I recently thought up The Sexy Challenge. I cannot take credit for this idea as I totally stole it from my fitness friends who have been tossing around ideas for different challenges throughout the week. Here’s what led me to think up The Sexy Challenge.
How My Idea Came to Be
Several days ago my friend JC Deen threw down the gauntlet with the front squat rep test with bodyweight load. He, along with my fitness friends Roger Lawson and Jen Sinkler, tested themselves to see how many reps they could get. A couple of nights ago I was talking to them on Twitter and they started thinking up other ideas…for example a hip thrust and bench press challenge. In case you don’t know, JC and Rog just started up their own Podcast, and Jen has build up a strong community page on Facebook called Survival of the Fittest. These folks have come up with weekly challenges that they’ll be doing which you can access on Jen’s Survival of the Fittest page, which so far include:
Week of 1/23: Front Squats with bodyweight on the bar for max reps.
Week of 1/30: Chin up negatives for time
Week of 2/6: Back Squats with bodyweight on the bar for max reps
Week of 2/13: Chin ups – max reps
Week of 2/20: Deadlift – double bodyweight for max reps
You can “like” Jen’s site and participate in these challenges if you’d like; right now I believe Brian Tabor and Max Shank tied for the current front squat record with 26 reps at 185 lbs of bodyweight, with Jamie Rodriquez and Fawn Friday tied at second place with 25 reps. Here’s Fawn’s video; this is poetry in motion:
The 5 Best Exercises to Determine Your Level of Sexiness
This got me thinking…what are the 5 best exercises to determine total body strength endurance and sexiness? There are a ton of options here, such as the basic barbell lifts (squat, front squat, deadlift, sumo deadlift, glute bridge, hip thrust, good morning, bench press, close grip bench press, incline press, military press, bent over row), Olympic variations (power clean, hang clean, power snatch, hang snatch, push press) and basic bodyweight exercises (push up, dip, chin up, inverted row, pistol), but I went with the following five:
Front Squat With Barbell Load Equal to Bodyweight
I went with the front squat because it keeps you a bit more honest than the back squat (as reps ensue most people turn the back squat into a good morning) and it’s a great measure of quad strength.
Romanian Deadlift (RDL) With Barbell Load Equal to Bodyweight
The RDL was chosen over the conventional deadlift for the exact same reasons mentioned above; it keeps you a bit more honest (most people round their backs with the deadlift as reps ensue) and it’s a great measure of hamstring strength.
Hip Thrust With Barbell Load Equal to Bodyweight
The hip thrust is a great measure of glute strength and these three lifts (front squat, RDL, and hip thrust) compliment each other quite nicely.
Incline Press With Barbell Load Equal to Bodyweight (50% Bodyweight Loads for Females)
I went with the incline press over the standard bench press or the military press as it keeps folks much more honest (people bounce the bar off their chest and raise their butts off the bench with the bench press and lean backward too much and use momentum in a military press) and it’s a great measure of pec and shoulder strength.
Chin Up With Bodyweight
The chin up was chosen over the bent over row for the same reasons above; it’s much easier to standardize. People tend to incline their torso throughout the set of a bent over row and use momentum, the chin up is easier to ensure strict form is used. The chin up is a great measure of back strength.
The Sexy Challenge
Hopefully you’ll agree that these five exercises do an excellent job of measuring an individual’s total body strength endurance and “sexy factor.” Below is a video of me performing the sexy challenge. If you don’t like listening to me ramble, fast-forward to 3:20 to see me go through the various exercises.
As you can see, I’m not built to press; I’m built to pull. The front squat was very challenging as I’m not a very good squatter. The RDL was a piece of cake. The hip thrust was actually brutal having already done a set of front squats and RDL’s, as my glutes were fatigued (not to mention the bench height was pretty high which increases the difficulty). I had to improvise on the incline press as the gym I was at didn’t have one, so I used a back extension unit and just leaned back against it. I’m not a very good bencher so the incline press was very demanding; had I access to a standard incline bench I think I could have squeaked out another rep. And the chin up was very easy; I thought I was going to get more reps but at around 8 reps all of a sudden fatigue set in. Remember I had surgery on my biceps tendon 9 months ago so cut me some slack. I don’t rep out much when I train so this was a very fun challenge for me. I’m a low repper at heart but it’s always good to test one’s self with higher rep exhibitions.
The Rules
Here are the 8 rules for The Sexy Challenge:
- All five exercises must be performed in under one hour.
