blkhole24601 Becomes a Master Builder

[blkhole24601]

 

Let's get this challenge started!!

 

MAIN QUEST: To be most talented, most interesting, and most extraordinary person in the universe, basically.

 

 

Last challenge was all about getting back on the horse and reestablishing some basics. I learned some valuable things in the process, and I got a bit of excellent news in the acting department (I will be in the ensemble of a production of Evita this summer!), all of which is leading me towards this, my building blocks challenge. And what better building blocks exist than Legos?

 

QUEST ONE: THE ENDGAME [+2 STR]

When you buy a Lego kit, you typically have the endgame: build what's on the box of the kit you just bought.  Like a Lego Millennium Falcon.  For me, I have a few fitness goals before I turn 30 at the beginning of next year, and so it's time to really focus in on working towards these things.  And so, at least twice a week, I will work on:

1. Lifting
2. Pull-up Progression
3. Pistol Squat Progression
4. Leg Raises Progression
5. Handstands

A = 100% complete | B = between 50-100% complete | C = 50% complete | D = for effort

 

Since ideally I want to be lifting 3x/week and therefore working on all of these things at least three times a week, if I pull off that third session for any of the above, I will reward myself with $5 per item towards Poe Dameron's Lego X-Wing.  Because REASONS GUYS.  If my Lego X-Wing didn't give me Lego!Wedge (I got Lego!Porkins instead WTF, Lego) I WILL GET LEGO!POE.  (Because I sort of have a big crush on Poe...)

 

QUEST TWO: THE SPECIAL [+3 DEX]

To be most talented, most interesting, and most extraordinary person in the universe, one must also be able to fling the kit out the window and exercise their creative mind.  That requires flexibility.  And so, I'll be spending at least 10 minutes a day, 5x/week, working on exactly that.  I'm going to have to up the ante on this if I hope to get even close to center splits by my 30^th birthday! (Because fuck you, conventional wisdom, nearly 30 year olds can learn to do the splits too.)

 

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

 

QUEST THREE: PREPARE FOR PLAYTIME [+2 DEX]

Building without all your necessary tools is difficult at best, impossible more realistically, and makes you look unreliable at worst.  You should have all the pieces of whatever it is you want to build before you build it, after all!  As mentioned, I was cast in Evita, and those who have followed me in the past know that I lament that my Latin-based dancing is atrocious.  I refuse to show up to the first dance rehearsal with two left feet and awkward hip shakes, so at least once a week, I will work on tango, salsa, samba, etc.  This can be through my World Tour Zumba game, classes, following along with online videos, anything, as long as the focus is on learning how to dance like I'm in a musical set in Buenos Aires.

 

Pass = Danced | Fail = Nope

 

Like Quest 1, ideally, I'll be doing this twice a week, so every week I manage to work on Latin-based dancing twice, I will earn myself $10 towards Poe Dameron's Lego X-Wing.

 

LIFE QUEST: LET'S GET ORGANIZED [+1 WIS, +1 CHA]

Okay, so my life has become somewhat of a disorganized mess, and I need it to be significantly less so.  This is due to both my ADHD (forgetfulness + easily distracted + hyper-focus) and my eternal procrastination.  So, every day, I will create a to-do list and I will make sure I eliminate at least five things from said to-do list no matter how long that list gets (and if the to-do list is somehow less than 5 items long, I must complete 100% of that list).  No excuses.  I will be productive and get shit done.

 

A = 7x/week | B = 5-6x/week | C = 3-4x/week | D = 1-2x/week

 

SIDE QUEST: PICK UP THE DAMN BLOCKS [+1 CHA]

You know what's really painful?  Stepping on a Lego piece.  Just ow.  So, it's good to pick up after yourself.  For me, I have, metaphorically speaking, too many Lego pieces, which causes a mess, and really, I need to get rid of a few.  So here is my decluttering quest.  There are two pieces to this:

 

1. Over the course of a week, I need to spend at least 60 cumulative minutes on the task of decluttering.
2. By the end of the challenge, I need to have taken at least twenty items (average 5 items/week) either to Trade Smart, Goodwill, or another charity in addition to what's already in my donation pile.

 

Weekly Grade: A = 60+ minutes | B = 45 minutes | C = 30 minutes | D = 15 minutes

Challenge Grade: A = 20+ items donated | B = 15-19 items donated | C = 10-14 items donated | D = 5-9 items donated

 

 

 

 

Time to get down to business!!!

