cob

I'll tell you what. This challenge is showing some real results. Definition in the triceps and biceps. Unfortunately, it's kind of stale and I don't even have that much to say. But, I suppose progress isn't about the exciting chaos of change as much as the steady progress of growth.

Does this mean post-partum depression is a misdiagnosis, or is it separate from birth-related PTSD?

Due to what can only be described as Murphy taking vengeance on me for being productive and progressive, I am currently without cell phone and laptop. My only form of communication is the computer lab on campus. Week Two and Three post is imminent What does the scouter say about his Power Level? It's almost nine thousaaaaaand! This week saw several benchmarks 100 pushups in a workout.3 pull ups (not that many, but it's a start!)Learned to deadlift the barAs for the strength-to-weight ratio, I haven't checked yet. I'll look at it at the school gym at the end of this week and then again at the end of the sixth week of the challenge. Given that I can do 100 pushups throughout the workout, and my change in physique, I think it's safe to say that I must be improving to some degree. During my last workout for this week (week three) I'll be attempting 45 in a single set. Beyond that, I took Thursday (my last workout) until today off, just because of school starting and wanting to stay focused. What I discovered was that my focus is better when I actively work on my fitness as well! Today was by far the best day of class and it started with the exact same workout as Thursday. I thought I might see some gain or loss from then, but it felt just about as crushing. I'm not going to analyze further. A Life of Combat I did, in fact, attend three classes last week. During the open mat classes, I had the interesting opportunity to crosstrain as uke for one of my sempai. He asked for good solid martial technique from various arts that I'd practiced for his upcoming first kyu test, where his particular focus is application. That, plus shadowboxing throughout my downtime is starting to seem like a good method to always keep my arts up. Shadow boxing, as it turns out, kills time fantastically! Purity of Body: Keeping the workouts to bodyweight only, as I feel it's pushing me harder than a machine and I can push myself even further beyond. I'll be checking out the UNLV gym this weekend just to get a feel for what's available. My goal is going to be combining the bodyweight and dumbbell workouts harmonious.Seeing how much time and effort goes into such minimal gains as mine, I've lost my fear of getting too big. So, ya know... that's good (thanks to various Rebels who also directed me towards good information on the matter).The restaurant we ate at for my sempai's going away party qualified as "clean" eating by sensei's definition. Still, I can't help but feel like I've eaten my last junk meal for the rest of the challenge. Funny thing is, with three weeks nearly done, surviving without eating out or having a lazy day seems... simple and easy.Purity of Mind: School started, yay! So far so good. Unfortunately, academia isn't very exciting.Both my English and Japanese professors made me very sad that linguistics is no longer a viable major at UNLV. I may still opt to minor in it, as the history of language systems is quite plainly fascinating.Picking up a few martial texts to read after I finish homework and such for each school week. Based on the syllabi, I should have time to read about one every two weeks.Purity of Spirit: The lack of electronic devices in my life has given me some time to really think about this one. Being honest with yourself and others is one thing. Literally having nothing but yourself is completely different. It's actually a significant challenge for someone with depression. Still, facing your personal failings and inescapable thoughts is cathartic and - dare I say - healthy. So, here's what I've learned about myself and my spirit: Despite always having a backup plan, I find that a single, albeit minor thing can really stress me to the end of the world.Regardless of the problem and my feelings, it's becoming increasingly harder to give up and not find a solution. I attribute this to a number of outside supports (I suffered a severe crash at the beginning of the week and they helped a lot) but also to my general dedication to a healthier and more budo-esque life. There is no room to give up unless you are prepared to die. So said the Samurai, so say I.School makes me happy. That's pretty much everything from the last two weeks. Mostly, it's that awkward transition from full-time work to full-time school that threw me off, but I've managed to keep to eating clean and being pure. What more can I do? That's what I aim to figure out by week five.

I have a question for any strength/warrior monks. How much would it hurt for me to not workout/tone it back this week as school starts? Will there be any significant loss or gain?

Re the stance: The idea is to be able to drive the ball of your back foot into the ground to get more power in your hips. With the heel flat, you simply don't generate as much force as you could. Fingers outstretched so you can grab, strike open-hand, or make a fist as the situation calls. It's all about getting the most out of the least in Krav. It's much more natural to keep your fingers open, it's much more powerful to simply raise your heel an inch off the ground, and it's much safer to keep your arms close in for protection - especially in a street fight where bumrushing is usually the first attack. It's close cover. Rest well! Neck pain is the WORST!

