The push pull squat exercise program

This article is written by Rob Maxwell, M.A. Exercise Physiology, CSCS and ACSM CPT from www.fittothemax.net. Follow him on Twitter.

There are many different types of workout designs.

Some make sense. A few are designed by pros.

Some are on the opposite end of the spectrum. They aren't effective.

I’ve been in the personal training business for 25 years. I have learned that workout design is especially important to get results. I’ve also learned that as trainers we must also be time managers.

The workout we pick must fit into the schedule that we and the client have. Personal training sessions are typically 30, 45, or 60 minutes. Time must be used efficiently.

The push squat pull format

One of the workout structures that I like to use is a Push/Squat/Pull format.

It’s really what every workout is based around anyway. Let me explain.

The body only has so many main movements. Our body pushes, our body pulls, and our body squats.

This is an oversimplification but these main movements, when done correctly, work most of our body's musculature.

There are only so many major muscle groups of the body. There are over 650 muscles in the body, but the major muscle groups that move the body are far fewer.

The major muscle groups are the gluteals (butt), quadriceps (anterior upper thigh), hamstrings (posterior upper thigh), pectoralis major (anterior upper torso), latissimus dorsi/rhomboids (posterior upper torso), deltoids (shoulders), biceps (anterior upper arm), triceps (posterior upper arm), erector spinae (posterior lower torso), abdominals (anterior lower torso), and gastrocnemius/soleus (posterior lower leg).

The 11 major muscle groups

1. Glutes

2. Quads

3. Hamstrings

4. Pecs

5. Lats/Rhomboids

6. Deltoids

7. Biceps

8. Triceps

9. Lower back

10. Abs

11. Calves

Stimulate each group effectively.

These muscles each have specific functions. I won’t bore you with a complete kinesiology lecture here.

The point is for you to understand that there aren’t as many movements of the body as you may think.

If we select exercises correctly, we can avoid training exercises that may be wasting our time or not being as efficient.

Compound exercises versus isolation exercises

When designing a program, it is important to understand the difference between compound exercises and isolation exercises.

The difference between compound exercises and isolation exercises

Compound exercises use more than one joint and therefore more than one muscle group per exercise. Isolation exercises are exercises that only use one joint and therefore one muscle. The squat is a compound exercise. The leg extension is an isolation exercise.

A squat is a compound exercise because you bending both your hips and knees. You use your glutes, quads, and hamstrings. Compound exercises are more efficient. You train more than one muscle at the same time.

The leg extension isolates the quads, but doesn’t work the other upper thigh muscles like the hamstrings. Isolation exercises have their purpose - especially for body building.

When you are trying to get stronger and add muscle, and you are on a time budget, compound exercises are best.

Compounds exercises are the best.

Muscle actions

Another thing to understand about exercise design is the actions of each muscle while we exercise.

When we do an exercise, our muscles either take on the role of the agonist, antagonist, stabilizer, and/or synergist.

The 4 different muscle actions

1. Agonist

2. Antagonist

3. Stabilizer

4. Synergist

What is an agonist?

The agonist is the prime mover meaning the main muscle doing the work during an exercise. The agonists for the squat are the glutes, quads, and hamstrings.

What is an antagonist?

The antagonist opposes the main mover, so it acts like a brake in the joint. The antagonists for the squat are the hip flexors, the quads and hamstrings (because these two muscles oppose each other).

What is a stabilizer?

The stabilizers keep your body in place while you exercise. The anterior abdominals (abs), obliques (side of your middle torso) keep your spine straight as you squat. The lower leg muscles keep your feet safely planted on the ground, so they are stabilizers as well.

What is a synergist?

The synergist helps the prime mover. The synergists during a squat are the hip flexors and the erector spinae (lower back). They help the body complete the motion.

The squat uses almost all of your major muscle groups at the same time.

Exercise selection for the push squat pull program

When we do a push/squat/pull program, the exercises need to be compound so that all of the major muscles can be activated.

You can choose your own exercises for this program. Choose a set of exercises for each section: push squat and pull.

Push exercises

When picking a push exercise, it can be a chest press of any type.

This may include the bench press, machine press, dumbbell chest press and/or push-up.

An overhead press motion is good as well, but it does not work the big pectoral muscles. The overhead press works the deltoids and triceps. It is a nice supplement to your main push exercises of choice.

