My Annual Challenge: Tracking Progress and Maintaining Fitness Goals

An annual fitness challenge gives you something to measure yourself against. Each year competing in a certain competition can help gauge where you are at in your fitness journey. The outcome will tell you year after year if you are maintaining your fitness or if it needs some attention. I think, we have all been there before, or at-least I have. Where you believe you’re in better shape then you actually are. You should found something that motivates you and build a fitness challenge out of it. An annual fitness challenge can help you stay on track with your fitness. Here are two of the fitness challenges that I have used over the years.

Military Physical Fitness Test

In the past, being apart of the New York Air National Guard meant that I had an annual physical fitness test to prepare for. Every August I was scheduled for my fitness test. I didn’t mind all that much because it gave me something to focus on and train for each year. The Air National Guard (Air Force) fitness test consisted of:

• A waist measurement
• 1 minute of push-ups
• 1 minute of sit-ups
• 1.5 mile run

Each testing item had a minimum and maximum score. You needed to hit the minimum number in each part of the test to pass. If every part of the test was maxed out you would receive a one hundred on the fitness test. Of course, being the person that I am, I trained to get the highest score each year. Starting in June I would train for each component of the test. Two of the most challenging parts of the test was the 1.5 mile run and the 1 minute push-ups. I needed to run at a 6 minute mile pace and do 67 push-ups in a minute to max the two items out. It took a lot of hard work each year but it gave me something to look forward too. It also challenged me to make healthy choices and stay in shape, knowing I had the test in the near future.

The Murph Challenge

For the last five years my brothers and some friends and I have gotten together on Memorial Day to complete The Murph Challenge. The Murph Challenge is more than a workout. It has become a tradition to honor all the men and women as well as LT. Michael P. Murphy (SEAL), who have sacrificed everything for our freedom. You can read more about LT. Michael P. Murphy and the foundation that was created in his name here.

The workout of the day (WOD) consists of a 1 mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats and then another 1 mile run. Every part of the workout should be done with a 20 pound weight vest or body armor on.

Typically, we meet at 9am for brisk warmup and then jump right into workout. Once the first mile run is complete, we immediately start the pull-ups, push-ups and squats. Instead of doing one exercise at a time, we do 20 sets of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups and 15 squats. Yes, by the 20th set I’m exhausted haha. At that point, the second mile run is simply doing everything you can to just complete The Murph Challenge. Based on my time, I know if I’m doing better in my fitness journey then I was the previous year or not. I always try to beat my best to beat my personal record.

Here are some photos of The Murph challenge from the last five years.