FrankieCakes

So its week three and I am restarting my second challenge from earlier this year, because I sort of fell off the face of the nerdfitness planet. I found out I was pregnant (again), had to stop working out, and then miscarried in April. So I spent the last two months trying to pick up the pieces and I'm ready to get to it again. I will post my challenge goals later tonight after trapeze class, but I'm basically going to be focusing on aerial silks, trapeze, and calisthenics this challenge. Peace and love!

I haven't given up, I promise you! I just got back into town. I shall update tonight when the baby goes to sleep

Whoot to hoopers! I am a "retired" performer. I love meeting other flow arts buddies. Fire people have a special place in my heart. I think there are plenty of other fire spinners lurking around. Congrats on the weight loss!

Day: 1/20/2014 workout: 30 minutes yoga morning dog walk 1 hour stretch lifting: planks: 3 x 1 minute 10 seconds pullups 3s x 10r x 90 assist dips 3s x 10r x 90 assist glute kickbacks 3s x 10r x 145lbs each leg superset: leg extensions 3sx10r x55 lbs leg curls 3s x 10r x 55lbs wide stance squats 4s x 10r x 30lbs glute bridges 4s x 10r x 60lbs adductor 3s x 10r x 90lbs abductor 3s x 10r x 75lbs lying leg curls 3s x 10r x 55lbs lunges 3s x 20r x 15lbs one legged split squat 3s x 10r x bodyweight leg press 4s x 10r x 150lbs lying calf press 3s x 20r x 200lbs seated calf press 3s x 20r x 155lbs evening dog walk My legs hurt

Day: 1/19/2014 morning dog walk 1 hour yoga 1 hour Kali class 30 minutes stairmaster 1 hour stretching evening dog walk

Day: 1/18/2014 Workout: 1 hour yoga morning dog walk sons swim class lifting: sitting military press (barbell) 4s x 10r x 30lbs upright dumbbell rows 4s x 10r x 17.5lbs standing military press (dumbbell) 4s x 10r x 15 lbs each Incline Bench front dumbbell delt raises 3s x 10r x 10lbs Rear delt raise 3s x 10r x 5lbs Lateral Raise 3s x 10r x 10lbs Incline Bench Rear delt flies 3s x 10r x 10lbs handstand: 3x 25sec wall plank planks: 3 x 1 minute 1 hour pole class 1 hour stretch evening dog walk

Day 1/17/2014 Workout: 45 minutes yoga morning dog run lifting: leg extensions: 2s x 30r x 25lbs barbell squats: 2s x 15r x 24 lbs, 2s x 10r x 45lbs walking lunges: 3s x 20r x 24lbs stepups: 4s x 20r x 30lbs leg press: 4s x 8r x 120lbs calves on leg press: 3s x 20r x 200lbs seated calf press: 3s x 20r x 155lbs handstand: 3x 25sec wall plank planks: 3 x 1 minute 1 hour stretch evening dog walk

Day 1/16/2014 workout: 30 minutes yoga walked dogs in morning 1 hour aerial class lifting: pullups: 3s x 10 r x 90lbs assisted weight dips: 3s x 10r x 90lbs assisted weight barbell curls: 3s x 10r x 30 lbs cable hammer curls: 3s x 10r x 32.5lbs alternate hammer curl: 3s x 10r x 15lbs each side bench dips 3s x 15r skullcrusher: 3s x 10r x 25lbs tricep press: 3s x 10r x 15lbs tricep pushdown: 3s x 10r x 22.5lbs planks: 3 x 1minute 10 seconds side planks 3 x 30 sec each side russian twists 3 x 15r each side air bike 3s x 25r toe touchers 3s x 20r x 2 seconds oblique crunches 3s x 20r each side lying leg lifts 3s x 15r hanging leg lifts 3s x 10r handstand: 3 x 25 seconds 1 hour stretch evening dog walk

This is me checking in guys. I'm sorry, I feel as though I'm letting myself down because I've yet to get active in this group. I've had to catch up with things, because I had to go see my dad in the hospital this weekend (out of town), so now I can finally start stepping up, as far as nerd fitness goes. I meet my fitness goals daily, but I'm trying to figure out my eating regimen, something I wasn't focused on before, but I notice I get bloated or something at least once a week, then I will lose that double in weight by the end of week (im talking 4 pounds of bloat, then losing 8 total by the end of the week). I'm vegan, with celiac and a soy allergy, so I'm not thinking paleo, because that takes away my quinoa and rice... I'm going to see if I can find out what is bloating me by eliminating foods, because I can't think of anything else. Any suggestions?

