blkhole24601 makes 2015 a better year!

[blkhole24601]

oh hey my Nerdiversary was a week ago and I missed it because Hell Week but yay, been on Nerd Fitness for over a year! Yearly recap to come sometime later, but wooooooo

[blkhole24601]

Didn't update yesterday because in the end, decided that rest was much more needed between DOMS and just still feeling exhausted from the past couple of weeks. But I got back into it today!

• Warm-Up: TMNT Mobility
• Workout:
  • 3x8 bench dips, elevated legs, one leg extended
  • Circuit x3:
    • 4/3/4 jackknife pull-ups
    • 3x8 beginner shrimp squats
    • 3x12 forearm-supported straight leg raises
  • Circuit x3:
    • 3x8x45 bench press
    • 3x8x10 dumbbell curls
  • 1x5x75 deadlift
  • 2x5x95 deadlift
  • 3 minute freestanding handstand work
• Cooldown: Standard deep stretches, splits test

Also I weighed myself at the gym, and my middle of the day weight is 120lb.

 

Tomorrow's Plan: RUNNING FOR REAL. I will actually do it tomorrow. Maybe just a couple of miles, nothing extensive. Short and easy~

[blkhole24601]

Yesterday's Workout: 

• Warm-Up: TMNT Mobility
• Circuit 1:
  • 3x8 leg assisted dips
  • 4/4/5 jackknife pull-ups
• Circuit 2:
  • 3x8x30 front squat/push press
  • 3x8x17.5 dumbbell rows
  • 3x8x35 lunges (17.5lb dumbbell each hand)
• Circuit 3:
  • 3x12 elbow-supported leg raises
  • 2x30sec planks
  • 1x30sec right-side plank
  • 1x30sec back plank
  • 1x30sec left-side plank

I didn't cool-down with stretches after since it was a show day and I knew I'd be doing a LOT of stretches there.

 

I fear that I may be using too much leg support on my dips, but since I passed this round I'll see what the next one up in the progression will entail for me. I hope it won't be the same as the pull-ups, in which jackknifes I fear might still be too difficult. At least yesterday I found an easier variation of the jackknife pull-ups to use until I get the strength to do a true jackknife pull-up: bent knees. I mean, it'll just have to do for the time being.

 

A cool thing happened while doing my lunges, though: I saw my quad muscles very, VERY clearly! It was amazing. I felt like a ripped BAMF.  

 

As for my core workout... ugh, all of that at once is boring. I love the leg raises, though it's probably time to go move on from the elbow-supported variation since those are now too easy. Planks, though... idk, I think I'll keep this routine but instead of having it in a circuit with the leg raises make it an AMRAP sort of deal. I just hate static strength workouts, I think. I need something dynamic where I'm moving. It's either a mental thing or an ADHD thing, I have no idea, and if planks weren't so freakin' good for you I'd just stop it altogether. It's not that it's hard or anything. I just get bored even when I feel my muscles working. Longest 30 seconds of my life.

 

Today's Plan is simple: dance workout! I have the last of the dance intensive sessions today. After that, I don't know, I may go home and do some Zumba or Dance Central just because. Or I might nap. Or I might try to be productive. We'll see. But dance for sure, yay!! And then show.

[blkhole24601]

Belated Nerdiversary Reflection Post:

I told you this is coming! I had a more rambly and less organized version of this on my current challenge, and I may copy and paste this into over there since more people read my challenge threads than my battle log, but I want this here for prosperity's sake (or... something...?).

 

I joined Nerd Fitness at starsapart's urging last July. I started my very first battle log on July 15, 2014. At the time, I had a few goals:

• I wanted to run a half marathon by the end of the year, which I accomplished.
• I wanted to make sure strength training 2x/week was a routine thing I did, which I accomplished.
• I wanted to drop my body fat percentage down to 17-21%, which I accomplished, though I gained some of that body fat back, and now... well, more on that in a bit.
• I wanted to learn how to dance, which I accomplished.
• I wanted to cook three times a week, which I accomplished briefly, until I moved, and then I haven't really gotten that back since.

