Funk Roberts is running a FREE 4 Week Spartacus Challenge for those MEN or WOMEN who want to get ripped and blast their fitness to new heights. This high intensity cutting-edge circuit routine can strip away fat and define every muscle in your body.
The challenge was taken from Men's Health Magazine, but I will provide you with my weekly workouts and nutrition plan to help you get to your SPARTACUS status.
Push ups should be a pillar of anyone’s exercise routine. If you're serious about increasing your strength, follow this six week training program and you'll soon be on your way to completing 100 consecutive push ups!
You all know I love my pushups, so when I came across the hundredpushups.com website I was thrilled.
Not because I was able to complete the challenge, but that Steve Speirs has but together a program that allows you to go from 0-100 in 6 weeks; that my friend, is amazing.
I know you probably saying 6 weeks, 100 pushups in a row, I don’t think so. But you I have looked over the program and with a good plan and discipline it can be done.
Steve is positive that his progressive training program will get you to 100 in 6 weeks. I agree, but you be the judge and take the challenge. There is even an iphone app.
Oh and once you are done with the pushups, Steve will take you through the 200 sit up and 200 squat challenges.
As you may or may not know I LOVE BODYWEIGHT EXERCISES.
One benefit to Bodyweight exercises is that they require body awareness. One can define body awareness literally as being aware of every part of your body at any given point in time in any given position.
Because of this more of your muscles are being used at the same time, which forces your muscles to adapt to each movement.
This increases strength, balance, core strength, muscle endurance and enhancing fat burning.
A friend pointed out a great bodyweight workout challenge online the other day. THE GUT CHECK CHALLENGE and today I am extending this bodyweight challenge to you.
It’s tough… See my time and try to beat it.
"Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful."
- Joshua J. Marine
GUT CHECK BODYWEIGHT CHALLENGE
MMA CONDITIONING CHALLENGE 10 Explosive Pushups – both hands must leave the ground 10 Crunches 10 Dive-bomber 10 Reverse Crunches 10 Diamond Pushups 10 Bicycle Crunches (each leg)
Perform the above for as many sets as possible within 5 minutes. Good luck! P.S. Bonus points for whoever chugs a glass of milk before each set!
RULES You must complete every rep with a full range of motion. With explosive pushups, both hands must leave the ground. With crunches, elbows must touch knees. With divebombers, mimic the video. YOU MUST GO FORWARD AND BACK. For reverse crunches, your knees must go at least in line with your chest. With diamond pushups, mimic the video. I don't really do those, but it seems that it may be tough to hit parallel given the motion. Go as far down as you can. With bicycle crunches, your knees must come within an inch or two of elbows if not touching. When in doubt, mimic the video.
RESULTS - Leave your results in the comment area You must do the exercises in order. The rep and exercise you are on will determine your "score". (Ex. If you complete two full "gut checks" but only complete on rep #9 of crunches within the 5 minutes, you would post "2 full sets and finishing through 9 crunches on 3rd set" or something of that nature.
I am not too sure how many of you have seen the commercial for the PushupPro or the Perfect Pushup, which are two handles that you use to help with your pushups. Truth is you don’t need handles to help you develop the perfect pushup, what you need is to start doing them.
The pushup is the ultimate barometer of fitness and one of the basic and most common exercises for the human body. Pushups are a superb exercise that uses the body’s own weight to build a sound fitness foundation. It benefits the entire body, engaging muscle groups in your chest, hands, forearms, biceps, triceps, shoulders, traps, upper and lower back, abs, glutes, hamstrings, quads, calf, feet, your core, stability, your heart muscle and it will even clear your mind.
The great thing about the pushup is that you can do it anywhere, anytime and you can do them completely free.
Pushups can also contribute to better posture and help protect your back from injury and strain. According to Philadelphia-based author and back-pain specialist Dr. Jolie Bookspan, by practicing perfect form while executing pushups, and applying that same form to your upright stance, you may not only stand taller and straighter but you’ll reduce the potential for back pain.
She cautions against the common mistake of allowing the back to arch and sag, putting pressure on the lower back. Try shifting the burden to your core by tucking your hips, flattening your back and contracting your midsection.
The Movement Assume the classic push up position, with your weight on your hands and calls of the feet. Space your hands just wider than shoulder width apart. Keeping your back straight, bend your elbows to lower yourself to the floor. When your chest is just off the floor, push yourself back up to the starting position.
Tips 1. Elbows must be fully extended at the start and end of a pushup, forefoot or toes on floor; legs, hips and back straight. 2. Commonly, people don’t make a deep enough descent. Your chest should be slightly lower than parallel to the level of your arms 3. To test your form, have someone make an upright fist and position it below your chest. Your chest should make contact with the fist. 4. Avoid half-pushups, a common error caused by fatigue. 5. Inadequate reps are usually due to a lack of strength endurance, which can be built up over time by executing pushups properly and doing multiple upper body exercises to increase strength.
