WheelBurner

Did my final workout of the challenge last night. Hit close to my marks for the first half but couldn't quite manage the pull ups for 10 - 10 - 10. Results from the final workout are below. 10x pushups 15x biceps curl /2 35lb weights 10x pushups 15x lateral raise /2 30lb weights 10x pushups 15x bent over rear deltoid raise /2 30b weights 10x pushups 10x hammer curl /2 35lb weights 10x pushups 10x upright row /1 35 lb weight (right) 10x upright row /1 35 lb weight (left) 10x pushups 10x biceps curl /2 35lb weights 10x pushups 10x two arms triceps extension /1 30lb weight 10x pushups 10 x wide row /2 30lb weights 5x pushups Pulls ups: 9 - 7 - 5 Even though I didn't quite hit my goal, I'm still really excited because I significantly increased my pullup endurance. Going to put up a recap tomorrow of all my goals to see how it went overall.

Spent the last 5 days in Ensenada, Mexico. The water was decently cold so I didn't go swimming in the ocean very much except for a quick dip and a jump out followed but a lot of nopes haha. I did go running several times down the beach which was tiring. The resistance from the sand made me stop to catch my breath a lot more than I usually do. Had little access to weights and my internet connection wasn't reliable as I would have wished. Luckily, I have been doing enough yoga that I remembered some of the easier sequences so I was still able to go through several poses on my own. Getting ready right now to go do my workout weight workout and pull ups. Hopefully I get somewhere near my goal.

Spent a little time over the weekend biking around just for the heck of it. Nothing I would really consider exercise but just something to be a little more active on my down time. I had planned to do some extra yoga sessions but that didn't really happen as I my roommates and I ended up spending a lot of time looking at houses in our area. I did wake up earlier today and get in part of my workout done as we enter into the last week of the challenge. 10x pushups 15x biceps curl /2 30lb weights 10x pushups 15x lateral raise /2 30lb weights 10x pushups 15x bent over rear deltoid raise /2 30b weights 10x pushups 10x hammer curl /2 35lb weights 10x pushups 10x upright row /1 30 lb weight (right) 10x upright row /1 30 lb weight (left) 10x pushups 10x biceps curl /2 35lb weights 10x pushups 10x two arms triceps extension /1 30lb weight 10x pushups 10 x wide row /2 25lb weights 5x pushups Pulls ups: 8 - 5 - 4

Finished the 30 day yoga challenge a couple of days ago so I'm feeling pretty good about that. Since then I've been looking over which routines were the hardest for me to do and started working on those. I'm also looking to do a more robust yoga program now that I've had a pretty start. Also, as the challenge is nearing it's end I'm hoping to rev up on weights a bit more and hopefully start building more muscle. Here's where I'm currently at with my set: 15x pushups 15x biceps curl /2 30lb weights 10x pushups 15x lateral raise /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 15x bent over rear deltoid raise /2 30b weights 10x pushups 10x hammer curl /2 30lb weights 10x pushups 10x upright row /1 30 lb weight (right) 10x upright row /1 30 lb weight (left) 10x pushups 10x biceps curl /2 35lb weights 10x pushups 10x two arms triceps extension /1 30lb weight 10x pushups 10 x wide row /2 25lb weights 10x pushups Pulls ups: 7 - 5 - 4 Moving forward I'll definitely be looking to add in strength and flexibility.

So I was blindsighted by work this week with several people out and things needing to get done. Needless to say, I'm pooped. Haven't really gone out for even runs or skating but it looks like tonight just freed up and I'm looking forward to the weekend to make up some lost ground. I've still been doing yoga sessions in sets of two every day so today actually wrap up my 30th one which I'm happy about. Mon/Wed 15x pushups 15x biceps curl /2 30lb weights 10x pushups 15x lateral raise /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 15x bent over rear deltoid raise /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 10x hammer curl /2 30lb weights 10x pushups 10x upright row /1 25 lb weight (right) 10x upright row /1 25 lb weight (left) 10x pushups 10x biceps curl /2 30lb weights 10x pushups 10x two arms triceps extension /1 30lb weight 10x pushups 10 x wide row /2 25lb weights 10x pushups Pulls ups: 6 - 5 - 3 (6 - 6 - 2 Wed) Still working on crow. I was so close last night and got exciting which then led to me losing focus and falling forward but oh well. Soon I'll hopefully be able to hold it for a few seconds.

