♫ starsapart comes out fighting ♫

[starsapart]

"'There's a story in my veins, with scars at every page,

It's written on my face, I'm a proud survivor.

Staring in the mirror, I'm not holding back the tears,

All the hurt that brought me here only takes me higher.

I'm gonna let you know

I'm not ready to fall,

When my back's against the wall

I'm gonna come out fighting."

 

MAIN QUEST:

Get the hell out of the SSIA.  That's it, boys and girls.  If you thought my last challenge was basic, this is even more stripped down.  (In other words, I'm insanely overworked and can't think of a theme.)

 

QUEST 1: SQUAT (+3 STR)

Hey, I finally have access to a squat rack!  And my hamstring is getting stronger!  And my butt is still flat as a pancake!  That bodyweight squat won't do itself, so I'd better get on that.  Simplest goal in the books: barbell squats twice a week, pile on weight as appropriate.

 

QUEST 2: STRETCH (+3 DEX)

My splits suck post-injury.  Also, working on them terrifies me.  So yeah, time to get the hell over that with exposure therapy.  6 days a week of hamstring stretches, at least 5 minutes each day.  2 of those 6 days must be >10 minutes and involve DOING THE DAMN SPLITS STARS.

 

QUEST 3: CLIMB (+3 STA)

At least I still love the silks, even if I shy away from anything involving double footlock for now.  I'm doing well at conditioning to be even more of a beast, so let's continue this trend: every open gym, drill 3 climbs, all the way up (both sides if applicable) and back down WITHOUT TOUCHING DOWN IF POSSIBLE.  At least one climb should be something I suck at.  If I suck so badly that I can't get to the top (looking at you, hands-only climb), an honest effort counts.

 

LIFE QUEST: SING (+1 CHA)

I had a goal around warming up before rehearsal/performance.  Then I moved on from the goal and stopped doing the thing, because stars is dumb.  NO MORE.  Warm up before every call.  Warming up in the car only counts if pressed for time between work and rehearsal (pressed for time is not a viable excuse if I just don't want to wake up early before morning call).

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's all she wrote.

[starsapart]

week 1

week 2

week 3

week 4

 

CHALLENGE SUMMARY

 

QUEST 1: SQUAT: C

I didn't genuinely fail but I only completed 2 weeks without injury flaring up.  Will only give myself +2 STR

 

QUEST 2: STRETCH: A

Considering the injury, I did pretty great here, awarding +3 DEX

 

QUEST 3: CLIMB: A

Did climbs at every open gym.  Missed a week of open gym but I can't exactly climb at home now can I?  +3 STA

 

LIFE QUEST: SING: A+

This was my one flawless victory.  +1 CHA

 

CHALLENGE GRADE: A

 

 

 

Well, that was underwhelming.  Injuries suck.  But I did make improvements in several areas and I know where toapply my skills next challenge...... and hopefully how to structure my next challenge so I won't have to quit a goal halway through (I am looking at you, squats).

 

Healing continues and I keep on keeping on.  See you next time!

[stillskies]

 

That is all.

[stillskies]

[starsapart]

 

That is all.

 

I suppose I could just spam Adam gifs.........

 

[stillskies]

I suppose I could just spam Adam gifs.........

 

 

You could.

 

[starsapart]

You could.

 

 

Unintended challenge theme: Adam Levine gifs.

 

[stillskies]

Unintended challenge theme: Adam Levine gifs.

 

 

[Urgan]

You can do the thing!

[Trewest]

I came for the challenge, I'm staying for the gifs.

[starsapart]

 

All the inside jokes, all the time.

 

 

You can do the thing!

 

I will!

 

I came for the challenge, I'm staying for the gifs.

 

This always happens to me.

 

[dancezwithkittehz]

I will always approve of Adam Levine gifs. <3 you.  WOOO basics are important! Do the thing!

[shaar]

BASIC CHALLENGES FTW

 

[sylph]

[peelout]

Wow, 14 posts on a starsapart thread and no cute kitty gifs.  Yippee!

 

As for your challenge:

 

Push it to the limit
Walk along the razor's edge
Don't look down, just keep your head
Or you'll be finished

Open up the limit
Past the point of no return
You've reached the top but still you gotta learn
How to keep it

Hit the wheel and double the stakes
Throttle wide open like a bat out of hell
And you crash the gates

Going for the back of beyond

Nothing gonna stop you
There's nothing that strong.
So close now you're nearly at the brink
So, push it

Welcome to the limit
(The limit)
Take it maybe one step more
The power game's still playing so
You better win it

Push it to the limit
(The limit)
With no one left to stand in your way
You might get careless, but you'll never be safe
While you're still in it

[starsapart]

 

I will always approve of Adam Levine gifs. <3 you.  WOOO basics are important! Do the thing!

