18ck's Arm-y of One Challenge

[18ck]

This one's all about strength in my arms while not letting previous work slide. My goals are:

1. Triceps Little Tenderness

I was awed by the peeps doing the "Century Push" challenge last month. I've been doing a few press-ups (push-ups, whatevah) as part of my workout and can manage 10 usually or 15 on a good day. This time, I'm going top follow the 100 push-ups program (despite reading some crits from Phylanx among others, about its progression rate, recovery time, etc.) and aim to hit the hundred by the last day of the challenge. My daughter has a challenge too - to be able to count to 100 in portuguese so she can judge my efforts on the last day (+4 Str +1 Sta).

2. I Want to Ride my Biceple

Apparently there are these other muscles you can use for pulling stuff. I'm aiming to be able to do 5 chin-ups (pull-ups, whatevah) by the end. Currently I can do one on the horizontal bar near my house but that's quite low so I'm only pulling through about 120 degrees and even that's painful. From a hanging start (usually a tree branch) I can only bend my arms about 20 or 30 degrees. I want to be able to raise myself through 180 degrees to have the tree branch under my chin. 5 times. That's the goal (+2 Str +1 Con).

3. Luso in the Sky with Diamonds

Basically, keep on with my activities from my first challenge: Maintain 1 bout of Portuguese per day (+2 Wis, +1 Cha), one mini-workout per day and 2+ big ones per week (+2 Sta), keep on trying with the double-unders (+1 Dex), keep on losing lard (+1 Dex). I say lard rather than weight because I'm hoping to gain a bit of muscle so rather than set a target weight, I think the aim will be to deflab myself to the extent that I can put on my green Dunderdons without having to gasp for air in the process.

So I guess not hugely different from last time but with a change of emphasis towards strength training. I guess I'll need to change the way I eat too - more protein and less single-minded about losing weight... does that sound right?

[shortstuff]

Nice goals! Good luck with the chin ups!

[Erick the Red]

Great balance of goals. Good job including little one as well!

[Gyro]

Good luck on the Portuguese! ased on your avatar, I presume you have offspring.. does your wife speak to him/her/them in Portuguese? I speak English and French with my son at home and we just started looking at some Latin. Hurray for Romance languages!

[german]

Great set of goals 18ck, you can totally rock this challenge!

[18ck]

Nice goals! Good luck with the chin ups!

Thanks. I'll need it, I think. I usually turn purple and hope my innards don't burst.

Great balance of goals. Good job including little one as well!

Yes, she likes the whole challenge thing.

Good luck on the Portuguese! ased on your avatar, I presume you have offspring.. does your wife speak to him/her/them in Portuguese? I speak English and French with my son at home and we just started looking at some Latin. Hurray for Romance languages!

We don't do that as much as we should really. She knows some of the language but we really need to get in there quick while she's still young enough not to be intimidated by the task of learning! She's picked up most of the numbers to a hundred (see goal 1!) already!

Great set of goals 18ck, you can totally rock this challenge!

Let's hope so! As I was tellin' Shorty, I think my old-man arms are going to creak and strain at these goals. Sticking at the other stuff is going to be relatively easy because I'm in a sort of routine now, but I just don't know that I have the arm-power to build up to a hundred.

AnywayI managed the first day of the 100PU with not to much trouble. I only did the minimum for the last set - I probably need to figure out what's the best time of day and the best conditions for me to do this sort of thing. I did today's at 6AM and didn't really feel at my best at all.

[Gyro]

We don't do that as much as we should really. She knows some of the language but we really need to get in there quick while she's still young enough not to be intimidated by the task of learning! She's picked up most of the numbers to a hundred (see goal 1!) already!

Your language learning will surely encourage her too

I held off on speaking English to my son when he was young because his language development was slow (so my ex-wife and I focused solely on French) but after awhile we found out that he had an ear infection that led to fluid build-up which in turn reduced the amount of decibels he could hear. So after he had his operation his language development picked right up and I started speaking English to him again, and now he's bilingual (he's 8). English day camp in the summer was a big help too!

[18ck]

Your language learning will surely encourage her too

<snip> now he's bilingual (he's 8).

Glad his hearing was sorted and that worked out so well - being bilingual is such a great thing! I know when 18ck Junior used to listen to her aunties she used to want to join in so she'd go "tobla tobla tobla" in gaps in the conversation, which I have to admit is more than I could do at the time. She has much better pronunciation now than I do (and not just of the word "tobla"!) and knows a fair few nouns but lacks the immersion in language that would help her to get the grammatical structure.

[18ck]

[Not having much response to this in the forum where I originally posted it. Maybe some scouts have an opinion...?

