That's right; I'm going to share a few words about the 30 Day Fitness Challenge. If you've been on the internet and interested in getting in shape, odds are you've seen a few of these challenges out there. There are only like 500 hundred of them.
I'm going to share my thoughts on them and my experience with them. And yes, this will be like common sense to a lot of people.
I will preface this with saying that I am not a fitness expert. I have spent my fair share of time in the gym over the last four years, but I am still no expert and I don't pretend to be. So, if you're ready, here we go.
Problems with them
They show unrealistic expectations.
The images they use are misleading. The average person seeking out a fitness challenge is just that - an average person. You cannot expect, after 30 days, to be a god(ess) of fitness like the picture that goes with the challenge
They only last for 30 days
Then what? You work out for 30 days and achieve minor results and then you're just done. You know what happens when you stop working out? You stop being in shape. You slowly, and in many cases, not so slowly morph back to how you looked before.
They don't include a diet plan
Abs are made in the gym and revealed in the kitchen. You can workout all you want, but if you're not also dieting, you're not going to get the results you want. At least. not as fast as you want. You can eat crap and workout excessively and you'll probably achieve the results you want, but if you don't have 6 hours to spend in the gym every day then you'll probably stay the same.
Also, diet does not mean starvation. It means changing your diet to be healthy. Choose real fruit instead of that pop tart. Drink water instead of pop. Common sense.
They only target one area
For the most part, these challenges only target one area of the body. Some claim to be total body workouts. They'll have you do squats, crunches, and push ups and say they're total body. But in reality, you're not really working your entire body. You're working your glute muscles, your upper abdominal muscles (the top 2 in that desired 6 pack) and your pectoral muscles. Not really much of anything else.
So let's say you come up with a healthy eating plan and you do the 30 day challenge. At the end of it, those few muscles you work will probably look improved. But not much else of your body.
Why they work...for some
30 Day challenges absolutely work. If you do them correctly. And by correctly I mean by combining them. Pick 3 or 4 challenges to do and then do them all. Make sure they target different areas. For example, do a thigh and butt challenge, an abdominal challenge, and a chest challenge all together during the same month. Then you're more likely to acheive better results.
They also work if you don't stop. Fitness isn't a quick fix 30 day instant result challenge. It's a lifestyle choice. These 30 Day Challenges DO offer adequate workouts. They DO work your body. They DO have rest days - use them!
The trick is to always pick a new 30 day challenge every month and continue working. So you did a really intense butt and thigh workout this month, next month maybe you'll pick a workout with more emphasis on upper body.
Don't pick a challenge for just one area. Don't pick 3 upper body challenges and ignore your lower body or your core, try to make your challenges target the entire body. You can vary the intensities, however. You don't want to exhaust yourself.
Who they work for
Who do they work for?
Those who experience results like the pictures show are very specific. Know your body.
Those most likely to experience results like the picture are thin to begin with and just in need of toning and muscle. They diet. They stay faithful to the plan. Their bodies are already prone to adding and dropping weight. They're narrow in build.
A 250 pound person with 35% body fat is not likely to be transformed into a 140 pound person with 15% body fat in the span of 30 days. That's not to say they're not going to get there eventually (if they want) or that they won't experience results.
My Experience
I worked out religiously through college. And then, after college, I just laid around. I went from trim and fit to...not so much. I did not have access to the gym and it was December so I was not about to go run outside.
I stumbled across these challenges and decided to give them a go.
This was me the day I decided to start a challenge. And the second one is my most recent progress picture. Picture 1 was taken on January 31. Picture 2 was taken April 10. So I obviously picked up another challenge or two to keep going. I am enjoying my experience. I also made a diet change...although, I admit, I'm not eating as clean as I could.
But here're my results so far. I'm looking forward to continuing these challenges throughout the year. They give me something to do every day and I feel like they work for me.
And yes, my feet are together in both pictures. Notice a difference yet? I do.
Picture 1:
Picture 2:
A fun note for those obsessed with losing weight
A little extra tidbit for those obsessed with losing weight (I'm looking at you, 14-18 year old ladies):
Fun story: The first picture and the second picture are the exact same weight.
You can, hopefully, see the difference between the two. I can see a change in my legs, my butt, and you can see the center line starting to come in in my torso. So losing weight is not always the answer to your fitness problems.
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