- Loads for the barbell exercises will be one’s bodyweight rounded down to the nearest 5 pounds (the one exception is with the incline press – women will use 50% bodyweight loads).
- For the front squat, any grip can be used and the thighs must break parallel.
- For the RDL, no wrist wraps are worn, bar must go below knees, full lockout must be achieved.
- For the hip thrust, the bar can’t touch the ground, full hip extension must be reached, and a reasonable bench height must be used (around 14″ is ideal).
- For the incline press, the bar must touch the chest, full lockout must be achieved, no bouncing off the chest, the butt can’t come off the bench, and the angle of the bench must be at around 45 degrees (remember women use 50% bodyweight loads on this exercise whereas men use 100% bodyweight loads).
- For the chin up, each rep must start from a dead hang, the bar must touch the upper chest, and no excessive momentum (ex: kipping) can be used.
- You can determine your own order of exercise performance.
What if You Can’t Get Any Reps on a Particular Test?
Who cares? Do the test anyway. If you can’t perform a chin up, or a front squat with bodyweight load, it’s not the end of the world. Train hard for the year and retest yourself next year to show you got sexier.
The Awards
As you can see I got 75 reps (it helps to be really good at one exercise as 35 of these reps, or 47% of the total, came from the RDL). I suspect that there are some folks out there who will really clean house with this challenge. For example I could see Max Shank and Jamie Rodriguez getting well over 100 reps, and fortunately for all competitors Ben Bruno is on the disabled list as I could see him getting well over 100 reps as well.
Dead Sexy Award If you can perform over 100 reps on this challenge, then you’re dead sexy.
Sexy All Over Award If you’re a man and can perform over 15 reps on each exercise, then you’re sexy all over. If you’re a woman and can perform over 10 reps on each exercise, then you’re sexy all over too.
King Sexy Award Awarded to the man who achieves the greatest total
Queen Sexy Award Awarded to the woman who achieves the greatest total
Quadzilla Award Awarded to the individual who achieves the highest front squat total
Dr. Deadlift Award Awarded to the individual who achieves the greatest Romanian deadlift total
Gluteus Magnificus Award Awarded to the individual who achieves the greatest hip thrust total
Chisel Chest Award Awarded to the individual who achieves the greatest incline press total
King Cobra Award Awarded to the individual who achieves the greatest chin up total
Sexier than BC Award Awarded to anyone who beats me by achieving over 75 total reps in The Sexy Challenge
Now you have ten different opportunities to try to receive an award. Go give it a try. Make sure your form is strict (don’t get disqualified because you were skimping on your range of motion or breaking other rules – keep it real!) and feel free to post your vids/results in the comments below.
What’s Your Sexy Number?
You have the entire week to perform The Sexy Challenge. Next Sunday I’ll post the results and give out awards to the various contestants. Best of luck! BC
YES! Can’t wait to try this one out…
what if i don’t have a pullup bar, what can i subsitute
Tempest – everyone can find some way to do a pull up! Go to a park if you need to…you’ll find somewhere.
Have a powerlifting meet in a month but this is going to go in my back pocket till then….I can’t wait to train with high reps, it has been a while.
Curious to see the toll that low rep training has taken…
Oh come on Steve…it won’t kill you to do this workout one time…I’m not even sore from it. Just leave a couple of reps in the tank if you’re worried. If not then I look forward to seeing how you do in a month.
I’m in the middle of a Sheiko program, max testing is next week. I’m not sexy right now:(
I’ve got the same “problem but will give this a shot a month from now.
Interesting. I’ll give it a whirl this week. I haven’t done incline presses in over a decade so I will practice that one tomorrow before the trial. Ditto the front squat – I don’t front squat, but have done a few bottom up kb squats lately so I will give it a test tomorrow. I can split squat my weig so we will see. I will probably be like you: rocking the hip thrust and RDLs. I am also a low rapper, so this will be different. Does it have to be single sets of each exercise or doesn’t matter as long as it is all done in an hour?
Elsbeth you’ll love it…I want to do it again already (even though it killed me). I suspect you’ll be like me and rock the RDL’s and hip thrusts. Best of luck! Not sure what you’re asking regarding the single sets…do you want to do more than one set for each exercise so you receive a better workout? If so that’s fine but it might impair your total reps on subsequent exercises.
Sexy Time!
No sexy time for you mister as you’re under a strict regimen!!!
