kungfupunk

End of Week 5 My week didn't go as planned, but I still made it to the gym four times. Happy about that for sure. The only thing that's irritating me is my lack of body comp change. I've lost a little weight since starting training in January, but my measurements all look the same. I need to let that go because all I can do is focus on what I can change. I can change the number of workouts I do or how hard my workouts are, but I can't change my measurements. The other irritating thing is I have to take shirtless pics for my online training program. Front, side, back. But you know, I'm going to not let them disappoint me the way they always do. I look how I look and I'm good with that. We can't all be underwear models. I attended a yoga class today and have felt amazing all day so I'm going to start integrating that into my routine. I swear it makes me feel younger. One week left! W00t. Going to plan my meals for the week and then go shopping. Have a good one out there!

Douglas Hofstadter: "Which statement seems more true: (1) I have a brain. (2) I am a brain." I DON'T KNOW!

Week 5 Update My legs have been too sore since Thursday's workout to lift, so I did an easy hike Saturday and then just worked in the garden yesterday. Today, the weather was crappy, so I did 30 minutes of HIIT. Lots of jump squats, jump lunges, triceps pushups, regular pushups, vertical jumps, etc. Pushed it hard enough to make me feel light headed, so I backed off a bit. I really love HIIT style workouts. They're fast and furious and I can fit them in my schedule so easily. 30 minutes all out and I'm good. I'm really happy I stumbled across Nerd Fitness. This challenge has been so great, despite my late start. Working hard for that level up!

Hey Lulz, I do the same thing whenever I log my food. It definitely makes me more aware of what I'm eating, so I inadvertently clean up my meals OR I eat way worse than usual because I'm anxious about it. The leg workout was a good one for sure. I've been doing strength workouts like this one for a while now, only I get bored of them quickly, so I've never been able to really push the heavy weights. That's why I think I like the Ranger class here more than Warrior. I've never been able to stick to a strictly strength workout plan for more than a few months. Thanks for the questions!

That's why I never wash my flannel shirts or my buffalo-fur pants. *sniffs*

Check In Had a surprisingly good leg workout yesterday. I usually bitch and moan about workouts devoted to nothing but legs, but it didn't bother me. Just got under the bar and focused on each rep, rather than focused on the end result. Here's what it looked like: Barbell Squat - 21 reps @ 160 lbs, 20 reps @ 90 lbs Reverse dumbbell lunges - 50 reps @ 70 lbs Dumbbell step ups - 45 reps @ 60 lbs Stiff-leg Deadlift - 35 reps @ 110 lbs Lying leg curl - 35 reps @ 50 lbs Calf raise - 35 reps @ 130 lbs The squats really took me to church because the last round of 20 reps is without a break. Overall, good time in the gym. My habits percentage has been slowly rising since starting this challenge here at Nerd Fitness, which I'm really happy about. I started at 50% compliance. Now I'm at 79%. I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about why I eat certain foods and how food can be a way to numb ugly feelings. Focusing on self-compassion has helped big time. Every time I catch myself thinking I'm stupid or lazy or worthless or whatever, I step back and ask myself if I'd say that to someone I love. Weird how it can all be connected.

Exactly. And this sums up my flirt game.

I need a pair of fighting trousers.

Update I've been on point with my veggie eating habit this week. I took a break from green smoothies for a while but have started to drink more of them, just so I can get my 5 servings of veg/fruits in one go. I've hit the trails the last two days. I went 2 miles each day. Not huge mileage, but I still feel great because I'm outside loving nature. (Damn hippy) This evening is leg day, so plenty of squats and lunges. I've always had an ass like a flat screen TV. Guess I better throw in some extra glute work. Rock on.

Oooh, skull crushers are one of my favorite exercises for the triceps. Here's a YouTube demo: And yes, the snakes are venomous and grumpy. Most of the time they stay off the trails, but they like the sunshine, so they'll stay close to it. The coaching program I'm participating in is fully online. I imagine it's much like the Nerd Fitness Academy here, only the forums are pretty quiet. Not like this place at all. Oh, and the nerds are sparse.

I say 30-minute walks count toward your goal of moving. Not every session of exercise is epic. But they still count because we're moving. IMHO of course. In my thread, I asked you if it's strangely warm in Iowa. 81 degrees?! That seems pretty toasty.

Welcome Zack. One thing that popped into my head about gaining muscle and eating more - how quickly do you usually eat your meals? I've found that there's something to the speed of our meals. People who eat slowly don't eat as much as those who shovel in the food as soon as the plate hits the table. Maybe something to think about as you're looking to gain weight and eat more. You may need to eat faster. Good luck man!

@Sherlock - I usually carry hiking poles because of the snakes. They keep things interesting, for sure. Is the weather in Iowa as strangely warm as it is here? Quick Check In Yesterday's workout was chest, shoulders, triceps and I could really tell I hadn't been with the weights for a while. My chesticles (or pecs, but chesticles are funnier to me) are the only muscle that grows on my upperbody. My guess is everyone has certain muscles that grow better than others. Chesticles are mine. But this means I don't train them much because they're so out of proportion with my shoulders and arms. I'm always envious of guys with awesome shoulders and arms because I can't build them at all. Anyway, I hit a few rep goals in my workout. Here's how it looked: Bench Press: 28 reps @ 130lbsIncline Bench: 30 reps @ 90 lbs (will go up)Seated shoulder press: 30 reps @ 50 lbs (damn shoulders!)Lateral raise: 30 reps @ 30lbs (will go up)Close-grip bench: 25 reps @ 90lbsSkull crushers: 30 reps @ 50 lbs (will go up)Today I'll hit the trails after work for a quick 2-mile loop and my trainer posted our next habit we need to follow this week: Eat 5 servings of vegetables and fruits. Hell yes! Being a plant-based eater, this is my jam. Keep fighting out there!

Hey Sherlocklulz, thanks for stopping by. Your username is awesome by the way. I usually try to keep it as simple and as light as possible when I go hiking. I find that if I try to make it too complicated, I don't feel motivated to do it. For the longer hikes, I carry a small backpack with a CamelBak full of water and some snacks like trail mix. As for clothing, anything that is lightweight and that wicks sweat works for me. Usually gym shorts and a t-shirt. My shoes aren't too exciting. For intense, rocky areas, I wear Merrell Moab Ventilators, but those often stay home. Trail running shoes work well. I'm in northern Utah, so we have several trails just a few minutes away. The only thing I have to watch out for are rattlesnakes. They'll be hitting the trails soon and they're always grumpy as hell.