This is the January 2020 Physical Challenge. Are you in? Everyday, here’s what we’re going to do:
- 100 Burpees
- 50 Pull Ups
- 3.5 mile run
- 2 minutes of sit ups
- 2 minute plank
- ALL showers finish cold
- At least 20 minutes of breath work or meditation
There will be no excuses. There will be no exceptions. This must happen every day.
You can split the work up however you like. Half in the AM then the other half in the PM. Calisthenics in the morning, running at night or vise versa. Totally your call. As long as you get the work done. That’s what counts and matters most.
Why the January 2020 Physical Challenge?
We’re setting the tone for 2020 and the entire decade by pushing our bodies, prioritizing our schedules and honoring commitments. This will force you to give up other time wasters and it will also make sure you prioritize not just your day but your life.
Rich Man’s Gym is about…
Strength and conditioning for body, mind and spirit. You must train and develop all three. The January 2020 physical challenge has been designed to handle all of this for you. All you need to do is get the work done every day.
Who will come out on the other side?
Who are you when you start this? More importantly, who will you be when you finish? Make sure you have some awareness of where you are at right now with yourself. Maybe take a few measurements.
What to track:
- Do a before and after photo in a bathing suit
- Day ONE: set baselines on time to complete the work.
- How long did it take to get the 100 burpees?
- Time to complete 50 pull ups?
- What was the time on the 3.5 miles?
- Number of sit ups completed in 2 minutes?
- Actual time in the plank position?
- How many seconds in the cold water?
- Stand in front of a mirror naked. On a scale from 1-10, how much love do you have for that person over there?
- Scale from 1-10, one being in a state of Zen and ten being a Sam Kinison routine, what’s your current level of stress?
- Last one, one a scale from 1-10, how’s your connection/relationship with your higher power?
Track your progress daily. Get a journal and log your success. Keep track of it. Do the scale from 1-10 tests every day, track times and intensity of effort.
Progress: the ultimate goal
What’s the ultimate goal? Progress. You coming out the other side a better version of you. An even more complete package. Stronger in body, mind and spirit.
QUICK NOTE ON THE “All Showers Finish Cold” THING: I hate cold water. HATE IT! It sucks. But when did that happen? Because as a kid, didn’t bother me at all. I’d swim in the central pacific ocean with no wetsuit all day long like it was no big deal at all. Now in my 40’s it’s too cold. Don’t want any part of that. Part of living a successful life is the willingness to get and be uncomfortable. No growth happens in a comfort zone. Jocko Willink says, “discipline equals freedom” couple that with this Henry Miller quote and you’ll understand the value of cold showers (and I haven’t even mentioned Wim Hof yet – LOL)
The thing is to become a master, and in your old age to acquire the courage to do what children did when they knew nothing.” –Henry Miller
What and who will you master? Can you master yourself? Can you master your urges?
Permitted adjustments:
If you are interested in establishing habits of personal development and growth but are not in the physical condition that would be required to do the protocol listed above, you may adjust the burpees, pull ups and miles according to your current fitness level.
If you’re overweight or too weak and out of shape, it’s totally fine. Start somewhere. If that means push ups off a high incline, instead of burpees, so be it. Let’s say you can’t do a single pull up, then do some kind of rowing motion. If you’ve never ran a mile before, no problem, walk. Just start with something. DO something. Do something every day that you can get better at.
Suggestions:
The list above is my commitment to me. What will you commit to? Here’s a few ideas that should fit into most levels of fitness
- 10 minutes of as many burpees or push ups as possible.
- 10 minutes of as many pull ups as possible.
- How long can you do a static hang?
- Keep the drills but drop the volume in half.
- How fast you can do X miles? You pick a challenging distance that you can manage daily.
The things like the 20 minutes of meditation and cold showers are non-negotiables that you must do. Sorry. Suck it up.
I’ll be posting my own progress on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/RichMansGym) and the Twitter (https://twitter.com/richmansgym). Feel free to follow along and feel free to join in.