Search the Community

I've started seeing a counselor at my uni to deal with the I-want-do-all-the-things-but-can't-because-I-still-don't-feel-100% fallout. Some of my homework from the last session is to track how I spend my time for two weeks, which conveniently lines up with the inter-challenge break. Challenge goals will be formulated based on the data I collect. Now that lifting is feeling better, I'm also in the process of planning a new lifting program, after using 5/3/1 for ages and kind of stalling. Let's see how I respond to some volume... And now that sleep is more stable, it's also time for me to try some more AIP reintroductions, which I'll track here since I need to keep track of them somewhere! The reintroduction for today (6/27): sugar snap peas. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Updated to add GOALS Goal 1: Evening Routine Start wrapping up the day between 8:15 and 8:30 pm (between 8:00 pm and 8:15 pm if I still need to shower). My hope is that by giving myself a time window instead of a specific time, I'll see that it's, say, 8:21 pm and think "Oh, time to wind down!" instead of "9 more minutes!" I might also move this time earlier if I'm successful during the first part of the challenge. Wrapping up the day = Get ready for the next day as much as I can and have time/energy for (picking out clothes to wear the next day, packing food, packing bags, washing dishes, etc.), Getting ready for bed Spending some time winding down (e.g., with reading or meditation) Goal 2: Mobility Do at least 5 min of mobility work on my rest days. This isn't much, but I just want to get in the habit of thinking about it again, and usually once I've started I'll do more if I need to. Goal 3 (LUYL): Log the good stuff Sometimes when I have a bad day physically (or even if I'm worried about the future because of my health) I can forget how much I've accomplished in my work and personal life, and how much I can still do and enjoy even if some activities (e.g., going to swing dances in the evening) would be too taxing. I'll keep a journal of these things on a day-to-day basis so I have a reminder of the good stuff when I need one. I might also experiment with other mediums besides writing (e.g., photography). Goal: log or otherwise record the good stuff 6+ days/week. Goal 4 (LUYL): Spend quality time with myself I haven't been giving much time for just me recently, and, as an introvert, I suspect that's been stressing me out. Goal to fix that: Give two hours of time to ME on the weekends. To count as ME time, I need to be by myself (at least in a separate room from other people, or with plenty of personal space if I'm outside). Possible activities include going for a walk on my own, drawing, painting, journaling, taking photos, listening to music, reading, etc. Netflix will count if I'm really really tired and don't have much energy, but other things take precedence. Things that don't count: lifting, researching how to draw/lift/do some other skill (i.e., don't collect underpants), working on my PhD, messaging or talking to other people.

Hey guys! First post here, but I have read a few so I think I get the idea. My goals this month are a little more broad, but I plan to get a little more specific in the future. Long story short, this month is a rough one for me. Last June, my brother (technically half brother, on my dads side, but we were brothers. Closer than most I would say) took his own life. Needless to say that was a HUGE devastation and shock to me and the whole family. My training and care for my wellbeing went away for quite a while. But, over the last couple of weeks I have been getting back in the gym, and getting my life back together. SO, on a lighter note, here are my goals for June... Training: My broader goal is that I will strength train AT LEAST 4 days a week. I like doing all 5 workdays, but 4 is what I require of myself. My specific goal, however, is I would like to have a clean 240 bench max, a clean 285 squat max, and a clean 435 deadlift max. I pushed 235 bench today actually, which was a new PR, but it was very sloppy. My DL max, last I tried which was last week, was 425. I think that shouldn't be a problem. My squat max will be the bigger issue, as I have always neglected it. I'll keep you updated though! Nutrition: I started on Monday tracking my food a lot better. I have 2 goals for this, one is to stick to my food plan and stay as close to my macros as I can with a 90/10 approach. Basically only allow foods not on my plan 10% of the time. Two, that 10% of the time, it can't be junk garbage food like sweets and fast food. I have developed almost an addiction to that crap. No more! Life: This one is on a more serious note. I am HORRIBLE with communication. With my Dad, my Mom, my friends, everyone. Being the moth of the year anniversary of my brothers death, I want to make it a point, to start calling and talking to my family and friends, and be more invested in their lives. Especially my Dad, as he was the one that found my brother, and will be having a really hard month. Cherish the time you have with the ones you care about. It would rock your world to know how fast it could end. Thank you guys for all of the support and advice from the Facebook group. I hope to be more active here in the future! Let's get this shit done!! -Ben

I'm getting off to my usual late start. I went out of town for Memorial Day and have been playing catch-up since then. This is mostly a continuation of my previous challenge. Goals Lifting: During the last week of this challenge, on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, the gym at my work will be hosting a mock powerlifting meet. It is pretty non-standard, particularly in that it will take place with each lift on a separate day to avoid interfering unduly with work. Nevertheless, it will be the first time I have lifted in a competitive setting and the first time that I have tested my maxes since I started barbell training several years ago. My nominal goal is merely to compete, but I also plan to go on some kind of taper, which I've never done before. I'd also like to set PRs for bench and deadlift. Setting a squat PR is unlikely, as longtime readers will know, because I am currently squatting well below my PR in order to correct a nagging form issue. This is worth 3 STR. Running: Run once a week. Running as you taper for a powerlifting meet? Insanity! Actually, for the duration of this challenge, including the meet. I will continue to be "running" exclusively in the aerobic zone for about an hour a week. I've been doing this for 5 weeks now, and it doesn't seem to have interfered with my lifts. It's really very light. The question is whether it will help for the 5k I am running in on July 2nd. This is worth 3 STA. Yoga: Same deal as before. Two full-length sessions per week. 2 DEX SICP: Also the same as last challenge. 3 hours a week doing SICP exercises. 2 WIS

