Grayspeed VS The Checklist of DOOM

[Grayspeed]

Checklists are great. Just ask Captain America.

 

After having pretty much the same challenge format for over a year (time flies!) I've decided to mix it up this time and have a checklist instead of the usual 4 quest layout. Not just any checklist though, a checklist of doom.

 

So, basically just a checklist.

 

I have a pretty solid workout programme going and my diet is pretty well sorted out, so these goals are mainly going to be life stuff and little adjustments. Given that I have a lot of free time right now I decided this would be a great opportunity to really tie up loose ends and get more organised with life in general. And play a lot of Pokemon Go.

 

The Checklist is thusly:

• Learn how to do Turkish Get Up properly.
  • I'm ashamed to say I've never learned this movement. Time to fix that.
• Have a trial session at local gym to check out facilities.
  • Really all I need is some sort of TRX frame, somewhere to do parallel dips, and something to do box jumps on. Rowing machines and stationary bikes are a given.
• Sign up for my next Open University module.
• Get at least 2 job interviews.
• Finish reading my mindfulness book.
• Trade in or sell my old guitar that never gets played.
• Fix the pickup alignment issue with my Precision Bass. I think the foam has just got soft and needs replacing, hopefully nothing is broken in there.
• Organise storage shelves in bedroom.
• Weekly - Share the awesome: Highlight Reel.
  • At the end of each week post a list of highlights from the week, for usual mood uplifting and such.
•  

 

 

Daily Quests

• Movement skill practice everyday.
  • Current focus areas - Crow pose, kip-up, TGU, and forwards/backwards rolls.
• Do something productive everyday.
• Do something creative and/or relaxing everyday.
• Wash face everyday. My skin sucks right now.
  • Real men steal their girlfriend's facial care products,right?

 

Let's do this!

[Elastigirl]

Captain America, checklists of DOOM and Turkish Get ups this is an awesome challenge!

[Grayspeed]

May as well get started now 

 

Checklist Items

Had a surprise phone interview while out and about today. Was really more of a screening measure before they contact people for the group assessments, I think I did ok despite being completely unprepared . Should get an email within 2 weeks.

**Not counting this as an actual interview**

 

Daily Quests

Movement skill practice everyday: Crow pose work. Attempted a tuck planche just for fun, it didn't go well. Don't think I'm quite at that level yet 

Do something productive everyday: Random unexpected phone interview, returned shirt I bought a week ago, shuffled quests around in challenge thread.

Do something creative and/or relaxing everyday: Put together a new workout playlist as my old one was getting a bit repetitive.

Wash face everyday: Yep

[Elastigirl]

I do that once in a while with the tuck planche too, and it usually doesn't go well either.  Good start to the challenge

[Manarelle]

Nice new format, I like the balance between the every day quests and the overall ones. Real men totally steal their girlfriend's skin care products. And maybe ask for pointers too, so said g/f knows what to buy.  

 

Following for the awesomeness!

[Grayspeed]

Thursday & Friday

Checklist Items

N/A

 

Daily Quests

Movement skill practice everyday: Thursday - Did some stuff practicing getting around from a squat position. Also rodea skatebard for the first timein a few years and found I kinda miss it.. Friday - Lots of fun balancing on logs and such.

Do something productive everyday: Thursday - Helped younger cousin with a school project. Friday - Job searching.

Do something creative and/or relaxing everyday: Thursday - Painted a couple of Lord of the Rings miniatures. Friday - Nice walk with my girlfriend around a park, including said log balancing.

Wash face everyday: Yep/yep

[Suzaqu]

Yay new challenge! I'm working on perfecting my TGUs so I'm excited to follow along!

[Grayspeed]

Saturday and Sunday

Checklist Items

N/A

Thinking that tomorrow I'll take a trip to the gym.

 

Daily Quests

Movement skill practice everyday: Saturday - Crow practice. Sunday - Kip-up progression 

Do something productive everyday: Saturday - More helping with school project. Sunday - Applied for another job and had a search around

Do something creative and/or relaxing everyday: Saturday & Sunday - Lots more figure painting, did a pretty cool Assassin's Creed modification to a Ranger of Middle Earth that I'm pretty pleased with. Although I went a little crazy on the ink wash so it kinda looks dirty.

