Coach Mo’s Pyramid Challenge

One of the greatest competitors in history, Muhammad Ali, said, “Champions are made from something they have deep inside them, a desire, a dream, and a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.”

How often do you really push yourself during your workout? Do you find yourself searching for a quick and easy routine or checking the clock to see how many seconds you have left before you can take a break? Let’s be honest: You are busy and, sometimes, you just want someone to tell you what workout to do and how to do it. So here it is—the pyramid workout!

With Coach Mo's pyramid, you will compete against yourself by working the four major components of the body (upper, lower, core, and cardio) with high-intensity effort for a short period of time. No equipment needed! We all know the benefits of high-intensity training but how often do we really do high-intensity workouts? The pyramid is a quick method for jumping in and getting it done.

What's so awesome about the pyramid is that you can use it as a warm-up drill or it can be your routine to do between training days. I find myself doing it when I travel and don't have time to get to a gym. And I try to beat my personal best every time I do it.

So, put yourself to the test; challenge yourself mentally and physically with the pyramid challenge. Then, get friends involved to see who can post the fastest time. How FAST can you do it?

Steps to Coach Mo’s Pyramid Challenge

1. Start with push-ups, 10 repetitions. Follow with squats, 10 repetitions. End with crunches, 10 repetitions. Quickly repeat each, making your way through 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 repetition for each exercise.

2. The cardio aspect of the pyramid challenge comes from moving from one exercise to the next without stopping and going through the whole workout without a break, so see how fast you can get through the exercises!

Note: Start with one type of each exercise for your workout and, as you continue to do the pyramid, you can move through the different types of exercises. Feel free to add three of your favorite exercises (push-ups, squats, and crunches, for example) to do; consult the chart for examples of different variations of push-ups, squats, and crunches to keep it interesting and challenging. If you are feeling lucky after doing the first round, keep going and work yourself from one back up to ten without stopping. Remember: Going fast with great form is the goal.