Urgan Shows Up, Does the Thing

[Urgan]

Hello and welcome to my battle log, est. 2016!

 

I've been doing challenges for over a year straight and I decided to experiment with an alternative style that gets away from the feeling of being perpetually "on" and one step away from the pointy end of the spear that is the 4WC format while not losing the structure that said 4WC format provides. Kinda strike a balance, like? This will be an ongoing experiment, with some room to adjust. This will be accomplished by a month-to-month formal re-evaluation of goals, without grading per say, and the freedom to change things up at any point with no regrets. All in one place! No need to wonder when my new thread will be up, just stay tuned for the next day's post! Below I will update links to each month's first post so you can see change over time. To round off 2016's activity, I'm posting links to prior challenge activity for the sake of completeness. ...And we're off!

 

Index

2016 Challenges: January, February, March, April

2016: May, June, July, August, Intra-Month Madness, September, October, November, December

2017: January, February, March, April, May, Intra-Month Madness v.2, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

2018: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

2019: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

2020: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

 

Lessons Compendium

*~* 5/6/2016 *~*

Magnesium deficient is something you don't want to be--supplement

You might also be deficient in other vitamins and minerals--supplement with a multivitamin

Magnesium is a diuretic

Squat foot position should be maintained at hip width, no farther: a wide stance is Trouble for your inner legs

 

*~* 5/21/2016 *~*

Ukemi must be executed with one's head tucked

There is in fact such thing as too much ukemi, especially when biased to one side of the body

TM Fact: If you get to a place on Intensity Day where you struggle to PR, add volume to volume day

 

*~* 8/1/2016 *~*

Daily neck stretches keep even small tension headaches away

Too much of the wrong kind of foot rolling can lead to TIGHTER feet

 

*~* 8/27/2016 *~*

Stress is real and it will harm training momentum.

Knee sleeves are good tools in the gym for preventing quad tension.

 

*~* 11/7/2016 *~*

1/wk DL Intensity Day is too intense. 2/month is good.

 

*~* 1/29/2017 *~*

When stressed, a massive deload is not necessary. Just hold fast to the same weights and...wait it out.

Too much magnesium = diarrhea

 

*~* 7/10/2017 *~*

A reminder: sleeping on one's back reduces the risk of headaches and muscle knots.

 

*~* 12/09/2017 *~*

Do not stop taking Slo-Mag. Just. Don't.

 

*~* 1/19/2018 *~*

Drinking a minimum of 44oz of water helps regulate headaches, even migraines to some extent.

 

*~* 7/18/2018 *~*

Hormonal birth control does cause migraines. So does looking down at phone with bad posture all day.

 

*~* 7/30/2018 *~*

Dairy and yogurt disagree with my stomach. 

Vegetables + fermented food are keys to BM balance.

 

*~* 10/1/2018 *~*

Fruit disagrees with my stomach.

Bananas are fruit.

Lacrosse ball rolling helps manage bad posture headaches.

 

*~* circa 4/2019 *~*

I need the lunch hour away from my desk to keep headaches down

 

*~* 10/4/2019 *~*

Remember how fruit disagrees with my stomach? That goes for ingredients found in preworkout. Gas and bloating.

 

[Urgan]

 

May 2016 Goals!

 

I’m going to track five things, no grading per say, but I will count the times I actually Do the Thing in order to build some natural accountability pressure. This won’t be a light one, so strap yourselves in~

 

 

Lifting

I’ve had XRM goals in the past, this time I’m starting at a deload, so PRs aren’t really a goal this challenge. This time I’m keeping it simple

• Just get in there and lift 3/wk. This won’t be graded, because I’m pretty darn good about this, doncha think?

• Mind the knees: the cues of the month are “sit back!” and “shove out knees” on squats

• Mind my back for signs of hyperextension faults in low back, this is a sign my form is breaking down in OHP at the very least

 

Ukemi

Rolling. All the rolling.

• Every lifting session, forward and back rolls 3/wk ideally, 5 rolls per side per direction

 

Food

The most basic of the most basic: protein. Get some. Log recipes. Slap cooking motivation back into self. AKA, Adult the Food. Public shame will be important for quest success.

• Hit 115g protein 5/wk

• Log recipes

 

Sleep

This one is dead simple, and a bare minimum for being a functional adult.

