blkhole24601 Gets Back Fitness!

[blkhole24601]

 

I’m back!! I took the last challenge off when I saw that NF was switching from the 6-week format to a 4-week format since I’d spend most of the challenge either in Japan or recovering from jet lag (which this time was a fresh new hell, omg).  But now that I’ve returned to the States and have recovered and gotten back into the swing of things, I’m ready to charge forth into NF Challenges once more!

 

I’ll admit, I’ve been mostly lackadaisical in everything related to fitness and diet the past couple of months, so really, it’s just about coming back down to the basics.  So nothing too fancy here, just reestablishing the base!

 

So without further ado: Let’s Get Back Fitness!!

 

QUEST 1: Snakebite! [+3 STR]

One of Ban’s main attacks is his infamous snakebite, which is largely just a ridiculous amount of grip strength with some magic involved.  I don’t have magic, but I do have barbells, dumbbells, and my own bodyweight to work with!  This boils down to strength-training 3x/week.  Ideally, I’d like to do lifting all three days, but it may wind up being more like lift twice, bodyweight once.  Either way, let’s get strong!

 

A = 3x/week | B = 2x/week | C = 1x/week | F = Ban is disappoint

 

QUEST 2: Fuuchouin School of Grace [+2 DEX]

Kazuki’s chosen style of combat is by far the most graceful of anyone. I mean, koto strings. Plus Kazuki. How could it be anything but? Though I may be taking it easy in the theatre scene this year due to my crazy work schedule, I need to keep my chops up in all areas necessary to be a Triple Threat, and that includes dancing. That’s why I will do some form of dancing 2x/week.  Ideally, this will be Monday night jazz/tap class with some time spent outside of class working on basics on my own, but for this challenge, ANY dance style will do (including Zumba either at home or in a class) just so I can get back into it.

 

A = 2x/week | C = 1x/week | F = Did you even try

 

QUEST 3: Data Entry [+3 CON]

MakubeX is all about gathering and analyzing data (though this is grossly simplifying his capabilities as a genius computer hacker) to accomplish his goals.  While I’m no longer stuck on how much I’m eating as a measurement of my success, I do want to get back into tracking what and how much of it I’m taking in for the purposes of evaluating my performance.  Guys, I’m ready to tackle an Eat to Perform style of eating.    So it doesn’t matter how much I eat, I just need to log everything.

 

A = 6x/week | B = 4-5x/week | C = 3x/week | D = 1-2x/week | F = Nope

 

LIFE QUEST: Honky Tonk Tab [+2 WIS]

Ban and Ginji are notoriously bad/unlucky with money, and Paul has the café tab to prove it.  While I’m not terrible with money, I can always strive to be better, especially since I’m still recovering from super expensive Japan trip, super expensive new mattress, and looking to acquire a new car in the next couple of months and wanting to save for a down payment on a house. Plus, I need to start saving for the NEXT trip to Japan in 2018 and I need to start a general savings for vacations that aren’t to Japan.  Like to Europe.

 

What does this mean?  Basically every Sunday night/Monday morning I make sure my budget is all up-to-date, including checking in on my various debts to see exactly how much I still owe and making sure I’m on track with paying them off in a reasonable amount of time.  I know me; this action alone will keep my financial behavior under control!

 

Pass = Did the thing | Fail = Lol nope

 

Ready to kick all the ass!

 

Because the post needs more Ginji

[blkhole24601]

 

Week 1

Quest 1: B | Quest 2: F | Quest 3: D+ | Life Quest: Pass

Overall: C

Week 2

Quest 1: B | Quest 2: C | Quest 3: B+ | Life Quest: Pass

Overall: B

Week 3

Quest 1: A | Quest 2: C | Quest 3: B | Life Quest: Pass

Overall: B

Week 4

Quest 1: A | Quest 2: F | Quest 3: B | Life Quest: Pass

Overall: B-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHALLENGE SUMMARY

 

 

QUEST 1: Snakebite! [strength 3x/week] B+

Lessons Learned: Don't do too much too fast or else the DOMS will be so intense it was probably muscle strain all along. Also, 3x/week is ambitious and ideal, but probably too ambitious for the time-being. Next challenge, I'll only require strength training 2x/week with the intention of strength 3x/week. Hopefully, I can build my strength and stamina up to the point where 3x/week is no big deal, and sooner rather than later!

