The best exercise for improving the amount of pushups one can do is... doing pushups.
Rikaichan is a really good tool for learning vocabulary in context. Just scan and read as you go. In the beginning it is impossible to read the transcripts while listening to the broadcasts if you are new to reading Japanese. Just try to absorb as much of the information by reading carefully first then listening. If you are not used to listening to Japanese, all that can be done is to put the hours in and train your ears while paying attention to the theme of the events. I would recommend listening to short sentences on Smart.fm, but they are going through a rough transition now for a few weeks it appears.
Rikaichan is a really good tool for learning vocabulary in context. Just scan and read as you go. In the beginning it is impossible to read the transcripts while listening to the broadcasts if you are new to reading Japanese. Just try to absorb as much of the information by reading carefully first then listening. If you are not used to listening to Japanese, all that can be done is to put the hours in and train your ears while paying attention to the theme of the events. I would recommend listening to short sentences on Smart.fm, but they are going through a rough transition now for a few weeks it appears.