Some of my long-term goals included:

• Run 2-3 half marathons a year
• Run a half marathon in Europe
• Run a half marathon in Japan
• Run the Disney World Resort half marathon. Alternatively, Disneyland!
• Sprint triathlon?
• Do 10 real push-ups
• Maintain body fat percentage between 15-20%
• Become a Triple Threat: be fantastic at acting, singing, and dancing!
• Eliminate all processed foods from my diet!

I laugh now, reading this list. I don't want to run 2-3 half marathons a year anymore. I think training for a half marathon every once in a while is fine, but 2015 is not the year for half marathons for me. 2016 isn't looking too good either. Maybe in 2017? I'm toying with the idea of doing the Star Wars Half Marathon as a 30th birthday present to myself. We'll see. Or maybe even finally training for a sprint triathlon. Maintaining a body fat percentage of 15-20% is no longer a goal of mine; instead, I'm content with maintaining a body fat percentage of 20-24%, but again, more details on that in a bit.

 

But one thing I can really note: I am on my way to becoming a Triple Threat. I AM a fantastic actress. I'm a good singer. And I can dance. Now, I'm never done challenging myself in acting classes, and I'm still finding my confidence to really sing out, and I still need so many more lessons and practice to be as good a dancer as I am an actress and singer... but I'm nearly there, and I'm constantly taking strides to be sure that I will get there. And that's pretty awesome.

 

Fitness Between Then and Now

Last year, I was a runner who hated strength training and had absolutely no flexibility to speak of. My first challenge goals reflected this: I wanted to run 4x/week and strength train 2x/week, and if you go through my daily updates you'd see that I'd rarely do anything beyond the Beginner Bodyweight Workout or the TMNT Workout. Granted, I did have a half marathon to train for, but still, I was flailing about, too. One of the first strength training sessions I had even before the first challenge, though, did involve weights. starsapart and I went to a park by her then-townhome and worked through some parkour exercises, and according to my battle log I used 2-lb weights for most of the session, used 6-lb weights for tricep work, and dabbled with work with the 10-lb kettlebell. And that was hard.

 

Now, I run significantly less, and I'm happy with sticking to 5K's quite possibly for the rest of forever except for certain circumstances. I strength train a lot more and actually love and prefer it to any other type of exercise -- the rest is fluff, something fun to do or working on skills I need to be a castable actress. 3x/week is where I know I'll be happiest at keeping my strength training regimen. Over the past year, I've explored a few strength training regimens, notably New Rules of Lifting for Women, Stronglifts, and most recently the Legend of Zelda workout series. Now, I've designed my own program based a lot on Stronglifts but adjusted for my own goals and with modified or added exercises so that not only do I feel like I'm getting the most out of my sessions but I enjoy everything I'm doing. And just look at my previous two battle log entries to see what kind of things I'm doing now. It's incredible.

 

Though not nearly as incredible, admittedly, as how much my flexibility has improved, especially in the past couple of months. I am no more than two inches away from the floor for front splits, and I'm going further and deeper into all sorts of stretches that I had struggled with in the past. I know I can walk into any dance class and be as flexible as most of anyone; I know I can walk into any fitness class and be one of the most flexible there. It's awesome, especially this was where I was weakest last year in terms of fitness.

 

Also, last year, I wanted to learn how to dance but wasn't taking any real strides towards making sure I do so. This year, I'm one of the featured dancers in Cabaret and constantly get told by people who have known me as an actress over my past year of professional theatre: "I didn't know you could dance!" And that is AWESOME.

 

Body Composition and Body Image

According to my first battle log, I started my NF journey with these numbers:

• Weight: 125.2 lbs (7/16/2014)
• Waist @ narrowest: 29" (7/15/2014)
• Waist @ navel: 32" (7/15/2014)
• Hips: 38" (7/15/2014)
• Navy bf% calculator: 32%
• YMCA bf% calculator: 37%

My most recent measurements:

• Weight: 120 lbs (7/22/2015)
• Waist @ narrowest: 25.875" (7/20/2015)
• Waist @ navel: 29.5" (7/20/2015)
• Hips: 35.25" (7/20/2015)
• Navy bf% calculator: 24%
• YMCA bf% calculator: 28%

