Excessively cheerful and stubborn as all get out

[PlastiqueFruit]

So this is my first challenge on nerd fitness. And I'm getting through this with the smile of a madman. Cause if it's not enjoyable on some sort of visceral level then why bother

Fitness Goals:

-Get myself from knee push ups to actual push ups

Let's be clear, I have no upper body strength. I'm freakishly flexible, but lack any sort of muscle. At the moment I am doing knee push ups. The first set I do with them I can get around 18 with proper form. The second set is about 12. The third set is around 8. At the third set I am barely holding on to proper form and I am only making it to 8 through sheer tenacity. So I need to make the transition.

-use the climbing wall at my gym once a week

I fear heights and falling. But beyond that I lack strength and my grip is fairly weak. Climbing (I think) is a good way to increase overall strength and grip. Plus, next June I plane to participate in the Run for your lives! 5k zombie run and obstacle course. I figure a climbing wall will help me prepare for any climbing obstacles. Face fears? Check. Get stronger? Check. Prepare for zombie apocalypse? Check.

-(unlikely to succeed but slightly plausible) do 1 pull up(chin up?)

Remember the no upper body strength thing? Well here it is again. I want to be able to do a pull up. To quote a much smarter man then me: "And damnit, pull ups make you feel like a badass after doing them". So I'm gonna do shoot for this, no matter how far fetched it seems.

Personal goal:

-Remove $1000 dollars from my current debt mountain.

My personal finances are a bit of mess. I've been finally getting my sh*t in order, but now is the time to buckle down and get the god cursed thing under control.

I will post my stats tomorrow, maybe even pictures, though I am notoriously shy and have body image issues that stretch from here to the dark side of the moon. But hey, in for a penny in for a pound, yeah?

Anyone want to start a "One. Freaking. Pull Up." squad? I noticed that goal more than once in the first challenge thread.

[PlastiqueFruit]

so firstly, I'm 6'2, 210lbs. I did not measure anything else, because I forgot.

I'm doing a modification of the body weight brigade training. Lets call it the noodle arm variant. And here's today's workout!

• Knee Push-Ups: 12 - 12 - 6 - 8
• Negative chin-ups: 2 - 2 - 1 - 1
• Body weight squats: 30 - 30 - 30 - 30
• Side planks: 30sec - 30sec - 30sec - 30sec
• Shuttle run: Check!

So the negative's is actually progress! When I started the basic training I could not even do that, so yay! Unfortunately, the push ups have gotten worse. I took it easy last week and apparently lost all of my endurance. Grar.

I also used the climbing wall! AND I MADE IT TO THE TOP! It was the easiest path and I had to rest twice, but still I made it! My hands didn't really work afterwards, the grip is murder. I think I may up my wall time to twice a week. It's frightening as all hell, but actually fun. Not something I want to make a habit of, but useful. I like practical exercise.

A good start, yes? I'm optimistic.

Have a good night everyone!

[PlastiqueFruit]

WHEEE! Workout 2! Nevermind the soreness.

No climbing today. I figured I'd better let my shoulder rest, it's been acting funny. But enough with my babbling, on to the workout.

• Negatives: 3 - 2 - 2 - 1
• Knee close hand push ups: 5 - 5 - 5 - 5
• Weighted lunges(15lbs each hand): 20 - 20 - 20 -20
• Planks: 60sec - 60sec - 45sec
• Squat thrusts: check!

So I know that my lunges aren't body weight exercises, but I needed something to make them more difficult. I also see that I am not working toward failure in each set. I'll do better on the next workout.

I like going to the gym at 4am in the morning. it's quiet. I don't have to worry about machines being in use. Or people. I'm not the greatest with people.

Have a great day!

[PlastiqueFruit]

wow I am awful at journaling! But I've still been doing the workouts. Though last week Thursday I had a bit of a scare.

I was going to do negatives and when I jumped up my arms exploded with pain at my elbows. I did not do the negatives that day. My next set(today's) was weaker than it was last Tuesday. There was some minor pain in my right elbow area, but nothing too bad.

I think I may have set my self up to fail for this challenge. Then again I'm not one to give up, even when I fall flat on my face.

I will post my missing workout in one giant post later tonight. I may wax poetic about the climbing wall and the utter terror I experience when climbing it. I tried going across the wall this morning as a way to work on form. That sh*t is hard.

Anyone else buy the new I Fight Dragons album? It's called Kaboom and it rocks. Go to their website and listen to some of it. Then purchase it. Proceed to rock your face off.

Have a good day everyone!

[Robzilla1983]

Climbing will definitely help with your fear of heights. I did that a bit last year, and keep meaning to go again this year I just haven't gotten around to it.

