How a Hero Gets a Clue: Spark's second challenge.

[Spark]

Welcome to my first Ranger challenge thread! You're all devastatingly attractive, I need you to know that.

 

I had a few paragraphs already written last night, because I ramble, and then a passing thunderstorm said NOPE and turned off the house for a few minutes.

 

But you can't keep a newly-minted Ranger down! So here I am, starting my second one. I learned some things from the first challenge, not the least of which was that while I'm strong I really need to work on nutrition and endurance/core exercises. That's what this challenge will be focused on.

 

My main quest: Lose 200 pounds of fat. Ogres, as we know, will eat anything, and usually in large amounts. I have done this for some time now. During my last challenge, I actually lost four pounds plus several inches from my belly and other areas, so thus far I'm on the right track.

 

Main quest: 2% done!

 

During this challenge, I plan to focus on conditioning, core, and nutrition above all things. I'm not going to neglect moving heavy bits of iron about, but that won't be the focus during this six week period.

 

Mission 1: Do 4000 55-lb kettlebell swings. That is, slightly under a hundred a day. I'm a writer by trade, and I've learned that you can do a huge amount of work if you just break it down and take it slowly (preferably with a deadline, but that seemed a bit morbid even for me given the situation). How does one eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

 

Mission 2: Seriously get after the paleo diet. Do it flat-out for six solid weeks. Check profits.

 

Mission 3: Get me to a gym, and learn how to squat, deadlift, and bench press for realz. Other exercises as appropriate. I'm basically self-taught with most fitness stuff, and I'm a big fan of barbarian/primitive style workouts where you throw around rocks and beat on tires with sledgehammers. And those are awesome! I'm not neglecting my slosh pipe or my heavy sledge, nor my bodyweight workouts (especially as they pertain to my core), but sometimes you really just need a barbell to do things. Fortunately, I've worked out a deal where I'll be joining a gym with my parents, in theory starting...well, today.

 

Side-Quests!

I suck at these.

 

SQ1: Do some drawing during the week. Three times a week ('cause I gotta have the quantifiable) for a half-hour at a time. I've always enjoyed drawing, even if I'm not that good at it. But how does one become good at something? One bite at a time.

 

Cheers, fellow Rangers!

[Guzzi]

Gotta sub and cheer my hero on. Keep going man!

[goodbye_farewell]

Welcome to the Rangers Spark! 200 lbs of fat is a big undertaking, and I wish you the best.

 

I hope you learn to enjoy the barbell training in the gym There are plenty of Warriors here at NF that can help answer any questions you have. Oh, and I have a couple of slosh pipes as well! They can be fun...

[Spark]

Day one!

1. I did 65 swings today. Not a bad start. My butt hurts. 65/4000, aka 1.6% of the way there!

2. I mostly went paleo! There was a Cadbury egg somewhere along the way, so I rate today a D-, but it was the last one in the house so I classify it as "removing further temptation."

3. Signed up for the gym! The guy who runs the place is an ex-bodybuilder, one who doesn't push the idea of competition bodybuilding. I mentioned that I was looking to do conditioning for the most part and he shrugged and said, "Most people try to go way too long when they do that. Seriously, a half-hour workout is all you need if you work hard and do it right." I am encouraged, for this fits with my own research.

 

Moving on!

[Phayze]

Off to a good start! Keep at it, hero!

[Spark]

Aaaand here we are at the end of day two. Hard work today, for me. Some walking, some squats, and then my swings.

 

1. 100 swings. Total for the challenge: 165, or 4.1% complete!

2. Stuck with the paleo thing pretty well, and this time there were no creme eggs.

3. I plan to make my first visit to the gym on Friday.

[Twilight]

Woot!

[Guzzi]

Wow! Good on ya mate! *thumbs up*

[Xahn]

Nice job Spark, keep up the good work!

[Spark]

You guys rock too. And I'm glad to have such a cross-section of guilds represented in my cheering section!

 

Today!

1. Did my 100 swings. Combine that with my heavy sledge work today, and I have honest blisters. Well, one blister. But it's a good one!

2. As previously seen.

3. As previously seen.

 

Sometimes, regular progress looks a lot like nothing to report.

[Twilight]

Regular progress = slow and steady = winning.

[Phayze]

No news is good news, right?

Honestly though, as far as news goes, this looks pretty awesome to me!

[Xahn]

Sometimes, regular progress looks a lot like nothing to report.

I feel you on this one.    But then I think about it, and there isn't anything else I'd do, so it's just living life.  

[Spark]

You guys rock too. And I'm glad to have such a cross-section of guilds represented in my cheering section!

 

Today!

