Ten challenges for fitness freaks

Every now and then, even the most motivated and ambitious lifter runs out of steam. These ten challenges will help you get back on track or keep going when you need something you might not do every day.

Let’s put aside all that “strength training has to be healthy and safe” nonsense. Let’s be honest: plenty of us don’t care about that. We train to be somebody, to make our mark, and we enjoy what we do. We do it because we don’t like being average and ordinary. Being “ordinary” or “normal” is the last thing we want. So here are some challenges that give you—and us—a chance to shine.

Ten challenges

Ten challenges for you… complete them, film them and/or leave a comment about what you tried and how it went.

“Prowler” punishment (The Prowler Punishment)

You know the Prowler—that piece of equipment Elite Fitness sells. Here’s the challenge: load it with two 20 kg plates, for a total of 40 kg, mark out 27 meters (30 yards), and complete 10 lengths of 27 meters. That’s it. Push using the low or high handles; the high handles are easier. Rest as much as you like, but what counts is how quickly you complete the whole thing—all 10 lengths. Obviously, the more you rest, the longer your total time.

Any time under 10 minutes is very good; our gym record is 7:45. But honestly, I doubt many people can even finish this challenge.

1. Prowler push: 40 kg, 27 m per length, 10 lengths in total. Your score is your total time.

Translator’s note: this is the piece of equipment:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ieOBgyq88E

Translator’s note: incidentally, we organized something similar this summer with sled dragging. We drag a sled around the stadium track every summer. Our sled is a simple iron plate with a pipe attached to hold weight plates. Our challenge was to see who could complete 5 laps with 50 kg the fastest. I currently hold the best time: 5 consecutive laps (1250 m) in 17:32. It’s a very tough undertaking, especially when you’re chasing a time.

2. Pull-ups + push-ups

I hate lifters who brag about their “relative strength.” As far as I’m concerned, a man is either strong or weak. Instead of desperately hunting for strange scales and frames of reference to make your paltry strength look impressive, try getting strong at the basic lifts.

But OK, if you still think you’re relatively strong, try this: do 80 pull-ups and 240 push-ups. That’s it. Complete the exercises and reps in supersets, doing the same number of sets for each exercise. Don’t do all the push-ups first and then all the pull-ups. Again, rest as much as you need, but your total time for the 80 + 240 shows where you stand.

Since this is more of a conditioning challenge, I don’t expect every last pull-up to be impeccably strict, especially when you’re tired. But the push-ups must be done properly, with your chest touching the ground on every rep.

Our gym record is 15 minutes, and I think I could even do it in 12 minutes. Either way, be prepared to feel tired the next day, too.

80 pull-ups + 240 push-ups, in supersets. How long does it take?

3. Kettlebell “party”

Learn to love kettlebells—they’re a great tool for staying in shape. This challenge looks simple on paper, but in practice it will really get you sweating. Grab a 45 kg kettlebell and swing it 30 times, then rest for 30 seconds. Complete 3 x 30 like this, with 30 seconds of rest between sets. If a 45 kg kettlebell is too heavy for you, sorry, but you’re simply not ready or capable enough for this challenge.

Kettlebell swings (45 kg), 3 x 30, with 30 seconds of rest between sets.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_h1QcHTkwdI&feature=related

Translator’s note: I think a 32 kg kettlebell is also fine to start with, and 5 x 25 or 5 x 30, for example, would be interesting options, too.

4. Rowing 5 x 500 meters.

This takes a little more than traditional cardio. Along with endurance, you need real determination and the ability to endure discomfort.

Set your rowing machine to a distance of 500 m. Then simply row 5 x 500 m, resting for just 1 minute after each 500 m. A strong performance would mean completing every 500-meter interval in under 1:40. If you’re a woman, a good result would be to row each 500 m interval in under 2:05.

Rowing machine: 5 x 500 m, with 1 minute of rest after each 500 m.

5. Jump rope.

A very simple challenge. Grab a jump rope and complete as many jumps as you can in 2 minutes. A repetition counts when the rope touches the floor and passes under your feet. The target? Say, 360 jumps in 2 minutes. Why that number? It sounds good for starters, and it is half the world record. Give it a try. Find your rhythm and start practicing. Of course, you may trip up, but try to get going again immediately and find your rhythm, because the clock is ticking.

