How to Create Your Own Body Transformation Challenge

In this article, we give you a simple framework with tips on how to create your own body transformation challenge.

Setting a transformation challenge is a great way to overcome inertia or breathe new life into your training regime. These challenges are a commitment which gives you a definitive purpose and helps to focus effort on a single goal. They’re also a fantastic way to build new healthy habits, a fundamental factor in building a stronger, healthier body.

What do we mean by body transformation challenge?

These challenges are a commitment to changing your body in some way by tweaking your lifestyle in order to achieve a goal. The challenge takes place over a set time period and you measure your progress throughout.

For example, if your goal is to lose excess weight and become leaner, an appropriate transformation challenge might be the following;

Transformation challenge tips

Here are some key things to remember when coming up with your challenge;

Keep it achievable

If the challenge is too difficult you’re likely to become frustrated and give up, too easy and there’s no real challenge at all.

Most of the challenges we come across are related to body composition, so to help you set realistic targets we would recommend the following weight loss and muscle building goals;

• Weight loss goal of 1-2 lbs of fat per week
• Muscle building goal of 0.5 lbs muscle per week

Make it measurable

One of the reasons transformation challenges are so effective is because they remove uncertainty and help to keep you focused. It’s essential that you avoid vague challenges and make sure that you can track progress definitively. Some suggested metrics to record include;

• Body Weight
• Body Fat % (see how to measure body fat)
• Lean Body Mass
• Body Measurements such as chest, waist, thigh, dress size etc. (see how to take body measurements)

Metrics like these are easily quantifiable which makes them excellent progress indicators. It can also be motivating to combine these measurements with journalling and progress pictures for well-rounded and insightful records.

Checkout the Fitstream Body Tracking App to record all your measurements, progress pictures and notes.

Give yourself time for change

How much time you give yourself is dependent on your challenge. Your aim should be for the duration to be long enough to make good progress, but short enough so that you stay interested without getting bored.

As a guide, 30 days is usually a good length of time to see results for most challenges.

Plan your activity

Make sure that you don’t leave anything to chance and plan your activity for the month. Download and print our free Monthly Fitness Planner which we publish each month to help mark out your workouts, indicate measurement dates and record any other milestones.

Make sure that you set reminders for weigh-ins and progress picture records too so that you don’t miss any measurements.

Set review points

To make sure that there aren’t any surprises at the end of the challenge you should set-up regular review points (every 5 days is a good guide) where you look at progress and reflect on any changes in your body.

This will help you think about what exactly is (or isn't) working for you and allow you to steer activity during the challenge.

Get social

Your transformation challenge doesn’t have to be a solo mission. The Free Fitstream Body Tracking app supports groups so why not consider joining a public group or setting one up with your friends or colleagues?

This can be a great way to make your challenge more collaborative or even competitive, both of which can be strong motivators for change!

Check out our article on how to write a progress post so that you can share your accomplishments with a wider audience.

The Body Transformation Daily Plan

Here’s our step-by-step plan on how to set-up and run your body challenge over the next 30 days. Simply tweak the number of days to fit your challenge;

We hope that we’ve convinced you that body transformation challenges are powerful drivers for change. They’re so easy to set up and will help to keep you focused and accountable.

Why not try one over the next 30 days and let us know how you get on.