QuirkyDM, sidekick takes off the training wheels

[QuirkyDM]

After a mostly successful first challenge, it's time to play with the big boys ...

 

MAIN QUEST: Become a superhero! Or do lots of cool things that super heroes should be able to do. Or at least be able to do enough cool things so my daydreams of rescuing civilians, defeating villains and saving the planet aren't quite as far fetched as they are now.

 

But since I'm just beginning on this journey, I'm only a sidekick. Well, a sidekick for hire. You know all those horrible jobs the super heroes never want to do, like break up with their fire breathing girlfriend or pay for their own bar tabs? That's what sidekicks are for. And for those cases when the sidekicks aren't there to do the job or even they don't want to do it, there's guys like me. Someday, I'm hoping to get hit by some random bolt of energy while my parents smuggle me away to another planet with a magic ring, but until then, I'm going to have to do this the hard way.

 

I've gone through one other challenge, so now I'm allowed to apply for open positions. The Rangers looks like where I can find what I need. These look like some lofty goals, but here goes ...

 

 

Goal A- Follow the Hulk guide to eating. Time to bulk up. I've tried doing it haphazardly on my own last challenge- it almost scared the relatives over Christmas with the amount of food I'm packing away- but it's time to get serious about it. I found my weight jumped around far too much before. Now the plan is to eat 3000+ calories per day and, most importantly, track it. Tracking is not my strength.

(+2 CON, +2 WIS)

A+: Everything tracked and hit goals every day. People can see me now when I turn sideways!

A: 1-3 days missed of either tracking or calorie goals.

B: 4-6 days missed of either tracking or calorie goals.

C: 7-9 days missed of either tracking or calorie goals.

F: 10+ days missed. Don't go out on windy days ...

 

 

Goal B- Captain America training regime. The goal is to work out 6 times per week- 3-4 weight days and the rest is running. I know the running can make bulking up a lot tougher, but the goal is to keep the runs short- either half an hour and intense, or less than an hour and light. (which is not much different than a long walk) The goal is ranger, not warrior, and I need to keep my running up over the winter or else I'm going to have big troubles when Obstacle Course Racing season starts this summer.

(+4 STR, +1 STA)

A+: No sessions missed. Rocked it- obsessive maybe?

A: 1-3 sessions missed. Normal life caused interruptions- great job.

B: 4-6 sessions missed. A whole week missed. Maybe got a bad cold?

C: 7-9 sessions missed. I hope you have a good reason for this ...

F: 10+ sessions missed. What exactly are you doing with your time?

 

 

Goal C- JCVD. Last challenge, I managed to do front splits for the first time in my life. This time, I want to add side splits to my repertoire. In addition, I want to develop the front splits so five minutes of isometric stretches beforehand is not required. (warmup yes, iso stretches no)

(+3 DEX)

A: Side splits and do front splits with only warmup.

B: Side splits.

F: No side splits and front splits still need iso stretches.

 

 

Lifequest- Cleanse the Q-Cave. Or in other words the basement. It is a disaster. Unfortunately, this will likely be the most time consuming part of the 6 weeks. But my wife will definitely make it worth my while if I do this and it will make getting her help on the other goals a lot easier to manage. There are 4 rooms to clear (furnace, laundry, play, craft) and the crawl space under the stairs is full of trash a previous contractor left behind years ago that I haven't bothered to clear out.

(+3 WIS)

A+: All basement clean and organized.

A: Mostly clean, maybe a few odds and ends here and there.

B: Missed a room.

C: Missed two rooms.

F: Seal off the basement and mark it as a hazardous waste zone.

[Maledictus]

Nice goals.  Have you got myplate or similar?  I typically end up just writing it all in a food journal (the cover says "people I want to punch in the face") but most people think that's a bit odd.  But pretty much everyone knows I'm odd anyway.

 

That's a lot of exercise & running.  I think that's more than I'm doing (& you know what I'm training for )

[sylph]

Bulking time, yay!

Oh and a cleaning goal... I may need to add one of those next challenge if I can't get my house under control by then.

You've got a solid plan in place, just have to implement. You got this!