 

[blkhole24601]

 

 

 

Day Zero

Week 1

Quest 1: A+ | Quest 2: A | Quest 3: A | Life Quest: B+ | Side Quest: A+

Overall: A

Week 2

Quest 1: A+ | Quest 2: A | Quest 3: A | Life Quest: B+ | Side Quest: B+

Overall: A-

Week 3

Quest 1: A+ | Quest 2: B | Quest 3: A | Life Quest: B+ | Side Quest: A-

Overall: A-

Week 4

Quest 1: B | Quest 2: B | Quest 3: A | Life Quest: B+ | Side Quest: A

Overall: B+

 

CHALLENGE SUMMARY

 

QUEST ONE: THE ENDGAME - A

QUEST TWO: THE SPECIAL - B+

Initial Splits (February 17, 2016)

  

 

Current Splits (March 24, 2016)

  

 

QUEST THREE: PREPARE FOR PLAYTIME - A+

LIFE QUEST: LET'S GET ORGANIZED - B+

SIDE QUEST: PICK UP THE DAMN BLOCKS - A 

 

CHALLENGE GRADE: A-

[starsapart]

Here for legos.  Duh.

[Starstuff]

Also here for legos.

[BlackTezca]

Awesome news on being part of the cast for Elvira!  Awesome challenge!  Good luck working on all those awesome lifting, pull ups, handstands, etc!  Wishing luck on the flexibility and the dance too!

 

Definitely will try to follow along more often this time around too!

[goodbye_farewell]

Wait so you aren't going to become a Lego master builder this challenge? Ok I guess I'll watch you do all that other stuff instead

[Urgan]

Nothing is more painful in this world than a carelessly placed Lego piece....nothing. Here to watch you kill it!

[tenaciousglee]

Here for legos.  Duh.

 

Ditto! And here for pistol squat progress!

[blkhole24601]

Here for legos.  Duh.

 

W00t!!!

 

 

Also here for legos.

 

Legos FTW, basically.

 

 

Awesome news on being part of the cast for Elvira!  Awesome challenge!  Good luck working on all those awesome lifting, pull ups, handstands, etc!  Wishing luck on the flexibility and the dance too!

 

Definitely will try to follow along more often this time around too!

 

Thanks!! The official cast announcement hasn't been made yet which is why I haven't said too much (I tend to not believe that I was cast in something until the cast list gets on the Internet also we were told not to say anything on social media until then), but yay! Even if it means I need to work on my dancing hardcore because how to Latin dance, I cannot even, and tango is probably going to be a big thing. ;;;;;;;;; 

 

I will also try to be more active on the forums (and your thread!!) this challenge, now that I'm back into things!!

 

 

Wait so you aren't going to become a Lego master builder this challenge? Ok I guess I'll watch you do all that other stuff instead

 

Welllllllllll I mean. I COULD get some Legos and have a pic progress post of some project or another~

 

 

Nothing is more painful in this world than a carelessly placed Lego piece....nothing. Here to watch you kill it!

 

Ahahahaha, oh man, the gifs I found on stepping on Legos were epic. This one was my favorite:

 

 

 

Ditto! And here for pistol squat progress!

 

YAY PISTOLS! I've always prided myself in having strong legs and now it's time to have the skillz to show it!!

[blkhole24601]

DAY 00

 

Didn't do a Day Zero post last challenge. I kind of like having a Day Zero post. Plus my life quest kind of demands the need for one. So here we go!

 

QUEST ONE: THE ENDGAME

Working in all the progressions with my normal lifting will be a challenge, but it was something I more or less pulled off last challenge in the interests of working on the mini-challenge so I know I can do it. Plus, if it gets too cumbersome to try to do it 3x/week and I have to spread things out, well, that's why the challenge requirement is that I do everything twice a week instead, with the option of 3x/week. Eventually I'll replan my lifting so that I can pull off the rest without wearing myself out too much.

 

For now, suffice it to say, here is what I'm currently looking at for all my strength focuses for this quest:

• Lifting:
  • Squats: 100lb working weight (5x5), 105lb 1RM as of 2/10/2016, to be retested this week (2016 Goal: 5x5 @ BW+)
  • Bench Press: 65lb working weight (5x5), 70lb 1RM as of 2/2/2016, to be retested this week (2016 Goal: 1RM @ 100lb+)
  • Rows: 50lb working weight (barbell, 5x5), 27.5lb working weight (dumbbells, 5x5 each hand)
  • Overhead Press: 40lb working weight (5x5) (2016 Goal: 5x5 @ 45lb+)
  • Deadlifts: 135lb working weight (1x5), 145lb 1RM as of 2/19/2016, to be retested this week (2016 Goal: 1RM @ 200lb+)
     
• Pull-Ups: Currently, with the Assassins' Mini Challenge, I'm focusing primarily on machine-assisted pull-ups and jump pull-ups (eccentric pull-ups). When the mini-challenge ends, I may continue to alternate based on equipment availability and how my shoulders are feeling. The next step in the progression is half pull-ups, which I won't do until I can do a solid 3x8 on the jump pull-ups. Currently, I can do at best 2x3, 1x2 on the jump pull-ups. I've got a long way to go yet! (2016 Goal: Do a pull-up from dead hang)
   
• Pistol Squats: At this point, I'm still at assisted pistol squats, and thanks to some leg issues I had the past couple of weeks I've really only tested my AMRAPs. Before I proceed onto balance-assisted pistol squats, I want to do a solid 3x8 on both legs. Hopefully my legs are back up to par, but if they're not, I may have to downgrade to the beginner shrimp squats or Bulgarian split squats. This one I'll have to play by ear. (2016 Goal: Do pistol squats.)
   