Hope all is well Keats.
I’m going to try to do this Friday and get a friend to video
First I’m going to see how well I can front squat tomorrow since I usually back squat.
Well I set the bar pretty low for you with my pathetic five rep performance…keep me posted!
Like how you got King Cobra a mention LOL
Guess Honey Badger just wouldn’t give a shit 
Marianne I should have made a “Honey Badger” award – I’m sure you’d have won. Just watched it again so funny! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r7wHMg5Yjg
Screw the challenge! If I smack the shit out of whoever wins the “King Cobra” award, then I get The Honey Badger Award ! J/K
Love that video!
Looks like an awesome challenge! When I’m done with my current contest, might give this a whirl. I haven’t worked front squats yet but the other weights are all no problem. I can’t even squat body weight though so don’t have high hopes of winning! The other lifts are all there. Fun!
Naomi – done with what contest? If you get zero front squats it’s not a big deal as you’ll surely make up for it in other exercises. Anyway I want to do this each year and see if I’ve gone up in anything…very fun challenge I must say.
I hate cardio! But I’ll give it a crack.
However I’ll be subbing neutral grip pull ups for chins, for shoulder health reasons.
Preaching to the choir Will – I hate it too. But now I want to do this again as I’m sure I can beat my 75 reps. Anyway the neutral grip substitution is fine as it’s a bit harder and it’s indeed safer for shoulders.
What’s all this nonsense about backs not rounding
imma teach you how to cheat-back an RDL
/lol’d
Trust me Matt I’m a fellow roundbacker, but I didn’t want to be responsible for injuries/videos of atrocious performances.
I am working on pull ups and still can’t even do one so that I know I won’t be beating anyone on. But I a pretty sure my numbers will come from hip thrusts and RDLS since I am doing reps at almost twice body weight for hip thrusts now and at a little higher body weight for RDLS. I am tall and weigh a lot so I am not sure if I can front squat my body weight. I don’t front squat much, mostly back squat and am just shy of hitting body weight there. I will try this test in the am.
That’s fine Shanna; nearly half of my total came from RDL’s so you can still do okay. And this is good as it will show others that there are many of us who can’t squat much but still have strong ass glutes
Nice – I’m on it! Gonna have to let my usual ~2 day soreness from tomorrow night’s basketball game subside. But I should be able to get this in by next Sunday…
Danny
Great Danny! Excited to have you participate (unless you beat me haha!). Best of luck.
I’ve got 100 + on my mind! We’ll see…
Bret – cool idea. I didn’t actually do it but would guestimate about 75 reps myself including a big fat 0 on the hip thrust, I never do those and suck at those few inches with reasonable weight. I know that drops me a few ranks in your eyes, sorry buddy.
Speaking of cool tests, did you ever see my Valeria article – a cross fit inspired strength and conditioning test? It is pretty tight if I say so myself
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/test_your_metal_introducing_valeria&cr=
Hope life is good
Hey Tim how’s it going! I do remember the Valeria article and felt it was a great test (just looked over it again). I highly doubt that you can’t do a bw hip thrust if you can deadlift almost triple bodyweight! Anyway that doesn’t drop you any bit in my book as you’re a badass dude so we’re still friends
. I suspect you could smoke 75 by the way but thanks for making me feel better about myself.
This is cool, but for upper body pushing sexiness I’d like to know how incline press even holds a candle to good ol’ push ups.
Blaine – it’s very hard to standardize push ups as people cheat so badly. Hips sag, reps fall short, etc. In addition, some folks can get 100 push ups while others can’t get one, so I didn’t want the push up test to skew everything. So I thought about it, but at the end of the day went with the incline press.
Here’s my go at it. 131 total.
http://youtu.be/8i6YPMQrSvk
Wow! Great job David! I wonder if your RDL will be beat – you might have Dr. Deadlift in the bag. I bet those hip thrusts burned. Glad I’m not the only crappy incline presser
. So far you’re in the lead my friend!
Thanks Bret!
Oh, and yeah, my ass was on fire after those hip thrusts. The only time I’ve felt that is when I did 225 for 50 reps in 1 1-minute set of sumo deads.
So I know what my Monday workout is now!
ddn, props, and hope this doesn’t come off as snarky..uh..hmm..
Just not sure we have strict adherence to rule #3. I’m assuming break parallel means crease of hip below knee?
I realize that I better nail my form, huh? You can critique my form after I put up my vid. God..was I just “that guy”?