[Mikroftt]

What kind of obstacle races do you do?  I am doing my first Warrior Dash this summer and I am sure there will be more to follow.  I like the Hero theme.  

[QuirkyDM]

Nice goals.  Have you got myplate or similar?  I typically end up just writing it all in a food journal (the cover says "people I want to punch in the face") but most people think that's a bit odd.  But pretty much everyone knows I'm odd anyway.

 

That's a lot of exercise & running.  I think that's more than I'm doing (& you know what I'm training for )

I just signed up for MyFitnessPal because I didn't have any ideas of what to use. It has me at fewer calories than I set for my goal, but I think it's underestimating the amount of calories I'm burning during exercise. I'm going to err on the side of high and then I can cut back if I need to.

 

I've seen your racing schedule. Your races are your training. I'm still a weight lifting newbie, so I have a lot of room to grow, and I've been running for a while, so this is just keeping that level of cardio around while I try to strengthen up.

 

Bulking time, yay!

Oh and a cleaning goal... I may need to add one of those next challenge if I can't get my house under control by then.

You've got a solid plan in place, just have to implement. You got this!

Thanks, Sylph. Glad to see you back in the 2014!

 

 

What kind of obstacle races do you do?  I am doing my first Warrior Dash this summer and I am sure there will be more to follow.  I like the Hero theme.  

Last year I did a Spartan Sprint and a Prison Break. My only disappointment was that I spent more time driving to the event and registering than I did actually racing. Well, maybe not in the Sprint. I ran with some friends and relatives who didn't train as seriously as I did. Or at all. So I ran with them for moral support and to make sure they were actually going to make it without the need of an ambulance.

 

This year I'm doing a Spartan Beast. From the videos, it's not only about more distance, but the obstacles look much more difficult as well, so I'm really looking forward to it. But it's not until July. So I'm using now to hit the weights and I'll start actual race training in April. But after some advice from Maledictus and AgentSka, I think I'll sign up for more.

[sylph]

I just signed up for MyFitnessPal because I didn't have any ideas of what to use. It has me at fewer calories than I set for my goal, but I think it's underestimating the amount of calories I'm burning during exercise. I'm going to err on the side of high and then I can cut back if I need to.

You can custom set your MFP goals via the website. Protein/Carbs/Fat goals as well.

Are you tracking your bodyweight regularly? General advice when bulking is to gain 1-2 lbs/week (max) to help keep fat gains to a minimum. If you're gaining too quickly, eat a little less. Not gaining (or losing, eek!)? Eat a little more.

[AgentsSka]

Great goals. 

 

Go, get 'em!

 

Arooo!

[QuirkyDM]

You can custom set your MFP goals via the website. Protein/Carbs/Fat goals as well.

Are you tracking your bodyweight regularly? General advice when bulking is to gain 1-2 lbs/week (max) to help keep fat gains to a minimum. If you're gaining too quickly, eat a little less. Not gaining (or losing, eek!)? Eat a little more.

Thanks for the tip. I'll use that.

 

I am tracking bodyweight using my scale. Yes, it lies, but it's usually a pretty consistent liar so I should be able to use it. My goal is bulk and cut- bulk for a while and then cut sometime around April or May when I need to pick up my running performance again. The amount I gain will determine how soon I need to start cutting so I'm in prime form by beginning of June. Somewhere in the 1-1.5lbs is the goal I'm heading for.

[QuirkyDM]

Ok, Day 1 and this is going to be a busy week - kids back to school, I'm on volunteer duty to ice the local rink at nights for the week, first day back to work today, ice storm when I wake up in the morning and the house is a mess ... but none of that matters- to the gym!

 

A) Hulk guide to eating

Spent the weekend getting comfortable with MyfitnessPal. It's not too bad, except when my wife makes a casserole or stir fry, and then it's guesswork as to the amount I'm eating of each ingredient.

I love Steve's power shake after a workout- milk, protein powder, oatmeal, spinach and fruit. And it's around 900 calories, so it helps for recovery and to hit my target pretty easily.