Wash face everyday: Yes for both days

[Grayspeed]

Monday

Checklist Items

Went to the gym, had a walk around and improvised a workout. Looks like it has everything I need. Something like this would be ideal, but it should suit me just fine for the winter a least. I'm going to sign up for a month and see how it goes from there.

Also, I have a job interview tomorrow! 

 

Daily Quests

Movement skill practice everyday: TGU practice. First time trying, I got a bit muddled but I'll get there with time.

Do something productive everyday: Getting ready for interview tomorrow, also might be helping cousin with his school project again later today.

 

Does cleaning up dog sick count as being productive? Because I did that too.

 

Do something creative and/or relaxing everyday: Not yet, but this evening I'm planning to sit down with my bass and learn how to play this fun little riff.

Wash face everyday: Yupp.

[Ryuu1011]

On 9/21/2016 at 1:45 PM, Grayspeed said:

Daily Quests

Movement skill practice everyday: Crow pose work. Attempted a tuck planche just for fun, it didn't go well. Don't think I'm quite at that level yet 

 

I've found that taking one knee off, and/or slowly lowing to the ground during my Crow training helped me get the tuck planche. Then it just was a matter of actively training for that movement. Don't forget to stretch out your wrists before you work on the tuck planche so you don't hurt your wrists! GMB has a great free planche tutorial here hope that helps!

[Grayspeed]

1 hour ago, Ryuu1011 said:

 

I've found that taking one knee off, and/or slowly lowing to the ground during my Crow training helped me get the tuck planche. Then it just was a matter of actively training for that movement. Don't forget to stretch out your wrists before you work on the tuck planche so you don't hurt your wrists! GMB has a great free planche tutorial here hope that helps!

Thanks!

[Suzaqu]

Good luck on the interview! 

 

I really liked this video for TGUs, it's pretty slow and drawn out, but I liked the detail and break down. Are you using kettlebells for yours, or just working on learning movement unweighted? 

 

[Manarelle]

Good luck with the interview!

[Grayspeed]

9 hours ago, Suzaqu said:

I really liked this video for TGUs, it's pretty slow and drawn out, but I liked the detail and break down. Are you using kettlebells for yours, or just working on learning movement unweighted? 

Thanks, I'll get to work on that video this evening 

I'm starting off just using a shoe while I get the movements down right now.

[Suzaqu]

1 hour ago, Grayspeed said:

Thanks, I'll get to work on that video this evening 

I'm starting off just using a shoe while I get the movements down right now.

Those shoes are hard! I also use a very light dumbbell (3lbs) which helped me feel what they were like loaded. I found it to be a very different experience  once there was a little bit of weight.

[Grayspeed]

Tuesday

Checklist Items

N/A

 

Daily Quests

Movement skill practice everyday: After watching the video @Suzaqu suggested, I spent about 15 minutes just drilling "phase 1" of the TGU. At the gym tomorrow I'm going to give it a go with a light kettlebell to get the motion down before I progress to the next step in the movement.

Do something productive everyday: Job interview. Went really well actually, I was expecting a group thing but it was a one-to-one interview. I had to bring an object that said something about me as a person, so I took my .45" scale replica of Obi-Wan Kenobi's lightsaber. Certainly gave a good taking point 

Do something creative and/or relaxing everyday: After my interview I took a leisurely walk around a country park and got mud all over my smart shoes... 

Wash face everyday: Yupp. Maybe I'll even start moisturising?

[SnowOwl]

9 hours ago, Grayspeed said:

I had to bring an object that said something about me as a person

Wow, I haven't heard of that interview tactic before. It's a good one, but I would not want to have to come up with something!

[Grayspeed]

10 hours ago, SnowOwl said:

Wow, I haven't heard of that interview tactic before. It's a good one, but I would not want to have to come up with something!

Apparently someone brought a mirror and said "It reflects me well". I appreciate a good pun.

 

Wednesday

Checklist Items

N/A

Working on that TGU though..

 

Daily Quests

Movement skill practice everyday: More practice of phase 1 TGU. Definitely feels different with weight, need to work on being more controlled.