Just for the record, I usually don’t confront people in the grocery store with too many items in the express lane..
Derrick, I don’t think we should be ultra-strict with this competition as it’s intended to be fun. David was very good at skating that line (what all good competitors do) as most reps were spot on (with a few possibly being a touch too high and quite a few sinking well below parallel).
So let’s not be nitpicky here and let’s try to be encouraging. David’s performance was freakin’ awesome and is a testament to his sound training methods.
Looking forward to seeing your video! Thanks, BC
HI Bret,
Can I still be sexy if I’m going through rehab for my hip and I’m not allowed to use weight!!??
And I’m pending shoulder surgery so pullups are about the only thing I can do?
Oh! But I’d love to do the sexy challenge…!!
I am getting really good at bridging thanks to your progression ebook!!
How about a sexy challenge with a handicap, for the handicapped!!
Thanks
DebbyK!
Debby, of course you can still be sexy, just not “Sexier than BC!” Thanks!
Got it.
Sorry, Bret, and sorry David. I didn’t know how to tactfully ask how strict the rules were. Rigidity is an issue that I am working to curb. Seriously, I’m the guy that rollerblades down the beach on a beautiful day and wonders if I’m getting cardio “credit”..
That was a very bad ass performance (esp. 61-RDL’s?! Huh?)
Bret,
What a blast (beast) of a Sunday workout, and thanks so much for the shout-out to Survival of the Fittest in your post!
Here’s my submission: http://youtu.be/omNn_kbA05k. Reps: 21 front squats, 21 incline bench, 19 hip thrusts (I need to work on these…hangs head in shame), 50 RDLs, 10 chest-to-bar chin-ups, for an overall score of 121.
You rule Jen! Great face following the hip thrust haha!
Aaaaand four days later my hammies are back to normal.:) Totally dug this challenge, and looking forward to your update!
Ha ha! So true. Also, I literally CAN’T STOP EATING..:)
Hi! I just did the challenge, and it appears that I suck at pressing too. Anyway, I never before did hip thrusts and I never do RDLs, so my form may be imperfect (or just plain bad).
Got 72 reps at my humble home gym. Heres the vid
http://youtu.be/nTewPcwBZMs
I actually found your vid inspiring. Like Rocky training old school style. The RDL’s looked good, and the squats were really good. Also, the incline on the bench was pretty high, I bet you were good for 3-4 more reps at a slightly lower angle. Nice work!
Thanks a lot for your comment! I’m glad someone found my training inspiring.
Jan, I counted 74 reps…great job!
Hi Bret!
What a great challenge.
I just recently had some surgery – so I should be up to trying this within a 1-2 months. Can’t wait!
I love challenging myself and I will keep you posted.
And, I intend to beat your results…now THAT will be a challenge!
Thanks for coming up with this sexy challenge.
Arlene
Arlene, bring it! JK I wish you luck and keep me posted, BC
Fun challenge… here are my results:
http://youtu.be/Rm6bmNjRtFs
Well now we know how the challenge got its name..Oh my..Great job, Kellie.
Nice Kellie! Something tells me that you could break 100 if you tried again and really pushed it…
18 Front Squat, 28 RDL, 17 Hip Thrust, 14 Incline Bench, 31 Pull Ups = 108. 90kg male
Scott you’re a pull up machine!!!
My meager entry at 114. 16 Front Squats, 42 RDLs, 27 Hip Thrusts, 8 Incline Chest Press, and 21 Chin Ups (all in about 20 min). Time crunch w/ clients coming in. Check it out: http://youtu.be/rWIDwA0vw8U
20 minutes? Damn! I took the entire hour with my huffin’ and puffin’. Great job Steve.
Well here is my entry, never tried Hip Thrusts before so excuse the form, @160. Yeah this was fun though.
7 Front Squats, 50 RDL’s, 15 Hip Thrusts, 4 Incline Benches, and 10 chin ups
Yup, my upper body is weak. I’ll check out some of the other vids later. Great job everyone.
http://youtu.be/tcm6spX6HoY
Nice job Eric, especially the RDL’s. I can tell it’s your first hip thrust! Head turning left and right, rising up onto the toes, etc. Look straight ahead and push through the heels next time
Cheers!
The front squat champ Brian Tabor and I did the sexy challenge today, and here is our video with results. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXHskHvx0gI&feature=player_embedded Good times.
So. Funny.