I weighed myself this morning, too, as a benchmark. I need to find a measuring tape to take measurements still and snap a photo, then I'll post it all up here. This is what I did in my 5x5 lifts:

squats: 165lbs

push press: 85lbs

deadlifts: 145lbs

pull ups: 2.5lbs

 

Captain America's Training Regime

My wife got me the Rebel Strength guide for Xmas. She bought it before Nerd Academy came out, otherwise I would have done that. I'm gong to follow this. The biggest change is doing 5 sets of 5 for most exercises, whereas I've been doing 3x5. I went Friday and destroyed my legs on the squats because I kept the same weight, even though I thought I had room to spare. But push presses are way easier than overhead press, so I have lots of room to add on to those.

 

C) JCVD

I'm about 3 inches off the ground with my front splits when I stretch at the end of a workout without any other isometrics. This week for side splits is just about teaching muscles to relax. I'm about a foot off the ground with this. I'll take a picture of this, too, so I can see real progress.

 

D) Cleanse the Q-cave.

Hey, it's only day 1- I can't do everything all at once!

[QuirkyDM]

Cardio day- it was brutal. I tried to pick up my cardio where I had left it and then I remembered that I haven't really done any cardio in about 2 months because of a broken toe. i've got some work to do to get it back.

 

If the ice is under control by Thursday, I'll get out for a Zombies, Run! session and that should get the cardio kick started properly.

[tenaciousglee]

Best of luck to you, Q! My goal is to have a superhero body by 40, but I'll settle for a slim and trim surfer bod (like my Lego dude).

I hope the bulking goes well and the running and lifting complement each other rather than cancel each other out.

[Ignis Fatuus]

 

Remember, if this guy can be a super hero, so can you!

[QuirkyDM]

 

Remember, if this guy can be a super hero, so can you!

 

Yeah, but he also got killed, so I'm hoping to set the bar a little higher.

 

On the other hand, I'm sure I could find some trained bees somewhere ...

[sylph]

Yeah, but he also got killed, 

Yeah, don't do that...

[Epsilonx2]

Woooo! You're putting in some serious work this challenge. These are all awesome goals and I really like the way you broke everything down. It sounds like you've got really solid plans in place. I'm really looking forward to seeing you progress through challenge #2!

[Chelkie]

Hey Quirky, I see we're both doing side splits as a goal this time! I don't suppose you have a training regime I could take a gander at? I've been doing the three from that site I posted, and been really focused on relaxing and waiting out the tension, but I wonder if i'm doing enough. 

 

Either way, good goals again this time, the basement in particular is a daunting task. I'm sure you'll be even more of a super hero in your wife's eyes when you finish it though!

[QuirkyDM]

Yeah, don't do that...

I'll do my best. Though I challenge that goal sometimes- like this morning when I tried to put the barbell on the rack after my last set of squats and missed it on the right hand side.

 

 

Woooo! You're putting in some serious work this challenge. These are all awesome goals and I really like the way you broke everything down. It sounds like you've got really solid plans in place. I'm really looking forward to seeing you progress through challenge #2!

Hey Epsilonx2! Another first timer graduated into Rangers. It's like running into someone after high school you didn't know had moved to the same city as you. Nice!

 

 

Hey Quirky, I see we're both doing side splits as a goal this time! I don't suppose you have a training regime I could take a gander at? I've been doing the three from that site I posted, and been really focused on relaxing and waiting out the tension, but I wonder if i'm doing enough. 

 

Either way, good goals again this time, the basement in particular is a daunting task. I'm sure you'll be even more of a super hero in your wife's eyes when you finish it though!

I was going to pop over to your challenge and ask you the same thing! I looked at the site you mentioned and poked around a bit more. I eventually came across this one, as well. They have quite a lot of information on stretching. My routine right now is: (isometrics with everything but the front splits)

front splits both sides (keeping the hamstrings and hip flexors flexible)

frog stretch

butterfly stretch

lying V stretch (lying on back with legs in air and then pulling down with arms)

side splits

 

I think I want to add a side lunge in there as well.

 

I know my front splits took a long time before I felt they were getting better. Besides the daily practice, I had to convince my brain to not tense up the muscles automatically and think "Remember- you're flexible now." After about 4 weeks, I really pushed a lot harder to get myself down and work the isometrics more. By that time, the legs had adjusted to the normal pressure I was putting on them. On the last week, I started doing my front splits with my front leg elevated so that when I took the elevation away, I was much lower than before. But that's my end game, not for right now. I'm going to keep those tucked away in my utility belt for later on in the challenge when my hips won't separate if I try them.