It's been a busy couple of days but still managed to get in my workouts. I have been sleeping less than normal this week though I think I'm sure I'm going to have to get a handle on that soon. I should have made getting more sleep a life quest for this challenge. Dozed off for a few minutes at my desk yesterday morning so I told myself I'd go to bed earlier; ended getting just shy of 5 hours sooo I kind of went the other way there. Tues: Finished writing a essay after work so I didn't go for a jog. Fit in session 13 and 14 of yoga though so that felt challenging enough given the time I had to work with. Wed: Struggled with this one and I'm sure the tiredness has something to do with it. 15x pushups 15x biceps curl /2 30lb weights 10x pushups 15x lateral raise /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 15x bent over rear deltoid raise /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 10x hammer curl /2 30lb weights 10x pushups 10x upright row /1 25 lb weight (right) 10x upright row /1 25 lb weight (left) 10x pushups 10x biceps curl /2 30lb weights 10x pushups 10x two arms triceps extension /1 30lb weight 10x pushups 10 x wide row /2 25lb weights 10x pushups Pulls ups: 6 - 4 - 3 Didn't really gain any ground on pullups which was disappointing but seeing as how I thought I would fall off of the bar several times, I'll take what I get. Also did session 15 and 16 of the yoga challenge because I feel better doing them in sets of two for some reason. The whole splits thing was intense and felt so wrong (and painful). Not looking forward to giving that one a shot.

Had a rather relaxed weekend. Went for a 5 mile bike ride on Sat with my girlfriend down by the river and then lingered around a park for a while before leaving. I had planned to go for a short jog but the bike ride was welcomed and rather relaxing. Monday: 20x pushups 15x biceps curl /2 30lb weights 15x pushups 15x lateral raise /2 25lb weights 15x pushups 15x bent over rear deltoid raise /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 10x hammer curl /2 30lb weights 10x pushups 10x upright row /1 25 lb weight (right) 10x upright row /1 25 lb weight (left) 10x pushups 10x biceps curl /2 30lb weights 10x pushups 10x two arms triceps extension /1 30lb weight 10x pushups 10 x wide row /2 25lb weights 10x pushups Pulls ups: 6 - 4 - 3 I also did session 11 and 12 of yoga since they were both less intensive than the others had been. Almost at the halfway point of the challenge and I'm hoping I can keep the momentum going till the end.

Thursday: 45 minute skate around the city. Had one fall but no injuries (yay for padding!). I swear though - stairs, no problem; pot holes, no problem; heavy gravel, piece of cake; rain, easy cruising; one small twig that you can barely see; all hell breaks loose and you tumble to the ground. Maybe I should consider a full body suit... Anyways, came home after to change and wrap up my 9th yoga session. Friday: 15x pushups 15x biceps curl /2 30lb weights 10x pushups 15x lateral raise /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 15x bent over rear deltoid raise /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 10x hammer curl /2 30lb weights 10x pushups 10x upright row /1 25 lb weight (right) 10x upright row /1 25 lb weight (left) 10x pushups 10x biceps curl /2 30lb weights 10x pushups 10x two arms triceps extension /1 30lb weight 10x pushups 10 x wide row /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 1 minute plank 5x pushups 30 second plank 5x pushup Pull ups: 5 – 4 – 2 Also finished session 10 of yoga. The poses themselves weren't too difficult (except for one) but what really got me was the constant transition to a new pose. That made me break out a bit more of a sweat than I expected. It's good though, I look forward to the daily yoga routines and their quite fun to do even if my balance and flexibility leaves much to be desired.

Had a scheduled blood donation yesterday so I got to my workout as soon as I got home from work yesterday since I knew they wouldn't advise I exercise afterwards for the rest of the evening. Wed: 15x pushups 15x biceps curl /2 30lb weights 10x pushups 15x lateral raise /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 15x bent over rear deltoid raise /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 10x hammer curl /2 30lb weights 10x pushups 10x upright row /1 25 lb weight (right) 10x upright row /1 25 lb weight (left) 10x pushups 10x biceps curl /2 30lb weights 10x pushups 10x two arms triceps extension /1 30lb weight 10x pushups 10 x wide row /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 1 minute plank 5x pushups Current pull up progress: 5 – 3 – 2 Halfway on that first set, yay! Now I just have to get there on the second and third by the end of next week and I'll be at 50% for that one. Slow progress but progress none the less. Baby steps for the win! Also completed 8th yoga session. Got pretty close on the full wheel so I was really happy. I'm hoping to give that pose another try here as the days go on. Still ate it on crow but that was expected haha.