So I'm starting that 100 pushups for 6 weeks thing. I have to keep saying that because I can't quite believe it.

Anyway, as you may or may not know, training for it is only 3 days a week and I wondered if this is considered a minimum or what. Like I would plan to do it today (Tick! √), Weds and Fri but as it happens I will be in a place with a gym on Tuesday and my rowing club does circuits on a Thursday, so I could easily do lots more strength stuff then. If I do these extra things, am I likely to overdo it and make it even harder to recover between bouts and end up burning out or is it all good stuff building strength towards my ultimate goal?

Basically, should I just leave my triceps the hell alone every other day of the week, is what I'm wondering...?

Thanks

[BarefootDawsy]

Love the goals, especially their names Carry on being awesome.

[Gyro]

Glad his hearing was sorted and that worked out so well - being bilingual is such a great thing! I know when 18ck Junior used to listen to her aunties she used to want to join in so she'd go "tobla tobla tobla" in gaps in the conversation, which I have to admit is more than I could do at the time. She has much better pronunciation now than I do (and not just of the word "tobla"!) and knows a fair few nouns but lacks the immersion in language that would help her to get the grammatical structure.

Thanks! It was pretty stressful until we found out the cause of it. Yeah, my son still confidently uses French sentence structure when he's speaking English sometimes! I actually have a friend who married a Portuguese lady in Lisbon and now they live here. They both speak perfect English but she speaks to their four daughters a lot in Portuguese, so he's picked up a bit too. I attempt to understand snippets of it when I'm there.. some words are similar to French. It's a nice language.

[18ck]

So can anyone give me a hand with some strength training advice please? @youkailegend helped answer my one about training in between days with the 100pu program, so I now have this plan that consists of:

Pushups Mon, Wed, Fri

Workout geared towards pullups Tue, Thur.

Run Saturday & once in the week (inc practice pull-up on a tree)

Scull Sunday

And I'm employing my patented Stop Being Such A Greedy Fat Pig Dietâ„¢ but with more meat and fish chucked in to make sure I have all the protein I need.

So tell me scouts, because I am really clueless at this stuff - does this sound like a recipe for success or am I doing too much/little?

I'm not into overelaborate planning or diets with names (apart from the SBSAGFPDâ„¢ of course) and can't bear to put anything in my mouth that calls itself a protein shake - I just want to keep it simple and to look like a Greek God 6 weeks from now. Is that too much to ask? Kthxbai

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[Erick the Red]

I had a bad experience only running two days per week. I think that I increased my distance too quickly for each run. I think that once I ran three days per week, even with the same weekly "time on legs", I did better.

I think that unless time is at a premium, you could combine the pushups and pullups on the same day. Forthe last challenge round I could do a couple rounds of pushups, pullups, shoulder presses, squats, and planks (five exercises) in twenty minutes.

[Erick the Red]

I need to get on the SBSAGFPD™ post-haste.

My office just had a Thanksgiving luncheon (terrible American tradition, you are better off without it) and I ate four slices of pie (apple, cheesecake, chocolate cheesecake, and pumpkin).

I am such a pig.

[18ck]

I need to get on the SBSAGFPDâ„¢ post-haste.

*snip*

I am such a pig.

Well, as a wereboar, a certain porcine quality is to be expected but don't worry, occasional splurges are fine - I have whole months like that sometimes - that's why I'm here!

Anyway, thanks for the advice. The reason for not combining is pragmatic (pull-up training being easier in certain environments) but just keen to check doing arm-exercises every day isn't a problem if I alternate biceps/triceps...

I know what you mean about infrequent runs but I'm not planning increasing distance so I hope I'll be ok for now - I don't think I can crowbar any more into my week, unfortunately.

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[18ck]

Anyway, midweek check-in:

G1

I've done the first 2 days of my 100PU program and I'm doing OK. Not sparklingly but OK. I can do it but I certainly don't go over minimum on the last set!

G2

I managed a pretty good workout yesterday at a hotel gym, mainly working on biceps + legs: weights, pull-downs (no idea what they're called but that's what I call them) rowing, skipping* and so on, followed by a 9 (count 'em) storey journey back up to my room which I started running 2 at a time but had to walk after a while!

G3 (Fitness)

I'm doing OK food-wise too: I think I'm losing weight but not doing the insane killer veg routine I was doing last time. Basically, feeling pretty good. I have an ophthalmology appointment really early tomorrow, conveniently close to the park so hoping to squeeze in a sneaky run beforehand and then crack on with work. So um... better get to bed, eh!

G3 (Level-Up)

Portuguese is so-so. I am doing flash-cards and podcasts but I've had a week with no teacher and I need her as my accountabiliwhatsit really, so I'm not really packing in the time. Also, the books I'm reading are very good and they keep luring me away from... OK, OK, enough excuses. Must Try Harder.