Interesting to take note that on August 22, 2014, I did a fitness assessment where the skin-fold caliper test showed my body fat percentage to be at 21%. With measurements taken around the same time, within a week of that fitness assessment, the US Navy calculator told me I was at 28% and the YMCA calculator told me I was at 31%. Therefore, it's safe to assume that I'm probably really close to 20%, give or take a percentage point or so, and that's my being conservative. I almost hesitate to say that, because when I look at the parts of my body I'm most critical about I see no difference between how I saw myself a year ago versus now, but that's body dysmorphia for you and these numbers aren't lying because here's the awesome thing:

 

I may not be significantly lighter, but I am significantly smaller. That means I have muscle, now. I'm slimmer than last year and I'm more muscular. And if I ever doubt it, I have to remind myself that there's little that separates my skin from my hip bone, that I can see ribs around my chest (which means that my breast fat is the only fat that's around my upper body anymore), and my legs are thick with muscle, not fat. There's still a terrible disconnect between my reflection in the mirror and what my brain processes, but I'm aware of this, and I'm taking steps to correct this. It's a slow process, but I'll get there.

 

I'm also less obsessed with the scale these days. The number the scale reads back to me doesn't emotionally affect me anymore. I'm still a little stressed and obsessive with other numbers, but I'm moving on from that as best as I can. For now, I'm just making sure I see my body measurements simply as a tool to check my progress to make sure I'm not going too far off course.

 

Looking Forward To Year Two:

Some of my goals going forward:

• Dance! I can dance now, at least in a general sense, but I want to keep on improving and it's time to add tap into my repertoire. By this time next year, I hope to say that I'm a truly competent dancer in that I am no longer in any beginner's classes for jazz or tap. This time next year, it's not even a question -- I'm in intermediate jazz and tap classes and toying with the idea of going into advanced classes.
• Flexibility! I know that if I keep it up, I will have front splits but the end of this year, easily. So this time next year, I want to be close to middle splits. Maybe not quite there yet, but close. I also want to have dabbled into some more advanced yoga poses that increase my flexibility even more, too.
• Strength! I never want to stop this. 3x/week is something I want to maintain. I don't have any specific weights goals, but I do have skills goals I want to have accomplished, or be near accomplishing:
  • Unassisted pistol squats. Ambitiously: advanced shrimp squats
  • Pull-ups
  • Freestanding handstands for at least 10 seconds
  • Be on my way towards doing handstand push-ups
  • Dips
• Running! Since my focus is on 5K's now, my focus will also be more on speed. I would love to have PR'ed between now and this time next year. I may not be able to do the Bolder Boulder 10K this year since I might be going to a wedding that weekend, but I do want to see to it that I can run 3.1 miles in under 25 minutes someday eventually.
• Body Image and Composition! I want to be completely happy with how I look, no matter what I look like. I want the numbers to continue to speak for themselves. Maybe I get to see that 24" waist. Maybe I won't. But as long as when I look in the mirror I love every last inch of me, no matter what, I'm calling it a win.

[blkhole24601]

And once more, I am back after another 6 Week Challenge! The two most notable things that happened was that I closed my show, Cabaret, and I went to Cancun! A perfect summer challenge, and now it's time for the fall season!

 

Right now I'm nursing what is likely a pinched or bruised nerve in my left upper thigh/hip muscle, so exercising this week is going to be interesting since I want to avoid exerting my legs too much. I'm also working long hours at work for some Martian atmosphere exploration, so while it sucks I have to work over the Labor Day weekend, it's for a cool reason, so I'm not actually complaining. So, the plan for the week ahead:

 

Monday: Lifting (upper body only)

Tuesday: Dance conditioning (hopefully; otherwise I'll take a rest day if my leg is still bothersome)

Wednesday: Run 3 miles (hopefully; otherwise I'll... figure something else out, idk)

Thursday: Run 3 miles and/or Tap class (I BETTER DAMN WELL BE BETTER BY THIS POINT OR I WILL RAGE)

Friday: Lifting (lower body, gently)

Saturday: Jazz and/or run 3 miles

Sunday: Rest, or make-up day if I couldn't do something because of my stupid leg. Also, audition.

 

I'm still in vacation-recovery mode, but I think this should, theoretically, be my last week of it. Hopefully I'll have two weeks before the next challenge in case I'm not still, but we'll see. It shouldn't take me much longer than another week or so anyway if I just keep it up.