Great job, everyone! In case you don’t feel like watching one more stranger hip thrusting (that sounds bad, huh?)..I give you the stats before the link:
I came in at 111. Hip Thrusts-41
Chin ups – 16
RDL’s- 33
Incl. Bench -11
Front Squats-10…
Yah..kind of hit the wall there..Anyway, here’ the vid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfncBuEXqOw
Very nice Derrick! You’re especially strong for your size. Impressive.
Hi Bret,
I’ve been dying to try this and like Steve had some time between clients so got it all done in about half an hour.
Numbers were as follows:
Front squat: 16
RDL’s: 31 (grip went all of a sudden, otherwise was feeling good for at least 10 more)
Incline press: 6 (quite blatantly I suck at pressing)
Hip thrusts: 34
Chin ups: 12 (used neutral grip and pulled handles to mid chest)
Overall not too bad, gutted to miss 3 figures.
Cheers for the inspiration Bret.
Jeremy
I bet you wish you could go back and squeeze out one more RDL or hip thrust! Great job with the 99 total.
Is the (natural) glute ham raise not the best hamstring exercise?
Sure it’s one of the best but it acts mostly on knee flexion, not hip extension. I’m hip ext and glute biased remember
Knocked it out yesterday. Came in at 88.
Front Squat – 20reps @195lbs
Chins – 15
RDL -24
Hip Thurst – 21
Incline Bench – 8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWWGewVtBqw
Very good form Rudy! Thanks bro.
56 total. Definitely had fun with it, but want a rematch.
7 front squat. May have had a couple in the tank.
20 RDL
15 hip thrust. Never done this exercise before.
1 press. Yeah, too heavy.
13 chin
PS, 185 lbs
Thank you Brian…glad you squeaked out one incline press
Tried again just now. Total 97, BW 183.
FS-13
RDL-38
HT-32
IB-1 (ha)
Chin-13
Hey Bret, Great challenge!!
sorry no video, the results were 78 total reps at 180lbs
Front squat x12
Chin up x17
Hip thrust x22
Incline bench x2 (spotter touched the bar on the 3rd and my press needs some work obviously)
RDL x25
love seeing all the strong people giving this a try
will test this again in a couple months as i think i can do better
Thanks Brady. I think I can do better too…we can always revisit the challenge every several months.
the next challenge should be how much can you improve on your total number
This was fun!! Got 7 from my gym to participate and will post the others as they complete the challenge.
#7) Liz Castro (105-lbs). 8 FSq (Regressed to 65-lbs, thus, not added to total score). 10 Inc. BP (50-lbs). 1 Chin up. RDLs (Regressed to 60-lbs). 10 BBHT (Regressed to 45-lbs with 3 second iso’s at full extension, thus, not added to total score). Liz is a future Girls Gone Strong enthusiast! She nailed the movement patterns quickly and by our retest in April/May, she will be ready for Bodyweight BBHT, RDL’s and Front Squats! Total Score = 11.
#6) Antonio Srado (150-lbs). 1 FSq. 5 Inc. BP. 13 Chin up. 12 RDLs. 8 BBHTs. Total Score = 39.
#5) Bobby Kiernan (180-lbs). 17 FSq. 7 Inc. BP. 17 Chin up. N/A RDLs. N/A BBHTs. Total Score = 41. Bobby tore his hamstring and was crushing all of us going into the RDL/BBHT finish. He looks forward to beating us all when he fully recovers.
#4) Terrence Lawrence (200-lbs). 13 FSq. 8 Inc. BP. 14 Chin up. 34 RDLs. 8 BBHTs. Total Score = 77.
#3) Jon Camacho (180-lbs). 13 FSq. 7 Inc. BP. 15 Chin up. 36 RDLs. 15 BBHTs. Total Score = 86.
#2) Dan Sigafoos (225-lbs). 5 FSq. 6 Inc. BP. 19 Chin up. 40 RDLs. 23 BBHTs. Total Score = 94.
#1) Mike Spiegel (210-lbs). 5 FSq. 2 Inc. BP. 18 Chin up. 45 RDLs. 30 BBHTs. Total Score = 100. I’m a “puller” too, since my time as Frosh Crew Captain in college. Definitely adding more Front Squats and BP to my program though!
Awesome Mike! I added you guys to the chart. I’ll try to post a contest update tomorrow. Dan impresses me the most as he’s my weight and it ain’t easy moving around 225 lbs for high reps! Good job with the triple digits bro, tell Liz to stick with it and Bobby that I hope his hammy gets better quickly. Cheers!
