In-Depth Review: The 30-day Challenge, part 1

In the last few years, a number of 30-day challenges have exploded onto the fitness landscape as people continue to strive toward a healthier, more active lifestyle. For those who are not familiar; the currently in-vogue challenge takes a single exercise (e.g. plank challenge, squat challenge) and builds the number of repetitions that must be done each day until the end of the challenge.

There are a number of benefits to these challenges. First and foremost, they are focused on body weight exercises that can be done anywhere. They have a nice, easy beginning that is not at all scary and encourages participation. By keeping the focus on a single exercise, it keeps both the time and effort-level within the realm of manageable. Furthermore, by pushing the participant to consistently add repetitions or duration, it begins to reinforce the notion that fatigue and burn can be worked through: in essence, it teaches that you are not as tired as you might think that you are.

There are some drawbacks to the 30-day challenges, but many of these can be mitigated with a little forethought and a bit of help. The first of these is the fact that these challenges are conceived of for an universal audience; and, as such, are not for everyone all of the time. What that means is that, by being written for general participation, they do not take into account the infinite variety of experiences, injuries, and genetics. It may take a few months to successfully complete every day of a challenge (in the case of injuries, it may be a few months before your body is healthy enough to even attempt it). If you are unable to move up, stick with whatever time/amount you were able to correctly complete and your body will eventually break through the plateau. But do not forget that you still have rest days!


As with all exercise, technique and form are of the utmost importance. Incorrect form leads to inflammation, injury, and pain; no one should have to tell you that these are not desirable outcomes for anything. This is where the help comes in: Have a spouse, friend, or workout buddy spot you for form at least every third day that you participate in the challenge. Core alignment (good posture) should be maintained throughout any challenge (straight line from ears through shoulders to hips), so should limb alignment (knees point in the same direction as the feet, shoulders in a neutral position). If you are not properly aligned, then you are not successfully completing the challenge.

In two weeks, Chicago Fitness Training will continue to explore the 30-day challenge. Up next will be challenge regressions and progressions, as well as working challenges into existing routines and what to do when the challenge is over.