As of this writing, many of you will probably be in your “off season” bulking modes and will be focusing on bulking up and adding mass to your physiques, as opposed to tone and definition. The winter time is the perfect time for bulking up, as it provides us with the perfect excuse to consume far too many calories, to let our cardio slip, and to hide away our expanding waistlines with loose fitting, baggy clothing.

With that being said however, whatever your goals may be, that still does not give you the excuse to simply sit on your butt and do absolutely nothing for the next few months, as the off-season is the perfect time to make brand new gains.

When it comes to making gains, and indeed, to just generally increasing your health and fitness in the process, many people will tell you to centre your workouts around heavy, free weight, compound exercises for the majority of your time in the gym. In reality however, you should never underestimate the sheer power and importance of bodyweight exercises.

As far as making gains and progress is concerned, in order to really keep your motivation levels sky high, you are going to need to find ways of keeping your workouts fresh and exciting, which is where various challenges can prove so incredibly useful. One challenge in particular, which is guaranteed to push you to your absolute limits, both physically, and mentally, is the chin-up/push-up challenge, so let’s take a more in-depth look, shall we?

Why chin-ups and push-ups?

There are many bodyweight exercises out there, each one designed to benefit your body in its own specific way, so what is it about chin-ups and push-ups that health and fitness experts find so appealing? Well, to begin with, both of the aforementioned exercises are absolutely perfect examples of compound exercises working at their finest.

Chin-ups for example, are utilized by bodybuilders, fitness competitors, and athletes in general, to help them add mass, strength, and definition to the various different muscle groups located on the back. Chin-ups work the upper and lower back muscles, and, by simply adjusting your grip, you can also bring various other muscle groups into the mix as well.

As for push-ups, these exercises are perfect for adding size to the chest, yet they also work the triceps, the core, and even a little of the deltoids as well.

What is the chin-up/push-up challenge?

Doing a push up on the floor

This workout is absolutely ideal for those of you who don’t have access to a gym and fancy equipment, and for those of you who don’t like messing around and who simply want to get your workout done and dusted as quickly as you possibly can.

It is basically a type of countdown challenge in which you will alternate between chin-ups and push-ups. The basic premise, is that you start with a number of Chin-ups, 10 for example, and then perform double the amount of push-ups, which, in this case, would be 20 push-ups.

The reason being that push-ups are generally easier to perform than chin-ups, so to compensate and put you through your paces, you will need to perform more.

The workout Routine:

10 chin-ups
20 push-ups

8 chin-ups
16 push-ups

6 chin-ups
12 push-ups

4 chin-ups
8 push-ups

2 chin-ups
4 push-ups

Things to consider and basic guidelines

So there you have it, on paper, or indeed, on a computer screen, the workout itself looks pretty simple and basic, but don’t let that fool you.

If you execute perfect form, and follow the guidelines we’ll be listing for you below, by the time you finish this workout, not only will your muscles feel as if they’re on fire, in a good way, of course, you will also have burnt off a significant amount of calories, making it a great workout for keeping your weight under control in the process.

Although you are only doing 30 chin-ups and 60 push-ups, by the time you have finished, you will feel like you’ve been put through your paces. Here’s a look at a few basic guidelines that you must follow to get the most out of your workout challenge:

• Move between sets as quickly as you can with as little rest as possible.
• Execute perfect form.
• If the number of reps are too high for you, change them so that they’re easier.
• Take your time, don’t rush, and don’t try to run before you can walk.
• If it is too easy for you (or you’ve done it several times) then add a few extra reps (in roughly the same ratio as they are now).

Want to do more? Check out our guide on the best push up variations.