• Leg Raises: I can do hanging leg raises, huzzah! Right now my progress is at a 3x5, though I find myself going beyond parallel. I may wind up doing toes-to-bar sooner than I expect to.
   
• Handstands: Currently, I can hold a freestanding handstand for a good 5 seconds before I lose control. Just have to keep at it! (2016 Goal: Perform a controlled freestanding handstand for at least 10 seconds.)
   

QUEST TWO: THE SPECIAL

Eventually, I'll post my 2016 initial splits pics. I try to test my splits every Wednesday/Thursday, though I may not always get pictures, I'll try to post them as frequently as possible. Since I'm usually working out alone, they're not the best pictures as far as quality and integrity of posture goes, but I'll do my best! At least once this challenge I'll try to test it with someone else taking the picture. For the most part, though, I'm not too worried about getting this done. I really love working on my flexibility, after all!

 

QUEST THREE: PREPARE FOR PLAYTIME

Sooooooo I kind of suck at getting my ass to dance class, and truth be told, I don't really enjoy dance class because I'm usually the oldest person there and it's. Awkward. Among other reasons I don't have the interest to do the soul-searching on as to why at the moment. I do enjoy working through things on my own, even though of course having a teacher would be better........ ah, well. I expect a lot of this will be more me looking up videos online, playing my Zumba Kinect game, etc. Since my boyfriend and I are both in Evita and we're both feeling the need to work on our dancing, I'm hoping to drag him out to some sort of ballroom class so even if we are the only 20-somethings there (though for opposite reasons than when I go to jazz/tap classes), we at least have each other.

 

LIFE QUEST: LET'S GET ORGANIZED

Cross off five things off my to-do list every day, okay, I can do this! Keeping it simple, even if my list for Day 01, which I'll post here for integrity's sake, is kind of ridiculous. But again, only five things are required. More is nice, but in the interests of not burning myself out, I'll keep it to five. Anyway, my to-do list for Day 01:

1. Workout
2. Work on monologue(s)
3. Practice for Open Stage Night (memorize the piece)
4. Find checkbook
5. Put away laundry
6. Find recipe(s) for Assassins' mini-challenge
7. Work on Shakespeare scene
8. Make appointment to get passport renewed (did research, turns out I can mail in my renewal application, woot!)
9. Update budget
10. Email Mom re: payments for remaining vacation things
11. Get TurboTax
12. Gather paperwork so I can complete my taxes
13. Update the last NF challenge thread (ahahahaha jumping ahead of myself WHY YES I AM)
14. Sign up for acting classes for next term
15. Work on declutter quest
16. Check mail

Bolded are my priorities. I will always try to keep it to five when I do that, though if I complete, say, item 15 instead of item 10, it won't count against me. It's just so I can, you know, organize my life a little bit better. 

 

SIDE QUEST: PICK UP THE DAMN BLOCKS

Okay, part one, 60 minutes a week dedicated to decluttering. That's about 8.5 minutes a day. I can set aside 8.5 minutes a day to working on decluttering. Though knowing how I work and how much there is to do, I'll be probably doing way more than that in a single go.

 

Part two, donate 20 items, will either be stupid easy or stupid hard. I'm hoping it's stupid easy for more than just the obvious reasons; if it's stupid hard, I have a Problem. ;;;;;;; And at the end of the day, the hardest part of this part of the challenge will be making sure I get these things to a donation center since I....... kind of suck at doing that. Setting things aside to donate, easy. Donating them, not so much. WELP.

 

 

 

CHALLENGE HO!!!!!!!

[Urgan]

LET'S DO THIS. 

[BlackTezca]

Latin dance! That would be interesting! I wish I could help with that but I am sadly a Puerto Rican who just haven't got the dancing done yet. I guess if you want a partner in dancing solidarity, I'll be happy to join in .

I like your thoughts on to the challenge! The Day 0 post is a good idea since you seem to put more thought on how to accomplish your challenge goals! Awesome! Hoping this first day is going great!

[blkhole24601]

LET'S DO THIS. 

 

 

 

Latin dance! That would be interesting! I wish I could help with that but I am sadly a Puerto Rican who just haven't got the dancing done yet. I guess if you want a partner in dancing solidarity, I'll be happy to join in .

