Wolfen Becomes a Soulcon Warrior Elite

[WolfDreamer]

 

Soulcon Warrior Elite started January 29th, right at the tail end of the last challenge. So this challenge will continue with that.

 

Warrior Elite Objectives:

Weekly Objectives:

• Share the gospel with at least 5 people/week.
• Eat healthy six days/week with no carbs after 1pm except from berries and vegetables; feast day on Sundays.
• Run at least two 5ks/week (although some weeks the challenge may require the runs to be longer).
• Exercise a total of 30 minutes 5 days/week.

Daily Objectives:

• Start every day on your knees, praying the Lord's Prayer aloud for your family and your Soulcon brothers.
• Knock out 40 push-ups right after prayer. Push-ups are a great reminder that falling down is common, but getting back up is what takes the strength. They are also a great reminder for your body that it will obey the goals you have and you will not obey the lust it has.
• Read the daily devotionals.
• Drink one gallon of water every day.
• No carbohydrates after 1pm other than from berries, vegetables, and sweet potatoes (except on feast day).

Finishing Objectives:

• Memorize Ephesians 5:1-21
• Ice bath/cold shower challenge: 4 minutes.
• Breath hold: 90 seconds.
• Share your testimony on social media.

 

 

Personal Objectives:

• Walk at least 10,000 steps/day.
• Cold shower daily.
• Daily breathing exercises to prepare for 90 second breath hold (Wim Hof Method?)
• Go to the gym at least 3 days/week.
• Daily scripture study before bed; this is non-negotiable.
• Use Scripture-Typer daily to memorize scripture.
• Complete all graduate school assignments before due date; this is also non-negotiable.
• Work on Duolingo daily.
• In bed by 10:30pm at the latest Sunday-Thursday (Fri. and Sat. a struggle because daughter works until 2am).
• Meditate daily for at least 10 minutes; this should be silent and not guided--the aim is quiet time with God.
• Continue outside morning routine (take dogs out, work through stretches/movements).
• Daily bodyweight movements (especially push-ups, pull-ups, and burpees).
• Read quietly for at least 20 minutes/day.
• Listen to at least one informative or motivational podcast/week.

 

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Following along. This looks like an awesome challenge.

[WolfDreamer]

3 minutes ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Following along. This looks like an awesome challenge.

 

Glad you're here, buddy.

[annyshay]

Looks awesome and appropriately hard core. Teddy Roosevelt quotes are <3. 

 

1 hour ago, Wolfen said:

Use Scripture-Typer daily to memorize scripture.

Tell me more about this, please.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

57 minutes ago, Wolfen said:

 

Glad you're here, buddy.

How could I miss it?

[WolfDreamer]

2 hours ago, annyshay said:

Looks awesome and appropriately hard core. Teddy Roosevelt quotes are <3. 

 

Tell me more about this, please.

 

Scripture-Typer is an app in which you select the verses you would like to memorize. You type them as you learn them, and it slowly takes words away until you are able to type the entire verse by memory.

2 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

How could I miss it?

 

I'd be disappointed if you did. 

[WolfDreamer]

Update:

• 4:30am wakeup
• Said the Lord's Prayer as well as a more extended personal prayer of praise and for my wife and daughters.
• 2 sets of push-ups (25 and 15).
• Read Soulcon Warrior Elite devotional, as well as a 3-day video devotional with MMA fighter Michael Chandler.

• Took Minnie and the puppy outside while shirtless and shoeless; the ground was frozen again, which hurt more than expected, but once the cold numbed the bottoms of my feet it wasn't so bad.
• Took a cold shower; shaved and brushed my teeth.
• Drank a 30 oz. glass of water.
• Made some spinach and bacon frittatas for breakfast.

