We did it! That’s right – I met my goal of doing 25 Burpees a day for 30 days. I’m not going to lie – it was definitely a challenge, but hey, that’s why Matt and I called it the “Til I See You Again CHALLENGE.”
It’s funny how much a little challenge like this can teach you a lot about yourself – what your needs are, what motivates you, and what your strengths and weaknesses might be. So here’s a little feedback from Matt and myself, on what this challenge taught the two of us and what it might teach you . . . if you dare.
(NOTE: Matt did 100 Burpees. I did 25 Burpees. Matt is a single full-time trainer. I am a new mom of two. Just sayin’ . . . )
WHAT WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART ABOUT THE CHALLENGE?
Both Matt and I agreed that finding the energy every day to do the challenge was definitely a challenge in itself, especially if you’d already done another workout that day.
I know this sounds crazy, but I also sometimes found that actually remembering to do it was challenging. If I was at the gym already or if I did my burpees first thing in the morning, it helped, but on two occasions, when I waited until the evening, I forgot. This taught me, that for me and where I am in my life right now, how important it is to try to get my workouts in early in the day . . . before I run out of time, energy or excuses.
WHAT WAS THE BEST PART ABOUT DOING THE CHALLENGE?
For Matt, it was the rush of excitement he got from doing it. For me, I just loved that it held me accountable to do something each and every day, since, as a mom of two, there are often days when I don’t get to fit in a workout. Doing 25 Burpees was better than doing nothing, and I saw results! After 30 days of 25 Burpees a day, my body feels stronger, more toned (especially my triceps and core muscles) and leaner than it did 30 days ago.
I highly recommend doing the challenge with a friend. Matt and I actually timed our burpees, so we would text each other each day with the time, as well as any challenges we might have faced that day. For instance, here’s one of my texts to Matt:
HOW MANY BURPEES DO WE RECOMMEND DOING FOR THE CHALLENGE?
If you’ve never ever done a Burpee before, I recommend starting with 10 a day. I chose 25 because I’m definitely experienced in Burpees, but I also recently had a baby, so I thought 25 would be challenging enough – IT WAS. If Burpees are easy breezy for you, we recommend 20-60 a day, and if you are CRAZY like Matt, 60-100. It may take you a few days to figure out the perfect number for you. Remember you want it to be manageable yet challenging.
WARNING: Matt’s elbow started bothering him in the final week. He warns, “It’s tough on your body to do the same movement for a high rep count for an entire month,” so make sure to listen to your body throughout the challenge and lower your reps, when and if you need to.
IN CONCLUSION . . .
Whatever number you choose, you will be so happy you did this. You’ll see results, feel stronger, and mostly just be proud of yourself for sticking it out. As a mom, who constantly works to balance WHAT I love with WHO I love, I found this to be a simple task that I could do JUST FOR ME each and every day. I think we all deserve that, don’t you?
I dare you to make it happen.
Woohoo! Way to go Sara and Matt!