A bit late but luckily I go up and down stairs all day. I work on the third floor and take the stairs because they curve around the front lobby and make me feel like I am in one of those fancy movies...Pull ups are part of my challenge this time around so I should be able to help out with this week's mini challenge. I have another round of pull ups this afternoon when I get home from work.

I did day 7 last night. I'm glad I had a decently cushy mat because I fell over a lot, quite a lot. Since it was short, I went back and did the first couple of days again. I might just keep coming back to day 7 every day after 8, 9, 10, etc. until I can do it.

Went out for a quick run yesterday and then knocked out a set of pushups before getting to yoga. Yesterday was the 7th session and the introduction to crow. Well that was definitely a painful session; lots of face planting. It ended up a lot like this: Luckily though it was mostly into the padded mat so it wasn't too bad. I did feel I needed to compensate a little so I went back and did the 1st and 2nd session again so the ego could feel better. Also, today morning, instead of just rolling out of bed and crawling to the kitchen for breakfast, I did a few of the poses I could remember since I had left the mat next to my bed. Woke me up pretty quick even though I didn't do much since I had to head out to work.

Starting the second week of this challenge. Over the weekend I rested but went out for a short skate Sunday morning because I had a bit of free time and felt it would be a more beneficial use of my time rather than just laying around in pjs. Monday: 15x pushups 15x biceps curl /2 30lb weights 10x pushups 15x lateral raise /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 15x bent over rear deltoid raise /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 10x hammer curl /2 30lb weights 10x pushups 10x upright row /1 25 lb weight (right) 10x upright row /1 25 lb weight (left) 10x pushups 10x biceps curl /2 30lb weights 10x pushups 10x two arms triceps extension /1 25lb weight 10x pushups 10 x wide row /2 25lb weights 10x pushups Current pull up progress: 4 – 2 – 2 I still have a way to go before hitting 10 – 10 – 10 and I am really hoping I actually get there. I’m also swapping out weights in my workout to 30 and my goal is to be at all 30’s by the end of next week so that then I can move on to 35s. Also, I’m finding that I look forward to my yoga sessions each day. Yesterday was day 6th yoga session and I found myself doing a few extra poses after I was done with the session just because I felt it was a little lighter than the rest of them had been. It’s challenging and certain poses make my muscles spasm but it’s oddly relaxing. Looking forward to going home and doing my 7th session tonight.

Tue: Went for a 3 mile run and followed up with some crunches and pushups before beginning yoga. Completed day two of yoga. Wed: 15x pushups 15x biceps curl /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 15x lateral raise /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 15x bent over rear deltoid raise /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 10x hammer curl /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 10x upright row /1 25 lb weight 10x pushups 10x biceps curl /2 30lb weights 10x pushups 10x two arms triceps extension /1 25lb weight 10x pushups 10 x wide row /2 25lb weights 10x pushups Finished with day 3 of yoga afterwards. I am starting to think I maybe should have taken up yoga as a challenge by itself without my other workouts. It's beating me up and leaving me more sore than other exercises I have done in the past. I never doubted it was effective, it's just not something that I had gotten around to before but I think I may have severely overestimated my range of motion and flexibility.

Had my first workout yesterday. 25x pushups 10x biceps curl /2 25lb weights 15x pushups 10x lateral raise /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 10x bent over rear deltoid raise /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 10x hammer curl /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 10x upright row /1 25 lb weight 10x pushups 10x biceps curl /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 10x two arms triceps extension /1 25lb weight 10x pushups 10 x wide row /2 25lb weights 10x pushups Felt a little stiff after a week of off from hammering out pushups and lifting weights. Afterwards I rolled out the mat for my first yoga session. After looking through the website I've opted to incorporate the 30 day yoga challenge into my workout but I am not doing all 30 in one go. With our challenge is 6 weeks long I can fit in 5 sessions a week and hit the 30 by the end of the challenge. I'm doing it after my regular workouts. The first 5-7 minutes were pretty basic but then I learned which areas were going to need a lot of work as the video went into some poses that definitely made parts of my legs and thighs burn as I struggled through them.