• Walked 10,208 steps today.
• Went to the gym on campus to do some lifting. Been over a year since I lifted, so I took it easy:
  • Warmup:
    • 10 burpees
    • 40 toe-touches
    • 50 clapping jumping jacks
    • 25 crunches
    • 10 pushups
  • Bench:
    • 2 sets of 7 reps: 90 pounds
    • 1 set of 3 reps: 100 pounds
  • Squat:
    • 2 sets of 10 reps: 90 pounds
    • 1 set of 7 reps: 100 pounds
    • 1 set of 5 reps: 105 pounds
  • Deadlift:
    • 10 reps 100 pounds

• Lunch: pouch of lemon herb tuna, Perfect Bar, bottle of Suja Radiant Probiotic (a green juice with cayenne and probiotics).
• Worked with my mentor carrying ten 50 pound galvanized pipe from outside to his garage; also carried two 5-gallon buckets of feed down to the chicken house and fed the chickens, gave them fresh water, and collected the eggs.
• Dinner: New York strip, sautéed spinach and mushrooms.
• Completed schoolwork that was due today.
• Heading to bed now, later than my goal, but cut me some slack. It's zero week. 

[WolfDreamer]

 

[Aquarii]

Your goals for this challenge look great, will be following along

 

22 hours ago, Wolfen said:

Daily breathing exercises to prepare for 90 second breath hold (Wim Hof Method?)

 

I am  curious what the 90 second breath hold is suppose to do? My dad was really into singing and swimming when I was growing up, and he taught my sister and me about breath control for those purposes. I remember, growing up, we would all compete to see who could hold their breath the longest (or release our breath the slowest in a long hiss). 90 seconds was about how long I could hold it at that time. I know it is good practice for singing and swimming, but I am assuming that is not the purpose for this method. 

[WolfDreamer]

31 minutes ago, StarlordPhoenix said:

I am  curious what the 90 second breath hold is suppose to do?

 

According to the book: "The focus of this challenge [the breath hold] is to put your brain in a stressful state and use your mind to rise above the fear associated with suffocating. Holding your breath is a great way to develop and practice mental toughness" (Bobay, xii).

 

Last year, when I was training for the Polar Plunge and doing Wim Hof Method breathing daily, my longest hold was just over 2 minutes. I'm sure if I train again, I can get above 90 seconds, but that is the target time.

 

Source:

Bobay, Cody. Soulcon Warrior Elite. Soulcon, 2018.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

8 minutes ago, Wolfen said:

Source:

Bobay, Cody. Soulcon Warrior Elite. Soulcon, 2018

I'm sorry, all citations must follow the Chicago Manual of Style.

 

[Aquarii]

4 minutes ago, Wolfen said:

 

According to the book: "The focus of this challenge [the breath hold] is to put your brain in a stressful state and use your mind to rise above the fear associated with suffocating. Holding your breath is a great way to develop and practice mental toughness" (Bobay, xii).

 

Last year, when I was training for the Polar Plunge and doing Wim Hof Method breathing daily, my longest hold was just over 2 minutes. I'm sure if I train again, I can get above 90 seconds, but that is the target time.

 

Source:

Bobay, Cody. Soulcon Warrior Elite. Soulcon, 2018.

Ahhhh, ok, that makes total sense. As a young adult, I went on to study vocal performance, so breath control continued to be a huge part of my life. While in college, when I was bored, I would sometimes try and see how long I could hold my breath. I think the highest was a little over three minutes, and you DEFINITELY have to override the fear of suffocating for that one. Not only does the brain start to freak out at that point, but also the body. 

[WolfDreamer]

1 minute ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

I'm sorry, all citations must follow the Chicago Manual of Style.

 

 

I thought about leaving it off entirely, and then every part of my English-teacher being rebelled against that idea and I couldn't do it. Had to cite it.

[WolfDreamer]

1 minute ago, StarlordPhoenix said:

Ahhhh, ok, that makes total sense.

 

In the summer I swim a lot (too cold other seasons and no $ for indoor pool membership). I feel so much calmer and invigorated beneath the water, so I try to hold my breath and swim under for as long as I can. I don't count, though. I just enjoy the swim until I really can't hold on any longer.

 

James Nestor wrote an excellent book about free-diving called Deep, and he presents a lot of research about the mammalian dive reflex in which our lungs and vital organs actually contract when we swim to great depths; this supposedly makes it "easier" to hold our breath. But it's the pressure at certain depths that does it, and you have to endure past the freakout phase to trust your instincts to take over. However, even just placing your face in cool water starts the process, and according to his research humans can hold for much longer than we give ourselves credit for.

