Munqi Returns

[Munqi]

Hey guys,

My first two attempts went progressively better, but I have taken a break and it is now time for a restart. Ultimately I still want "to be a better monkey" meaning improve my overall health and develop good habits. This challenge will have more specific goals to help make it more track-able.

Main Goal:

Become a lean mean Munqi Qing.

The main goal for this challenge will be to lose 2+% body-fat over the course of the challenge. I don't want to limit myself by saying gaining weight or losing fat so seems to be the easiest way to measure. my other goals will also have a significant influence on this result so it should be a good measure of progress. I read online that 1% is a safe amount to lose in a month until I get better advice I am pushing a little further than that for my main goal.

These will be tracked weekly using a single measurement method and at the beginning middle and end with a 7 point method.

Height: 5'9"

Weight: 156 lbs

Age: 25 yrs

BF% (1-point):11.6%

Suprailiac - 10 mm

BF% (7-point):12.3%

Pectoral - 10 mm

Abdominal - 14 mm

Thigh - 20 mm

Triceps - 12 mm

Subscapular - 12 mm

Suprailiac -10 mm

Axilla -11 mm

Strength Goal:

I had a lot of fun doing the Batman workout and the Advance Body-weight Workout last challenge so I will continue to build up on that progress. At the beginning of the challenge I will test each progression I am capable of and I will measure progress by upgrading progressions. Ultimate goal would be to do a full back and lever, planche, and flag. (I don't think those are reasonable goals for only 6 weeks)

Batman workout:

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2012/08/23/batman-bodyweight-workout/

Advanced Body-weight Workout:

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/17/advanced-body-weight-workout-warning-this-will-kick-your-ass/

At the end of this challenge perform half front/back levers, a floating frog, a handstand, and a tucked flag.

Flexibility Goal:

I need to increase my flexibility. It is literally a joke.

Days between strength sessions will be dedicated to flexibility.

I will perform stretching routines:

(http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2012/01/16/how-to-stretch/)

and Myofascial release:

On the weekend, I will perform a yoga session to stretch and relax.

Sleep Goal:

I want to get sleep, but even more I want to become a morning person. I waste so much time between 6:30am when my alarm goes off and 7:40 when I actually get out of bed.

I will go to bed earlier but the progressions will not be going to be earlier, but rather waking up earlier. Starting at 6:30am I am going to wake 10 minutes earlier each week. So by the end of my challenge I should be starting to wake by 5:00am.

Life Goal:

I recently graduated from college and I wish to continue to graduate school for mechanical engineering. (Focus on thermodynamics/heat transfer). I need to start putting out applications and stop procrastinating.

This is a pass/fail goal. It either happens or it doesn't.

All goals have a very basic grading system. Each workout/success is worth +1. At the end of the challenge I will grade myself with respect to the maximum available for the whole challenge. Goals like my Main and strength goals will have pass/fail results.

[Hazard]

Subbing. 

[Anim07734]

So you're an ME who identifies himself as a monkey?  Can I call you brother?  I'm currently working on building a tail (nominally for Nightcrawler, but also because I want one); the next iteration will be fully robotic.

 

Looks like you've got some pretty good goals and plans to reach them.  Which schools are you looking at for your Master's?

[Munqi]

Nice You're going to have to show pictures of the tail (hell, even in its current state   ) It sounds really cool and interesting. Are you using any designs for inspiration?

 

Schoolwise ...I am mostly looking in the Midwest to stay near family and make things less complicated. Reach schools at the moment include University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign), Georgia Tech, Michigan (Ann Arbor), Purdue, and Northwestern. I also have an equally long list for "non-reach" including my undergrad school of IIT.

 

 

----

 

 

Update:

 

Strength:

Went on a workout with Workcait. As did her laps around a pond, I did a weakened version of the Batman workout Day1. (3 sets of 6 for each exercise) The side-to-side push ups still know me out and performing the workout out allowed me to correct my form on the ice cream makers (correcting them made it harder...)

 

Sleep:

Past today I woke up at 7:15... slept past the alarm set for 6:30 for quite a bit...

 

Flexibility will be later tonight.

[Munqi]

Update:

 

Tuesday I performed the stretching session and most of the mini challenge stretches (forgot one). Afterwords I tenderized myself with a rumble roller and felt good after.

(I swear I think of Major Payne when I work with that thing. "you think that hurts....here...give me your hand...")

 

Wednesday:

Woke up 30 mins early...? after work I went home and munched then performed Day 2 of the batman workout. I am still recovering from the break.. I was only able to do 3-4 reps for the holds and struggled on the holds.

 

Thursday (so far):

woke up on time. Family members were confused  "You up early..."

 

Later today I am going to do another stretch session. (outside if its still nice) and work on updating my resume for my professors.

[Munqi]

Hey Guys,

 

Last update was Thursday so here we go.

 

Success on the Thursday stretching session and woke on time for Friday.

 

Two major highlights for this week were the Friday workout and Saturday event.

 

Friday's work out was the Advance Body Weight Workout...

For the first time over two challenged I completed the entire thing! It may not be much but I finished in about 40-45 mins. ...But I don't care...I went through the whole thing

 

The workout was exhausting and I dreaded moving my legs afterward but its done...Now I just have to do it again next week.

 

 

Saturday was a very nerdy Day. I went to the Lego Expo in Schaumburg (http://www.brickworld.us/chicago/ ) Everything there was amazing. The sets were so detailed and there were plenty of figures bring back memories and make me want to jump back into making some serious Lego creations.

 

(Pictures to come )

 

For tonight, I make my meals for the week. For this week I am going to give the Shepard's Pie recently posted on Nerd Fitness a shot. Looks good and i should be dining well during the week.

[Anim07734]

Congrats on the workout, sounds like a good one.

 

I love all things Lego; the store outside Disneyland was one of the highlights of the trip (life-size lego Malifient!)  I recently pulled out all my old blocks and am using them to build a castle for my new computer case.  I'll try to post pictures as well when I get it finished.

[Munqi]

Man, I am really crummy at posting...

 

last post being a week ago...

 

Monday:

Woke up on time (6:15)

Work out went as planned after work

Tuesday:

Woke at 6:20

Performed my stretching and my rumble rolling

Wednesday:

Rain deterred my workout

woke at 6:30 (falling behind)

Thursday:

Stretching/Rumble rolling went as planned

Woke at 6:45

Friday:

Woke at 7....

For the advance bodyweight workout I performed 2 of the 3 rounds (the humidity from the wednesday/thursday rain made it feel much harder...)

 

I have to try and post more often...its kinda difficult to do that as I try to avoid the computer after work. I am getting into reading and sped more time with my family and outside. This addicition of net surfing is something I have been trying to break..however,by breaking this addicition...I make it indirectly more difficult to post.

 

Perhaps next challenge I should make it a goal just to post and break my social networking funk...(believe it or not, I post and talk on this way more than any other social media)

 

Anyway I'll try to post a bit more next week.

 

[Workcait]

Hello Munqi! How is your week going?