67alecto's October Challenge

[67alecto]

1)Lose some weight - I have maintained the exact same weight since the end of the August challenge (7 weekly weighins including this week's).

2)Take 2 weeks off from the gym*

3)Do 3 chinups

4)Paint the guest room.

*by 10/22, I will have exercised 5x a week for 12 weeks straight - I need a break. In the case, a break means continuing to walk/hike/bike and doing bodyweight exercises while the iron gathers some dust.

I can currently *almost* do 2 chinups - I get my eyes or mouth equal to the bar on the 2nd one.

I prepped the guest room a year ago while in a painting frenzy. I ended up spending more time on the bathroom, and then we had company in, so it fell to the wayside. I need to do the test square and then move forward on it since we'll have a full house during the Christmas.

[67alecto]

Got in a 60-minute bike ride before the rain hit our area (first rain in around 2 weeks). Traveled about 10.5 miles

[67alecto]

Not off to a good start

Did a 20-minute walk and felt like my knee was going to give out for the first 10 minutes.

Then, on the way to an after-school function with my son, my left shoulder started hurting right on the collarbone. Not sure if I twisted wrong, or if it is from the bike posture.

Seems to be feeling better right now, so hopefully I can lift tomorrow (yikes, already after midnight...make that today).

[Suse]

hey matt,

I'm kind of glad to hear you're giving yourself a break from chronic g.ym work. You gotta mix stuff up from time to time. Have you tried IF's at all, I cant remember from reading your past journal entries.

[67alecto]

What is an IF?

[67alecto]

Shoulder felt better today, and all day I was thinking how good my knee felt. Then, as I was leaving work, I half-stepped off the sidewalk with that leg and gave it a wrench. Nothing too bad, but definitely twinged.

Got through the gym session just fine.

overhead 120

bench 165

deadlift 220

chinups

dips 3x12

decline situps 3x10

[Suse]

Ah an IF.. intermittent fast.... Steve has blogged about them. For some reason I thought perhaps you were doing paleo/primal but from reading our team update I see you are not!. They can be quite good for breaking a plateau for some people.

[67alecto]

Ah an IF.. intermittent fast.... Steve has blogged about them. For some reason I thought perhaps you were doing paleo/primal but from reading our team update I see you are not!. They can be quite good for breaking a plateau for some people.

I figured you meant that, but had a slight doubt since you were talking about the gym. I fast every night...from about 10pm to 9am the next day. Then I BREAK(my)fast.

[67alecto]

Went out to dinner with visiting family last night, so no time for a bike ride. Walked, instead.

[Asuria]

I fast every night...from about 10pm to 9am the next day. Then I BREAK(my)fast.

That's a good one.

[67alecto]

Had to watch the kids tonight, so couldn't get over to the gym.

Did 60 situps (old school, high-school-gym-class style with my feet wedged under the dresser).

Jumped back into hundredpushups.com at Week 4, day 1.

Did 18, 22, 16, 16, 25 for a total of 97.

[67alecto]

absolutely beautiful weather today. Did a 6.5 mile hike over very rough terrain.

[67alecto]

On that hike, I came across a very aggressive tarantula.

[Alethea]

Wow, that tarantula is a hero. You're like 1000x his size, and he's like "Bring it!!". Go tarantula!!

[Suse]

oh.my.god. ewwwwwwwwwwwww I hate insects and rodents..... have I ever mentioned the time I sprained my ankle running away from a cockroach

[67alecto]

holy crap, really feeling the DOMS from the pushups on Friday and was very weak after the vigorous hike yesterday.

Overhead 95 (could barely manage that - really feeling the pushups in my lats)

squat 175 (was working up to 185, felt like my left hamstring was going to freeze after 1 rep at 175)

Seated incline bench 207 (using the machine...boo hiss...felt like I had to do something upperbody and my stabilizer muscles were all fried)

tricep pulldowns staggered weights from 85 -> 50

decline pushups 3x12

Couldn't manage a single pullup as my lats were on fire

[67alecto]

DOMS slowly fading, but knee was a bit rubbery as I mowed the front lawn.

Rain moving in, so I'll have to do the backyard tomorrow or Wed.

[67alecto]

inadvertantly exercised 7 days in a row - took tonight off

[kahn265]

inadvertantly exercised 7 days in a row - took tonight off

Careful not to overdo it - body needs to recover (I found that out the hard way)

[67alecto]

Yeah, don't I know it. It was actually 8 days in a row - there was a day I walked but didn't update here.

One more workout session will give me 60 in 12 weeks. At that point, I'm going to change up everything including my lifting program and it will start with at least a week off from the gym.

[Suse]

you're impressive in that you are keeping up the commitment to do your workouts. wow is what I say.

yow, back in at week 4 on the 100 PU. no wonder you were feeling a bit sore, thats a pile of pushups man!

[Robzilla1983]

I love that taking 2 weeks off the gym is part of your challenge, and that it actually is a challenge for you

Not that I should say much. From about, god, January I guess, until now. I've taken a week off probably 3 times. Haven't done 2 weeks off though. I think once I hit my race on Dec. 11 I'll probably take the rest of Dec off and start up again in the new year

[67alecto]

For heavy training, people usually recommend 3 weeks on, 1 week off, or 5 weeks on and 1 week off.

It really is weird. I keep having to check myself as I think about a new workout program. I really want to start it now, but I'm going to take today off as well and start doing pushups/situps/etc again tomorrow.

The biggest thing is that I simply need to get my mind right. Honestly, I haven't actually tried to lose weight since the end of the August Challenge. I've let my calories slip up to maintenance, and I've ranged within 5lbs of weight either way.

I'm going to stop tracking calories for awhile. I'll still be calculating them mentally, and will make sure I get enough fiber, but I want to get back into things full-on rather than half-assed.

Time off to refresh, eat reasonably, regain the right mindset.

On a good note, though, I painted a 2' square to test the blue we want to use in the guest bedroom.

[67alecto]

Went on a ~6 mile bike ride with my son with a stop halfway to play at the park - lots of climbing and hanging from the various bits of equipment.

[Asuria]

Sounds like you had a lot of fun in the park.