My first couple of climbs I really didn't get much higher than 7 feet or so. (The one around here has no harnesses or anything like that; bouldering is the official term). I was pretty excited, and super nervous, the first time I made it to the top. There's one section that's a little bit higher, and it was a more difficult climb in general, took me weeks of trying to get to the top. In the end I would get within about 2 holds from the top, but the height would just freak me out too much. I was ecstatic when I finally got that one.

The first real fall I had really helped with the fears too. Usually I would just drop, and I did slowly work up to dropping from higher heights, but the first time I fell when I wasn't expecting it scared the crap out of me. When I realize it didn't hurt I felt a lot better about the whole thing.

Damn... now I'm really itching to get out again

[The Tin Man]

I think I may have set my self up to fail for this challenge. Then again I'm not one to give up, even when I fall flat on my face.

What's wrong with setting yourself up to fail? Not giving up is the right way. I have literally fallen on my face trying to push through the 100 pushups program. It makes it even better when you succeed at something you previously failed at. Also I've gone into workouts expecting to fail but ended up pulling through, feeling exhilarated and proud about doing what I didn't think I could do.

"Why do we fall, Bruce?"

[PlastiqueFruit]

Oh Michael Caine, your portrayal of Alfred made me so giddy.

before I get to the fun stuff here's my past 4 workouts.

Saturday, Oct 29th!

• Knee push ups: 15 - 10 - 5 - 8
• negatives: 4 - 3 - 2 - 1
• Squats: 44 - 35 - 40 - 38
• side planks: 45sec - 45sec - 45sec - 45sec
• shuttle run: yup

Tuesday, Nov 1st!

• negatives: 6 - 3 - 2 - 1
• Knee close hand push ups: 8 - 6 - 7 - 4
• Lunges: 40 -40 - 40 - 40
• planks: 75sec - 75sec - 75sec
• squat thrusts: nope, kept falling over.

Thursday, Nov 3rd!

• Knee push ups: 17 - 12 - 9 - 9
• negatives: 0; (the ominous joint pains struck!)
• Squats: 50 - 50 - 50 - 50
• side planks: 60sec - 60sec - 60sec - 60sec
• shuttle run: yup

Monday, Nov 7th!

• negatives: 4 - 2 - 0 - 0
• Knee close hand push ups: 9 - 7 - 8 - 4
• Lunges: 50 - 50 - 50 - 50
• planks: 90sec - 90sec - 90sec
• squat thrust: nope, still falling over.

So MY LUNGES TAKE FOREVER! and I'm not doing them slow. it's just there are so many of them.I did the climbing wall again last Tuesday, made it to the top twice! On two different routes. Second route I had to take a rest in the middle cause my fingers would not grip anymore. silly fingers.

Today I tried to do the, uh, bouldering? with no harness, just going from side to side. It was super hard! Exactly what I expected though, given my current state. I'm gonna try and throw a bit in every workout, so I can give my grip some work. And tomorrow i will attempt to scale the wall again. Assuming my knuckle doesn't swell up to the size of a grapefruit overnight. Oh I love FMA.

I do that two nights a week as well. and this weekend I'm testing.

meep.

I'm a bit freaked out. I need to practice my stick work. And sparring. even padded sticks hurt like a mother f**ker. especially when the your opponent swings baseball bats normally. OW. Eh, I'll be fine for the weekend.

Speaking of Batman, I think I'd rather be the Penguin. not because he's a villain, but because I think fighting with an umbrella arsenal would the coolest thing in the world.

Thanks for the advice robzilla. The falling part really scares the living daylights out of me. I think I'll get there eventually. And go have fun clambering on the rocks! Think of all us poor newbs clinging to the handholds and sweating like a whore in church.

As for failing, well if it happens, it happens. As long as there's breath in my lungs, there's still time.

I'm gonna go ice my hand and read. Have good night everyone!

[PlastiqueFruit]

Oh lordy lordy, Wednesday morning!

workout - 11/9/2011

• Knee push ups: 18 - 10 - 9 - 8
• Negatives: 1(bleh)
• Dumbbell one arm rows(27.5lbs): 15 - 15 - 15 - 15
• Squats: 50 - 50 - 50
• Side Planks: 75sec - 70sec - 70sec - 70sec
• Shuttle run: yup yup

So I think rock climbing kills my arms(joints) enough that it affects my next workout. I climbed on Tuesday and made it to the top of the wall 3 times! But this morning, no go on negatives. So I substituted some one arm rows. And I only did three sets of squats... I think. I forgot my paper, so nothing is written down. I may have done 4, but I'm going with three. Curse my knee push ups and their silly mood fluctuations.

I also tried to do a bit of bouldering. Which once again, I did poorly at, but maybe a little less poorly than before. It's so much harder going across than it is going up. But I'll keep practicing.

I have FMA tonight! No idea what we're doing, hopefully reviewing.

Send me good vibes, folks. I'm going to be out to my parents in a few days, and past experience is not pointing towards a comfortable and easy transition.

