Tom Rowland shares critical maintenance strategies for the 10,000 Push Up Challenge on this Physical Friday episode of the Tom Rowland Podcast. If you're in the middle of the challenge and dealing with wrist pain, shoulder tightness, or wondering how to prevent injury while completing 10,000 push ups in a month, this episode delivers practical solutions. Tom reveals specific stretches from Ultimate Human Performance that work for shoulder recovery, demonstrates wrist mobility techniques that can eliminate pain, and explains why varying your push up stance is essential for avoiding repetitive stress injuries. He also covers the nutrition protocol he's following, including his exact protein intake and electrolyte strategy with LMNT.
How Do You Prevent Wrist Pain During the 10,000 Push Up Challenge?
To prevent wrist pain during high-volume push ups, vary your push up types (wide, narrow, standard), stretch your wrists both forward and backward, do wrist circles as a warm up, and consider using push up bars or dumbbells to keep wrists in a neutral position. Tom Rowland recommends stretching the wrist against a wall or bed in both directions to counteract the stress from the bent wrist position during push ups.
Who is Tom Rowland?
Tom Rowland is the host of the Tom Rowland Podcast and creator of the 10,000 Push Up Challenge. In this Physical Friday episode, he shares his personal training protocols including his one gram of protein per pound of lean body mass nutrition strategy at 174 pounds bodyweight and 160 grams daily protein intake.
This episode is brought to you by Star brite, the trusted marine care solution Tom relies on to keep his boat protected and performing. From their boat care in a bucket kit to salt off for post-trip rinsing, Star brite supports marine conservation through Project Sea Safe. Visit starbrite.com
The Wrist Pain Solution Most People Miss
When you're hammering out hundreds of push ups every day, your wrists take a beating in ways most people don't anticipate. Tom addresses the repetitive stress injury risk head-on in this episode, explaining that the bent wrist position during standard push ups creates problems that compound over time. The solution isn't just toughing it out. Tom demonstrates multiple approaches including stretching your wrists backward against a wall or bed to counteract the forward flexion, doing wrist circles as part of your warm up routine, and most importantly, varying your push up hand positions throughout the day. But there's one tool that completely changes the game for people who can't tolerate the wrist angle. The specific equipment alternatives and stretching techniques start at 2:36.
Three Shoulder Stretches from Ultimate Human Performance
Tom credits his friend Joe Hippensteel and Ultimate Human Performance for the three shoulder stretches he does every single day during the 10,000 push up challenge. The protocol is simple but specific: stretch for two minutes, rest for one minute. The first stretch is the arm across, where you pull your right arm across your body with your left arm catching at the elbow, then put your left hand behind your left ear in what Tom describes as a wrestling half Nelson position. The second stretch involves clasping your hands behind your back and raising your arms up, ideally to 120 degrees, though Tom warns to be careful if you don't have good shoulder mobility. The third stretch is arms overhead while laying on a bench or table. Tom uses bands that come off his pull up bar to hold the position. The detailed demonstrations of all three stretches with form cues start at 5:21.
See Tom demonstrate these exact wrist and shoulder techniques
The Nutrition Protocol: 160 Grams of Protein Daily
Doing 10,000 push ups in a month is more than what some people have done in their entire life, Tom points out, which means your nutrition has to support the unprecedented volume of work your body is processing. Tom weighs in at 174 pounds and eats 160 grams of protein per day, following the general rule of thumb of one gram per pound of lean body mass. But protein is only part of the equation. Tom emphasizes drinking lots of water and paying attention to electrolytes, specifically recommending LMNT because it doesn't contain any sugar. For anyone in Florida or sweating heavily during workouts, the blend of sodium, magnesium, and potassium becomes crucial not just for recovery but for brain and body function. Tom's complete nutrition and hydration strategy for the challenge starts at 8:33.
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SubscribeWhy Push Up Variation Prevents Injury
The simplest intervention Tom recommends for wrist issues is something most people overlook: vary the type of push ups you're doing throughout the day. Wide grip, narrow grip, standard grip—each creates a slightly different wrist angle and distributes stress differently across the joint. Tom explains that doing the exact same movement pattern over and over again creates opportunity for repetitive stress injury. For people who simply cannot tolerate the bent wrist position for extended periods, Tom suggests using perfect push up bars or even just a set of 10 pound dumbbells to keep the wrist completely straight during the movement. This equipment modification allows you to complete the challenge without compromising wrist health. The specific push up variations and equipment options are covered starting at 2:34.
Don't miss this one.
