Search the Community

So, this is my first time trying one of the 4-week challenges. [I hope I'm doing this right - there are a LOT of links to sift through for what to do...] 4- Week Quests: Lose 5 pounds Since I plan on adding strength training back in, the scale weight will be only one measure of success, since my goal is recomposition. Scale this morning was 174.8 [dinner was a sodium-rich meal out]; scale average has been ~172.5 For the purposes of tracking weight lost, I'm calling 173 as my starting point. [Goal-without-muscle-gain is sub-160. At a solidly-built 5'9", this is the median of do-able.] 5 pounds doesn't seem like much, but even with a borderline eating disorder [lessons learned!], it took me 6 months to lose 20 pounds. My body does not shed weight easily. I intend to do this the healthy way this time around, and if it takes a month (or three or six), so be it. Get back to the gym regularly I haven't been since November 3rd. I love the barbell, but have trouble with the crowds. Since there's no way to get a power rack in my own Batcave, this is as much a mental challenge as a physical one. Initial goal will be twice a week (either before or after work) and ideally, three times a week. Dial my current Level 2-3 nutrition up to Level 5 See above re: recomp I am terrible about getting vegetables in. (I like them, but I'm lousy at making them a convenient choice.) I need to get better about resisting the empty carbs readily available at the office (cookies, bagels, muffins...) and make the conscious decision to eat pasta or bread as part of a meal. Hi, water. We're not friends right now, but we will be. Tea is already my BFF, after all. Currently, nutrition post-holidays is a huge challenge, so reaching Level 5 will be the hardest element of this whole 4-week session. (But nutrition is 80% of the equation, so...) "Liquid calories" in my case will not include protein drinks (because if I did, I'd set myself up to fail entirely before Week 2) I own several cookbooks (including Whole30) - might as well USE them! Get up before 6:30 am daily by the 4th week I'll be taking evening classes starting at the end of January, which means my mornings need to become viable for all my non-school, non-work tasks and goals. I have been slowly hacking my sleep here and there with amber light bulbs (LED/CFL!), f.lux software, and sleep tracking apps. The challenge isn't the early hour so much as the fact that I'm a terrible night owl, but also need 7-8 hours of sleep to feel rested. (Some people thrive on 5 or 6. I am not one of those people.) I'm posting in the Ranger category because that was my initial 'sorting' option when I first joined NF, but the more I dial in my Level 50 goals, the more I find that my ideal faction is something that pulls from Druid, Ranger, Monk and Warrior. [I'm still trying very hard to enjoy running. I may never, but I need to work at it more...] In my Level 50 journal, I'm arbitrarily calling it "Samurai" because the real samurai of Edo-era Japan were both skilled warriors and made up the lion's share of the cultured, educated elite - they had to have brains, brawn/stamina and a variety of skills on hand at any given moment. Since my goals are both to increase my physical abilities AND master more of my hobbies in Japanese language, culture and arts, this makes the most sense. (But Rangers are jack-of-all-trades, so... Ranger category for the purposes of this site. )

Though I have been at the gym pretty consistently for 3 weeks or so, I will restart my battle log with my reborn alter ego of Gaelic Samurai. Inspired by my heritage, my deep interest in Japanese and eastern thinking, my family in Japan, and by the picture, Wolverine and his relentlessness despite all the troubles. Yesterday was a weight session and I started with bench after the warmup. Then it was arm day, good choice doofus it was a Monday AND the New Years crowd, and all went swimmingly. Bench 3x5 @180lbs EZ Bar curl 3x10 @50,60,60 DB Hammer Curl 3x10 @25 EZ Bar reverse curl 3x10 @40 Triceps Pressdown 4x10 @ 50,57.5,57.5,65 Push-ups 2x20 Overhead Tricep extension 2x15 @15,20 Weight Lifted this session = 9925lbs