1. Did my 100 swings. Blibbity blah, whinging about blisters, etc, etc.

2. As previously seen.

3. As previously seen.

 

Remember this report? Learn to love it. =D

 

Tomorrow I hit the gym! I'm reading up on how to do deadlifts, and I'm excited about taking the first few steps in learning how to do that lift. If I get ambitious I'll get a shot at a bench press as well! For-srs squats on Monday.

 

You guys are great, and good luck on your challenges! First week is half over, woo!

[Xahn]

Go light on the deadlifts, and if there is anyone there that knows what they're doing, don't be afraid to ask.  

 

Also, give bench a shot!  Just getting used to the barbell is good enough.  

 

Keep it up Spark!

[Spark]

Right on. I plan to start with just the bar until I have some idea of what I'm doing.

[goodbye_farewell]

Awesome. Looking forward to seeing how the lifting goes. Deadlift, squat, bench press. The Big 3.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 2

[Spark]

Woo progress!

 

1. 100 swangs swanged.

2. Probably stuck to the paleo magnificence better today than I have the entire time.

3. I went to the gym! That is, I talked myself through my social anxiety after reminding myself that, thanks to my research, I was probably hitting the gym at the time of day that it would be mostly empty. As it turns out, I timed it just right; there were only a couple people in the free weights area. I did some presses with the kettlebells that were there (warm-up) and then some lat pull-downs on the cable machine. Finally I went to do bench presses. I started with an unloaded bar for ten reps, then added fifty pounds for another ten, and then got five more reps after I added another twenty pounds.

 

This is probably not a major thing for most folks, but it was a social/intellectual victory for me above and beyond the sheer workout factor. I feel great!

[Guzzi]

That's fantastic! Woot woot woot!

I know how you feel about going into the gym and how intimidating it can be, but remember, keep your head held high. Those other people there, they all started somewhere too. Some of them were overweight, some of them were weak and skinny, none of them started out as a pro.

Once you've been working on your physical fitness for a while and you really start to understand just how much hard work it takes to get to where you want to be, it changes your viewpoint. I will never look down on anyone at the gym because they're overweight, or a newbie. Because you know what? That fat guy on the exercise bike, sweating buckets might only be going half the speed of the guy next to him, but he's putting in double the effort. The skinny guy lurking at the edge of the weights room? He's had to overcome a massive amount of intimidation just to walk in there in the first place.

The buff guy in the weights room, or the perky gym bunny with her Lycra and spray tan? It's easy for them. They don't fear going in there. Half the time their "workout" hardly even breaks a sweat. No. The real heroes are the ones like you and me. Who face up to our fears, get in there and Kick Arse! in spite of them.

I might come last in every Crossfit class I go to, but damn me if I'm not working as hard if not harder than everyone else there. I walk out of there a winner every time.

I've said it before Spark - you're my hero.

[Xahn]

Agreed on getting to the gym. My coworker that I go with has been at the same gym for years, and she loves to point out the amazing stories of people getting in shape. It's amazing the transformations that occur with consistency and time.

[TheCrimsonFist]

subbed

[Spark]

Welcome.

 

Yesterday:

1. 100 swangs swanged.

2. I...did not do well. I'm thinking that eating right isn't the biggest problem; I've done the research and I know how and what to eat. The issue is really altering my habits. And they're...you know. Habits. It involves a higher degree of self-awareness than I'm used to. The struggle continues!

3. Back to the gym on Monday.

 

Today!

1. 100 swangalangs swungified.

2. Much better on the paleo stuff today. The greatest deviation was me having a piece of cheese. Other than that, I did great!

3. Blah blah, back on Monday, etc. I'm trying to figure out what I can do for my legs at the gym beyond squats and calf raises. Lunges are really tough for me, so I'm sort of avoiding those for now.

[drunkensnake]

Great progress with the main quest! inches.dropping == status.good if(location==waist) lol yea, diet is the most important, and your excercises are looking good! keep it up! also, sorry it took so long for me to get over here! Keep it up!

[Spark]

No worries. I figure we're all busy. Glad to have everyone!

 

Today was supposed to be gym day for my legs. I got there and the sucker was so packed that there were no parking places, so I let my social anxiety win and I went back home to do squats. >.<

 

1. 100 Swongs swangled.

2. I did really well on the diet today! Though there was an instance of cheese.

3. Fail. Didn't hit the gym for legs. Tomorrow is another day.

 

End of week one, guys! We can do dis!

[Epsilonx2]

Hey. I like your goals! Welcome to the Rangers! Gym-related social anxiety is the pits. It'll get easier and easier as you go along, though. You're off to an awesome start. I'll definitely be checking in throughout the challenge.