I like your thoughts on to the challenge! The Day 0 post is a good idea since you seem to put more thought on how to accomplish your challenge goals! Awesome! Hoping this first day is going great!

 

Haha, hey, to each their own! I've been told on numerous occasions that I fail as a Japanese person because I hate wasabi, so~ (Wherein I remind them that I'm half Japanese, so blame my German side for it even if German people in general would have the tastebuds for it ;;;;;;;;; but SHHHHHH) But yes, I'll let you know if I take Latin dance classes around the area! I'm going to be doing some research into studios. Good thing with ballroom dancing, I won't be the oldest person in the class by far, at least? XD

 

I love Day 0 posts for exactly that reason. It gives me time to think about my exact plan of attack, plus it's a good way for me to come back at the end of the challenge to see where I came from and how I've improved. Plus, my life quest kind of needed a Day Zero post so that I could list out my To-Do list. I know, I know, honor system and nobody will really doubt whether I've done what I said I'd do, but still, I like the accountability of having my to-do list posted.

 

 

 

 

Speaking of, already got through three of out my five required items, ahahaha. Revamped my budget while I was at it, too. So yay! Since Tyro is going to be playing some online game with his friend this evening, I'll probably take the opportunity to Zumba and if I can get to the gym, knock out some things off of Quest 1 too. If I Zumba at home, I'm limited in what I can do, but if I find a nearby 24 Hour Fitness with a Zumba class I can easily get to after work, then I can do more, that way my 1RM testing tomorrow will be under less of a time-crunch.

 

Meanwhile, back to work~

[blkhole24601]

For my own reference:

• Tango:
• Salsa: 
• Samba:
  • And probably the most important thing for me because how do I hips: 
  • Also in this video I feel like I'm getting trolled. "Hips, it's so natural!" Speak for yourself, lady.  

Really, I'll work through everything in these playlists, but at least I have a jumping point when I need to access them!

[Anaticula]

Love the logo gifs. They're so funny.

 

It looks like you've got a good challenge going on this time.  It looks doable, just needs dedication to be able to succeed at all of the goal and I'm sure you're going to do great on them. I like you to do list challenge and your decluttering challenge.  Those are both things I need to work on in my life too. I'm actually going to be looking into dance lessons myself.  I have no rhythm and I've never danced, but a friend of mine told me how much fun she had been having at a once a week belly dance class she was doing. It's only $15 a week, so although it's a 30 minute drive from my house I'm seriously considering signing up and trying a few lessons. I think it'll be fun.

[blkhole24601]

DAY 01

Happy Leap Day!

 

QUEST ONE: THE ENDGAME - 0%

Not for yesterday
 

QUEST TWO: THE SPECIAL - 20%

Spent ~12 minutes working on my standard stretches after my workout last night. And, as promised, here are my 2016 Initial Splits Progress Pics, dated back to February 17. I swear, someday I'll get someone to take these pictures for me so that I can actually pull these off with, you know, GOOD posture etc. ;;; Also there are some other progress pics I want to post, like Dancer's Pose, but alas. Someday.

 

  

 

QUEST THREE: PREPARE FOR PLAYTIME - 100%

Finally turned on my Zumba World Party game last night and got this done! Since there is no Argentina World Tour, I opted for the only South American country in the game: Brazil. It took until the end of the World Tour before I danced something that felt like something we did in the callbacks for Evita, so next time I play this game (this time going to Puerto Rico), I'll warm-up on that song and have it as part of my rotation when I do dance work at home. And, as I posted last night, I found some videos that goes over the basics of tango, samba, and salsa that I intend to attack until rehearsals start.

 

But yeah, I need so much help with my hip shaking. Getting the steps I'm not concerned with, tbh. It's getting the style, which basically boils down to: how do I shake without it being too awkward or too Cabaret? Latin dancing is not grungy burlesque, after all!!

 

LIFE QUEST: LET'S GET ORGANIZED - 14%

KILLED IT.

1. Workout
2. Work on monologue(s)
3. Practice for Open Stage Night (memorize the piece)
4. Find checkbook
5. Put away laundry
6. Find recipe(s) for Assassins' mini-challenge
7. Work on Shakespeare scene
8. Make appointment to get passport renewed (did research, turns out I can mail in my renewal application, woot!)
9. Update budget
10. Email Mom re: payments for remaining vacation things
11. Get TurboTax
12. Gather paperwork so I can complete my taxes
13. Update the last NF challenge thread (ahahahaha jumping ahead of myself WHY YES I AM)
14. Sign up for acting classes for next term
15. Work on declutter quest
16. Check mail

Amazing what I can get done when I'm not turning on DA:I the instant I get home, amirite? XD

 

SIDE QUEST: PICK UP THE DAMN BLOCKS - Part 1: 23% | Part 2: 20%

Tyro is not hiding his glee at this being one of my quests, omg. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

 

But! I spent a good 14 minutes last night attacking the closet in my home office and found 4 things to donate, 3 books I'm going to try to sell before I donate them (thus they do not count as part of my donation quest), and a couple of things that I will for sure try to sell once I figure out the best way to do so. Anyone in need of a GPS watch??? But yes, this was actually a pretty relaxing quest, so I think I'll enjoy this more than not. Or so I say now. It's only Day 1, after all!

