In September, I had 2 exercise-related goals to accomplish; these are the results. Goal 1: Increase Middle-Splits Range To 160 degrees Following my failed 30-day attempt to accomplish a full middle splits and the lessons learned from that experience, I decided to gradually increase my middle-splits range to 160 degrees
Middle Splits Challenge I'm back to the challenge after missing a whole week due to feverish conditions. Although I didn't complete any horse stance drills while out, I was still stretching my hamstrings. Once I got a break at work, I decided to start the training.
"Your success is measured by your willingness to keep trying." - Anonymous This Week's Weight Goal Planned weight goal for this week was 196.56 lbs. Last Week's Weight Last week's official weight was 194.20 lbs By Monday morning, it was
Middle Splits Challenge Got a break during work and decided to utilize the period for some splits training. The Training As usual, started with the warmup drills: * Favorite drills (video below) * Straddle leg lifts * Lying down butterfly pose * Standing hamstring stretch * Lifting inner thigh stretch (same as in the below
Middle Splits Challenge I didn't get to start the training session until after I had started the work day. I had a little break at work while waiting for a task resolution and decided to use the period to complete the task. The Training I started with my
" He who stops being better, stops being good. " - Oliver Cromwell Another week, another time to weigh in. This Week's Weight Goal Weight goal for this week was 198.90 lbs. Last Week's Weight After the setback from two weeks ago and the miraculous
Middle Splits Challenge Similar to Session 1, I was excited to start session 2. I went to the gym this morning and was unable to quickly complete this session in the morning. So, once I found a break during work, I quickly took it to complete the session. The Training
Middle Splits Challenge First session for this goal! I was actually pumped to start the program; there are 13 sessions in the program and I was ready to get started. After exercising, I decided to jump into the training session. The Training I started with my favorite warm-up drills (mainly
" Test is built into a Testimony " - Anonymous It's that time again! Let's get the ball rolling! This Week's Weight Goal Weight goal for this week was 201.24 lbs. Last Week's Weight Last week's weight was 204.
" Goal setters are Gold getters! " - Anonymous Goal 1 - Middle Splits After completing the 30 day middle splits challenge in which I fell short of my goal of a full-split, I decided to take a 3-week break to analyze how to re-tackle the goal. During this period,
" You will become.........what you invest your time on " - Anonymous As detailed in Part 1, the attack strategy for this weight-loss plan is in two-folds: Curtail Calorie Consumption First plan of attack is to reduce calorie consumption. As the quote goes, " Much easier to put down
" A long-term plan with no contingency for setback.....is doomed to fail! " - Anonymous Welcome to my weekly weigh-in, a time devoted to tracking my weight-loss progress. I started the week on a very high note and ended with a big, banging crash! I wanted to start the
" One is never a failure....until he accepts defeat as permanent and quits trying. " - Anonymous Time to weigh myself, again! A weekly activity to track my weight-loss progress. This week, I actually included 2 day-long fast in my routine. It's becoming easier to skip snacks
" Sadly, all good things must come to an end.. " Today was the 30th day of this challenge, the final session for this challenge. On one hand, I'm glad the challenge ended without me quitting. Honestly, there were days I didn't feel like doing the
" One.....more......day! " Today was a low-energy morning, caused by a combination of a few things: * I inadvertently broke my whole-day fast last night, which made me feel emotionally weak. * A faint feeling of failure for not reaching the goal within 30 days (yeah, I know I gave
2 days left until this challenge is over; I'm already having mixed feelings on this. Anyways, I was able to attend the gym today where I spent significant time working on my shoulders, hamstrings, and glutes. This helped with my warm-up drills, which I started as soon as
" The process is loooooooooong; quitting won't speed it up! " This was a beautiful quote I saw over the weekend and one I need to keep handy as I work through all these goals. It's quite easy (especially for me) to quit a program once
" It's a loooooooong process; quitting won't speed it up! " - Anonymous It's weigh-in time, again! This is a weekly activity to track my progress as part of my weight loss program. I had two day-long fasts this week to assist in burning
Today was Saturday and as usual, it was a lounging day.........except that it wasn't. Because my wife was available today to watch the kids, I was able to wake up early for a walk & bike around the lake. When I got back (after about 8-mile walking
Visited the gym today after waking up and spent some time stretching my shoulders. Came back home to continue whole body stretch, after which I was ready for my splits session. The Training Warmed up with my usual drills for about 15 mins and got ready for the session. The
"The body is an amazing organism" I woke up and began whole-body stretch drills, paying special attention to the shoulders & lower back because a lot of bodyweight exercises/movements need strong & flexible shoulders and lower back. From there, I sequed into the middle splits warm-up drills.
