| A-Rod
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Well my friends, bathing suit season is upon us ... what better way to keep slimmin and trimmin than a June challenge focused on EXERCISE?
The June PUMP IT UP! Challenge will focus on exercise [both cardio and strength training] and will encourage competitors to pump it up! You'll get points for increasing your time, intensity, or frequency of workouts.
There will also be an emphasis on getting in all your water every day! Keeping hydrated helps to flush the water weight that leads to those frustrating bumps on the scale, so you'll get points for chugging and glugging all day, every day!
Last, there will be an opportunity for you to set three personal goals each week - this allows everyone to focus on areas they wish to improve, from clean eating to no cheats to whatever you choose!
And, of course, at the end there will be a bonus for pounds lost as percentage of total body weight.
So here's the deal: Sign up now through Friday, May 25th. I'll post the signup list on Monday the 28th. THE CHALLENGE STARTS MONDAY, JUNE 4TH! The challenge will end on Sunday, July 1st.
The REQUIREMENTS for this challenge include:
1. There will be a minimum of four cardio sessions per week. These must last at least 30 minutes each to get the full benefit of cardio exercise. Take these at your own level - some people run or spin, others walk or do yoga - it's up to you. Do what you enjoy. Each workout completed will earn you 5 points! If you skip a workout, you will LOSE 5 points! That's a total of 20 points possible for cardio workouts per week!
2. There will be a minimum of two strength training sessions per week. Tehse must last at least 15 minutes each [and that's a bare minimum, folks!]. If you lift at the gym, that's great. If you do strength training DVDs, excellent. If you want, you can find exercises that utilize your own body weight and do them at home [lunges, squats, crunches, etc.]. If you need help putting together a program for strength training, I'm sure there are many who will help you out. Same deal with points - 5 points per session, and -5 points if you miss a session. That's a total of 10 points possible for strength training per week!
3. There will be a requirement for water consumption. You set your own goal, but it must be at least 64 ounces per day [the recommended bare minimum for human beings]. You'll get 2 points for every day you get your water in [no loss of points on days you miss] for a total of 14 points possible for water consumption!
4. You will be required to set three weekly goals for yourself. These can be anything you want - eat clean 5/7 days, only one treat per week, pack your lunch 6/7 days per week, whatever you want! These will allow you to focus on other areas you find important that aren't included in the challenge requirements. You'll get 5 points for every goal you meet each week for a total of 15 goal points possible!
The BONUSES for this challenge include:
1. You get 5 points for each additional 30+ minute cardio workout you do. You can work out 5-7 days a week for an added 5-15 points, or double up on a particular day [e.g. get up and go running for 45 mins in the morning, and then go for a 30 minute walk in the evening].
2. You get 2 points for each additional strength workout per week. This must be a session on a different day. 15 more minutes of more sets and more reps don't count, because the benefits of weight training start to drop off at this point.
3. You get 2 points for trying a new form of exercise. Get on the ol' bike in the garage, try a new workout class at the gym, buy a new workout DVD, whatever. Finding new workouts challenges your body and helps you find lifetime activities you enjoy!
4. You'll get 5 points for any CARDIO workout that lasts longer than 90 minutes. The extra push really challenges your body and burns the fat, so get out there and keep going!
5. You'll get an extra 2 points for a PUSH IT! bonus. These are up to you to assess, but you're giving yourself credit for pushing yourself with increased time, distance, speed, or intensity. If you up your normal speed on the treadmill, lift more weight than normal, extend your cardio workout by 20 minutes, run an extra mile, etc., you get a bonus. This is an honor system thing, and the real benefit isn't the points, but the increase in calorie and fat burning, muscle growth, and fitness.
End of Challenge Weigh-In Requirement:
At the start of the challenge [Monday, June 4th] you should take your weight. You won't be required to weigh in every week - I know weight fluctuates a lot due to water and TOM and etc, so reads from day to day can be inaccurate. That's why you'll only weigh at the start and end of the challenge. You don't have to post your weight, but at the end of the challenge you should post the percent of your starting bodyweight that you lost over the course of the month, which you'll do on Sunday, July 1st. You'll get 5 points for each percentage point of body weight you lose and the possibilities for points are endless! So, for example, if I start out at 160 lbs. and I lose 5 lbs. over the course of the month, I'll have lost 3% of my body weight for a total of 15 points.
Format for posting:
At the beginning of the week, you should post your results for the past week and your goals for the next week. A sample results post would look something like this:
Week of June 4-10:
REQUIREMENTS:
Cardio: 4 workouts @ 5 points each = 20 points total
Strength: 3 workouts @ 5 points each = 10 points + 2 points bonus
Water: 5/7 days @ 2 points each = 10 points total
Goals: Met 2/3 goals @ 5 points each = 10 points total
TOTAL REQUIREMENT POINTS: 52 POINTS
BONUSES:
Tried a new workout DVD = 2 point bonus
90 minute workout on Saturday = 5 point bonus
Increased weight lifting by 5 pounts = 2 point bonus
Ran extra half mile on Tuesday = 2 point bonus
TOTAL BONUS POINTS: 11 POINTS
WEEKLY TOTAL: 63 POINTS
Week OF JUNE 11-17 GOALS:
1. Eat clean 5/7 days
2. Make extra food to freeze over the weekend
3. Run tough hill route two days this week
I do have one remaining question to put to everybody interested in the challenge ... do we want to have teams? I know challenges where you push yourself can be intimidating for some, but I hope you all remember that you take this at your own level. If all you are comfortable with right now is walking for 30 minutes, that is FINE. The goal is just for you to challenge yourself a little bit with your own fitness level. That said, I don't know if having to be accountable to a team adds too much pressure, or if it will motivate people to stay on track? Let me know what you think - if you want to have teams, I am all for it and we can start recruiting team leaders. But I don't want folks to feel like this challenge is too intense, because it shouldn't be.
