If you enjoyed toning your legs with our Squat Challenge, your core loved the Crunch Challenge, and your upper body felt pumped doing the Push-Up Challenge, get ready for a total-body fitness challenge that combines exercises from all three of these challenges to strengthen and firm your entire body. This is a short workout anyone can fit into their busy day because it only takes a few intense minutes.This challenge only involves three exercises: sumo squats, T push-ups, and V crunches. Below are descriptions of how to do each move, and below that is the two-week plan. Instead of completing a certain amount of reps, by the end of the two weeks, you’ll be able to do a minute of each exercise twice through. The beauty of this challenge is to get you in the habit of strength training four to five times a week. And once you reach the 14th day, keep going, with the mind-set that a little bit of time spent toning your muscles goes a long way.
Sumo Squat
Stand with your feet wide, toes pointing out. Hold your hands comfortably in front of your chest to help you stay balanced, and bend your knees, lowering your hips deeply so your thighs are parallel with the floor. Make sure to keep weight back in your heels
Then rise back up, straightening the legs completely and squeezing the glutes at the top of the movement to get the most out of the exercise.
This counts as one rep.
Complete as many reps as you can safely and effectively in the time stated each day.
T Push-Up
Begin in plank position.
Take a breath in, and then exhale to bend your elbows, lowering into a push-up.
Inhale to straighten your arms, and at the top of your push-up, lift your left arm straight up overhead, rotating your torso to stack your shoulders, and turn your heels to the right, making a T shape with your body.
Exhale to place your left palm back on the ground, and lower into a push-up.
Inhale to straighten your arms, and lift your right arm up overhead, rotating your torso and turning heels to the left.
Exhale to place your right hand back on the ground.
Doing a T push-up on both sides counts as one rep.
Complete as many reps as you can safely and effectively in the time stated each day. This is a challenging move, so hold plank position a few seconds longer if you need to rest between push-ups, or do the push-up portion with one or both knees down.
V Crunch
Lie on your back, and lift your legs and arms up so they are extended toward the ceiling. Lift your upper back off the floor, reaching your hands toward your feet.
Lower your legs toward the floor while reaching your arms overhead, keeping your shoulders off the mat and lower back pressed into the mat.
Repeat the crunch motion to complete one rep.
Complete as many reps as you can safely and effectively in the time stated each day.
The Two-Week Plan
Safely and effectively complete as many reps as you can of sumo squats, T push-ups, and V crunches for the time designated below. Feel free to adjust the times based on your ability level.