I would love to do a human flag. I'm no where near that point yet. I'm more focused on lower body strength right now as far as my lifting goes. I'll probably not be even seeing that kind of strength for at least another year. So I am starting to feel like my eating is all out of whack. I don't think I'm eating enough at all, and then there will be one day a week where I eat and then I get super bloated, the scale makes me look like Ive gained 4 pounds, but I lost that double by the end of the week. I'm going to be making meal plans from Monday on, and tracking to see what may be causing the problem. Sunday prep day. I'm a little concerned, because I want to gain strength, not lose crazy weight at this point.

Day: 1/15/2014 Workout: 1 hour yoga morning dog walk lifting: leg extensions: 2s x 30r x 25lbs barbell squats: 2s x 15r x 24 lbs, 2s x 10r x 45lbs walking lunges: 3s x 20r x 24lbs stepups: 4s x 20r x 30lbs leg press: 4s x 8r x 100lbs calves on leg press: 3s x 20r x 200lbs seated calf press: 3s x 20r x 155lbs handstand: 3x 25sec wall plank planks: 3 x 1 minute 1 hour bellydance 1 hour stretch evening dog walk

Day 1/14/2014 Workout: 40 minutes of yoga morning dog walk 1 hour of stretching lifting: bench press 5s x 8r x 45lbs wide stance pushups (knee) 3s x 15r incline dumbbell press 3s x 10r x 40lbs decline dumbbell press 3s x 10r x 20lbs side to side pushups (knee) 4s x 10r plank: 3 x 1 minute handstand: 3 x 20sec wall planks ran 1 mile evening dog walk

Day: 1/13/2014 Workout: 35 minutes of yoga Morning dog walk Lifting: Back hyperextensions + 25lbs, 3s x 10r bent over barbell row 3s x 5r x 50lbs bent over bench single arm rows 3s x 10r x 15 lbs each side seated cable row 3s x 10r x 60lbs lat cable pulldown 3s x 10r x 50lbs hammer lat pulls 3s x 10r x 70lbs wrist twists: 3s x 20r x 20 lbs machine assisted pullups 3s x 10r x 90lbs assist machine assisted dips 3s x 10r x 90lbs assist handstand: 3 x 20 sec walk planks forearm planks: 3 x 1 minute Ran 3 miles with dog evening dog walk 1 hour of stretching hooped for 30 minutes to entertain son

Week 1 Update A little late, but better than never. I am writing this one handed with a secret keyboard to the side as my 5 month old is sitting on my lap pounding on a decoy keyboard. Goal 1: Lower my assisted pullup weights by 20 lbs. ~ weight hasn't changed yet. Goal 2: Go to 1 aerial class a week ~I did my first aerial class in a long time last week. So much has changed at my old studio, I feel like a newbie all over again. Goal 3: Calisthenic workout 3 x a week ~ Complete! yay! Goal 4: Stretch an hour a day ~ Missed 2 on weekend due to family emergency out of town. Goal 5: Daily Yoga Practice ~Same as above. Missed 2. Side Quest 1: Continue Hooping (at least once a week) ~ Hooped twice! Can't wait for warmer weather to be doing this outside. Side Quest 2: Enter the bodybuilding.com transformation contest ~ Entered. Need to take before photos today with a newspaper. Side Quest 3: Actively post on this board 4 times a week ~ I think I only posted three times last week, so fail! Life Quest 1: Continue writing weekly letters to my son. ~ Week 1 complete! Life Quest 2: Work on German 30 minutes a day. ~ I managed to get this one in. I'm looking for a local conversation partner to meet with weekly. Life Quest 3: Start blog! ~ Blog is up. Layout not finished. No posts yet. Notes I don't think I'm eating enough, because my weightlifting numbers haven't improved at all. I've been spending week 2 trying to revamp my diet. Also, I had a running breakthrough. I ran twice this week and enjoyed it... weird...