• Log time the lights went out the previous night and rate how I feel on a scale of 1 - 10

• Log time I woke up and rate how I feel on a scale of 1 - 10

 

Mobility

Oh man, mobility. I’ve managed to keep my neck tension down consistently enough that I haven’t had a tension headache in weeks. This is very desirable. Examples of areas that give me trouble and should show up regularly in this log: neck, quads, calves, hips/glutes, anterior/posterior delts

• Order a new pillow Done!

• Stop slouching while sitting

• Take my body through ROM stretching, find what feels manky and fix it 7/wk

• Neck mobility every day regardless Resolved my tension issues via magnesium!

 

 

Week Debriefs:

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

[miss_marissa]

YAY! Batlle log!

[Urgan]

9 minutes ago, miss_marissa said:

YAY! Batlle log!

 

And you're here! 

[raptron]

Hello, log! 

[Urgan]

9 minutes ago, raptron said:

Hello, log! 

 

Now with 85% more color and more gifs!

[elvenengineer]

Hiii! *waves*

Sent from my LG-H810 using Tapatalk

[Urgan]

54 minutes ago, elvenengineer said:

Hiii! *waves*

Sent from my LG-H810 using Tapatalk

 

HAIIIIIIIIII~

[Sam Ashen]

Welcome to the Battle Log system!  I kept one when I started because it was in the middle of a Challenge Cycle and could not wait to get started.

[Urgan]

4-29-2016

 

Lifting

Mind the knees; mind the back

Rest day~ I might end up doing light lifting tomorrow, depending on how I feel. My joints are completely cool with me again and my neck issue is almost completely resolved. I see no reason to postpone it much longer, barring another random cataclysm.

 

Ukemi

Roll 5x per side

Rest day~

 

Food

Protein: x/5 - 79g

The jury is still out, will update with final protein count for the day later. 

Edit: Bah, due to dinner not being as good as advertised and the late hour of procurement, fail.

 

Sleep

Wake up: -- 0/10

Lights out: -- 0/10

Since I'm taking this format on a test run, not all fields will be filled out yet. x/wk fields will start on Monday!

 

Mobility

New pillow

No slouching

Neck mobility: x/7 

Stretch and mobilize: x/7

Guys guys guys. The craziest thing happened to me today. I got out of the shower and randomly had gastrointestinal discomfort, so I decided grabbing a couch pillow and lying down on the bed (because it already had a towel on it--wet hair) sounded liked a good idea. Other than feeling bloated and awful, the bed itself felt great, as I got over it I felt kinda good just lying there...on my back, on this pillow. Probably could have fallen asleep that way had I wanted to. Okay, so hear me out. My existing pillow is too thick and/or too soft for me, and it's not one of those squish pillows that you press down on and you can make the pillowcase sides meet in the middle or anything. Not sure which yet. I swapped it for a guest pillow that feels firmer. If that doesn't work, I have a travel pillow that's smaller all the way around. If THAT doesn't work, I'll sleep on the dang couch pillow 'til I find a solution. But holy crap, does it not seem obvious now?? How dumb do I feel?

 

Anyway, that might just save my neck, and my life. SO EXCITE.

 

Neck, upper back, quads, and calves were mobilized today! Tried to avoid slouching on the couch. My rusty neck issue is, as I mentioned before, virtually gone. Perhaps forever if my little "epiphany" has anything to say about it.

 

13 hours ago, Sam Ashen said:

Welcome to the Battle Log system!  I kept one when I started because it was in the middle of a Challenge Cycle and could not wait to get started.

 

I feel very welcomed. As you can see, it's been a very productive first day. 

[Sam Ashen]

2 minutes ago, Urgan said:

 

Mobility

New pillow

No slouching

Neck mobility: x/7 

Stretch and mobilize: x/7

Guys guys guys. The craziest thing happened to me today. I got out of the shower and randomly had gastrointestinal discomfort, so I decided grabbing a couch pillow and lying down on the bed (because it already had a towel on it--wet hair) sounded liked a good idea. Other than feeling bloated and awful, the bed itself felt great, as I got over it I felt kinda good just lying there...on my back, on this pillow. Probably could have fallen asleep that way had I wanted to. Okay, so hear me out. My existing pillow is too thick and/or too soft for me, and it's not one of those squish pillows that you press down on and you can make the pillowcase sides meet in the middle or anything. Not sure which yet. I swapped it for a guest pillow that feels firmer. If that doesn't work, I have a travel pillow that's smaller all the way around. If THAT doesn't work, I'll sleep on the dang couch pillow 'til I find a solution. But holy crap, does it not seem obvious now?? How dumb do I feel?

