STRENGTH CHALLENGE

30 days of progressive strength training

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Why do THIS CHALLENGE ?

Join our June Strength Challenge — a progressive, no-equipment-required strength-building adventure designed for everyone, regardless of your current fitness level. Plus can be done anywhere, including at home. This simple yet powerful challenge gradually increases your daily repetitions of three foundational exercises: push-ups, squats, and plank holds — to significantly boost your full-body strength, endurance, and overall physical fitness. The benefits of strength training are extremely well studied. Here are some of them:

Muscle Strength and Mass

Regular resistance training enhances muscle strength and increases lean muscle mass, which is vital for overall physical function. (source)

Better Metabolic Health

Engaging in strength training improves insulin sensitivity, glucose metabolism, and reduces abdominal fat, thereby lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes. (source)

Increased Bone Density

Strength training stimulates bone growth, increasing bone mineral density and reducing the risk of osteoporosis and fractures.
(source)

Improved Mental Health

Resistance training has been associated with reductions in symptoms of depression & anxiety, as well as improved mood and cognitive function. (source)

Lower Cardiovascular Risk

Strength training contributes to cardiovascular health by lowering blood pressure, improving lipid profiles, and enhancing vascular function. (source)

Enhanced Quality of Life

Regular strength training contributes to overall well-being, including better sleep, increased energy levels, and improved self-esteem in adults. (source)

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INSTRUCTIONS for this Challenge

Commit to a progressive ladder of bodyweight exercises for 30 consecutive days of May. You'll focus on three fundamental movements that build strength across your entire body. Here's how to do it:

  • How It Works: Each day, you'll have a target number of repetitions (or duration for planks) to complete for each exercise. These daily targets will steadily increase throughout the month, creating a "ladder" that you'll climb step by step. You can complete the daily totals in one session or divide them into any number multiple manageable sets throughout your day—whatever suits your schedule and fitness level best. For example: The first day can be complete all at once or 5 push-ups. 5 squats, and 10 second plank in the morning and the same routine in the evening. There is no limit in the number of sets and times of the day you decide to split the training.
  • The Exercises: You'll focus on three core exercises that collectively target your entire body:

    - Push-ups – Strengthens your chest, shoulders, arms, and core.
    - Bodyweight Squats – Targets legs, glutes, and core stability.
    - Plank Holds – Develops strong abdominal muscles, lower back, and overall core stability.
  • Starting Targets (Day 1):

    - Push-ups: 10 reps
    - Squats: 10 reps
    - Plank: 20 seconds (can be split into shorter intervals if needed)
  • Daily Progression:

    - Push-ups: Increase by +2 repetitions each day.
    - Squats: Increase by +3 repetitions each day.
    - Plank: Increase duration by +5 seconds each day.

    Every 4th day we do a deload day, which means we repeat the light sets from day one to let the body recover, which becomes very important near the end of the Challenge. Then we resume the progression.
  • Adapting to Your Fitness Level:

    Beginners:
    - Push-ups: Knee or incline push-ups
    - Squats: Shallow squats
    - Planks: Shorter plank intervals, multiple sets to accumulate total seconds

    Intermediate/Advanced:
    - Push-ups: Standard or advanced push-ups (decline, diamond, or plyometric)
    - Squats: Deeper or jump squats
    - Planks: Longer intervals, side-planks, or forearm planks for additional difficulty
  • Guidelines: Take short breaks as needed to ensure high-quality repetitions and proper form. Feel free to split exercises into multiple smaller sessions throughout the day. Adjust exercise difficulty according to your comfort level and capabilities.
  • Safety Warning: The Challenge progression ensures safe, steady progress, reducing injury risk. However only you know your existing level of fitness and prior or current injuries. The exercises can cause typical after-workout muscle soreness. However they should never generate pain. If that is the case stop the challenge immediately and consult your doctor.
Day Push-ups Squats Plank (seconds)
4 10 reps 10 reps 20 sec
2 12 reps 13 reps 25 sec
3 14 reps 16 reps 30 sec
4 10 reps 10 reps 20 sec
5 16 reps 19 reps 35 sec
6 18 reps 22 reps 40 sec
7 20 reps 25 reps 45 sec
8 10 reps 10 reps 20 sec
9 22 reps 28 reps 50 sec
10 24 reps 31 reps 55 sec
... ... ... ...
27 50 reps 69 reps 120 sec
28 10 reps 10 reps 20 sec
29 52 reps 72 reps 125 sec
30 54 reps 75 reps 130 sec
Download a printable full 30-day sheet here

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minutes of your time
on start day
consecutive days
of June

Notable PRACTITIONERS

We typically list of 6 notable practitioners in this section, but since estimates say that 70-90% of actors or business people and 100% of sports figures do strength training we figured it doesn't make sense. Instead here is just a short part of an extremely long list of people who have publicly acknowledged regularly practicing strength training exercises:

