Paddy Doyle did 34 pushups with a 100lb pack in one minute.
The moment I heard this I thought “easily doable, I could break that record”.
See I was thinking that just off of regular vanilla unweighted pushups I could hit around 10-12 with 2p25 (115lbs) on my back.
I checked to see if I had logged it in my phone, and it was 5 reps at 115, 11 fail 12 with 2p/90lbs.
I’ve done 100+ unweighted that would count on a military PT test in a minute before. So I’ve got a lot of reference frames of achievement here.
Now, all the weighted pushup numbers above involve stacked plates on my upper back.
This requires slow and controlled reps, like it will when I have a petite chick stand on my back for the “girl pushups” video.
The straps of a backpack will allow me to fly through the reps as the weight is secured, strapped to me, and the pack will also more evenly distribute the weight than plates directly over my chest.
How to train for this…
•a backpack
•sand (poured into contractor cleanup bags, duct taped up well, in small 5lb-10lb increments)
•towels, rags, clothes (as filler for inside backpack)
I’m used to flying through certain numbers between 20 and 50 based on the mantras I repeat in my head.
Being I’m so used to pushups up to 50 reps, I don’t see how adding a secured 5lbs-10lbs to my back would even be noticed in effort or by my body. 5-10lbs is not even a large water weight fluctuation.
Do a set of mantra reps, between 20 and 50, flying, but with the pack on.
Keep the space in the pack filled with material of some kind, old torn up towels are perfect, and every so often add another 5 or 10lb homemade sandbag to the thing.
Do it regularly, a set or two a day, by the time I’m at +50lbs for 50 reps, the pace is still at 25-30 seconds in, not the full 60, and I can break a Paddy Doyle world record.
Train further than that and it’ll only be a larger change in the record.
Persistence & Tenacity