[Lucia Aethera]

First challenge! 

Since I'm already working on adulting, the goal of this challenge will be to bring a spark of joy into my everyday life. I can get really stuck in routines. The best example is going for nearly two weeks in Bulgaria on just a big plate of fries for dinner. The wildest thing about it was local cheese sprinkled on top. I'm not the best company for food degustation 😂

The Umbrella Word/main theme: Happiness
Supporting words: fun, adventure, boldness, curiosity

Main goal: Try different workouts every other day

• HIIT: Mini - warm up; Plus - 4 min (one set); Elite - 28 min (four sets)
• Dumbbells: Mini - 10 reps/side; Plus - 10 min WO; Elite - 30 min WO
• Yoga: Mini - 1 min stretch; Plus - 10 min WO; Elite - 30 min WO

Side goal #1: Feel better/appreciate/dream (measured by the emotion experienced, not the cognitive process)

• Feel better: Mini - 1 better feeling thought; Plus - 3 bft; Elite - 12 bft until I feel really good on the topic
• Appreciate: Mini - 3 things I enjoyed; Plus - 10 things I enjoyed; Elite - A rant about sth I enjoyed
• Dream: Mini - 68 sec reaching for a feeling; Plus - a rant about what something I want to achieve feels like; Elite - a whole story of having achieved that thing (and what it feels like) 

Side goal #2: Search for favorite foods

• Meal: Mini - rate a meal; Plus - cook a new meal; Elite - try something wild
• Snack: Mini - rate a snack; Plus - try a new flavor; Elite - try something wild
• Drink: Mini - rate a drink; Plus - try a new flavor; Elite - try something wild

 

 

Throughout these 3 weeks I hope to achieve the freedom of choosing something and risking not liking it. It's extremely difficult for me to do (as pointed out above), but apparently the joy is in testing one's limits. Let's see if this theory holds water.

 

Do you Warrior Rebels have ideas for a dumbbell workout for a noob? Oh, and what do you do on rest days that's different from walking?

[juliebarkley]

4 hours ago, Lucia Aethera said:

First challenge! 

Welcome!

 

I've never seen this challenge tracking system before. I like it.

 

4 hours ago, Lucia Aethera said:

Do you Warrior Rebels have ideas for a dumbbell workout for a noob? Oh, and what do you do on rest days that's different from walking?

There are better people than me to give advice on good dumbbell workouts, but you can do just about anything on a rest day that isn't working the muscles you are trying to rest. Walking is common, but you could cycle. Stretch. When my workouts were better, I was alternating between GMB Elements and Mobility for workout/rest. You could learn to shuffle dance (there's a club for that!). Or practice a skill, like handstands, cartwheels, or, I don't know, staff spinning or knife throwing. What sorts of activities sound appealing to you (or, conversely, don't sound appealing at all)?

[Lucia Aethera]

Hi Julie

 

...there's a lot of things to do besides walking. Thanks for all these ideas! Shuffle dance looks fun  Handstands and cartwheels are something I'd love to be able to do one day, tho I gotta get my arms stronger first. So shuffle dance it is!

 

The umbrella and supporting words come from MuchelleB's Life Map - she's a great Aussie productivity youtuber.
The habit system is from Elastic Habits by Stephen Guise. It expands on the idea of tiny steps.

--

Today I had a snack I already knew I'd like - Mini

 

Three good things about today (Mini😞

• Hitting lvl 24 in the Game of Life!
• Reconnecting with an old friend
• Meeting new people here

Social anxiety is running wild, but that's okay. Everybody's going through the same thing. 

 

Geez, a 2.5 kg/5.5 lbs dumbbell is heavy (15 reps/side). It's kinda embarassing, haha  But I could pose as a stereotypical jock at least. Verdict: Mini!

[Lucia Aethera]

I just tried kombucha (grape flavor) for the first time and it's weeeeird 😂 Idk if I'll down this bottle but at least I tried!

Food experiment - level Elite! 🎉 But I'm not getting that again haha

[Chesire]

Hi there!  How is your challenge going?

[juliebarkley]

On 12/8/2021 at 3:13 PM, Lucia Aethera said:

Shuffle dance looks fun

Join us!

 

How are things going!

[Lucia Aethera]

Oh, oh! You've got tutorials! Perfect

 

I've been consistent with bodyweight and mobility workouts for the past few days. Reconnected with an old friend (what has more Christmas spirit than friends and family? ❤️ ) Now all that's left is dressing up the Christmas tree and baking gingerbread cookies. Anybody has tips on cutting out those, other than using tons of flour to make the dough even a little less sticky?

[Lucia Aethera]

I just finished creating a desktop vision board for 2022. It's my first time! It was so much fun ❤️ Sources: Pinterest&Canva

Spoiler

 

[Scaly Freak]

On 12/7/2021 at 4:22 PM, Lucia Aethera said:

Do you Warrior Rebels have ideas for a dumbbell workout for a noob? 

 

Sure thing. I started collecting them in the early pandemic days. (Workouts, not ideas.) What kinds of dumbbells do you have access to, and what kinds of workouts do you want to do? (Short, long, specific goals, etc)

 

On 12/7/2021 at 4:22 PM, Lucia Aethera said:

Oh, and what do you do on rest days that's different from walking?

 

I actually walk every day, because if I don't then my Happy Sidekick will give me heartbroken Sad Puppy Eyes (a devastatingly effective charm spell), but more importantly, her mental health suffers if she doesn't get her daily walk.

 

On "rest days", in addition to the walk, I do a lot of yoga inspired stretching. I try to target the muscles I targeted in my last lifting workout, because DOMS, and I also make sure to get my neck, shoulders, and wrists, in every stretching session.

