Push-ups and sit-ups is the foundation for a basic calisthenics routine for many people. These two exercises help to develop and strengthen the core, arms, chest, and back. The general thinking on sit-ups is that they can be done every day of the week because this type of training is more along the lines of developing flexibility than strength training and doesn’t require as much time to recover (https://www.outsideonline.com/1769271/should-you-do-push-ups-and-sit-ups-every-day). In addition to the core development, doing sit-ups regularly can help improve balance, posture, and diaphamatic strength, while also reducing back, hip, and pain and stiffness (https://www.healthline.com/health/sit-ups-benefits). Push-ups, on the other hand, also help develop strength in the lower back and posture, while building the arm muscles and protecting the shoulder as push ups call upon stabilizing muscles, which surround the rotator cuff joint, this area of the body is strengthened and conditioned for dynamic movements (https://www.keepinspiring.me/10-massive-benefits-of-push-ups/). Push-ups and sit-ups, because of their bodyweight focus, don’t overload the muscle groups with hypertrophy and can be done nearly every day without needing to skip a day before doing the same exercise again.
Day 19:
I’ve been struggling with the following questions: How do I honor who I am, and what is it in my life that I can’t live without? The goal is simply to find out what is essential for a person to be happy, and then dedicate time and energy to this pursuit. The other end of this is trying to balance my own happiness with the happiness that I get by helping others. I don’t have a solution for any of this or guidance on what it takes, but I have been rolling it over in my mind. In any case, I was able to complete the 25 reps of both types of pushups in one round and have continued to do the 50 sit-ups all at the same time. Success!
Day 20:
As this is the middle of the week, I felt quite drained. This is the week before Thanksgiving vacation, but that is all the more reason for the drained feeling. Normally I would spend this afternoon going to yoga and then come home and cooking dinner, but tonight I went to attend a dinner with friends. One of my friends recently had a stroke, so we all got together to enjoy each other's company and really understand the importance of living in this moment, as we may never get another day to do so. I love and value these people so much and wouldn't have missed this for the world. I didn't get home until late, and was tired when I arrived, but I busted out the 50/50 and went to bed.
Day 21:
I couldn't do anything by the time work was over and I made it home. In fact, I felt entirely too sick to do anything but sit on the couch and put my feet up. I must have sat in silence just doing nothing for nearly 45 minutes. I had to go to my Chemistry class shortly there after, but I feel completely incapable of doing much more this week. Because of my goal of 50/50, I completed the work, but I know that I absolutely wouldn't have if I wasn't trying to challenge myself with this.
Day 23:
After traveling all day to Guadalajara, Mexico, and walking around the city throughout the evening, it was quite difficult to get through the 50/50 set. I was especially on the struggle bus during the sit-ups, and all of the delicious tacos filling my stomach made it difficult to push a bunch of pressure on my belly. Consistently, I’ve seen that I can make it through both sets of pushups without stopping, but it’s slow progress through the 2nd 25 with the elbows tucked in.
Day 24:
Doing the set for the first time with another person, my husband Javier joined me to complete the 50/50. It actually seemed a lot harder to complete this because another person did it with me, as we had to take turns, there was a sense of 'competition' along with observation, and I felt insecure about my progress over the past month and how the sets are still difficult to complete. I'll still continue to try to make progress throughout the rest of the month, but I will definitely need to extend this routine into something more extensive in order to keep this going in the future.
Chicken Katsu with Ginger and Bok Choy Rice
Ingredients
1.5 cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1-2 cups panko breadcrumbs
8 chicken tenders (4 to 5 ounces each)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for frying
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons minced ginger
3 heads baby bok choy (about 12 ounces), trimmed and chopped
4 cups cooked white rice
6 scallions, thinly sliced
Katsu sauce, for serving
How to cook it up:
1. Put the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs in 3 separate bowls.
2. Dip each piece of chicken, individually, in the flour, then in the egg, letting the excess drip off, then in the breadcrumbs until evenly coated. Transfer to a plate.
3. Heat 1/4 inch of vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until golden on the other side, about 3 more minutes.
4. Remove the chicken to a rack set on a baking sheet to drain; season with salt. Possibly keep chicken in a mildly heated oven to keep it warm.
5. Using the same skillet you just cooked the chicken in, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil over high heat.
6. Add the garlic and ginger; cook, stirring, until golden, about 30 seconds.
7. Add the bok choy; season with salt and cook, stirring, until the bok choy is wilted, about 1 minute.
8. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until warmed through, about 2 minutes.
9. Stir in the scallions; season with salt.
10. Serve the chicken with the rice and katsu sauce.
Enjoy!