Ready to #EarnYourCake, but not sure how to go about it? Army Times has you covered with this handy, pre-celebration q-and-a, including the Workout of the Army Birthday, released today by the people who brought you the Performance Triad.
Q. Sounds great! How do I do it?
A. Simple: 48 mountain climbers, 48 squats, 48 lunges, 48 pushups and 49 dips. That's 241 moves to celebrate the Army's birthday; the above video takes you through the paces, showing modified exercises for those seeking a less-painful birthday celebration. 
Q. Will that workout earn me my cake?
A. It might, if you move fast enough. Each pushup, for example, will burn anywhere from half a calorie to a full calorie depending on how fast you're moving. With 241 exercises at a brisk pace, you could burn the 240 or so calories in a typical slice of chocolate cake.
Q. What other workouts might do it?
A. Keep in mind that calorie-burning is far from an exact science – a 145-pound soldier jogging briskly indoors will burn fewer calories than a 210-pound soldier jogging briskly at Fort Benning in August. That said, here are some exercises that will get a 160-pounder to the cake, courtesy of the Mayo Clinic:
- About 30 minutes of high-impact aerobics.
- About an hour of leisurely bicycling (under 10 miles per hour)
- About 45 minutes of baseball or softball (Time crunch? Play basketball instead, for about 25 minutes).
- About an hour of "power yoga."
- A little less than an hour of golf, providing you carry your own clubs.
Q. Seems complicated.
A.
OK, the Army says to just run 25 minutes at a 10-mile-a-minute pace and you'll be fine.
Q. I'm in a committed relationship with a like-minded Army birthday celebrant. Any tips for how we can earn cake?
A.
Psychology Today lists many reasons why dual-workout couplesare more likely to stay together, with benefits ranging from improved workout performance to encouragement as the training gets difficult ...
Q. Not what I meant.
A.
Oh. In that case, no.
Q. I don't even like chocolate cake.
A.
Angel food cake may be a better option for the calorie-conscious, with some recipes checking in around 130 calories a slice. There's also New York-style cheesecakefrom Robert Irvine Foods, which runs 220 calories per serving.
Q. That's ... oddly specific.
A.
Irvine's a major player in Tuesday's birthday bash in Philadelphia. The two-day celebration features multiple appearances by Army Undersecretary Patrick Murphy and Sergeant Major of the Army Daniel Dailey, who've taken some swipes at one another via social media.
The duo will visit with veterans and ROTC cadets today before running the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, a workout made famous by Sylvester Stallone in the original "Rocky." Then comes a Tuesday-morning circuit training session, with Murphy, Dailey and Irvine joining Pennsylvania Army National Guard members and ROTC cadets to sweat it out on Independence Mall. Portions of the event will stream live on the Army's Facebook page.
Irvine, a former Royal Navy chef, appears pumped.
Q. Is Irvine unique to celebrity chefs for his role in assisting the war effort?
A. No.Q. What if I can't be in Philadelphia?
A.
A number of individuals and units have posted workout videos and photoson social media with the hashtag #EarnYourCake. Here's one from a series posted by the 16th Sustainment Brigade in Poland, keeping the "Rocky" theme alive while participating in Operation Anakonda:
Q. Impressive. Any chance a senior Army civilian leader replied to that video using a GIF of a winking Nicki Minaj lifting pink dumbbells?
A.
Maybe.
Editor Tony Lombardo contributed to this report.
Kevin Lilley is the features editor of Military Times.