 

QUEST 2: Fuuchouin School of Grace [Dance 2x/week] D

A complete lack of motivation made this more difficult to achieve than I thought it was going to be. Looking back on last year, I find that getting my ass to class is the hardest part since I really did not enjoy class at all (and by the time I learned to love class, something came up and I couldn't make it to class anymore, argh), and I really had the most fun when I was working on dance on my own. Fortunately, I've been slowly rebuilding my love and passion for acting and performing, so hopefully with that I will find it in me to get back to class. In the meantime, when I work on dance, it'll have to be on my own if I'm not going to class with friends.

 

QUEST 3: Data Entry [Food Logging 6x/week] B-

I. hate. logging. This was a painful thing to do and honestly, I don't think I'm at the point where keeping track of my food is in my best interests for various reasons. Maybe someday I'll track again, but for now, this is an unnecessary step. That's not to say that my eating is perfect -- far from it -- but I think it's all about qualitative evaluation of what I eat and having the discipline to make good decisions instead of letting my confidence get destroyed over numbers.

 

LIFE QUEST: Honky Tonk Tab [+2 WIS] A+

YAY, I did this thing beautifully. I've had to revamp my budget format so that I have a much better idea of what's going on, but I'm back on the horse with this, and life is better knowing where exactly where my money is going all of the time.

 

 

OVERALL GRADE: B-

[BlackTezca]

Oooo I like that Snakebite challenge!  Get your lifting back on is awesome!  Also you have a great mix of quests along with an awesome looking theme!  I have never seen Getbackers before but this challenge makes it look fun!

[Urgan]

HERE. FOR. THIS. As always~

[stillskies]

Needs moar Akabane.

 

 

(also, here for this. and adding to my re-watch list kthnxbai)

[starsapart]

Excellent theme indeed~

 

[blkhole24601]

Oooo I like that Snakebite challenge!  Get your lifting back on is awesome!  Also you have a great mix of quests along with an awesome looking theme!  I have never seen Getbackers before but this challenge makes it look fun!

 

I am so excited to get back to lifting, and by now the crowds at the gym should be starting to die down so wooooooo. I was hoping to get back to it last week but my schedule was weird so it just didn't happen, alas.

 

And yes, go watch Get Backers!!! It's a fun show.

 

 

HERE. FOR. THIS. As always~

 

YAAAAAAAAY!!  

 

 

Needs moar Akabane.

 

 

(also, here for this. and adding to my re-watch list kthnxbai)

 

Always moar Akabane

 

 

(yaaaaaaassss rewatch all the Get Backers~!)

 

 

Excellent theme indeed~

 

 

[blkhole24601]

Day 01

 

QUEST 1: Snakebite!

• Strength Training 0/3

QUEST 2: Fuuchouin School of Grace

• Dancing 0/2

QUEST 3: Data Entry

• Track food 0/6

LIFE QUEST: Honky Tonk Tab

• Budget up-to-date: YES

So between being super busy at work and the snowpocalypse freaking me out, I opted to take a rest day. I also didn't do much of anything for my challenge other than my Life Quest in which I decided to pay off fully one of my credit cards, so yay, one debt removed! But no tracking, no dancing, no lifting. Endeavoring to do better today in spite of snowmageddon!

 

 

 

TODAY'S PLAN

Get to the gym either on my way home from work or sometime in the middle of the workday. Most likely the former as I plan on getting out of here soon as I'm able to do some work from home because fuck this snow noise, seriously.......

[Urgan]

Becoming debt free-r is the best. A very happy Day 1 thing. 

[stillskies]

Most likely the former as I plan on getting out of here soon as I'm able to do some work from home because fuck this snow noise, seriously.......

 

The truest statement to ever be true.

[starpuck]

Where do I get all these fabulous anime recommendations my RL nerds ask me?

 

From Nerd Fitness of course!

 

Hey chica!  Welcome back!  Nice looking challenge, I think I shall follow you along!

[blkhole24601]

Becoming debt free-r is the best. A very happy Day 1 thing. 

 

Yesssss :3 It boiled down to me either being 2 months away from paying it off in full (with either this month or next month being more than my normal payment amount), 3 months (in which the last month would be the last tiniest bit), or just doing it all in one go since I have the extra money. Decided one less debt to worry about trumps all, and now I can manage my others while keeping my sanity in tact. 

