Search the Community

Something that I want to (re)learn how to do sometime soon is a cartwheel, but my attempts at it this summer made me feel like I was about to pull muscles. I haven't done cartwheels since I was a teenager, so it's been 10+ years (ugggggh typing that number made me want to cry!). I've been working on handstands via Steve's progression (still working on wall planks), which I assume will help, but my questions are: Is there anything else I should be doing in order to help with being able to do a cartwheel? Is there a recommended progression I should follow to work up to it? Thanks!!

Round Four begins. Mark it, dude. Time for a look in the mirror. Three challenges ago, I was an assassin. I worked on handstands, threw my kettlebells around, and worked on running with moar speed. Gains were made, and Pav saw that it was good, said that it was good, and it was good. Two challenges ago, I sat out. Life got the better of me. I didn't stop working out but I couldn't bring myself to do another challenge, for reasons even I don't understand. But I itched, and I burned, and not in that bad way that makes you rethink your life choices, but in that good way that makes you rethink your life choices. Last challenge, I threw in with the scouts. I worked on my barefoot running to improve my form and heal a heel injury. Heel a heal, I know, right? I worked on burpees to build up strength and explosive power. And I tried to set a goal on my writing, but it turns out that my days are quite full enough with full-time dadding and writing about 2,000 words a day on novels and blogs and working out five times a week. It was my first challenge fail, but one that taught me about goal setting. This challenge, I'm an assassin again, because I just can't get enough of bouncing off the walls and running around wearing black. And this challenge, there's a theme, because I love movies and I love The Big Lebowski, and why not? So -- Goals! 1: Cartwheelin'. I've never been able to do one. I tried once, when I was 13, and I promptly fell right on my head. But since I taught myself to handstand, I figure a cartwheel can't be that much tougher, right? Right. I have no idea how to teach myself to cartwheel, and I'm sure I will only look like a fool learning, but I'm gonna get it. Strict pass/fail on this one, but I have only confidence. +3 dex and +2 wis on the line (but only if I don't fall on my head). Cartwheels: Sorta kinda not actually falling on my head anymore%Sorta kinda not actually falling on my head anymore% 2: Just Hanging Around. My favorite piece of fitness equipment (and one of my only ones, in fact) is my gymnastic rings. They are challenging and humbling and oh so much fun. But I need to do more work on them. So the goal this time is twofold: Improve my dead-hang pull-ups from 3 to 8. Might be too ambitious; I reserve the right to move the target. Improve my dips from 10 to 15. Might be too conservative; I reserve the right to move the target. Just for fun, find some more movements to practice with them. No goal here, just more movement because rings are fun.+3 Str, +1 dex, +1 sta on the line. ***GOAL EDITED*** Seeing as I'm having such a good time with the reddit bodyweight workout, I'm amending this goal to simply completing that workout 3x weekly for the 6 week period. My particular track on the workout is rings-heavy (pull-ups, dips, bodyweight rows, and some support work) so I'm hitting the same areas and putting in the time with the gear, but my arms are so toasted I think it might be silly to reach for a gain like the one I'd imagined at the same time. Workouts: 18 / 18 100%100% 3: Diet. Yeah, that picture pretty much sums up my diet over the summer, and the Dude's face shows you how I feel about it. I'm a teacher, and being home and off my routine has made it too easy to make bad choices. I've shied away from doing dietary challenges in the past, but I need to face facts and accept that while my fitness has gotten better, my diet is holding me back, especially in terms of my weight-loss goal. Now, I'm not one for tracking my every meal or counting every calorie. But what I can do is give myself some benchmarks to keep it simple. And I'll do it in three rules of 3: 3 prepped-from-home salads for lunch every week. No more than 3 alcoholic beverages every week. No more than 3 dessert items every week.Salads: 17 / 18 94%94% Booze: 19 / 18 106%106% Dessert: 17 / 18 94%94% +3 cha, +2 con because a better diet can only make me into a more cheerful dude, right? So, that's a fairly ambitious but also totally achievable set of goals for this challenge. All fires under asses are now officially lit. And we know what happens if the Dude comes up short... So, we'll see if I'm still standing at the end of 6 weeks... Week 6 is in the bag, final totals are in!