[blkhole24601]

September 7, 2015:

 

Got to the gym before my work shift (because you're totally supposed to do labor on Labor Day, right? Right???) and since my leg is still bothering me, I only focused on upper body for lifting shenanigans.

• Warm-Up: TMNT Mobility (partial)
• Lifting:
  • 1x5x55lb, 2x5x60lb, 2x4x60lb bench press (PR?!)
  • 1x5x40lb, 5x5x50lb barbell row
  • 1x5x30lb, 5x5x40lb overhead press (YAY)
• Circuit:
  • 34sec/31sec/35sec decline plank
  • 35sec/24sec/27sec dead hang
• Cooldown: 12-minute flexibility & foam rolling

So I'm back on track with my upper body, which just confirms what I figured out last challenge: I personally can't lift more than twice in a week the way I've been doing it. If I want to, I either need to eat more calories/protein or change up a few things. Since lifting is supplementary, I'm sticking with twice a week and shifting focus to other things. Luckily, dance conditioning will make sure I get in more strength training days. 

 

That said, I was feeling pretty good up until the barbell rows when the weird, dull twingy pain came back in my upper left thigh through my lower back to the left of the spine area. Ugh. This does not bode well for my being able to do conditioning tomorrow. Otherwise, though, it was a pretty good session, so no complaints!

 

Also discovered that there's a device in our fitness center to detect body fat. Basically one of these things. So this is how I'll measure bf% from now on, or at least it's going to be my more consistent measure. (The price to purchase one isn't terrible, either, but I know me, so I won't buy it; I'll start obsessing if I do, and nobody needs that!) I put in the following parameters and got these results:

 

5'1 | 123lb | female | normal = 23.4%

5'1 | 123lb | female | athlete = 23.3%

 

Soooooooo... I'm going to take the average of this and call it 23.35% body fat. I'll try to get another measurement done before the start of next challenge, but if not, nbd. But this means I'm comfortable in the "fitness" range, and I like being here. I'm still aiming for around 21-22% body fat, but I'm not sure if continuing the cut is the best option for me. Of course, I'll still endeavor to do that this week, but this is my last week of doing so before I jump into maintenance, assuming that we only have a week break before the start of the next challenge.

 

Tomorrow's Plan: I intend to do some conditioning, but I won't push myself. As soon as my leg starts to protest, if it protests, I'll stop and probably just focus on doing some core work, or just take a rest day altogether. Injuries, especially of the pinched nerve variety, are ANNOYING. Especially in the legs. Uggggh.

[jrosto]

I've never seen one of those handheld BF meters. Do the results line up with where you thought you were at?

[jrosto]

Just looked that up on Amazon. Seems to have good reviews.

[blkhole24601]

I've never seen one of those handheld BF meters. Do the results line up with where you thought you were at?

 

The results make sense to what I see compared to other methods I'd been using. Looking at pictures on the Internet and comparing myself is no good because while I have positive body image now, I'm still suffering from some lingering body dysmorphia, plus all body types are different so it's hard to get a good idea. Online calculators are crap. 23% makes sense, so I'm happy to go with that, especially since research tells me that since I want to someday have kids, I shouldn't be dipping below 21-22% anyway. So 21-22% is my goal, and any less body fat than that and fertility rate will become questionable.

 

 

Just looked that up on Amazon. Seems to have good reviews.

 

Yeah, researching the reliability of the device gives me confidence that this wouldn't be a terrible purchase, BUT I WILL obsess if I get this. Taking bf% more than once in a week is just overkill. Really, I don't know if I should be taking it more than once a month. So I'm better off not bothering buying one atm.

[blkhole24601]

September 8, 2015:

Still at work, ugh, long weeks are long. Tried to do a workout but the conditioning regimen I made for myself is....... too much too hard. Yikes. Going to rethink and redesign this. Lots of leg work, and the good news is: my left leg is back to normal yay! So I'm going to go for a run tomorrow morning and take it slow and easy.

