Most people seem to like a little bit of a challenge to encourage them to accomplish their goals. I like challenges when it comes to all sorts of aspects in my life like: Coming up with enough money for my adventures, scraping off every bit of hot fudge leftover in an ice cream sundae, finishing my college education, small fitness goals, and for some odd reason, loving the challenges that come with finding the right guy.
When fellow blogger, Bella on the Beach, brought up how she was doing a “Plank-a-Day Challenge” three days ago, I decided I wanted to pick up that challenge as well. I was doing planks pretty often back in my Pilates classes this past Spring, I even did a few planks in Europe, but I know it’s been probably around six weeks since I tried again. The month starts at holding a plank for 20 seconds which should be easy for me since at the end of May, I had gotten myself up to 2 minutes and 45 seconds. Sadly much of the strength has left me because I could only do one minute and fifteen seconds for the first day. On my second day I held myself for a minute and thirty seconds as I sang along in my mind to the lyrics to that catchy “Blurred Lines” song. Today, my third day, I only managed a minute because my body was screaming out in agony because of the half an hour of tennis I played (for my first time since May!).
Because I like multiple challenges, I decided to do a “Wall Sit Challenge” as well. At the end of the past semester, I could hold myself against a wall for four minutes. Day one and two I managed two minutes and thirty seconds. Today I only did two minutes.
Both challenges end with a pretty high number and I’m quite skeptical that I’ll be able to achieve them as I remember very few girls in my Pilates class able to achieve these numbers. By Day 30 the suggested amount of time for both the planks and wall-sits are five minutes. Feeling strong in my legs, I made my wall-sit for six and a half minutes instead. But a five minute plank?!?! I guess it is possible but it seems quite difficult for me at this point.
Could you do a five minute plank? Do you do planks or wall sits as part of a common work-out? What kind of challenges do you like to set for yourself?
Let us know if you decide to do a challenge of your own!
Happy Thursday,