New exercise regimen

P90X is done, but the work to get ripped never ceases.  For my next round, I'm going to focus on what I like to call the "challenges":

• One hundred pushups
• Two hundred squats
• One hundred fifty dips
• Fifty pull ups

Long time readers know I already knocked out two hundred crunches last year.

These challenges are ambitious to say the least, but I like to set lofty goals.

I have a Door Gym which has done right by me for the past six or seven years, but it's not quite tall enough so I shelled out for an adjustable stand alone pull up bar:

Most exercises involve gripping something and my friend recommended finger exercises in a pail of rice.  You jam in your closed fist and then open your fingers as widely as you can.  Here is my bucket of rice:

I tested it out and it's pretty tough which is a good thing.  I jam my fingers every basketball season so I'm hoping I can buck the trend this year.

I did the initial tests this morning to find out where I am and where I need to start in each program:

• 2.75 pull ups though my chin didn't quite clear the bar -- I need to start with the prep program.
• 14 push ups using my Perfect Pushup bars -- I'm good to go.
• 36 squats -- I'm good to go.
• 6 dips using my dip station -- I'm good to go.

I thought I could do more push ups, but I compensated with more squats than anticipated.

I think this challenge program will go well and that I'll knock out all, but maybe the pull ups since fifty is a crazy number.