 

Unfortunately, though, in spite of this, I'm going to be revamping my workout schedule for the week still, since it looks like I will be working until late on Thursday so no tap class, and if I go see the tiger cubs I can't go to jazz class. Eep. So, going forward:

 

Wednesday: Run 3 miles easy

Thursday: Run 3 miles easy

Friday: Lifting and swimming

Saturday: Possibly Zumba, otherwise rest

Sunday: Run 3 miles easy

 

If I can find a daytime jazz or tap class on Thursday, I'll opt for that; I'm also going to take tomorrow morning off since I'm working late -- again -- and if there's a jazz or tap class to be taken I will take it. Uggggh. Work. I hate when you get in the way of my goals.

[blkhole24601]

September 9, 2015:

I ran today! And it wasn't so bad in spite of my left leg stiffening up the minutes before I left the apartment to do this. It actually felt fine during the run, it was during the cooldown afterwards that it started stiffening again, but it didn't hurt, it was just... uncomfortable. And my lower back is still annoying in the same way. But at least I have the reassurance that I no longer have to baby my leg, which is fantastic, which means I'm back to it!

 

Total Distance: PI (3.14 miles)

Total Time: 35:32

Average Pace: 11:19 min/mi

Splits: 11:02 | 11:18 | 11:41

 

For the rest of the day today, work work and more work. Possibly another late night. I have to call into a meeting in about 20 minutes and then I actually have to physically go into the office, and it's about 50/50 if I'll be there until nearing 10pm again or not from the way it sounded last night. Ah well. I'll take the comp time and then if I don't use it by the end of the year, I'll appreciate the extra money!

 

 

 

Tomorrow's Plan: Another run day, but this time I'll follow it with a long stretch session, too. If I get out of work early enough to make it to tap class: tap class! Otherwise, I'll spend the quiet evening in with Tyro. 

[blkhole24601]

For prosperity's sake, I made a preliminary sort of tentative weekly schedule of three variations. In red text are the things that are classes. Orange are potential classes, but I can do it at home.

• VARIATION ONE: NO ACTING CLASS? NO COACHING?
  • Monday: Lifting + Jazz & Tap
  • Tuesday: Conditioning & Progressions
  • Wednesday: Muscle Attack
  • Thursday: Zumba/Dance Central/U-Jam
  • Friday: Lifting
  • Saturday: Tri Cardio Day (Swim/Bike/Run)
  • Sunday: Rest
• VARIATION TWO: EXPECTED NORMAL SCHEDULE (Acting Class and Coaching)

  • Monday: Lifting

  • Tuesday: Rest

  • Wednesday: Muscle Attack

  • Thursday: Tap

  • Friday: Lifting          

  • Saturday: Jazz

  • Sunday: Zumba/Dance Central/U-Jam OR Rest

• VARIATION THREE: NO CLASSES, NO PROBLEM!

  • Monday: Lifting

  • Tuesday: Zumba/Dance Central

  • Wednesday: Bodyweight workout

  • Thursday: Zumba/Dance Central

  • Friday: Lifting

  • Saturday: Tri Cardio Day (Swim/Bike/Run)

  • Sunday: Rest

Naturally, I can mix and match as my schedule and needs dictate. But this is for my own peace of mind so I'm not stressed out trying to plan my week every Sunday!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also........ I got an interesting offer from one of my team leads. Right now I work about 20% one job and 80% the other (though this week it's flipped the other way), and the team lead for the 20% job has just offered me a full-time position since I'm so kickass at it and she reallllllllllllllly needs someone to go full-time. I told her that I am interested (because I do prefer this job, even if ever so slightly -- those of us who do this job weigh it at 51%/49% to 55%/45% in preference over our "actual" jobs) but that I'll need to think about it and queried for more information. Ideally, if I could go 50/50 on the two jobs, or even 75/25, I think I would prefer that to 100% this job and leaving the other, buuuut we'll see.

 

Honestly, though, it is the best chance I have at job security here. After 2017-2018, when the Juno mission ends, there is absolutely no guarantee where I'll end up. With this offer, I'm here for as long as the company operates interplanetary satellites. So there's definitely more pros than cons, I'm just kind of really attached to Jupiter too. ;;;

[blkhole24601]

September 10, 2015:

Did another run, and it's refreshing to know that I can up and do a 5K with minimal training, seriously. And I improved my times between yesterday and today, but then I also took a slightly different route than yesterday, too. But today had more elevation changes (308 feet) compared to yesterday (298 feet), so yay!

