Fun and Fitness: Fitness 101 Strength Challenge: are you strong enough?

So you think you're jacked, eh? Now's your chance to prove it; December 7th marks the 9th Annual Fanshawe College Strength Challenge. The Strength Challenge is run in the Fanshawe Fitness Centre by Fitness 101 staff and Fitness and Health Promotion Students. We've had plenty of opportunity throughout the years to revamp the entire challenge and bring it to a standard that we are satisfied with. In fact, last year's event went such a success that it has been argued as being the best Strength Challenge of the previous eight. This year's event promises to be an even bigger hit!

The Challenge is split up into weight divisions: light & heavyweight men as well as light & heavyweight women. Each entrant is required to do 4 separate exercises. The first two exercises are strength tests: Bench Press and Single Leg Press. For male bench press, 10 reps using 1.2x your body weight will earn you 10 points. For female bench press, 10 reps using 0.85x your body weight will earn you 10 points. For male single leg press, 10 reps using 2x your body weight will earn you 10 points. For female single leg press, 10 reps using 1.25x your body weight will earn you 10 points.

The 2nd two exercises are endurance type tests: Pull Ups and Dumbbell Lateral Hold. For male pull ups, 15 reps using your own bodyweight with an overhand grip will earn you 15 points. For female pull-ups, 15 reps using 60 per cent of your bodyweight on the gravitron machine will earn you 15 points. Extra points will be awarded for any additional pull ups completed. For male dumbbell lateral hold, holding up 10 per cent of your bodyweight for two minutes will earn you a maximum of 24 points. For female dumbbell lateral hold, holding up 5 per cent of your body weight for two minutes will earn you a maximum of 24 points. All contestants are awarded one point for every five seconds they manage to hold the lateral dumbbell raise.

Spartan Nutrition has been kind enough to sponsor the entire event and will be in attendance from 4-6pm putting on a supplement demo for all. Allmax will also be present setting up a booth for demo purposes as well. Sport Nutrition Depot unfortunately could not make this year's event but have been generous enough to provide us with a prize pack in their absence. Prizes include specially designed shirts, protein powders, protein bars and trophies for top honors in light and heavyweight men as well as light and heavyweight women.

Register at Fitness 101 — J building. Entry fee for Fitness 101 members is $5 and $10 for non-members. Testing time for the challenge will be done between the hours of 11am and 6pm. All contestants will be tested individually at a time of their choice (between 11am and 6pm). So if you're worried about it being an event where all competitors and members are watching each other, let a deep sigh of relief fly, because that's not the case. The Awards ceremony will be between 6pm and 7pm immediately after the testing has come to an end.

So why not make it a challenge to yourself to see how well your strength performance is according to your current weight. Lots of people are already getting geared up for the Strength Challenge as of the past few weeks. Last years event saw some awesome competition as well as friendly comradery among contestants. This year's Strength Challenge will only get better. See you December 7th!