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Aaahh everything is so brand new - new challenge format, new year, new themes... welcome to 2016, rebels!! I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT 2016! *^___^* With all of the glaring new-ness around here, first I want to take a step back first and lay out my main quests as a refresher. Primal mobility! This is my main overarching goal and something I’ve begun working on in the last quarter of 2015. I’ve been very diligent (and patient) with foot/ankle, shoulder, hand, and squat mobility drills and while it certainly takes time to undo years of things like poor posture and retraining your body, I can confidently say it works and I’m already THRILLED to be reaping the benefits. I have much more control of my body and how it moves, and how much it can do. I am virtually pain-free in certain areas/joints I thought would never feel better. AMAZING. Seriously. Heavy lifting. I love weightlifting. I love getting stronger and building muscle. I’ve only been lifting barbells for about 9 months - at this time last year I wasn’t even able to lift the bar, but just a week ago I managed a 1RM bodyweight squat. I’ve come a long way and have no plans to stop anytime soon!! My third quest is a new one for 2016, and it’s get back to ME. 2016 is setting itself up to be a heck of a challenge already for multiple reasons - selling our house and moving to MyStErY LoCaTiOn (no, really, we aren’t certain where we’re going yet!), working on having self-sustainable employment, and much MUCH more - so I’m really determined to stay mindful and exercise lots of replenishing activities and self-care. I’m a bit of a “hippie†- I love nature and the earth, I’m very attracted to things like energy work and alchemy and animals and the stars - and dabbling in these things has always brought me solace and confidence and rejuvenation. I need to make more time for my natural self and expand my energy to include it. This third quest is actually the spark for my year of themes - a full moon series. Each challenge will be themed after the full moon that falls within it, and I’ll draw from its symbolism to craft my challenges. Many cultures used lunar cycles to keep track of their seasons and the passing year, and each full moon was named symbolically so. You can totally read more about moons here (http://www.paganspath.com/magik/moonnames.htm) if you so desire. WTF SHAARAWY, MOONS, you are a total mega nerd. (Good thing I’m on NERD FITNESS RIGHT!?!?!?!!) First up is Wolf Moon! “Amid the freezing cold and deep snows of midwinter, the wolf packs howled hungrily outside Indian villages. It was also known as the Old Moon or the "Moon after Yule." In some tribes, this was the Full Snow Moon, however, most applied that name to the next moon.†You’re probably familiar with this wolf moon: Or maybe this one: (ALL OF MY 24 YEAR OLD FEELS~) Or maybe even this one: \m/ The wolf is a guardian symbol and shows loyalty, ferocity and spirit. Wolves are also very cunning and adaptable, probably why the first full moon of the year is named as such. January is dark and cold and as we plunge into the depths of winter, a lot of the natural world focuses on survival. Especially for us humans post-holidays, when the lights and decorations get put away and the excitement of the season disappears, we’re brought back to coping with everyday life during the harshest season. (Well, harshest in my book. I am so not a fan of winter~) Like the wolf, I plan to go into the new year with a bang, powerful and strong, but I also know I need to be cunning about it and take care of myself during a season that I know can affect my mental state in a negative manner. 1. I am the Bad Wolf. I create myself. I’ve been getting a little bored in the gym, kind of drifting around and doing lifts here and there with no real set program. Stronglifts was the perfect intro to barbells but I find myself wanting to expand myself and try something more. I’m going to try out a Push/Pull/Legs split that combines barbell work with accessory work - which I really love doing as well! I’m hoping the combination of the two, along with a new program overall, will kickstart MAH GAINZ and motivation! Getting to the gym regularly is a big boon for my positivity and overall mental health, so this quest neatly kills two birds with one stone. Schedule is as follows: push Squats OHP BP Skull Crushers -or- dips Lat Raise pull DL Seated cable row Face Pulls Chins Hammer Curl legs Squats RDL Hamstring Curls Walking Lunges Calf Raises I’d ideally like to do this M W F but in the instance I can only get to the gym two days a week (see next quest), the leg day circuit can be subbed out for the P90X legs and back disc at home. I’ll use it only as a backup if needed. I'll be tracking these workouts on Fitocracy (seriously why did it take me so long to sign up there) and hope to stick with some modicum of consistency. A - All 4 weeks logged. B - 3 weeks logged. C - <2 weeks logged. 2. The One You Feed Thanks to a delightful combination of holidays + me failing to track my macros for, oh, about 2 months, I’m again having trouble with feeding myself enough food and having sustained energy to lift 3 days a week. I’ve been finding that I feel like I’m often chasing an energy deficit during the week that’s preventing me from holding a consistent gym schedule. SIGH. Nutrition, why you so insane. Going back to basics here to make sure I track my macros every. Single. Day. I’ve also been working with some nutrition coaches and I’m also going to try out a bit of minor cycling vs. rest and off days to see how it affects me energy-wise. Starting numbers: Cal: 2,000 (-100 on rest days) Carbs: 225 (-40 on rest days, to start) Fat: 65 Protein: 125 Tweaking numbers as I go won’t affect my final score, and likely will happen Because Evolution. A - Track 7 days a week. B - Track 6 days a week. C - Track <5 days a week. 3. Lupine Continuing with my expanding repertoire of mobility drills!! Thus far I have tackled: feet, ankles, hands, and shoulders, and have made these drills into habits that I practice multiple times weekly to keep my unbreakable body progress inching forward. Some of these things take a LONG TIME to not only do properly, but make into habits. I could seriously regale you with success stories thanks to mobility drills but I won’t, because it’s time to add a new set of body parts into the mix! WRISTS + CALVES My wrists need all the halps. Not only do I work on a computer all day but I also love to sit on a computer in my spare time and play video games!!!!!!!!!! Things like pushups, and even hand positioning on a squat barbell for long periods of time, can start to hurt fast. After working hands/fingers wrists was the next logical step, and I’m excited for this! Calves will be my first foray into mobility for something that’s not joint-based. Cool!!!!!! While my calves don’t necessarily give me any problems (currently), sometimes leg day can brutalize my muscles and it’s a good start to keep them limber before working up the posterior chain. (Specifically hamstrings!!) Calves will be foot up wall, 5x a week, like so: And eccentric heel drops: (What a turrible image~) Wrists will be this (image won't let me link due to the type it is... sheesh... technology, right?!) A - 5 times weekly. B - 4 times weekly. C - <3 times weekly. 4. Burying Bones Y’all there be shit everywhere in this house. We are pretty minimal folks to start with, but we’re preparing to eventually downsize and...... man, we got some stuff. Lots which is frankly useless and needs to be cleansed. CLEANSED. Oddly enough this does loads for my mental clarity - living in a clutter-free house is such a calming feeling. <3 One chunk of time each week will be devoted to GETTING RID OF JUNK. A - I did this once a week. F - I failed and should just go live in a dumpster. I'm ready to go at this full force - failure is not an option. Let's bare our fangs and howl for victory, rebel friends!!!! “We have doomed the wolf not for what it is, but for what we deliberately and mistakenly perceive it to be –the mythologized epitome of a savage ruthless killer – which is, in reality, no more than a reflected image of ourself.†― Farley Mowat, Never Cry Wolf