Zeroh vs Heat & Humidity

[zeroh13]

August is usually pretty miserable when it comes to the weather. It pretty much just totally sucks. So I need to take care of myself so I don’t turn into a puddle. Or a fried egg. Both are pretty unappealing fates.

 

Looking back at my last challenge, it was really successful. So I think I’ve found a system that fits me nicely. The basic concept is to ramp up the goals over the course of the challenge. And to utilize a cork board I have over my headboard, with my tracking sheet as the focus of attention. It has stickers!

 

Going into this challenge, I’m adding in a ranking system, plus a stat system I first introduced last fall.

 

The ranking system classifies things as a goal, habit in training, or habit. A goal is a new or modified goal. A habit in training is a goal I succeeded at from my last challenge. And if I keep succeeding, it graduates to being a habit!

 

My stat system lets me group the things I’m working on into five different categories. It streamlines things in an app I use to help me track. Plus it’s cool. Mostly it’s just cool. And fun.  The stats are Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Sanity, and Charisma.

 

Now, on to the actual Things! Which I’ll be starting during zero week. So, now.

 

I have two habits in training, taking my AM and PM pills (Sanity), and staying hydrated (Constitution). I did very well on these last challenge. So, I need keep doing them every day so they become ful

 

And then I have my new goal: washing my face. I’m going to build this up to doing it every day. I’m starting with twice a week. And then add one to that each week.

Finally, there’s my Training Program. I’m not training for anything specific, but that sounds better than workout schedule. It is a challenge goal, but it’s written as a monthly schedule, instead of following the actual dates for the challenge. So, to round out July, I have a kettlebell workout on the 26th, 28th, and 30th. And on the 30th I decide if I want to move up in difficulty, or keep it the same. Moving into August, I’m adding in walking (Constitution) on Sundays. And the kettlebell workouts (Strength) will be Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. With a work in progress plan for what to do when I have a week long migraine.

 

And I think that’s about it! 
 

For anyone that doesn’t know me, here’s a few things about myself: 

Spoiler

I’m a gamer who enjoys music, hiking, and photography.

I’m a beginner with the kettlebell, with a dash of experience in body weight exercises.

I would love to learn parkour and snowboarding.

I’m a non-binary asexual person who is on the autism spectrum. 

I struggle with depression and C-PTSD. 

I’m a vain perfectionist with an eating disorder that’s currently, thankfully, under control.

 

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Hey there fellow KB beginner! I'll be following along in solidarity with August-is-too-hot-feels.

[Rebel Pilot Gar]

Love your ranking system and stat selection/classification! 
 

Especially love the inclusion of sanity and the strategy of leveling up “habits in training” to full habits.

[Jarric]

18 hours ago, zeroh13 said:

Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Sanity, and Charisma.

 

This is a good stat array. I like the inclusion of sanity - it makes sense that it should be in there, but I've never seen anyone use it for their forum stats before.

[zeroh13]

20 minutes ago, Jarric said:

 

This is a good stat array. I like the inclusion of sanity - it makes sense that it should be in there, but I've never seen anyone use it for their forum stats before.

Yeah. I needed somewhere I could include mental health and dealing with stress. It’s not something really included in most games (which is where the idea of stats comes from), but it’s definitely important for real life!

[Jarric]

37 minutes ago, zeroh13 said:

Yeah. I needed somewhere I could include mental health and dealing with stress. It’s not something really included in most games (which is where the idea of stats comes from), but it’s definitely important for real life!

 

Yeah, 100%! It's a stat in Call of Cthulhu I believe, and there's an optional rule for it in D&D. I don't think I've ever seen it in a computer game.

[KeysMcGee]

1 hour ago, zeroh13 said:

Yeah. I needed somewhere I could include mental health and dealing with stress. It’s not something really included in most games (which is where the idea of stats comes from), but it’s definitely important for real life!

 

"Wisdom" perhaps? Or maybe "Concentration"? 

 

As one who struggles with his own Sanity, definitely agree that this is a good stat to have.

[zeroh13]

2 hours ago, Jarric said:

 

Yeah, 100%! It's a stat in Call of Cthulhu I believe, and there's an optional rule for it in D&D. I don't think I've ever seen it in a computer game.

What I remember about that stat in Cthulhu, is that as you encounter weird stuff, your sanity goes down. Which, if I remember right, makes you see more weirdness. I played a bit of Call of Cthulhu, 15 years ago, maybe? 
 

There’s a stat/attribute in Bloodborne that works like that too. (Definitely recommend that game for anyone who likes the Dark Souls games, and Cthulhu-like weirdness!)