 

 

Today's Plan:

Lifting day! In which I retest my 1RM for squats and bench press and such. Also, coaching session tonight, wee!

 

To-Do List:

1. Passport renewal application
2. Look up John Hopkins space systems engineering graduate degree program
3. Workout
4. Figure out the work gym's two fitness challenges and get signed up for the one I haven't signed up for yet, maybe
5. Calendar calibration
6. Update budget
7. Order more checks
8. Work on Shakespeare scene
9. Check mail
10. Find the monologue I worked on with T
11. Obtain TurboTax
12. Find recipe(s) for mini challenge
13. Put away laundry
14. Declutter
15. Print work tax things since they don't mail them out anymore and I'm having trouble accessing work sites at home atm ;;;;

[blkhole24601]

 

Love the logo gifs. They're so funny. 

 

It looks like you've got a good challenge going on this time.  It looks doable, just needs dedication to be able to succeed at all of the goal and I'm sure you're going to do great on them. I like you to do list challenge and your decluttering challenge.  Those are both things I need to work on in my life too. I'm actually going to be looking into dance lessons myself.  I have no rhythm and I've never danced, but a friend of mine told me how much fun she had been having at a once a week belly dance class she was doing. It's only $15 a week, so although it's a 30 minute drive from my house I'm seriously considering signing up and trying a few lessons. I think it'll be fun.

 

I was honestly trying to find Lego gifs that weren't at all tied to the movie, but who am I kidding? The movie is fantastic and so are the gifs. It had to happen.

 

Organizing my life is a big thing for me, in lieu of my ADHD. I take Adderall, but only for and at work, so once I'm home, the drug has worn off, or I don't take it on the weekends, and so Nothing Gets Done. At work, I don't want to risk things slipping past me because of this stupid disability so I'll take the medication, but at home, I figure it's the prime opportunity to try to safely overcome the ADHD without it. Lists and taking time to minimize how much crap I have are sure to be helpful on this front! 

 

And yay dance lessons! Belly dance! Someday, I'll get my butt to a belly dancing class. Someday. (And hey, it may help me with my "how do I shake my hips" problem, too!) Dancing is a lot of fun, it really is, even if I have issues with going to dance classes myself, but that problem is more a personality conflict with me (and the fact I hate being the only adult among a bunch of teenagers) than with how much I actually enjoy dancing. Plus, if you're still doing races, it's a great way to crosstrain outside of strength training, too! And as I always say, if I can figure out how to not be an ungraceful lummox while dancing, anyone can, so go for it!!!

[Urgan]

Killin' it. 

[blkhole24601]

DAY 02

Just another day at the office. And Tony, what are you doing?

 

QUEST ONE: THE ENDGAME - 50%

Done! It was actually kind of difficult to accomplish -- I really shouldn't try to squeeze in bodyweight work on days I'm retesting my 1RM. ;;;;;;;;;

• Warm-Up: TMNT Mobility + mountain climbers
• Squats: 1x5x50lb (warmup), 1x5x100lb, 1x5x105lb, 1x5x110lb, 1x3x115lb, 1x4x120lb, 1x1x125lb
  • Interleaved w/ Squats: Jump Pull-Ups: 3x2
• Bench Press: 1x5x45lb (warmup), 1x5x60lb, 1x3x65lb, 1x2x70lb, 1x1x71lb
  • Interleaved w/ BP: Pistol Squats: 3x3 (both legs)
• Barbell Row: 1x5x20lb
• Dumbbell Row: 1x5x27.5lb (both hands), 4x5x25lb (both hands)
  • Interleaved w/ DB Rows: Hanging Leg Raises: 3x6
• 5-minute handstands
• Cooldown: 14-minute flexibility

Next time I test my 1RM on bench, I'm totes getting someone to spot me because oh my god, that was kind of a dangerous situation I found myself near the end. Considering one of the deaths in "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder" had to do with bench presses (and yes, the victim was totally a Skips Legs Day guy ), my overactive imagination got the better and me, and yes. I do know it's back to fractionals for my working bench, at least for the time being.

 

I also think my 1RM on squats might be more than 125lb, but hey, I'm squatting my bodyweight now one way or another! (Never mind I don't know what my bodyweight is, still. If I had to guess, it's around the 125lb mark.) And I can't decide if my pistols are something that would've been better if I hadn't squatted so much prior to doing them, or if I need to take the progression down a bit. Maybe I should consider a bodyweight workout day in my programming after all?