[Chesire]

On 12/21/2021 at 3:21 PM, Scaly Freak said:

I actually walk every day, because if I don't then my Happy Sidekick will give me heartbroken Sad Puppy Eyes (a devastatingly effective charm spell), but more importantly, her mental health suffers if she doesn't get her daily walk.

Same.  The little black dog is a non-negotiable task.  She sings me the whine of her people if I seem to be forgetting her.

 

But rest days are similar for me too; walking and stretching (or that's the goal)

[Lucia Aethera]

On 12/21/2021 at 9:21 PM, Scaly Freak said:

Sure thing. I started collecting them in the early pandemic days. (Workouts, not ideas.) What kinds of dumbbells do you have access to, and what kinds of workouts do you want to do? (Short, long, specific goals, etc)

2.5 kg/5.5 lbs dumbbells (+5 kg/11 lbs to add to each). I roughly shoot at lifting 100 kg/220.5lbs in the long term? Rn I'm not planning to become a Warrior, but it seems like being able to lift a ton helps you throw your body around much easier in parkour or gymnastics. I imagine so anyway, with no experience to back it up.
 

On 12/21/2021 at 9:21 PM, Scaly Freak said:

On "rest days", in addition to the walk, I do a lot of yoga inspired stretching. I try to target the muscles I targeted in my last lifting workout, because DOMS, and I also make sure to get my neck, shoulders, and wrists, in every stretching session.

Right now I alternate between the Bodyweight Level 1 Journey and Bender's Game Journey. Hopefully it's not an overload. It's the easiest level anyway, so it shouldn't do any harm.

 

On 12/21/2021 at 9:21 PM, Scaly Freak said:

I actually walk every day, because if I don't then my Happy Sidekick will give me heartbroken Sad Puppy Eyes (a devastatingly effective charm spell), but more importantly, her mental health suffers if she doesn't get her daily walk.

 

11 hours ago, Chesire said:

Same.  The little black dog is a non-negotiable task.  She sings me the whine of her people if I seem to be forgetting her.

The one advantage dog owners have over cat owners ❤️ My cat would sleep all day long and then nap to rest from that.

[Harriet]

1 hour ago, Lucia Aethera said:

2.5 kg/5.5 lbs dumbbells (+5 kg/11 lbs to add to each). I roughly shoot at lifting 100 kg/220.5lbs in the long term? Rn I'm not planning to become a Warrior, but it seems like being able to lift a ton helps you throw your body around much easier in parkour or gymnastics. I imagine so anyway, with no experience to back it up.

 

If you want to get generally strong, it would be good to have some pulls, some presses, a squat type movement (or lunges) and a hip hinge type movement (like a deadlift). For example you could alternate between workout A: squat, bent over row, floor press/workout B: stiff legged deadlift, overhead press and another bent over row. That covers the major muscle groups, though you could add some carries or planks for postural strength. There are lots of alternatives, though--this is just one idea. If you need more specific info let us know.

However, the best way to get strong for parkour and gymnastics is probably doing parkour and gymnastics. Lifting will help, of course, but parkour and gymnastics will require more outcomes--mobility, strength through different ranges of motion, endurance--that lifting doesn't really train.

 

P.S. 100kg would be very heavy, depending on the lift. You could achieve that with the deadlift, but maybe not the overhead press.

[Scaly Freak]

6 hours ago, Lucia Aethera said:

2.5 kg/5.5 lbs dumbbells (+5 kg/11 lbs to add to each). I roughly shoot at lifting 100 kg/220.5lbs in the long term? Rn I'm not planning to become a Warrior, but it seems like being able to lift a ton helps you throw your body around much easier in parkour or gymnastics. I imagine so anyway, with no experience to back it up.

 

Stronger muscles is never a bad thing. @Harriet has already made the points I was going to make about training for parkour or gymnastics, so I'll just throw in a "what she said", and move on.

 

5 hours ago, Harriet said:

 

If you want to get generally strong, it would be good to have some pulls, some presses, a squat type movement (or lunges) and a hip hinge type movement (like a deadlift). For example you could alternate between workout A: squat, bent over row, floor press/workout B: stiff legged deadlift, overhead press and another bent over row. That covers the major muscle groups, though you could add some carries or planks for postural strength. There are lots of alternatives, though--this is just one idea. If you need more specific info let us know.

 

This line up neatly with the workout I was going to suggest:

 

Workout A: Goblet squats, bench press, bent-over row

Workout B: Romanian deadlifts, standing overhead press, bent-over one-arm row

 

Alternate them three times a week, with a rest day in between, so you end up like this:

 

Week 1:

Mon: Workout A (2×8-12)
Wed: Workout B (2×8-12)
Fri: Workout A (2×8-12)

 

Week 2:

Mon: Workout B (2×8-12)
Wed: Workout A (3×8-12)
Fri: Workout B (3×8-12)

 

Week 3:

Mon: Workout A (3×8-12)
Wed: Workout B (3×8-12)
Fri: Workout A (3×8-12)

 

Week 4:

Mon: Workout B (3×8-12)
Wed: Workout A (3×8-12)
Fri: Workout B (3×8-12)

 

2x8-12 means you do two sets of 8-12 reps (lifts) per exercise. 8-12 means you start by shooting for eight. If you can go beyond eight without sacrificing your form (=technique), go for it. If not, then don't. The idea is that by the middle of week two you will be strong enough to do three sets of everything, and by week four you'll be able to do three sets of 10 or 12 reps of everything, instead of doing 8. Designing the workout this way builds in room for progression and flexibility without increasing the weight. It's a common approach when designing dumbbell workouts, since they are limited in how high the weight can go.

 

The workout I posted was shamelessly stolen from Nia Shanks: https://niashanks.com/lift-like-a-girl-dumbbell-workout/