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Workout Challenges

If you are anything like me and watching workout videos is a therapeutic task for you, you will enjoy going through these workout challenges and fitness regimes. All the beginners reading this article, do not be afraid if you have twisted an ankle or two in the process previously (I am with you). 

With the busy schedules and hectic routines that we all have, it’s extremely difficult to take out time for heavy gym activities or anything similar. But we all can find a small amount of time, at least 10-15 minutes in our day, to give our body the rest and exercise it needs and deserves. 

Everyone has different preferences when it comes to workouts. Some people find it easier to keep on track with 21 days workout challenges where some people like taking on bigger challenges like weight lifting challenges etc. Some people don’t feel the workout intensity until there’s some piece of equipment involved whereas all some people need is a workout challenge with no equipment. 

The first step to start is to commit yourself truly to the goal. How can you do that? You ain’t going to see any impact, if you are lazy and not concentrated on the bigger picture. Let’s see some pointers.

• Set minor goals – Do not get fixated on losing those 30 pounds in one year. Set smart, achievable objectives. Start off by doing two rounds of 20 jumping jacks. You can always level up but remember to not make it too overwhelming from the very beginning.  
• Find a partner – It’s okay if you don’t have a special someone to do the couple fitness challenges with, just find a friend or an acquaintance with the same interest and commitment to the goals as you. Accountability can help you go a long way in making actual progress. 
• Write down your achievements – Record the time and details of each exercise you performed. This will serve as a great reminder for you to keep moving forward, not give up and reflect upon your strengths and weaknesses. 
• Keep reminding yourself to perform – Do not procrastinate when you get the time to work out. Remember your commitment and promise to yourself and the reason why you started. Don’t waste time. 

 

30 Day Low Impact Challenge 

Does the mere thought of a workout make you nauseous or dizzy? Do you want to incorporate a fitness challenge in your routine but are unable to do so, because all of them seem extremely intense? Here’s the workout designed specifically for your needs and caters to all your concerns. 

Day 1 to Day 6:

• 10 bodyweight squats 
• 5 push-ups (can be done on a flat ground surface or with a wall)
• A 20-minute walk

Day 7: Break day

Day 8 to Day 13:

• 10-minute stretches
• 10 squats (low speed)
• 10 push-ups
• 10 (dumbbell presses

• start by lying down with the weights (or even small cans!) in your hands.
• Press up evenly until your arms are straight, but elbows aren’t locked.
• Slowly return to the starting position and repeat.

• 20-minute walk

Day 14: Rest

Day 15-20:

• 20-minute power walk
• Slow stretching for 10 minutes
• 10 slow squats, 10 push-ups
• 10 (low-weight) dumbbell presses

How do you perform dumbbell presses?

Lie down on a flat surface (preferably a mat). Take the weights into your hands. Breathe out and press up the dumbbells evenly until your arms are fully extended. Make sure your but elbows aren’t locked. Slowly return to the position you started from and repeat.

• End with a 20-minute walk.

Day 21: Break

Day 22-30

• Start off with a power walk for approximately 20-30 minutes.
• Slowly stretch your body for 10 minutes
• 10 slow squats
• 10 push-ups (If you feel you have gained some strength and are ready to move it up a notch, you can go for jump squats instead of push-ups too)
• Low weight dumbbell presses (10-20)
• End with a 20-minute walk. 

30 DAYS ABS CHALLENGE:

Day 1:

• 30 seconds of lemon crushers

Lie flat on your back, lift your toes and hands, pointing away from each other. Try moving up in a sitting position as you pull your knees into the chest and extend your arms forward. Continue to lie back again in extension. Rest and repeat.

