Baby's First Quest

[Ratynda]

Hey guys!

 

For those of you whom I did not meet in my introduction post, I'm Ratynda. I'm a recent college graduate (almost a year now! ) and adult life has given me the opportunity to re-evaluate a lot of perspectives I had in college and even before. Historically, I settled for the middle road and only kept a normal amount of effort up in school, work, relationships, and exercise. With this new opportunity, I want to turbo-charge my efforts in developing myself in these areas and more. I've been particularly stressed lately about my career path, as I never really was able to bring myself to decide on one and that fact, combined with my current miserable job that I got very shortly after my graduation, have made for a very anxiety-ridden past few months. Some of the career ideas that I have involve a lot more presence and a lot less shyness than my current, level-one self has, so In making my challenge, I want to address a selection of these issues at once. First and foremost though, comes my health!

 

Main Quest:

Develop discipline and overcome shyness, while contributing to my larger goal of finding a calling

 

My First Goals:

 

1. Perform structured weightlifting workouts twice a week and one yoga session a week

2. Apply for two new jobs

3. Find time to stream a game online, with or without friends, twice

4. Reach out to 3 new people that I wouldn't have before

 

For my first challenge, I want to keep the goals simple and realistic to follow, then build from there. These are small things I can do that will force me to take strides in things I am uncomfortable with.

 

Can't wait to see my results!

 

 

 

[Hazard]

3 hours ago, Ratynda said:

Main Quest:

Develop discipline and overcome shyness, while contributing to my larger goal of finding a calling

 

My First Goals:

1. Perform structured weightlifting workouts twice a week and one yoga session a week

2. Apply for two new jobs

3. Find time to stream a game online, with or without friends, twice

4. Reach out to 3 new people that I wouldn't have before

 

 

Hi Ratynda, welcome to the game!

 

All of your quests look good.  Out of curiosity, do you have a specific weightlifting routine you'll be using?  And are you using any particular yoga routine?

 

 

[Echoceanic]

Hi.

 

Boy do I get the stress, I'm actually going through a similar thing now (though I am just looking for work and self teaching myself graphic design instead) and it' hard to expend more effort when you don't feel well. I\m glad to see you're working on it though. 

[Ratynda]

Thanks guys! @Hazard My current workout routine is not according to any particular program as of yet. Right now I structure my workouts around a muscle group split of sorts, generally doing some work on legs at every workout and focusing alternately on back/biceps and chest/triceps. Definitely looking for a bit more structure in that though. My yoga practice is based on the yoga classes that my gym offers as part of the package. They typically work at a "level 1" range and usually have a lot of good variety in muscle groups.

[Ratynda]

1 hour ago, Echocheanic said:

Hi.

 

Boy do I get the stress, I'm actually going through a similar thing now (though I am just looking for work and self teaching myself graphic design instead) and it' hard to expend more effort when you don't feel well. I\m glad to see you're working on it though. 

I'm so glad to hear I'm not alone. Graphic design is such a good field and from the friends that I have that've succeeded in it, they say it's very rewarding. Keep at it! I agree, it's super hard to try and force yourself to do something, even something you enjoy, when you're tired or stressed or feeling down. Pushing through that funk and just doing something, anything at all, that works you towards your goal is the key, I think.

[dayzee84]

Hi! Your goal #4 is the same as one of my goals this challenge! It's definitely a struggle for me. Best of luck!

[Echoceanic]

16 hours ago, Ratynda said:

I'm so glad to hear I'm not alone. Graphic design is such a good field and from the friends that I have that've succeeded in it, they say it's very rewarding. Keep at it! I agree, it's super hard to try and force yourself to do something, even something you enjoy, when you're tired or stressed or feeling down. Pushing through that funk and just doing something, anything at all, that works you towards your goal is the key, I think.

 

Yeah, especially when the level of stress makes you not enjoy it as much. But I find I feel much better after making myself work, be busy and not just sit there paralysed. I hope your challenge started well.

[Laghail]

Great challenge @Ratynda, your combo of lifting and yoga is a perfect mix. How have the job applications been lately?

[Ratynda]

1 hour ago, Laghail said:

Great challenge @Ratynda, your combo of lifting and yoga is a perfect mix. How have the job applications been lately?

Thanks! They've been going well i would say, I already accomplished one! I have a gut feeling that it may not be a great option, but i still put it in and the changes that I put into my resume and cover letter for it will go a long way for similar jobs, so i'm pretty satisfied.

[Ratynda]

On 9/17/2017 at 7:18 PM, dayzee84 said:

Hi! Your goal #4 is the same as one of my goals this challenge! It's definitely a struggle for me. Best of luck!

High five! Socialization is hard. It's a struggle when your natural inclination isn't to be the one to reach out first.

[Ratynda]

On 9/18/2017 at 8:03 AM, Echocheanic said:

 

Yeah, especially when the level of stress makes you not enjoy it as much. But I find I feel much better after making myself work, be busy and not just sit there paralysed. I hope your challenge started well.