 

1 hour ago, theflyingaccountant said:

 

"Wisdom" perhaps? Or maybe "Concentration"? 

 

As one who struggles with his own Sanity, definitely agree that this is a good stat to have.

I’m pretty sure I considered those, but they didn’t really fit everything I need to fit. Like, taking my meds. Or decluttering. One challenge, I had folding my clothes as a Sanity goal. Those aren’t things that would really make me wiser. Maybe improve my concentration a little as a bonus, but that’s not the main reason I need to do them.

 

Stuff like meditation or gratitude journals would fit as Wisdom or Concentration, but those aren’t things that have ever really helped me. So I’m not foreseeing them as possible goals.

[KeysMcGee]

13 minutes ago, zeroh13 said:

I’m pretty sure I considered those, but they didn’t really fit everything I need to fit. Like, taking my meds. Or decluttering. One challenge, I had folding my clothes as a Sanity goal. Those aren’t things that would really make me wiser. Maybe improve my concentration a little as a bonus, but that’s not the main reason I need to do them.

 

Stuff like meditation or gratitude journals would fit as Wisdom or Concentration, but those aren’t things that have ever really helped me. So I’m not foreseeing them as possible goals.

 

Respect. We gotta walk our own path. I define such things pretty loosely myself, but...then again, I define most everything loosely (somebody made the mistake of introducing me to Deconstructionist Theory in college Lit, and ever since then, words in my world just mean whatever I want them to mean ).

 

Besides, Sanity is a noble pursuit in and of itself. 

[zeroh13]

So far, the challenge has been going well. Starting to slip a bit on remembering to take my AM pills in the morning. Yesterday I remembered at noon. I’m going to be lenient with myself and count it this time, but they really do need to be taken earlier.

 

Middle of the night, I started getting a migraine. So we’ll see how the day goes…

 

And I forgot to post this photo at the beginning, but here is my cork board sheet:

Spoiler

(I took the photo before the challenge started.)

[zeroh13]

I did a test of exercising with a migraine. It actually went better than I expected. 
 

I think one important thing is to consider how bad it is before you try exercising. Today, it hurt, but wasn’t a crippling pain. And there was some sensitivity to bright light. But my room doesn’t really get that bright, especially with the blinds down. Moving my head did make it hurt more. But nothing in the workout really requires moving it in a way that would hurt. Like, squats are okay because I should be keeping my head steady.

 

I actually felt better after my workout. I imagine from the endorphins and maybe the caffeine from what I was drinking. But caffeine hasn’t ever really helped with the migraines before.

 

I think the main thing I’ve learned from this, is that if the migraine is more on the mild side, go ahead and power through the workout.

[Rookie]

I was reading your challenge and it said August... and I was like "Whhhhat.... its not August yet....." Holy crap 3 more days... when did this happen. 

 

Loving the tracker you made. I appreciate the colours.

 

Sorry to hear about your migraine but well done getting your workout in. 

 

[zeroh13]

I should be asleep right now….

 

I blame doing my workout later than usual. And it lasting longer than normal. Because today was see how much I’ve improved day. But the numbers weren’t so good. Like, going down. Idk if I was just tired. Or didn’t have enough fuel. Or what. But it’s very frustrating.

 

At least I can say that I didn’t miss a workout in July. And maybe I can just try my maxes again on Monday.

[zeroh13]

I can now take down my July workout sheet!

Spoiler

And now to make the one for August.

[Son of Rylos]

The kettlebell is such an interesting tool. I've got one I need to use more. I'm in for the successes! 

[zeroh13]

Zero Week of the challenge went very well. 
 

And today starts my August training program. Which I have named “August Change”. I wrote it out in my original post, but I think it’ll help me to put it here too.

 

> Walkies on Sundays

> Kettlebell on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

 

I looked at my max numbers for Kettlebell again. Looking back, the numbers overall weren’t great, but what really sucked what my second tries. I think I used up all my fuel on the first tries. Basically, there was actually decent improvement on everything. Except squats. That stayed the same.

 

Which made me comfortable enough with myself to move on the workout v2.0. Which already left the squats the same. So all good there. I’m following a beginner kettlebell program I found online. That actually has a few different workouts that progress from absolute beginner to more advanced beginner, but not yet intermediate. I did do one modification however. His workouts include a move (halo) that I cannot do cause my shoulders have hypermobility and will pop doing the movement, which would lead to pain. There is literally no way around it. So I replaced that with working on overhead presses.

 

I would include my tracking sheets, but it won’t work. Oh well.

[zeroh13]

Spoiler

Oh, now it wants to work. Yay.