Squat exercises

The squat exercise can be any version of a squat. It may be a standard squat, dead lift, split squat (lunge), and/or leg press.

This decision depends on what equipment you have and whether you have a spotter.

Pull exercises

The pull exercises can be a lat pull down, any version of rows, and/or pull-ups. They are all great compound exercises. A variety would is always best.

All of these exercises use stabilizers and synergistic muscles. That means that your arms, abs and other muscles will get enough stimulation as well.

Sets, reps and structure for the squat push pull routine

Do 3-6 sets of 8-15 reps of each exercise

Sets should be anywhere from 3 to 6 for each muscle group.

Naturally, this is just a range and there are many variables such as form, tempo, and load. But it does give us a good starting point.

The repetitions depend on your overall goals. I think that for most people, the best rep range is 8-15.

In this rep range you get strength, size and endurance.

You can simply do each exercise in straight sets of 3-6 per exercise. For most of my clients I prefer circuits.

Use circuit training to make your workout more efficient

The most efficient way to do a workout like this would be in the form of a circuit.

A circuit incorporates inactive rest. You rest one area while working another. Circuit means going from one exercise to the next with little to no rest.

A circuit also burns more calories because you keep moving. It is far more time efficient. It increases endurance on a whole new level.

There are two different ways that you can split up circuits.

Circuit training with 3 different exercises

Pick 3 compound exercises. 

One should be a type of squat exercise. One should be from the push type of exercise. The other is a pull movement.

Keep the reps at 12. 

Here is an example: Use the incline dumbbell press, Smith squat and pull down exercise.

Set the load for the heaviest weight you can do for 12 reps while keeping good form and completing all of your reps.

Move onto the second exercise as soon as you complete the first exercise. Once you have done all three exercises, you have done one set.

Do 3-6 of these sets.

Go up the next time by adding 5% to the load if you can complete all of your reps in good form.

Pyramid circuit training

You can also do a pyramid type set routine while doing this circuit.

An example would be 15 reps on the first set, 12 reps on your second set, 10 reps on your third set, 8 reps on your fourth set and 5 reps on your fifth set.

The structure of sets and reps can be varied.  

Circuit training of 6 alternating exercises

I use this form of circuit training more often because change increases the amount of stimulation that you give your body.

Do two main circuits of 3 rounds of reps.

Each exercise gets 3 sets.

Here is an example of this.

In the first circuit, do 3 rounds of 12 reps of the following exercises:

- Machine Chest Press

- Dumbbell Squat

- Seated Machine Row

After that is complete you can take a 30 second break and set up for the second circuit.

In the second circuit do 3 sets each of:

- Bench Press

- Split Squat

- Pull Downs

This is a hard circuit.

When picking your pull exercise, you want to stay away from an exercise that would put strain on your lower back.

This is because you are already doing a squat in the circuit.

A row with the back supported would be better than a bent over row for back because your lower back is already tired from squats.

What about core exercises?

Too many people obsess over core exercises.

Abs are made in the kitchen.

This means that the flat stomach that people desire does not come from doing abdominal exercises.

They come from losing weight by eating less.

I am not saying never train them. I am saying de-prioritize them.

I guarantee that you will get a great core work if you engage them in all of the above exercises.

I call it the 'no core, core' plan. I say it to my clients all the time.

If you brace your spine whenever you exercise (especially during squat and pull exercises) you will target the transverse abdominis (ab muscles) just like you would during a plank exercise.

This is the job of the ab muscles. By doing this you work the abs in the same natural way that they were meant to be stimulated.

Remember from above that your core muscles act like stabilizers. If you are mindful (focus on form) during your workout, they are engaged.

Warm up and cool down

Like with any good workout plan, begin this workout with a 5–10-minute warm-up.

A warm-up is not stretching. A warm-up is raising your core temperature through light cardio.

You will exercise more effectively when you warm up properly beforehand.

Make the warm-up exercise light cardio of whatever you like. Break a sweat and you know that you are warmed up.

It is also recommended that you do a warm-up set per each exercise.

Use about 50% of the load you are going to use for your sets and do 10 reps.

It is good to do specific warm-ups like this as well so that the body is ready to work the target muscles with intensity.

