Search the Community

Checklists are great. Just ask Captain America. After having pretty much the same challenge format for over a year (time flies!) I've decided to mix it up this time and have a checklist instead of the usual 4 quest layout. Not just any checklist though, a checklist of doom. So, basically just a checklist. I have a pretty solid workout programme going and my diet is pretty well sorted out, so these goals are mainly going to be life stuff and little adjustments. Given that I have a lot of free time right now I decided this would be a great opportunity to really tie up loose ends and get more organised with life in general. And play a lot of Pokemon Go. The Checklist is thusly: Learn how to do Turkish Get Up properly. I'm ashamed to say I've never learned this movement. Time to fix that. Have a trial session at local gym to check out facilities. Really all I need is some sort of TRX frame, somewhere to do parallel dips, and something to do box jumps on. Rowing machines and stationary bikes are a given. Sign up for my next Open University module. Get at least 2 job interviews. Finish reading my mindfulness book. Trade in or sell my old guitar that never gets played. Fix the pickup alignment issue with my Precision Bass. I think the foam has just got soft and needs replacing, hopefully nothing is broken in there. Organise storage shelves in bedroom. Weekly - Share the awesome: Highlight Reel. At the end of each week post a list of highlights from the week, for usual mood uplifting and such. Daily Quests Movement skill practice everyday. Current focus areas - Crow pose, kip-up, TGU, and forwards/backwards rolls. Do something productive everyday. Do something creative and/or relaxing everyday. Wash face everyday. My skin sucks right now. Real men steal their girlfriend's facial care products,right? Let's do this!

Hello again! For this (my 4th) challenge, the main quest is still the same as before: getting healthy and strong. I'll still be working towards those pull-ups (ok, chin-ups first) 3x/week (Tue/Thu/Sat), and my basic routine will stay the same this time around: Bodyweight workouts on Mon/Wed/Fri, yoga class 1x / week. Goal 1: (Walk the) plank on non-BW days , 3x/week (+3 STR, +2 STA) If I can keep up the progression from the past weeks, I'll reach the starting point (5 x 8 negatives) for the Scooby "walk the plank" program during week #2 of this challenge. Yay! Since I need some rest between those sets, I'll continue doing side planks and wrist & elbow mobility during those periods. It has turned out to be a good combination over the past couple of weeks A: 3 WTP days / week => 18 WTP days total B: 2 WTP days / week => 12 - 17 WTP days total C: 1 WTP day / week => 6 - 11 WTP days total F: anything less If I miss a WTP day or two (I'll be traveling for a couple of days at the end of January, with no access to a suitable pull-up bar), I can try and make it up during the rest of the challenge to reach the desired total WTP days. Goal 2: Do at least 120 complete Turkish Get Ups OR 240 TGUs up to bridge and back in 6 weeks (+2 STR, +2 STA) I'm currently learning to do the TGU, and I find that practicing every day is both time consuming and also pretty taxing. I can't add TGU practice right after my strength exercises, so I will have to spread those out a bit. I'll only count complete TGUs, any other practice of specific steps will not count for the grades. Considering that my left knee is giving me increasing trouble right now, putting my weight on it repeatedly during TGUs seems like a really stupid idea. So, since the buggy thing seems to be set on being obnoxious, I'll have to revise this goal and simply leave out the parts where I put weight on my knees. The first part of the Get Up should be fine, up to the "bridge" stage (before I sweep the "off" leg under and behind, into what later becomes a lunge position). So on days when the knee is troublesome (or if the PT generally forbids putting that kind of stress on it), I'll just do the first half of the Get Ups - I'll just have to do twice as many... A: >= 20 complete TGUs / week, >= 120 TGUs total OR 40 half Get Ups / week, >= 240 half GUs total B: >= 16 complete TGUs / week, >= 96 TGUs total OR 32 half Get Ups / week, >= 192 half GUs total C: >= 12 complete TGUs / week, >= 72 TGUs total OR 24 half Get Ups / week, >= 144 half GUs total D: >= 8 complete TGUs / week, , >= 48 TGUs total OR 16 half Get Ups / week, >= 96 half GUs total F: anything less Goal 3: Have a closer look at my diet (+2 CON, +2 WIS) While regular exercise has not only become a habit, but fun, I think my nutrition could be better. I decided to start tracking at first. Just see what and how much I'm currently eating. I'm not confident that I can handle anything more right now, so tracking will have to do in the beginning. I'll decide how to go on from there after this challenge. In the past I have started several attempts to track, but I found it very cumbersome and usually gave up after a couple of days because I just couldn't be bothered. A: tracking 7x / week B: 5 - 6x / week C: 3 - 4x / week D: 1 - 2x / week F: no tracking at all Life goal: Finally get a good (!) job reference from my former employer (+1 WIS, +1 CHA) In our neck of the woods it is not only customary to get a reference from your former employer when you leave a job, but it is your legal right. I wouldn't care so much, if it weren't for the fact that many potential employers will take a close look at your references when they are looking for new hires. I would really, really love to finally check this off my list and just forget about the former job from heck. But I have been struggling with this for the past months. Not only did my former employer take almost six months (!) to finally get this reference done (they should have one ready on your last day of work!), it also contained formal errors, plus (adding insult to injury) - concerning some key phrases, or the lack thereof, it was a rather negative reference, and I believe I deserve a little better. I hate this haggling and I shouldn't have to do it, but I can't leave it at that. *sigh* A: formally correct reference with the additions I would like C: formally correct reference without any changes to the contents F: not an option. I need at least all the formal errors gone. Have a successful challenge, everyone! EDIT 07th Jan for the first Mini Quest.