 

Total Distance: PI (3.14 miles)

Total Time: 35:16 (16 seconds better than yesterday)

Average Pace: 11:15 min/mi (5 seconds better than yesterday)

Splits: 10:52 | 11:30 | 11:25

 

Also this morning I took a waist measurement just to see (since I've been eating at a cut this week) and........ I'M BIGGER?! Like, I'm an inch bigger than I really feel like I ought to be, and I'm bigger than my last waist measurement on Sunday and I just. I don't get it?!??!?! I really hope that this is just bloat even if it is a little early for that nonsense, sigh. I'm counting every last calorie I eat and it's still definitely under where I should be so. I don't know. It's probably just bloating even if it's early but my cycle has been wonky lately so I'm just going to roll with it for now, sigh. 

 

And now to get ready for work and go. It should only be 6 hours today, and hopefully I can find my team lead, K, and talk with her more about this offer. We talked immediate and short term things, now I have some long term questions to ask her about. After talking with Tyro last night about it some, it's very, very, very likely I'm going to accept the offer, but I want to be sure about potential career growth before I commit to it. Plus next week, while K's on vacation, I want to talk with my manager and other team lead about it a little bit. I'm sure they know -- I wouldn't be surprised if she had approached them before approaching me and they gave her the OK -- but we'll see. I think I need to talk with K some more though to be sure my assumptions about the position in the long-term are absolutely correct. Because I'd really like to see this as an opportunity to become a team lead someday in the nearer future (since K is being pulled in all directions these days, which is why she needs a full-time person) and I'd really like the reassurance that this is job security to last me longer than the next 2-3 years. So in the downtime I have today, hopefully I can track her down and speak face-to-face with her about it more.

[blkhole24601]

Oh, and the plan for the rest of today outside of career things. Um. I may or may not go to tap class, but considering how little Tyro and I have spent together this week, chances are good that I won't go. That's okay. I'll start tap on Monday. I need some down time.

 

So tomorrow's plan: LIFTING! And then maybe I'll do some extra cardio. And then possibly a double date with Tyro's best friend M and his girlfriend, and then a bicycle bar celebration for L's husband C, woo! Tomorrow is an exciting day, and it's a day off to boot, too!

[blkhole24601]

September 11, 2015:

Off Fridays are a beautiful thing to take my time in the gym to make sure I do all of the things I want to do. Plus: yay the squat rack is back in my life!

• Warm-Up: TMNT Mobility (full)
• Squats
  • 1x5x45lb
  • 1x5x50lb
  • 1x5x55lb
  • 1x5x60lb
  • 1x5x65lb
  • 1x5x70lb
  • 3x5x75lb
• Overhead Press
  • 1x5x45lb
  • 1x3x45lb
  • 1x4x45lb
  • 2x2x45lb
• Deadlift
  • 1x5x95lb
  • 1x5x100lb
  • 1x5x105lb
• Circuit
  • 3x1 negative pull-up
  • 3x12 leg raises in captain's chair
  • 30sec/22sec/17sec dead hangs
• 5-minute handstands
• Pirouette drills
• 20-minute deep flexibility

So, lots and looooooots of squats today, but I figured that this was the easiest/safest way for me to determine where to actually start for 5x5 in squats since I've been doing variations for so long. Started with just the bar and slowly worked my way up. 75-lb isn't where I need to start, but by then fatigue started setting in (because, I mean, look at how many squats I was doing)so that's where I ended. Next time I get to the squat rack, I'm starting with 80-lb and doing about the same thing.

 

Overhead press was a pain in the butt, but I'm glad I'm finally using the Olympic bar. That was a hard-fought battle. This is try 1 of 3 before I deload back to 40lb. My form wasn't great during most of these reps.

 

Finally, deadlift. Somewhere between the squats and my left leg not being completely better yet made me stay at my deloaded weights. But I think I will always warm-up with my estimated lean mass of 95lb and then work my way to the working weight. Hopefully next time I get to deadlift my left leg will stop being dumb so that I can jump up to closer to my last working weight of 115lb (I was ready to move on to 120lb), but we'll see. I'll keep being cautious here since I'm pretty sure overworking myself last week put me in the bad position to begin with. 