Cool down for 5 minutes after your workout doing light cardio again.

This allows your body to recover better for next time.

You will return your system to homeostasis and help move lactic acid (the byproduct of exercise that gives you a burning sensation in your muscles) out of the body.

You can do the push pull squat program anywhere

The Squat/Push/Pull program is one of my favorite routines.

It can be done anywhere.

If you are traveling and can find a gym with a few dumbbells, you can do it there.

You can simply do push-ups, body weight squats and rows if you don't have equipment.

A body weight option can always be done if you have the strength to do it - and it is the hardest of them all.

This would be a push-up (or dip), squat, and a pull-up version.

It’s a terrific way to cover the body, move fast and reach your goals.

I use a semblance of it with most clients I see on a regular basis.

We must be effective as trainers. To do that, we need to manage time.

This is one of the best ways that I’ve found to do so. 

This article is written by Rob Maxwell, M.A. Exercise Physiology, CSCS and ACSM CPT from www.fittothemax.net. Follow him on Twitter.

Strength and conditioning for athletes need improvement

Conditioning is important for athletes.

This article is written by Rob Maxwell, M.A. Exercise Physiology, CSCS and ACSM CPT from www.fittothemax.net. Follow him on Twitter.

Strength and conditioning training for sports

Strength and conditioning routines are needed for athletes - whether it is for youth athletics, young adult athletics or adult athletes.

Weight training and conditioning go hand in hand with athletics.

I’ve seen a trend going on in this area that I don't like. The trend is what we’ve been doing with many athletes and it's not working.

One of the main reasons why athletes should take part in strength training is to reduce the risk of injury. The other reason is to perform better.

The problem that I’ve seen is that the emphasis is too much on performing better. The trainers are using too much specificity.

This is causing the opposite of injury prevention. I believe that this focus has led to more injuries.

Too much specificity leads to injury.

How sports for athletes used to be

A couple of decades ago athletes played their sport. They also played other sports. It seemed that the more athletic a person was, the more sports they played.

There wasn’t as much specialization twenty years ago as what we have today.

Most of the 'jocks' worked out because they liked working out. There wasn’t so much association between working out and athletics back then.

It wasn’t necessarily instituted into their sport program. The idea of having weightlifting days incorporated into practice was a common occurrence.

There also wasn’t the specialization that there is now with sports. Athletes didn’t focus on just one sport. It was common that the great football players in your high school also played baseball.

Did you know that Dan Marino, the great football player, was drafted by the Kansas City Royals to play baseball? John Elway, another great football player, was drafted by the New York Yankees to play baseball.

This was normal. It was common. This was common among all sports and athletes. Athletes played sports - plural!

Different sports are better for performance.

The world of sports has changed

Welcome to the world of specialization. It is now common in all sports that guys and gals now specialize in one sport starting at an early age.

Kids are now being guided to avoid playing multiple sports. They are being guided to 'specialize' in one sport. As soon as a parent or coach sees talent in a player, they recommend specialization.

The thought is that they should only be playing one sport so they can get as good as possible at that sport.

There is a problem with this thinking. Less than 1% of kids ever turn professional. The chances of getting a scholarship to play a college sport are exceptionally low as well.

I’m not being a dream killer here. If you can do it, do it! The rub is that you are taking a big chance with your kids by not exposing them to many sports when the odds are that they will never make it a career.

The risk of specialization

What's the risk? You risk exposing kids to injuries and to the loss of enjoyment from playing multiple sports.

I mentioned the hall-of-famers Dan Marino and John Elway above. They didn’t need to specialize to make it big. Why do your kids need to?

There is a time for specialization. That is when the kid is old enough to be at the top of his or her game in college - and later pro if they make it that far. 

Prior to that, you are only setting him or her up to injury by overworking one joint pattern and not working on all the other complimentary muscles.

The other issue going on in athletics that I don’t agree with is using weight training to specifically train for a sport.

Sport Specificity is one of the principles of physical fitness. It’s a good thing. It means that to get good at a particular activity, you need to do that activity.

For example, if a runner wants to run faster, they need to run. You must be as specific as possible to the activity to improve the activity. 

Many coaches, however, have missed the overall point and now take that principle to the weight training gym. 

Strength coaches have taken it too far. It is now common to use specific strength training exercises to match the sport.

