New Chiropractic Patients
Want to improve your upper body strength and posture? Yes? Then taking a 30-day press-up challenge could be just what you’re looking for!
Push-ups, or press-ups as we call them in the UK, are an evergreen fitness exercise and there are many good reasons for this. They are simple to do.
They don’t require any special equipment, can be done anywhere, and be varied to suit individual fitness levels and goals. You can even do them against a wall if you have trouble getting up and down.
In other words, press-ups are a fantastic all round exercise…
So, what is the 30-day press up challenge and should you do it?
In this post, we explain what the challenge is, what you can expect to be doing, and how it will benefit you.
The 30-day press up challenge is a structured way to gradually increase your strength and endurance over a 30-day period with press-ups. The goal is to comfortably increase your ‘rep max’ by at least double if not more.
What’s your ‘rep max’?
On Day 1 of the challenge, you will do as many press-ups as you comfortably can. Whatever this number is – that’s your starting repetition, or rep, max. It may be 10, 20, 25…
There is no ‘ideal’ figure because, realistically, you can only safely do what you can do. You then decide if your goal is to double…triple…quadruple… this figure by the end of the 30 days.
Now for the why – why should you do this challenge?
As chiropractors, we see many patients struggling with poor posture.
Poor posture impacts overall neuromusculoskeletal health and wellbeing in so many ways – from back pain to headaches… Building strong upper body muscles improves your posture and your health. It really is that simple!
To explain…
The muscles across the back of your shoulders (rear deltoid) and neck (rhomboids and trapezius) along with the teres major/minor, and infraspinatus in your shoulders, are important for both your static and dynamic posture. The stronger these muscles are, the stronger and better your posture is.
Press-ups specifically target these important postural muscles. And the 30-day press-up challenge will teach you how to use them to help build your upper body strength.
The 30-day press-up challenge is broken down into four weekly sections. Each week you have a progressive workout plan to help you achieve your overall goal.
These plans usually include a mix of full press-ups, modified press-ups, and other exercises that target the relevant muscle groups.
This variety of exercises is important because it helps keep your workouts interesting and challenges your muscles in different ways.
A sample of the weekly plans for your 30-day press-up challenge will look something like this:
Week 1:
During the first week, you’ll establish your starting rep max, and then focus on building a solid foundation for improving this with a variety of modified push-ups, planks, and other exercises. Typically, you’ll have a rest day around day 5.
Week 2:
During the second week, the intensity steps up as your fitness and strength improve. During this week, you may work on more challenging press-up variations and exercises that target your core and shoulders.
Week 3:
Week three will continue to push you with more advanced press-up variations and exercises that work your entire upper body.
Week 4:
In the final week, you get to test your progress and see how many press-ups you can now comfortably perform.
Throughout this time, there will be regular rest days but you are encouraged to take them as and when required.
Before starting your 30-day press-up challenge, we suggest you talk to a healthcare professional for customised advice.
We can help set up your weekly routines, discuss the types of press-ups you’ll be doing, and explain how to do them correctly to avoid injury. In particular, if you have any existing injuries or limitations it’s doubly important to check in with us for advice.
Also, if you find any of the exercises too difficult, don’t hesitate to modify them or take rest days as needed.
Press-ups are excellent for building upper body strength, which is essential for good strong posture.
Committing to a press-up challenge with a progressive structure and variety of exercises is a good way to learn how to do various press-ups correctly, and develop a regular exercise routine that incorporates them.
Most challenges of this nature are suitable for people of all fitness levels. So why not give it a go, and see what you can achieve in just 30 days?