Because object permanence. Yep, I disappeared during the last challenge I tried to complete, mostly because sleep wasn't happening, despite my efforts to sort it out. That's improving, though I still have bad nights, probably thanks largely to orange goggles, magnesium powder, high-ish dose vitamin C, and preliminary attempts at stress management. Thankfully my PhD supervisor gives me a lot of flexibility for when, where, and how much I work, so my newly started graduate studies can take a back seat when needed to sort out the health stuff. Also on the plus side, I pulled 147.5 kg for a single during my 1+ deadlift session yesterday, so my deadlift is almost back up to its previous glory (152 kg). Goals: Be in bed by 9:30 pm (but aim for 9 pm so I actually hit this target). Track my food either in advance or as I go (I shouldn't have to log more than two past meals/snacks at once). Exception: I don't need to track this first weekend (June 3-4) while traveling, though my diet will remain the same. Go easy on the cashew butter (limit: 150 g/day). Without it it's hard for me to get enough calories on AIP (+ some reintroductions), but I don't need aaaall of the cashew butter. LUYL: Draw and/or paint at least 2x/week. I'm waiting on a set of brushes so I can try watercolours Oh, and don't disappear.

Leaves and sticks crunched under Achaedia's feet as she made her way through the forest. She was sure it was here. The directions she had been given would indicate she should be coming upon the rebellion any time now. After a year-long absence in which she had married the love of her life, purchased a dwelling on the outskirts of Rata Sum, and graduated from University as a Master of Synergetics, she was now ready to return to the fray. Achaedia the Warrior Part II: The Liftening Goal 01. Strengthening Achaedia will research and select a workout program as a means of getting back into fighting shape. The ideal program will combine interval training for cardio with power lifting for strength. Once the training program has been selected, training will commence. Goal 02. Hydrating Achaedia will increase her water intake by 25% a week, with the first week serving as a baseline. Goal 03. Musicking Achaedia wouldn't call herself a bard by any means, but she used to be known to tickle the ivories every now and then. In the month of June, Achaedia will do warm-up exercises on the piano at least 3x a week. Bonus Goal: Gainful Employment An asura's got to eat. She will procure a part-time job in order to earn gold during the summer when the progeny are out of school.

Former Ranger, first time Warrior here looking for a bit of a fresh start. Just a quick bit of background. Back in 2013 I went from 242lbs at 5'9" to 190lbs just by cutting out junk food and working out regularly. At that time I was using some what of a bodybuilding style split. I then fell off the rails a bit and now am back at 240lbs, albeit a different 240 than what my previous 242 was. Anywho I would like to get back down to around 200lbs again and this time I will be using the Wendler 5/3/1 template with some accessory work. I still have to get my numbers so I know where to start off at so that is what I am doing this week in preparation of officially starting Week 1 of my 5/3/1 program So I guess all that is left is goals huh? Well for the first month let's keep it short and simple. Goal #1 - Weight Lift 4x a week. Ideally M/T/T/F but as long as I get in four good training days, it'll count. Goal #2 - Track what I eat in MFP at least 4x a week so that I can assure that I am on track with my caloric intake. Goal #3 - Reach Legend in Hearthstone? Yes this is my nerdy goal, and I have already done it once but I would like to do it again! That is it, let's lift some weight! Dennis aka Baxtan PS: Here is a pic of my home gym aka my "dungeon"! Mwahahahahaha. IMGUR Home Gym Pic <--- Apparently it was to big to directly put into the post.

Ok, so I could very likely post this in the Adventurer's group... but I'd say as far as long term and constant goals go, I'm a warrior who likes to adventure. However, I am taking a break from my powerlifting gains for a while as I attempt to lose a few pounds and maybe climb a couple mountains. Maybe. I'll still throw in a lifting goal though. 1. Lifting while I'm working with a deficit calorie range, I can't consistently bust out clean heavy reps. For the duration of this challenge (and possibly the next one) I'll be working on building up volume. Volume... wish me luck. So, I'm shooting for four days per week. Will still make each day's main focus a big lift... squat, bench, deadlift, overhead press. at least 4 sets of 10 clean reps, increasing weight each set (even if they're small increases). Last set should be difficult but clean. If somehow set 3 isn't clean, back down and do a few additional lighter sets. Then at least 2 accessories each day, same deal, 4 sets of 10 reps. Edit: since I'll be traveling for weeks 3 & 4, those weeks will only have 2 lifting days. I'll combine bench & overhead press, and squats & deadlifts. 2. Hiking If the weather cooperates, I'll be going to Vermont on June 15th for a mountain bike festival. Then on the 18th I'll be coming home, but detouring through the Adirondacks. I want to be able to get 2 solid longer hikes in, and maybe a shorter one Wednesday morning before driving home. Every week I want to hit 30 walking miles. This includes trips to the gym & dog walking, but I also want at least one 10+ mile mixed surface hike in weeks 1 & 2, and 2 longer hikes in weeks 3 & 4. 3. Food / Water I backslid on this a little bit. I've been meal prepping, but somehow 7 days worth of meals ends up stretching for 10 because I go out or order takeout (or I just don't eat). So I want to eat all meal prepped items & drink at least 10 glasses of water per day. Exception: during vacations, I can eat non-prepped meals but no restaurant or gas station food. 4. Early to bed, early to rise Ok. I also tried this and super-failed, but if I want to climb a couple mountains I don't want to have trouble crawling out of bed. Wake up by 6am, eat something and get to the gym. I'm going to need to have quick breakfasts planned because that's typically where I get hung up when I try this. On non-gym days to keep the flow, wake up and read or go for a walk. Edit: Memorial Day weekend gets a pass. Dog sitting until midnight Sunday, and no actual reason to cut off my sleep Monday. But from Tuesday forward...

