fargofargo :: my52dc

today is the first day of the 52dc.  looking forward to adding some muscle mass and increasing strength and adding weight on my lifts.  finished bronze last challenge - 101 clean eats was challenging but i made it - didn’t make RTs or CTs - i had a little surgery that knocked me off a week and i didn’t get in the extra lifting sessions i had planned on.  scaled back the CE goal this time to 95 but kept the RTs at 32 which forces me to get in a couple extra times a week to focus on legs.

last challenge i got very lean - but felt somewhat weak.  i was doing cardio classes on the same days i was lifting - i don’t think i was giving myself adequate rest.  in addition i had some bodyweight routine goals that totally conflicted with what my end goals were and that never really took off.

looking forward to this challenge. very busy so it will be good to have this to keep track.  here is one thing that i’ve seen since participating in the challenges though - during the challenge i would go out of my way if traveling to get in a CT or RT in order to add to my stats.  that habit has carried over into my time out of challenges.  i was doing some traveling recently and missed my RT for the day - on the way back (eight hours on the road) i stopped in a town on the interstate and went to their YMCA using the AWAY program - allows you to use other YMCAs if your a YMCA member - and got in my RT.  i NEVER would have done something like that pre 52dc - would have made excuses - let me tell you  - i felt GREAT after that RT.  and that’s just one example of many how the 52dc has helped me focus on my health and meet my goals.

CE: 13/14/101
RT: 4/32
CT: 2/30
PG: 0/21 bodyweight routines, BW500 < 30 min
PG: 1/18 cardio classes

Finally made it to a cardio class after a crazy week. Attending with a former co-worker. It was nice catching up with her and we’re both on for making it part of our routine again after a two week hiatus. Will need to pick up a few cardio classes in addition to meet my goal, but certainly doable. Just nice to get the ball rolling!  The bodyweight routines will have to be incorporated here soon enough as well.

First and foremost, thank you to our three brilliant hosts this go around! superpup, baseball mom and Pittspilot: you guys work great as a team and I’m really looking forward to this challenge you’re hosting. Thanks!

Greetings, fellow challengers! For those returning, I have to believe you’re as stoked as I am. For those here for the first time, lace up those boots and get ready to challenge yourself - the reward at the end of this journey is so well worth it!

If you couldn’t tell, I love the 52DC. This will be my fourth! I love the discipline that it helps foster, I love the camaraderie that we have on these forums, and I love the way I feel meeting goals. This might seem a bit weird, but it’s like you’re talking to your future self right now saying, “hey, buddy, this is for you!” Eating clean is not always easy, making time for a lifting or cardio session might mean taking time from other leisure activities - and it’s tough with today’s busy schedules - but it is possible. Plan for it and execute. Your future self will say thank you! I know that I’m very grateful to the guy that decided last fall to sign up for the Classic 52DC - I’m a more healthy person as a result. We’re paying ourselves first and paying it forward people - it is so worth it!

Also, if this is you’re first challenge, you may notice I get a little long in the tooth… feel free to skim!

What isn’t working?
Well, w/in the 52DC things seem to work pretty well. Outside of these challenges… let’s not go there. I have given myself some more structure on my cardio goals this go around. It’s so much easier to get CTs in when it’s nice outside - but I want them to be a bit more quantifiable, so I made a PG that over half of my goal CTs will be cardio group fitness classes.

What is something new I’m going to try?

Although not listed as a PG, I am going to try and eliminate corn syrup and artificial sweeteners this go around - if I have them, they’re cheats (and I only have three to work with here). I don’t think it will be terrible, but it does mean more planning. Sometimes I like to have a protein bar at the gym if I’m running late and skip breakfast - looks like I’ll have to plan better and not skip breakfast!

Thanks again everyone for being a part of this challenge. You may get sidetracked, sidelined, life may throw curves your way, or you may be fortunate and have a flawless challenge… regardless, do what you can to stay active in your life and on this board. It’s always great to hear from participants - cheering on the successes and motivating through the hurdles and obstacles. Let’s finish this together. TO THE FINISH!

CE: 54/58/95
RT: 18/25
CT: 20/23
PG1: 13/25 body weight 100+ mornings
PG2: 9/10 consecutive unassisted pullups (almost there!)
PG3: 29/29/45 Post to dailyplate

Have been busy working out, logging food, cycling, etc.   Haven’t been posting here as much… but I’m still just as long winded on the MH forums!  I’ll swing back for a bit more verbose update - what’s been working, what’s not so much.

feeling great!  a little sore today, but that’s because i did cardio, resistence, and a personal goal of kicking off the day w/ 200 reps of body weight exercises.  living closer to work and the gym is fantastic.

here’s where i stand:

CE: 26/28/95
RT: 10/25
CT: 8/23
PG1: 7/25 body weight 100+ mornings
PG2: 6/10 consecutive unassisted pullups (half way there!)
PG3: 14/14/45 Post to dailyplate

going to plan a weekend cheat - it’s going to be great!

