This “Fitness Challenge Series” is a compilation of “challenges” that I have either tried or have seen others try as fun ways to test current levels of fitness. It is NOT intended for use on a large scale with a team of athletes. Additionally I am NOT telling you that you NEED to try these. Some of these challenges will be easy and some will be quite difficult, but almost all will require some level of prior training (meaning if you don’t train frequently now and/or have never trained you should not attempt these challenges “just to try” or “just for fun” as they may lead to serious injury). However, if you are well-trained and want a fun way to test your current fitness and/or want to throw something new in to spice up your training, this series may be worthwhile for you to read.

With all that out of the way, let’s get into this challenge: The 100 Second Pull-Up Hang. I actually saw this challenge twice while my wife and I were living in Arizona – the first time was actually in a shopping mall and the second was at the State Fair. It is an incredibly simple concept: Hang on a pull-up bar with straight arms and both hands on the bar (any grip you choose is fine). If you can do this for 100 seconds you win $100. It seems simple (and to some of you it may be), but this challenge can be sneaky humbling (and if nothing else it’s actually a great way to train your grip strength at the end of a training session). Although I won’t pay you $100 if you accomplish it, try it out and see where your current level of grip strength lies!