Halloween Workout: The 666-Rep Challenge for You and Your Friends

Why 666, of all numbers?

Because the number fits Halloween – and because it is just the right size. 666 reps in seven days is almost 100 a day. That is enough that you will be proud of it on October 31, and little enough that it fits into everyday life, even with a job, a family and a pumpkin that still wants to be carved. Nobody has to do 666 push-ups in one go: the challenge rewards sticking with it, not heroics.

The period is Halloween week, October 25 to 31. Seven days, one goal, and at the end comes Halloween night – a finish that celebrates itself.

The plan: 666 reps in seven days

An even 95 a day works, but it is not the smartest split. Better is a week that rises slowly, has an easy day in the middle and ends on Halloween evening with the biggest chunk:

Spread each day's number over several sets during the day. If you cannot do 80 push-ups in one go, do 8 × 10 – two sets in the morning, two at noon, four in the evening. That is not cheating, it is exactly the principle you use to build volume without wrecking yourself. More on how to raise the number over weeks is in Increasing your push-ups.

Too much or too little? The variations

• Beginner: Take knee push-ups or incline push-ups with your hands on a bench. Or pick squats as your exercise right away – almost anyone who runs or climbs stairs regularly can do 666 squats in seven days.
• Intermediate: Classic push-ups following the plan above. Clean form counts more than the number – the most common mistakes and how to fix them are in The most common push-up mistakes.
• Advanced: 666 push-ups plus 666 squats in parallel. Or harder variations such as decline or diamond push-ups – an overview is in Push-up variations.

The spooky circuit workout for the evening

For everyone who would rather do one compact session on a single day than spread sets out: four exercises, 40 seconds of work, 20 seconds of rest, four rounds. Around 16 minutes, no equipment, and the push-up reps count towards the challenge.

1. Zombie squats: Three seconds slowly down, hold briefly, normal on the way up. The slow phase turns an easy exercise into a hard one.
2. Vampire push-ups: Classic push-ups, as many clean reps as you can do in 40 seconds. Don't forget to count.
3. Coffin-lid plank: Forearm plank, body stiff as a board from head to heel. If you want more, lift one leg alternately.
4. Ghost burpees: Burpees without the jump at the end, but landing quietly – as if you did not want to wake anyone in the house.

With friends: how to start the challenge in Movepath

On your own you can manage 666 reps. With friends you actually do them. In Movepath you set up the challenge in a few minutes:

1. Add at least one friend beforehand: in the Friends section you can share your invite link. A challenge always starts with at least one other person.
2. On October 25, open the Friends section, tap Start challenge under Challenges and choose who takes part.
3. Pick the exercise, for example push-ups, and enter 666 as the goal.
4. Set the duration to 7 days – the challenge then ends exactly on Halloween night.
5. If you want even more people on board, share the challenge link afterwards. Anyone without an account signs up through it and finds the invitation waiting.

Everyone sees the others' progress, you can cheer each other on, and the camera counts the reps automatically if you like: stand your phone sideways, open the auto counter, get going.

Getting through the week

• Sore muscles on days 2 and 3 are normal. The easy day 4 is there for that – take it seriously instead of filling it with bonus reps.
• Go easy on your wrists: push-up handles or fists distribute the load differently. If something hurts rather than just burns, Push-ups despite wrist and shoulder pain helps.
• Sleep is training: Only those who recover can handle a week of volume. Why that is explained in Sleep and recovery.
• Don't start from zero: If you haven't done push-ups in months, choose the beginner variation. The challenge lasts a week – the injury afterwards lasts longer.

And after Halloween?

Anyone who managed 666 reps in a week has proven more than endurance: you now know that almost 100 a day fit into your life. That is the best starting point for a real training plan – for example the 30-day push-up challenge, which follows on seamlessly in November.