An example would be a golfer who would be taught to do a strength exercise in which they rotate their spine with load to simulate a golf swing.

A football player will use weight in a press position to simulate coming out of their stances used in football. The examples are as endless as there are exercises.

Variety is important.

Sport has become big money

Sports have become big, big bucks. This is a big industry now. It is one of the biggest.

Why do you think that athletics came back before many other industries during the Covid-19 shutdowns?

It’s not because anybody was worried about the American citizens being entertained! It was because billions of dollars were being lost.

I love sports, but this is the side of it that we must all accept. It’s about the money. Because of that, many people want to cash in.

Athletes want to be paid big. Owners want to make money off their athletes. Sponsors want a return on their investment.

Due to this, any edge is gold. Athletes and trainers have tried to find the edge with strength and conditioning. They are on the right path, but have taken a wrong turn.

Strength and conditioning can absolutely make an athlete a better athlete. This happens by keeping the athlete injury free so they can stay on the field.

Is it working? I do not think so. It is hard to find true injury rates on every sport. Many are hidden.

There is a reason that many teams do not want to release the injury status on their athletes. It can be used against them.

If you watch any sports at all you; know that at the very least, it is not getting better.

Doing weight training with specific exercises to the sport is simply making those muscles, joints, and patterns used in the sport even more overtrained and causing more muscle imbalances.

That is not the original goal of strength and conditioning programs for athletes.

Injury reduction must be a priority.

 

The results of the new conditioning programs

Is this new approach working? I'd say, 'Not so much'.

Injury rates in all sports are off the charts. Athletes are injured all the time! The injury reports in all sports, both college and pros are increasing.

My eyes tell me that we are missing something.

If all this time and money is being spent on athletic conditioning, where is the reward?

It’s not working. It’s clear to anybody that pays attention. 

Athletes are more injured now than 20 years ago. Are they any better at their sport because of it? That is hard to answer.

Individual records are greater, but there are a lot of other changes that have gone on as well. The balls have changed and the rules have changed. These are major impacts on the games played. 

Athletes are bigger, stronger and faster now than they were 20 years ago. I believe that nutritional science has helped. I believe that conditioning has helped that as well.

If you play football and you are undersized, there is no doubt that hitting the weight room and proper eating is the only thing that will put more muscle on your body.

What about the current state of specificity and total specialization? I do not think so. The athletes are not better off because of it.

The problem caused by current strength and conditioning programs

Here is the problem:

Athletes will get overuse injuries when they use the same muscles and joints repetitively without enough rest.

There is only so much stimulation that the soft tissue and connective tissue can take. When soft tissue like muscle tissue is fatigued, the joints gets worn down. An injury can occur suddenly.

The other issue is that you create a muscle imbalance when you use the same muscles all of the time and don’t train its opposite muscles (the antagonists). One side is too strong (inflexible), and the opposite side is weak and overly flexible.

Muscles are made to be used in balance. Both opposing muscles should be strong and support each other.

When we do more weight training in the area of our sport, we magnify the imbalance. Do the opposite and train the antagonist of these muscles.

When young athletes are encouraged to avoid multiple sports, they are not allowing all the muscles to grow in balance with each other. This will cause muscle imbalances as the young athlete grows and gets older.

Imbalances cause injury.

Tom Brady

Let's look at Tom Brady as an example.

He has defied age. Brady has not followed what is now commonplace in professional athletics regarding training.

He believes more in recovery and nutritional science. He calls it TB 12. His program maintains an emphasis on staying lean and injury free. He is 43 and still plays at a top level.

Many of his counterparts are following the dominant training trend in athletics - and are injured at a much higher rate.

I’ve always believed that we need to look at what’s working and what’s not. When something is working well, we should look at what’s being done. 

The solution to the current training dilemma

The solution is a happy medium.

We want to keep conditioning in sports. We simply want to do it the right way. I do that believe athletes need proper guidance, spotting, and programming; but I think that the program must change.

The program needs to evolve to fix muscle imbalances and prevent injuries. If an athlete needs to put on muscle for their sport or another athlete needs to lose body fat for their sport; that should be done in the off-season period when sport-specific training is on a pause.

This is the time to get bigger, stronger and faster. They do not need to be in the gym at their sport.

