Time-defined fitness challenges are undoubtedly appealing. When we’re accustomed to ordering Deliveroos and Amazon deliveries with super fast delivery, a quick fix is something that we now expect in all areas of our lives.
But when it comes to your health and fitness, there are no shortcuts. Yes, there are ways to make working out more convenient, enjoyable and effective. But long-term thinking is the cornerstone of success. We’ve trained hundreds of people, and those that get the best results start by building small, repeatable habits and building up over time.
Intense 8-week body transformation programs can work for weight loss, and they might work for you. But in many cases, they don’t, and the impact of the extreme lifestyle changes can ripple across other areas of your life. And weight loss isn’t the same as fat loss, so you might be disappointed with the results.
That said, giving yourself a goal to achieve in 8 weeks can be a great way to shake up your routine and push yourself in a new direction. This tends to work best if you’ve already got the basics down and you’re training regularly.
Let’s get into it:
What is an 8-week challenge?
An 8-week challenge, or 8-week body transformation, is typically a program of daily exercises and a strict diet packaged for people wanting to lose weight quickly. The diet plans tend to be restrictive and lay out the types and quantities of food you must eat.
They are designed to work because (if you follow it to the letter) you burn more calories than you consume - resulting in fast weight loss. But bear in mind that extreme calorie deficits will often leave you feeling hungry and moody. This makes these intense plans hard to stick to, and most people quit halfway through and regain any lost weight quickly.
Successful 8-week transformations are virtually impossible to maintain over time, which is why they’re only for a short burst. With weight loss, the quicker you lose it, the quicker you can put it back on, as you didn’t learn how to integrate the processes with your lifestyle. There’s also a high risk of failure, which means you could lose trust in yourself, experience low self-esteem and feel more demotivated than when you started.
Can you get in shape in 8 weeks?
You can lose weight in 8 weeks, but if you want to tone up, build muscle or change your body composition, this takes longer.
Remember that weight loss isn’t the same as fat loss, and if you go hard, you may lose muscle too. To retain muscle, it’s important that you eat enough calories (and the right ones) while exercising, or your body will start to deplete muscle mass. So an extreme calorie deficit won’t help your muscles to recover and strengthen.
If you stick to an 8-week fitness regime, you can improve your overall fitness and strength, though it’s unlikely you’ll add much muscle mass. Strength improvements can actually come very quickly, especially for beginners, as your body gets more efficient at completing exercises with the muscle it already has (neuromuscular adaptations). Building muscle takes longer, though; if you’re trying to shape your body by building muscle, it’s more realistic to expect to see progress after 12-16 weeks, and significant change, usually at around six months.
When it comes to mental health, it’s unlikely that an 8-week fitness challenge will result in any lasting cognitive improvements. For many people, a ‘failed’ transformation will potentially put them off exercise entirely and leave them with the belief that exercise isn’t for them. Even if you have a successful transformation, it can be mentally challenging when you struggle to hold onto the results or regress completely.
I’ve just finished an 8-week challenge; what do I do?
Relax (a little). Don’t overthink the calories for the next week. Instead, eat healthily and keep moving. Exercise a couple of times for 30-45 minutes over the next seven days, but don’t overdo it and don’t max out.
You might see some immediate weight gain, but don’t panic – this will likely be the increase in food and water retained, rather than fat gain. Spend some time considering a longer-term plan. Set achievable and measurable goals and reasonable targets (possibly working towards muscle/surplus deficit) for achieving them.
What does a healthy 8-week challenge look like?
There is a big difference between a fun 8-week challenge and a stressful 8-week body transformation. 8-week challenges can be really rewarding and can shake things up a bit.
If you’re not in a consistent training routine, consider focusing on either increasing your physical activity or improving your diet rather than trying to tackle everything in one go. It will increase your chances of long-term success.
Here are some beneficial 8-week challenges:
- Build good, sustainable habits
It could be as simple as going to bed earlier and making sure you get a good night’s sleep. Or waking up half an hour earlier to work out, go for a walk or make yourself some healthy food for the day ahead.
Whatever feels most relevant to you, try it for 8 weeks and see how small changes can make a big difference.
- Take part in a charity event
Cancer Research UK’s Challenge Events are good to motivate you to stick to a training plan. When you’ve committed to raising money for a good cause, your fitness goals instantly become more valuable, and your donors keep you accountable!
- Break unhealthy eating habits
After periods of unhealthy eating, we grow accustomed to the dopamine reward we get when we eat a sugary snack or down a pint of beer. This can be hard to break. However, by focusing just on your food intake over 8 weeks, you can be intentional about what you want to consume and what you want to leave behind.
Consider tracking your food to see how many calories you are consuming. 8 weeks of food tracking can help to discover where unexpected calories are making their way into your diet.
- Try something new
Doing some outside of your everyday routine is a great way to get a fresh perspective and get excited about what you can achieve.
Not usually a runner? Try the Couch to 5K, a practical programme that eases you into running. You could also try indoor climbing, a dance class or yoga to move in new ways and discover something you could incorporate into your lifestyle long-term.
- Sprint towards a big goal (if you’re already in good habits)
Want to push yourself to get those ten pull-ups at the gym? Maybe you want to try a triathlon or an ultramarathon? Perhaps a white-collar boxing match? A time-defined challenge is a great way to achieve these goals.
Always consider expert support when taking on a big physical challenge to make sure you’re taking care of your body and training correctly.
