May 23, 2012
By Lance Cpl. Chelsea Flowers
Working out. What does that mean to you? Is it an hour at the gym before work, a jog during your lunch break or swimming laps at the pool after work? For Sgt. Enrique R. Trevino, working out is an all-day affair.
But, with a fitness goal as lofty as Trevino’s, it’ll take all day to get it done.
This past January, Trevino vowed to do a million pushups to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project and awareness for his injured brothers. Initially, Trevino planed to raise $10,000, but is so close to reaching that sum already, he is considering increasing it.
“It started out as just a resolution,” Trevino said when I spoke to him in a phone interview during his workday at the Marine Corps Embassy Security Group region 4 administrative section. “I realized that if I was going to raise awareness, I might as well benefit service members. I know if I got deployed and got hit, I’d want someone to care for me the same way.”
This realization caused Trevino to go public with his goal and ask for donations to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project. From there was born a daily workout regimen that most couldn’t hack. In order to reach a million pushups by the year’s end, he must complete roughly 2,732 pushups a day!
“I normally knock out about 200 pushups at PT, then I do a set of 30 every 10-15 minutes during work,” Trevino said. “After work, I devote half an hour at the gym to just pushups, knocking out another 600-850. I finish the rest when I’m at home.”
Trevino usually doesn’t finish his pushups until eight or nine at night.
Most people, including me, would agree that they don’t have the physical stamina of Trevino, but his example can certainly inspire you to incorporate strength-appropriate workouts into your daily routine.
“All that matters is setting a challenge worth doing,” Trevino said. “I’ve had people who are 50 years old tell me I’ve inspired them to start exercising.”
Trevino said the biggest thing in accomplishing his goal is the support he’s received from those nearest to him.
“My supporters keep me pushing through, but mainly, it’s my wife,” Trevino said with a laugh. “I can be sitting down, trying to watch TV and my wife says, ‘don’t you have pushups to do?’”
Having a workout buddy, an encouraging (or nagging) spouse, or other supporters can make any workout goal attainable.
No matter what goal you set for yourself, Trevino said the key is to keep pushing yourself to the next level.
“Next year, my goal is to beat the Guinness Book of World Records for pushups in a year,” Trevino said.
That’s 1,500,230 pushups. For a dedicated Marine like Trevino, though, anything is possible.
Click here to donate to the Wounded Warrior Project and support Trevino in his goal.