• 30 seconds of toe reaches

Lie flat on your back, with your legs perpendicular to the floor and arms stretched out straight above your chest in a way that they are parallel to your legs. Lift your shoulders up and try reaching and touching your toes with your fingertips. Move back to the starting position to complete one rep

• 30 seconds of mountain climber holds

Assume a straight arm plank position, and stack your shoulders over your wrists. Lift one knee toward the chest and then move it back to the starting position. Repeat the same with the other knee while making sure that the hips are level

• 30 seconds of plank up/downs

Assume a forearm plank position. Push up with one arm into a straight arm plank and then return to the starting position.

Day 2: Repeat day 1 exercises.

Day 3:

• 40 seconds of High-knees – take 20 secs rest in between each time. Perform three sets.

Day 4:

• Two sets of all the aforementioned exercises.

Day 5: Repeat Day 4.

Day 6:

30 seconds sprints – Perform 6 sets with a break of 75 seconds in between

Day 7: Rest

Day 8:

• 45 seconds of dead bugs

Lie with your face facing upwards on your mat. Keep your arms in the air above your torso. Lift your legs straight in the air and bend your knees at a 90 degree angle. Slowly lower your right arm behind your head and extend your left leg forwards simultaneously. Keep going until your leg and arm are straight. Return to your original position and do the same with your right leg and left arm.

• 45 seconds of leg drops

Lie on your back with both legs facing the ceiling. Make sure that your abs are tight. Lower your right leg until it is a few inches off the floor, then perform the same task with your left leg to complete 1 rep

• 45 seconds of alternating toe touches

Lie on your back with both legs and arms facing the ceiling.. Lift your upper back off the floor and try reaching your hands toward your feet)

• 45 seconds of scissors

Lie on your back and raise both legs off the ground. Criss-cross one leg over the other in a scissors-like motion without dropping them on the ground.

Day 9: Repeat the same exercises of day 8.

Day 10:

• 40 seconds of HIIT tuck jumps. 6 sets with a 20 second breather.

Day 11:

• 2 sets of the exercises on Day 8

Day 12: Repeat Day 11

Day 13:

• 30 seconds of all-out sprints with breaks of 75 seconds in between. Perform 6 sets.

Day 14: Rest

Day 15:

• One minute of Russian twists

Lean back at a 45-degree angle to the floor. Then, bring your hands together above the abdomen. Slowly twist your body to one side, such that all your weight is brought to one side of your body. Now, twist to your other side to complete one rep.

• One minute of side plank rotations

Stand in a side plank position. Lift your arm straight in the air above you. Slowly lower your arm and rotate your core and thread your top arm through the small space made beneath you. Unthread your arm and go back to the starting position. Repeat with the other side.

• One minute of opposite arm/leg lifts

Keeping your lower chest and hips on the floor, lengthen your right arm and left leg out away from you as you slowly lift them off the floor.

• One minute of swivel raises

Get onto all fours on the ground -Balance yourself on your knees and hands on the ground. Move your right knee at a 90-degree angle as you slowly raise your leg behind. Keep moving until your thigh is parallel to the floor.

Day 16: Same as Day 15.

Day 17: 40 seconds of HIIT tuck jumps. 6 sets with a 20 second breather.

Day 18: Repeat 2 sets of exercises on Day 15

Day 19: Same as Day 18

Day 20: 30 seconds of all-out sprints with breaks of 75 seconds in between. Perform 6 sets.

Day 21: Rest

Day 22:

• 50 seconds of medicine ball chops

Stand straight and strongly hold a medicine ball with both hands at chest height. Squat down and bring the ball to one knee. Twist your torso as far as you can, bringing the ball up above your opposite shoulder.

• 50 seconds of kneeling medicine ball slams

Keep your arms straight, in such a manner that the ball is behind you. Use your arms to slam the medicine ball straight down between your legs with as much force as possible.

• 50 seconds of resistance band bicycle presses

Add a mini resistance band to your feet while doing bicycle crunches.

• 50 seconds of resistance band plank jacks

Place the resistance band around your ankles and dive into a push-up position. Jack both legs out to sides until you feel a stretch.

