By: WEBER WAY TO WELLNESS REPORTER
Alicia was super excited to participate in the June 2026 Global PPK Challenge. She became the woman’s world record holder on June 20, 2026 with her result of 131 reps (3rd highest score all time). We will go in depth about this new fitness competition, benefits of this fitness test, and the different ways to do it.
You can compete in the 3 exercise events in any order. Each event is 1 minute in duration for most proper reps. Then, there is a minute rest break after the first and second events. The reps do NOT need to be consecutive in this global challenge. The three exercises include pull-ups, push-ups, and Korsquats. This is an aerobic strength and stamina fitness test that really covers working all the muscles groups (pulling muscles, pushing muscles, core, and the anterior and posterior chain). There is not a lot of difference in your results with the order of the exercises as Alicia proved to be consistent in her results. She scored 130 reps with the order being pull-ups, korsquats, and then pushups. Then, she scored 131 reps with the order being pushups, pull-ups, and korsquats.
Above You Can Watch Alicia do 2 Rounds of the PPK Challenge (130 reps for Round 1 and 131 reps for Round 2 – the New World Record!)
Here is an individual look at the 3 exercises for this Global PPK Challenge:
Korsquats – They can be performed using a Korboard, dumbbells held over feet, or a bar held over feet etc. Alicia used a bar held over her feet. They are basically a sit-up to stand and air-squat (3 movements in one repetition to really COVER muscles in the anterior and posterior chain as well as deep core muscles and muscles stabilizers).
Many people can add momentum by swinging their arms during the Korsquat movement to create more reps. However, Alicia chooses to not gain momentum with an arm swing and to keep her arms held out straight with her hands held together to maximize the benefits of this exercise and reduce the risk for injury.
Alicia’s friend is an Ergonomics Consultant, and he feels the Korsquat when using momentum with arms swinging is awful from an ergonomic viewpoint.
The Ergonomics Consultant added, “It is screaming for a back injury, if you do these reps at high speeds with swinging arms to create momentum.”
Alicia comments, “Doing the PPK Challenge introduced me to the Korsquat for the first time. When I first did it, I could really feel a nice burn in my hamstrings and quads. Doing 20 reps in a minute was hard at first, but now I can manage 23 reps in a minute. I feel better conditioned for the exercise now and using the stricter form without the arm swing can help me really build strength I feel in my low back, deep ab muscles, and hamstrings for sure. It is truly a total exercise for lower body and core.”
Push-Ups – The pushups for this event are considered the standard/proper form push-ups that are safe for beginners and still challenging for advanced exercisers. They go through the basic body mechanics and core engagement with safety as a priority. The body begins in a plank with straight body and flat back. Feet can be together or hip-width apart. You then lower your body till it is parallel to the floor (a few inches from the floor), arms at 90-degree angle (shoulder-width apart for arms), then bring arms back to full extension. *The arms held with elbows tilted close to body to avoid strain and issues around the elbow.
Pull-Ups – The pull-ups for this event are also considered standard/proper from pull-ups that are safe for beginners and still challenging for advanced exercisers. Pronated grip is only used, and arms are to be only shoulder-width apart. The shoulder-width pull-up offers a balanced workload among back and shoulder muscles and it maximizes the lat engagement and muscle stretch, while protecting the shoulder joints from awkward angles. There is no kipping allowed. The arms start in full extension, and your chin comes over the bar for a rep to count. Legs can hang straight down or be bent or curled back.
Now, we will look at some other ways to perform this same challenge…
Alicia’s Strict Form PPK Challenge with a June Score of 100 reps!
Above is Alicia’s strict form challenge for June. The same korsquat and pull-up from is used in this challenge with one exception: The pullups need to be consecutive for 1 minute.
*The pushup form for this challenge is Considered the Gold Standard form. It requires the full range of motion (just gently touching chest to ground) and maintaining a perfect straight plank from heel to head (flat back and feet together). The hands are placed shoulder-width apart and keep the elbows at a 45-degree angle to your torso to protect shoulder and fully extend arms at the top of push-up. The Gold Standard pushup is more advanced and stricter and prioritizes maximum muscle activation. It takes longer to do a rep of the Gold Standard pushup than a proper from pushup as it goes through the full range of motion with chest touching the ground lightly on each rep.
Alica does 139 reps for the PPK Challenge with wide grip pull-ups and wide grip pushups!
Lastly, Alicia does the challenge with wide – grip form, which she is not keen on for high volume training, but it can be beneficial because it isolates specific muscle groups. It is a more advanced way to do reps, since there is a risk for injury.
Wide Grip pull-up/push-up form limits the range of motion in the exercise and adds more strain to muscles and tendons. There is a shorter distance to do to complete a rep, so a rep will be done faster than a proper form or Gold Standard rep. Wide Grip means beyond shoulder-level.
Alicia says,” The Wide Grip is in its own category for exercise events. I personally I do not like wide grip pushups, but it can be beneficial for hitting front delts and chest more. I do not recommend high volume for wide grip exercises. I do find slow wide grip pull-ups to be beneficial for stretching out my shoulders.”
END OF REPORT