Because not all Disney princesses are damsels in distress, and anyone who knows me can tell you that I am the exact opposite of a damsel in distress. Hi again! I’m blkhole24601, or Vicki if you want a real name to work with, a former Scout who is learning the graces of Assassinhood through dancing and maybe someday, gymnastics. My main motivation is because of my night job: I’m an actress in the Denver area and musical theatre is my first love, which is all well and good except I’m not exactly what you’d call graceful. Thus, my focus on dance! I’m also trying to pick up other physical skills (see: handstands, cartwheels, splits, etc.) that will make me more employable. Main Quest: Become a physically adept actress! Quest 1: Mulan - Let’s Get Down to Business [+2 STR +4 DEX +3 TBD] I know Mulan isn't technically a princess, but she's part of the official Disney Princess franchise so... This quest is honestly just a fancy way of saying, “I will exercise five times a week.†There is a regimen I want to incorporate into every workout that I do, and this is the easiest way to be sure that I not only find that routine but also continue to learn/perfect the skills I want to have under my belt by year’s end. So, said regimen: TMNT Mobility and Balance 5x/week [+2 DEX] Stronglifts 2x/week, free-for-all workout 3x/week [+2 STR, +3 TBD based on what I do] Jazz/ballet/tap classes don’t count. Not because I don’t think they’re a workout because I know they are, but because my focus is more on technique than a cardio session. Alternatively, other dance classes will count, and any at-home work on jazz/ballet/tap will also count. Tentative plan for the three other workouts will be yoga, running, and at-home dance work/U-Jam/Zumba, but again, NOT holding myself to this in case of Life. Splits/Flexibility Work 5x/week [+2 DEX] If a minimum of 30 minutes of yoga was completed as the main workout, it will also count towards this criterion. A = all 3 criteria met | B = 2 criteria met | C = 1 criteria met | D = for effort | F = zilch Quest 2: Ariel - Getting New Legs [+3 DEX] To continue my ultimate 2015 quest to quit moving like a graceless lummox at dance callbacks, I’m dedicating myself to 3x/week of dancing, with one of those days being at a jazz/ballet/tap class. Ideally I’d love for this to be twice a week but realistically schedules may not always work out that way. Zumba/U-Jam/anything that isn’t jazz or ballet or tap will not count towards having gone to class but will count towards the 3x/week. [3/6/2015 Adjustment: Weeks 5 and 6 will be excluded from the class requirement as long as I spend one dance session focused purely on technique.] A = 3x/week (A- =3x/week, no class) | B = 2x/week (B- = 2x/week, no class) | C = 1x/week, class | D = 1x/week, no class | F = zilch Quest 3: Tiana - Best Cook This Side of the Mississippi [+1 CON] Okay, so my meals will most definitely not hold a candle to Tiana’s, but I do miss cooking like something fierce. Therefore, I will cook once a week. I know it’s not a lot, but it’s all about starting small. I do hope that cooking more frequently than once a week will come naturally as I get into it more! A = 6 weeks complete| B = 5 weeks complete | C = 3-4 weeks complete | D = 1-2 meals cooked | F = never happened Life Quest: Giselle - Happy Working Song [+2 CHA] I don't care that she's not part of the official franchise, I love her and I love this movie. Part One: Sing 6x/week, just to solidify this as a habit. For a contingency should I not be able to sing for whatever reason (sick, voice needs a break, etc.), as long as I dedicate time towards studying musical theory, working on my audition pieces or The Mikado music (such as solfege work or plucking the notes out on my piano to get them in my head), or researching pieces for upcoming auditions, it will count. [+1 CHA] A = 6x/week | B = 5x/week | C = 3-4x/week | D = 1-2x/week | F = zilch Part Two: And now for a proper adulting requirement. I’m bad at keeping my apartment clean. I’m good at Netflix marathons. So, let’s combine the two! I will clean 5x/week for the length of an episode of whatever on Netflix. If I put in something that’s longer than 20-40 minutes, then I will only dedicate myself to cleaning for the first half hour or so. This should also, theoretically, help me declutter, too. [+1 