Thanks Bret! Dan is a beast for sure. Just for clarification, Bobby did not tear his hamstring in the challenge. He has been recovering for about 6 weeks already. He is almost there and felt good enough to put us all to shame in the front squats. I actually “ruined” his FSq score because I didn’t want him to grind out another 2-3 reps with his injury once he started to look shaky, so I spotted him “prematurely.” The RDLs and BBHT were too risky for him for now, but he’ll be back.
Thanks for making this awesome challenge! I’d love to bring you in to my club for a workshop one day, like we did with Nick Tumminello a few months back. All the team is very familiar with your work by now. We can talk via email or fb. Michael.Spiegel@crunch.com. Cheers!
Just like I predicted 0 front squats but I actually got one pull up!!! Been working on those. 16 for incline bench, 30 RDLs (grip gave out. Could have done a lot more if my grip was better) and 35 hip thrusts. So yep. I have strong ass glutes. Total of 82. Not bad for a mom of a 3 1/2 year old and a 1 1/2 year old. And I beat you, Bret! So I guess I’m sexier. Lol. I loved this challenge and will do it once a month. Im tall (5’10″) and weigh just under 180 (mostly leg/butt muscle) so I have some work cut out for me to get a bodyweight on bar front squat. Thanks for the challenge. That was a blast!!
Shanna did you mix grip the RDL’s? I’m realizing that many of my readers have strong ass glutes! Great job.
I didn’t. Overhand. After I was already halfway I realized I should have done mixed. I bet I would have done a lot more. I had 180 on the bar. I rounded up instead of down for my weight on the bar. I’m going to do this workout/challenge on the first day of each month for the rest of the year. My goal is to get at least 1 front squat at bodyweight and a lot more pull ups.
Dead Sexy!
http://youtu.be/XoQ26f5ZUqE
Dead sexy indeed! Actually, “Sexy All Over” to be more precise. Awesome job.
I did this workout tonight..hadn’t done deadlifts or front squats in many years…15 front squats/16 Incline Bench/18 dead lifts/20 chin ups but zero barbell hip thrust.couldn’t figure out a way to get a 170 # on my lap and positioned correctly…any suggestions appreciated.
Jason…don’t you see the way we do it – just roll it over the thighs? You can have someone place it on your lap too. Or you could just deadlift it, sit on the bench, then slide down with it in your lap (with that weight it’s doable). Figure it out as you could have gotten “Sexy All Over” if you got 15 or more of them which not many people have done.
My goal was to be AGAN (As Good As Neghar), but alas, I am not there yet. Next time, I need to try this *not* the day after a training day. These challenges have been really interesting for me, because the only thing I do lots of reps of is KB swings– everything else, I’m a low-rep kinda girl. Maybe I need to switch it up more now and then. Here’s how I did on the Bret Contreras Sexy Challenge: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuteyDLdMHM
As I mentioned on FB, you get credit for one more hip thrust as the first one counts, so 83 total. If you trained for this you could smoke it in a couple months as I could tell that you have much room for improvement if you increased grip strength endurance, started practicing high rep hip thrusts and front squats, etc. Very good job Melody you rock!
It’s on for tonight! Let you know how I weigh in!
My incline bench will be interesting as I do not have one. Will improvise as best as I can!
Okay Emily looking forward to it!
82!!!! Whoo-hoo! My RDL’s and hip thrusts kicked it up! 30 and 25 respectively. Front squat was good. I got 7…my 1 rep max is 155. Incline – 16 reps at 70#. Chin ups – working on these. I got 4. Video to be posted tomorrow when I get it home to put it all together. I loved this challenge!
Nice Em! Glad you liked the challenge and did well.
Bret,
Great competition. I Fell short of my goal but I will do better next time. Every ones videos are amazing. I enjoyed watching all of them.
http://youtu.be/C_0crkv_4Q4
I remember reading a post on T-Nation that accurately captures my reaction to your video:
“There’s bad-assery afoot here..”
Awesome, awesome job, Jaime. Major props!
I don’t know how I’m going to push my total over 150 without the incline press reps, but I will.
I beliedat! Best of luck.
Had one of my female PT clients (non-athlete, just a regular chick) complete the challenge last night. Video to follow once edited.
Total 69 @ 60kg/132lbs
F.S. 10
RDL 26
Inc Bench 6
Hip Thrust 22
Chins 5
Good fun!