 

 

No need to feel dumb, quite honestly.  I would say you had a "Eureka" moment.

 

At least you did not

 

[Urgan]

24 minutes ago, Sam Ashen said:

 

 

No need to feel dumb, quite honestly.  I would say you had a "Eureka" moment.

 

At least you did not

 

 

I am so excited to go to bed tonight it might be enough to give me problems sleeping, lol. Unfortunately, my dinner plan fell through (TERRIBLE quality of meat...) and it's too late do too much about it, so protein goal fail for tonight. Sigh. 

[Urgan]

23 hours ago, Urgan said:

Sleep

This one is dead simple, and a bare minimum for being a functional adult.

• Log time the lights went out the previous night and rate how I feel on a scale of 1 - 10

• Log time I woke up and rate how I feel on a scale of 1 - 10

 

Modified my goal to include logging the previous night's lights-out due to the obvious effect it will have on the next day~

[ixaera]

here for this!

[Urgan]

4 minutes ago, ixaera said:

here for this!

 

YASS.

[Urgan]

 

4-30-2016

These things should come with warnings...

Lifting

Mind the knees; mind the back

Squat - 45 1x5

            65 1x3

            95 1x2

            115 1x1

            135 6x3 - belted

BP -    45 1x3 - belted

          50 1x3 - belted

          60 1x1 - belted

          68 6x3 - belted

OHP -  NA

DL -    160 2x3 - belted

PC -   NA

I now know the cause of my quad, knee, calf, and ankle issues. My squat stance is a bit too wide. Pity I figured it out well after my sets were done, but better late than never, I guess. Giving myself a BYE on lower body mobility for a couple days until I’m sure it won’t cause more problems than it solves. As you know, this is deload time and I just did something to get back in the gym, the only changes to the program are I think bench is going intermediate. Not sure how much more I get eke out of that.

Ukemi

Roll 5x per side

And did I ever. I rolled before my lifting session, just for the record. Forward and back rolls--for forward I did the five per side, but on back rolls I did like twice as many per side, because learning how to do it, lol.

Food

Protein: x/5 - 117g

5oz of tuna, 8oz of black beans, and 2.5 cups of fruit punch flavored BCAAs. Then a cat sits on me. A wonder it all stuck around, lol.

Sleep

Lights out: 11:25PM -- 8/10

Wake up: 9:00AM -- 9/10

I actually felt really good going to bed--this has become so rare that it’s sad. Same story with waking up.  It’s too early to say with 100% certainty that the pillow swap did the trick, and I have one more pillow we already own to try, but I can definitely attest that I felt different upon waking up. I’m still dealing with some lingering neck tension from the Incident the other day, so I can’t be sure how much is just going to hang around until my next massage appointment Wednesday and how much is caused/exacerbated by pillow choice. Man am I glad that this past 24 hours shows it’s probably not the mattress, because MONEY.

 

Later in the day, my headache went away. Hoping it was a fluke...

 

Mobility

New pillow

No slouching

Neck mobility: x/7

Stretch and mobilize: x/7

See above for pillow experimentation. I’ve been pretty good about the slouching thing, I did it a bit, but only for a few minutes before mindfulness caught up with me. Beats the previous record, that’s for sure.

 

Post-shower BW squats and dancing around like one of those wind-powered flailing tube man decorations

 

to some quality music (Weird Al) proved out there’s nothing horribly wrong with my legs, may well be sore tomorrow, but I’m not so terribly concerned.

[Urgan]

5-1-2016

If anybody understands scalp tension..... I have just found my spirit animal.

