IF you believe what you read on the internet, you can transform your problem body areas from flab to fab in just 30 days.
The 30-day challenge fitness fad involves a month-long commitment to performing an exercise or series of exercises with the number of repetitions increasing each day.
The squat challenge, ab challenge, plank challenge, arm challenge, burpee challenge and push-up challenge all work certain parts of the body. Then there are broader 30-day challenges that work more than one part of the body.
Fitness experts have mixed feelings about the pros and cons of these challenges.
PROS:
CALL TO ACTION
“Thirty days is an achievable time frame,” YMCA fitness expert Aaron Christiansen says. “When you talk to a fitness trainer they talk about a two- or three-month program, which may scare some people off.”
Australian Institute of Fitness master coach Brad Higgins says anything to get people moving and thinking about exercise was a good thing, but real results take more than 30 days.
RESULTS
Plank is a popular exercise to build better abs.
“Thirty days is just enough time to see some results. It probably won’t bring about their goal result but it’s long enough to see an increase in energy levels and a bit of toning, ” Christiansen says.
Higgins says a person’s initial fitness level could dictate the end result. “If you’re a beginner you’ll probably see a great strength result from a 30-day program and can maximise results compared to someone who already trains.”
BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE
A commitment to exercise for 30 days could be the first step to an ongoing fitness campaign and healthier lifestyle. “These challenges are very achievable as the increase in intensity is incremental, but a person’s ongoing success depends on concentrated behaviour change,” Christiansen says.
SENSE OF COMMUNITY
The sense of community that people gain from being part of a challenge through social media can be a great motivation to stick with it, Christiansen says.
CONS:
ENDS ABRUPTLY
“If you can’t do something forever, don’t start,” is the philosophy of celebrity trainer Donna Aston. “What happens after 30 days is usually my question. I try to give people long-term exercise programs that fit in with their lifestyle, that they can do continuously, because that gives the best results,” she says.
Squats are a popular 30 day challenge, but are among the most risky exercises for causing injury.
Christiansen is concerned that the end point of the challenges have no pathway to ongoing success or a sustainable fitness program.
Higgins says 30 days is a good start, but unless the exercise continues, any gains will soon disappear.
NOT THE RESULTS YOU WERE PROMISED
The challenge promises 30 days to washboard abs, a tight butt or toned arms, but the reality is it takes more than 30 days of repeating one or two exercises to achieve the result.
Aston says any muscle gains are unlikely to show through body fat, so a full body workout two to three times a week to also boost metabolism and promote fat loss is a better option than a challenge.
“You can have the best abs but you won’t see them if you’ve got body fat sitting over them,’’ she says. “The results you were promised 30 days ago are not guaranteed and you’re not going to get those abs or toned butt, not in 30 days,” Christiansen says.
INJURY
Christiansen says abdominal exercises and squats — the focus of many 30-day challenges — are among the most risky exercises for causing injury.
“Even in the gym, in a controlled environment where you give clients advice, there are all sorts of crazy techniques for crunches, abs, sit-ups and squats which can lead to knee and lower back problems,” he says.
Aston says: “It’s hard enough for us as trainers to get people to do exercises correctly while we are overseeing them. If people don’t understand the proper technique it can cause injury and issues.”
And a focus on improving strength in one body area may throw out the balance in the rest of the body.
VERDICT
Christiansen: “Research and use some expert opinion to help you. If you don’t launch in to it blindly, a 30-day challenge can be a good stepping stone to success, but you need a pathway after the 30 days. Full body workouts are the best way to boost metabolism, which will in turn lead to toning, fitness and weight loss.”
Higgins: “I’m all for getting people to move but some of these challenges could promote injury if the technique is not right. And you need to pick your challenge to meet your goal. If your goal is weight loss, then an abs challenge isn’t the right one.”
Aston: “A full body workout two or three times a week is a better option, whatever that entails and whatever you enjoy.”
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The 30-day challenge fitness fad involves a month-long commitment to performing an exercise or series of exercises with the number of repetitions increasing each day.
The squat challenge, ab challenge, plank challenge, arm challenge, burpee challenge and push-up challenge all work certain parts of the body. Then there are broader 30-day challenges that work more than one part of the body.
Fitness experts have mixed feelings about the pros and cons of these challenges.
PROS:
CALL TO ACTION
“Thirty days is an achievable time frame,” YMCA fitness expert Aaron Christiansen says. “When you talk to a fitness trainer they talk about a two- or three-month program, which may scare some people off.”
Australian Institute of Fitness master coach Brad Higgins says anything to get people moving and thinking about exercise was a good thing, but real results take more than 30 days.
RESULTS
Plank is a popular exercise to build better abs.
“Thirty days is just enough time to see some results. It probably won’t bring about their goal result but it’s long enough to see an increase in energy levels and a bit of toning, ” Christiansen says.
Higgins says a person’s initial fitness level could dictate the end result. “If you’re a beginner you’ll probably see a great strength result from a 30-day program and can maximise results compared to someone who already trains.”
BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE
A commitment to exercise for 30 days could be the first step to an ongoing fitness campaign and healthier lifestyle. “These challenges are very achievable as the increase in intensity is incremental, but a person’s ongoing success depends on concentrated behaviour change,” Christiansen says.
SENSE OF COMMUNITY
The sense of community that people gain from being part of a challenge through social media can be a great motivation to stick with it, Christiansen says.
CONS:
ENDS ABRUPTLY
“If you can’t do something forever, don’t start,” is the philosophy of celebrity trainer Donna Aston. “What happens after 30 days is usually my question. I try to give people long-term exercise programs that fit in with their lifestyle, that they can do continuously, because that gives the best results,” she says.
Squats are a popular 30 day challenge, but are among the most risky exercises for causing injury.
Christiansen is concerned that the end point of the challenges have no pathway to ongoing success or a sustainable fitness program.
Higgins says 30 days is a good start, but unless the exercise continues, any gains will soon disappear.
NOT THE RESULTS YOU WERE PROMISED
The challenge promises 30 days to washboard abs, a tight butt or toned arms, but the reality is it takes more than 30 days of repeating one or two exercises to achieve the result.
Aston says any muscle gains are unlikely to show through body fat, so a full body workout two to three times a week to also boost metabolism and promote fat loss is a better option than a challenge.
“You can have the best abs but you won’t see them if you’ve got body fat sitting over them,’’ she says. “The results you were promised 30 days ago are not guaranteed and you’re not going to get those abs or toned butt, not in 30 days,” Christiansen says.
INJURY
Christiansen says abdominal exercises and squats — the focus of many 30-day challenges — are among the most risky exercises for causing injury.
“Even in the gym, in a controlled environment where you give clients advice, there are all sorts of crazy techniques for crunches, abs, sit-ups and squats which can lead to knee and lower back problems,” he says.
Aston says: “It’s hard enough for us as trainers to get people to do exercises correctly while we are overseeing them. If people don’t understand the proper technique it can cause injury and issues.”
And a focus on improving strength in one body area may throw out the balance in the rest of the body.
VERDICT
Christiansen: “Research and use some expert opinion to help you. If you don’t launch in to it blindly, a 30-day challenge can be a good stepping stone to success, but you need a pathway after the 30 days. Full body workouts are the best way to boost metabolism, which will in turn lead to toning, fitness and weight loss.”
Higgins: “I’m all for getting people to move but some of these challenges could promote injury if the technique is not right. And you need to pick your challenge to meet your goal. If your goal is weight loss, then an abs challenge isn’t the right one.”
Aston: “A full body workout two or three times a week is a better option, whatever that entails and whatever you enjoy.”
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