I believe until high school is over, athletes should be encouraged to play all the sports that they desire to and rest their main sport while they are.

Let's make athletes great again!

Implement variety into your training.

Rob Maxwell

This article is written by Rob Maxwell, M.A. Exercise Physiology, CSCS and ACSM CPT from www.fittothemax.net. Follow him on Twitter.

30 Day Fitness Challenge

See massive results in just one month!

Take a few minutes every day to complete the 30 day fitness challenge - whether you currently exercise or not. This challenge will jump-start your fitness goals. It will ignite your metabolism. Your body will burn fat for energy. This challenge will tone and tighten every part of your physique. You will sleep better, have more energy, weigh less and feel good in a matter of days. Discover how well a few minutes a day totally transforms how your body works.

The 30 day fitness challenge

How much can you improve your fitness in 30 days? What kind of results can you expect in a month? I have designed this 30 day fitness challenge to set your metabolism on fire. In just 30 days you will burn fat, build muscle and spark the changes that are needed for better energy levels.

Can I do the fitness challenge in addition to my current workout program?

Absolutely! If you are already exercising regularly, do this challenge as an addition to your current workout routine. It only takes a few minutes per day. This challenge will help you to blast past a plateau and set you back onto the path of getting actual results.

How does the 30 day fitness challenge improve my body?

It is so easy to get stuck in a routine. Our bodies are very good at adapting to whatever we do. If you don't exercise, your body adapts by reducing its energy output and storing saved energy as fat. When you do the same exercises all the time, your body will adapt by reducing the amount of effort that it puts into each workout. This will help it to save on calories (which go straight to fat storage) and lessens the effort it has to put into changing itself.

Physical transformation takes a lot of effort from your body's point of view. It will always try to do as little as possible so that it can save energy for an emergency. This 30 day challenge acts as that emergency. It will shock your body into burning fat and building muscle.

After the month is over, your body will have revamped its metabolism. This is great for adding a kick to your existing workouts. It is also great to get yourself moving in the right direction if you are new to exercise. Seeing big changes in a month will motivate you to do more and more every day.

What equipment do I need for the 30 day fitness challenge?

You don't need any equipment at all. This challenge is designed to be done wherever you are. You can do it at home, during your lunch break at work or at your friend's house while you are waiting for them to get ready. It also does not require much space. You don't need a special floor mat or any other kind of workout gear. This eliminates the excuse of not having time to go to the gym. You'll be done with your daily challenge in less time than it takes to get to the gym in the first place.

Complete your daily task for great results

The 30 day fitness challenge

There is only one exercise that you need to do every day. Complete it and you're done for the day. Here's what you need to do:

Save this chart (right click, save image on desktop or long-press, save image on mobile) and print it out. Cross off the days that you complete. Bookmark this page so that you can print a new sheet whenever you do the challenge, or to hand it to friends and family who do the challenge with you.

Day 1: 50 Squats

Do 50 squats. If you can't do them all at once, break them up throughout the day. Don't go to bed until you've done all 50 squats. Squats boost the hormones that tone muscle and burn fat. Do body-weight squats without any weights. This is what a good squat looks like:

Day 2: Jumping jacks for 5 minutes

Do jumping jacks until you are out of breath. You can stop if you feel pain in your ankles, shoulders or knees. Set a timer to check how much time you've done. If you stop at 2 minutes, complete the other 3 minutes later on in the day. Jumping jacks ramp up your metabolism while toning up your whole body. Finish at a total of 5 minutes. This is what a jumping jack looks like:

Day 3: 50 Push Ups

Do 50 push-ups. Break them up if you can't do them all at once. Push-ups burn calories, speed up metabolism, tone your upper body and increase physical endurance. This is the best way to do a push up:

Day 4: Plank for 5 minutes

Planks are an isometric exercise that improves strength and stability. Just like with the jumping jacks, use a timer to count the time that you plank for. Do 5 minutes total for the day. If you can do this all in one go, well done! Most people will need to break it up into 2-4 separate exercises. You can spread it out throughout the day (leaving hours in between each time) or take a few minute breaks to rest until you're done. The choice is up to you. You will still reap the fitness benefits either way. If you can't decide which is best, I'd recommend doing the planks as close together as possible so that you can get it done and not have to worry about it later on. This is what a good plank should look like:

Day 5: Rest day

Congratulations for coming this far! Be proud of yourself. Take a well-deserved rest day. Feel good about the progress that you are making.