 

And I hate rows. Considering either finding a replacement for them or dropping them entirely like I did last year. Something to research/soul search on, I guess.

 

QUEST TWO: THE SPECIAL - 40%

Done!

 

QUEST THREE: PREPARE FOR PLAYTIME - 100%

Completed for the week, though I may work through some basics tonight.

 

LIFE QUEST: LET'S GET ORGANIZED - 29%

Still killing it~

1. Passport renewal application
2. Look up John Hopkins space systems engineering graduate degree program
3. Workout
4. Figure out the work gym's two fitness challenges and get signed up for the one I haven't signed up for yet, maybe
5. Calendar calibration
6. Update budget
7. Order more checks
8. Work on Shakespeare scene
9. Check mail
10. Find the monologue I worked on with T
11. Obtain TurboTax
12. Find recipe(s) for mini challenge
13. Put away laundry
14. Declutter
15. Print work tax things since they don't mail them out anymore and I'm having trouble accessing work sites at home atm ;;;;

SIDE QUEST: PICK UP THE DAMN BLOCKS - Part 1: 23% | Part 2: 20%

Didn't happen last night. Wound up having a nice dinner and watching KHR with Tyro instead.

 

 

Today's Plan:

Either a rest day, a cardio day, or a dance technique day. I do have an appointment this afternoon with one of the trainers to talk goal assessment and do pre-measurements for the challenge I'm participating in at my work gym, so maybe I'll wind up doing something after that. Yes, yes, I'll provide those measurements. I'm a little worried about it since I don't want to be obsessed with numbers again because there lies a dangerous path, but......... it'll be good to have something, anyway. I just hope that my self-love and self-confidence is strong enough that I'll have absolutely no emotional attachment to the numbers I receive. ;;; And then, after work, I'll be working through my to-do list and either playing DA:I, watching KHR, or.......... idk. Stuff.

 

To-Do List:

1. Passport renewal application
2. Look up what my work will contribute towards financial assistance if I do decide to go after this master's degree............
3. Work on Shakespeare scene
4. Practice for Open Stage Night
5. Find monologue worked w/ T
6. Obtain TurboTax
7. Find recipe(s) for mini-challenge
8. Put away laundry
9. Declutter
10. Check mail
11. Update budget
12. Plan L.A. extended weekend getaway
13. Workout?
14. Unload DSLR memory cards
15. Night routine
16. Finish Jasmine puzzle

[blkhole24601]

Oh, and in my rush to get my daily post up before running off to do work things (which wound up getting canceled because there are NO WORK THINGS -- work is slow lately, guys), I forgot to mention re: my lifts:

 

SQUATS: New 1RM! PR!!!!!! Because I've never squatted 125lb before. (My 2016 goal is to squat this, or more, at 5x5, which is closer than I think!)

BENCH PRESS: New 1RM! PR!!!!!! Because the heaviest bench I've ever done was 66lb, so woo!!!!!!

 

Because of the leg issues I had last challenge, though I'd like to jump ahead to squatting to 110lb since I was able to 1x5 the sucker and then continue to do heavier, I'll keep my working weight at 100lb for the time being, to be safe. It should hopefully mean I won't have to play around with fractionals too much, since the only "fractionals" we have at my gym are 2.75lb and 5.5lb plates. ;;;;;;;; Maybe when I meet with the trainer today, I'll make a verbal request for real fractionals. I've put my request down in the year-end survey, but if I can force the conversation, maybe we'll actually finally get them??????

 

Okay, back to the things. No work to do, so I'll try to attack some things off my to-do list that I can do at work. It's not a lot of it, only 4 at an initial glance-over, but still, it'll be something!

[Hazard]

(I will be in the ensemble of a production of Evita this summer!

 

How fun!!  I like Evita.

 

 

Pistol Squats: At this point, I'm still at assisted pistol squats, and thanks to some leg issues I had the past couple of weeks I've really only tested my AMRAPs. Before I proceed onto balance-assisted pistol squats, I want to do a solid 3x8 on both legs. Hopefully my legs are back up to par, but if they're not, I may have to downgrade to the beginner shrimp squats or Bulgarian split squats. This one I'll have to play by ear. (2016 Goal: Do pistol squats.)

 

What are you using for pistol assistance?  (I'm asking for my own sake.  Pistols are one of my weak points.)

 

 

And I hate rows. Considering either finding a replacement for them or dropping them entirely like I did last year. Something to research/soul search on, I guess.

 

Inverted rows are a fair replacement for barbell rows, and they're scale-able both via increasing leverage and adding weights.  Personally, I don't find rows particularly necessary when already working on chinup or pullup progressions.  But, inverted rows are a decent exercise even after one can get over a chinup bar, if someone has room in their routine for them.

