ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Rich Hernandez can do 5,000 push-ups without ever touching his knees — and he's chasing a world record that hasn't been broken since 1980. But as he tells me here, it was never really about the push-ups. This time we're in person, right after a morning workout together, digging into how an MIT engineer with a Yale MBA walked away from the aerospace world to preach the gospel of hard work — and why the same process that took him from 40 push-ups to 5,000 (and a 7-minute plank to a 4-hour one) applies just as much to your business, your parenting, and anything else you're trying to get better at. Presented by Star brite — clean and protect your boat: https://bit.ly/4o80cws ▶ Rich's first time on the show (EP 974: Record-Breaking Conquest): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wL-YJXbbZM CHAPTERS 00:00 Welcome + Star brite (live and in person) 01:00 The push-up guy: 5,000 reps and chasing the world record 02:00 Receipts: livestreams and 12,345 push-ups in a day 04:00 From MIT and Northrop Grumman to a Yale MBA 05:00 The gospel of hard work: 333,000 push-ups in a year 06:00 What the family business taught him 08:00 How getting better at one thing spills into everything 10:00 Veronica, "Life Is Good," and the power of agency 12:00 The push-up progression: 40 to 5,000 14:00 Atomic Habits, 1% better, and the hockey stick 15:00 The planking journey: 7 minutes to 4 hours 17:00 Why the first five months are the hardest 18:00 Consistency, accuracy, intensity 19:00 The traveling salesman problem 21:00 Where to follow Rich FOLLOW RICH — Do Hard Things 365 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dohardthings365 Instagram: @dohardthings365 SUBSCRIBE TO THE TOM ROWLAND PODCAST Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tom-rowland-podcast/id1353574678 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5dMqjMPfvEYSte837YNunX Free fishing knot guide: https://bit.ly/3UnAeIP