This is it, what you have been waiting for, the poop challenge! Or the colon health challenge, if that is more your style. Which would be a shame. This idea started as a joke, but then I was told by at least one person, they would be disappointed if I didn’t do it. If you think this is going to be a log of my bowel movements though, you will still be disappointed. I’ve had multiple bowel surgeries and have the official diagnosis of SLOW COLON. Hahahahaaaa. Doctors are hilarious. Okay, onto this challenge. Build a Log Cabin Water: 5 bottles of water per day (mine are 22 oz, so around 100 oz) Eat and log here which high fiber foods I ate each day (use bullet journal to keep a running list for reference/ideas) Cardio 2x per week, any amount, this helps with regularity (still training for the 5k in October) Post daily poop facts (aka colon health shit) as appropriate That Outdoorsy Cabin Life Check garden/plants daily Try to make 1x week cardio be outdoors

SOOOOOO..... Great news on the job front: after 16 applications, 7 interviews, THOUSANDS of dollars spent on application fees, traveling, a professional convention, interview outfits, (a nervous breakdown), business cards, and resume paper... I GOT A RESIDENCY! I'm going to be working for the VA, which is what I really really really wanted. Now: I graduate in 4 weeks! I have to study for my licensing exam! We're moving halfway across the country! Have to arrange all of that and start my new job on June 26th! I am super sad that I'm about to leave all of my lifting friends and the great powerlifting/strongman community in Central Texas. I've made some great friendships over the last eight years. So I decided to have fun with whatever I can still do and it turns out there is a Strongman Competition next weekend! April 29th is an unsanctioned event for charity called "Ronin Veterans Network Strongest San Martian." I'm competing with some other ladies that are MY FAVORITE PEOPLE and I can't wait. So this challenge is really just: 1. Do all the things for my career 2. After doing those things have as much fun as I can Yeah I'm still going to track macros, train regularly, and work on moving gradually towards the 198# weight class. But really 1. and 2. are my guiding principles for the next 2 months. I'm also planning to compete at another Strongman competition on June 3rd. More details to come, it will be at the Naturally Fit Games, and it will be my THIRD year in a row competing there! I'm bringing this back:

So I know most of my goals so far have not been lifting related - I started Wendler's 5/3/1 in... August or September? And everything has been on the steady up and up since then. Well, obviously at this point it's getting heavy (for me). I'm FINALLY feeling mostly better from my two week chest cold, but got a little taste of how tough this next cycle is going to be today (since I missed most of the last two weeks, I started on Saturday...) I literally walked right over to the scale after missing my minimum reps on squats and lo and behold, down 5-6lbs in 2ish weeks (I don't really track weight seriously). So I'm actually going to make a lifting goal this time... Fitness goal 1: Lifting So, I needed to hit 5x235 squats today. I hit a double, then did 4 but only one rep was as clean as I'd like it to be. Since I've hit an easy 6x230 somewhat recently, I'll give this a "bad week" pass. HOWEVER, if I do not hit the following, I'm going to subtract 20lbs from my calculated training max for deadlifts & squats and 10lbs from bench for the next cycle (and my goal will be to do better at those weights than previously recorded, but I'm hoping I don't have to do this yet). Squat week 2: 3+ at 250 Squat week 3: 1+ at 260 Bench week 1: 5+ at 120 (I'll give myself a pass if I can hit 5 interrupted reps here, I am really only supposed to do 118 but my micro plates haven't delivered yet) Bench week 2: 3+ at 125 Bench week 3: 1+ at 130 Deadlift week 1: 5+ at 275 Deadlift week 2: 3+ at 290 Deadlift week 3: 1+ at 307 Fitness goal 2: Biking / Hiking Get outside at least 3x per week. Won't hold myself to dirt-only fun in case it is rainy and sloppy, but the weather is nice enough and I forgot how therapeutic riding in the woods can be. Fitness goal 3: Tracking Food & No Snacking on Junk Food So, meal prep has finally become a habit (thank goodness). And last month, in attempting to drink more water and track it, I also started tracking my food. I'm ok with loosely weighing a few things and eyeballing most of it, for now I just want to make sure I'm in a decent calorie range (like, when I was sick and going under 1,000 calories... not so awesome). Also keeping up with 8+ glasses of water per day, not including workout water. And along with tracking calories, I want to cut back on any junk food snacking. I found that I do this most if I'm not home with access to my own food, but I'm not even totally innocent here... hoping that tracking will hold me more accountable. Life Goal: No Excess Spending Four weeks isn't that long, right? By no excess spending, I'm including going out for food & drinks, entertainment that costs money, shopping, any weird snack like groceries... I will allow 1 yoga session per week (I don't actually go to yoga classes but by chance, there's one tomorrow on opening up hips & shoulders and I've potentially convinced two other lady lifters to join me).