 

 

SQUATS: New 1RM! PR!!!!!! Because I've never squatted 125lb before. (My 2016 goal is to squat this, or more, at 5x5, which is closer than I think!)

BENCH PRESS: New 1RM! PR!!!!!! Because the heaviest bench I've ever done was 66lb, so woo!!!!!!

 

Woot!

 

 

Because of the leg issues I had last challenge, though I'd like to jump ahead to squatting to 110lb since I was able to 1x5 the sucker and then continue to do heavier, I'll keep my working weight at 100lb for the time being, to be safe. It should hopefully mean I won't have to play around with fractionals too much, since the only "fractionals" we have at my gym are 2.75lb and 5.5lb plates.

 

If you don't already do it, consider placing a 2.75 lb plate on only one side of the barbell.  This allows a slower rate of progression if needed.  I do this myself when I need it.  I also use adjustable ankle weights that I wrap on the end of the bar as my smallest "plates", currently set to 1.75 lbs.  But I can load them as low as about 4 ounces each, if I really ever felt like I needed to go that low.  Adjustable ankle weights are an awesome weightlifting accessory.  Super portable, and cheaper than most fractional plates too! 

 

 

 

[Urgan]

I also use adjustable ankle weights that I wrap on the end of the bar as my smallest "plates", currently set to 1.75 lbs.  But I can load them as low as about 4 ounces each, if I really ever felt like I needed to go that low.  Adjustable ankle weights are an awesome weightlifting accessory.  Super portable, and cheaper than most fractional plates too! 

 

I am a big, big advocate for obtaining fractionals in some form or fashion ASAP. They will take your lifts to new heights.

[blkhole24601]

How fun!!  I like Evita.

 

The first (and really, only) time I saw it, I had a difficult time enjoying it, mostly because the actress playing Eva wasn't enunciating so I had difficulty understanding what was going on. The Che was fabulous, though, so he made it worthwhile. Now that I've returned to the show and listened to a cast recording with the words being a lot easier to understand across the board, I'm loving it. I initially wanted to be in it because I LOVE the music (especially the requiem at the beginning of the show), but now I'm becoming more and more fond of the story itself, too.

 

 

What are you using for pistol assistance?  (I'm asking for my own sake.  Pistols are one of my weak points.)

 

Honestly, the Smith machine, if it's empty, because I like having the notches of varying heights to grab onto depending on when in the movement I need the assistance. Otherwise, I try to find something that has a vertical bar I can grab hold on to help pull myself up if needed.

 

 

Inverted rows are a fair replacement for barbell rows, and they're scale-able both via increasing leverage and adding weights.  Personally, I don't find rows particularly necessary when already working on chinup or pullup progressions.  But, inverted rows are a decent exercise even after one can get over a chinup bar, if someone has room in their routine for them.

 

Yeah, that's one of the reasons I nixed rows last year since I wanted to put some more focus on my pull-up progressions, and since being able to do a pull-up is far more important to me at the moment than improving my rows, it's why I'm considering ditching them again. I'll give inverted rows a go, though and probably do away with barbell/dumbbell rows. Thanks for the suggestion!!

 

 

If you don't already do it, consider placing a 2.75 lb plate on only one side of the barbell.  This allows a slower rate of progression if needed.  I do this myself when I need it.  I also use adjustable ankle weights that I wrap on the end of the bar as my smallest "plates", currently set to 1.75 lbs.  But I can load them as low as about 4 ounces each, if I really ever felt like I needed to go that low.  Adjustable ankle weights are an awesome weightlifting accessory.  Super portable, and cheaper than most fractional plates too! 

 

Ooo, ankle weights, that's a great idea, and will probably help me with working through overhead presses since I'm still stuck on the pre-loaded barbells. (40lb is going to be too easy sooner rather than later, but 45lb will be too difficult, and I currently have NO in between) And I've heard the advice of doing imbalanced barbell lifts to help things along when your lifts when you've hit a wall, so I'll give that a try, too. Thanks!!!!!

 

 

I am a big, big advocate for obtaining fractionals in some form or fashion ASAP. They will take your lifts to new heights.

 

Yesssss. As unfortunate as it is that 2.75lb and 5.5lb is the closest thing to fractionals my gym currently (hopefully) has, they did help me out a lot last year when I plateaued in my lifts. It can sometimes take some mental mathematical gymnastics trying to figure out the combo I need, though, which is why I want to get my hands on fractionals. Hopefully my gym will provide. If not, well, either I'll buy them myself or do the ankle weight solution.