Do something productive everyday: Cleaning and job searching.

Do something creative and/or relaxing everyday: Nice walk.

Wash face everyday: Yep

[Suzaqu]

Yay! I'm glad the video was helpful! I thought the phases were a good way to break it down. 

 

That is definitely a cool interview question! Glad it went well!

[Grayspeed]

Thursday

Checklist Items

N/A

Getting there with the TGU. It's supposed to rain tomorrow so I may sort out the p-bass to keep busy.

 

Daily Quests

Movement skill practice everyday: Worked on phases 1-3 of the TGU, slowly getting it down.

Do something productive everyday: Job search and another application submitted.

Do something creative and/or relaxing everyday: Went for a walk again. I go for a lot of walks these days..

Wash face everyday: Yep

[Grayspeed]

Friday & Saturday

Checklist Items

N/A

I've been sucking at reading that book, need to get on that..

Also realised I haven't included a "share the awesome" goal this time. Updated checklist to include weekly highlight reel quest.

 

Daily Quests

Movement skill practice everyday: Friday - Fail. It just didn't even enter my mind.. Saturday - Balance work on a wet log.

Do something productive everyday: Both days - Job searching. Applied for a job today which would suit my work-life requirements pretty well.

Do something creative and/or relaxing everyday: Friday - Movie date night. Saturday - Nice long walk in the rain.

Wash face everyday: Friday - Yes. Saturday - totally forgot.

[Grayspeed]

Sunday

Checklist Items

Share the Awesome: Highlight Reel.

• Not only did I finally join a gym, but my girlfriend joined too and comes with me twice a week! We'll be one of those annoying fitness couples in no time 
  • Fun story, the day after I joined they came out with a "no joining fee" code. Goddammit.
• Star Wars: Rebels is back and it is freaking awesome so far.
• Got my first set of 10 parallel dips. Having access to actual dip bars instead of rickety old chairs may have had something to do with it...
• The realisation that people at the gym really don't care what you're doing and there's no need to feel embarrassed working out in front of people.
  • This was kind of huge for me..

 

Daily Quests

Movement skill practice everyday: Heading to the gym after this update where I'll either practice TGU or single leg stability, depending on how I feel.

Do something productive everyday: More job searching.

Do something creative and/or relaxing everyday: Spent a good chunk of time chilling out and playing bass.

Wash face everyday: Yep.

[Grayspeed]

Monday

Checklist Items

Precision Bass pickup issue fixed.

 

Daily Quests

Movement skill practice everyday: Parkour roll practice.

Do something productive everyday: Job application, vacuuming, washed the dog.

Do something creative and/or relaxing everyday: Sat down with my bass and learned how to play the bass parts for Chick Magnet by MxPx and Highway to Hell by ACDC.

Wash face everyday: Yep.

[Manarelle]

On 10/2/2016 at 8:36 AM, Grayspeed said:

• Not only did I finally join a gym, but my girlfriend joined too and comes with me twice a week! We'll be one of those annoying fitness couples in no time 
  • Fun story, the day after I joined they came out with a "no joining fee" code. Goddammit.
• Star Wars: Rebels is back and it is freaking awesome so far.
• Got my first set of 10 parallel dips. Having access to actual dip bars instead of rickety old chairs may have had something to do with it...
• The realisation that people at the gym really don't care what you're doing and there's no need to feel embarrassed working out in front of people.
  • This was kind of huge for me..

 

Woot, congrats! Nice that you both get that support at home, too! Sucks about the timing, though. 

 

As far as the "no one else cares what you're doing," a) very true, and b ) have you ever considered you're pretty farking amazing at what you do, so even less need to feel embarrassed? Just saying - you never know who sees you as inspiration. 

[Jonesy]

On 10/2/2016 at 5:36 AM, Grayspeed said:

 

• The realisation that people at the gym really don't care what you're doing and there's no need to feel embarrassed working out in front of people.
  • This was kind of huge for me.

 

Awesome, this is huge!

This is still my biggest fear at the gym and why I usually only go to use the treadmill and elliptical. Once I found a secluded corner to do my bodyweight exercises in, it was wonderful.