The one week off went by pretty quick so it's time for another challenge! My mission will remain pretty similar to my last one as it's something I want to engrave into my body and brain until it's just a habit. I will be adding more workouts this time around than I have before in accordance with the range way of being prepared for anything. I am also going to be looking into doing some shopping for additional equipment that will give me the opportunity to do additional exercises (such as a pull up station and some medicine balls). My motivation is that I really do want to do a little of everything. I still very much enjoy skating, running, walking, hiking, swimming, biking, bodyweight training, etc so I want to incorporate as much of it as I can in the next 6 weeks. I also have some future challenges in mind that I am not yet able to do so this is really meant to get me better prepared for future challenges that will require a lot of work and much, much more sweating. Mission: To continue working out 5 days week - involving as many outdoor activities as possible despite the weather. Goal 1 - Increase strength! This one will be a two part goal. First: By the end of the 6 weeks I want to be doing all of my dumbell exercises with at least 35lbs in each hand. I have been at 25lbs for a while and wish to up that. There are some such as curls that I can already do at 35 but my main goal here is going to be working on the rest of my routine to try and balance out strength gains across various muscle groups. Second: I want to be doing pull ups consistently. I can do two at a time, with a hard press for three before needing to stop. I can get to around ten within a workout but that's a stretch for me. By the end of the 6 weeks I want to be able to do 3 sets of 10. Strength +4; Constitution +1 Goal 2 - Yoga The last challenge showed me that my flexibility leaves much to be desired. This time around I have chosen to add in some yoga to my challenge. I've never done it before so I've been doing a lot of research this past week on where I should begin. Luckily there are ton of resources in our little site that have given me a good foothold. I plan to do 3 yoga sessions a week on top of my regular workouts. Dexterity +4; Constitution +1 Goal 3 - Outdoor activities I want to make sure I get some exercises that build up my stamina and constitution out in the weather so I am making sure I do things like running, biking (aside from to and from work), hiking, and skating. Given that I added the 3 yoga sessions on top of my 5 weekly workouts I'm going to opt for only 2 of these types of exercises a week but at least 1 of those has to be a skating sessions. Stamina +4; Constitution +1 I've put a lot on my plate this time around given that I have school and a crazy work schedule but I'm still excited. I'm shooting for 100% on all three, though I may fall over from exhaustion at the end of week 6 haha.

It was a rough end for me as work got busier and my time became limited to where I was make difficult choices on what to do with my time including a few nights with 4 hours of sleep in that last week. However, through that I kept working out, even if that meant not posting very much in my thread. I used that time to knock out some exercises =P Wrap up: Overall goal: To remain active and exercising 5 days a week. I am very proud of that despite injuries and work interfering in the last couple of weeks, I was still able to keep up with exercising. I had to improvise near the end and spend a lot more time jogging and skating but I'm okay with that. Finding time to workout is becoming another part of my day that I feel is necessary such as going to work, or making dinner, and I am very excited for that change. Sub goals: Goal 1 - To be able to do pistol squats Result: No success, well not unassisted. This one proving to be a lot more difficult but I did increase my range of motion and am now able to perform them with a counterweight so I only consider that a 50%. I'm not giving up on those, I will be doing them in the future without any assistance. Goal 2 - Challenge nature in the state of AZ by going out and hiking, biking, running, skating, swimming, etc in the heat at least once a week. Result: Complete success! I had thrown this as an extra goal that I had thought would be interesting but it became my favorite goal. I ended up going hiking a couple times a week near the end and went biking through some dunes which was really difficult but satisfying. I might make this a staple of my challenges all year round. Goal 3 - To complete 50 nonstop pushups with good form in one go Result: 48/50 - I was a little disappointed at first with this one but then I realized that improvement is still improvement. At the beginning of the challenge 30 was challenging enough but now I always start off with 30 without feeling like my arms and chest are burning. Seeing as how I joined my first challenge a little late, I had only gotten 1 level at the end of that first challenge. With the conclusion of this one that puts me at 2 based off of how I feel I performed. Level 2 3 out of 4 goals met so 3 points +1 Dex, Sta, Con

