Climbing a mental wall: Doing 1000 pushups in 1 hour

I’ve been training in mixed martial arts for about three months now, and every time I step into the dojo, I feel like I’m rewiring my brain. Whether it’s mastering a new skill, fine-tuning the subtleties of my techniques, or pushing the limits of my physical conditioning, one thing is clear: martial arts will inevitably force you to break through the mental barriers you've built over time.

The Challenge

One evening, after we finished our session, my coach at Bob N Weave (@parshumaratha) casually suggested it was time to level up my pushup game. Then came the challenge: 1000 pushups in one hour. My immediate reaction was disbelief—this sounded like something out of David Goggins’ playbook, not something I could manage. We’d been doing around 100 pushups a day in intervals, but multiplying that by ten, with a strict time limit? It felt absurd.

I shot my coach a look of doubt and mumbled the first thing that came to mind: “Sure, we’ll do it... someday.” But he wasn’t backing down. “Let’s do it next Friday,” he said, matter-of-factly.

I laughed it off, thinking he had to be joking, but then he dropped the kicker: “Two guys from the morning batch already did it. They broke through a mental barrier, and I want to see you do the same.” That got me. Suddenly, the fact that others at my skill level had already achieved this flipped a switch in me. The competitive edge I’d been ignoring woke up. I replied, “Alright, let’s do it,” and left the gym with a whirlwind of thoughts.

Building the Wall

As the week went by and the deadline approached, my mind started constructing what I call “the mental wall.” It’s a pattern I’ve seen before, the way my brain reacts when faced with a tough challenge. Only this time, it was a physical one. And just like clockwork, the excuses began to roll in, each one more creative than the last: "I have a full-time job that already drains me mentally. This will be too much." "I don’t have to prove anything. I’m already doing enough." "Pushups won’t make me better at martial arts; it’s just a fun challenge."

These excuses were more than just hesitation—they were rooted in fear. And after some reflection, I recognized the core issue: the fear of failure. “What if I give it my all and still fail?” It wasn’t just about the pushups anymore. It was about overcoming the possibility of another failure to add to the list.

This became personal. I wasn’t doing it to prove anything to anyone else but to conquer that fear. For once, I wanted to take on something that seemed impossible and see it through. I knew that to avoid backing out, I had to make this challenge matter. So, I did something a bit reckless: I tied my self-worth to it. I told myself, “If I don’t complete this, I’ll see myself as a failure forever.” A bold, probably foolish move, but effective. From then on, I took it seriously.

From “Why” to “How”: Thinking Like an Engineer

Once I had my “why,” I turned my focus to the “how.” As the day drew closer, my anxiety ramped up, especially the night before. Tying my self-image to the outcome of this challenge turned up the pressure, but in hindsight, that was exactly what kept me from bailing.

As a software engineer, I naturally approached the problem like I would a coding issue. I’ve encountered countless bugs at work, some lasting days or even weeks. But I’ve built resilience through experience, learning that even the most complex problems can be broken down into smaller, solvable pieces. That’s how I decided to tackle this challenge.

I knew I needed to address three key things: Maintaining my energy during the workout. Conquering the fear of failure. Creating a clear strategy to complete all the pushups within the hour.

Fuel for the Race

The first problem—energy—was simple to solve. To perform at your best, you need good energy and solid rest. The secret to sustained energy is carb-loading, a technique used by athletes, especially runners and powerlifters, to maximize glycogen stores by consuming extra carbohydrates in the days leading up to an event.

So, I ate. A lot. The night before, I had biryani. The next morning, I had overnight oats and a banana. Lunch was three bowls of rice, and an hour before the gym, I topped it off with a grilled cheese sandwich. I also stayed hydrated, sipping coconut water and ORS throughout the day to keep my electrolytes in balance. Most importantly, I made sure to get 8.5 hours of sleep. But getting proper rest wasn’t just about going to bed early—I needed to calm my nerves.

Calming the Storm

Even though I had convinced myself I could do this, the voice of doubt still crept in. "You might fail, and that's okay," it would whisper. I wanted to silence it, so I searched for reassurance. I went online and typed, "How to do 1000 pushups in 1 hour." To my surprise, several people had posted videos attempting this very challenge. One video, in particular, was a game-changer. The person on the screen said something that flipped the switch in my mind: "It sounds difficult, but it's easier than it seems." That one line did wonders. While another video warned against attempting such a grueling task, I ignored the negativity and clung to the simple idea that "it's easier than it sounds." I repeated it to myself until I believed it, and with that, I finally managed to fall asleep.