 

Lifting

Mind the knees; mind the back

Rest day~

Ukemi

Roll 5x per side

Rest day~

Food

Protein: x/5 - 113g

I actually planned my food the day before...let’s see if this makes a lick of difference in how difficult it is to achieve this goal, lol. Oh look...it did. 2g off isn’t half bad. Dinner was the ever delicious http://www.japanesecooking101.com/chicken-soboro-donburi-recipe/

Sleep

Lights out: 1:00AM~ -- 6/10

Wake up: 9:15AM -- 8/10

Not quite as stellar as yesterday, due to chilling around watching videos for hours with my head resting on its side on the new pillow, probably causing neck issues, and I developed a headache. Spent half an hour at least changing out the pillow for the couch cushion, messing with my neck, trying to find the culprit knot. Failed. Noticed headache changes based on whether my eyes were open or not (hilariously, I was fine with eyes open, pain with them closed. BECAUSE OF COURSE, IT’S 1AM TIME FOR BED LET’S SIT THERE WITH EYES WIDE OPEN), looked up the neck muscles associated with eyestrain. Was reminded it’s the ones on the base of the skull. Rolled it with the lacrosse ball, took some melatonin, fell asleep an hour after putting head to pillow with lights off.

 

Woke up sans headache, the very slightest of initial stiffness, in a position where I am sort of in a hybrid between flat on back and on my side, this without a doubt causes the scalp tension we all so love and upon reflection was a monumentally stupid position to have adopted. I am detecting improved conditions in the stiffness department elsewhere, however. I am replacing the “new” pillow with the old pillow, freshly washed. You see, in the four years I have owned this pillow, it has not been washed (it has a slip cover, pillow case, and towel between me and it at all times...I change out the layers weekly at the very least, so...not as bad as it sounds, but there it is). This...probably has been a dreadful mistake. It now looks like a marshmallow compared to the flat state it was in before. My old pillow might be described as too flat/unsupportive, the “new” pillow too uncomfortable to remain on my side, that’s the working theory. I might have breathed new life into it. Might not. Mom donated a new extra firm pillow for me to try, I know where I got the old pillow that has served me well these last four years, so I could reasonably attempt to replace it. Probably not tomorrow because I’m on call to help my neighbors get a new mattress delivered (irony? Yes.) and wouldn’t want to miss that, and it’s aikido night. Unless these options I presently have are all just hell on a stick, I’ll wait to make a purchase.  This probably makes me a sentimental fool, but I love my pillow and hope this revives it a bit longer. Otherwise, I suppose it has had a long “life” and at least I know where I can find another...if they didn’t stop making them…* grumble *

 

Note on pillow washing: I washed it with my deadlifting Converses that don’t see much outdoor time, and it scared the cats SO BADLY going ‘round in the dryer. Specifically, the bold cats camped the underside of the bed, while the semi-feral and the super cautious little sister cat are all by the dryer and on top of the bed like "...'sup?"

 

Hilarious.

 

One shoe even kicked the dryer door open mid-cycle. Sometimes it’s the little things in life...

Mobility

New pillow

No slouching

Try pillow options

Neck mobility: x/7

Stretch and mobilize: x/7

The previous night I tried remaining lying down on my side while supported to watch the videos and laze around, still ended up with neck tension in spite of/because this effort. My knees are not mad at me in spite of having given them the wide-stance treatment once again. I guess 135 is light enough to not do lasting damage.

What I’m trying to say is it could be a lot worse, I don’t feel too low energy-wise and I’ve regained full neck ROM. I’ve done some serious neck mobility as a result of this pillow nonsense, worked on my arms, finding some knots on either side of my elbows, and pecs. But let’s be real, my world right now is fighting pillow betrayal and trying to keep self-scalping at bay. This weekend DID uncover the cause of my lower body dysfunction, so that will make a difference when I can, you know, get back under the bar.

[shaar]

On 4/29/2016 at 0:18 PM, Urgan said:

the feeling of being perpetually "on" and one step away from the pointy end of the spear that is the 4WC format while not losing the structure that said 4WC format provides.

 

Yarrrrrr probably the best description of the 4WC rush I've seen.

 

OK I'm loving your pillow stories.  My related neck issues have slowly migrated into SHOULDER ISSUES because of poor hotel pillow placement this past weekend.  Like, it affected my bench today.  WHAT!?!?!?!  It was just one night away from my regular pillow.  Siiiigh.  Also glad it's not mattress issues for you either, hey ho $$$$$$.  I too need to be more diligent with my tennis ball rolling around the neck/shoulders/shoulder blades too...................

