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This challenge is in part a continuation of my last challenge. I started the Sandbag Fitness Lean & Strong program, but realized after about 2 weeks that it didn't fit my criteria for a fitness program. I wanted to try it because it was built for sandbags and was sufficiently different from other programs I'd tried in the past, but the bottom line was all the increased lifting volume required the workouts to last too long. (I also don't love the 5x5 setup.) I started looking back at all the other programs I've tried over the last 3 years to see what worked and what didn't and why I quit doing each program. During that review, I re-discovered Anthony Mychal's 242 Program. He promotes it as the "anti-program-hopping, injury-reducing, strength solution". So, I've decided to tweak his advice and pick 6 "marriage" lifts that will always be part of my Mon/Fri workouts [work] and then use Wednesday to try other exercises that interest me [play]. I'm expanding the concept to also apply to my goal of losing a few inches from my midsection. Goal 1 [Work] - Increase weight on all 6 key lifts (1-2 lbs per week) Deadlift (starting at 7x210#) Overhead Press (starting at 5x86#) Weighted Dips (starting at 35# 1RM) Back Squat (starting at 5x110#) Floor Press (starting at 8x100#) Weighted Pull-ups (starting at 47# 1RM) I'll be following a Reverse Pyramid (RPT) style for my marriage lifts. I've been doing 5/3/1 with the dips and pull-ups, but will probably switch that up. My long term goal is to hit 300# deadlift, 150# OHP, 100# dips, 1xBW squat, 1.5xBW Floor Press, 100# pull-ups. I estimate that if I keep adding 1-2 pounds a week, I'll hit those by the end of next year. I've learned there's no need to rush, just keep making progress. My previous m.o. was to give up and switch to something completely different when I stalled out on a lift. Goal 2 [Play] - Try at least 3 different "test drive" workouts Last challenge, I bought the book "Push, Pull, Swing", which is about kettlebells, dumbbells, and sandbags. It has a lot of detail about the different implements and all the exercises you can do with them. It also provides "test drive" workouts that you can do to get a feel for each tool. I won't be following these exactly, but will use them as templates to throw together my weekly Wednesday play time. My current plan is to do a Kettlebell Test Drive, a Sandbag/Dumbbell Test Drive, and a Bodyweight Test Drive. Goal 3 [Work] - Lose 5 pounds Last challenge, I had a goal of losing 2 inches from my midsection, but it's hard to tell your body exactly where to lose weight. I also didn't do a good job of eating at a deficit. I currently weigh 160 lbs and my belly is about 36". I'd ultimately like to get down to about 32" (or less). Based on my historical measurements, the last time I was down to a 34" waist, I weighed about 150 lbs. So, this will be a kick-off towards losing those 4 inches. Hopefully it will result in 1 inch lost, but I'm going to base my goal on pounds since it correlates more evenly with calorie consumption. My plan is to eat 500 calories below maintenance for 5 days a week [work] and then at maintenance 2 days a week [play]. 500 cals x 5 days x 6 weeks is 15,000 calories, which is a little less than 5 lbs. I'll track and adjust as needed. I'm also planning to practice intermittent fasting at least 5 days a week to put the focus on fat burning. I don't think I'll be sticking strictly with the 16/8 LeanGains-style, but closer to the Kinobody-style. I'm also planning to try higher carbs on training days and higher fats on non-training days. Goal 4 [Play] - Finish reviewing all my previous workout data I want to finish tracking what worked and what didn't and why I stopped doing each of the programs I was trying. I'll try to post a recap here for your enjoyment/comment and also so I have a place to come back and reference. And I'm counting this as play because I love analyzing data. Who doesn't?!? Goal 5 [sleep] - Increase my deep sleep Deep sleep is key to muscle growth and I think this may be one reason I have struggled to put on muscle despite working out regularly for 3 years now. I got an UP tracker for Christmas and have been tracking my steps and sleep ever since. The app recommends 3 hours of deep sleep a night and I rarely hit that. I'm going to look into some "sleep hacks" and see what I can do to increase the amount of deep sleep I get each night. So, there you have my goals and at least a start of a plan for each. I'll most likely come back and add details by the start of the challenge.