Get summer-ready with this six-week HIIT and core challenge!
Summer is just around the corner, and if you’re looking to get in shape for the season, Claire Thomas is here to help with her new Core Challenge. The six-week event, which kicks off Monday, May 2 in her CPT Fit App, includes a mix of core and HIIT workouts, and is designed to help participants define and strengthen their abs while burning stubborn body fat.
The workouts are quick and effective — between 5 and 25 minutes each, according to Thomas — and are meant to be done in addition to your existing training plan. Each week includes three core workouts and two HIIT workouts, and Thomas says she designed the challenge workouts to be added to the beginning or end of your main workout of the day.
“Achieving abs takes a whole lot more than just crunches, which is why I strategically combined a variety of core and HIIT workouts for this challenge,” Thomas says.
Since Claire’s Core Challenge is meant to be done in conjunction with your typical training program, challenge followers can also follow Thomas’ Home Body Plan, Gym Body Plan, or Functional Body Plan at the same time to maximize their results.
Whether you’re a beginner or are more advanced, Thomas says her challenge is suitable for all skill levels, and can be done from home or at the gym.
“[What’s] great about this challenge is whether you work out from home or the gym, you can participate in it because there's very minimal equipment required, and even if there's a piece of equipment, for example, a pull-up bar or a medicine ball, I've included substitutions or alternatives,” Thomas says.
Thomas says that by doing the workouts, she hopes challenge participants build more confidence, attain a better mindset, and create healthier habits as they approach summer.
“My goal [for challenge participants] is not necessarily to build a six pack, but it's to build a better mindset around what your body is capable of and to keep coming back for more,” she says. “I want this challenge to get people excited about fitness and about also knowing that you don't have to spend a whole lot of time in the gym. These workouts are so quick and effective, I think I’ve opened people's eyes a lot to like, ‘Wow, I only have to spend five minutes a day doing core and I saw a huge change after just six weeks in my strength,’ and that's my goal for people.”
While building a better mindset and increasing your physical strength are rewarding enough on their own, Thomas is giving away an epic grand prize to one lucky challenge winner: a free week-long trip to Maui!
The grand prize includes round-trip airfare for the challenge winner and one guest (the winner can also bring up to five additional guests, but their flights won’t be covered), where they’ll stay in Thomas’ beach house for the week, just steps away from the ocean.
At the end of the six-week challenge, Thomas will select the grand prize winner based on body composition change (submitting before and after photos for the challenge is optional, but highly encouraged) as well as commitment, consistency, and engagement within her #teamCPT community.
“I want to pick somebody who allows me to be a part of their journey so I can see the process,” Thomas says of how she’ll choose the challenge winner.
In addition to the grand prize, she’ll be giving away six weekly prizes based on active participation, support, and engagement in her #teamCPT Facebook community and on Instagram. Challenge participants are encouraged to use #clairescorechallenge and tag @clairepthomas when posting on Instagram.
The weekly giveaways include:
1st Phorm post workout stack
Waffly Fit Cookbook and mini waffle maker
CPT Fit apparel swag bag
1st Phorm Greens and Reds
Custom macro nutrition plan
Polar Fitness tracking watch
While Claire’s Core Challenge kicks off on Monday, May 2, the last day to sign up for the challenge is Sunday, May 8. The challenge will run through Monday, June 13, and challenge participants have until Sunday, June 19 to submit their after photos.
Thomas says joining her challenge is not only a great way to get your core and entire body in shape for summer, it’s an excellent way to push yourself mentally and establish healthier habits too.
“I want people to honor their bodies and to push their bodies. It’s called a challenge for a reason. It's not meant to be easy, and I think that it's really important for us to participate, whether it be a fitness challenge or just challenging ourselves in some way or another every once in a while, because it's really easy to get caught up in our busy lives and our routines, so mixing it up with a challenge and just proving [to] your body and your mind what you're capable of [is important],” she says.
And while there’s an incredible grand prize and exciting weekly rewards on the line in Claire’s Core Challenge, she says the biggest prize of all is not tangible.
“I always like to say that the best prize of all is just winning you. Winning your health, your happiness, your confidence,” Thomas says. “I want people to join not just for the prizes, but for themselves, because it's a prize that we can all win and walk away with.”
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