(*= still no double-under joy but some great normal skipping and the neo-narcissists boxing and eyeing themselves up in the mirror all edged away lest they might catch cissyitis from me)

[18ck]

Smashing morning run, much if it off the path, up hills in slippery mud. I must do more of that sort of thing - it's great. Deer of all shapes and sizes everywhere, one surreal close encounter with a frog and - just as I arrived at the hospital - an icky bird-poo experience. Thank goodness I was in range of squirty antibacterial soap by then.

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[shortstuff]

Smashing morning run, much if it off the path, up hills in slippery mud. I must do more of that sort of thing - it's great. Deer of all shapes and sizes everywhere, one surreal close encounter with a frog and - just as I arrived at the hospital - an icky bird-poo experience. Thank goodness I was in range of squirty antibacterial soap by then.

Sent from my HTC Desire S using Tapatalk 2

Sounds like an interesting morning run

[Hammlin]

This one's all about strength in my arms while not letting previous work slide. My goals are:

1. Triceps Little Tenderness

2. I Want to Ride my Biceple

3. Luso in the Sky with Diamonds

Your titles made me giggle. I needed a giggle.

So thanks for that.

[18ck]

Sounds like an interesting morning run

It was, it was! And today's Zombies, Run! game was about collecting supplied from a hospital so it worked quite nicely with the hospital visit straight after.

Bonus round: no sign of my nasty eye thing coming back so I am happy as Larry. (*thinks* who was Larry and why is he so chuffed?)

[jfrankovich]

Wow, 100 pushups! That's the total for multiple sets, I gather... or all in one?? Are you sure you're not a Warrior?

Glad you had a great run. Good luck the rest of the way!

[18ck]

Wow, 100 pushups! That's the total for multiple sets, I gather... or all in one?? Are you sure you're not a Warrior?

Surprisingly, all in one - Nobody could mistake me for a warrior, I'm afraid. Look! *points at neck which is clearly discernible* but I think I'd like to dabble a bit in this 'n' that!

Glad you had a great run. Good luck the rest of the way!

Thanks! And you too!

[18ck]

Your titles made me giggle. I needed a giggle.

So thanks for that.

Glad you liked them, H!

[18ck]

Well apparently, today is National Destroy Your Triceps Day here in England and the trainer at the Rowing Club circuits was celebrating in style. I thought of ducking out as today is my rest day but I went ahead and found to my horror that I started to struggle after about 2 press-ups! I felt a bit embarrassed, like everyone was staring at me, but I know when I come in after Christmas and knock out a hundred in a row it will be worth it. If I don't lose the use of my arms before then!

Killed all the other exercises though - so not burned out yet!

[ellisd012]

So can anyone give me a hand with some strength training advice please? @youkailegend helped answer my one about training in between days with the 100pu program, so I now have this plan that consists of:

Pushups Mon, Wed, Fri

Workout geared towards pullups Tue, Thur.

Run Saturday & once in the week (inc practice pull-up on a tree)

Scull Sunday

And I'm employing my patented Stop Being Such A Greedy Fat Pig Diet™ but with more meat and fish chucked in to make sure I have all the protein I need.

So tell me scouts, because I am really clueless at this stuff - does this sound like a recipe for success or am I doing too much/little?

I'm not into overelaborate planning or diets with names (apart from the SBSAGFPD™ of course) and can't bear to put anything in my mouth that calls itself a protein shake - I just want to keep it simple and to look like a Greek God 6 weeks from now. Is that too much to ask? Kthxbai

Sent from my HTC Desire S using Tapatalk 2

Daily workouts may lead to burnout, but otherwise it looks pretty well balanced. Push, pull, dash, float, repeat.

As far as how much is too much...in army boot camp we did lots of push ups (and various other BW exercises) several times a day every day. We did build up by starting with low reps and adding each week, but we did it all day every day...and we improved.

I tried the 100 push ups and did not feel very accomplished by week 4 as I could not get through the workout. I began doing something different before I pulled my bicep, which I read about in a simple little book called 'Death, Taxes, and Push ups' by Ted Skup. He does a lot of push ups, 1000 a day in an hour, everyday for over 20 years. Check it out if you can find it, though I would not buy it myself as it is very simple and straightforward with a lot of illustrations, not very heady stuff. Anyway, when I stopped two months ago, I was doing 5 sets of 25 PU in an hour and feeling strong. I think I AMRAP'd at >50, a big improvement, right before my arm went blooey.

Don't forget to recover, get enough rest, and forgive yourself if you miss a day.

Good luck on your success!