Hell yeah, I've discovered nothing good comes from letting yourself be paralyzed like that. It has! Only hope yours has as well.

[Echoceanic]

7 minutes ago, Ratynda said:

Only hope yours has as well.

 

Planning always helps me be determined.  

[Laghail]

19 minutes ago, Ratynda said:

Thanks! They've been going well i would say, I already accomplished one! I have a gut feeling that it may not be a great option, but i still put it in and the changes that I put into my resume and cover letter for it will go a long way for similar jobs, so i'm pretty satisfied.

Absolutely, and it lets you gather options in any case. Well done man.

[His0ka93]

Welcome to NF! I too feel the struggle of wanting to meet

new people. I just moved to a new city and know a grand total of zero ppl (besides coworkers). But using 20 seconds of courage (great article) I joined the nerd fitness community and reached out to someone my coworker thought I should meet (I suck at randomly messaging ppl). So things are looking more positive! 

[Ratynda]

22 hours ago, His0ka93 said:

Welcome to NF! I too feel the struggle of wanting to meet

new people. I just moved to a new city and know a grand total of zero ppl (besides coworkers). But using 20 seconds of courage (great article) I joined the nerd fitness community and reached out to someone my coworker thought I should meet (I suck at randomly messaging ppl). So things are looking more positive! 

I keep seeing people talking about this 20 seconds of courage  thing, i need to check that out for sure, that sounds super helpful. That's so cool though, it's good to see that tactic working so tangibly.

 

[Ratynda]

Hey guys and gals! Quick update for you.

 

Today marks my first week of the challenge and second week overall that I have successfully hauled my ass to the gym for my two workouts and one yoga session. Today also was my first interview in a long time for a new job that some movers and shakers in my agency have been nudging me towards, so on top of the anxiety from being in it, I had a bit of an "Oh god, I don't want to do this job" moment afterwards that caused some of the same breathing issues I had dealt with before. But I persevered and ended up doing more with this workout than I had done in a while! 

 

For reference, today's workout consisted of...

 

- Stretches (always, darling)

- Hanging Leg Raises (3 sets of 15, 20, and 20 reps respectively)

- Seated Cable Rows (100 lbs, 3 sets of 12 reps, two drop sets)

- Dumbbell Rows (30 lbs - 1 set of 12 reps, 35 lbs - 2 sets of 10 reps)

- Barbell Curls (60 lbs, 3 sets of 10 reps)

- One-arm Cable Curls (20 lbs - 3 sets to failure)

- Dumbbell Shrugs ( 50 lbs, 3 sets of 20 reps)

 

Naturally, after I finished the workout, my breath had significantly settled, and anxiety lessened. Go figure! If anyone has any feedback or advice on the workout, please let me know.

 

Until next week!

[His0ka93]

54 minutes ago, Ratynda said:

I keep seeing people talking about this 20 seconds of courage  thing, i need to check that out for sure, that sounds super helpful. That's so cool though, it's good to see that tactic working so tangibly.

 

The gist of it is to suck it up and go for it. Because usually the consequences are far less severe than we imagine! 

 

19 minutes ago, Ratynda said:

Hey guys and gals! Quick update for you.

 

Today marks my first week of the challenge and second week overall that I have successfully hauled my ass to the gym for my two workouts and one yoga session. Today also was my first interview in a long time for a new job that some movers and shakers in my agency have been nudging me towards, so on top of the anxiety from being in it, I had a bit of an "Oh god, I don't want to do this job" moment afterwards that caused some of the same breathing issues I had dealt with before. But I persevered and ended up doing more with this workout than I had done in a while! 

 

For reference, today's workout consisted of...

 

- Stretches (always, darling)

- Hanging Leg Raises (3 sets of 15, 20, and 20 reps respectively)

- Seated Cable Rows (100 lbs, 3 sets of 12 reps, two drop sets)

- Dumbbell Rows (30 lbs - 1 set of 12 reps, 35 lbs - 2 sets of 10 reps)

- Barbell Curls (60 lbs, 3 sets of 10 reps)

- One-arm Cable Curls (20 lbs - 3 sets to failure)

- Dumbbell Shrugs ( 50 lbs, 3 sets of 20 reps)

 

Naturally, after I finished the workout, my breath had significantly settled, and anxiety lessened. Go figure! If anyone has any feedback or advice on the workout, please let me know.

 

Until next week!

Just a couple questions on the workout:
(1) Dynamic stretches or static? And did you do any form of warm-up before? (My preference is 5 minutes on the bike before any workout to get the blood flowing)
(2) I know abs are usually a priority for people, but I would suggest putting them at the end of the workout, as pretty much all the following exercises uses your core for stabilization
(3) Maybe put the shrugs before the biceps exercises, I know my grip is usually the first thing to go when I do heavier shrugs. 

All in all, looks like a solid upper body workout! Any time you exercise to deal with stress is a win, I know I've done it a few times too!

[Ratynda]

2 hours ago, His0ka93 said:

The gist of it is to suck it up and go for it. Because usually the consequences are far less severe than we imagine! 

