Fitness to Go

Fitness to Go

No gym, no excuses. Put your strength to the test with this do-anywhere challenge.

Most men equate strength with hoisting the heaviest weight they can lift from the dumbbell rack and then squeezing out a few shaky repetitions. But the tug-of-war between man and his own weight is the ultimate way to measure his strength, says Todd Durkin, c.s.c.s., author of The IMPACT! Body Plan and creator of this body-weight fitness test. Challenge your brawn with this fast-paced, total-body complex—no equipment required.

Here's how it works: Grab a stopwatch. Do each of the four moves in a row as fast as possible. (Each exercise starts in the pushup position, so you can easily transition from one move to the next.)

Mountain Climber
Assume a pushup position with your arms straight. This is the starting position. Lift your right foot and raise your knee as close to your chest as you can. Touch the ground with your right foot and then return to the starting position and repeat with your left leg. Do 30 repetitions.

Pushup
Begin in a pushup position. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your ankles. Bend your elbows and lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor. Pause, push yourself back to the starting position, and repeat. Do 20.

Groiner
From the pushup position, jump both feet forward so they land next to your hands. Lower your hips, and then jump your feet back out to the starting position. Do 10 total.

Squat Thrust
In a pushup position, jump your legs to a squat and stand up. Lower back down into a squat, and then kick your legs backward into a pushup position. That's 1 rep. Do 5.

Ready to give it a shot? Durkin completed two rounds in 2 minutes and 58 seconds. What was your time? Let us know in the comments below.