 

 

The truest statement to ever be true.

 

I look outside and I grump. If only 75% of my job didn't require me to physically be in the office, I swear...... (but I am taking off here within the hour and either working a couple of hours from home or using the extra hours I worked from being on-call and just playing DA:I instead because my redheaded dwarf needs to get with Bull already)

 

 

Where do I get all these fabulous anime recommendations my RL nerds ask me?

 

From Nerd Fitness of course!

 

Hey chica!  Welcome back!  Nice looking challenge, I think I shall follow you along!

 

Bwahahahaha. Get Backers is pretty fab. Most of the filler is even worth watching, too!

 

And yaaay!!! I'm glad to be back and glad to have you back too!!!!

[blkhole24601]

Day 02

 

QUEST 1: Snakebite!

• Strength Training 1/3

QUEST 2: Fuuchouin School of Grace

• Dancing 0/2

QUEST 3: Data Entry

• Track food 0/6

LIFE QUEST: Honky Tonk Tab

• Budget up-to-date: No but it's not Monday so

Work was just quiet enough that I was able to sneak off to the gym, which was needed since yesterday was a day of Stupid Mistakes. I forgot how much I love lifting; it helps so much with getting rid of negative feelings and what not. Since it'd been a while since I last lifted, I decided that it was time to reevaluate my base, which for me meant doing 1x5 with increasing my load by increments of 5 until I reached 1RM. This was an okay plan for the bench press and barbell row. This was less of a good idea for the squats. ;;;

• Warm-Up: TMNT Mobility + mountain climbers
• Squats: 1x5x45lb, 1x5x50lb, 1x5x55lb, 1x5x60lb, 1x5x65lb, 1x5x70lb (at this point my thighs were loudly starting to protest, and though I knew I could take on more load I knew my thighs would punish me today since I was making it do more squats than it had in the past two months altogether, ahahahaha....... spoiler alert- my thighs are punishing me anyway today)
• Bench Press: 1x5x45lb, 1x5x50lb, 1x5x55lb, 1x3x60lb, 1x2x65lb, 1x1x70lb
• Barbell Row: 1x5x20lb, 1x5x30lb, 1x5x40lb, 1x4x50lb, 1x5x40lb (would have gone up from 50lb but my shoulders noped out of it)
• Cooldown: 10-minute flexibility (OH MY GOD FLEXIBILITY MIGHT BE ONE OF MY NEXT CHALLENGE QUESTS)

I should have started with a higher weight with my squats than I did, sigh, but I think next session I'll find my working weight (working weight back in December was 115lb, so I'm hoping I'll be in the triple digits at the very least). 55lb for bench, which is 11lb down from my last working weight back in December, and I decided to take a stab at barbell row in my routine again, even though I hate it, prefer the dumbbell row, etc.

 

And I don't want to talk about the stretching portion of my workout, nopenopenope.

 

Anyway, after work, I went home and played DA:I because I wanted to feel like I wasn't a failure at something in my life. I have to say, in this playthrough, my redheaded rogue dwarf has done all sorts of things that makes Vivienne and Cassandra happy, and while it's nice to have Vivienne actually like me for once, I don't know, I like working hard to earn Cassandra's friendship like I have to with my canon game (pretty-boy elf mage). It's waaaaaaaaay more satisfying. Though hitting on Cass as a female is fun, especially the part where either Cass hasn't realized that my dwarf is flirting with her at every opportunity or is ignoring it and hoping it goes away. Ah, well. DA:I helped me bounce back, so woo.

 

 

 

TODAY'S PLAN

Either dancing or rest day because owwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww DOMS so much DOMS I cannot even.

[starsapart]

Nice lifts~

[Urgan]

Getting back on the horse with lifting = yes. It just gets better from here...

[stillskies]

Woot woot!

 

I feel you on flexibility. Hence my yoga goal. I just... ugh. So hard.

[blkhole24601]

So, wow, never have I wanted a cookie as badly as I do at this exact moment. I blame the Dark Side. 

 

And I may succumb.

 

Because cookie.

 

 

Nice lifts~

 

Yay, thanks~ Hopefully it won't take me too long to get back to where I left off! (So far, it's looking fairly promising!)

 

 

Getting back on the horse with lifting = yes. It just gets better from here...

