Fitness influencer hosts pushup and plank contest in New York City park

Fitness influencer and trainer Mark Langowski, known on social media as @bodybymark, hosted a pushup and plank competition in New York City this week.

Langowski, who has nearly two million Instagram followers, organized the event at Washington Square Park on May 12 in partnership with Oikos yogurt. A male and a female winner who completed the most pushups or held a plank the longest each received $500.

Langowski said the goal was to encourage strength and overall fitness in New York City and across the country. One participant completed 111 pushups during the event.

He described the qualities of a strong competitor as strength, humility and confidence. Some people who claimed they could do 150 pushups ended up doing 70, while others who stayed quiet performed the best, he said.

Pushups and planks provide a good general baseline for measuring fitness, according to Langowski. He listed other basic exercises such as pull-ups, squats and running a mile.

For people who have not yet mastered these movements, Langowski advised working with a trainer. He recommended starting with pushups on the knees or against a wall and gradually progressing to full pushups on the toes.

"You'll be surprised after you do that for a couple weeks, a couple months, a couple years – you're going to be able to do a lot," he said. "Nobody was born being able to do 111 pushups. They put in the work and they started somewhere."

Langowski stressed the importance of rest, proper protein intake and a healthy diet to support muscle growth. He also said motivation is key and suggested starting with a simple walk around the block.

"You don't need an expensive gym membership to get in good shape," he said. "Most of the people that I stop on the street, they don't have a gym membership at all. They do it in their living room."

He encouraged people to begin exercising and to find friends or a trainer for support and safety.