While conducting "wellness workshops" for National Guard personnel in more than one dozen states in the 80's I attempted to perform their prescribed fitness test. At age 50 my two mile run was stellar but my pushups numbered 11 - no mistake, I barely made double figures. Began six days a week pushups with a goal of at least 300 per week. I hit 75,000 about every five years. Still pushing at 89.
I feel like a lot of people fall into years of the same types of exercise (ie stationary bike, running) and it tricks you into thinking it’s enough. I was grateful I found pushups when I did. My favorite part about them is they don’t require any equipment and you can pretty much do them anywhere. I do them on days when I don’t lift and a couple when I do. But also working in some better rest days this year.
That you’re still cranking out hundreds a week at age 89 is a huge inspiration. Thank you for being here and sharing. Your son has reached so many folks in a positive way. 🙏
Matt, thank you for this, great pairing of the crazy challenge of the pushups with the challenge of writing a novel (which in terms of reward is even more unpredictable, as you point out). And then as a cherry on top, Tommy.
I especially liked these observations, taking them with me into my own fiction writing:
”Supermans and Triple-claps are not how you finish the Year of Push-ups.3 In my writing, I realized how damaging it is to get hung up on a single character or plot point.”
”When I sat down at night to read what I’d written that morning, I found myself looking for what I liked or could build on the next day vs. red-marking what to cut.”
Marie! Thanks so much. It’s funny, my time with Tommy was before the smartphone / take pictures of everything era. I remembered thinking as I was writing, with I could just show a picture of this guy. The work to find the right words when you don’t have a picture is at least some of what this writing thing is about. Appreciate you getting some good out of this for your writing too!
Sometimes relying on memory rather than a picture means other things stand out (or you find a picture and it shapes your memory in another direction). Would still have loved to see a photo of Tommy doing pushups in the lumberyard though.
Matt! Really resonated with how your physical discipline unlocked your creative breakthrough. I love the parallel between "Just finish it" and "Now you gotta finish" - sometimes the simplest advice cuts through our mental barriers. I should try this for myself!
Thanks KZ! So true on simple advice. In an earlier draft I had more on Mark and his questions to me when I started, why, what am I hoping to gain (ie strength, endurance, etc). My response was simple, I just wanted to finish it. I’d tried before and never did. Was a mountain to climb type thing. So when he gave that advice in Sept, I’m not sure if he remembered that original conversation- it was 9 months prior. But his response was pretty damn cool. I couldn’t have written it better. When the goal is to finish, put all your focus on what it takes to finish.
Outstanding! The original essay didn't need many tweaks, but the ones you made really put this over the top. The post is almost as impressive as the 75K pushups.
Thank you Claire for your read and help on this one. You and Rick spotted something I’d missed and it really helped me bring balance to the essay. Appreciate you!
Great piece, Matt, and what an achievement! Or rather, what achievements plural! Tommy sounds quite the character. I’m curious: have you been carrying on into a second year of push-ups since those first five on January 1st or do you only attempt the Year of Push-Ups when it’s a leap year? 👏
I did but won’t commit to every single day. It was a very cool mountain to climb. I’m focused on being more intentional this year about active rest days (walking, hiking, swimming) vs doing that much of the same exercise. Aim is for better overall health vs more of that particular challenge. I added in gratitude journal (list 3 different things each day) for my everyday goal this year. And thank you for reading here and in Write Hearted - appreciate all the support!
Matt. I laughed out loud several times - especially the I-ROC and mullet reference. And I found myself scrolling up to reread several passages for their poignancy and wisdom. And then you stuck the landing in the ending pal,
“They also helped me build a healthy habit for daily writing, a way to show up and quiet the voices every day—or let them be heard. Some of my favorite nights last year were me on the floor, against the clock, doing push-ups at 11:48 to finish 265 before the clock struck midnight. Favorite mornings? Pre-dawn, my laptop screen as the room’s only light, music on, coffee, and my dog at my side. The scary prose can run, but if you put in the reps and write through the finish line, the long shadow of the cave dies in the light of your words.”