Will, what’s her name…I’ll add her to the list.
Camila Freitas.
Cheers Bret.
throwing my hat in the Sexy Challenge. http://youtu.be/fdsyDzPGdE8
RDL – 36
Hip Thrust – 22
Incline Press – 4
Front Squat – 12
Chin Up – 16
Total – 90
great challenge. had a total of 6 with me, including my training partner who beat me.
Thanks Bret!
Awesome Brooks!!! Had you started with a mixed grip on the RDL’s you probably would have gotten 10 more reps or so. You rock!
Right, I definitely deserve the HoneyBadger award! Hungover and it still didn’t stop me smacking the shit out of your score
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_v3kZN7ZmU&feature=colike
BW 57.5kg – Then, rounded up to 30kg for Incline Presses
RDL – 34
(second time getting this)
Gotta work on these!
Incline – 14 (ropey start)
Hip Thrusts – 20
Chin-Ups – 9
Front Squat – mmm 1
Total – 78
Marianne, you Irish folk actually get a boost when hungover so you can’t use that as a crutch. I’ll give you the Honey Badger award for sure…I think you could get at least ten more RDL’s if you chalked up and sat back a bit more and ended the ROM when your hammy stretch runs out…I’ll talk to you more about this later. Very glad you got one front squat as one is much better than zero. Great job!!! Too bad “Sexier than BC” doesn’t carry much weight these days haha.
Thanks for the tips BC
I will try doing that next time. Will definitely practice the RDLs with a Barbell now. I only ever do them with KBs.
Also, I am glad that you decided to give me the Honey Badger award
I’m so grateful for this award!
LOL! I’m sure you will get a much better score the next time you do this. We all had a score to try and beat, which helps even more. Next time you’ll have that too
Here is an entry from one of my gym members, Erika Mundinger
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5TIR2Ep7b24
FS: 5
RDL: 15
HT: 12
IBP: 10
Chin: 1
Total: 43
Nice; I added Erika to the chart. Tell her congrats for me.
I think I might have to try this. Not sure how a few of them are going to go cuz I don’t do some of those exercises BUT still will be fun. I think I’m going to feel cursed for weighing 155lbs…lol!! This is gonna be painful, I think!
Video as promised!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxgMBlv6sGo&feature=plcp&context=C34851d3UDOEgsToPDskKgJbQx7cj1vQ3D1-kBbidW
Awesome! Nice form Em. Nice to see you get crafty with the incline. Great job!!!
Haha oops! Just realized I was supposed to post here instead of everywhere else (Twitter, FB) sorry!
Completed the challenge tonight with 124 reps!
FS – 26
RDL – 50
HT – 22
BP – 21
Chin – 5
Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mB0R58lOebw
Is that a safety squat bar? Wouldn’t that make it the same as a back squat? I know we’re not nit-picking form but that seems like a big advantage.
Pete – interesting observation…never thought of that. You’re suggesting that even though the sqb is placed in the racked position, since the load is shifted posteriorly, it would therefore alter the joint kinematics and kinetics, making it more akin to a back squat.
I have a sqb back home but never tried the front squats this way (though I love the idea) so I can’t comment from a practical/experiential standpoint. But from a biomechanical standpoint (and having spent some time learning how to calculate inverse dynamics) my hunch is that you’re correct.
Either way this isn’t meant to be a super-strict competition for now (maybe in time we’ll revisit and make more stringent guidelines) as it was just meant to be something fun.
I’ve followed updates of this challenge for the past few days and this morning felt inspired to give it a go myself. My attempt was certainly never going to break any records / win awards in this instance, but it’s the taking part that counts (isn’t it?!)!
I had planned on roping some unsuspecting person into filming my efforts, however on arriving at the gym found my camera to be lacking a power source, i.e. dead battery. Ooops!
Bodyweight = 48kg, so used 47.5kg on the bar (105lbs):
1. Front Squat – 0 reps. As predicted since I never front squat and certainly never front squat my bodyweight. Did some warm ups at 30kg and 40kg (hard enough), then loaded it to 47.5kg and attempted the lift. Big fail. Needed to make myself feel better so I back squatted 10 easy reps at 47.5kg – though I know that won’t count!
2. RDL – 22 reps. Pleased with this as only predicted 15 reps.
3. Hip Thrust – 20 reps. Again pleased, (note – no bar pad!) although I think I had a few more in me if it had not been for the extreme pelvic pain due to lack of bar pad!