 

Just a couple questions on the workout:
(1) Dynamic stretches or static? And did you do any form of warm-up before? (My preference is 5 minutes on the bike before any workout to get the blood flowing)
(2) I know abs are usually a priority for people, but I would suggest putting them at the end of the workout, as pretty much all the following exercises uses your core for stabilization
(3) Maybe put the shrugs before the biceps exercises, I know my grip is usually the first thing to go when I do heavier shrugs. 

All in all, looks like a solid upper body workout! Any time you exercise to deal with stress is a win, I know I've done it a few times too!

I'm not privy to the difference of dynamic or static but what I usually do is do some  stretches, warm up with some running for five to ten minutes. Abs are not something I typically focus on so I just added that in at the beginning for shiggles. Sometimes I'll do some crunches before I work out, but it's not usually heavy ab work. Didn't think about it that way! Grip is an issue, but I usually associate it with overall strength, so good looking out. And thanks! It was a pretty big thing for me to even just complete it.

[His0ka93]

19 hours ago, Ratynda said:

I'm not privy to the difference of dynamic or static but what I usually do is do some  stretches, warm up with some running for five to ten minutes. Abs are not something I typically focus on so I just added that in at the beginning for shiggles. Sometimes I'll do some crunches before I work out, but it's not usually heavy ab work. Didn't think about it that way! Grip is an issue, but I usually associate it with overall strength, so good looking out. And thanks! It was a pretty big thing for me to even just complete it.

Dynamic stretching is when you're moving to warm up the muscle - think arm circles for shoulders. Static stretching is when you just stretch the muscle and hold - think touching your toes. That's very poorly explained but you can search it up very easily. 

[Ratynda]

17 hours ago, His0ka93 said:

Dynamic stretching is when you're moving to warm up the muscle - think arm circles for shoulders. Static stretching is when you just stretch the muscle and hold - think touching your toes. That's very poorly explained but you can search it up very easily. 

aaah, okay, I tend to do static stretching then. I'll have to look into some more dynamic stretches.

[Echoceanic]

On 22/09/2017 at 2:30 AM, Ratynda said:

Naturally, after I finished the workout, my breath had significantly settled, and anxiety lessened. Go figure! If anyone has any feedback or advice on the workout, please let me know.

 

 

I am so glad someone else gets this - I always feel calmer after working out and a bit more in tune with my body. I always figured it was because meditation or sitting still does not help me at all (it can actually worsen my 'I am not doing this right, I suck' feeling. 

[dayzee84]

You're doing great this far into the challenge! I also find working out helps me deal with anxiety. Congrats on landing that job interview!

[Ratynda]

On 9/23/2017 at 7:08 PM, Echocheanic said:

 

I am so glad someone else gets this - I always feel calmer after working out and a bit more in tune with my body. I always figured it was because meditation or sitting still does not help me at all (it can actually worsen my 'I am not doing this right, I suck' feeling. 

It's funny, Yoga can be very relaxing, but I find a lot of times afterwards my anxiety can be through the roof! A lot of people say it's because a lot of the moves make you emotional, but for me doing  weightlifting enough puts me in this zone where I'm not thinking about anything else and my mind can only focus on the work, which totally re-sets my mindset. And I totally get the fear of not doing it right! It's intimidating to try and sit still and feel like you're doing it wrong but meditation ultimately just comes down to relaxing and clearing your head, however difficult that ends up being.

[Ratynda]

23 hours ago, dayzee84 said:

You're doing great this far into the challenge! I also find working out helps me deal with anxiety. Congrats on landing that job interview!

Thank you! I can't wait to see how it ends up.

[Ratynda]

Hey guys and gals,

 

Today marked my first workout for this busy, busy week. Not only will I be leaving Thursday for vacation (making a workout extra challenging!), but countless other duties are nipping at my heels saying "pay attention to us! Ignore your workouts!"

 

Not today Satan!

 

This afternoon I spent on a number of upper body exercises, since tomorrow I will be running with my friend for the first time on a beautiful river-front park path and I plan on making it a full leg day. Today's workout was as follows....

 

- Stretches and a warm-up of push ups, oblique crunches, and Lunges.

- Bench Presses (70 lbs - 1 set of 10 reps, then 90 lbs - 2 sets of 10 reps, followed by drop sets cutting down by 15 lbs each time)

- Super-set: Alternating Dumbbell Incline bench presses (35 lbs) with shoulder presses (20 lbs) for 3 sets of ten reps.

- Pull ups (3 sets to failure, ~6 reps)

- Cable curls (35 lbs, 3 sets of 10 reps)

- Barbell Curls (60 lbs, 3 sets of 10 reps)

 

Simple, but got me a good pump! And super proud of myself for finally getting back into the 45 plates on my bench presses.

 

As for my other goals, I spent Saturday setting up a stream session with friends. We probably got a grand total of four people watching, and I have a long way to go in learning how to stream and get watchers, but it was fun nonetheless to put our Gameplay out there for the world to see. I already have another job application in my sights, so soon I will be able to cross off that goal completely from my list! Woo!