As shocking as this might be, for those of you in the know, I’ve never done a Farscape challenge. *GASP*. Zotoh Zhaan is a delvian from the TV series Farscape and my NF character is Delvian Nomad (Warrior). Delvians are a plant-based species. Every character race test I’ve taken usually puts me as one of the elementals, and as such decided I wanted to be a plant last January. So I've been low key a plant for over a year now. Interpret that how you will. Underpinning this Delvian challenge is that many Delvians are deeply spiritual and this will serve as a reminder to me to remain calm and forge ahead. I died last challenge in the form of a 3 day physical and metal breakdown of sorts from various stressors. Delvian Daily mobility (at least 5 min, up from 3 stretches per day in the last two challenges) 3 bottles of water per day (minimum) NEW (but did appear in 2016, mine are 22oz bottles) 30 minutes of gardening per week NEW (because it’s gardening season you guys, includes houseplant care) Nomad One Zombie 5K training session per week (I ummm, signed up for a 5k in October) One hike per week (can be replaced by a second Zombie 5K session if the weather is ugly) Warrior 20 min of glute/core work per week (up from 15 min last challenge) 15 min away from my desk each work day to refocus and energize, 30 min of work per day on the grant I have due this fall (work goals are under warrior because warriors get shit done) As a recap for you all, for 2017, I repeat a challenge goal until I think it is an ingrained habit. These goals are mostly repeats to help me achieve my 2017 goals. This may seem like many goals, but several of these are close to being a habit and being moved out of the challenge and into the fiber of my being. Hence why lifting is not a goal, I will do that regardless. As always, message me for my Instagram handle if you would like to follow along for hiking and gardening pics as well as squat videos. My sincerest apologies in advance that Farscape is old enough that there is not a deep well of outstanding, stellar even, gifs. Edited to add: I'm currently on a reverse diet, after 3 months of cutting, that runs through the end of this challenge perhaps longer.

I'm having a little drama trying to figure out the best next step for me program wise. Ideally, I want something that doesn't grind me into the ground quite so much so that I can use the additional recovery for met-con style work (I'd like to add fitness and leanness to my still growing strength profile for several mostly personal reasons). From what I gather, the juggernaut method looks like it'll be the right fit for the purpose of allowing extra recovery, except its a 4 day a week program, and that doesn't really fit with me being a shift worker. Just wondering if anyone has any experience, or knowledge of whether the program can work as a 3 day a week program (and just shift the 4th session on to the next week)? Also, I currently squat and bench 3 days a week, and deadlift twice a week, is the likely drop in frequency going to cause too many issues? Or will it all just sort of balance out in the end? As a side note, I'm competing in May and will then likely have around a year before I compete again to try and actually change weight classes and get generally fitter. So, if the frequency thing is only an issue for those prepping for a meet, this would likely be the best time for me to drop that back.