After a week of unexpected travel and a few more injuries (bruised knees) from a rather nasty fall, I'm not sure where I'm gonna end up on the challenge. I've kept up with my daily workouts with the exception of last Friday and once this week so I'm hoping I can get most of my goals accomplished. Tomorrow is my final day to try the pushups. I tried earlier in the week and managed 40, still 10 short. I can do pistol squats while holding a counterweight but I'm really doubtful I'll be able to do it unassisted by tomorrow. As a precautionary measure I eased up a little on dumbbell exercises due to the lower back pain I was experiencing. I took on a lot more outdoor activities and stretching exercises to compensate. Did a 6 mile hike on wed night and my legs are still killing me for it. I've also added a lot more jump rope to my cardio and am taking today as a rest day to try my pushups tomorrow. I'll post the result of that endeavor as soon as it takes places. I'm pretty nervous.

Entry X 8-27-14 I may have been overzealous and tried too much. On the other hand maybe the ghost is right and I was simply reckless and lacking focus. In either case, the outcome was the same - injury. I can't recall exactly what happened but I recall falling, followed by a lot of tumbling and skin peeling along the asphalt. When I got up, I was a bit scraped and severely disoriented but as the days have gone on, I noticed pain a long my back when I get into intense training. This is no quite the challenge I was hoping to get. ____ Still been working on pistol squats but now that the end is getting closer I'm also shifting more to pushup based workouts instead of pushup + weights. Not exactly sure what happened but I woke up with a tweaked lower back which has definitely slowed me down. I think I may have been careless the day before due to being extremely tried when exercising and it's probably due to bad form. I have to be a lot more careful. It's not constant pain but it does show itself when I exercise and use weights. Luckily it doesn't affect my pushup form. I'm just trying to be careful. I hadn't really had any set backs throughout the majority of the challenge, should have been expecting something to pop up. At least it's manageable.

Thanks! I'm trying to keep it together and not let life get in the way but it sure is rough on some days. Entry IX 8-21-14 I hear voices swirling round my head. They whisper incoherent musings and not just the mocking statements I have become accustomed to over the last several weeks from the stubborn specter. These are different though and I am to blame for their existence. I've seen but a fraction of the rest I should normally be getting. Between the mountain of work, school, exercising, and not wanting to disappoint prior engagements I believe I have run myself ragged. My focus has been rather shoddy and if not for the change of music that I play I probably wouldn't know when to switch exercises or how long I spend idly doing nothing. I think I should consider dealing with the banshee on the other side of the wall as that's where much of my sleep deprivation also stems from. It appears to know the precise moment I lay down to sleep before it starts wailing. ___________ This week has been with work and school but I've still gotten my exercise in. Granted, it's been costing me sleep and it's starting to catch up with me. Yesterday, by the end of the workout, I couldn't recall exactly which exercises I had done or how many reps I completed. I just recalled that I was very exhausted. I'm looking over my schedule for the next two days and it won't be any easier until Saturday. I know that sleep is essential for recovery and energy so I'm hoping the next couple of weeks aren't the same. On the plus side, for pistol squats I've moved on to weighted progression for counterbalance (on the left side only so far) and am pretty happy about it. I think I should add in some yoga routines into my regular regiment. I could sure use the flexibility and balance.

Entry VIII 8-18-14 Storms still hammer away through the desert but they seem to be living the particular section of town I am in intact. It's strange to climb up onto a rooftop and see the fall of rain and crash of lightning all round me except directly above. It's something that also happens every year but even though I am accustomed to it, it still eats away at me. I'd love to bask in the stomr a little longer before the monsoon finishes passing through. Given, that I wasn't to train more in the rain, I rounded up the pesky ghost to witness my progress. The warm up was quick and I felt my heart beating faster before I even readied myself. His incessant statements that I was already at the halfway point of my challenge did little to ease my nerves and anxiety. I lowered myself and began doing pushups for as long as my arms allowed. When I fell on my face, at least I was content in knowing it was better than before. He remained unimpressed and floated over towards the upper floor my complex. I cared little for his indifference though. I made progress and with the final stretch coming up faster than expected, I need something to hold on to. _________ Seeing as how we just hit the halfway point for our challenge I decided it was time again to see how close I am getting to one of my goals. On Saturday, after a light jog and some stretching, I went amped myself for some pushups. When all was said and done I managed to pull through 40 nonstop pushups. I barely came back up on that last one and as soon as I tried to go down again my arms said Nope, we're done! and folded. I was pretty content with the improvement as I laid on the carpet for a few moments before switching to my usual workout. At the end of the first week I peeked at 34 so with 40 this week that's a gain of 6 in two weeks. I have three weeks left so I think I'll be cutting it close but I just hope when the time comes I can pump out that last one for 50. I also have to admit my food intake has been less than ideal the last week. I avoided much temptation but with guests visiting from out of time we still ended up eating out a lot more than I had hoped. I'm going to have to make up for that with more intense workouts this week.