 

Now to just wait for the rain to chill out so I can go walk…

[zeroh13]

I might need to change “Heat & Humidity” to “WTF is this weather?” It’s been very pleasant outside the last couple days, for summer at least. Granted, it was very humid yesterday because of raining on and off for most of the day. But it wasn’t hot.

 

Today I carried groceries for two people home. And exercised. I will be feeling this in the morning. And I did volunteer to get my BFF’s groceries when I went to get my own. She has a big tendency to go over budget. And I’m the one paying for it. So, I basically brought this onto myself.

 

In other news, I’d like some kind of way to test the flexibility of my whole body. Without needing assistance from anyone. I don’t want specific measurements. I just want general “stiff”, “just right”, and “too bendy”. Like, my calves and hamstrings are stiff. So I need to stretch them. And my shoulder joints are too bendy. So I need to work on stabilizing my shoulders. And being aware of how far is too far for my own good. But, what about everywhere else?

[zeroh13]

Today I was still really sore from my workout on Monday. But I went ahead and did my workout anyways. And my legs hate me for it. I am not looking forward to seeing how they feel tomorrow.

 

Yesterday I trimmed up the sides and back of my hair. I had been procrastinating on that for way too long. But now it’s back to looking nice! And as a bonus does not trap sweat.

 

Overall, my challenge has been very good. And I think I might owe that to the structure of it more than anything else. The tricky part is going to be keeping up the momentum and motivation. Which I have a really bad track record of.

[Elastigirl]

Awesome that you found a good kettlebell program! Which one are you using?

[zeroh13]

9 hours ago, Elastigirl said:

Awesome that you found a good kettlebell program! Which one are you using?

It’s from the Kettlebell Workouts website. One of the free ones from a blog post there. https://kettlebellsworkouts.com/beginners-kettlebell-exercises-with-workouts/

 

I’m on this one (3 circuits):

Slingshot – clockwise x 20 reps

Slingshot – anti-clockwise x 20 reps

Halo – clockwise x 10 reps

Halo – anti-clockwise x 10 reps

Good Morning – 8 reps

Single Arm Deadlift – Left x 15 reps

Single Arm Deadlift – Right x 15 reps

Bodyweight Squats x 10 reps
 

And then replacing the halo with a half-kneeling bottoms up overhead press hold. 15 seconds on each side. I picked that one as a way of working on shoulder stability. With a bottoms up hold because the weight of the kettlebell was bruising my forearm. Though I do have my other hand up to stop the kettlebell from tipping over. Yay for sweaty hands.
 

Thank god I found that bottoms up hold. Because everything I found when searching how to stop forearm bruising wasn’t helping. The only tip there I didn’t try was “use a lighter kettlebell”. Which, no. I only own one and I’m not about to go out and buy a lighter one!

 

I did look into chalk for the sweat. But from what I’ve read from other people with eczema, it really does not play nice. Especially the liquid stuff because it has alcohol in it. And if my hands could somehow tolerate it for brief periods, I’d have to solve the problem of opening two doors to get to our bathroom to wash my hands. Without leaving chalk on the doorknobs. And hope that no one was in there. That got too complicated too fast! LOL I have found that overall having a rag that I could wipe off my kettlebell’s handle with between circuits helps nicely. And having an extra firm grip.

[Elastigirl]

Looks like an awesome workout. Glad you figured out what works for summer time kettlebelling and sweat! I love the bottoms up hold 

[shaar]

On 8/2/2021 at 5:14 PM, zeroh13 said:

“WTF is this weather?”

 

SAME.

 

This summer is just a big crazy anomaly of weirdness.

[KeysMcGee]

On 8/2/2021 at 5:14 PM, zeroh13 said:

I might need to change “Heat & Humidity” to “WTF is this weather?”

 

My poor garden is so confused right now. We went from fighting back mold and fungus from all the rain to my peppermint and pineapple sage nearly drying out altogether in the span of a week or two.

[Jarric]

On 8/1/2021 at 6:53 PM, zeroh13 said:

His workouts include a move (halo) that I cannot do cause my shoulders have hypermobility and will pop doing the movement, which would lead to pain. There is literally no way around it. So I replaced that with working on overhead presses.

 

Out of interest, are you able to do that movement unweighted, or is it a complete no go? If you can do it, and if this is the sort of thing where strengthening the muscles will help, it might be worth going unweighted or with something really like (like a tin of beans)?

 

On 8/5/2021 at 2:04 PM, zeroh13 said:

Thank god I found that bottoms up hold. Because everything I found when searching how to stop forearm bruising wasn’t helping.

 

I do like bottom up kettlebell press/hold - it's so much harder than the normal way and so good for stability. Is the bruising just from holding the KB in place, or from motion?