Dohvakiin rises, again

[Dohvakiin]

So the last time I posted here, I was high on life, with everything going right in my life. Getting selected in my university's A cappella group, getting a girlfriend and generally happy with my whole life. Reading those posts again, I dunno why I stopped doing all of that. I guess life got in the way. 

 

So my girlfriend and I broked up 2 months ago. Reasons of which I won't bore you with. But ever since that happened, I have been skipping my workouts, missing meals and been a complete recluse for a month and a half.I have stopped even talking to my roommates and keep conversations to a bare minimum. All the progress I made physically and socially, it feels like they took a good 20 steps back, so I feel like I'm back to square one(Or even worse,I dunno).

 

I recently came to the conclusion that ever since the day of my breakup, I have been talking negatively to myself(and I'm the only person I've been talking to), and it has put me in a really bad mood all the time. My self-esteem has been almost non-existent, I have barely kept up with my hobbies(singing,guitar,badminton and recording songs). 2 weeks back, I told myself "Enough is enough". 2 months is more than enough to beat yourself up. So, without giving it another thought, I made a few positive changes in my life.

 

 I got a dumbbell set.

 

*I got a bike.

*I got a brand new recording microphone.

*I'm going to get a tattoo next weekend. I have booked my appointment already.(I'm getting a dragon on my left arm)

 

Now, I know this isn't something I anticipated and it's partly my fault for not having continued to check in here at the rebellion forums when things were going good for me. But this time, I'm sticking around and I'm gonna do my very best to keep this going for life. Because having started working out has made me feel a lot better about things in general and I'm seeing a glimmer of positivity in the things I do now. 

 

My goals for the month are:

 

Workout

* Strength train 3 days a week(Monday, Wednesday,Friday preferably)

*Biking every other day

 

Social

*Make at least 5 new friends(or acquaintances) by the end of the month

*Get to be a part of the university debate club and be a regular member(This freaks me out sooo much.I have not taken courses because presenting something in front of a group of people scares the hell out of me. Being a part of the A cappella club and performing a concert as a group raised my confidence a bit, but I usually mumble my words or don't speak clearly. And I usually repeat the sentences I say because I don't say them right the first time. Just writing this scares the hell out of me, but I need to get over this fear one way or the other. I think this club would be a good platform for me to get over this fear. Plus, they accept beginners.This may turn out to be the best thing that's gonna happen to me, or I'm gonna embarrass myself to new levels and run out of the room screaming. I'll let you know how it goes.)

 

Hobbies

The last time, I took on two hobbies at once(dancing and singing),and I got nowhere with both of them. Now I've decided to just concentrate on singing.

And I'm still not confident enough to create a youtube video.(How do people create music videos so effortlessly and look amazing in it?)Right now, I'll just focus on getting the music right. 

 

*I'l record at least one song by the end of the month

 

 

Other

*Get my tattoo

 

 

That's it. That's all I wanna complete by the end of the month. 

 

 

My current workout looks like this:

*Dumbbell lunges(3 x 10-12)

*Bench dips or Tricep dips on my bed(3 x 10-12)

*Dumbbell squats(3 x 10-12)

*Wide arm pushups(Max 10 per set, min 5. Usually a total of 25-30 for 3 sets)

*Floor press(3 x 10-12)

*Bicep curls(3 x 10-12)

*Planks(3 sets, a minute per set)

 

Does this seem like an okay workout? Am I missing or overdoing something? This is the first time I'm using dumbbells, so I'd appreciate any suggestions you guys can give me. I'm looking forward to kick ass and be awesome again, and be a part of this wonderful community. Whoever is reading this, you have a great day. 

[Xena]

Are you planning to do a 4-week challenge? It seems like it would be a really good fit, since you have outlined your goals in that style/timeframe anyway. I think your workout looks pretty good. If you want to mix it up, you could also add in overhead press. Other things you could do for variety would be some kind of weighted sit-ups/core exercises, single-leg deadlifts or renegade rows. These are just suggestions to give you a little variety.

 

On 9/7/2017 at 2:51 AM, Dohvakiin said:

All the progress I made physically and socially, it feels like they took a good 20 steps back, so I feel like I'm back to square one(Or even worse,I dunno).

 

Nah, you've had a rough month or two. You're still the same person. And you are ready to make positive changes now.