Entry VII 8-14-14 The days have been wet...very wet. Monsoon season is in full gear at the moment outside as I stare out the window, watching the clouds pass swiftly overhead. Twice have I been caught in the rains and heavy at the beginning of my ten mile trek. The silver lining here being two-fold. One, the temperatures have dropped below one hundred degrees during the for a few hours, and two, it allows for more rigorous training. The training is really what I enjoy the most from the whole ordeal. I hardly felt like I needed a shower afterwards. Pushups in the rain were interesting but squats did seem more difficult. The water pelting my face made it difficult to maintain focus and I lost count several times of my sets but never the less it was a new experience nevertheless. Hopefully I'll be taking on some of the nearby maintains and crags. ___ Tue: I went through rotations of squats and situps for about 15 min before taking myself outside in the rain and continuing. I figured I could include it as part of my nature challenge. Everything was fine until I started slipping when doing one legged attempts interspersed with jump rope sets. Despite bruising my backside a little, it was a lot of fun and next time I'll opt for shoes with more grip. Wed: After the previous day's fun I decided to head back outside in the rain and do my dumbbell routine and pushups as well. I was much more careful with the dumbbells which meant I was doing them slower. I tired myself out much quicker due to holding positions longer before raising or lowering the weights depending on the exercise. Trying to do military presses with the water smacking you in the face makes it difficult to focus. Pushups felt awkward and much heavier the more drenched I got but I can't recall I've ever done pushups in the rain so I was up for the challenge. Not being able to tell how much as I was sweating was definitely weird and the hot shower afterwards felt amazing. If it keeps raining like it has bee, I'll have to give it another go and think of some exercises that would be especially fun/difficult to perform.

Entry VI 8-12-14 Another calm weekend passed, bringing cool weather from up north along with it. The days have been overcast with showers at night, leaving only a muggy and hot haze through the mornings as I make my way through the streets. I found myself feeling less motivated, probably in part due to the Texan demons that have assaulted my home. It seems their attitudes is rubbing off on me. As I got into my starting position for pushups after getting home from work, I heard, "You know, you've been doing those wrong." I shot a bewildered glance back the ghost playing with my book collection. I had no response, I didn't know. "Your elbows shouldn't bend out farther than the downward line your wrists make?" I didn't want to hear it but I couldn't help paying attention on my first couple of pushups. Damn! Have I really been doing these wrong?! Was all I could think of. "That makes it more of an arm workout with little chest activation compared to keeping your elbows in," He continued. Even know though I didn't want to switch, even though I was feeling happy that I was making progress, I altered my position and began over. I could feel the difference but more importantly, they were harder. This was going to push me back further in my goal. I just knew it. But, I couldn't just ignore the realization (even if it wasn't mine originally). "Why didn't you tell me on the first day?" I asked rather annoyed as I struggled through the new form. I heard nothing for several. After a few more I finally go the response I was dreading, "What fun would this be if you didn't struggle?" That little piece of...fine. This sets me back but I'm left with little choices other than to change what I have been doing. _______________________ Monday: 15x pushups 10x biceps curl /2 25lb weights 15x pushups 10x lateral raise /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 10x bent over rear deltoids raise /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 10x hammer curl /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 10x upright row /1 25 lb weight 10x pushups 10x biceps curl /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 10x two arms triceps extension /1 25lb weight 10x pushups 10x wide row /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 40x alternating arm incline push /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 40x alternating arm incline push /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 30x alternating arm incline push /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 20x shoulder press /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 10x biceps curl to shoulder press /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 7x biceps curl to shoulder press /2 25lb weights 5x pushups 25x one arm triceps extension (right) 5x pushups 25x one arm triceps extension (left) 5x pushups Changed my pushup form after seeing from some progressions that I was bending my elbows too far out to the sides. I had always worked on placement of elbows, feet, head and keeping the waist from sinking but didn't really consider elbows as a possible issue. Made the correction and found it more difficult. I couldn't knock out a quick 10, I had to work it a bit slower.