 

It's hard not to approve.....

 

 

BASIC CHALLENGES FTW

 

 

 

 

 

Wow, 14 posts on a starsapart thread and no cute kitty gifs.  Yippee!

 

As for your challenge:

 

Push it to the limit
Walk along the razor's edge
Don't look down, just keep your head
Or you'll be finished

Open up the limit
Past the point of no return
You've reached the top but still you gotta learn
How to keep it

Hit the wheel and double the stakes
Throttle wide open like a bat out of hell
And you crash the gates

Going for the back of beyond

Nothing gonna stop you
There's nothing that strong.
So close now you're nearly at the brink
So, push it

Welcome to the limit
(The limit)
Take it maybe one step more
The power game's still playing so
You better win it

Push it to the limit
(The limit)
With no one left to stand in your way
You might get careless, but you'll never be safe
While you're still in it

 

I could change that.

 

[peelout]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BlackTezca]

WOO HERE FOR THIS!  ROOTING FOR YOU SINGING!  ROOTING FOR THE SPLITS!  ROOTING FOR THE CLIMB!!  ROOTING FOR IT ALL!!  This maybe a 'basic' challenge but you have some awesome goals still!  Let's rock this next challenge out!

 

[starsapart]

day 0

 

workout

• Elliptical warm-up
• Lifting
  • Bench: 1x5x45, 3x5x75, 1x5x80, 1x3x80
  • Squat: 1x5x45, 3x5x80, 1x4x95, 1x3x95
  • Deadlift: 3x5x135, 1x1x155

stretches

• 10 minutes

singing

• Warmed up before call
• Sang the most disastrous performance of the decade whoops

 

 

Basically, got loads done, benched, squatted, deadlifted, stretched my hamstring, oh and ate a crapton of food.  All the better to start the challenge off with....... rest day.

[karinajean]

oh hai! your stripped down challenge is still ALL THE THINGS you know!

[Sam Ashen]

• Elliptical warm-up

 

Curious:  What is your typical warm-up?  I do knee raises, leg swings, and hip circles to get the hips going.  Then I work the knees and knee circles.  Shoulder circles.  Do what Alan Thrall calls "shakin' ma sh*t."  Then I start the squats light and ramp up slowly.  Sometimes I might throw in box jumps because box jumps.

 

My commercial gym prescribes a 12-minute treadmill routine, but I don't think hitting the joints like that is really ideal before heavy lifting.

 

Elliptical used to be my go-to cardio when I really did not feel like doing treadmill and takes away the impact - So maybe that might be better.

[raptron]

OH HI THERE. I like this. 

[starsapart]

WOO HERE FOR THIS!  ROOTING FOR YOU SINGING!  ROOTING FOR THE SPLITS!  ROOTING FOR THE CLIMB!!  ROOTING FOR IT ALL!!  This maybe a 'basic' challenge but you have some awesome goals still!  Let's rock this next challenge out!

 

 

Now here's hoping I don't explode any birds.

 

oh hai! your stripped down challenge is still ALL THE THINGS you know!

 

Somehow it will become insane gif-topia because it always does.

 

Curious:  What is your typical warm-up?  I do knee raises, leg swings, and hip circles to get the hips going.  Then I work the knees and knee circles.  Shoulder circles.  Do what Alan Thrall calls "shakin' ma sh*t."  Then I start the squats light and ramp up slowly.  Sometimes I might throw in box jumps because box jumps.

 

My commercial gym prescribes a 12-minute treadmill routine, but I don't think hitting the joints like that is really ideal before heavy lifting.

 

Elliptical used to be my go-to cardio when I really did not feel like doing treadmill and takes away the impact - So maybe that might be better.

 

Depends.

 

I warm up on the elliptical or the rower to get my blood flowing before I lift, sometimes do some shoulder warm-ups as well (circles, some really light dumbbell stuff, dislocates with a dowel, etc), then warm-up sets with the bar, of course.  I have a lonnnnnnnnnng warm-up sequence I follow for aerial but for lifting I generally find that as long as I'm physically warm, I'm good.  Elliptical is nice for me because no impact.  Rower is harder on the hamstring but more effective.... I've been doing it here and there but can't too often due to fatigue.

 

OH HI THERE. I like this. 

 

I AM GLAD.

 

HEY YOU KNOW WHAT, WE ARE FINALLY ON THE SAME TEAM FOR THE MINI!

[stillskies]

All the inside jokes, all the time.

 

 

That one ain't even fair.

 

[starsapart]

That one ain't even fair.