An epic piece. I hope you feel as proud as the depth of its impact. 👏👏
Thank you James! Appreciate the thoughtful comments and grateful you enjoyed it. Those lumber yard guys were a hoot, man. Tried to get some of the good moments in this one but there certainly are more where those came from. Sincere thanks for the read and support.
Great stuff here Matt…it really spoke to me on having that daily physical movement/exercise routine, and how that carries over to my work and writing. Exercise the body to crank up the mind.
Great piece Matt! Had a similar experience last year when I started working out consistently and to my surprise started getting unstuck in other areas of life. I think that gaining momentum from activities with fewer variables that we mostly control like working out can help propel us forward and give us the confidence to pursue more uncertain activities.
Awesome! Thank you Ahmed! Love hearing others having similar experiences with leveling up their health, fitness, sleep- and the positive knock-on effects it has on their lives. 👊
There were stretches of truly great writing in this piece, if you’re a story teller too I predict success for your novel. Well done on completing a quixotically daunting physical challenge. You may want to consider adding pull-ups to your routine in 2025–pulling after all the pushing might rebalance your physique and lower the risk of repetitive stress injuries. This is a good program to consider: https://officercandidatesschool.com/2010/05/27/armstrong-pull-up-program/
I’d love to know more about what happened to Tommy. Are you in touch with him? Did his gritty commitment to multiple Years of Pushups win him a contented life?
…duuuuuude…i’m in…
While conducting "wellness workshops" for National Guard personnel in more than one dozen states in the 80's I attempted to perform their prescribed fitness test. At age 50 my two mile run was stellar but my pushups numbered 11 - no mistake, I barely made double figures. Began six days a week pushups with a goal of at least 300 per week. I hit 75,000 about every five years. Still pushing at 89.
I feel like a lot of people fall into years of the same types of exercise (ie stationary bike, running) and it tricks you into thinking it’s enough. I was grateful I found pushups when I did. My favorite part about them is they don’t require any equipment and you can pretty much do them anywhere. I do them on days when I don’t lift and a couple when I do. But also working in some better rest days this year.
That you’re still cranking out hundreds a week at age 89 is a huge inspiration. Thank you for being here and sharing. Your son has reached so many folks in a positive way. 🙏
Strong and resonant writing, I'm excited to hear about your book coming along!
Thank you Anne! Appreciate this and the kind words about the book!! 🙏
Matt, thank you for this, great pairing of the crazy challenge of the pushups with the challenge of writing a novel (which in terms of reward is even more unpredictable, as you point out). And then as a cherry on top, Tommy.
I especially liked these observations, taking them with me into my own fiction writing:
”Supermans and Triple-claps are not how you finish the Year of Push-ups.3 In my writing, I realized how damaging it is to get hung up on a single character or plot point.”
”When I sat down at night to read what I’d written that morning, I found myself looking for what I liked or could build on the next day vs. red-marking what to cut.”
Marie! Thanks so much. It’s funny, my time with Tommy was before the smartphone / take pictures of everything era. I remembered thinking as I was writing, with I could just show a picture of this guy. The work to find the right words when you don’t have a picture is at least some of what this writing thing is about. Appreciate you getting some good out of this for your writing too!
Sometimes relying on memory rather than a picture means other things stand out (or you find a picture and it shapes your memory in another direction). Would still have loved to see a photo of Tommy doing pushups in the lumberyard though.
Matt! Really resonated with how your physical discipline unlocked your creative breakthrough. I love the parallel between "Just finish it" and "Now you gotta finish" - sometimes the simplest advice cuts through our mental barriers. I should try this for myself!