 

Yasssss. My appetite is back and I'm glad my relationship with food is repaired to the point where I know I'll be able to fuel myself properly without any sense of guilt or self-hatred, which is a BIG win, which means hopefully I'll be back on track before too long!! Now to just deal with the DOMS. Rawr.

 

 

Woot woot!

 

I feel you on flexibility. Hence my yoga goal. I just... ugh. So hard.

 

SOON I WILL BE BENDY AGAIN it was just sad yesterday. :(

[blkhole24601]

Day 03

 

QUEST 1: Snakebite!

• Strength Training 1/3

QUEST 2: Fuuchouin School of Grace

• Dancing 0/2

QUEST 3: Data Entry

• Track food 0.5/6

LIFE QUEST: Honky Tonk Tab

• Budget up-to-date: Yep

All of the DOMS. They hurt so much. Especially in my thighs to the point where either I was walking around all funny or had to sit down and stand up like an elderly person. ;;;;;;;;;;;; SO. Uh. Dancing. Would have been a terribly painful idea. So I opted for my second rest day of the week. Which means I'm fresh out for the week unless I do a double workout in order to meet my goals.

 

Work was.............. disappointing? Idk. I don't want to go into too much detail, but it's been slow, and it's been having a very negative effect on me psychologically. I mean, the disappointments I suffered yesterday I know why they happened and they make perfect sense and is literally nothing against me either personally or professionally, but still, this is one of those situations in which I'm going to have to find some time when my team lead isn't running around doing all of these things at once to revisit the conversation of what I'm expected to do as part of my job, because right now, when I'm not commanding a spacecraft, I'm literally just twiddling my thumbs and/or dicking around either with my coworkers when they're aching for a break or on the Internet. And this does not make me a fulfilled and happy person. Hopefully she has a few minutes today that I can approach her in private to discuss this...

 

 

 

TODAY'S PLAN

Strength day. Can't decide if I want to lift or do bodyweight in order to properly test my AMRAPS for the mini. I think it largely depends on what time I manage to get to the gym.

[stillskies]

I know this DOMs feel. Ugh, my shoulders. Hopefully the DOMs fades away so you can complete your mission, or Hevn won't pay you and Paul won't let you drink at the Honky Tonk.

[blkhole24601]

I know this DOMs feel. Ugh, my shoulders. Hopefully the DOMs fades away so you can complete your mission, or Hevn won't pay you and Paul won't let you drink at the Honky Tonk.

 

It's still pretty bad today but you know what, Ban purposefully let himself get impaled in the shoulder in order to save Ginji from the Lightning Emperor complete a mission, so I WILL PERSEVERE.

 

Because I want to eat, Paul, gdi.

[stillskies]

It's still pretty bad today but you know what, Ban purposefully let himself get impaled in the shoulder in order to save Ginji from the Lightning Emperor complete a mission, so I WILL PERSEVERE.

 

Because I want to eat, Paul, gdi.

 

Ban and Ginji. Totally just good friends. 

 

PERSEVERE!

[blkhole24601]

Ban and Ginji. Totally just good friends. 

 

PERSEVERE!

 

Yup. Just good friends. 

 

AND YES I WILL. Even if I wind up skipping squats today. We'll see. But I WILL do overhead presses and deadlifts today at the VERY least. I just don't know if my thighs are ready for squats again so quickly. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;; (I may AMRAPS assisted pistol squats for the mini, buuuuuuuut I'm also not in prime condition so it's almost cheating, so I might as well wait until Saturday or Sunday when I do bodyweight work...)

[BlackTezca]

Hope the strength day went all right and you weren't still recovering from the DOMs!  Also wish you luck on your convo with the team lead; I understand the feeling of not having much to do and while it's not good to be stressed, it is fun to be busy at work doing what you love and was hired for.  Good luck!

[stillskies]

Yup. Just good friends. 

 

AND YES I WILL. Even if I wind up skipping squats today. We'll see. But I WILL do overhead presses and deadlifts today at the VERY least. I just don't know if my thighs are ready for squats again so quickly. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;; (I may AMRAPS assisted pistol squats for the mini, buuuuuuuut I'm also not in prime condition so it's almost cheating, so I might as well wait until Saturday or Sunday when I do bodyweight work...)

 

TOTALLY JUST FRIENDS

 

 

(Seriously, they didn't even try to give themselves plausible deniability)

[blkhole24601]

Day 04

 

QUEST 1: Snakebite!