With the same mindset like yesterday's, I was prepped to keep the challenge going. I was able to attend the gym today and spent some quality time stretching my whole body. When I got back home, I started the warm-up drills for the splits. The Training I started
"Sometimes, more is less.....and less is much better" This is a lesson I just learned through this challenge. It seemed my progress stalled because I overworked my muscles and didn't give them enough rest. My research on splits (middle, front, etc.) indicated that the stretching
I woke up and went to the gym for my regular exercises. Came home and started core & regular stretches. From there, I warmed up for the splits training. The Training It seems the reduction in the overall stretch exercises I've been observing over the last few days
Happy new week, everyone! Yesterday, I didn't get to complete my splits training session until afternoon, after church service. I also reduced the amount of informal session stretches over the weekend; basically, I just did a few warm-ups & hamstring stretches, nothing to strain the muscles. The Training
" Step on the scale, fatboy; show me what you've got! " It's weigh-in time! This is a weekly activity to track my progress as part of my weight loss program. This Week's Weight Goal My weight goal for this week is 210.60
Saturdays always start with me as a couch potato; so, I napped, had back & feet massages, and simply lounged all morning. Eventually, I got up and began to warm up for my splits training. The Training Once I started the warm-up, I knew that today's session wasn&
Woke up and went to the gym. After gym, came back home to start my middle splits training. The Training As usual, I started with the usual warm-ups: Then, I followed up with some straddle lifts and some leg swinging. About 15 mins later, I was ready for the middle
13 more days to go! Completed a whole body stretch today after waking up; felt good as I got ready for the splits session. The Training While warming up for the splits session, I noticed that my lower body was sore. It felt like the the butts, thighs, and upper
I woke up and attended the gym today. I'm not sure if it helped my session today, but my warm-ups felt extra limber. The Training I warmed up with my favorite exercises as usual. I also completed some butterfly poses lying down. Finally, I completed some hamstring stretches
Halfway through the challenge already! This has truly been a wild ride, both physiologically and psychologically. That I haven't quit yet is a good sign of good things to come; I don't think my goals usually last more than 2 weeks before they become abandoned. So,
I'm almost half-way through the challenge and I'm not gonna lie: I'm beginning to panic! I'm not sure if I'll be able to complete this goal within the remaining timeframe. But I'm an AmeriCAN; I'm going
" It doesn't matter how slowly you go.......as long as you don't stop " - Anonymous I weighed myself today as part of my weight loss program and it was quite interesting. This Week's Weight Goal My weight goal for this week is
I'm getting a little depressed that I might not be able to make this goal within the allotted timeframe. It's 17 more days and I haven't seen any noticeable progress, even though I'm feeling the limberness on my thighs. The Training Completed
Woke up a little sore and extra tired. So, I spent the morning lounging and getting back/feet massages. Started watching some videos and eventually, began to stretch; I've got a middle splits training session to complete. The Training Completed my lazy warm-ups; then, I completed a couple
Well, I had 2 sets of stretching late last night. This morning, I was expecting to be extra sore, but I wasn't. Since I woke up late, I didn't have a session immediately. But after starting work, I saw a 20-min opportunity to practise my splits;
Woke up late, but didn't even care. Formal gym time is dead this week :P. Got the kiddos ready for school and I got ready for work. The Training After starting workday, I began warming up with my now-favorite exercises: I love these warmups so much because it
" Practice! Persevere!! Progress!!! " This is what I kept repeating to myself throughout the day as doubts creep in on my ability to accomplish this goal. My progress seems to have stalled, even with multiple warmups & informal sessions throughout the day. I woke up and warmed up for
I'm beginning to feel the effects of all the exercises & the limited food intake on my body. I woke up late this morning, meaning my body was quite tired from yesterday (especially since I also practised some splits training around midnight last night). Anyways, I couldn'
I'm beginning to feel the achiness of this challenge. First, I woke up late and couldn't visit the gym for my exercise routine. The Training So, I warmed up with 3 sets of butterfly pose; I also completed some warm ups from this video: Then, I
I'm all excited to succeed on this challenge. Sunday, Day 6, started quite slow as my thighs are beginning to ache from all the stretching they've been exposed to over the last few days. Nonetheless, I knew I had a challenge I needed to train for;
Day 5 was a Saturday, which is dedicated towards resting, stretching, and informal activities. So, I became a couch potato and laid on the couch for about 2 - 3 hrs. Eventually, I began watching splits videos on Youtube and found this gem: Eventually, I began to perform some minor
" Dieting is the only game where you win when you lose! " - Anonymous Yesterday, I weighed myself today as part of my weight loss program. This Week's Weight Goal My weight goal for this week is 215.28 lbs Last Week's Official Weight From
Gym Day I woke up and went to the gym. I completed my routine (skipped pull-ups due to the soreness of my palms) I didn't feel like doing the stretches and core exercises at the gym; so, I came home. The Training I warmed up with some minor
I don't have gym training today; however, I was expected to wake up early for some stretching. I woke up about an hour later. Boy! Anyways, I'm beginning to fall into a routine on this challenge, which is quite helpful. I did some horse stance stretching
I was about to start this training during my gym time and I realized that there wasn't enough support for me there. So, I completed my gym time & came home. I used the kids' gymnastics tumbling mat for support as its soft material and incline shape
I was as enthusiastic as anyone who's just starting a new challenge. I completed the first 10-min session and I really could feel my thighs opening up. For propping myself up, I used 2 yoga blocks, stacked on each other. From the phone video propped on a wall
Intro It's been a productive week, weight-loss wise; I can't really complain. I just bought an inexpensive weight scale that calculates more than just my body weight; it also * allows me to set a user profile (up to 10 people) * displays body fat percentages, BMI, as
As an incentive for losing weight and being more active, I decided to have one specific exercise goal to work towards. I do have many exercises I practise daily, but it makes sense to have a specific one that I can focus on completing; once that exercise goal is accomplished,
" It never gets easier; YOU only get better! " - Anonymous Last Saturday, I weighed myself as part of my weekly check-in activity to determine my weight-loss progress. This occurred after I had already completed * a half-mile bike ride to my favorite walking trail, a beautiful lake close to
"You didn't gain all the weight in one day You won't lose it in one day Be patient with yourself" - Jenna Wolfe According to my weight loss plan, I officially weigh myself every week to determine my progress. My weigh-ins are done on
" Failure to plan.........is planning to fail " - Benjamin Franklin With this quote in mind, it would behoove me to have a weight-loss plan so these goals are SMART. Well, as everyone knows, losing weight naturally really boils down into a simple calculation: Calories Consumed - Calories Burned
Introduction "Perfection is not attainable, but when we chase it.......we can catch excellence" - Vince Lombardi Here I am, documenting my journey as I transition from an obese, old man into a physically fit, young man. The last time I was this dedicated into losing weight was