Thanks KZ! So true on simple advice. In an earlier draft I had more on Mark and his questions to me when I started, why, what am I hoping to gain (ie strength, endurance, etc). My response was simple, I just wanted to finish it. I’d tried before and never did. Was a mountain to climb type thing. So when he gave that advice in Sept, I’m not sure if he remembered that original conversation- it was 9 months prior. But his response was pretty damn cool. I couldn’t have written it better. When the goal is to finish, put all your focus on what it takes to finish.
Outstanding! The original essay didn't need many tweaks, but the ones you made really put this over the top. The post is almost as impressive as the 75K pushups.
Thank you Larry for the help on it. Appreciate it. Grateful to be in Write Hearted with you!
Such a powerful piece – I’ll be thinking of this today, getting a little extra nudge.
“revised initial outline 2aB” – when I read things like this, it helps me visualise what is a behemoth of a task you’re taking on. So impressive.
PS – Tommy deserves his own series!
Thank you Claire for your read and help on this one. You and Rick spotted something I’d missed and it really helped me bring balance to the essay. Appreciate you!
Great piece, Matt, and what an achievement! Or rather, what achievements plural! Tommy sounds quite the character. I’m curious: have you been carrying on into a second year of push-ups since those first five on January 1st or do you only attempt the Year of Push-Ups when it’s a leap year? 👏
I did but won’t commit to every single day. It was a very cool mountain to climb. I’m focused on being more intentional this year about active rest days (walking, hiking, swimming) vs doing that much of the same exercise. Aim is for better overall health vs more of that particular challenge. I added in gratitude journal (list 3 different things each day) for my everyday goal this year. And thank you for reading here and in Write Hearted - appreciate all the support!
Matt. I laughed out loud several times - especially the I-ROC and mullet reference. And I found myself scrolling up to reread several passages for their poignancy and wisdom. And then you stuck the landing in the ending pal,
“They also helped me build a healthy habit for daily writing, a way to show up and quiet the voices every day—or let them be heard. Some of my favorite nights last year were me on the floor, against the clock, doing push-ups at 11:48 to finish 265 before the clock struck midnight. Favorite mornings? Pre-dawn, my laptop screen as the room’s only light, music on, coffee, and my dog at my side. The scary prose can run, but if you put in the reps and write through the finish line, the long shadow of the cave dies in the light of your words.”
An epic piece. I hope you feel as proud as the depth of its impact. 👏👏
Thank you James! Appreciate the thoughtful comments and grateful you enjoyed it. Those lumber yard guys were a hoot, man. Tried to get some of the good moments in this one but there certainly are more where those came from. Sincere thanks for the read and support.
Congrats on this milestone! Very impressive. It was there for the taking and you snatched it (albeit, not without difficulty lol).
Would've loved to see before/after pec measurements.
Thank you Tahsin! I’ll shoot you a note on some of the health stuff. It was a trip, to say the least.
Great stuff here Matt…it really spoke to me on having that daily physical movement/exercise routine, and how that carries over to my work and writing. Exercise the body to crank up the mind.
Love it. Thank you for reading! So glad to hear you’ve experienced similar positive benefits in your work and writing.
Great piece Matt! Had a similar experience last year when I started working out consistently and to my surprise started getting unstuck in other areas of life. I think that gaining momentum from activities with fewer variables that we mostly control like working out can help propel us forward and give us the confidence to pursue more uncertain activities.
Awesome! Thank you Ahmed! Love hearing others having similar experiences with leveling up their health, fitness, sleep- and the positive knock-on effects it has on their lives. 👊
There were stretches of truly great writing in this piece, if you’re a story teller too I predict success for your novel. Well done on completing a quixotically daunting physical challenge. You may want to consider adding pull-ups to your routine in 2025–pulling after all the pushing might rebalance your physique and lower the risk of repetitive stress injuries. This is a good program to consider: https://officercandidatesschool.com/2010/05/27/armstrong-pull-up-program/
I’d love to know more about what happened to Tommy. Are you in touch with him? Did his gritty commitment to multiple Years of Pushups win him a contented life?