@ Nuala - I like setting a lot of goals, I'm very routine/schedule oriented, so I freakout if I don't do things at the time I planned them. Which leads me to the out of whack weekend - my first week was awesome, until the weekend. Then I had to go up north because my father was admitted to the hospital. It's actually the first time in 5 months I missed any workout (boo!). So I've been spending the last two days playing life catch up. But, I need to get over it and move on. Life doesn't wait on me. I am more focused on being active on these boards, because I suck at it! I had a go at joining an accountabilibuddies team, but I've only posted once, and I feel bad about not being able to keep up with it. I do email alerts, but it sucks typing on my phone. @ DinoBytes ~ I'm a silkie through and through. I just like being in the air, so I have done pole, lyra, ropes, net, etc. as well. I love acro work, and I bought a roue cyr last year, but I have yet to get in it. Maybe another challenge...

I hate to intrude (or pillage and plunder), but is there room in this group for one more? I hail from Dublin (of the states), and I consider myself a professional hobbyist (freed from a life of accounting recently, huzzah! Odd that my degree is in bio medical engineering...). I spend a lot of time playing with fire, but my heart resides in the Nordlands. I need to get some motivation to stay on these forums, and I am one for a good Scandinavian adventure. If you have room to squeeze me in, I'd be more than obliged.

Beginning challenge weight: 154.8 lbs (1/6/14) Measurements (1/7/14) Neck - 12" Shoulders - 43 1/2" Left arm - 12 1/3" Right arm - 12 1/4" Left forearm - 9 3/4" Right forearm - 10" Chest - 35" Underbust - 33" Waist - 28 1/2" Hips - 36 1/2" Left thigh - 22" Right thigh - 21 3/4" Left calf - 15" Right calf - 15"

I'm still picking up the pieces from 2013, and I'm two days behind on posting. I'm still kicking butt though. Getting closer to fulfilling my epic quest. Main Quest: To get back to silks. My strength has really improved, so I'm focusing on slowly integrating air workouts this challenge. Goal 1: Lower my assisted pullup weights by 20 lbs. I'm nearing the final stretch of my assisted pullup weight, so I know I progress is going to slow from here on out, so I'm realistically looking at a 20 lbs decrease over the next six weeks instead of the weekly decrease I've been doing since I began working out again. Pass/Fail Goal 2: Go to 1 aerial class a week I'm a little short on funds, so I can't go all out and take daily classes like I used to, but if I want to get into the air, aerial classes are the main step in the right direction. Pass/Fail Goal 3: Calisthenic workout 3 x a week I want to get that pistol squat! A - 6 weeks of completed workouts B - 4-5 weeks of completed workouts C - 2-3 weeks of completed workouts D - 1 week of completed workouts F - 0 weeks of completed workouts Goal 4: Stretch an hour a day Essential for aerial work. A - 6 weeks of completed workouts B - 4-5 weeks of completed workouts C - 2-3 weeks of completed workouts D - 1 week of completed workouts F - 0 weeks of completed workouts Goal 5: Daily Yoga Practice Another good practice to get flexibility, strength, and endurance right for aerial work. A - 6 weeks of completed workouts B - 4-5 weeks of completed workouts C - 2-3 weeks of completed workouts D - 1 week of completed workouts F - 0 weeks of completed workouts Side Quests It seems I have a laundry list of things to, so I'm going to pick a few as side quests, and hopefully it will push me to do them. Side Quest 1: Continue Hooping (at least once a week) I know this will be a more obtainable goal once it warms up, because I am cold, all of the time. And it is cold, all of the time. Maybe there's a pattern there? I'll stick with it if I'm doing it at least once a week. Side Quest 2: Enter the bodybuilding.com transformation contest It starts the 13th of January. I'm really interested in doing this, because, well... the money... but also, the sense of accomplishment even if I don't win! Side Quest 3: Actively post on this board 4 times a week Last challenge, I think I only posted an average of once a week. I want to be more active on the boards, but with so little time, it's either workout or surf the internet, and I'm sort of glad I choose the former. I'm going to try to squeeze more in during the week, if I can, but I'm not holding my breath. Life quests Life Quest 1: Continue writing weekly letters to my son. Easy Peasy life quest. Life Quest 2: Work on German 30 minutes a day. My German is getting shotty. I want my son to be able to be fluent in German, so I need to make sure mine is still in working order. Life Quest 3: Start blog! Been trying to do that since I found out I was pregnant over a year ago...