 

Cats and dryers, heehee~

[Urgan]

Just now, shaarawy said:

 

Yarrrrrr probably the best description of the 4WC rush I've seen.

 

OK I'm loving your pillow stories.  My related neck issues have slowly migrated into SHOULDER ISSUES because of poor hotel pillow placement this past weekend.  Like, it affected my bench today.  WHAT!?!?!?!  It was just one night away from my regular pillow.  Siiiigh.  Also glad it's not mattress issues for you either, hey ho $$$$$$.  I too need to be more diligent with my tennis ball rolling around the neck/shoulders/shoulder blades too...................

 

Cats and dryers, heehee~

 

It's not bad--it's even fun--but something about you talking about being overwhelmed by the 4WC made me think there might just be a better way. We shall see??

 

Pillows are just things we take for granted until all of a sudden you feel like you've been in a car crash. But think about it, we're putting a 10lb bowling ball on a sack of cotton/polyester/foam and expecting it to last forever. 

 

When one goes, they all go....the most nervous cat drags the others back into the swamp of paranoia. 

[shaar]

37 minutes ago, Urgan said:

 

It's not bad--it's even fun--but something about you talking about being overwhelmed by the 4WC made me think there might just be a better way. We shall see??

 

Pillows are just things we take for granted until all of a sudden you feel like you've been in a car crash. But think about it, we're putting a 10lb bowling ball on a sack of cotton/polyester/foam and expecting it to last forever. 

 

When one goes, they all go....the most nervous cat drags the others back into the swamp of paranoia. 

 

This is the first challenge I've actively skipped in like a year and a half.... and ugh it kind of makes me feel bad??  But I just can't put forth the effort right now.  At least I know better and won't whelm myself???  We are lab rats, in a Battle Log world!

 

Well when you put it that way.... skulls, why you gotta be so heavy??  Oh yeah, precious brain protection.........

 

All it takes is one freakout, then the furious running while trying to gain traction, giant tails.... it kind of is a beautiful thing :3

[Urgan]

1 minute ago, shaarawy said:

 

This is the first challenge I've actively skipped in like a year and a half.... and ugh it kind of makes me feel bad??  But I just can't put forth the effort right now.  At least I know better and won't whelm myself???  We are lab rats, in a Battle Log world!

 

Well when you put it that way.... skulls, why you gotta be so heavy??  Oh yeah, precious brain protection.........

 

All it takes is one freakout, then the furious running while trying to gain traction, giant tails.... it kind of is a beautiful thing :3

 

There's no reason to feel bad (I mean, other than stupid brain being mean to you), you didn't swear a blood oath to post up a thread every challenge from now on. We'll experiment and decide what works best for us.

 

As I told mom last night, it's not a one life, one pillow kind of world we live in, lol. Yet we try to pretend it is. I'd have never thought twice about it had the thing not decided to stage a protest. I am reveling in a headache-less existence right now, but of course I have yet to actually play a game today, so WE SHALL SEE.

 

They are adorable, hilarious paranoids. Luckily their fears are mostly unfounded, lol. 

[Urgan]

Random note: I am switching to counting at a monthly rate, rather than weekly. The better to measure prioritization, my dear...

[miss_marissa]

YEA!!!! PILLOW BREAKTHROUGH!!!!

 

 

YOU SHALL COME OUT ON THE OTHER SIDE VICTORIOUS

[Urgan]

3 hours ago, miss_marissa said:

YEA!!!! PILLOW BREAKTHROUGH!!!!

 

 

YOU SHALL COME OUT ON THE OTHER SIDE VICTORIOUS

 

Trial and error, HERE WE GO. 

[Sam Ashen]

12 hours ago, shaarawy said:

Yarrrrrr probably the best description of the 4WC rush I've seen.

 

The pointy end of 5 weeks went by and I could not finish a game.  The pointy end of what to type up next!  (Which is right now!  In a day or so!  Yup.  Must be up tomorrow in one form or another.)

 

Already discussed.  Old news.  I really have the impression a lot of my friends here are burning out.

 

Good luck with the format!