The Brutal Hour-Long Pushup Workout for a Good Cause

What It Is:

The #HourPushUpChallenge is an annual fundraising event that challenges fitness enthusiasts to complete as many pushups as possible within a one-hour time frame. It may sound grueling, but the payoff is huge: Monetary pledges, donated on a per-pushup basis, can be collected with 100% of the proceeds going to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Get Involved: 

The challenge officially takes place at Anatomy (with locations in Miami Beach and Midtown Miami) on December 15—but challengers are welcome to participate remotely from anywhere. You can register to participate as an individual or as part of a team for free online at go.rallyup.com/hourpushupchallenge18 and start collecting pledges from your friends, colleagues, and family. Record your workout, then post it to social media using the hashtag #HourPushUp Challenge.

Performance Tips:

Follow these tips from Marc Megna, co-owner of Anatomy, to rack up as many dollars as possible for a great cause.

1. Know how many pushups you can do in a minute before taking this challenge on.

2. Divide that number by two. Make it your mission to do that many pushups every minute on the minute for one hour. (For example, if you are able to do 26 pushups in one minute, you’ll do 13 pushups at the top of every minute for an hour.) If you finish before the minute is over, use the remaining time to rest. This helps prevent muscle fatigue.

3. Don’t slow down (unless you have to). If you can maintain this pace for one hour, you’ll do 780 pushups!

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The Workout Pushup-fest

Directions: Complete three rounds three times a week for 12 weeks. Be sure to add a round each week. Also, you can sub in variations of the moves when you feel like changing up the routine.

• Pushup: 10 reps
• Pull*: 10 reps
• Planks: 10 reps

*Tip: A pull is any pulling exercise you like—dumbbell or barbell rows, chinups, etc.Try barbell rows, two-arm kettlebell rows, and one-arm rows to strengthen your back.