I mentioned some time ago that I’ve started the one hundred pushups program. A small progress report (hopefully this can inspire others to start doing a little more exercise):

• In ~7 weeks (not counting the holidays) I went from 5 pushups to almost 60! This is not exactly the 100 which I should have done in 6 weeks, but still a very remarkable progress.
• It is very important to warm up. I’ve failed to do so in the beginning, but when my shoulder started clicking (literally!), I was quick see the err of my ways :-). It doesn’t need to be something very elaborate, a couple of minutes of stretching before beginning the exercises seems to do the trick.
• If you feel that you are struggling with the program for a given week, just repeat the one from the last week. There is no use in forcing yourself, and repeating the last week will give you satisfaction (because probably you will be able to do it with less effort) and also prepare you to have a go at the next week.
• Be patient! The results will surely come. You should feel more energetic already after the first week and will see “external” results after maximum 4 weeks. Be positive! Think about your initial score and how far you’ve come.
• Enthused about the success, I’m starting to expand my training routine to sit-ups and squats. Probably my biggest problem was the lack of a clear, numerical plan, like the one provided hundredpushups, so – for a start – I will use the same plan for the other two exercises and report back in a couple of months.