Push-Ups In Public Challenge [100 Sets]

First and foremost, I'd like to stress that, although the push-up is a great exercise, this isn't really meant to be a fitness thread/challenge.

I'm going to do 100 sets of 10 push-up reps minimum in public, and I'm challenging you to do the same, for your own good.

"Why would you do this?"

The goal is to achieve a higher level of self-confidence and social freedom. By purposivelly doing a social mishap you would normally avoid doing, you come to the conclusion that the consequences and feelings aren't as negative as you might have anticipated. The world doesn't come to end. These so called "shame attack" excercises are usually assigned by psychiatrists/psychologists to people who are shy/have social anxiety. This strategy happens to be very effective.

The reason why I think doing push-ups in public is valuable is because it challenges the burning desire to conform to social standards and the need for approval of others. We often engage in catastrophic thinking when other people express their disapproval of our behavior. In that case, our self-esteem might crash. Such an attitude makes you emotionally vulnerable, because you find it important what other people might think of you. This attitude is destructive and unrealistic because this means that you might question your self-worth everytime when someone criticizes you or shows disapproval. This easily leads to black holes like depression and anxiety.

Frequently doing push-ups in public will help you to discriminate between you engaging in a specific behavior, and your worth as a human being. It sets you free from the judgement of others.

Feel free to join this challenge. Take these two rules of thumb into account:

1. One set is 10 reps [this is what I'm doing]. You can of course do more than 10, but that would still only count as one.

2. Make sure there are some people around. There has to be at least one stranger present who will be likely noticing you doing a push-up. Doing push-ups behind the bookshelves of a library where no one can see you doesn't count. This doesn't mean that you have to do it in ultra crowed places like a fashion street. For instance, you can do it on a train platform where a few people are waiting or a street with some car traffic.

3. Keep a counter in this thread. Update your counter [x/100] whenever you do a set/sets.

 

Yesterday I did 4 sets in public. 2 on a train platform. 1 on a parking lot where some youngsters were hanging. Another one on the parking lot of a supermarket after putting the groceries in the trunk of my car. And old couple were entering their groceries in the car next to mine. The guy seemed to smile at me after I did it. Maybe he thought I was a weirdo. Maybe he thought it wa cool. But that's the point: it doesn't matter what other people think. It doesn't affect your essence. The only thing that counts is that you respect yourself!

Today I did 2 sets. 1 on the train and another 1 one the platform of a metro station. This challenge isn't easy. I feel a lot of resistence when I'm thinking about doing it...

6/100

 

Yesterday I did 3 sets. One on a tram platform where a few people were waiting. Another one on a pretty crowded metro platform.

The third one was in a fashion street. This one was hard because there was a group of girls moving in my direction. I guess the desire to 'not look like a weirdo' is stronger with regards to attractive girls. These push-ups serve as a good way to break free from this desire. I did 2 cold approaches after that and I felt surprisingly more detached/confident and less anxious during the approach.

Today I did 2 sets too.

11/100

 

I went for a jog and I did 2 public push-up sets.

The two instances were where I saw strangers walking towards my direction and I stopped to do push-ups.

After the first one I had a lot of adrenaline after the push-ups so I shouted "Come on!" whislt clapping my hands. Sure, I felt a bit of a cringe afterwards.

But I rather be the guy who takes risk and is seemed "crazy" by others than the guy who retreats to his shell and judges people from the sidelines.

13/100

 

I did 5 sets today. They were all on the platforms of the metro and tram. There were always quite a few people around.

This challenge is harder than I thought. I'm backing out in a lot of instances. Why am I caring so much what people who I will never see again think?

This challenge is really a comfort zone killer. I always feel pretty good after I do a set. I feel that I have less anxiety in general.

18/100

Ignis Divinis, I remember you from the meditation thread. It would be nice if you embark this challenge with me. It requires some balls.

 

I did 4 sets yesterday. I went for a run at the countryside and I did 3 push-up sets when someone was walking towards my direction or when cars when passing. You might think that doing push-ups when running is easier because it's more socially acceptable when you're working out. But I don't know if that's true. I feel the same level of constraint when jogging. No one just stops doing random push-ups in the street. But that's basically the point of this challenge... I also did a push-up set on a middle shoulder of a pretty busy road with a lot of cars. Was probably one of the hardest sets I did so far.

Today I went to the library for some computer work. I was sitting in the reading room. I did 2 push-up sets while I was there. During the first one there were 2 people reading there. I did the second one when more people were sitting in that room.

24/100

Good job man! Did you experience certain emotions before doing the push-ups? Did you experience negative thoughts ike "People will think I'm a fool."? I usually get a bit of a kick after doing one.

Do you mean 1 rep or 1 set of a minimum of 10 reps? I think the benefits will be stronger if you embrace the shame for a bit of a longer instead of just doing one push-up.

 

Yesterday I did 3 sets. 2 whilst going for a run. 1 on a platform of a metro station.

Today I did one of the parking lot of a supermarket.

It still find it difficult, having the fear of being judged. But I already feel the benefits of this challenge. I just care less what other people might think of me. As a result, I project more confidence and people seem to respect me more.

It's a paradox... if you're shy and have the fear of making a fool out of yourself in public, then actually going out and making a fool out of yourself helps to diminish this shyness...

I had a date yesterday and I felt very relaxed and detached. I think this is a positive side-effect of doing these public push-ups. My balls are getting bigger I guess. Oh, my shoulders too.

28/100

Good job man! Yeah it's normal to have self-defeating thoughts when you're about to do this. But once you jump into the pool you're afraid of drowning in, you realize that it's not that bad. Heck, you even feel better. A lot of people don't even notice you, they stare at their smartphones. They might even be jealous of your courage.

When doing these public push-ups, I'm starting to realize that I took life way too serious...

 

I did 1 set yesterday on a metro platform. It was hard becasue there was a girl waiting who I found attractive. Like I said earlier, the desire to not make a fool out of yourself is higher when there is an attractive girl around. But it's all the better! I am never 100 % sure if the people notice me doing push-ups. Usually they are looking at their phones. But as long as there is a reasonable chance that they will see mee, it's okay.

29/100

 

I did 2 sets today.

Can't believe a I already did 300+ push-ups in public already...

31/100

 

2 sets today.

First I was walking in the countryside and there was an old couple walking in my direction. I decided to do push-ups when I saw there were strangers coming my direction because it's less frightening than doing it in the city. It's still hard because there is that fear of being judged.

Second one was on a metro platform with quite a few people around.

33/100

So, I'm in 1/3 of the challenge now.

Thanks man. I love and hate this challenge haha. It's a very good confidence-building exercise and comfort zone killer. But I find it pretty tough. I realize that I tend to see myself through the perception of others. So sometimes it's very frightening to do. But that's why it's so effective in killing anxiety. You do push-ups in public and... and... nothing happens! No one cares!

It's like a cold approach essentially. You imagine a negative scenario, which creates the anxiety. But eventually, your negative expectations don't match reality and you feel good.

 

Yesterday I did 5 sets. 4 whilst jogging and 1 on a metro platform again.

Today I did 1. My first set in a supermarket! It felt good.

39/100

Happy to read this man. I'm curious, could you describe in which way it helps you in other aspects of life?

 

4 today.

2 during my jog. 1 on a metro platform. 1 on the Grand Place of the capital city. The last one felt really good... It's the big square of the city with a lot of tourists taking pictures. I will be doing more push-ups there. My confidence went through the roof, which was more than welcome because I had a date with a girl.

43/100