So, I need to begin to use this daily. I finished the Jamie Eason Livefit plan today. I am not sure of bodyfat, but I started at 228 lbs and I now weigh in at 158.6 lbs as of today. I have lost over 35 inches. ( started measuring in October, so a little after I started the program. I don't know what my initial measurements were.) My goal with this battle log is to log workouts daily as soon as I start my new one tomorrow. Woot! Hopefully this will work out this time around. It's funny how I can make time to workout and not to get onto the internet nowadays, but I used to be the exact opposite. I guess having a kid can change your perspective.

I like how "tomorrow" turned into New Years Day, but I've been out of town, so... this is the best I could do. OK END of CHALLENGE EVALUATION!!!!!!!! 1. Cut out gluten completely. PASS Woot! No more gluten for a new year!!! 2. Stretch for 1 hour a day. Important for silks. A - 7 days/week B - 5-6 days/week C - 3-4 days/week D - 1-2 days/week F - 0 days/week My flexibility is improving quickly and I am nearly back to front splits. I'm soooo stoked. 3. Knock off 30 lbs to my assisted pullup weight. Im at 120. I want to get to 90. A - assistance at 90 lbs B - assistance at 100 lbs C - assistance at 110 lbs D - assistance at 120 lbs F -assistance at 130 lbs I made it to a full 3 sets x 10 reps with 90lbs assistance! I was worried I wouldn't. I made it the last day. (Then I took a week off, because my arms/shoulders/back have been so sore) 4. Bodyweight workouts 3 x week A - completed all weeks B - completed 5 weeks C - completed 3-4 weeks D -completed 1-2 weeks F - completed squat (or no squats ) I love calisthenics. But I love lifting too... I tend to get crabby if I have to wait until the evening to workout. 5. Run at least 3 miles 4 x a week I hate running. I do, i do. Same grading system as #4. A - completed all weeks Never again!!!! OK, I'll probably run every once in a while, but never again will I make this a challenge goal (but, I probably will anyway, who knows) Side quests: 1. To lose 10 lbs. Not too important because im breastfeeding. I lost 20 lbs since the beginning of this challenge, so PASS! I now weigh in at 158.6 lbs. I will be doing before and after photos for the next challenge. I just wasn't feeling it this time around. I will admit I'm a bit happy to be in size 6 pants again. Unfortunately I have pregnant belly wrinkle-age, but battle scars, right? (I'm missing out on my 5 month old's belly laughs while writing this ) 2. Start hooping again. Started in 2008. Burnt out in 2012. I want to start again. PASS! Sort of... I started hooping, I'm not that into yet, but I have A LOT of stuff on my plate right now, so its understandable. I've been hooping at least once a week. Life quests: 1. Get finances back on track. FAIL! Mega FAIL!!! But life has thrown many curve balls this past month, and right now, I don't have money to have "finances" hahaha! So I'm going to have to play it by ear until money comes back into play. 2. Get motorcycle license. PASS! It's about time, too. Can't wait until warm weather in the midwest. 3. Write letters to my son once a week. I want to write to him until he graduates college (or high school if he doesn't want to go) and then give them as a graduation gift. PASS I expected to, I love writing to him. I do try to cut each letter to one page though, because I don't want to run out of topics to write about. Overall, I am extremely satisfied with this challenge. I'm going to be (hopefully) joining the assassin's guild. I'm going to make it a goal to get onto these boards daily for the next challenge though. Happy New Years everyone!!!

