FIT Push up & Sit up Challenge Plan

The FIT Push up & Sit up Challenge is for anyone and everyone who wants to become stronger.  No gym membership is required and you don't have to dedicate hours of your time.  You can also perform the challenge as your only workout or incorporate it into any workout routine your currently have.

Here is the Challenge info in 1 place for easy reference.

• Proper Push up and Sit up Form
• Determing your fitness Level & Week 1 Goals
• Week 2 Goals
• Week 3 Goals
• Week 4 Goals

Now go, SURPRISE yourself, and share your success with me.

Your Personal Trainer,
Coach Andi

FIT Push up & Sit up Challenge: Week 4

We have arrived to our last week of the Push up & Sit up Challenge.  Went by quick right?

This week will be a little different from the last few weeks.

Monday - Wednesday:  Rest days.  (No push ups or sit ups)

Thursday: 

Level 1: 3 sets of 20 Push ups

3 sets of 40 sit ups

Level 2: 3 sets of 25 Push ups

3 sets of 50 sit ups

Level 3: 3 sets of 30 Push ups

3 sets of 60 sit ups

Level 4: 3 sets of 35 Push ups

3 sets of 70 sit ups

Level 5: 3 sets of max Push ups (add 5 to last week's)

3 sets of 80 sit ups

Friday:  REST

Saturday

All levels:  Perform 1 set of push ups to fatigue (I'm sure you will surprise yourself.  Also, jot it down and share it with me. I would love to know how you did.)
                  Then take that number and multiply it by 2 to determine the number of sit ups.


You have completed the challenge.

I would love to know what your max was at the end of the challenge.  Please share with me so I can celebrate with you.

Go and SURPRISE YOURSELF

Your Personal Trainer,
Andi
 

To determine your fitness level, refer to the rules here.

Level 1: 3 sets of 15 Push ups

3 sets of 30 sit ups

Level 2: 3 sets of 20 Push ups

3 sets of 40 sit ups

Level 3: 3 sets of 25 Push ups

3 sets of 50 sit ups

Level 4: 3 sets of 30 Push ups

3 sets of 60 sit ups

Level 5: 3 sets of max Push ups

3 sets of 80 sit ups

This is no joke FIT Challengers!!! BUT I know you can do it. You all have been doing great!

Now go and SURPRISE YOURSELF.

FIT Push up & Sit up Challenge: Week 3 Goals

Week 3 Goals

To determine your fitness level, refer to the rules here.

Level 1: 3 sets of 15 Push ups

3 sets of 30 sit ups

Level 2: 3 sets of 20 Push ups

3 sets of 40 sit ups

Level 3: 3 sets of 25 Push ups

3 sets of 50 sit ups

Level 4: 3 sets of 30 Push ups

3 sets of 60 sit ups

Level 5: 3 sets of max Push ups

3 sets of 80 sit ups

 

 

This is no joke FIT Challengers!!! BUT I know you can do it.  You all have been doing great!

Now go and SURPRISE YOURSELF.

Your Personal Trainer,
Coach Andi

FIT Push up & Sit up Challenge: Week 2

Week 2 Goals

 

 

To determine your fitness level, refer to the rules here.

 

Level 1: 3 sets of 10 Push ups

               3 sets of 20 sit ups

Level 2: 3 sets of 15 Push ups

               3 sets of 30 sit ups

Level 3: 3 sets of 20 Push ups

              3 sets of 40 sit ups

Level 4: 3 sets of 25 Push ups

               3 sets of 50 sit ups

Level 5: 3 sets of max Push ups

               3 sets of 70 sit ups

Now go and SURPRISE YOURSELF

FIT Push up and Sit up Challenge: Week 1 Goals & Levels

Today is the start of our Push up and Sit up Challenge and I posted the first week's goals on facebook, but I wanted to document them somewhere easily accessible with a unique link. 

Rules:

• Allow yourself 1-2 days of rest during the week.  You can choose the day.  Just complete the challenge 5-6 days out of the week
• Perform full push ups (not on your knees).  If you are unable to perform 1 push up, contact me via facebook and I will provide you a personalized challenge for the month. Same goes for anyone unable to perform 5 reps.  If you are unfamiliar with the proper push up form, click here.
• Perform full range of motion sit ups, not crunches.  Click here to view how to perform a proper sit up.

Level:

• There are 5 different levels that will cover most fitness levels.  Please contact me using the link under Rules if your fitness level is not covered.
• How to determine your fitness level
• Perform as many push ups as you can in one set (without break and to fatigue). 
• Use that number to find your level. 
• The level you find for week 1 will follow you through out the entire month of the challenge.
• If you have any questions about your own fitness level, please feel free to contact me.

Week 1 Goal

 

 

Level 1:   3 sets of 5 Push ups

                3 sets of 10 sit ups

 

Level 2:  3 sets of 10 Push ups

               3 sets of 20 sit ups

 

Level 3: 3 sets of 15 Push ups

              3 sets of 30 sit ups

 

Level 4: 3 sets of 20 Push ups

              3 sets of 40 sit ups

 

Level 5: 3 sets of max Push ups

              3 sets of 60 sit ups

Push up Challenge: Benefits of Push ups

FIT Push up & Sit up Challenge can be done by

ANYONE, ANYWHERE, and ANY TIME.

Recently, I have been very busy with my day job and FIT Camp, amongst other things, making it difficult to get a workout in myself.  In an effort to keep active, even when I'm stuck inside my house, I decided to complete at least 30 push ups (3 sets of 10) and 60 (3 sets of 20) sit ups a day.  That way, if I can't fit in a long workout, at least I got something in.  In 1 week I started noticing a difference in my upper body muscle size and tone.  I not only started seeing physical results, but became surprised at how much strength I actually had and how quickly I was improving.  That explains my recent tag line of SURPRISE YOURSELF!  I have been surprising myself and I know you will too! ... and this is a great way for you to do it.

Many times we find ourselves unable to attend the gym and much fit in a workout at our home, job, park, etc.  Push ups can be a great method to build and maintain your strength.

Push ups work your entire upper body; this includes muscles such as your deltoids, lats, triceps, pectorals, biceps and abs.

 

This picture illustrates all the muscles being actively used when performing sit ups.

Push ups also increases your heart rate when performing high reps, which in turn helps raise the metabolism. 

They are a great exercise to warm up the body and help reduce the chance of injury during weight training.  Using your body weight will get your blood pumping throughout your body and get your muscles ready for listing heavier weight.

Depending on your strength level, push ups can help either build muscle or tone.

Build muscle = Lower reps with more weight
Tone muscle = High reps with less weight
(Women tend to want to stick to toning only because of the fear of getting big, but generally speaking, you can only tone a muscle if you have a muscle)

If you’re a beginner and can manage to do 5-10 push ups at once, you will notice improvements to the size of your muscle from just doing push ups. As you progressively manage to do a higher number of push ups at once, you will notice more improvements to your tone.

If you have a high strength level (you can do 30-40 push ups at once) , you may feel push ups are useless, but it is beneficial.  If you consistently stick to exercises that build muscle strength and side at a max rep of 10, your body will become familiar with this range.  To effectively have your body improve and grow, you must perform workout routines that introduce, the all famous, muscle confusion.  Push ups are a great way to mix in a higher rep exercise while maintaining muscular strength and improving your muscle tone.

The FIT Push up Challenge will provide rep suggestions for Beginners, Intermediate, and Advanced strength levels.  I hope you join us and SURPRISE YOURSELF!!!