If you did my Squat Challenge in January and fancy mixing it up a bit for February then I have just the thing!
The consensus among my girlfriends is that we want to work on our arms and core too, so I’ve created a 4 week challenge which targets those areas too, without forgetting legs.
Free printable PDF
You can download a free printable PDF for the 4 week challenge, to pin onto your fridge and tick off each day.
The targets for the end of the challenge are:
1. A 5 minute plank
2. A 5 minute wall sit
3. 30 Tricep Dips
4. 45 Push-Ups
If you feel that these are too easy or too hard then you can always scale them – by doubling or halving them. However, if you think they may be beyond you then I’d recommend giving the challenge a try as you’ll be surprised how much you can improve in just a few weeks.
Arm Exercises
For our arms we will do push-ups (aka press-ups!) and tricep dips. If you can’t manage full push-ups then you can do them on your knees, but hopefully by the end of the month you’ll be strong enough to do some ‘properly’.
We won’t neglect your bingo wings either, with tricep dips included, building up the repetitions over the month.
The great thing about all these exercises is that you need no specialist equipment so can do them all at home. No excuses!
Here are a couple of YouTube videos which demonstrate how to do push-ups and tricep dips – it’s worth watching them as they are very short and will make sure you’re focused on the muscles we’re targeting.
Push Up Demo for Beginners
Tricep Dips Demo
Leg Exercises
For our legs we will still do squats, both ‘normal’ squats, jumping squats and wall sits. This will mix it up a bit and I know that wall sits can be painful but grit your teeth, put on some music and do your best to complete the recommended time. Distraction is key, and music or a TV programme are great for entertaining you through the pain barrier!
Squat Demo
Jump Squat Demo
Jump squats (or squat jumps) are a great exercise, and will really make your quads burn!
Wall Sit Demo
Wall sits look really easy but are anything but! It’s really important to get a right angle with your thighs, knees and shins, so make sure you’re in the right position before you start your timer.
Core Exercises
For our core, we will do some simple crunches and then build up our plank times. Planks are really hard at first but you’ll be surprised how quickly you can build them up. I even did one on a paddleboard last summer!
Crunch Demo
Plank Demo
PDF Download
To help you complete my legs, arms and core challenge I’ve created a free PDF which you can download here. You can save it on your phone or tablet, or print it off and stick it to your fridge.
Will you be joining me for this challenge? I’d love to hear how you’re getting on below!