19 February 2009

Strength Report Format

The current strength training plans I'm following are the One Hundred Push-Ups and the Two Hundred Sit-Ups programs. Both programs are progressive over a nominal six weeks. They both consist of 5 sets each of 3 days each week. I report the Week and Day (W1D1 is Week 1 Day 1) of the plan attempted and the number of exercises accomplished in each set. The last set is always a maximum effort with a defined minimum. I use red if I fail to meet that minimum, black if I match it and green if I exceed it.

If you can stay with the progression at the highest level, you will achieve each programs goal in six weeks. The program actually has three different levels based on the most recent exhaustion test (do as many consecutive exercises as possible without stopping) that are followed for each week of the program. I am currently following the lowest of the sequences for sit-ups and the middle sequence for push-ups.

I don't expect to complete either program in six weeks, but it does give me a framework for improvement. I need to be able to do 47 sit-ups and 40 push-ups with a one minute time limit each to get maximum points on these parts of the USAF Fitness Test, one of my long-term fitness goals.

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