So this 4WC I am coming over from the Rangers to become a Warrior. I feel that I need to focus on just simply lifting and chilling out more. I am going to use the strict determination and self control that a samurai displays for motivation this time. The samurai were strong, intelligent and precise in their movements as well as grounded through Zen to make a well rounded warrior. Anyway here are my goals for this 4WC: Lifting 3X a week: I only have access to a rack of DBs still so my routines will revolve around this fact. Day 1: Squat 5X5 110# Decline situp 5X5 Deadlift 5X5 150# Good mornings 5X5 40# Decline situp 5X5 Day 2: Bench 5x5 OHP 5x5 250#Weighted Pullups(50# backpack) 5x5 Bent over Rows 5x5 250#Weighted Chinups(50# backpack) 5x5 DB Flys 5x5 Day 3 (BW day): 50 Prisoner Squats 50 Pushups 25 Jumps 25 Stability Ball Leg Curls 50 Stability Ball Jackknifes 50 Step-ups 25 Pull-ups 50 Forward Lunges 50 Close-grip Pushups 50 Inverted Rows 50 Squats 25 Chin-ups Swimming 2X a week: I am going to be following these swimming routines here: http://100swimmingworkouts.com/#beginner I would like to finish all 10 by the end but I am shooting for 8 by the end. Zazen Meditation 5X a week at least 10 mins I recently started this meditation and it seems to help with relaxing me and getting me ready for the day. 5am Wake up 5X a week I recently read The Miracle Morning and I really need to work on waking up early enough during the week. If I wake up early then the rest of my day usually falls in line nicely. Linux 3X a week I am working towards getting into Linux and I just started the Linux academy. I need to work on the training videos so that way i can work my way up to getting my Linux + certification. Journaling 5X a week I started using Penzu.com for an online journal. I believe that writing in a journal will help me organize my thoughts alot better and stay focused.

It has been 1 year since I started my first challenge here. This is my 8th challenge and I recently discovered this Japanese Proverb - “Fall down seven times, Get up eightâ€. Along my journey to this point in time I have fallen down Many more than seven times. The fact that I’m still here and I’m still trying proves that I can get back up. So I want to build this challenge around the theme that we should push ourselves UNTIL we fall. It’s time I harness my inner samurai!! So for each of my goals falling/failing IS an option! I will try to push myself to new levels EVERY week, Hell Every Freakin’ Day!! How? Let me tell you. Goal #1: Get the diet under control!!! Stage 1: 100% Paleo Stage 2: No afternoon snacks Stage 3: No Snacks at ALL Stage 4: Cut back (50%?) fruits and sugar sources Stage 5: Track diet stats (Macros?) Stage 6: Intermittent Fasting 1 day/week Each Stage will last 1 week and build upon the previous stage(s). When I fail (note I didn’t say IF) I will document (confess to everyone here) what stage I failed on and how long I stayed ‘down’. Then I will step back one stage and continue. Remember the key is GETTING BACK UP!! Goal #2: Train, Train, Train I’ve come up with a workout schedule that should allow for adequate rest of muscle groups between workouts and has me training 6 days/week. Most of the workouts are designed to be done circuit style until….(you guessed it!) FAILURE. I will track my progress (weight, # sets, total # reps, max reps, etc.) Goal #3: Surviving ISN’T Thriving.. I want to rewire my brain to thrive not just survive. Often I’ll think of something I want to do or have but immediately think I can’t, I don’t have enough ____ (time, money, experience, etc.). Instead of thinking “I can’t _____†or even asking myself “Can I _____?†I need to start thinking in terms of “HOW can I ____?â€. So each week this challenge I will pick one objective and ask myself “HOW can I achieve that objective?â€. My goal is not to achieve each objective within a week (although that may be possible) but to set into motion actions that will allow the objective to be reached. Goal #4: Cold shower Curveball… Ok so this one is in direct response to peer pressure from RogueWelkin and Teros. Call it another attempt at my Bond shower challenge or a way to emulate the samurai tactic of meditating underneath a cool mountain waterfall. Either way it’s simple enough, 30 days of cold showers. So there it is. That’s my plan and I’m sticking to it! Life is tough. It will knock my ass down! BUT I WILL get back up, I AM strong enough. Hmmm? Where have I heard that before? Here's to a Kick Ass Challenge #8 (Beginning Stats Below) Weight: 217 lbs (I seriously let myself down during the break)Bodyfat: 25% (Yeah it was bad)Chest: 45 1/2 inchesWaist: 43 inchesThigh: 24 1/2 inchesBicep: 16 inches