The Student Recreation Center has begun hosting month-long competitions to test student and member abilities in certain focus areas. These “Muscle of the Month” contests are relatively new and provide an opportunity for participants to test their strength and form in a fun environment with the possibility of winning prizes.

This month’s competition is called “The Pull-Up Challenge” and began April 1. The challenge goes until April 30 and already has several participants according to rec center staff.

The rules for the challenge are as follows: each participant must perform one set of pull-ups per day and return to dead hang position after each count (The participant’s chin must go up to the bar.) In addition, the challenge rules state women may use the assisted pull up machine set to 50 percent of their body weight, if necessary.

The winner of the challenge receives a $50 GNC gift card and a “Muscle of the Month” T-shirt. Also, every 30 pull-ups completed and tracked by a rec center employee gets you a raffle ticket into a drawing for another $25 GNC gift card and a shirt.

Members of the rec center staff seem to be enthusiastic about the challenge as well.

“I think it’s just spreading awareness to overall fitness and encouraging people to come in and get fit,” rec center employee Brad Williams said.

A lot of students already do pull-ups, both on their own and assisted, during their normal workout routine. The challenge offers an opportunity to continue doing something many students already do with added incentive to work a little harder.