest exercise which is why you'll be amazed at the toning that takes place within your body in general, not just in your pecs.

     Feel free to post comments updating us on your progress! Remember, it only takes a few minutes at a time to do a set of push ups and regularly dropping down for this exercise will give you amazing toning results in most of your upper body so what have you got to lose besides some inches? No excuses! Now drop and give me 10!