 

For the other things: did my first negative pull-up today! I was a bit unsure of it but knew that if I'm going to be doing the PVP that I should give negatives a practice go. They weren't as bad as I thought they were going to be! The first couple I managed to get three-quarters of the way down before I dropped; the last one, I managed all the way down! Good thing I can do negatives; I was getting so sick of inverted rows and not progressing on them that I was about ready to quit working on pull-ups again. So yay! 

 

Left side pirouettes are still awful, but stretching felt goooooooood. Oh man. Long session today (90 minutes in total), but I enjoyed it lots. I love going to the gym on Off Fridays; I have all the time in the world and no one else is there.

 

So for the rest of today, going to dinner with Tyro, M, and H, and then we're meeting up with some of my friends for a bicycle bar birthday celebration (one of these things) so... I'll be consuming alcohol and biking at the same time. Somehow that will cancel each other out, I feel.

 

Tomorrow, if I can wake up early enough, I plan to do another run before starsapart and stillskies pick me up for TIGER CUBS!!! If I don't wake up early enough to do a run, then I'll see how I feel when I get home. I'll either Zumba, do a run, go to the gym and swim, or idk we'll see. It may wind up being an active rest day and I'll just do the things on Sunday instead. Sometime Saturday or Sunday there will be cardio though I swear it.

[jrosto]

 

...For the other things: did my first negative pull-up today! I was a bit unsure of it but knew that if I'm going to be doing the PVP that I should give negatives a practice go. They weren't as bad as I thought they were going to be! The first couple I managed to get three-quarters of the way down before I dropped; the last one, I managed all the way down! Good thing I can do negatives; I was getting so sick of inverted rows and not progressing on them that I was about ready to quit working on pull-ups again. So yay! ...

 

You just talked me into stopping dinking around with inverted rows and move on to negatives

[blkhole24601]

HI I'm here. For like. A week. Ahahaha wut.

 

Anyway, my interim week schedule:

 

Monday: Rest day (active) + acting class

Tuesday: Bike and/or run + coaching session

Wednesday: Lifting + seeing Tyro's improve troupe's first performance

Thursday: Tap dance or bike/run + possibly audition

Friday: Lifting + swim/bike/run

Saturday: Jazz class + Halloween party

Sunday: Rest day (true)

 

Monday, October 26, 2015:

Wrapped up the last few things I needed to do for my systems job, and am basically nearly full-time operations yay! Got assigned a few projects (I'm going to be in charge of the team's internal Wiki WHAT), so I am excite. Found out I had to be in at 6:30am THIS morning for one of my rotations, but eh, I've had to do worse, and this is only every once in a while, so no big deal.

 

I did manage to go out for a walk, though I had to cut it short because the clouds threaten to release rainy hell. I don't know if they ever actually did or not, but I didn't want to get wet and sick. ;;; Especially since I'd spent the morning feeling nauseous and in-digested, and I'd had no appetite all day. Third Monday in a row this has happened. What gives??????

 

Anyway, after work I went downtown for acting class, and aside from the warm-up which was 10 minutes of dancing to Thriller because Halloween is on Saturday and T wanted to celebrate, it was a laid-back class. Also I....... may be auditioning for the next master class. I wasn't sure if I was going to do it, but when T announced that he was still looking for a reader for Wednesday night, it went pretty much exactly like this:

 

"So for those of you who aren't signed up to audition--" *EYE CONTACT DIRECTLY AT ME* 

 

I talked to him after class and he told me that no, it wasn't too late to audition, and I didn't need to bring in an appropriate monologue to the play, just bring a monologue since the intention is to practice auditioning, which... cool. I'm thinking I might take the monologue I'm considering auditioning Evita with. But first I need to make my appointment, lmao what.

 

Anyway, got home and went to bed because at that rate, I was only going to get 6 hours of sleep. Whoops. Because of my minimal eating and lack of sleep, I've decided to move lifting from Tuesday to Wednesday because it'll be PAINFUL today otherwise. Ah well!

 

And yes, my challenge thread is already up. It is here: http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/73353-blkhole24601-is-ready-for-a-revolution/

[blkhole24601]

So yesterday I did jack shit. I got home from my coaching session and literally did nothing but play on my cell phone and marathon Big Bang Theory. But I mean. Considering I got maybe only 5 hours of sleep the night before and I didn't eat particularly well on Monday, it was probably the smart move.