The Funk Roberts Push Up Challenge
Now that we know the benefits of the pushup, now I would like to challenge my blog readers, Facebook and MySpace Fitness group, friends and family members to complete at least 10 full, proper push ups by the end of April. The test date will be May 8, 2008.
How am I going to that you say, well we are going to practice over the next 6 weeks and by the end, I guarantee you’ll be able to do at least 10 pushups, even if you have never done them before. But you have to work at it and practice. The benefits will be countless.
The Training Program
Before you start with the pushups training program, you must take a test to see where you are and where to start and how to plan your pushups training program. Take the amount of pushups you could do and pick the appropriate category to start
The Beginner You have never completed a pushup before. You can start with Wall Pushups to help start to develop strength.
Lean against wall with hands shoulder-width apart, and feet together. Keeping your body straight, slowly lower until your nose touches the wall. Push back to starting position.
Week 1 – Wall Push-Ups - 5 Days – 3 sets of 10 or Failure – 60 second Rest Week 2 – Knee Push Ups – 5 Days – 3 sets of 5 or Failure – 60 Second Rest Week 3 – Knee Push Ups – 5 Days – 3 sets of 10 or Failure – 60 Second Rest Week 4 – Perfect Push Ups – 5 Days – 3 sets of 5 or Failure – 60 Second Rest Week 5 – Perfect Push Ups – 5 Days 3 sets of 10 or Failure – 60 Second Rest Week 6 – Perfect Push Ups – 5 Days 3 Sets of 10 or Failure – 60 Second Rest May 8 – 1 Set 10 Perfect Push Ups Try to Increase your reps every workout during the week
The Intermediate you have completed up to 5 in the past, but have a problem with one. You can start with Modified Push Ups (Knee Push Ups) This exercise is a precursor to the pushup and should be used to get the strength to do a traditional pushup.
Get down on your knees and bend forward towards the ground resting your hands under the shoulders. Push up with the arms lifting the body off the floor. You may move the hands slightly in any direction to make it more comfortable. Lower and repeat.
Week 1 – Knee Push Ups – 5 Days – 3 sets of 5 or Failure – 60 Second Rest Week 2 – Knee Push Ups – 5 Days – 3 sets of 10 or Failure – 60 Second Rest Week 3 – Perfect Push Ups – 5 Days – 3 sets of 5 or Failure – 60 Second Rest Week 4 – Perfect Push Ups – 5 Days 3 sets of 10 or Failure – 60 Second Rest Week 5 – Perfect Push Ups – 5 Days 3 Sets of 10 or Failure – 60 Second Rest Week 6 – Perfect Push Ups – 5 Days – 3 Sets of 15 or Failure – 3- Second Rest May 8– 1 Set 15 Perfect Push Ups Try to Increase your reps every workout during the week The Advanced You can do you to 20 pushups. You are going to practice daily to reach 50 pushups
Assume the classic push up position, with your weight on your hands and calls of the feet. Space your hands just wider than shoulder width apart.
Keeping your back straight, bend your elbows to lower yourself to the floor. When your chest is just off the floor, push yourself back up to the starting position.
Week 1 – Perfect Push Ups – 5 Days – 3 sets of 15 or Failure – 60 Second Rest Week 2 – Perfect Push Ups – 5 Days – 3 sets of 25 or Failure – 60 Second Rest Week 3 – Perfect Push Ups – 5 Days – 3 sets of 35 or Failure – 60 Second Rest Week 4 – Perfect Push Ups – 5 Days 3 sets of 45 or Failure – 60 Second Rest Week 5 – Perfect Push Ups – 5 Days 3 Sets of 50 or Failure – 60 Second Rest Week 6 – Perfect PushUps – 5 Days – 3 Sets of 55 or Failure – 3- Second Rest May 8 - 20 or more Perfect Push Ups
The Expert You can do 50 and want a challenge. You can try a variety of different types of pushups to challenge yourself – see video
Practice different types of Push Ups seen in the video below May 8 – 10 Perfect Push Ups and 10 Alternate Push Ups – Your Choice.
I believe, push-ups are the most effective exercise for improving total body fitness. They include cardiovascular training, weight/body lifting and muscle stretching, all in one exercise. I think we can be the fittest bunch of readers and Fitness Groups on both Facebook and MySpace. Also include your friends and family. Kids can benefit from this challenge and it is always easier and more fun when you can do this with someone you love.
Good Luck to all. I think in total we can accumulate 10,000 Push Ups in one day …wow is that a Guinness World Book Record?