[Sciread77]

Following.

[WolfDreamer]

2 hours ago, Sciread77 said:

Following.

 

Welcome! Good to see you again.

[Sciread77]

It’s good to be seen. I’ve been lurking here and there but my old phone acquired touch disease and posting with it became difficult. And I just fell asleep at home lol. 

 

I hope all has been well with you. 

[WolfDreamer]

Update:

• 4:30am wakeup
• Said the Lord's Prayer as well as a more extended personal prayer of praise and for my wife and daughters.
• 2 sets of push-ups (25 and 15). Not gonna lie; after lifting yesterday this hurt.
• Read Soulcon Warrior Elite devotional, as well as second day of 3-day video devotional with MMA fighter Michael Chandler.
• Breakfast: frittata muffin and some sausage links
• Walked 13,806 steps today.
• No gym visit today; car is breaking down and I had to wait for a phone call. But took the stairs and walked around campus a few times.
• Lunch: homemade vegetable beef soup
• Cleaned out my mentor's van with the vacuum and took care of the chickens; we lost one (probably old age), so I had to dispose of her body.
• Dinner: well, I wasn't very faithful to the "no carbs after 1" goal because it's been a stressful day. Had to drive my car (the one I just bought after my last one was totaled in my accident) to the used dealership where I bought it, going roughly 35-40mph because I'm thinking the transmission is screwing up and the car won't accelerate. So when I got home it was around 7 and I was famished; ate a Hilshire Farms snack tray thing with barrel smoked natural chicken breast, Monterey Jack cheese with garlic & herbs, Amaretto flavored chocolate almonds (WOW they were freaking yummy),  and rosemary and olive oil flavored crisps. I also drank a lot of plant-based milk (pea milk--don't knock it until you try it). Made toast and apple butter (just apples and spices, no added sugar) as a dessert.
• Worked through a few more verses of Ephesians 5:1-21. I almost have the first 10 verses memorized.
• No Duolingo yet. I'll get that up and running on or just before Week One.

[zeroh13]

Following!

[Bean Sidhe]

Following..

 

Although I misread pea milk the first time. I got very confused..

[Bookish Badger]

Following!

[WolfDreamer]

35 minutes ago, Bean Sidhe said:

Following..

 

Although I misread pea milk the first time. I got very confused..

 

9 minutes ago, Bookish Badger said:

Following!

 

Welcome, both of you. Always a pleasure.

 

Update (Wednesday):

• Alarm went off at 4:30am; I felt the early signs of a headache, so I reset my alarm for 5:15am. Got up when it went off.
• Said the Lord's Prayer as well as a more extended personal prayer of praise and for my wife and daughters.
• Pushups: 25 and 15.
• Drank a 30oz. glass of water.
• Skipped breakfast.
• Took a cold shower.
• Read the Soulcon devotional. The challenge was to write the sin that troubles us most, the ones that really hinder our close walk with Jesus, onto a piece of paper and hold onto it for later. I couldn't think of only one, so I wrote "lust, pride, envy, laziness, fear/doubt."
• Steps total: 12,865
• Went to the gym and did a little bit of everything: burpees, bench-press, chest-press, pull-ups, dips, and ran .65 miles (yes, that's a decimal point; I'm not a madman).
• Lunch: Orgain chocolate protein shake, salted peanuts
• Had to drive my wife's van (because my car was still in the shop) to take my daughter to work and go to work at the theater as an usher (fancy term for the guy who cleans the theater when it's over). I love usher shifts because they are usually short, and after cleaning each theater I do 10 burpees, so I end up with a total of 120 burpees before the end of the night. Well, we weren't very busy, so I didn't have to clean every theater. Ended up with 80 burpees in less than an hour.
• Dinner: Another Hilshire Farms snack pack because I had to hurry once I got home to go to work. 
• Did not get to bed by 10:30 because my daughter worked until 10:35. But I went to bed as soon as I got home (around 11:00).

