30-day push-up challenge tracker

Choose a start date and a length, from 14 to 100 days, and the sheet fills with a numbered box for each day, each with its date and weekday. Each day you do your push-ups, write the number in that day's box. A missed day stays blank, and because every box carries its date, a gap shows instead of quietly stretching the challenge.

It defaults to 30 days starting today. If you are planning a New Year challenge, set the start to 1 January. Print the sheet or save it as a PDF; the calendar can also be downloaded for a spreadsheet.

A tick says you did something. A number says how much, and that is what a push-up challenge is about. After a week of numbers you can see whether the count is rising, holding or dropping, and adjust the plan before it turns into a string of blanks.

Write the total for the day, even if you did it in several sets. Three sets of eight is a 24 in the box.

Push-up challenges come in many versions, so set the rules before day one and write them in the challenge name. Some ways people set it up:

The CDC's guidelines for adults are muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups: legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms, alongside 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week. Push-ups work the chest, shoulders and arms, so a push-up challenge covers part of that, and pairs well with a squat challenge for the legs.

If you have an injury, joint pain or a heart condition, check with a doctor before starting a daily challenge. Good form matters more than the number in the box.