[Xena]

On 9/7/2017 at 2:51 AM, Dohvakiin said:

And I'm still not confident enough to create a youtube video.(How do people create music videos so effortlessly and look amazing in it?)Right now, I'll just focus on getting the music right. 

 

Forgot to ask... Have you tried making some videos? I mean videos just for yourself that you don't have to post? I'm not a performer myself, but maybe there are some websites that would give advice on how to make better videos?

 

I was also thinking that if you wanted some encouragement in this department @Cheetah would probably be a good guy to talk to. He plays ukulele and posted his first videos pretty recently.

[Cheetah]

On 9/7/2017 at 2:51 AM, Dohvakiin said:

(How do people create music videos so effortlessly and look amazing in it?)

 

The short answer to this question is, have good equipment.  Have a decent mic.  Have a decent camera.  Have a decent recorder to plug the mic and camera into.  Have some free editing software.  If you want to get really fancy, buy a couple of lights with diffusers, or have a south-facing window with translucent white curtains and shoot in the evening.

 

However, the longer and more encouraging answer is, just shoot a video and post it up.  It's fun, challenging, and people won't care that it's not perfect.  Everyone worth talking to understands that it takes a ton of guts to do such a thing, and your friends love and respect you in part because you're courageous.  So go for it!

 

Here's one I shot with my crap phone.  The sound is awful.  People still loved it.

 

 

If I can do it, anyone can!

[Dohvakiin]

15 hours ago, Xena said:

If you want to mix it up, you could also add in overhead press. Other things you could do for variety would be some kind of weighted sit-ups/core exercises, single-leg deadlifts or renegade rows. These are just suggestions to give you a little variety.

 

Cool. I'll try them too. Should I substitute them for the planks, or do them in addition to my workout?

 

15 hours ago, Xena said:

Are you planning to do a 4-week challenge? It seems like it would be a really good fit, since you have outlined your goals in that style/timeframe anyway.

 

 

 

Yeah. I will go and start a topic in the 4-week challenge section as well. Thanks:)

 

[Dohvakiin]

15 hours ago, Xena said:

 

Forgot to ask... Have you tried making some videos? I mean videos just for yourself that you don't have to post? I'm not a performer myself, but maybe there are some websites that would give advice on how to make better videos?

 

I tried a couple of times. But I gave up after I couldn't even look at the videos I shot myself. I was like

 

But I'l just take Cheetah's tips and advice and start recording and shooting videos without worrying about the perfect video.

 

10 hours ago, Cheetah said:

The short answer to this question is, have good equipment.  Have a decent mic.  Have a decent camera.  Have a decent recorder to plug the mic and camera into.  Have some free editing software.  If you want to get really fancy, buy a couple of lights with diffusers, or have a south-facing window with translucent white curtains and shoot in the evening.

 

I have a decent-ish mic. And I have an audio interface to connect my guitar to my laptop. And I use Ableton Live software too. The audio quality is decent. I just need to shoot the video and sync up the music and video. But I'll definitely take your tips into consideration when I try to shoot the next time. Thanks a lot, Cheetah.

 

However, the longer and more encouraging answer is, just shoot a video and post it up.  It's fun, challenging, and people won't care that it's not perfect.  Everyone worth talking to understands that it takes a ton of guts to do such a thing, and your friends love and respect you in part because you're courageous.  So go for it!

 

 

If I can do it, anyone can!

 

The song sounds pretty catchy. Good work, man. And thanks for the words. It's been nagging me every time I try. " What if this doesn't turn out perfect? What if they don't like it?". I'l just get out of my head and start somewhere. Thanks again.

[Dohvakiin]

@Xena Based on my workout, can you tell me which guild should I join and post my 4-week challenge topic in?

[Xena]

7 hours ago, Dohvakiin said:

Cool. I'll try them too. Should I substitute them for the planks, or do them in addition to my workout?

 

I would stick with what you have planned to start. Then after a week or two, if you want to try something different, substitute in one or more of those. 

 

6 hours ago, Dohvakiin said:

@Xena Based on my workout, can you tell me which guild should I join and post my 4-week challenge topic in?

 

There's a level 1/first-timer guild now. That's a good place to start. Everyone will kind of be in the same boat figuring things out. After that, you could go lots of different directions...rangers since you have a mix of interests, rebels if you want to keep it more general, warriors if you want to focus on weightlifting, even scouts if you want to move toward longer distance rides. And you can definitely try out different guilds and see which one you like best.