 

And hey, it's only day 3! We can't expect our legs to play nice after less than a week.

[Chelkie]

I'm kind of curious about how long you're holding stretches for. I've read you shouldn't hold one longer than a minute, but I find it definitely takes longer than that for me to wait out the discomfort and force my mind and legs to rellllax. I just don't want to pull or tear anything. 

 

I shall definitely have to read that site when I get a chance to sit down and pay attention to it, looks like it has quite a good bit of information, thanks!

 

Haha that's true, I actually felt a bit of progress between stretching monday vs. tuesday though, it felt less awkward. Hopefully this persists!

[QuirkyDM]

If I'm just holding the stretch, I only go for 30 seconds. If I'm doing isometrics, I do three tighten/relax sequences and I don't time it. I'm pretty sure it's under a minute, though.

[musasabi]

I admire your bulking efforts - even those that "failed" you last challenge. I've always had trouble eating more than I need (as in, food stops tasting good, then starts generating nausea, etc) so 3,000 or more calories per day has always seemed lofty and unattainable. But! Perhaps with lifting (a component of my current challenge) I'll find my body requesting more calories from me.

 

I also admire your goal of six days a week! That's huge.

 

Looking forward to updates. =)

[QuirkyDM]

I admire your bulking efforts - even those that "failed" you last challenge. I've always had trouble eating more than I need (as in, food stops tasting good, then starts generating nausea, etc) so 3,000 or more calories per day has always seemed lofty and unattainable. But! Perhaps with lifting (a component of my current challenge) I'll find my body requesting more calories from me.

 

I also admire your goal of six days a week! That's huge.

 

Looking forward to updates. =)

I made a huge effort last challenge to expand my stomach. Now that I'm actively tracking, I'm almost feeling restricted. I'm novaing my food during the day, getting lots of calories early. Then I take whatever I have left and eat that for supper and bedtime snacks, but I feel like I could easily eat more. Still, I'll stick to the plan and adjust as needed.

 

After 3 days of bulking, I've now officially ... lost 0.8 lbs. I'll wait to see what one week brings to my total and if it's not going back up, I'll have to start packing on more, with a focus on carbs and fats. I'm getting a tonne of protein right now, 190g/day which is about 1.5g/lbs for me.

[sylph]

After 3 days of bulking, I've now officially ... lost 0.8 lbs. I'll wait to see what one week brings to my total and if it's not going back up, I'll have to start packing on more, with a focus on carbs and fats. I'm getting a tonne of protein right now, 190g/day which is about 1.5g/lbs for me.

Definitely give it a bit more time. Three days won't tell you much.

 

Fortunately fats are easy: dollop olive oil in the pan with whatever you're cooking, snag a spoon of PB from the jar, drink a glass of whole milk, have some full fat cottage cheese, etc.

[musasabi]

Coconut oil is better for cooking (less in it breaks down under heat) while still being excellently fatty, but olive oil on anything room temperature is definitely a quick and healthful way to add calories.

 

And yeah, the whole "a gallon of whole milk a day" idea always has its applications, haha.

[QuirkyDM]

My weight could be bouncing after Christmas now that I'm exercising more and back into routine. I was pretty darned good over Christmas, so I don't think I have much bounce back to give. That's why I'll wait until Monday and reassess. In the meantime, I can pay a little more attention to my macros. After Monday, all I'll do is up the calorie count a bit if I don't think I'm gaining enough.

 

We use coconut oil in our house for most of our grease/butter needs. The kids go crazy whenever we eat out and they finally get to have some real butter on their bread or toast. They hold celebrations if there's white bread to have with it.

[musasabi]

Hahaha. Food is an amazing cultural facet, isn't it?

 

My aunt managed to raise her two kids (19 and 16, I think) to love their veggies, play outdoors, and have a sense of civil service to them. Wtf is this magic? Haha. That goes against so much popular culture it's ridiculous.