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Exercise is Medicine on Campus Month
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Join us for the HKU 115 Challenge and experience a race like no other. It’s time to unleash your inner athlete and show what you’re truly capable of.
What is the HKU 115 Challenge?
To celebrate the University of Hong Kong's momentous 115th anniversary this May, we are thrilled to introduce the HKU115 Reps Challenge! As a core part of our 'Exercise is Medicine' initiative, this challenge is designed to bring our entire university community together, reaching out across different faculties to promote health, vitality, and camaraderie.
Whether you are a student taking a quick study break in your hall, or a staff member looking to re-energise in the office, this accessible 3-to-6-minute daily routine is built for everyone. By completing 115 reps of fundamental, full-body movements, you will not only boost your physical strength and cardiovascular fitness but also join a campus-wide movement towards better well-being. Let’s honour 115 years of excellence by investing in our health. Are you ready to take on the challenge?
Glory, Pride, and Prizes
The event celebrates glory, pride, and prizes across multiple categories to honor outstanding participation and performance. Individual Students & Staff will be recognized for the Best Time achieved. Halls, Colleges, and Facilities will compete for glory for the most participants, while all groups including Departments will also compete for glory and pride based on their overall achievements and contributions. This structure ensures recognition at every level — from individual excellence to collective team spirit — fostering healthy competition across the institution.
Challenge yourself with these 6 Movements
Join the Challenge and win great prizes
The goal of this challenge is to complete the full set of 115 reps in a targeted window of 3 to 6 minutes, serving as the ultimate test of your speed, stamina, and movement quality on event day.
Don't miss out on this opportunity to showcase your abilities and win amazing rewards.
Bodyweight Squats
Repetitions: 20
How It Works: To record a valid repetition, you must lower your hips until the hip crease is clearly below the top of the kneecap (breaking parallel) while keeping your heels firmly planted and chest upright. Each rep is only complete when you return to a full standing position with your hips and knees fully extended; "short-changing" the top or bottom of the movement will result in a no-rep.
Push-ups (Female Knee)
Repetitions: 15
How It Works: Starting from a rigid plank position—either on toes or knees—lower your entire body as one unit until your chest is approximately two inches from the floor. To count the rep, you must push back up until your elbows reach a hard lockout at the top. The rep is disqualified if your midsection sags (the "snake" effect) or if you fail to reach full extension at the top, as maintaining a neutral spine is the primary safety requirement.
Alternating Lunges
Repetitions: 20
How It Works:
From a standing start, step one foot backward and lower your hips until your back knee gently makes contact with the floor. This contact ensures a consistent range of motion for every participant. You must then push back powerfully to the starting position with both feet together and hips fully open before beginning the next rep on the opposite leg. Reps where the back knee does not touch the ground or where the participant fails to stand up completely between steps will not be counted.
Shoulder Taps
Repetitions: 20
How It Works:
Assume a high plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders and your feet set wide for stability. A successful repetition is completed only after you have performed a two-touch cycle: lift the left hand to tap the right shoulder, followed immediately by the right hand tapping the left shoulder to count as one full rep. The primary challenge is "anti-rotation," requiring you to keep your torso and hips perfectly parallel to the floor throughout both touches. If the hips sway, tilt, or drop during either half of the movement, the repetition is considered poor form and may be discounted by judges.
Jumping Jack
Repetitions: 20
How It Works:
From a neutral standing position with feet together and arms at your sides, jump and spread your legs wider than shoulder-width apart. Simultaneously swing your arms upward until your hands touch or clap together above your head. Immediately jump back to the starting position, returning your feet to a closed stance and your arms to your sides.
Burpees
Repetitions: 20
How It Works:
This is a four-phase movement: drop into a squat and place your hands on the floor, kick your feet back into a plank, lower your chest until it touches the floor, and then reverse the motion. The rep is only credited when you jump vertically at the end, ensuring your feet leave the ground while simultaneously clapping your hands behind or above your head. Omitting the chest-to-floor contact or failing to jump and clap at the finish are the most common reasons for a no-rep.
The Road to 115: Your 4-Week Training Blueprint
Welcome to the HKU115 Reps Challenge!
To get your body ready for the ultimate 2-hour event on Friday, May 29, we are using a smart training strategy called "Progressive Overload." We won't jump into the deep end right away. Instead, we will gradually increase the frequency of your workouts to build your endurance, and then pull back just before the main event so you arrive fresh, strong, and injury-free.
The Progression Schedule
Week 1: The Acclimatization Phase
The Goal: Focus on perfect form, establish a rhythm, and get your muscles used to the movements.
Your Mission: Complete any 3 sessions this week.
Pro-Tip: Space them out! Try a Monday / Wednesday / Friday schedule. If your legs are feeling sore, use your rest days for light walking or stretching.
Week 2: Building the Engine
The Goal: Increase your weekly volume to push your cardiovascular and muscular endurance to the next level.
Your Mission: Complete any 4 sessions this week.
Pro-Tip: You will need to start doing back-to-back days. A great rhythm is "2 days on, 1 day off" (e.g., Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday). Remember to prioritize sleep and hydration!
Week 3: Peak Intensity
The Goal: This is the toughest week of the month. It simulates the grit and stamina you will need for the challenge.
Your Mission: Complete any 5 sessions this week.
Pro-Tip: You will be training almost every day. It is highly recommended to use Session 6 (Light Recovery Focus) or Session 7 (Active Rest) as one of your five days to give your central nervous system a slight break while keeping your body moving.
Week 4: The Taper & Deload
The Goal: Shed the fatigue from Week 2-3 while maintaining your fitness. We want your muscles fully repaired and loaded with energy for May 29.
Your Mission: Drop back down to 2 or 3 light sessions.
Pro-Tip: Do not push to failure this week. If you normally do the full 115 reps, cut it down to 60-70 reps per session, or switch entirely to the Session 7 Active Rest routine. Rest is a weapon—use it this week.
Our Partners and Sponsors
Great thanks to our sponsors and partners for their support in organizing this event.
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Note: Please consult with your healthcare provider before participating in any physical activity or if you have any specific health concerns or conditions.
Also be advised that photographs and/or videos will be taken at the event for promotional purposes. By attending the event, you consent to the use of your image and/or likeness in any promotional materials, publications or websites. If you do not wish to have your image or likeness used, please contact the event organizers in writing prior to the event.
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