Woot! Final day! Final Workout! Going to work! (Boo!) Posting my end of challenge round up tomorrow!

Nearing the end of the final week, and I now have a reliable internet source! WOOT! So, where am I? * I am still gluten free! I'm so proud of this one. Lots and lots of willpower. * I am struggling with a full 3 sets x 10 reps of pull ups (and dips) with 90lbs assistance. Yesterday I completed 7 reps during all three sets. I will push for 10 tomorrow. * Still (complaining about) running. Enough said. * Have been stretching every day. * Have been adding 3-4 calistenic workouts to the mix a week. * I haven't missed a weightlifting workout, although that isn't part of my quest. * I have lost over 10 pounds since the beginning of this challenge, not too happy about that one... * My motorcycle driving test is tomorrow. * I've written to my son every week. * Not a goal, but I started taking Kali/Eskrima/FMA classes on Sundays with a bunch of retired boxers and mma fighters, so I'm kind of the odd (wo)man out. But the art reminds me a lot of flow arts -- staff, poi, flags, etc. -- so I'm really digging it. * I've hooped at least twice a week. I don't think I would consider this "getting back into" hooping, because I used to hoop four hours a day. I am just too busy with baby and other workouts and family and work to push myself into this. I guess with time. * I am currently working on 30 second wall planks (the 28 day handstand challenge). Just yesterday did I manage to hold 3 60-second normal planks. I never thought I would get past 45-second planks. * The only thing I am really sucking at is the financial goal. My partner just got laid off, so I had to pick up a(nother) part time job, but that doesn't make up for the income lost from her job, not to mention the loss from my pre-pregnancy career. So right now, its more like scraping by instead of budgeting. So maybe I will get something laid out in the next few days, but highly unlikely. I'm more excited about having internet! It is so much easier to navigate and read these forums when I'm looking at a computer screen and not a cracked phone screen. I can now start the blog I was planning back before I lost it. Not to mention I am now primed for April when Elder Scrolls Online debuts. XD ------- So I'm going to spend the next two days working on my roleplaying persona. I'm not sure about race yet, but I think I'm more of a assassin/druid hybrid. Baby is getting fussy. Supermom to the rescue!

Its been a while since i posted, but i havent missed one workout. The technician should be out here at 8 am tomorrow to fix our internet finally, so i promise an update tomorrow, but things are going swell as far as goals go. Huzzah!

Im beginning to wonder if anyone has done a study of the effect running can have over influence of various topics, such as politics, music, sports, etc. i still hate running. It doesnt matter what i do. I try music, and now i hate 3 of my favorite bands. I attempted to watch the news, and im cursing at al roker under my breath. Dont get me started on the zombies app... I almost smashed my phone into the side of a building yesterday. I beg for death in the last 30 second stretch. I have learned thus far that i will do no better at a run than what i plan to do beforehand. I will not try to push harder and feel as though my inability to do so is my "wall". So the only advancements i make are preplanned into the schedule. I will not give up on it yet though, because im hoping one day something will just click and i will feel really good about running. Mind you, i was also one of those ladies who wanted to be a person who drank wine, because i felt it aired a sense of sophistication, i just never could push through a full glass. So update: ive not missed a workout. I decreased my pullup assistance to 110 lbs so far. Ive lost 24 inches since october 4th. Im stretching daily. Im still (regrettably) running 4 times a week. Ive been gluten free for a week(huzzah!). Ive been writing weekly to my son. Im still not getting to my motorcycle and financial quests. This week, hopefully... For side quests, ive hooped about five times since the first week of this challenge, and on weight, my scale says ive lost 8 lbs in the last two and a half weeks, so i'm going to be increasing my food intake, because that is too much too quick for a nursing mama. Im working on inversions and handstands especially. I wish ive been taking progress pictures. Must start doing that.