Daily over decades

What is Daily Over Decades?

The fitness industry is broken.

You are not the result of a 6-week challenge or 70-ish days of hard work.

You are a result of actions repeated daily over your lifetime: daily over decades. Everything you could ever achieve in your life is on the other end of proper habits, done daily, on a long enough timeline. That is it.

I have always been fascinated by the fact that we only have today. Tomorrow is not guaranteed, and yesterday is gone. This is a fitness challenge, but the implications of completing it will creep into every area of your life. You will become better at your job, a better spouse, a better parent, a better human. Not because you are fitter, but because you will have unlocked the secret to success: daily over decades.

How does the challenge work?

It is simple. You have one calendar year to complete the requirements below. You can start at any point in time: a standard year (Jan 1 to Dec 31) or any full year (July 1 to June 30). To be eligible for the official DOD Challenge, it runs Jan 1 2027 to Dec 31 2027 (see eligibility in the FAQs). You do not have to wait: start your own full-year challenge today, and jump into the official one when registration opens.

You pick your version and your level. The most challenging is Version 300 at Level III; the most approachable is Version 200 at Level I. One is not better than the other. It is about choosing the one that pushes you toward being a better human.

Level I: The Monthly Discipline

300 / 200 training sessions in a year. If you are completing Level I only, set your own standard for what counts as a training session (for example, a minimum 25-minute workout).

• Rule: you cannot count more than one training session per day toward your total.
• 300 challengers: aim for 25 training sessions per month.
• 200 challengers: aim for 16 to 17 training sessions per month.

Level II: The Weekly Discipline

Follow the Level I rule, and get at least 300 / 200 minutes of training each week.

• Rule: training minutes cannot be averaged over a year or month. You must hit 300 / 200 minutes every week.
• Rule: extra sessions in a day count toward your weekly minutes, but still only one session per day counts toward your session total.
• 300 challengers: five 1-hour sessions per week, or six 50-minute sessions.
• 200 challengers: four 50-minute sessions per week, or five 40-minute sessions.

Level III: The Daily Discipline

Follow all rules in Levels I and II, and burn at least 300 / 200 calories each day you train.

• Rule: a training session is a block of time dedicated to training. You can combine activities within that block to reach the calorie minimum (for example, a strength workout for 200 calories then a mile run for 100 calories still counts as 300).
• 300 challengers: burn 300 calories every training session.
• 200 challengers: burn 200 calories every training session.
• Male / female requirements: it is easier for a 220 lb male to burn 300 calories than a 140 lb female, so female requirements are adjusted to 150 calories per session (200 Version) or 200 calories per session (300 Version).

Next level: 300 EPIC

Some people have completed 300 Level III for years and asked what is next. Introducing 300 EPIC: meet all the requirements of the 300 Version Level III, and also:

• Log 300,000 steps each month (about 10,000 per day).
• Log 300,000 lbs of total lifting volume (sets x reps x weight) each month, which is tracked for you in the Garage Gym Athlete app where our programs are delivered.

Those who complete 300 EPIC (and verify all steps) get 5 entries into the main prize drawing.

What to remember

Finishing at any level is a success in the challenge. How much you want to commit is up to you.

Why is it structured this way?

We are encouraging a practice of daily over decades. There are no make-ups and no averaging. If we allowed them, procrastinators would try to train three times a day in the last three months to make up for skipped habits. This challenge is bigger than a set amount of work. It is about being the person who can do hard things, in a simple way, with a bit of effort, each day.

Common challenge questions

What is Garage Gym Athlete?

We are not some random influencer putting on a cool-sounding challenge. We have helped 25,000+ athletes over the past 10+ years (see a few success stories), and we are committed to the most effective hour of programming in the fitness industry and the best community you will find for garage gym athletes. Read more about us. Pro tip: if you follow our programming, it is a lot easier to stay accountable and hit your calorie-per-session goals.

What are the eligibility requirements?

To receive your challenge t-shirt and be entered into the giveaway:

• Be an active, paying GGA member for all 12 months of 2027.
• Complete weekly accountability check-ins.
• Meet all submission requirements and provide proof between Jan 1 and Jan 9, 2028.

How do you count sessions and calories?

Sessions: you can only count one session per day toward your yearly total. The whole point is daily over decades, so we reward consistency, not 3x-daily December sessions to catch up.

Calories: calories can come from multiple daily sessions (for example, AM Zone 2 cardio at 100 calories and a PM Hard to Kill session at 200), but for sustainability we recommend a single session when possible. An AM and PM session still counts as only one daily session.

When do I need to sign up by, and when are winners announced?

Registration for the 2027 challenge runs December 15, 2026 to January 5, 2027. The challenge ends December 31, 2027. Submit all requested logs between January 1 and January 9, 2028; winners are announced by January 15, 2028, and all final info goes out by January 20, 2028. Completing any 200-level version gives one entry into the 200 drawing; any 300-level version gives one entry each into the 300 and 200 drawings; 300 EPIC gives 5 entries.

What does the challenge cost?

There is no cost to take part. You can do it for a full calendar year with our community or start it anytime on your own. Membership is not required to do the challenge, but to join our community, and to be eligible for a t-shirt and the main prizes, you need to be an active GGA member for all 12 months of 2027. Get started with a free trial.

So what are the prizes?

Finisher t-shirt: everyone who completes the challenge and submits their log gets a Daily Over Decades finisher t-shirt. Main prizes: t-shirt recipients are entered to win barbells, kettlebells, weight vests, and sandbags, drawn at random the second week of January 2028. Due to shipping costs on items like barbells, international winners receive a cash equivalent.

I am in. What do I need to do to sign up?

Sign up using the challenge form, and check your email regularly for check-ins, deadlines, and tools to get the most out of it. Remember: to be eligible for the finisher t-shirt and the prize drawing, you must be an active GGA member for all 12 months of 2027.

Join the Daily Over Decades Challenge.