4. Incline Bench Press – 3 reps with 25kg! I was furious with this as I supposed I’d get at least 10. More work needed! Once again I decided to change the challenge and flat benched 25kg for a respectable 12 reps. Damn it for not counting!
5. Chin Ups – 2 reps. I’ve only just started getting my 2nd rep so there was no way I’d manage the 3rd… Keep on practicing I guess!
My total = 47 reps. Disappointing, but on the positive it has highlighted areas in which I could improve, i.e. EVERYTHING!
Well done to all other competitors!
p.s. In my defense of a poor score I’ve not long recovered from some sort of flu virus, and had to trek to the gym in the snow.
Dedication!
Ruth – why are you disappointed? You established a baseline (47 reps) and you can try to improve upon this over time. You have strong hips so be proud of that.
I’ve gotten my butt kicked on this comp and I’m damn proud of my numbers as they’re reflective of my body at this moment. So be proud!!!
Thanks Bret! I will be proud of my achievements. Can’t wait to test again at a later date – I’ve just signed up to Kellie Davis’ online coaching so I’m sure I’ll soon see some vast improvements being in her capable hands!
Ruth, that’s great to hear! Kellie will steer you well.
ret, we had 5 additional trainers from my club give the “Sexy Challenge” a whirl. Here are the results:
Ariel Iasevoli – 95lbs
Front Squat: 1
Incline Bench: 7 (50 lbs)
Chin Ups: 13
RDL: 20
BBHT: 35
Total: 76
Lori Christensen – 148lbs
Front Squat: 1
Incline Bench: 10 (75 lbs)
Chin ups: 5
RDL: 11
BBHT: 25
Total: 52
Alex Ceban – 185lbs
Front Squat: 11
Incline Bench: 1
Chin Ups: 16
RDL: 29
BBHT: 34
Total: 91
Leon Ferguson – 195lbs
Front Squat: 4
Incline Bench: 3
Chin Ups:14
RDL:31
BBHT:17
Total: 69
Bryan – 170lbs
Front Squat: N/A (Needs form work. Regressed Weight – No Reps)
Incline Bench: 8
Chin Ups:15
RDL:7
BBHT: N/A (Needs form work. Regressed Weight – No Reps)
Total: 30
One of my employees caught my BBHT’s on vid. Next time we’ll know to make snazzy vids for the entire challenge. Cheers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ogFhNRflwk&context=C357da0fADOEgsToPDskKpGJ3dhlyoNzUiHAUDhyZ8
When I watched this vid, I had a huge smile on my face. It dawned on me: people all over the world are thrusting barbells into the air with their hips due to an ex-schoolteacher from AZ. LOL!
PS. What is the absolute deadline for contest submissions? (And yes, I am contemplating BC Sexy v.3.0…I know, I’m getting obsessed..shocker..:))
Awesome Mike; I added your peeps to the chart. Derrick – thanks man I appreciate the recognition. You have until tomorrow to bust out BC Sexy v.3.0 haha. Best of luck!
Great Challenge and plan on trying it myself. At a BW of 265 this will be something my muscles body is going to love to hate.
As a fellow trainer I was curious if you thought of adding a core exercise to the challenge? Not many that would qualify without excessive cheating but, thought maybe a roman chair leg raise or hanging leg raise with no momentum could be interesting?
thanks,
Jason
Jason at 265 this won’t be easy but you’ll love the challenge. I did consider a core exercise but they’re too hard to standardize as most people don’t have strict form, but the exercise I was considering most was the strict hanging leg raise (but many folks can’t rise up high enough). Good idea though! I feel that if you kick butt at this comp you probably have good core strength even if we didn’t measure abdominal strength directly.
11pm but still cranked it out: http://youtu.be/-cKd_6NUiUA
Very good Adam!!! I busted mine out late-night as well so I can relate.
thanks man!
Well done Adam! Was cheering you on
thanks Marianne, it was not my best performance haha but I am glad I was able to do it
I did it today at the gym. I tried to do my best.
RDL 40 with 40 pounds barbell
Incline Press 20 (20 pounds barbell)
Hip thrust 30 (30 pounds)
Chin up 9
Front squat 9 (50 pounds)
Thank you so much!
Nicely done Cindy. You did very well and soon you’ll be able to use actual bodyweight barbell loads which will feel very rewarding and indicative of your hard work. Keep it up!