The Ghost returns! I'm not super active around here as much anymore, but thought I'd still drop a meet report. F TL;DR: Went 7/9 (again) (failed 3rd squat and deadlift attempts (complete fail)), left some pounds on the platform but still set some 4 PRs. Amazing experience for my first meet and reinforced my stance that everyone who ever thinks about doing a meet, competition or race should just do it. PLAN YOUR WORK. WORK YOUR PLAN! TRAINING & MEET PREP: Going into this meet I ran Candito's 6 Week Strength Program, which has been amazing. Prior to that I ran Layne Norton's 13 Week PH3 program which was sweet. Decided to do this meet 6 weeks out, when @miss_marissa told me to just do it. This was my second powerlifting meet, first with AAU. Training went amazingly, especially squats. Bench, as always was a little rough. Deads weren't feeling great either. But overall, all lifts weren't on the decline and I had no lingering injuries or aches & pains. Here are my squats leading up to the meet: As you can see I was feeling strong in squats, which is by far my best lift. MEET: This was my first meet with a 24 hour weigh in, first meet I had to travel and sleep at a hotel for. The original plan was to feel like a bad ass and ride the motorcycle 2 hours South from Vegas to Laughlin, but the wife put the kabosh on that when weather reports were expecting 45-50mph gusts that weekend. So (no thanks to myself) I played it smart and drove down in the car. The day of the meet was a bit long, as anyone who has competed knows. Rules briefing was at 830 and then the meet started...the weightlifting meet. Didn't realize WL would be going first before PL. It's always amazing to see the skill, coordination and grace of weightlifters, but I was mentally amped to start lifting a lot earlier than I would get to. I had been worried about making weight as a couple of months ago I was push 200lbs and debating if I should just cross the border and see how big I could get. The "diet" was relatively simple; cut out beer (6-12/week), cut out fast food, cut out cookies and snacks. That got me down to the mid to high 180s, and then a week out I started to waterload, and water loading SUCKS BALLS. Drinking gallons of water is just not fun and causes so many trips to the bathroom and a few 90mph trips on the highway to avoid pissing myself. Thankfully, I easily made weight coming in at 178.6lbs on that Friday. After I weighed in and got checked into the hotel, I made a dash to the casino buffet and drank & ate ALL THE FOODS. So many carbs were consumed and everything was heavily salted to replenish all the stuff I had been peeing out for the past 5 days. SQUAT: Warmups for squat started while the WLers were on their 3rd snatch attempts. Training at a gym with typical plates in pounds sucks when doing a meet in kilograms. Warm ups were rough and I couldn't take the jumps I normally do because of lifting brain and having to accommodate other lifters as well. The most stressful part for me leading into a meet is picking my attempts. Again @miss_marissa gave me advice to just be conservative with my attempts and I chose not to listen. I really wanted a 435 squat and based my attempts on that goal. Opened at 175kg/386lbs and that felt smooth and easy enough. This was a meet PR, as my best squat last year was 374 or so. Once I racked the bar, any nerves and butterflies instantly disappeared. But as I did for my first meet, I got in my own head when going up to the scorers table to make my second attempt. The plan was for 185/408 or being conservative at 182.5/403, but ended up at 180 and this is where the wheels wobbled. Second attempt was 397 and felt pretty okay. This was another meet PR. Third attempt was 187.5/413 and the wheels fell off. My issue, I think, was not staying on my plan and then not just staying off of it. I should have just stayed conservative here and got a clean lift. Hopefully I will be better at the next meet. Tied for best raw squat at 180kg. BENCH: Warmups for bench was fast...because I'm weak and use light weights. I went 3 for 3 here, which as an improvement over last year where I missed my second attempt. No bench video because poverty bench can't afford recording devices. Opener: 95kg/205lbs Second attempt: 102.5kg/226lbs Third attempt: 105kg/231lbs (Meet & Overall Pause PR) DEADLIFT: Deadlift warmups did not feel especially well due to abnormal warmups. Opened at 375lbs just to make sure I got the first attempt easily and didn't bomb out. Second attempt there is no video but hit 185/408 which is a meet & overall PR. I was a mess. Chalk covered hands and baby powder covered forearms and thighs, I'm the weakest cheater. Third attempt was conservative at 187.5/413, but was a miss. Back started to round and I think I just gave up. RESULTS/WRAP UP: Went 7 for 9 with two complete misses. Ended up getting 4 PRs. Increased my total by 30lbs and increased my squat PR by 20lbs or so. Didn't do nearly as well as I wanted to, especially on squats. Not sure how I placed, as the results are not out yet but I think I came in 4th overall, with the top lifter have an equipped squat and deadlifts in wraps and ended up with a medal. RANDOM THINGS: Masters and youth lifters are still and forever will be the coolest lifters at any meet. 74 year old, 70% blind lifter set a couple of bench world records. 12 year old did the weightlifting meet and then came back and deadlifted. And a 14 year old set multiple world records for all 3 lifts. I was not thinking about competing or seriously lifting weights when I was that age, I was out doing things 12-14 year olds should not be doing, but none of them involved setting records. One lifter flew in from Nigeria to compete, thought that was crazy. Had the day not been so long, I would have participated in the MAS wrestling competition that was held right after MOVING FORWARD: Again I was really happy with this meet experience. I was looking at doing another meet in September that would be more local so the family could finally attend, but that has been pushed up to July. The Sept meet is AAU Worlds and is capped at 300 lifters, July meet is capped at 50. It would seem cruel to have anyone not into lifting sit thru that long of a meet. So the plan is to have a fuck around bodybuilding deload (starting today), run Candito with low training maxes and then run Candito with more accurate maxes.

Hola! Starting Friday 3/24, this will be the place to log my workouts and my food. If I eat or drink something especially yummy, I will include the recipe. FRIDAY 3/24/17 FOOD Lots of sweets today. Breakfast Oatmeal with berries and a spoon of almond butter Coffee with milk Lunch Leftover Spaghetti Squash pasta on top of romaine hearts and green lentils Sweet tea drink from Argo Tea Snack Post lifting protein shake (whey, 20g) Greek yogurt with blueberries and sliced almonds Spoon of honey-roasted peanut butter and nutella with 1/4c milk Dinner Quinoa with peppers, onions, garlic, and bean medley (more leftovers) WORKOUT LIFTING WORKOUT B Kettlebell Swing - 5 X 10 @ 12kg Pull down - 3 X 8-12 50 lbs and drop to 40 lbs on last set Military press -3 X 8-12 12 lbs (dumbbells) Ab routine AB ROUTINE 8-12 leg raises- hand under sacrum to support 15-20 sec butterflies - hand under sacrum to support 15-20 sec boat pose 15-30 sec situp hold boat pose 30 sec plank bicycling legs 30-60 sec static plank (I collapse at about 45 seconds right now) Tomorrow is a rest day for the gym. The weather should be good, so will probably walk the dog for a bit. We are also going to do our meal planning/grocery shopping tomorrow. I will share any good paleo(ish) recipes I come across in my research.

And thusly it was spring. I emerge from my winter 'bulk' feeling disillusioned with my gains and ready to change things up. Its a bit of the same, a bit of some new, in four weeks, I'm gonna do some stuff: I still want to run 5k. I was pretty damn close last time around. My leg, while not entirely normal, is healing, and I want to 3 miles with it. I still want to deadlift 315. This time I want to do it without a belt, and definitely do it with proper form. I want to hold a 3+ second freestanding handstand. A second or two is a fluke. I aim to finally get some handstands in my life. I want to shed at least 3 pounds. My winter and vacation weight is beginning to show and slow me down. I feel the yearn to unite my slightly newfound strength with slightly less mass. I want to publish 2 awesome tracks of music. I aim to put out an EP or something this year. I'm going to need some awesome tracks, so I'm going to finely hone 2 tracks in this next month. So yeah, its gonna be great, fantastic even. Lets go!!

