Gathering inspiration from the Greeks’ history of gamification and pushing oneself to their physical and mental limits, DEKA, meaning “ten” in Greek, was created to be a staple of the popular Spartan Races. As an indoor fitness test, DEKA has impacted peoples’ lives because it forces them to go out of their comfort zones (physically and mentally) and face the challenge most people won’t. In this blog, I will share the significance and popularity of DEKA internationally, and within our NIFS facility.
What Is the DEKA Challenge?
DEKA consists of ten zones and serves as a test of one’s functional abilities that simulates lifting, pushing, pulling, kneeling, rowing, biking, and more. The DEKA website states, “Think thousands of years ago when it wasn’t called exercise, fitness, or training. It was survival…” (DEKA Philosophy, 2022). The exercises that make up this challenge are the following:
- 30 RAM ALT. REVERSE LUNGE
- 500M ROW
- 20 BOX JUMP/STEP OVER
- 25 MED BALL SIT-UP THROW
- 500M SKI ERG
- 100M FARMERS CARRY
- 25 CALORIE AIR BIKE
- 20 DEAD BALL WALL OVER
- 100M TANK PUSH/PULL
- 20 RAM BURPEES
Why Should You Compete?
I don’t view DEKA, or any Spartan race for that matter, as a competition. Instead, it’s an opportunity to become an improved version of yourself both physically and mentally. In addition, DEKA provides a benchmark and significant milestone for your fitness journey because it will show you how you could improve your functional fitness going forward. For example, if the TANK PUSH/PULL is a significant challenge for you, improving your muscular endurance and leg power will be beneficial for the next fitness test.
Where Can You Compete?
NIFS has recently become a DEKA affiliate, meaning that we can host DEKA competitions within our facility. With the success of our first event in November, we’re excited to not only continue hosting but also to provide a training program for the events. For specific dates and descriptions of the various training sessions, visit our DEKA website here.
For more information regarding DEKA, detailed zone descriptions, and additional DEKA locations and hosts, visit the official DEKA website here.
This blog was written by Deveon Martin, NIFS Health Fitness Specialist. To read more about the NIFS bloggers, click here.