Dwayne Johnson, Chris Hemsworth, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Brie Larson, Zac Efron, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, Jason Momoa, Jennifer Lopez, Mark Wahlberg, Kate Upton, Jessica Biel, Chris Pratt, Emily Blunt, Ryan Reynolds, Charlize Theron, Michael B. Jordan, Margot Robbie, John Krasinski, Emma Stone, Tom Hardy, Daisy Ridley, Jake Gyllenhaal, Kate Beckinsale, Madonna, Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Pink, Harry Styles, Rihanna, Shakira, Miley Cyrus, Usher, Lady Gaga, Serena Williams, LeBron James, Cristiano Ronaldo, Simone Biles, Tom Brady, Venus Williams, Michael Phelps, Naomi Osaka, Stephen Curry, Lindsey Vonn, Mark Cuban, Richard Branson, Tim Cook, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Oprah Winfrey, Sheryl Sandberg, Tony Robbins, Arianna Huffington, Jack Dorsey

The Strength has been successfully joined!

Further updates will be sent by email. We also invite you to follow us on Instagram here to get all the updates about this incoming challenge and during the Challenge.

Want to make the Commitment Stronger? According to research published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, individuals who made their commitments public were 65% more likely to stick to their goals compared to those who kept them private. This is because public commitments create a sense of accountability and social support, making it easier to stay motivated and on track.

This is optional but if you want to take it to the next level Share your commitment on your social media or with friends and family. This can be as simple as saying:

"I have decided to do a 30 consecutive days Strength in June. Keep your fingers crossed!:) #TheStrengthChallenge"

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How do I PARTICIPATE ?

To participate just leave your email below and join the Strength! After this challenge questionnaires will be send to study its effect. Share your journey with other participants using hashtags #TheStrengthChallenge, #JuneStrengthChallenge and tag @theorgchallenge

By clicking “I'm in!”, you confirm that you have read the safety warning and agree to receiving emails and to processing of your personal data in accordance with the Privacy policy

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Frequently asked questions

How do I join a Challenge?
There is a "Join Challenge" button for any active challenge. There will be 12 Challenges per year. You are free to join any time however joining on the first day of a given month is how the game is meant to be played to experience a full month of a given challenge.
What are the instructions for a Challenge?
All necessary instructions are always found on the page of a particular challenge. If you haven't received the email 1 day prior to the Challenge don't worry! The email only contains a part of the message which is included on the Challenge page anyway. But the instructions are really extremely simple. For the "10.000 Steps Challenge" it could be "Just walk at least 10000 steps per day". For the "Meditation Challenge" it would be "Just sit and meditate for 15 minutes a day, anywhere, at any time, with any meditation method you can find online".
Where are the Challenges happening?
All Challenges can be done from your location. Each Challenge is done in such a way that there is no particular location to attend to.
At what time during the day do I have to do a Challenge?
Challenges can be done at any time during the day, whether it's morning, evening, or mid day. Though it is much easier to stick to a routine in the morning as mornings can be typically controlled whereas the evening tends to be more chaotic and have unscheduled tasks that need attending.
Is this FREE?
Yes, all challenges are and always will be free to join and participate in.
Why trust us?
We’re not selling anything. We’re learning alongside you
How do the monthly $3000 prizes work exactly?
There will be 3 (three) $1000 prizes per chosen Challenge (not all Challenges will have prizes). To be eligible for the prize one has to share their daily journey with a hashtag chosen for each Challenge. Then, After the Challenge has ended send in the links to specific videos to [email protected] where the posts can be verified. At the end of a Challenge the 3 winners will be chosen by TheChallenge.org team based on the most well done daily documentation of a given Challenge. Numbers of followers, likes, comments on social media etc WILL NOT matter. Read all the requirements here and in the contest terms in each of the Challenge pages near the sign-up area.
I don't have an Instagram or YouTube account, can I still participate?
Absolutely! You don't need to do anything to participate since the challenges can be done from anywhere. To sign up and receive updates about the challenge or to be able to contribute to a science questionnaire at the end you just need to have an email and join a Challenge on the website. Instagram or Youtube accounts are only a requirement for people who want to have a shot at the Prizes. That however requires daily posting on those channels for a whole month so is very rarely done. Approximately 99.5% of all Challenge Participants do it for the Challenge itself and do not post daily on their social media channels. We are just happy if you do the Challenge!
Is this a non-profit organization?
TheChallenge.Org is a for-knowledge organisation. The organisation is not a typical non-profit. It will have an optional donation model for people wanting to support it and help cover the cost of operations.
Who are the people behind this project?
The Founder of the project is Karol Banaszkiewicz (Twitter/X: @KarolChallenge) , a successful entrepreneur who sold his company and decided to commit his time & resources in pursuit of a goal to measure how various habits impacts peoples physical & mental health.
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