Building a Sustainable Workout Routine - 30 Day Challenge

On August 8, 2024 I kicked off a self-imposed challenge, to wake up and perform as many push ups as I could - 1, for 30 straight days. I had a few reasons for doing this.

1. Not long before this day I started to get serious about trying to grow my YouTube page, and I wanted something I could share daily.

2. I wanted an easy way to show people, specifically anyone who is just starting out or struggling to get motivated, the dramatic progress you can realize with just a small amount of consistent exercise.

3. Piggybacking on #2, I wanted a way to engage people in the process, and I thought what better way than to challenge them to a challenge.

4. I hate talking into the camera. I feel like I always fumble and mumble my words, lose my train of thought, and freeze. I knew the only way to get better at it and become comfortable doing it was if, like exercise, I did it every day. The challenge gave me something to talk about, and a commitment I couldn’t back out of.

Fast forward to 47 days later and I’m still waking up and doing my push ups, and I’ve started a new 30 day challenge. The Campfire Squat Test.

I realized after I finished my first 30 days of push ups that this might actually be, working in 30 days intervals, a brilliant way for someone who’s never exercised before in their life, to build a workout routine that works for them. As I’ve thought more and more about this, I’ve begun to play with the parameters of what this might look like, played out over a 6-month period.

The structure presented below, is a preliminary thought on how this could work, and is subject to change. As the months lead on, as I close out the Campfire Squat Test in 13 days, this could change, but for now I believe this structure will make it possible for anyone to start from nothing and build something real for themselves.

Month 1: Pick an exercise, any exercise that you’re capable of doing. I chose push ups for my first exercise because I thought push ups were pretty universal, most people could join in with me, and because you don’t need much space or any equipment to perform them. Everyday for the first 30 days, wake up and do 1 repetition short of failure of your chosen exercise. Record the number performed each day.

Month 2: Pick an exercise, any exercise that you’re capable of doing. I chose squats because I wanted to have a lower body exercise for my next 30 days. I specifically chose campfire squats because I knew I couldn’t perform even one correctly, and I wanted to see how much progress my form could make over 30 days. Everyday for 30 days, wake up and do 1 repetition short of failure of your chosen exercise. Record the number performed each day. Plus;

Perform 50 percent of your trailing 7 day average of your first exercise. By way of example, over the last 7 days of my push ups, I average 52 per day. Therefore, I’ve been doing 26 push ups every morning after my campfire squats.

Month 3: Pick an exercise, any exercise that you’re capable of doing. Everyday for 30 days, wake up and do 1 repetition short of failure of your chosen exercise. Record the number performed each day. Plus;

Cut your first month number in half again. For me that would be 13 push ups. This is the final number for your first exercise. Plus;

Perform 50 percent of your trailing 7 day average of your second exercise. For me, I’d calculate the average of my last 7 days of campfire squats.

Month 4: Pick an exercise, any exercise that you’re capable of doing. Everyday for 30 days, wake up and do 1 repetition short of failure of your chosen exercise. Record the number performed each day. Plus;

Perform the final number of your first exercise. For me, 13 push ups. Plus;

Cut your second month number in half again. This is the final number of your second exercise. For me, campfire squats. Plus;

Perform 50 percent of your trailing 7 day average of your third exercise.

Month 5: Pick an exercise, any exercise that you’re capable of doing. Everyday for 30 days, wake up and do 1 repetition short of failure of your chosen exercise. Record the number performed each day. Plus;

Perform the final number of your first exercise. For me, 13 push ups. Plus;

Perform the final number of your second exercise. For me, campfire squats. Plus;

Cut your third month number in half again. This is the final number of your third exercise. Plus;

Perform 50 percent of your trailing 7 day average of your fourth exercise.

Month 6: Pick an exercise, any exercise that you’re capable of doing. Everyday for 30 days, wake up and do 1 repetition short of failure of your chosen exercise. Record the number performed each day. Plus;

Perform the final number of your first exercise. For me, 13 push ups. Plus;

Perform the final number of your second exercise. For me, campfire squats. Plus;

Perform the final number of your third exercise. Plus;

Cut your fourth month number in half again. This is the final number of your fourth exercise. Plus;

Perform 50 percent of your trailing 7 day average of your fifth exercise.

Months 7 and beyond: Calculate the 7 day trailing average of your sixth exercise (month six). Multiply it by 25%, and add it to your circuit. Cut your fifth exercise in half again, and add it to your circuit.

So, what could this actually look like?

*Not real figures, for example only

By the end of the 6 months, I would have developed the following morning routine:

• 13 push ups

• 5 campfire squats

• 8 sit ups

• 5 pull ups

• 8 lunges

• 5 hanging knee raises

A very sustainable morning routine, born out of 6 months of commitment. A morning routine that if you did nothing else the rest of the day, would at least get you off on the right foot. As I said, I’m only into day 47, of building this out, and so I expect more changes as time goes on. But, I think this is a very easy and doable way to get started.

I’m here to help if you have any questions about the structure, which exercises to choose, or anything else.

Here is a sample excel workbook you can copy and use to record your daily exercises.

There’s a Perfect Weight For Every Exercise

There’s a perfect weight that pushes you to think about and maintain perfect form, and there’s a weight that pushes you just beyond that point and breaks down your form. And finding that weight is really important. 

It’s something I’ve noticed a lot recently, I think in part because I’ve been doing more movements that require a lot of total body engagement. Since some of the moves are new to me, I’ve been intentionally underestimating the weight I start with, so I don’t blow my form before I learn the exercise. 

But as I progress the weight, I’ve noticed that when I’m really dialed in, there’s a weight that focuses me and pulls it all together. It happened over the last two weeks as I’ve been working on landmine rotations (kettlebell alternative shown here).

Last week I started with 10 lbs for 20 repetitions (10 per side), which I incorrectly assumed was a light enough place to start. But it was too much, and so on the subsequent two sets I used used just the bar. But that too didn’t feel great and I felt my form suffer throughout the whole ciruit.

So, this week I modified two things. 

One, for the first set I backed off the weight and started with just the bar. 

Two, I reduced the reps from 20 total (10 per side) to 10 total (5 clean rotations per side).

The difference in the two approaches was profound (at least to me). Starting too heavy with too many reps in week 1 forced me to regress (from 10 lbs to 0 lbs). But in week 2, by making the adjustments above, I was able to make progress (from 0 lbs to 10 lbs).

Even more interesting to me was that 10 lbs on my third set in week 2 hit that form and focus sweet spot, whereas the same weight the week before took away from the movement.

It’s these little things about training and exercise that fascinate me and keep me interested. Consistency is key and I’ve found consistency through making myself aware of even the smallest changes. Cheers.

Treadmill Free Flow

Dedicate 45 minutes (30 if it’s all you have) to the treadmill. Get on with a minimum 3 percent incline and 2 mph speed (I like 5 percent and 2.5 mph)

Start walking. Keep walking until you feel like you need more. Increase the incline. Maybe increase the speed. Maybe now you’re at 5 percent and 3 mph. Wait a few minutes, until you’re ready to do more.

Start doing some easy speed intervals keeping the incline unchanged. Double your walking speed for 30 - 60 seconds at a time. Come back to a walk for a few minutes. Repeat as many times as you do or don’t want to in the 45 minutes.

The point is to challenge yourself while having fun. Go off of feeling instead of programming.

Cheers. Enjoy!