Love it! I'm just gonna go ahead and follow this thread

You are giving me respect for The Rock I never expected to have! My respect for you is also on the grow

My only addition to running vs swimming is that there is a difference between swimming and swimming. I got yelled at by a triathlete friend who criticized my technique as "casual freestyle" and not the most efficient method of swimming. Worth asking someone for technical advice if you want to swim for fitness. The more efficient distance coverage is a much more killer workout

Full plank is the top of pushup position, dolphin is the elbow version. I did it so I could do more pushups. Communication is an important skill! If you have a chatty cathy on your hands, I think improving in that area would improve your relationship exponentially. Home made Gyro and I got attacked for throwing it in a bowl instead of eating the bread. Arabic family is like "WHAT! WITHOUT THE NAAN THERE IS NO POINT TO EATING!!!" I'm honestly finding that I like protein style more and more as time goes on. When I cook up lean ground beef into a burger, I prefer wrapping it in lettuce these days. There's just more flavor! Is this transformative? Is it my intent? Yes and no. Either way, it can't hurt

To me, it means train hard and train safely. In Aikido, we have a similar phrase "Tap early, tap often." The idea is not to just take the pin to the most extreme until your shoulder gets pulled out of the socket (which has happened), but rather to train slowly and incrementally so that you don't even realize when you've progressed. Improvement as natural state of being.

Ithought we only needed to live through week one. I went ahead and conducted a suicide ritual top bring me back as a Lich. So I'm here... But... Alive? Ish?

I like that it's cheechoe kicking. This should somehow become a guild-wide thing

Two things. First off, you are on track to become an interdimensional superhero. Second, That quote is... just awesome. Keep pushing forward! You're going to succeed in a big way!

Thanks for the feedback y'all! I may be right their with you! I can get down, but not back up. But I did get 100 pushups today, so hopefully I'm getting there!

An interesting discovery has been that working out in the mornings encourages me to eat a consistent breakfast with a nice balance of protein and carbs (two egg veggie omelet with a little cheese in a whole wheat wrap). I bet this turns out to be a good thing. Second, I learned that burpees don't have a push up in them by default. That's how I learned them so it's how I always did them, but apparently that's a "bastardo." I'm still saying burpees though. that said, this workout. 10 pistol squats 10 5count standard push ups 10 pistol squats 10 chest tap pushups ups 20 hip raises 10 Switch grip pushups 20 hip raises 10 glide and push ups 25 sit ups 10 5count wide grip pushups 25 situps 10 diamond pushups dolphin Plank to failure (63 sec) 10 burpees 1 pull up 10 Pull up negatives 10 Burpees 1 pull up 10 pull up negatives 10 burpees Got me so devilishly close to 100 pushups that I immediately busted out the last ten just for the round numberness. So, there's a new milestone. the next step is replacing standard pushups with burpees and only using variants on pushups. The body part is going really well! As for the mind, the question of how I would change the world given the opportunity really challenged me to think of what change I'd like to see in our species. I'll c/p my answer here *** If i could change the world, I would use my skills as a writer and orator combined with scientific research and factual evidence to wake people up to the fact that you MUST push both your mind AND body to the limit in order to truly further our evolution. Ingraining these two things into people would make us a more adaptable species and that is the key to evolutionary survival. Everything mentioned above such as freeing ourselves of fossil fuels, removing the need for government, changing how we approach religion, and basically all of Missy's ideas would follow this change on the basis that we are smarter and stronger as a whole and we would realize we don't need those things when we max ourselves out. We'd learn to live in the present and focus on the difference we can each make every day, resulting in overall faster and ffurther progress in any endeavor." Since this year for me is all about change and transformation, how would/are you planning to make a change in your own or someone else's life?

If you have no martial arts training, I'd say go for the one that looks cooler to you. No matter what martial art you train, some of the underlying principles are universal: All movement comes from your core and hips, this is where you generate the most powerGet comfortable being uncomfortableThere's always someone better than you. Train to be better than that.There are a lot more and different wordings blahblahblah. The bottom line is that martial arts are very relatable. I'd as you, do you want to spend more time developing explosive power - as in the ridiculously potent knees and elbows of Muay Thai - or savage strength - what it takes to control an opponent, BJJ? Second, do you want to train for "real" situations? This is kind of a loaded question. But the bottom line is, if you expect to fight in the street, going to the ground means your odds of severe injuries not limited to head trauma grow exponentially. Quite frankly, in the real world, the ground is hot lava. Third, Are you planning to compete in MMA? If you are, you may as well start with BJJ, since it seems like a non-negotiable component of MMA, where the striking art you choose more or less defines your personal style. Lastly, Are you more interested in traditionalist martial arts and training or modern training? Most strictly Muay Thai dojo use many the same methods they've used for centuries. Brutal bone conditioning and aggressive training with full-contact sparring. BJJ tends to take place in a very Western gym. It also wouldn't hurt to talk to the chief instructors at both schools and see what they have to say on the matter. I always throw up a big red flag for a training hall if the instructor insists their style is superior. To me, it shows they don't understand the roots of martial arts and the principles that matter. It also means they ignore the possibility that someone can beat them. This leads to complacence. Truth is, experience is the king of victory. The soldiers chosen for black ops aren't random; they're the guys who have been tested in battle and were expected to die, but didn't. All in all, it's pesonal preference, but that's some food for thought.

Kendo is barefeet and armor. There is leg armor only against Naginata and that doesn't cover the feet. I think Kishi has the right idea

Going to the gym always lifts my mood! And if you can't make it, there are always 5-15 minute bodyweight circuits you can do. Anything is better than nothing The warriors are beast! If you're a Monk, I'd say they are the best group to Crosstrain with. One man's opinion, but still.

Gluten-free bread? I'm... What? You MUST share this recipe!