Have a good day!

[PlastiqueFruit]

gah, so much pain....

first of all my last workout, Friday, November 11, 2011.

• Negatives: 3 - 2 - 1 - 1
• Knee close hand push ups: 10 - 9 - 8 - 6
• lunges: 50 - 50 - 50 - 50
• planks: 105sec - 105sec - 105sec
• squat thrusts: i did like a minute then I dropped.

I'm back to where I started with the negatives. I think my second workout cycle needs to incorporate some weight training for my upper body. I don't know. It doesn't seem like I'm progressing. I am so tired of lunges, they take forever. I'm gonna progress to rank B for the leg stuff.

Also did some more bouldering! I'm slowly making it across the wall, a little farther each time. MY downfall on Friday was a part in the wall where it bows outward, like a corner. I got one side of me on the other side of the turn, and then I realized I had no idea how (or strength left) to make it all the way around. so I hung on for a while then dropped. But still good.

And this weekend was a two day Garimot Arnis Training seminar. 2 days of holds, disarms, dagger and stick fighting, and grappling. Also sparring with padded sticks. I am so sore and so giddy. It was awesome. So F*cking awesome. Learning is fun! I also passed Phase 1 testing in the Garimot system. And that makes me incredibly happy, cause I generally suck when it comes to anything physical, but with the fantastic guidance of my teacher and fellow trainees, I somehow pulled it off.

Though I still really only have two settings: non-aggressive and RUN! It's funny, during the sparring matches people are yelling out things, advice, encouragement, but for me it's hard to hear anything but that voice in my head that is going: "SOMEONE IS ATTACKING YOU! WHY AREN'T YOU RUNNING!?!" At one point I disarmed an attacker, and I had two sticks, and all I could think was "Crap! I am awful at double stick".

If anyone who reads this is considering a martial Arts program, I highly recommend Filipino Martial arts. A broad range of skills and some truly fantastic people. If you don't know where one can be found, let me know where you are and I'll ask my Guro if there is a representative near you.

Oh lord, I am so sore right now. I'm gonna start up my training again tomorrow, but I figured I'd give my body a day to heal before I made my way back to the gym.

On another note, Blackout curtains are awesome! No more tin foil covering my windows at night, no sir.

I hope everyone has a wonderful day!

[PlastiqueFruit]

oh man. total workout fail.

For some reason I had an awful night of sleep. When my alarm went off I think I had maybe gotten about 3-4 hours of sleep in total. I do not function well on that. So no workout for me this morning.

We'll see what happens tomorrow. Have a good day everyone!

[PlastiqueFruit]

Alas I did not work out this morning. My sleep cycle is really effed up for some reason.

I did however use the climbing wall last night. And I made it up a new path! Granted, it took forever and I really had to rest. Stll, HUZZAH! oh man do my arms hurt.

If you remember my last posts about the FMA Seminar weekend you can now see a little bit of what I was doing: http://www.facebook.com/mike.eugenio1/posts/265367826846578

Have a good day!

[PlastiqueFruit]

How'd I do?

eh, not awesome. Over all grade: C (74%)

Fitness Goals:

Get myself from knee push ups to actual push ups: C (73%)

I'm starting to add them in to my workout. I do normal pushups to failure, then do knee pushups. right now the cycle is: 6/10 - 2/8 - 2/8 - 0/7

Use the climbing wall at my gym once a week: A+ (100%)

Totally rocked this one. I went from barely making it halfway up the easy route once, to be being able to hit the top 4 times on more than one route. Never missed and even went bouldering on the mornings occasionally. I'm going to continue this.

Do 1 pull up(chin up?): F (59%)

Not even close. still doing inverted rows. I'm fairly pathetic.

Personal goal:

Remove $1000 dollars from my current debt mountain: D(66%)

I maybe got 500 off. I'm disappointed in myself.

I did not train consistently, and my diet was pretty bad, especially these last few weeks. And thanksgiving week was absolute murder! 3 dinners, so much stuffing, so much dessert, so much sugar. It was a spiral of poor eating choices that I am still struggling to get back under control. But I'll do it. This morning I got myself out of bed and to the gym. And Tuesday I will climb that crazy scary wall and Wednesday I will get my rear end to the gym. I will not try, I will do. And tonight I will cook enough pulled pork to last me a week, cause it's fun and delicious.

I'm thinking of doing the whole30 in January, just for giggles. Anyone want to do it with me?

[ebm1224]

whats the whole30?

[PlastiqueFruit]

The Whole30 is basically super strict paleo diet for thirty days.

there's a more complete explanation here: http://whole9life.com/2011/10/whole-30-v5/

it bills itself as letting your body reset and heal. And I thought, hell, why not? CHristmas is going to be another grain/sugar filled purgatory(I have trouble turning down loved ones offering food), so why not start the new year off with something a little different?