Just got back from “Boot Camp” at the YMCA.  Chalk up the best cardio session outside of basketball that I’ve logged in a challenge.  It was pretty decent - not quite as difficult as I thought it would be, granted it was PLENTY challenging!  Thought there would be more endurance, obstacle, strength challenges.  It was, for the most part, an aerobics class with a weighted bar.  I got up a good sweat and there were things I had to duck out early on the reps.  My ankle is still bothering me a bit, but it’s getting better every day.  I’ll have to try the “Body Pump” class to see what all the fuss is about…  I hear good things.  Started off the day at the YMCA with six consecutive overhand pullups - they weren’t the prettiest, but it’s getting easier each time - only need to add four more to meet my goal of 10 consecutive overhand pullups.  The bodyweight mornings goal is a bit goofy.  I hadn’t planned on counting them as cardio… but it might come to that.  We’ll see.  I need to plan a bit better around them since I don’t want to do them on Thursday or Friday because I lift at 10am, so doing them at 7:30 has me a bit worn out for my lift where I want to be 100% - I might modify that goal to say 25 body weight routines period.  I don’t see the difference lifting at 10am and then doing a body routine later in the day… it was a goal I set so that I would get up and exercise - but if I’m exercising at 10am - guess what… goal accomplished!  I’ll try to stick to my original intent though.

i’m already up on my goals - did a body weight routine this morning and feel great!  ankle is still only at about 65-70% (no heavy lifting, no running / jumping) and still somewhat swollen (this is after three weeks!) - granted the swelling has gone down considerably.  so it was a bit modified, instead of jumps i did step ups.

here are my goals for this challenge:

CE: 95/104
RT: 25
CT: 23
PG: Body weight 100+ mornings - 25 (starting the day off right)
PG: 10 unassisted pullups (currently at three)
PG: Post to fitday/sparkpeople/dailyplate 45/52

The last challenge threw me for a loop. I’d like to blame winter storms and life (not that they helped) but it was really my utter disdain for cardio that had me walking away with a silver instead of a gold or platinum. Sure was a lot of clean eating for a silver! Grr. At any rate, I’m back, focused, and have a great new lifting buddy who challenges me to push and pull more weight than I’ve done before - the results are starting to show! Want to allow my new proximity to the gym and work play into my goals. Did some body weight stuff to kick off the mornings a few weeks ago and sure did enjoy it so I’ve set a goal to get into the YMCA and do a minimum of a body weight 100 (squats, pushups, jumps, lunges, pullup/chinups, etc.) 25 times during the challenge.

Coming off a massively sprained ankle - not doing any leg workouts as a result and will be treating it gingerly throughout most of this challenge. Can’t risk a reinjury - in fact, I might be done with basketball - can’t stand being sidelined like this and invariably I seem to end up rolling an ankle once a season. But that’s a dilemma for next season.

Focus now on weight training, cardio, and enjoying some fresh air once spring rears its head around these frozen parts. Cycling and walking to work will be nice! Want to keep on track of my diet - it’s generally clean all the time and I hit my 97 goal last challenge, but I’m going to scale it back a touch (still in the platinum contender range) and focus my energy on logging meals and throw myself a reward cheat (can you say buffet?!) for the effort.

Look forward to this latest challenge! TO THE FINISH!

CE: 97/97/102
RT: 23/23
CT: 13/23
PG: 11/50 miles run

I missed my CT and PG.  Never really had the lazer focus that I had during the Classic.  Hoped it would return once I got into the challenge, but I always felt a bit behind.  I didn’t prepare enough for the winter challenge.  The next challenge starts March 19th.  I will be lazer focused for that challenge.  I will have to be - I’m only counting CEs if they are logged on fitday and I’m going to have my workout plan set well ahead of time.  I was nearing the finish of a full body six week program as this challenge started and I never changed it up until the very end.  I started lifting with a friend and moving a lot more weight - felt great.  I rolled my ankle a couple days ago - swelled up huge - and it has kept me out of the gym for the last few days.  I have been taking it easy, rest, ice, compression, elevation and it’s helping.  At any rate, I have so much more control of my environment now that I live only a few blocks from work and the gym.  No more driving 90 miles a day.  I just need to make a routine / schedule and stick to it.  A week ago I did a body weight routine every morning before work.  I would like to make that stick in addition to a weight lifting program.  Once the weather improves, I’ll be biking to work and the gym.

Need to focus on the right now, however.  Those sound like good goals, but right now I need to get my ankle better and start lifting again.  No reason I can’t do abs even today - okay - deal.  I’ll hobble over there right now.

Well, the house sold on Friday! I’m in my new apartment. Instead of commuting 45 miles each way, I commute 4.5 blocks! The gym is equidistant in the other direction - already made it over there for a soak in the hot tub (it’s been an incredibly looooong weekend). Traveled to Minneapolis for the weekend, but made it to the gym down there and lifted yesterday. Now I’m going to turn in early tonight, then get up tomorrow for a run at the gym. This is going to blow my mind - I will be in and out of the gym in the time it used to take to drive to work. No excuses now! It’s like I’ve given myself a raise (no more $$ wasted on driving) and added two hours to the day!

Can you tell I’m stoked?! Now it’s official - I am fargofargo - living in and loving Fargo, ND. Can’t believe I’m saying it - but it’s true!

It’s going to be a challenge to get everything in, but I think I can do it. Weather won’t keep me away any more this challenge.

This was my makeshift RT yesterday. I did it again today and plan on kicking my mornings off with it. Very quick and gets the blood flowing.

Bodyweight 100