The Algorithm

To convince myself that this challenge was doable, I decided to share it with a few people. However, their reactions were overwhelmingly negative. Many were skeptical, doubting my ability to pull off such a feat, and some even questioned whether I was serious. Surprisingly, most of these reactions came from friends. They would give me passive responses like "Good luck" or ask, "What's the most you've done in one go?"—which, in fairness, was a valid question. But the general lack of belief was disheartening. Maybe the challenge seemed impossible, but I would have appreciated a little more support.

The only person who truly backed me was my best friend. His question wasn't dismissive but rather thoughtful: "How are you planning to do it?" I was excited to explain my approach, and that's exactly why he's my best friend.

The next evening, as I prepared to leave for the gym, I was feeling ready. Fifteen minutes before heading out, I did one last thing to hype myself up: I cranked up a rock playlist, opened my notes app, and wrote down everything I visualized.

Then, I left for the gym.

Always Trust Your Coach

I arrived at the gym a little earlier than usual and found my coach, @parshumaratha, in the office. I told him I was ready for the challenge and asked him not to let me leave without finishing it. I also explained why this was so important for my mental health. He reassured me, saying, “You’ll get through it easily.”

My coach is someone who thrives on pushing his limits, both mentally and physically. He’s the epitome of a martial artist. This man has done 1500 pushups in a single session and countless crunches, all with ease. Talking to him gave me a huge boost of confidence. So much so, that even when I heard we’d be doing the pushups after our regular class, I didn’t flinch. I was pumped.

The boxing class that day was intense. We did our usual pushup sets during the workout, and since it was Friday, we had an especially tough core session. But despite all that, I was still supercharged. After class, only four of us remained, ready to tackle the challenge.

The coach had laid out a game plan: 10 sets of 25 pushups per minute, followed by 50 sets of 15 pushups per minute. It seemed manageable. He also warned that around 300 pushups, fatigue would set in, but after that, our muscles would go numb and we wouldn’t feel much.

We breezed through the first 10 sets of 25 pushups with just a bit of fatigue creeping in. The 50 sets of 15, though, were a roller coaster. At first, we finished each set of 15 within 20 seconds, and the rest period felt almost too long. But as we pushed further, some breaks felt too short because our muscles were screaming. We even switched to some knee-bent pushups in between, but all that mattered was staying on track with the time.

I kept myself fueled with sugarcane juice and water, and before I knew it, we hit 700 pushups. By the time we reached 800, we were definitely struggling. But being part of a group helped—we fed off each other’s energy. When we finally crossed 900, our muscles were shot, but we were so close that adrenaline kicked in. And then, just like that, we hit 1000!

The joy was overwhelming. It’s a feeling I’ll never forget—the triumph over a fear of failure. I had accomplished something my mind had labeled as impossible. I had beaten my own mental barriers.

A Little Surprise

Just when we thought we were done, the coach surprised us with a choice. He said, “If you want, you can do 11 burpees and 40 more pushups.” The burpees were mandatory, but the extra pushups were optional. I knew exactly what he was doing—he was pushing us beyond our perceived limits.

Our brains are wired to protect our muscles from excessive strain, often telling us to stop at 40-50% of our actual capacity. But I knew those last pushups were the most important part of the journey. So, we completed the burpees and the extra pushups, and finally, we could rest. We took a deep breath, clapped for ourselves, and embraced the moment of victory. But we weren’t done quite yet—still high on adrenaline and sugar, we decided to do a little sparring.

I even did some pad work with the coach, and to my surprise, it was the best pad work I’d ever done. It’s mind-blowing how the brain sets limits, yet once we push through, we realize just how capable we really are.

1111

When I got home, I celebrated with a well-deserved cheat meal. We had done 1111 pushups that day, along with all the other training. Later, I got a text from my best friend asking how it went. With pride, I replied: “Done. 1111.”

That day, I learned a valuable lesson: I’ll never let society dictate what I can or cannot do. I’ll only take advice from those who’ve walked the path I want to follow. I also realized how easily my mind can either be my greatest ally or my biggest obstacle. It’s exceptional at building walls to stop us from reaching our potential. But now I know how to break them. After all, we’re human, children of God, and we can do anything. We are unstoppable.

Love, Saransh