Day 6: 50 Lunges

Do a lunge onto one leg. Then lunge using the other leg. This counts as one lunge. Perform as many of these as you can in one go. Do more after resting. Lunge (on both legs) 50 times in total before the end of the day. Lunges are great for total lower body strength and endurance. Similar to the squat, they kick your metabolism into high gear and stimulate the hormones that burn fat. This is what a lunge looks like:

Day 7: Jumping jacks for 5 minutes

Do jumping jacks for 5 minutes total for the day, the same way that you did on day 2. Try to do the jumping jacks for as long as you can during each session. Your goal is to build up to the point where you can do all of the jumping jacks in one session. By the end of the 30 day fitness challenge, you should be able to complete all 5 minutes in one quick session.

Day 8: 50 Push ups

Do the same as day 3, trying to do as many per session so that you eventually land up doing them all in one session. By day 30, you should be able to all your push-ups in two sessions or less.

Day 9: 50 Crunches

Crunches are a favorite exercise for many people. Similar to the exercises above, do as many as you can in one session. Crunches work the muscles that are responsible for stabilizing your core. These muscles are what make up a visible 6 pack when your body fat is low enough. Do as many as you can in the following session until you have reached your goal of 50 crunches. This is how to do a crunch:

Day 10: rest

You deserve another day of rest. Well done for making it this far along the fitness challenge!

Day 11: 50 Squats

Do squats in the same way as day 1, trying to do more per session.

Day 12: 5 Minutes of jumping jacks

Day 13: 50 Push ups

Day 14: Planks for 5 minutes

Day 15: Rest

Day 16: 50 Lunges

Day 17: Jumping jacks for 5 minutes

Day 18: 50 Push ups

Day 19: 50 Crunches

Day 20: Rest

Day 21: 50 Squats

Day 22: Jumping jacks for 5 minutes

Day 23: 50 Push ups

Day 24: 5 Minutes of planks

Day 25: Rest

Day 26: 50 Lunges

Day 27: 5 Minutes of jumping jacks

Day 28: 50 Push ups

Day 29: 50 Crunches

Day 30: Rest

Congratulations for finishing the fitness challenge! I encourage you to take pictures of yourself before and after the challenge. Be sure to point people to our site if they ask how you look so much better so quickly (or keep it a secret - that's up to you).

Here are a few commonly asked questions about the 30 day fitness challenge

Will this challenge make me lose muscle if I lift weights?

You put a lot of hard work into building muscle mass. The last thing you want to do is throw your body into a catabolic state, which is where the body breaks down muscle for energy. If your current program is so intense that you feel exhausted or fatigued for hours after your last training session, I'd recommend not doing this fitness challenge just yet. Give your body some time to catch up with what you are currently doing first.

If you feel back to normal in an hour after training, your body will benefit from the metabolism-boosting effects of this training program. In fact, cardio can help you to build more muscle. A program like this fitness challenge might be exactly what you need to push your muscles into greater growth.

How does this challenge improve my metabolism?

Firstly, you need to understand what your metabolism is. Your metabolism refers to the rate at which your body turns nutrients (from food and fat stores) into energy. People with high metabolisms can eat more and still be skinny because their bodies turn all of those nutrients into energy.

Those with slow metabolisms will struggle to lose weight - even when they restrict their caloric intake. This happens because their slow metabolisms don't turn a lot of the nutrients into energy. Nutrients are stored as fat instead of being used.

Compound exercises (like the squats, push-ups and lunges) burn a lot of calories in a short period of time. This shocks your body into burning more nutrients for fuel as it tries to adapt to the intense physical activity. The metabolism-boosting effects of these exercises last for days. If you do them often enough, they can permanently increase your metabolism.

Cardio-vascular exercises like jumping jacks require a lot of calories as well because they force the entire body to move. Core-focused exercises like the planks and crunches improve the muscles around your waistline. These muscles are needed to do exercises like the squats and lunges. You will notice that you tense your core when doings the squats, lunges and push-ups. All of these exercises need a strong core to be done properly.

Why are the exercise numbers and times so high from day 1?