• 50 seconds of side plank leg lifts

Place your right elbow on the floor, lift your body and extend both legs. Balance on the outside edge of your right foot. Lift the left leg up just a bit higher. Gradually lower the left leg back down.

• 50 seconds of bicycles

Lie flat on the floor. Place your hands behind your head, then bring one of your knees in towards your chest and lift your opposite shoulder off the ground, bringing it closer to your knee.

Day 23: Same as Day 22.

Day 24: 40 seconds of HIIT tuck jumps. 6 sets with a 20-second breather.

Day 25: Two sets of exercises on Day 22

Day 26: Repeat Day 25

Day 27: 30 seconds of all-out sprints with breaks of 75 seconds in between. Perform 6 sets.

Day 28: Rest

Day 29: Same as Day 25

Day 30: 30 sec of all exercises in the challenge

BACK WORKOUT

Beginner Circuit: (3 sets of each with a 30 second break in between)

• Hip Hinge Hold

Stand with your feet placed at a hip- to shoulder distance, and your arms hanging at your sides. Slightly bend your knees and pull down your shoulders. Push your hips back as much as you can and lower your torso by pivoting at the hips. Keep lowering until your torso is at a 45-degree angle with the floor.  Hold for 30 seconds.

• Hollow Hold

Lie on the floor facing upwards and fully extend your legs and arms (over your head). Gently press your lower back into the floor as you lift your arms and legs so your body makes a C-shape. Hold for one minute.

• Dumbbell Deadlift

Stand with your feet placed at a hip to shoulder distance and hold a dumbbell (heavy or light, according to your preference) in each hand. Bend over by hinging at your hips. Gently press together your shoulders. Lower dumbbells parallelly aligning your torso to the ground. Return to standing position.

Intermediate Circuit:

• Dumbbell bent over row:

Hold a dumbbell in each hand while standing. Hinge forward in a manner that your torso is parallel to the floor. Begin movement by retracting your shoulder blades and driving your elbows behind the body. Move the dumbbells towards your body bringing your elbows at the midline. Proceed slowly to lower the dumbbells back to the original position.

• Dumbbell reverse fly:

Stand straight, slightly bend your arms and hold the dumbbells in your hands. Keeping your torso and back straight, extend your arms out to your sides in line with your body.

• Dumbbell farmer carry:

Hold a dumbbell in each hand with a tight grip. Straighten up your body and start walking. Take as many steps as you can with the weights in your hands.

Advanced Circuit:

• Single-arm suitcase deadlift

 Place a heavy dumbbell by the side of your right foot. Bend over to lift the dumbbell upwards until your torso is back in the original position. Slowly lower the dumbbell down, back to where it was initially placed on the ground. Repeat this movement for 30 seconds, then move to the opposite side.

• Dumbbell swing

Stand straight and hold a heavy dumbbell with both your hands. You need to bring the dumbbell between your legs by bending your knees and lowering your chest a little. Push your hips forward slightly, and bring the dumbbell to shoulder height. Reverse the movement to swing the weight between your legs now.

• Dumbbell Plank Lateral Dog

Place a dumbbell (according to your weight preference) on the left side of your body. Form a pushup position. Extend your right hand under your body and through the left side try to get a hold of the edge of the weight. Drag the dumbbell across to the right side of your body. Do the same with your left hand now while placing the dumbbell on the right side. Keep on alternating after 30 seconds for an approximate 5 minutes.

Squat Challenges

Kickback Squat: Sit back in a squat position. Lift one of your legs straight behind you, keeping your hips square.

Sumo Squat: Squat down, keeping knees out and hips pushed back. Move back to original position and repeat.

Reaching Squat: Lower your body into a squat, with fingertips reaching the floor. Push yourself back to standing position and extend arms straight over your head while raising up on your tiptoes.

Oblique Squat: Lower into a squat and press back into a standing position. Lift one leg higher than hip level so the elbow of the respective side taps the knee. Return to the original position and repeat.

