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Hey guys! It's been a hot minute! I think I've missed two challenges now? And honestly, it's been kind of rough. I feel like I was stagnating in a number of areas in my life, despite the fact now that I'm looking back and finding that what I was doing enough of was rest and recovery. I had been mulling over this article I found by Dan John, and I'm realizing how much balance I don't have. I think that had a lot to do with my not posting or contributing to challenges in any way. So I'm going to start posting here again, at least once weekly, as a measure of my balance (Because if I cannot find the time to use the internet, I am not taking enough time). That is, in one sense, how I am coming home. I've actually got quite a bit that's being shaken up in my life this challenge. First, Confirmation is in two weeks, which is kinda crazy to think about. It's been year to the day/week (counting by liturgical year, it's actually been 364 days now that I think a little harder) that I have been attending Mass, and I'm glad to be entering that community as a more permanent, official member. Coming home pt 2. Oh, and I'm moving. Technically, I'm moving to a different state, but actually it's just down the road. All the same, I hate moving. I hate being displaced. The good news is, once I'm in this new apartment, I shouldn't have to move again for a few years, which will be a nice change of pace. Coming home pt 3. So I'm building this challenge around all of the changes that are going to be implanting themselves in my life in the next month or so, but I'm also trying to maintain a sense of "Work-Rest- Play-Pray". So here are the actual challenges/subchallenges: 1) Get everything in order for joining the Church (Pray). Go to confession Don't chicken out Pray daily 2) Get ready to move (Work). Rent a UHaul a few weeks out Pack NO YOU MORON, I MEAN ACTUALLY PACK 3) Keep lifting (Play/Rest). For background, I was following a progressive increasing volume system for squat and overhead and running 5/3/1 on deadlift. Holy shit if I didn't get stronger on squat and pressing. I went from a shaky 3x3 at 345# to cranking out 10 sets of 3 at 335# with no real issues on squat and from struggling to hit many triples at 145# to hitting a PR 165# double and easily multiple sets of 155# doubles on OHP. But the volume wore me down, and 5/3/1 was, frankly, boring for my deadlift. And bad plate math cost me a lot of skin on my hands, forcing me to reset. So I've now completed a week using a more hypertrophy based system for squat, press and bench, and rows and pullups (found here) and a cycle of Magnussen/Ortmayer for deadlift. I'm going to continue Mag/Ort for a few challenges, and start another press/pullup program in week four of this challenge. Do not miss a single rep of ANY program I'm running Do not skip accessories (despite what you used to think, they do make you better at things) Take the built in rest week 4) Rest and Play, every day Keep chugging away at the D&D 5e module I'm writing (for fun, this is not a job, just make time for it) Bed before midnight. You are allowed 1.5 misses a week (6 total) But seriously, I'm going to enjoy being back. I've missed it here, and I'm glad to grow with y'all again.