What Happened After Doing 100 PUSH UPS a Day for 6 MONTHS?

Do you remember what you were doing six months ago?

I was thinking about my body. I was thinking about push ups. I was thinking about what would happen to my body if I did 100 push ups every day for one year. That was then. This is now. Funny coincidence, but I just completed doing 100 push ups every day for the last six months. So, what happened as a result?

Along with a better diet, I lost 8.3 lbs. (3.8 kgs.). My chest muscles are much bigger and more defined than they have ever been in my life. The same is true for my shoulders and arms. My upper body strength is better than ever. I did not hurt myself, and I have made daily exercise a part of my life.

All-in-all, I call that a smashing success! You can take my word for it, or we can take a look at all of my monthly progress photos together to see the change that my body made after each month. I vote for seeing some photos of my man-boobs slowly disappearing over time…

Consult a Professional

This article is intended to inspire and entertain. It is not intended to provide medical advice. Push ups are a physical exercise and can cause injury. Consult your professional of choice before beginning a training routine of this intensity and duration.

Why Am I Doing 100 Push Ups A Day for A Year?

When I was 17 years old, I weighed 296 lbs. (134.5 kgs.) and was obese. Over the last 14 years or so, I lost quite a bit of weight. Fortunately, I kept it off. As of June 15, 2019, I had lost 98 lbs., and I decided that it was time to take my health and physique to the next level.

As opposed to just losing weight, I wanted to build some muscle and fill in all that loose skin which remained after my weight loss. I wanted to look better, be stronger, and to feel more comfortable in my skin and in my clothes.

Push ups were a logical choice because they can be done anywhere, they are free, and they are a fundamental, compound movement that targets some of the more visible (and vain) muscle groups. Perfect! All that was left was to set up a system, establish some rules for myself, and do some push ups.

Let’s get right to the results, and then talk a little bit more about this challenge afterwards.

Results After 100 Push Ups A Day for 6 Months

At the beginning and end of each month I took progress photos. As a reference point for the photos, here are the official dates of my challenge so far:

Day 1: June 15, 2019
Month 1: June 15, 2019 – July 14, 2019 (30 days)
Month 2: June 15, 2019 – August 14, 2019 (61 days)
Month 3: June 15, 2019 – September 14, 2019 (92 days)
Month 4: June 15, 2019 – October 14, 2019 (122 days)
Month 5: June 15, 2019 – November 14, 2019 (153 days)
Month 6: June 15, 2019 – December 14, 2019 (183 days)

I also kept track of my weight. I wanted to know how my weight would change with my increased physical activity, and how my weight might affect my physique. Here are the official numbers:

Jun. 15, 2019: 198 lbs. (90.0 kgs.)
Jul. 14, 2019: 184.8 lbs. (84 kgs.)
Aug. 14, 2019: 184.1 lbs. (83.7 kgs.)
Sep. 14, 2019: 187.2 lbs. (85.1 kgs.)
Oct. 14, 2019: 186.6 lbs. (84.8 kgs.)
Nov. 14, 2019: 183.5 lbs. (83.4 kgs.)
Dec. 14, 2019: 189.7 lbs. (86.2 kgs.)

What you are about to see now are all of my before and after photos. You will be able to see how my chest has developed over time. You will also see the corresponding weights. I encourage you to compare different months and similar weights with each other. I hope you find seeing my photos inspiring and entertaining.

Before and After Photos from Each Month:

Before and After Photos from Day 1 to Month 6:

Well then… that is quite the change, no? Each month, my chest has grown in size and density. My upper body, in general, looks so much better today than it did six months ago.

Consistent Effort = Big Results

It’s funny… it can be difficult to see or feel small changes made every day. But those changes, done consistently, begin to compound. It takes time for the changes to become obvious. Once it happens, they can no longer be ignored. I would say that my upper body is obviously in better shape now than ever before.

The best part is, it only took six months to get to this point! It may sound like a long time and a lot of effort, but time flies and the push ups get easier and easier… trust me.

I consider this encouraging for anyone who has been in a similar position to me. Perhaps you were overweight and now want to tone up after already losing weight. Perhaps you are obese now and are looking to begin you journey of personal change. Whoever you are and wherever you are starting from, you can become a totally different person six months from now.

You can apply this lesson to any aspect of your life. Find something you care about, make it a priority, and work on it every day. It honestly doesn’t matter what it is, as long as it matters to you. If that future version of you has a bigger and shapelier chest and upper body, perhaps performing 100 push ups a day is the way to go for you. It has worked for me so far, and…

I am only half-way to my goal!!! I still have six more months to go! I am very excited to see how my body will continue to change as I progress through the rest of this year long challenge.

100 Push Ups A Day for One Year Challenge Tips

The goal is simple: Perform 100 push ups every day. Repeat each day for one year.

Simple does not mean easy. There are many ways that this challenge can go wrong, and also many ways to ensure that it becomes an enjoyable part of your daily routine. Here are some tips and rules I have established for myself over the last six months which you might find useful if you are considering beginning a push up challenge, too:

Focus on your form. Proper form helps to avoid injury.
Seriously, focus on your form! Proper form allows you to better engage and train your target muscle group, the chest, causing it to develop and strengthen. Otherwise, who knows what muscle groups are actually receiving the benefit of your daily training?!?
Don’t worry about how many push ups you can do in one set. Don’t even measure and compare them. Just focus on performing all 100 push ups with as much quality as you can.
Rest between sets. You have all day to perform 100 push ups. Do some in the morning, some during breaks, some in the evening, etc. This allows for more rest and recovery throughout the day, better overall form on each of your push ups, and I found it helped prevent injury and unnecessary stress on my shoulders.
Focus on your diet, too! Food fuels the body. It supports recovery of your muscles. It’s what will keep you doing your push ups every day. Get the best quality fuel that you can. Who knows… you might even lose a few pounds along the way, too!
Get quality sleep. I’ve heard it said that muscles do not grow in the gym; rather, while you sleep. It’s true. The growth of your muscles occurs during periods of rest. Therefore, get the sleep you need each night so that you are ready to go again the next day.
NEVER GIVE UP! Life happens. People get sick. You might even miss a day. If it happens, it happens. Pick yourself up and keep on moving forward.
Remember: Small changes are hard to see in the moment, but eventually they avalanche into huge results.

YouTube Video

I hope you enjoyed this article. Did you know that I also have my Fat, Broke and Stupid YouTube Channel!? Check out the month 6 update video here:

Remember to hit the subscribe button and the notification bell. By doing that, you will get all of my monthly update videos sent to you directly as soon as they are published.

Learn More About This Challenge

Get even more updates and information at my 100 Push Ups A Day for One Year (https://www.fatbrokestupid.com/personal-science/100-pushups/) website page. See how my body looks currently, and get direct access to all of my blog articles, YouTube videos, and more…