If you have never seen Stephen King's cocaine inspired masterpiece "Maximum Overdrive." You really should. It is next level bonkers. If you don't enjoy watching terrible movies but like making fun of them "How Did This Get Made?" did a great episode about it. Bonus points for Andy Daly involvement. The goals this time around are: 1. Nutrition and Recomposition I hired a nutrition coach at the beginning of February to help me lose body fat and drop down a weight class. I started at 224, which represents the heaviest but also muscliest I have ever been. I would estimate about 38% BF based on tape measurements. Today I am 213 and I have lost 1" off my hips and 0.5" off my thighs. I am very happy with that progress. Long term goal is to compete in the 198 weight class, so in terms of nutrition plan I just keep eating what she tells me to eat. 2. Hypertrophy Mesocycle I am going to compete in a PL meet June 17th (also my 5th wedding anniversary, husband has mixed feelings about this). Starting a new 12 week prep cycle so the first 4 weeks is hypertrophy city. I have the next month planned out as 65-80% range with lots of reps. I am well aware that actual muscle growth while on a cut/recomposition/deficit will be minimal. If I can maintain my strength and still hit the same numbers after dropping 2 weight classes I will consider that a smashing success. 3. Pharmacy Career Goals I found out yesterday that I did not match with any residency programs. This really bummed me out because I liked the places I interviewed with, and I thought they liked me and would rank me high on their list of candidates. Alas, only 60% of candidates will be accepted to a program because there are 7000+ people fighting for 2500 hundred spots nationwide. The good news is there is a "Phase 2" second attempt for all the people like me to match with a program with unfilled positions. There are 140 spots left. So there is still a chance but the odds are even worse. And we have 3 weeks to scout the remaining options and submit all our application materials again. So yeah.

Training log makes challenge threads to long, so will be posting here. We'll see how consistent I am at that 1RMs are (as of 3/6/17): Squat (high bar): 190lbs Bench (pause): 85lbs Deadlift (sumo): 235lbs

Starting weight baseline: 198 lbs. CrossFit Skill Metrics: CrossFit Metrics CrossFit Games Athlete profile: https://games.crossfit.com/athlete/602549 PRELUDE: Sinister forces have arisen. They haunt the shadows, preying primarily on those in solitude, plaguing your thoughts and leading you further and further astray until you have strayed so far from the Path that you inhabit the self-same darkness these demonic entities originate and derive their baleful powers from. Lo, I am no blessed Paladin or Priest, nor mighty Warrior or Sorcerer. I am blessed by no faith, but remain strong of limb and keen of reflex; still, it will take a cunning mind to withstand the taint of Demonic corruption. I will either find the strength within me to resist or I will surely fall to insanity and madness... can one hope to dance with demons and emerge through the waltz unscathed? I am the Dark Ranger, and I will find out. HAVOC. 4 CrossFit classes per week: ☐☐☐☐ [Challenge Total: ☐☐☐☐☐] 3 Supplementary workouts per week: ☐☐☐ [Challenge Total: ☐☐☐☐☐] MASTERY. Visit the Sanctum of Inner Sight (Happy Place™) daily: ☐☐☐☐☐☐☐ 3 sessions of “something resembling meditation” per week: ☐☐☐ BLOOD ALCHEMY. RP Plan & MyFitnessPal Tracking 5 of 7 days/week: ☐☐☐☐☐ [Challenge Total: ☐☐☐☐☐] Mindful Moment before meals [Challenge Total: __ ] SELF-IMPROVEMENT JUNKIE. Post a daily challenge update 4 of 7 days/week: ☐☐☐☐ [Challenge Total: ☐☐☐☐☐] To-Do list… ☐☐ Debt Management. ☐ Skin Care 101: have moles looked at/removed. ☐ Read: Focus on your N.U.T.S. "Step into the abyss. Welcome it. Know it. It's yours, now." – Kunai. CHALLENGE INSPIRATION: Duty no longer will suffice; this battle is one of survival. In the long-abandoned Dreadlands exist a sect of forgotten souls oath-sworn to seek out and eradicate the infernal taint of evil wherever it may be found… these dark marauders, witch slayers and demon hunters have dedicated themselves to thwarting the darkness through whatever means necessary. Their use of weaponry and apocryphal magicks considered by many to be unnatural or itself as evil as the corrupt forces these restless vigilantes claim to destroy have earned the mistrust of nearly all, though their successes cannot be argued. Like them I have seen the madness within and I must resist its temptation, to fall down that hole into insanity. For the last few months I have been battling my own demons in the form of anxiety and it has made some significant impacts on my personal life, mental wellness, & motivation on more than one occasion. As with my personal health and fitness, I seek artifacts, traits and abilities, and wisdom through self-care that will aid me in this battle lest it conquer me completely. I will carve out my Path. This is the season of the Dark Ranger.

So last challenge I think I finally started getting things figured out... I also found out last week that I have not lost any strength, and have in fact gained some, and I am down 7 inches total since the start of the year. Part 3 is going to change some things up a bit, since I no longer have to embrace my hellish workouts because both my trainer and I hated them. Goal 1: Keep With The Check Boxes Aim to do better than the previous week (until I consistently hit good marks each week). Sundays will not count, that is my "no fitbit" day. 2. Meal Planning For The Win 30 days of healthy lunches, and 30 days of planned meals (Blue Apron Dinners from Wed-Fri acceptable). - Have first two weeks planned out before official start date of the challenge - Finish 1 other weeks planning each Sunday - 1 "F'it" or dinner out meal per week acceptable - Actually measure food 3. Solidify A Workout Routine I tend to fail at consistency lately when it comes to workouts, I normally get at least 3 days in but I would like to make sure I am getting in 5-6 days of activity weekly. 3 weight training days, 1 accessory day, and 1 "whatever I want to do but I better do something day" minimum per week. Life Goals! - I got the shirts (though some are still on back order), this month I have to get them printed or at least have a print shop to go to once the T-Shirts are in. If I get that done quickly enough, I need to set up a photo shoot by the end of the challenge, and start getting our stuff put on the site/social media. - Curtains! Since I didn't do that last challenge. Lets Do This!