Essential maintenance for anyone in the 10,000 Push Up Challenge
Key Takeaways
- Wrist pain from high-volume push ups can be eliminated by stretching in both directions, doing wrist circles, and using push up bars or dumbbells to maintain a neutral wrist position
- The three shoulder stretches from Ultimate Human Performance that Tom does daily follow a two-minute stretch, one-minute rest protocol and target the exact muscles stressed during push ups
- Tom's nutrition protocol for the 10,000 push up challenge includes 160 grams of protein daily at 174 pounds bodyweight, following one gram per pound of lean body mass
- Varying push up hand positions throughout the day (wide, narrow, standard) prevents repetitive stress injuries by changing the angle of stress on your wrists and shoulders
- LMNT electrolytes with sodium, magnesium, and potassium support recovery and brain function without added sugar, especially critical for people training in hot climates
- The arm across shoulder stretch uses a half Nelson hand position behind your ear to hit shoulder angles that get stressed during push ups
- Tom tracks challenge progress through Instagram posts with hashtags #trpfitnesschallenge and #tenthousandpushupchallenge and reposts them to his story
Final Thoughts from Tom
I'm seeing so many of you posting your progress on Instagram with the hashtags, and I want you to know I'm watching and reposting them. This challenge is harder than most people expected, and I'm getting messages from people dealing with wrist pain and shoulder tightness they didn't anticipate. That's exactly why I wanted to do this Physical Friday episode.
The stretches from Ultimate Human Performance have been game-changers for me personally. I do all three shoulder stretches multiple times a day during this challenge, and I'm holding those positions for the full two minutes. If you're struggling with your wrists, don't just try to push through it. Use the dumbbells or push up bars to change the angle. Vary your hand positions. Your body will thank you.
Whether you're doing this to prove something to yourself or raising awareness for water quality issues, I appreciate you being in this with me. Text me at (305) 930-7346 and let me know where you are in the challenge and what's working for you. This episode has the specific techniques that are keeping me healthy through 10,000 push ups, and it's worth your time to watch the demonstrations or listen through the whole thing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What causes wrist pain during push ups?
Wrist pain during push ups is caused by the bent wrist position creating stress on the joint, compounded by repetitive motion without variation. Tom Rowland explains that doing the same push up variation over and over creates opportunity for repetitive stress injury, which is why varying hand positions and using equipment like push up bars or dumbbells to maintain a neutral wrist position is essential.
How many grams of protein should I eat during the 10,000 push up challenge?
Tom Rowland follows one gram of protein per pound of lean body mass, eating 160 grams of protein daily at 174 pounds bodyweight. He emphasizes that 10,000 push ups in a month is more than what some people have done in their entire life, so adequate protein intake is crucial for recovery and muscle building during this volume of training.
What are the three shoulder stretches from Ultimate Human Performance?
The three shoulder stretches Tom does daily are: arm across (pulling arm across body with opposite hand catching at elbow and hand behind ear in half Nelson position), arms behind and up (clasping hands behind back and raising to 120 degrees), and arms overhead (laying on bench holding dumbbell overhead with elbows behind ears). Each stretch is held for two minutes followed by one minute rest.
Should I use push up bars for the 10,000 push up challenge?
Push up bars or dumbbells are recommended if you cannot tolerate the bent wrist position for extended periods. Tom explains that using perfect push up bars or even 10 pound dumbbells keeps your wrist completely straight during the movement, which is much easier on certain people's wrists and allows you to complete the challenge without compromising joint health.
What electrolytes does Tom Rowland recommend for the push up challenge?
Tom recommends LMNT electrolytes, which contain a blend of sodium, magnesium, and potassium without any added sugar. He emphasizes that maintaining proper electrolyte levels is crucial for brain function, body function, and recovery, especially if you're training in Florida or sweating heavily during your workouts.
Related Episodes
Deep dive into Joe Hippensteel's stretching methodology that Tom uses for shoulder maintenance
Tom's complete approach to nutrition for high-volume training and recovery
The original announcement and structure of the challenge including water quality awareness goals
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Call (727) 498-5551Joe Hippensteel – Ultimate Human Performance, stretching and mobility methodology
Tom Rowland
Tom Rowland is the host of the Tom Rowland Podcast and creator of the 10,000 Push Up Challenge. He follows a nutrition protocol of one gram of protein per pound of lean body mass, currently eating 160 grams of protein daily at 174 pounds bodyweight. Tom incorporates stretching methodology from his friend Joe Hippensteel at Ultimate Human Performance and tracks his training through Instagram at hashtag trpfitnesschallenge. You can text Tom at (305) 930-7346.
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