I hope this all makes sense! If it's too intense or confusing, let me know and we have some time to modify it. LET'S PUMP IT UP THIS JUNE! |
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Tue May 15, 2007 6:50 pm |
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| Amity228
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| Sounds great! Can't wait to get started. As far as teams go I am either way. The past two challenges both had teams so to me it would be interesting to see what it would be like not having teams. |
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Tue May 15, 2007 6:59 pm |
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| SarBear
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| I'm definitely in, too! I don't care either way if we have teams... Sounds like a great challenge. I don't usually do well with drinking water, so I'm glad this is part of the challenge. |
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Tue May 15, 2007 10:07 pm |
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| raynjen
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| i am sooo in! i begin training for a marathon im running in october on June 2, so this will be a perfect way to keep me on track (literally, haha!). i vote for teams, i like teams! |
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Tue May 15, 2007 11:20 pm |
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| DarkChocolate
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I'm definitely in for the challenge :)
I do have one question though - is there a MAX on the bonus points? It just seems like things could get excessive. For example, I do nightly pushups and crunches, and each takes around 15 minutes (I don't time them)... I don't normally think of them as strength training, even though they technically are... so would each of these count as an extra strength workout?
Also, a question about "timing" strength workouts... how exactly should that work, since rest time between sets is part of the routine? |
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Wed May 16, 2007 2:20 am |
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| arw80
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One question: how long is this running? I realize it says "June" challenge :wink: , but only saw a start date, not a stop date. I go out of town July 1 - August and want to finish if I start! :D
Thanks. |
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Wed May 16, 2007 9:47 am |
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| blu.
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| I am in!! This will be my very first fitness challenge (and man do I need that kick in the butt...) |
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Wed May 16, 2007 1:32 pm |
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| luvmycritters
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Count me in! I'm having a blast with the current challenge, it's really kept me on track. I think an exercise challenge is just what I need! Teams sound great too!
Lora |
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Wed May 16, 2007 2:15 pm |
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| A-Rod
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DarkChocolate wrote: I do have one question though - is there a MAX on the bonus points? It just seems like things could get excessive. For example, I do nightly pushups and crunches, and each takes around 15 minutes (I don't time them)... I don't normally think of them as strength training, even though they technically are... so would each of these count as an extra strength workout?
Also, a question about "timing" strength workouts... how exactly should that work, since rest time between sets is part of the routine?
good questions, and i'll submit to everybody to offer their thoughts about max bonus points - what do you guys think is fair?
that said, you don't get bonus points for every 15 mintues you do - you get 5 points for doing whatever your normal strength or cardio workout is, with the caveat that it must last for at least 30 minutes. i spend more than 15 minutes lifting, but i'd only give myself bonus points for going above and beyond. the point is to challenge yourself based on whatever your normal workout is like. example being, i usually do 60 minutes of cardio, but i wouldn't give myself a bonus for that just because the requirement is only 30. if i did more than 60, i'd give myself a bonus, or if i increased my speed or intensity, etc. does that make sense?
the bonuses are going to involve the honor system. you know what your capabilities are, and the bonuses are there for times when you really do more than what you normally do. eventually, those challenges should become your normal routine - if you don't keep pushing yourself with exercise and fitness, you don't improve and your weight loss slows down. getting a bonus involves going from a normal workout to "gee, this is getting uncomfortable" or "i'm really tired" or etc.
arw80 wrote: One question: how long is this running? I realize it says "June" challenge , but only saw a start date, not a stop date. I go out of town July 1 - August and want to finish if I start!
good question as well! how about we go through july 1st - that's exactly four weeks. so july 1st would be the day you post your total loss and etc. sound good? [and if you have to post on june 30, that's cool.] |
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Wed May 16, 2007 5:15 pm |
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| A-Rod
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| because of those good questions, i made a few edits to the outline post above to incorporate some of the info we fleshed out. hope that helps! thanks guys! |
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Wed May 16, 2007 5:48 pm |
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| coastal_mom
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| I am in! Looking forward to this! |
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Wed May 16, 2007 6:33 pm |
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| Maryone
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| I really need that kick in the butt! Count me in! |
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Wed May 16, 2007 7:23 pm |
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| p_wreath
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Excellent challenge design, A-Rod! I'm definitely in. I'll be away on a retreat from 6/17-6/21 so this will help me stay focused on taking care of myself while I'm gone.
I have a suggestion regarding teams. I have found teams to be a little lacking in terms of interaction and support because they're still a fairly large group of people. I'm wondering if instead of (or even in addition to) teams we could have partners/buddies that each of us are assigned to. Our points wouldn't be tied to one another, so you wouldn't feel like you're pulling the other person down if you stumble, but there would be more focused interaction, support and accountability.
Anyway, that's my suggestion. I'd like to know what others think. |
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Wed May 16, 2007 8:28 pm |
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| salmonlady
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| I'm in............ |
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Thu May 17, 2007 6:53 pm |
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| salmonlady
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| I'm in............ |
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Thu May 17, 2007 6:55 pm |
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