Jump Squat: Push upward from a squat position, jumping as high as possible, driving through your heels. Squat down upon landing to complete one rep.

Curtsey Squat: Lower into a squat. Place your right foot back and tilt to the left. Carefully squat one inch lower. Now, return to your initial position. Repeat on the opposite side.

Split Squat: Position yourself as if performing a lunge. Raise the heel of your back foot. Slowly lower yourself until your back knee touches the floor and then push your body back up, to complete one rep.

Isometric Squat: Position yourself in a squat. Extend one leg out to the side and tap your toe on the floor. Return to the original position and repeat with the other side.

Pop Squat: Starting from a normal squat, push off your feet making a small jump bringing your feet together. Extend your arms at an angle behind you and land back in the squat position you started from. Repeat.

COUPLES FITNESS WORKOUT CHALLENGE

• Over-Under

Start with a hip-width distance between your feet and stand with your backs facing each other. One person needs to hold a dumbbell with both hands overhead while the other person just extends their arms, without a dumbbell. Make a squat simultaneously. Now both partners need to bend forward. The one with the dumbbell, passes it through the legs onto the other person. Both parties then return to a straight position and the second person will now pass the dumbbell overhead to person 1.

• Side-plank pass

Form a side plank facing the same side. The person in the front holds a dumbbell in their top hand. The person in front passes the dumbbell to the person in the back from under the body. The person in the back hands over the dumbbell back to person 1 from the top.

• Squat Hold and Dips

One person puts her/his hand on the bench and the second person gets a hold of their legs. The second person lowers into a squat while holding the other person’s legs such that person 1 makes a dip. Do 15 reps at least, then change positions.

• Double Trouble

Sitting across one another, tightly clamp your legs together so that a better grip is attained. Gently stretch both your arms while one among the two holds a dumbbell in her/his hand, and do a sit-up at the same time. Bring your arms backwards towards your head. Gradually lift your body upwards. In this way, you are doing a sit up even when you are not holding any weight. Pass the dumbbell to the other partner when she/he comes up. Repeat these steps for 20 times.

• Leg Thrown Down

To do this, one person stands straight while the other one lies on the floor. The person lying on the floor holds on to the ankles of the person standing tall. One person stands straight up while the second person lies on their back on the floor. Person 2 on the ground holds the ankles of the person standing. Person 2 is then supposed to slowly move their legs upwards. Person 1 needs to push against the feet of person 2 so that his/her legs move back downwards. Before the feet hit the ground, person 2 needs to push them upwards again.

• Body Weight Squat

Stand in a position where both your arms are stretched outwards and the two of you are facing each other. Tightly grasp each other and do a down squat at the same time. Stay in the position for a few moments and then move back to the original position. Perform this at least 15 times.

• Partner Twist

Go down on your knees and look straight. Position yourself in a way that your backs are facing each other. One person holds a kettlebell while the other one keeps their arms hanging beside. Turn slowly in the same direction, and pass the kettlebell to the other person. The other person then turns to the opposite side and passes the kettlebell back to the first person from that side. Keep going for a minute in 1 direction and then alter it.

• Reach and Touch Plank

 As fun as it sounds! Assume a plank position facing each other. Make sure your elbows are placed accurately under your shoulders. Reach forward with one hand and give a high-five to each other. Repeat with the other hand. Perform this at least 15 times.

• Split Lunge

 Stand straight facing each other. Hold onto one another’s arms and gently bend your legs as if in a lunge position. Keep going for 10 seconds. Return to your initial position. Repeat this 15 times, at least. Switch legs while assuming a lunge position and follow the same instructions as before.

• Wheelbarrow Squat

 Person 1 needs to position themselves in a plank pose. Person 2 holds person 1 by their ankles, moving him/her in a wheelbarrow position. The person now assuming the wheelbarrow position will perform a pushup while the other one standing makes a squat simultaneously. Repeat it at least 5 times and then switch positions.