Here is the first Dietary Dogma 30 Day Fitness Challenge. It is (drum-roll please)… 10 Count Body-Builders. 🙂 This is a take on my old Marine Corps favorite “8 Count Body-Builders”. This workout, by the end of the 30 days, will have you losing fat, gaining muscle, and getting lean.

Below is the supporting graphic that contains the steps, the instructions and the schedule. Feel free to print it out, put it on your fridge or just come back here and take a peek. 🙂

I want to address each step of the exercise to provide proper instruction for good form. For the weight, you might start with a heavier weight (or plate) in the beginning, by the end you might decide that you need a lighter weight because of the workload you will be doing. I will be starting with 20-25 lbs. dumbbells and will take it from there.

If you feel like warming up, feel free to do so. I usually conduct 30-50 slow jumping jacks just to get the blood flowing and the joints and ligaments moving. I do not normally stretch before working out, but if you find that you need to, have fun! 🙂

Steps:

1. Come to a kneeling/squatting position, keeping your back straight and place your weights (or plate) on the ground.
2. Kick your legs out into a plank position, your body should be in a straight line. Keep your feet together.
3. Bring yourself down into a push-up (For extra credit, pause for a few seconds at the bottom). If you are using dumbbells you might be able to get in a very deep-pushup if you hold your weights. If you cannot do a push-up, it is OK. Bring yourself down to your knee’s to do it. No shame in that game! 🙂
4. Complete push-up. Bring yourself back up into a plank position.
5. Kick your legs apart into a jumping jack position while in the plank position. If you are feeling weak, feel free to walk your legs apart.
6. Jump your feet back together. (Or walk if you are fatigued)
7. Jump into a squatting/kneeling position, emphasis on straight back. If you are fatigued, choose to walk your legs back into this position.
8. Stand up tall, bring the weights by your torso.
9. Conduct shoulder press with weights. Ensure your back is straight and the weights are lifted above your head and come together. Make sure you don’t bash yourself in the face (Especially if you are using a plate instead of dumbbells)
10. Bring weights back to side. Rinse and repeat.

The Schedule

1. As illustrated in the accompanying graphic, the schedule starts at 10 repetitions on day 1. From there it increases by 5 repetitions each day, with a rest day every fifth day.
2. You conduct the same number of repetitions after the rest day as you did right before the rest day
3. On the 30th day, you will really test yourself by conducting 125 repetitions.

This is not timed, but feel free to time yourself and post your times; how much you pressed, how long it took, and how you did. We are all in this together! 🙂

You might be asking why I used the stick-figure to represent the exercise steps. First, I am not a model nor do I have the funds to hire one to show us how to do this. Second, I am not making any money on this site (at this point) so Stock Photos were out of the question.

I need to throw out the necessary disclaimer: I am not a doctor or a certified personal trainer. You are conducting these exercises at your own peril and this site (and me) will not be held accountable if you fuck yourself up. You should always consult a physician when you realize you want to improve yourself and your physique, blah, blah, blah. Now that’s out of the way. Let’s begin! 🙂

Dietary Dogma 30-Day Fitness Challenge – 10 Count Body-Builders