Jump rope: 2 minutes, as many jumps as possible in that time.

6. Pull-ups + kettlebell swings.

This is a fun one. To be honest, I stole the idea from Waterbury’s article “Fat on fire”, so the credit for this challenge goes to him. I am tweaking it slightly and giving you a target to aim for.

You need a 45 kg kettlebell. Start with 10 pull-ups, immediately followed by 10 kettlebell swings. Keep going like this, doing 9 pull-ups and 9 swings next, until you finish with 1 pull-up and 1 swing. Rest as much as you need between sets, but once again, your total time is what counts. A little cheating on the pull-ups is allowed, but only a little. A time under 5 minutes would be good.

Pull-ups + kettlebell swings: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 repetitions of both pull-ups and kettlebell swings; for time.

7. Bent-over dumbbell rows.

If aerobic exercise is not your thing, perhaps this challenge will be. The goal is to complete 10 x 10 bent-over dumbbell rows with each arm. If you finish in under 10 minutes, you can walk out of the gym with your head held high. Feel free to support yourself with your free hand while rowing. Your back should be almost parallel to the floor, though not quite. Grab a 45 kg dumbbell and do 10 rows, then immediately switch the dumbbell to your other hand and do another 10 repetitions. Rest as much as you need, but remember that your total time is what counts. A little body sway is fine, of course, but your technique should still be sound. It should not turn into an attempt to start a lawn mower.

Single-arm bent-over dumbbell row: 45 kg, 10 x 10 with each arm, for time.

8. “Killer barbell complex”

This complex consists of six exercises performed back to back without rest: Romanian deadlift, clean, standing press, squat, good mornings and bent-over rows.

Perform 8 repetitions of each exercise, moving straight on to the next as soon as you finish. As Alwyn Cosgrove has said: “Ideally, your hands should never leave the barbell.” (When moving from one exercise to the next.) Complete the complex 4 times, reducing the weight each time. The first round is 50 kg, the second round 40 kg, the third round 30 kg and the final round 20 kg. It makes sense to load the barbell to 50 kg using plates that make it easy to reduce the weight in 10 kg increments. As mentioned, only the weight decreases from round to round: every round still consists of 6 exercises, with 8 repetitions of each.

You can take rests along the way, but again, remember that the clock is ticking. A good time is 5 minutes or less. Be ready: this will leave you thoroughly cooked.

Barbell complex: 8 repetitions of each exercise, 6 exercises, with round weights of 50 kg, 40 kg, 30 kg, 20 kg. Time is what counts.

9. “Valeria”

This challenge combines exercises that really demand both strength and endurance. I have had good feedback on it.

What does it involve…try doing the following:

Bench press 125 kg – 21 reps

Pull-ups + 22.5 kg – 21 reps

Deadlift 185 kg – 21 reps

EZ-bar biceps curl 60 kg – 21 reps

Again, rest as long as you like. You do not have to complete all 21 repetitions in one go either, but the 21 repetitions of every exercise…4 x 21, are once again done for time.

The current record for all four exercises, 4 x 21, is 9.49. My time ranks second at 14.36. If these suggested weights are too heavy for you, feel free to adjust them, but you can only compare records using the same weights.

Valeria: your total time measures your performance; four exercises, 21 repetitions of each.

10. Lunges…something out of the ordinary.

Translator’s note: I took the liberty of replacing one challenge from the original article with one of my own. The original challenge required equipment that might have made it difficult for many people to attempt. So what am I suggesting? This summer, on one leg day, I was feeling a little bored with my usual routine…what to do…I would do lunges and see how long it took me to lunge an entire lap of the track. Our school track is 250 meters, or a quarter of a kilometer. I put a 10 kg sandbag made from a rubber inner tube across my shoulders. I completed the lap almost without stopping, taking just 2 – 3 breaks of 15 – 20 seconds to straighten my legs briefly. My time was 17 minutes, and I could not sit down comfortably for about the next 5 days. The weight was light, but the time spent doing it made it absolutely brutal…everything hurt: my calves, quads, hamstrings and glutes. Definitely give it a try, even with a 10 kg barbell. Keep your lunge technique sound, your torso upright, and avoid leaning forward.

Translated by: Janar Rückenberg

Come work out! ArtGym