Fitness Magazine The 30-Day Push-Up Challenge

Whether you can drop and give us nine or nada, we have the plan to take your reps (and form!) to the next level. Holly Rilinger, Nike Master Trainer, Flywheel Master Instructor, and creator of the BeachFiIT exercise program put together the ultimate 30-day push-up challenge that slowly increases reps and provides complementary moves to build your triceps and core strength. Just give us one month, and we'll give you the tools you need to master the mat and reveal your most sculpted upper body yet.

Follow along with Holly as she demos each exercise in the slides that follow, and don't forget to add some "pull" exercises (like rows and pull-ups) throughout the month. "Any balanced full body workout should work opposing muscle groups," she says. If any of the push-ups are too hard, feel free to take to your knees for an easier modification. 

3 Amazing Benefits Of Strength Training for Women

All modalities of exercise will help you burn calories and lose weight.

But strength training will help to promote the growth and maintenance of lean muscle mass. 

In other words, making you toned and lean is the job of strength training. 

According to Dr. Caroline Apovian, MD, Endocrinology Diabetes & Metabolism, "as we age, our metabolism changes— this process begins around the age of 30 and by age 45, you're burning about 200 calories fewer per day than you did when you were 25." 

This often translates to weight gain of up to 12 pounds per year, she added. 

As we age and our hormonal levels fluctuate, muscle loss further lowers your body's metabolism, replacing your lean muscle tissue with fat, which generally settles in around your midsections, hips and thighs.