In this challenge, you start off with a high level of intensity right off the bat so that it can shock your body into transformation. The greater the shock, the more your body is forced into changing itself. Our bodies are wired to conserve as much energy as possible. It will only lose those extra calories if it feels like it really needs to do so.

Why don't the exercises increase in number or time in this challenge?

The numbers stay the same for two reasons. Firstly, the high numbers serve as a good shock to your metabolism right off the bat. The rest of the program facilitates your body's adaption to this shock. If you keep raising the intensity higher than what your body can handle, it may be more than what your body can bare. This could cause muscle to break down. We want the muscles to tone and strengthen while fat breaks down. If you challenge your body too much, it can hold onto fat mass instead of building muscle.

Secondly, the growth in the program does not lie in the total amount of exercises that you do. Instead, it lies in how much of the exercises you can do in one go. The first time you do 50 squats, it might take you 5 different sessions to finish them. By the end of the program, it should only take you one or two sessions to complete them. This method of training forces your metabolism to increase and forces the muscles to get stronger without pushing them too far.

What else can I do to increase the effectiveness of the 30 day fitness challenge?

Drink at least 2 liters of water every day

This will help your body to flush out any toxins that could be holding it back.

Get enough good quality sleep

This program shocks your body into metabolic change. These changes happen on a metabolic, hormonal and muscular level. Most of these changes will occur during sleep. Sleep is where your body physically responds to the stimulus of the day.

Eat a varied diet that is rich in nutrients

Your body will require lots of good nutrients to make these changes. Eat a varied diet so that you get a variety of micro nutrients like vitamins, minerals, trace elements and antioxidants. Opt for wholesome food instead of processed foods. Avoid sugar as much as you can, since sugar tends to slow your metabolism down. This will make it harder for your body to adapt to these changes.

What kind of results can I expect after doing the 30 day fitness challenge?

Increased energy

You should notice a large increase in your energy levels at around the second week mark. This is a good sign that your metabolism is burning more calories for energy naturally.

Fat loss

The exercises on their own will burn calories, which are taken from fat storage. As your metabolism increases, more fat will be burned throughout the day - even when you are not exercising.

Better body tone

Fat loss and stronger muscles will lead to a more toned looking body. Say goodbye to flabby arms and jiggly legs.

Better strength and endurance

As your body gets stronger, you will notice that everyday tasks are a lot easier to do. You will be able to sit at your desk for longer periods before getting back or neck pain. Things that you carry will feel lighter. You will also notice that you can do things for longer before getting tired. This includes mentally-taxing tasks like focusing at work or listening to a long speech.

Improved sleep

Your body will want more sleep so that it can adapt to these changes. That is why exercise improves sleep quality. Improved energy levels are closely associated with improved sleeping patterns. In fact, I used exercise to improve my own sleeping patterns.

Better mood

Mood, mental health and physical energy levels are very closely interlinked. When your body feels good, your brain feels good. Exercise releases endorphins. When you exercise regularly, the constant release of endorphins will improve your overall mood throughout the rest of the day. Fresh forms of exercise, and exercises with a higher intensity, stimulate the release of more endorphins than the same kind of exercise that you have been doing for too long. Lower exercise intensities also lead to a smaller release of endorphins.

More motivation to exercise

When you start to notice the benefits mentioned above, you will be more motivated to exercise. You will want to look after your health more and more because of how good it makes you feel. We only start getting passionate about exercise when we start seeing results. Results make us want more and more of the exercises that we do. This 30-day challenge could be exactly what you need to jump-start your journey to better health.

Read about all of the benefits of exercise in general.

I highly recommend that you take before and after pictures of yourself before starting this challenge. Take measurements of your waist, upper arms and legs. Weigh yourself before and after the challenge. These things will help you to quantify how much the program has benefited you. When you are surprised at how well this program has worked, you will be motivated to exercise in more creative ways so that you keep these kinds of benefits coming.

Bookmark this page so that you can refer to any of the information here as you go along. It is also a good idea to bookmark this page so that you can download the printable challenge chart whenever you need it. You can do this challenge every 6 months, in addition to your regular workout routine, to shock your body back into producing good results. If you don't have an existing exercise program, you can continue with this challenge on a monthly basis. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask me in the comments below. Stay Strong!

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