The Top 10 Gym Challenges
Take on these challenging gym challenges to keep yourself focused and mix up your workouts.
If you’ve reached a workout plateau or are bored with your current routine, you could do worse than setting yourself a new challenge to keep your training fresh and on track.
The ten gym-based challenges mentioned below are not for the faint of heart, but mastering them will result in substantial fitness improvements and provide you with a motivating target to strive for – not to mention an enviable arsenal of party tricks…
In two minutes, skip 200 times.
200 times skipping in two minutes is a great challenge. This is much more exhausting than you would think, but it’s one of the most affordable, efficient, and portable workouts available.
Handstand push-ups should be perfected.
One more challenge is to practice against a wall, spread your fingers and shrugging your shoulders towards your face. Remove the barrier, add harmony, and impress strangers.
In two weeks, increase the size of your biceps by two centimeters.
Another challenge is to do seven partial curls with a collection of dumbbells, focusing on the center of the movement. While turning your wrist, hold for seven seconds at the tip.
Use your bodyweight as a bench press
This is the very minimum that you can strive for. If you are stuck below that, you might need to focus on your stabilizing muscles. Pull-ups and bent-over rows will strengthen your back and provide a stronger foundation for benching.
Then add another 50 percent to your bench press.
This elevates you to a higher level. Week two, add 5kg to all weights, and week three, add another 2.5kg. Then aim for a maximum of one rep.
For two minutes, front raise a 10kg plate.
It is the bare minimum for F1 drivers. Try to challenge yourself with it; it is very challenging to front raise a 10kg plate for two minutes.
At the gym, row the Channel
Yet another challenge for you is to swim 32 kilometers, which is the shortest distance between Dover and Calais. Get it done in two and a half hours and you’ll get a pat on the back.
Perform a set of 20 pull-ups in a row.
The simplest approach, according to pro-athlete trainer Chad Waterbury, is to do a single max-rep set in the morning and another in the evening on day one. Day two is a rest day, then repeat until you reach Club 20.
Perform 100 press-ups in a single day.
Mind you, the proper ones. Do a lot of sets during the day but never fail. Do them as soon as you wake up, before you shower, before you go to bed, and when you are watching TV. Just finish them.
Perform ten one-arm push-ups.
Set a goal to perform ten push-ups from one arm then ten push-ups from another arm. Try it with your feet apart and your legs locked in; it should help.