For those following along I have two main goals for 2017 and each of my challenges will be based on them and build on the one before it. Body recomposition. Get under 183# and stay there, while also getting tough as nails. Be awesome at my job. Be the one that people say “she gets shit done.” New addition to this visual image: be a productivity ninja! My theme for this challenge is “YEAR OF THE MOUNTAIN GOAT”. Strong, flexible, resilient, tough climbers. To achieve body recomp: I need to be strong, flexible, and disciplined! I want to climb mountains in my fitness. And I need to work on my mobility to get there. Inflexible mountain goats fall off mountains. To achieve my work goals: I need to be strong, flexible, and productive! What do lazy mountain goats get? the bottom of the mountain. And I want the panoramic top of the mountain views. I want to climb mountains at work. Challenge Goals Fitness Goals: 7x per week: Daily mobility, defined as doing at least 3 stretches/holds per day (Repeat from last month. I’m still working on this.) 3x per week: Review my squat form notes before every workout (Should be easy…) 3x per week: Tracked in 5 min chunks, do 15 minutes total of abs/glutes per week (New goal, I will have to work on this.) 2x per week cardio: 1 hike and 1 other cardio per week. If weather dictates I can do 2 random cardios, but only if weather says so. If I want to be a mountain goat I must HIKE! (I have been doing the 1x week hike, so I’m building on that with 1 extra cardio, no time goal at this point for either, just build the habit.) If I’m smart, I would try to do all 15 min of abs/glutes before or after the 1 cardio session at the gym. Work Goals: These compound each challenge. To achieve my daily work goal I must do all three. Maintain a daily to do list (January) Use last 30 min of each work day to catch up on any old emails I have put off. (February) Spend at least 1 hour per day on focused work. No task hopping! Do each task until done. FOCUS. (NEW) Gardening Goal: Do weekly care of houseplants and work plants, track with other goals as 1x week goal Bonus Mountain Goat Checkbox Goals: [ ] By the end of the challenge: Go to the thrift store to look for new cubicle decor. Bought workout/hiking stuff instead. [ ] By the end of the challenge: Create a visual map of my work projects / responsibilities. [ ] In the last two weeks of the challenge prep garden beds for spring seeds Tracking notes:

I am looking for some shoes for powerlifting and I am running into a lot of conflicting information. I am looking for a single shoe for all three lifts because I don't want to have to haul around different shoes on different days; not to mention the added cost of buying multiple pairs of shoes. I want a flat bottomed shoe with minimal toe to heel rise and stiff soles. I have tried on chucks and they just don't fit. The toe-box is not big enough for my foot and I am a weird size for them (11's are too small, 12's are comically big, 11.5's are nowhere to be found minus taking the chance and ordering them online) Any advice or suggestion is greatly appreciated!

Hi, I'm Steph. I just joined the academy as I simply can't do this on my own. My relationship with food and myself is horrendous and needs fixing - so I thought I would start a thread to be accountable. Following the mindset module in the academy here are the first things I've been considering: I was trying to write my why statement and started writing words to help me construct it, the list of words is this: embarrassed, ugly, tired, bad role model, weak, unhealthy, PCOS, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, migraines, lazy. So yeah.. that's super positive... I don't have diabetes, heart disease and I haven't had a stroke, but my Dad did at 57 (which he was not expected to live through, but made a miraculous recovery and made it to a medical journal). WHY Statement I am embarrassed to get up each morning and get dressed in clothes that fit me extremely poorly and don't look good. I don't present a good role model to my daughter (who is 2 today), I don't present a confident, beautiful, happy wife to my husband, and I don't present a professional woman to my workplace. I am always tired, and I often fall asleep on the sofa in the evenings which isn't making the most of the time I have with my husband and doesn't give me time to keep our house clean and tidy. My training is sporadic and does not allow me to meet my lifting goals. It also neglects other aspects of functional fitness that I would like to posses - being able to run, being flexible, being able to do things without pain. My nutrition is beyond terrible and is resulting in weight gain, and a worsening of PCOS symptoms. At some point I would like to get pregnant again, but this won't happen if I continue down this path. My health WILL deteriorate if nothing changes. So something must. Goal Setting: My future self I am someone who cooks healthy meals for my family, and has a selection of pre-made foods in the freezer for when time is tight I am someone who is "functionally fit" and can try out any exercise/class/sport without fear I am someone who strength trains 3 - 4 times a week and can squat 100kg, deadlift 120kg and bench press 60kg I am someone who has their PCOS under control through diet and exercise I am someone who wears a UK size 12 I am someone who goes for walks at the weekend with her family Healthy Loot ideas Weightlifting belt Knee sleeves Fractional plates New gym towel New tikiboo workout leggings New yoga mat New charm for my charm bracelet Next steps Setting up mini quests to achieve the big goals above Taking starting pictures and measurements Reducing sugar in my diet

