There’s no better time to keep your workouts going strong than when the summer weather is this nice, so we’re here to inspire you to take advantage of the summer months with a 30-day strength training challenge.

Oh, the glories of spring and summer are here, and with them their many tantalizing treats, from barbecue cookouts and corn dogs to dripping ice cream cones. These events and types of temptation can keep us from hitting our workout and fitness goals.

Your hydration challenges might seem easier because of the heat, for example, but remember you'll need to drink extra water to cool down. Hydration is super-important for running, too, because of the sustained effort over time of the heart and lungs. You're also more likely to give in to the allure of cold, sugary drinks on a sweltering day and set your weight loss goals back a pound or two.

We've shown you 10 strength training challenges you’ll never get bored of, five ways to train more consistently, and six kinds of push-ups you can add to vary your at-home workouts. Now take a look at these special summer 30-day weight lifting challenges!

Just for Weightlifters and Strength Trainers!

Weightlifting is a challenge. Strength training is a challenge. That's the way you like it. But it takes a lot of hard work -- a lot of time -- before you see the results you want. Stay motivated and reward yourself with IRLA Strength Training challenge medals. Get a series of five medals that mark your milestones for weightlifting and strength training. As you set more goals and make progress in your weightlifting and strength training challenges, your IRLAs give you the motivation to do more and more.

Whether you're looking to build muscle, improve endurance, or just get in shape, there's a challenge for you!

Each challenge will feature three workout days done in succession, which can help establish consistency and create momentum towards achieving your fitness goals.

Continue to cycle through them for the full month, which would give you 10 Day A’s, 10 Day B’s, and 10 Day C’s.

To keep yourself adapting to the challenge, it's important to check in weekly to assess progress and adjust the intensity as needed.

For added motivation, check out these strength training challenge medals! Use them to inspire your best performance yet, and unlock real coins you can display proudly as you meet your goals, and unlock an even healthier you!

Before starting the challenge, it's recommended to take a test day to gauge your current fitness level. You can use this day to see how many repetitions of each exercise you can do in one minute.

The setting for this 30-day strength challenge is your local park, which should give you all you need to get in some full-body workouts: plenty of open space, grassy terrain, and a bench!

For the first week, consider giving yourself two minutes of a break between each set.

Day A:

• Warm up: 5 minutes of jogging or walking
• Push-ups: 3 sets of 10 repetitions
• Bodyweight squats: 3 sets of 10 repetitions
• Bench dips: 3 sets of 10 repetitions
• Plank: Hold for 30 seconds
• Cool down: 5 minutes of stretching

Day B:

• Warm up: 5 minutes of jogging or walking
• Walking lunges: 3 sets of 10 repetitions (per leg)
• Pull-ups or bodyweight rows: 3 sets of 10 repetitions
• Step-ups: 3 sets of 10 repetitions (per leg)
• Bicycle crunches: 3 sets of 10 repetitions (per side)
• Cool down: 5 minutes of stretching

Day C:

• Warm up: 5 minutes of jogging or walking
• Burpees: 3 sets of 10 repetitions
• Jumping jacks: 3 sets of 30 repetitions
• Plank shoulder taps: 3 sets of 10 repetitions (per side)
• Leg raises: 3 sets of 10 repetitions
• Cool down: 5 minutes of stretching

Weeks 2 - 4:

You can increase the difficulty of the workouts by shortening rest periods. Drop from two minutes to 90 seconds to see how that works, then make a similar adjustment for the weeks to come.

If you’re looking for a more all-around workout, finding a nearby outdoor gym can be a nice way to blend the equipment of a traditional gym with breeze and sunshine.

Day A:

• Warm up: 5 minutes of cardio (jogging, jumping jacks, etc.)
• Pull-ups: 3 sets of 8 repetitions
• Push-ups: 3 sets of 10 repetitions
• Bodyweight squats: 3 sets of 12 repetitions
• Hanging knee raises: 3 sets of 12 repetitions
• Cool down: 5 minutes of stretching

Day B:

• Warm up: 5 minutes of cardio
• Dips: 3 sets of 10 repetitions
• Lunges: 3 sets of 12 repetitions (per leg)
• Inverted rows: 3 sets of 10 repetitions
• Plank: Hold for 30 seconds
• Cool down: 5 minutes of stretching

Day C:

• Warm up: 5 minutes of cardio
• Box jumps: 3 sets of 10 repetitions
• Bench press: 3 sets of 10 repetitions
• Leg press: 3 sets of 12 repetitions
• Russian twists: 3 sets of 12 repetitions (per side)
• Cool down: 5 minutes of stretching

Weeks 2-4:

You can increase the difficulty of the exercises by increasing the number of repetitions/sets. You could also try to reduce the time between sets, but there’s no need to go for both in this first week.

Strength training doesn’t just need to be about hitting the gym and swelling those biceps. If you’re more into running, this leg-focused strength training challenge gives a slightly more cardio-focused approach to your workout.

Day A:

• Warm up: 5 minutes of walking or light jogging on a flat surface
• Trail run: 20 minutes
• Lunges: 3 sets of 10 repetitions (per leg)
• Step-ups: 3 sets of 10 repetitions (per leg)
• Calf raises: 3 sets of 12 repetitions
• Cool down: 5 minutes of stretching

Day B:

• Warm up: 5 minutes of walking or light jogging on a flat surface
• Hill sprints: 5 sets of 30 seconds each (choose a steep hill or incline)
• Squats: 3 sets of 10 repetitions
• Deadlifts: 3 sets of 10 repetitions
• Glute bridges: 3 sets of 12 repetitions
• Cool down: 5 minutes of stretching

Day C:

• Warm up: 5 minutes of walking or light jogging on a flat surface
• Trail run: 20 minutes 
• Walking lunges: 3 sets of 10 repetitions (per leg)
• Box jumps (or step-ups): 3 sets of 10 repetitions
• Leg curls: 3 sets of 12 repetitions
• Cool down: 5 minutes of stretching

Weeks 2-4:

You can increase the difficulty of the exercises in a few ways. I’ve found that the strength training gets harder just by pushing the cardio and aerobic parts more, so look to increase the intensity of your runs, either by running longer, faster, or choosing more challenging terrain.