 

But I did get back on the horse today, with LIFTING!

• Warm-Up: TMNT Mobility + LOZ Child Link combo
• 1x5x45lb, 5x5x100lb squats
• 3x5 pull-up negatives
• 1x5x45lb, 5x5x61lb bench press
• 3x8 Bulgarian split squats
• 3x12 captain's chair leg raises
• 2x5x80lb lat pull-down
• 3x30sec two-45lb farmer carries
• Pirouette drills (including 1.5 turns)

I couldn't find the 1.25lb plates, but I did find the 5.5lb plates, so there are ways I can slowly increase my weights on squats and bench press going forward, yay! Negatives were AWESOME and SOLID today. My pirouettes were kind of sloppy, but I did attempt the 1.5 turns we did in class on Saturday. They weren't great by any means, but they weren't as terrible as they might have otherwise been, so I'll take it for now.

 

But the best part of my workout?

 

Getting a O_O response to my farmer carries by a gym bro. Because 5'1 girls don't normally pick up 45lb dumbbelss, I guess.

 

Wait.

 

I take that back.

 

The best part of my workout?

 

I DID THE SPLITS GUYS.

 

It's only on one side, but you know what, I've been working on this for a year and I finally got here! And the other side isn't too far behind, either. Wooooooooo, one of my 2015 goals is accomplished!!!!!!!

[starsapart]

Looking goooooooooood!  You've made SO MUCH PROGRESS.  I HAS A PROUD.

 

Though - for that to be a full split, you still need to square your hips and come down into it from above, as opposed to sideways like it seems you are doing.  Maybe a weeeeeeeeee bit of work to do yet, but your knees will thank you for the form tweak.

[blkhole24601]

So I............... really suck at updating this thing, and there are a few reasons for it that I don't feel like getting into here. So, uh. I guess maybe last update here in the battle log? I'll be 100% challenge threads from here on out, methinks!

 

Looking goooooooooood!  You've made SO MUCH PROGRESS.  I HAS A PROUD.

 

Though - for that to be a full split, you still need to square your hips and come down into it from above, as opposed to sideways like it seems you are doing.  Maybe a weeeeeeeeee bit of work to do yet, but your knees will thank you for the form tweak.

 

THANKS!!!!!!

 

And yes, I know my form needs work, but my big focus was just getting flexible enough to hit the ground. All of the things you mention are the next step! (And jazz classes have us get into the splits from the side so that's what I was focused on; going down from above will be the next focus. )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And now, for the workouts I did yesterday and today!

 

Yesterday after the audition I went to 24 Hour to try to get something done, since the timing didn't exactly work out to make it to tap class, sob. That's okay, I spent about 25 minutes on the stationary bike (which got me to ~6 miles), did some handstands, and spent a good long time stretching. Overall, the workout felt pretty good, though I kind of miss my regular gym. 

 

Today was lifting! And during lifting Shark Week began! ahahaha wut

• Warm-Up: TMNT Mobility + LOZ Child Link sequence
• 1x5x45lb, 3x5x101lb, 2x4x101lb squats
• 1x5, 1x3, 1x1 pull-up negatives
• 1x5x20lb, 5x5x40lb overhead press
• 3x12xbw lunges
• 1x5x60lb, 1x5x110lb, 1x5x115lb, 1x1x120lb deadlifts
• Cooldown: 15 minute flexibility

I blame yesterday's biking adventures for my squats not being as good as I feel like they ought to have been, ugh, and I blame Shark Week on the rest. The cramps started to get particularly bad during the deadlifts, but considering I'm back to 1RM at my bodyweight, I guess it wasn't so bad. I just pout that I probably would have PR'ed if it wasn't for Shark Week.

 

I do want to consider ways I can increment my way up to 45lb overhead press because I know it'll just be bad next week if I try, but I can do 40lb pretty consistently. Maybe dumbbells? Idk. I'll look into it.

 

Finally, I took my weight and bf% for the start of the next challenge:

 

121.8lb

21.5% body fat

 

An increase from last week all around, BUT I mean. Shark Week. I'm not going to be too hard on myself.

 

And now, signing off from the battle log. I may be back at the end of the next challenge if the break is really going to be very long, but then, I may not. We'll see how it goes!