On the agenda for this challenge: Dog sitting three lovely dogs from Feb. 19 - March 9 Continue preparing for my return to England for a PhD Hopefully get my passport and visa back so I can schedule my flight Goal 1: Sleep hygiene Screen curfew at 8 pm (7:30 pm if I still need to shower before bed) all the nights. Meditate for 10+ minutes before bed 6x/week. Exception: *After* I get ready for bed, I can Skype my boyfriend for a total of three hours past my curfew, summed over the week. Watching a show/movie with him during this time is allowed, but other internet browsing is not unless it's something that needs to be done for my return (e.g., paperwork for our flat). Each curfew infringement past 15 min --> I have to subtract one hour from that extra time with my boyfriend. Goal 2: Food prep Prep my food for each day the day before at least 6x/week. Bonus: prep for 2-3 days at once so I only have to meal prep 2-3 times/week. For me this means 1. Portion out my meat (and cook more meat if I need to). 2. Weigh and microwave sweet potatoes. 3. Cook free-choice veggies. 4. Optional: portion out some coconut oil. 5. Bonus: add food to MFP once it's portioned out. Goal 3: Mobility Mobility? What's that? Recently I haven't been doing any mobility outside of my gym sessions, which is suboptimal. Spend a total of 1.5 hrs/week on mobility (yoga, stretching, foam rolling, lax ball work, etc…) outside of gym sessions. I'm allowed to multi-task when working on mobility (what do you mean it's weird to foam roll while Skyping?) LUYL Goal Work 15+ hrs/week. Work = finishing school paperwork, reading the literature in my field, working online courses, learning maths, organizing my research-related papers and notes, conversations with my supervisor, etc. Ideally I'll work up to 20 hrs/work, but I'm not going to stress about hitting that number since I'll also have the dog care as a job (+ house sitting for my mom who is also on holiday until March 1). It's been a while since I've completely aced a challenge, so it's past time to break my streak of mediocrity. Towards this end, I also have an unofficial goal to post my workouts and regular updates this time around! And maybe one day I'll be properly active on the forums again...

Hey ya'll! First time on the challenges, long time lurker of these amazing forums. Just gotta say you all are super motivating and the way people encourage others to do cool stuff around here is really uplifting. Ok, enough of that, Its time for a challenge! In 4 weeks, I'd like to get some things DONE: I want to do 5 towel pullups. Done, and now I guess I can crush things with my super hands. I thought I was decent at pullups, but I like, can't hold onto a towel. I want to get strong and do that. I will fast til noon every weekday. When I eat, the real hunger starts, and the floodgates open. Lets keep busy and focus on food for later in the day, yeah? I want to run 5k. Not a 5k mind you. 5k distance. This is mostly contingent on my leg fully healing, as I'm still feeling the aftereffects of overuse from last fall. I want to run again. I will finish at least two books. Easy and done. Moved on to more. Fahrenheit 451 anyone? I've got a stack of books by my bed, and they need to be devoured. Between the bus and bedtime, I am going to crush this. I will talk to my boss about the future. Done, and now the future is less murky, yay! I have a contract job. That contract will end this year. I am scared of the future, and of talking to my boss. I have to get strong and talk about the future. I'm going to deadlift 315. Done, now to do it again with even better form. I've been chasing this for years, stymied by leg injuries and poor form. I'm going to get there in 4 weeks . I will finish my 3d environment. I fancy myself an artist, or at least, my art school degree tells me I am. I still do some 3d art on the side, and I've been noodling on an environment piece. I'm going to finish it in 4 weeks and its going to look awesome. I got a bullet journal and aim to plan out every week and be all productive and stuff. Its gonna be great. Heres to progress! Go forth and reap the gains.

Given the new movie is out and I walk through the streets in which its set every blinking day, figured it was time for a Trainspotting challenge... Plus an excuse for a lot of Ewan McGregor pictures (Kevin McKidd and Jonny Lee Miller are also acceptable). I've got just over a week until my first comp of the year and I'm currently recovering from a nasty hip flexor strain, so lots to talk about. Choose Lifting I'm training four days a week with just a couple of sessions off for the comp. I'm doing okay-ish with hitting the heavy singles but the volume is intimidating at the moment. Currently sitting on the couch with epic DOMS after sessions Tuesday and Wednesday. Anyway, the goal is two-part. 1. Don't psych myself out of lifting weights because I think they feel tough when the video shows they're moving fast. 2. Do my fucking accessories Basic training week structure is generally Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday (or similar) with the current programme looking like this: Day one - comp squat and bench plus accessories Day two - comp deadlift and bench variation plus accessories Day three - squat variation and comp bench plus accessories Day four - deadlift variation and bench variation plus accessories I often split off the accessories into a separate session if I finish late. For comp lifts, I work up to a heavy single (RPE8) then volume, variations I work up to reps at RPE8 (varying numbers) then back off sets. Choose meat and veg and eggs I'm not going paleo or any such thing but I've signed up to Avatar Nutrition so I'm trying really hard to hit my numbers. I won't do so on the day of the comp, but will try to hit my numbers. They may change each week so this week's is: 1971 calories, 213g carbs, 55g fat, 156g protein. That'll get updated next Wednesday. My goal is to get down to c.61-62kg then reverse diet so I can stop having to stress about making weight and be a bit leaner. Choose life Given I have a tendency to sink into lifting obsession, I need to do other stuff too. I took up skating again at the beginning of January so I'll aim to make it to skating once a week other than next week. Do at least one 60 minute session of yoga. I haven't done any in ages. Play Zelda on my SNES. Play some more World of Final Fantasy. Take Grant out for brunch at least once. Go and see T2 Trainspotting.