[blkhole24601]

Just got back from the gym, and with it, some measurements! I'm actually pleasantly surprised by what I saw, in that it wasn't as bad as I feared it was going to be thus having me spiral back into the person I was last year wrt my body image and what not. Nope, my body confidence remains strong! In the actual measurements themselves, I'm not at all surprised and it's about what I'd expected, in a good way. For simplicity's sake, here is a chart to compare from the last time I did these measurements on the Tanita scale (what my gym uses for this stuff) back at the end of November and now, about 3.5 months later:

 

 

My weight is ~125lb, just what I expected, and I'm not at all disturbed that it's an increase from November considering the bf% drop and the muscle mass increase. In short, I'll take it. Calling 125lb my bodyweight for the purposes of lifting is spot on, too. And....... yeah, no emotional attachment to these numbers. No "OMG I NEED TO DROP MY BODY FAT PERCENT" because....... I don't need to. In fact, it's great where it is, and if I did want to decrease, it wouldn't be more than by another full percent. 21% is as low as I want to go since someday in the next five years or so I'd like to procreate. So... yeah. Just need to maintain my bf% in the 20.1-22.9% range!

 

In short, I'm pleased. Now, for the fitness challenge I'm doing at work, we had to choose which of the two areas we wanted to focus on for the purposes of getting points and what not: muscle gain or weight loss. I chose muscle gain, and there's a part of me that's VERY curious how many other women chose the same........ in part because yeah, I want to see my chances of winning. But with this pre-measurement appointment, I earned all possible points for the week, now I need to evaluate next week's requirements and see if I can get any points in those categories (next week's challenge is focused on Group Exercise Classes, which I loathe, so ugh, we'll see how this goes for me................. luckily the gym has a couple of 15-minute classes that better count, especially since I refuse to pay $30 for the 6-week class -- $30 for 10 measly points, nopenopenope)

 

As for fractionals....... kind of forgot to ask. ;;;;;;;; I'll find one of the other trainers later and ask, or I'll just look into the other options so at the very least, I have something I can rely on when I get to the gym!

[blkhole24601]

DAY 03

All of the adulting!

 

QUEST ONE: THE ENDGAME - 60%

I hadn't intended to do anything for this quest in the interests of letting my muscles rest, but then I just got inspired to work on my handstands. ;;;;;;;;;;; Anyway, my routine:

• 5-minute elliptical prior to meeting with the trainer for my pre-measurements because I got to the gym early
• 3x8x12" burpee box jumps after the meeting
• 5-minute handstands
• 15-minute flexibility

QUEST TWO: THE SPECIAL - 60%

Done! And here are some more progress pics:

  

I obviously made a greater effort at better posture. Still not great, but, eh. Someday.

 

QUEST THREE: PREPARE FOR PLAYTIME - 100%

Completed for the week. I also looked into some dance studio options for ballroom dancing, and I looked into the Pure Barre classes at a studio near my apartment, but Pure Barre isn't what I thought it was going to be and so I'm opting out of it. (I thought it was going to be basically ballet barre, but no, it's not that at all.)

 

LIFE QUEST: LET'S GET ORGANIZED - 43%

Still killing it~

1. Passport renewal application
2. Look up what my work will contribute towards financial assistance if I do decide to go after this master's degree............
3. Work on Shakespeare scene
4. Practice for Open Stage Night
5. Find monologue worked w/ T
6. Obtain TurboTax
7. Find recipe(s) for mini-challenge
8. Put away laundry
9. Declutter
10. Check mail
11. Update budget
12. Plan L.A. extended weekend getaway
13. Workout?
14. Unload DSLR memory cards
15. Night routine
16. Finish Jasmine puzzle

SIDE QUEST: PICK UP THE DAMN BLOCKS - Part 1: 58% | Part 2: 20%

Spent 21 minutes going through some old notebooks. I'm actually impressed I got rid of as many as I did! (Oh, old fanfic notes.........)

Total decluttering time for the week thus far: 35/60 minutes

 

Didn't wind up finding anything to donate. One thing did get sent to the "try to sell" pile, which obviously doesn't count as the donation pile.

 

 

Today's Plan:

Lifting day! And then once I get home tonight, idk, probably DA:I some more and such while Tyro is at his performance, and as soon as I knock off enough things off my to-do list as I can.

 

To-Do List:

1. Plan the recital (date and location) and talk to coach about it
2. Practice for Open Stage Night
3. Read over Shakespeare scene, try to memorize it
4. Nightly routine
5. Make doctor appointment for March 25
6. Update budget
7. Research the space systems master's degree in more detail; can I devote the TIME to it? (Financially, considering how much money my company is willing to pay, I'd almost be foolish not to go for this; now it's just a matter of time commitment and convenience.)
8. Declutter quest
9. Check mail/pick up package
10. Workout
11. Compare prices for fractionals vs. ankle weights. Maybe order one or the other?
12. Find out where to get my passport photo taken
13. Plan out trip to NYC (not CA anymore~)
14. Remember to take out your car registration information from your car so you can finish your taxes tonight!
15. Find the damn monologue already omg is it in my car IT HAD BETTER BE