Welcome to this 10-day strength and power challenge! Strength refers to the ability to overcome resistance whereas power refers to the ability to overcome resistance in the shortest period of time (strength + speed). Not only will these workouts improve muscular strength and definition throughout your entire body, but the power components will help you to do so more efficiently while reaping cardiovascular benefits.
Who is this challenge for?
This challenge is for anyone who enjoys strength training for a variety of reasons: increasing lean muscle mass and strength, reducing body fat, stabilizing and protecting joints, increasing bone density, supporting mental well-being, and more. On top of all these benefits that come from training with weights, within the workouts will be additional opportunities to infuse power. Some benefits of power training include improved muscle endurance, enhanced cardiovascular function, improved reaction time to benefit coordination and injury prevention, stronger and more resilient connective tissue, and increased energy output (due to the rapid contraction of large muscles). You can think of power exercises as taking our strength and working to optimize it even more! As you can imagine, the combination of these two is part of what creates strength workouts that end up feeling like a cardio workout all in one. If you enjoy this combination or are interested in any of the benefits noted above, you're sure to find yourself right at home with this challenge.
What to expect
Consisting of 10 total workouts, the goal is to complete them within 2 weeks (5 each week), in consecutive order. Remember though, you're still a winner even if it takes you a bit longer to complete! It's important to note that this challenge is not recommended to be combined with other intensive upper, lower, or total body programs/challenges.
The workouts are set up to provide a well-rounded total body conditioning experience. Training styles include giant sets, tri sets, Tabata, bored easily, circuit training, bodyweight only, and various other interval training formats. In addition to traditional strength training, the challenge features other training types such as kickboxing, isometrics, yoga-inspired sculpting, and pilates. You will not be shorted on variety!
You can expect workouts in week 1 to be between 34–39 minutes, while week 2 progresses to workouts between 44–50 minutes. The average workout overall is about 42 minutes. When it comes to difficulty, workouts will either be a 3 or 4. Much like the workout time progression, you'll see more level 3's in week 1 and all of week 2 are level 4's. Regardless of the assigned difficulty rating, there are variables that can be adjusted in each workout to make it feel more or less challenging. Be sure to read the full workout write-ups for more on this and to feel informed on each workout. All workouts include warm-ups and cool-downs as well as modifications.
Equipment needed
The equipment you'll need to get the most out of this challenge is a range of dumbbells for your fitness level and a mat.
I encourage you to approach this challenge one workout at a time and tune into your body along the way. The effort you put forth all adds up! I look forward to seeing you in the workouts!
xxErica