The 100 Rep Test

"100 REP Challenge is the Simple Strength practice of performing 100 Reps everyday. It's up to you what exercises you use and how you divide the reps. The only thing that matters is you get your 100 reps, no matter how, no matter what, everyday!"

Taken from Rannoch Donald's "The 100 Rep Challenge" Facebook page

I don't know about everyday, but I do know about the 100 rep challenge, or the "100 rep test" as I like to call them.

What's so special about 100 reps? Nothing, other than it's a three-digit number. It's not much different than 10 or 1000. Who cares? Do whatever you want. Just be sure you time it and seek to improve - that's what makes it a 100 rep test.

There are all kinds of 100 rep tests. The Marines do 100 sit ups in 2 minutes, the RKC does 100 snatches in 5 minutes, random guys in their basement are doing 100 push ups as fast as they can.

Sometimes the goal isn't even in reps but in weight. 100lbs can be a milestone lift of any exercise for any person who follows the United States customary system (English units). There were oldtime strongmen who used to make their students do 100lb turkish getups before they were allowed to do any other exercise!

100lbs in the turkish get up is not that big a deal to an intermediate lifter of average build (which I suppose is why the oldtime strongmen required them). I've been doing 100lb TGU's for years now. Also, for years, I've been hearing about people doing 100 REPS in the TGU. Certainly not as popular is the 100 rep TGU. Everytime I heard anything about that kind of volume I rolled my eyes. I had absolutely NO interest in doing that and could only imagine how boring that would be.

I could only imagine. I had no first hand knowledge because I lacked the experience. Yes, I was ignorant.

Nothing wrong with being ignorant so long as you eventually move out of it. Without getting too philosophical, the more you learn and the more you do the better, right?

Well today I learned what it was like to do 100 reps in the turkish get up. I did 100 reps with the 16kg in 44 minutes. Which doesn't matter at all because nobody cares. There's no military agency or fitness organization testing peoples ability to do 100 turkish get ups. Except me. I'm the random guy in the basement and I'm the only one who knows what it was like to do that workout.

I'm willing to bet you don't know what it's like to do 100 reps in the TGU. You're probably like I was, ignorant. You're either thinking, 1) "What's a turkish get up?" 2) "Not worth my time" or 3) "No way, it's too hard!"

Here's a tip: it is worth your time and it is hard!

If you have done it, congratulations! You basically did 100 sit ups, 100 bridges, 100 lunges and 100 presses - a good workout by anyone's standard! Lots of individual exercises make up the TGU and stringing them together into one balanced and fluid movement is what makes them special.

I've honestly never been a much of a fan of TGU's. It's one of those exercises that I know is good for me and even though it offers a lot of benefits, I've never been excited about doing them. I can't say this workout has changed that. If anything, I probably dislike them even more. I do however have a new appreciation for them. I have new insight. I have learned something, if you will. I have learned that this is a VERY difficult workout and once again reinforced that the "100 rep test" can be a great workout, warm up or finisher. It all depends on the difficulty of the exercise that determines if you should do 10, 100 or 1000.