Entry V 8-9-14 The winds have been picking up, it makes my way home much more treacherous. I find myself racing against the metal beasts that populate the streets. I usually have to give way and concede that I am in no condition to win. For that to happen, everything would have to fall in my favor. That's not something I expect to happen. The last couple of days have been grueling. I've lost track of the amount of pushups and am all too accustomed to my face being nearly pressed up against the dirt. On days where pushups and weights aren't prevalent, it's been nothing but conditioning for pistol squats. The front of my thighs feel sore as do the back of my ankles - that feels strange. I appear to be making steady progress, slow, but steady none the less. Visitors had dropped by for the upcoming week. They say the sun has fried my brain, I believe they may be correct. It seems they will attempt to derail my schedule, I must be vigilant. ________ Tue: bicycle crunches 50x plank 45 seconds reverse crunches 30x plank 30 seconds bodyweight squats 15x burpees 10x plank 15 seconds bodyweight squats 10x plank 30 seconds bicycle crunches 30 bodyweight squats 10x reverse crunches 30x next half hour was dedicated to pistol squat progressions and working on balance Wed: 25x pushups 10x biceps curl /2 25lb weights 15x pushups 10x lateral raise /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 10x bent over rear deltoids raise /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 10x hammer curl /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 10x upright row /1 25 lb weight 10x pushups 10x biceps curl /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 10x two arms triceps extension /1 25lb weight 10x pushups 10x wide row /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 50x alternating arm incline push /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 40x alternating arm incline push /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 30x alternating arm incline push /2 25lb weights 5x pushups 20x shoulder press /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 10x biceps curl to shoulder press /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 10x biceps curl to shoulder press /2 25lb weights 10x pushups 20x one arm triceps extension (right) 5x pushups 20x one arm triceps extension (left) 5x pushups Thu: Squats, varying squats, pistol squat progression, weighted squats, did I say squats? Decided to really pump out as many as I could. It was grueling and my have been killing me since. It made my two 10 mile bike rides on Friday hell.I can get down past the halfway point for my height now before I fall over. Taking baby steps here but I'm really going to start pushing myself for these things on my non-pushup/upper body days. Fri: Struggled getting up the stairs after biking home from work due to the soreness from the day before. I had company there that will be staying through next Sunday. Managed to squeeze in a quick dumbbell workout with 100 pushups mixed in between sets before getting fully distracted after they started banging on my door. They thought I was crazy for wanting to workout more after biking home in the heat. They love to eat out and bought a ton of junk food; realized the next week is going to be a real test of will when it comes to nutrition.

Entry IV 8-5-14 I woke up rather early in the morning to do some stretching and prepare myself. The princely ghost carefully floated behind me. It appeared there was a joke he was only privy to which entertained him dearly. He and I had already made arrangements the night before. Today would be the first day I would exert myself in one exercise till I could no longer continue. At his recommendation, it would be pushups as they are "rudimentary" as he put it The first ten went by without me really noticing, but the following ten let me know they were there. By the time I reached thirty my arms were aching and my chest burned. I counted a few more but couldn't really focus much as my arms gave way to my weight and I collapsed face first into the floor. My heart was pounding but I quickly gathered my self up and continued with my exercises before dropping down and giving it another go and then another one not long after that one. Sadly, I wasn't able to get nearly as high the second time and the third time, well let's not discuss it much. Suffice to say, there was disappointment aimed my way. Regardless, it's progress. ___ Friday: I hammered in my routine in spurts after my warm up because I knew that it was the first time in the challenge that I'd be seeing how close to my goal I actually am. I made it through about 34/35 pushups before I just couldn't force my achy arms to bring me down for one more. I'm counting only 34 in all honesty because I'm pretty sure that 35th one was only a half pushup. After shaking out my arms a bit and doing a few dumbbell moves I plopped back down and got through 26. After a bit more I managed 17. From there it trailed down into 12, a few 10s, 7, and finally a few rounds of 5. I'm 16 away from my goal and still have about 4.5 weeks to go in this challenge. I'm pretty stoked though because a few weeks ago I could barely get to 27. Weekend: Rest mostly. I did bike a bit early in the days to get some activity. I also went over to Sedona for a nice finish to my three day weekend and walked a lot down trails and inclines. It was warm but completely worth it.