[WolfDreamer]

Update: Week 1 Day 1

 

• Woke up at 4:45am
• Said the Lord's Prayer, as well as a more personal prayer for myself, my wife, and my daughters.
• Push-ups: 20-10-10
• Read the Soulcon devotional

• This morning, a devotional that I wrote for the Soulcon email list was sent out to thousands of Soulcon subscribers. I'll post it in a separate post.
• Sat in an ice bath for 5 minutes as part of the daily challenge. The challenge only required 90 seconds, but I wanted to aim high.
• Took the day off to work on some schoolwork and because originally one of the little ones was sick, but she felt better this morning.
• Cleaned up the yard and got caught up on laundry.
• Step total: 11,549

• Worked with my mentor cleaning out the hen house; this requires letting the chickens out, shoveling the soiled straw and chicken manure into large trash cans, and then herding the chickens back into the coop. I consider that my workout for the day since the soiled straw and manure can be quite heavy. Plus, chasing chickens...remember Rocky?
• My car is broken again. It died on my in a gas station parking lot. I tried to get a jump, but it turns out the alternator is bad, and my battery was completely dead. My brother came to look at it and was able to get the battery charged enough for me to drive it to my mom's. I'm planning to buy the alternator and change it myself. This will e the first major repair job I have ever done on a car, so I consider it a learning experience.
• Drank enough water for today.
• Need to finish schoolwork, get a Duolingo session completed, and then work on memorizing more of Ephesians 5:1-21. I have the first 10 verses mostly memorized (with some paraphrasing rather than word-for-word accuracy).

[WolfDreamer]

Devo for Soulcon:

 

Valentine’s Day is almost here. I know this because as soon as Christmas ended stores began lining their shelves with boxes of candy, stuffed bears, and hearts…lots of hearts. Pretty soon the word “love” will be tossed around more than candy at an Independence Day parade.

 

But what does the Bible say about “love”?

 

Nearly every man who has spent even a little bit of time in church or been exposed to scripture is at least somewhat familiar with 1 Corinthians 13. Often referred to as the “love chapter” or the “love verses,” this passage is common at weddings, anniversaries, and even on greeting cards. But what many people don’t know is that even though this chapter is romantic and can be applied to marriages, it is also so much more.

 

1 Corinthians 13 is nestled between two chapters in which Paul the Apostle talks to the Christian community about using our spiritual gifts:

 

“A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.” – 1 Corinthians 12:7

 

In Chapter 12 Paul goes on to list gifts many people are given by the Holy Spirit: wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, performing miracles, prophecy, discernment, speaking and interpreting other languages, etc. This the chapter in which Paul compares the Christian community to the human body, pointing out the importance of each part in order for the entire body to function properly.

 

But the last verse of Chapter 12 might transform how you see Chapter 13:

 

“So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts. But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all.” – 1 Corinthians 12:31

 

As you may already know, Chapter 13 begins with Paul’s charge that even if he could speak the language of angels, prophecy, had strong faith, and gave everything to the poor, but he didn’t love others then all of those spiritual gifts would be meaningless.

 

Did you catch that? Chapter 12 reminds us of our spiritual gifts given through the Holy Spirit. Chapter 13 says, “But…” even with all those gifts, if we don’t love others then those gifts are meaningless, or (as Paul puts it) you “would have gained nothing.”

 

The next part of Chapter 13 is the most famous.

 

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.

 

I want you to try something. It might hurt a little to think about, but I challenge you to see it through and really meditate on it. Take another look at those verses. Every time you see the word “love” I want you to replace your own name. Would people say these things about you? Would they say you are patient and kind? Not jealous or boastful or rude? Not irritable? Would your friends and family say these things about you? Would your wife and children describe you this way?

 

If the answer is “No,” then you see why we need Jesus. His love made perfect in us through his death on the cross and through the power of the Holy Spirit, which gives us our unique spiritual gifts, enables us to use our gifts to love others by serving the Body of Christ. Love others perfectly, just as Paul describes it in Chapter 13, by using your special God-given talents to serve the church. Because even if you do those things and to them well, if you don’t have love then all your works and skills and talents are meaningless.

 

In other words, put your work boots on and share the perfect love of Jesus by using your special skills and talents to show love in practical and very real ways. I encourage you to pray about your spiritual gifts, seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and find a way to serve and love others.

[annyshay]

Thanks for sharing!!! That was lovely.