• Strength Training 2/3

QUEST 2: Fuuchouin School of Grace

• Dancing 0/2

QUEST 3: Data Entry

• Track food 0.5/6

LIFE QUEST: Honky Tonk Tab

• Budget up-to-date: Nope, but not Monday so.

 

DOMS was still bad yesterday. So bad that I went back and forth as to whether or not I'd actually do squats. Since I wound up going to the gym after work, the squat rack was occupied the entire time I was there, so I basically just did overhead presses and ALL OF THE DEADLIFTS.

• Warm-Up: 3-minute arc trainer
• Overhead Press: 1x5x20lb, 1x5x30lb, 1x5x40lb, 1x1x45lb, 1x3x40lb
• Deadlifts: 1x5x65lb, 1x5x75lb, 1x5x85lb, 1x5x95lb, 1x5x105lb, 1x5x115lb, 1x2x125lb, 1x2x130lb, 1x1x135lb
• Cooldown: 12-minute flexibility

I don't even want to talk about overhead press, just no. I hate it as much as ever before. I'll get my flexibility back as long as I keep at it; they weren't were I'd like them to be, but they were better than Tuesday, so I'll take it.

 

Deadlifts were a pleasant surprise, though. Considering that my last 1RM was 140lb and my last working weight was 130lb back at the beginning of December and this was my first time deadlifting since then... well dang. I have a suspicion it's because I'm eating a lot more than I did back then, but I've been crap at logging my food so I don't really know? Arguments for tracking, but at the same time.........

 

Ramblings below the cut:

Here's the thing. I already told this to starsapart and stillskies shortly after returning from Japan, but my trip to Japan did wonders for my self-esteem in the most unexpected way. Often, I go to Japan and feel fat once I start comparing myself to everyone every woman about my age around me, or even younger. Now, Japanese women are naturally tiny, and I am naturally not so much in the build department. I'm built more like a German than a Japanese woman. Which is fine.

 

Which is fine.

 

That's it. No modifiers. Nothing. It's the first time in Japan I ever had this thought.

 

But I realized this not by comparing my build to Japanese women around my age, but by looking at Japanese beauty standards and realizing I will NEVER EVER reach it........ nor do I want to. In Japan, paler is considered more beautiful. I inherited my skin tone and complexion from my mother, who inherited from my grandfather, who is from Kyushu, which is southern Japan. I have Okinawan blood in me, which I suspect is on my grandfather's side. I'm tan. I will always be tan. If I tried to make myself look as pale as Japanese beauty standards demand, I'd look severely ill. Also, the make-up makes women look....... extraordinarily fake. Like dolls. I guess I could make myself look like that if I had the patience but:

 

 

And from there I realized: I don't care. I don't care how my mother's countrywomen see me. I don't care how my own countrywomen see me. I only care how I see myself. And I like how I see myself. I really do. I don't hate how I look in the mirror. Yes, I have some fluff, but now that I'm back in the lifting game it will go away sooner rather than later. I have a healthy relationship with food now. I don't know what I weigh currently and I don't care.

 

It's an awesome place to be. But also terrifying. Which is probably the subconscious reason I haven't started to track my food like I'd intended. I'm afraid my relationship with food will become unhealthy again. I'm afraid of weighing myself because I'm scared of going back down the road of having a low body image and fighting with my own psyche. Ignorance is bliss?

 

I like to think it's also because I don't care what the numbers say. I like how I look and as long as I keep improving my lifts and my dancing and my flexibility, all the better. But idk. I may rethink my MakubeX quest. Sorry bb.

 

Work was better! I talked to my team lead about my not being busy, and she understood completely and is working with the other leads to see if there's more work I could be doing. The issue really came down to this: we were expecting to be extraordinarily swamped this year, but then InSight launch was scrubbed and a couple of big science activities were canceled/postponed. If either or these things were still going on, and especially both, I'd be plenty busy right now. But since neither are, I'm bored. I'll get busy in June-September, but I don't want to spend the next four months twiddling my thumbs, and neither does my team lead. So I may be returning to systems engineering work. Don't know for which team yet, but we'll see!

 

 

TODAY'S PLAN

No more DOMS! Because I never get deadlift DOMS??????? Idek. But my squat DOMS are gone. So I may Zumba tonight. Or test my AMRAPS for the mini. WE WILL SEE.