CHA] [3/6/2015 Adjustment: 2 days a week starting in Week 3, as long as I do one chore in the house, it will count towards this quest. Chores mean putting away dishes, starting laundry, putting away laundry, taking out the trash, cleaning the litter box, etc.] A = 5x/week | B = 4x/week | C = 3x/week | D = 1-2x/week | F = zilch In Summary: 1. Workout 5x/week [+2 STR +4 DEX +3 TBD] 2. Dance 3x/week (Class 1x/week) [+3 DEX] 3. Cook 1x/week [+1 CON] 4. Sing 6x/week [+1 CHA] 5. Clean 5x/week [+1 CHA] (see why I basically HAD to go with a Disney princess theme???) Attribute Point Distribution: 2+ STR | 7+ DEX | - STA | 1 CON | 0 WIS | 2 CHA (3 points from Quest 1 to be distributed at the end of the challenge based upon what exercises I do. Tentatively +1 STA and +2 DEX) Weekly Recaps: Day 0 | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Challenge Complete! Mini-Challenges +1 STR earned +1 STA earned +1 CON earned +1 DEX earned +1 CHA earned +1 WIS earned

Elastigirl sits alone in her room, mindlessly staring at the computer in front of her. She is trying to get her mind off her worries. But instead her mind is reeling with the events of the past few weeks. Sighing, she recalls the events that led to this day. It started innocent enough. A seemingly friendly alien moved into a nearby town. He referred to himself as Little Cloud. Everyone seemed to like him. He said he wanted their town to grow and prosper. The towns people enthusiastically set out to him build their town into a thriving metropolis. It all seemed to be going so well. The town was now a thriving metropolis, growing larger every day. But then the rumors started. Rumors that Little Cloud was somehow taking the souls of the townspeople and using the very souls of the people as energy for his metropolis. At first the rumors were ignored as gossip, but then people started reporting how their friends and family were disappearing. Or worse, how they had changed from cheerful, fun loving people into emotionless drones. It was then that Dash, now an adult, had been sent out a mission to discover the truth. He has his superpower of speed, and he had taken his light saber sword with him for protection. But that had been over a month ago and Elastigirl had heard nothing from him since he set out. But the Superpowerhero Security Force was denying her and Mr. Incredible permission to search for him. So now she sits staring at her computer screen, trying not to worry. Her phone beeps. She checks for messages. Her body tenses as she realizes the text is from Dash. The message reads: ydo; kk kj lfjej wskfe wgldj Elastigirl quickly grabs her decoder ring and set out to solve the cipher. Help;Im in prison, sword stolen. She swallows hard, trying not to let panic overtake her. Dash is being held prisoner somewhere, defenseless without his sword. With this message, the Superhero Security Force will give her the green light to start a rescue mission. But instead of acting quickly, she sits in front of the computer, unsure of her next move. Taking a deep breath, she decides to Skype Edna and brief her. Elastigirl updates Edna. Edna looks meaningfully at her for a moment and then says: Elasitigirl takes another breath and focuses. She has this. She is ready to begin the rescue mission And so the mission begins.... Main Quest: Be able to do a freestanding handstand Missions #1 Hold a freestanding handstand for 5 seconds/be able to repeat this feat 4 times DEX =4 Mission # 2 Practice morning and evening 5 times a week/keep track on chart- note the goal is to practice 2 times a day. However, if that doesn't happen I am allowed to make up session I may miss during the week 2nd note If my body is too tired to complete a practice I will do stretches and visualize myself doing an awesome handstand instead STA=3 Mission #3 Handstand prep work; frogger and scapular retraction 3 times a week STR=3 Life Goal;The heart, (and liver) of the matter In fall we bought 1/4 of a cow (in frozen beef form). We affectionately refer to her as Bessie. Sadly, most of Bessie is just a fond memory. We had eaten all of her-except the heart and liver and some other part, I'm not sure what it is. And I keep saying we will try it later. Well, the time is now. By the end of the challenge, I will have cooked and eaten all that remains of our cow. CON=5 .