Why goals and consistency are important-object lessons

I'm well ahead on my 1000 push-ups in October goal, and could skip a day or two and likely still make it a day early.  But so far I haven't missed a day, and most days done more than I needed to be on "glide slope" for 1000 push-ups.

Well, it's getting late, and like I said, I could skip a day....

NO, drop and do at least 10, I said to myself.  Then do another ten right before getting in bed-20 is barely enough but I won't miss the day.

When I started doing the 10 push-ups, I thought "I haven't done all of a day's in one set yet" and kept going.  I don't know how long it's been since I've done 30+ push-ups in a row (too long) but I got 33, which is the rough amount needed per day to make 1000 in a month.

Having a goal and valuing consistency to reach it in action!  Set goals, and ensure you take consistent repeatable steps to reach them.

1,000,000 push-up challenge-will it ever be done?

Over on the John Stone Fitness Forum, someone a long time ago started a 1,000,000 push-up challenge.  I signed up to help probably 18 months ago or more when I stumbled across the forum and was signing up for other challenges.  I just logged some more push-ups here to bring the total up to 166,390, after 6 years and 56 pages of posts!  And you can get credit on the Presidential Fitness Challenge for calisthenics too.

OK folks, we're going to need lots of help here.  If you regularly do push-ups, or even want to just drop and do a few, help out.  If you don't want to sign up on that forum, leave your totals in the comments of this blog, and I'll total them up and give credit on the John Stone forum.

Thanks!

Take a look around-a real look, but don't be judgmental

I've recently returned from my first work trip in about 6 weeks, so after the longest break from flying and traveling in a year I was on the road again.  Which meant the full effects of modern travel-airports, rental cars, hotels and eating out for almost every meal.

Well, the first night I stopped at a Red Robin.  They are what they are-burgers in a pseudo-diner/pseudo-sports bar atmosphere (especially on a Monday night).  Most of the menu consists of large burgers and sandwiches on bready buns and the signature Red Robin bottomless fries.  Throw in sodas, beer or shakes and we're talking lots of calories and only the condiments or occasional salad as the only non-starchy vegetable.  So I scan the room.  Yep, almost everyone is above-average in size and probably body fat.  Some are definitely obese, and even those with inflated BMI due to muscle mass are carrying too much bodyfat (your author included-working on the extra BF since retiring!)

So I start a small experiment-what is the rough overweight/obese percentage where I am traveling, and what menu choices are routinely available to eat healthily?

Day One:
Planes don't really fit us anymore although seats are wider and aisles are narrower to fit them now
Red Robin menu-tough but if it's your cheat meal....

Day Two:
Hotel breakfast-oatmeal available (with sugars and fruit) but the waffle iron.  Waffles.  Ahhhhh.  Real butter available (a plus) but also a rack full of pastries
Food Court lunch options:  Subway (manageable), Pizza Hut, sushi, and Wings Zone
Supper-Famous Dave's BBQ, more meat and starch, some veggies, cornbread

Day three-five
More of the same
Military folks bigger and slightly heavier than 20 years ago, civilians on base (mostly mid-40s and up) generally slightly overweight with a few in shape and a few obese.
Town generally overweight

I'm spoiled, as I live in San Diego County CA where it is nice enough to be active outside nearly every day.  I have also spent my adult life around a sub-set of the military that values fitness greatly and has nearly world class athletes as members.  Remember the blind Paralympian swimmer that demolished world records in 2012?  One of my peer group, so I had to work out hard just to fit in.  But this trip reminded me of how much fatter we are than previous generations.

Our bodies are "fearfully and wonderfully made" and bodyfat serves multiple purposes.  Its a buffer from famine, allows women to carry and nurse babies healthily, and regulates our hormones when not too high or not too low.  However the required bodyfat and the amount most of us carry around are way different-and getting worse.  And the main cause is all of us (myself included) rarely eat enough foods close to the way God made them, and don't reward restaurants or stores that offer them to us that way.

Rant over-

Supplemented with WHAT?!?!?!?! Link to news article and personal experience

Today's USA Today had a front page article that cited research in both the US and South Korea that determined "Craze", a workout supplement has meth-like compounds in it.  The article went on further to stated that another supplement from a different company had similiar chemical compounds and those were identical to powder seized in a drug bust earlier this year.  In the drug bust, the chemicals were potent enough to be classified as synthetic "designer" drugs and again compared to meth!

Remember when I wrote on eating foods as close to how God made them as possible?  Supplements are not regulated or controlled-whether in their development, their manufacturing or in their advertising.  I learned this lesson the hard way-I took a pre-workout supplement for about 3 months during my tour in Iraq.  I felt great on it-could increase my poundages each work-out, mix and match strength workouts with Crossfit and sports, and was putting on muscle mass in my early 40s like I hadn't in years.  Well, my bubble was burst while on leave in San Diego and getting a blood draw for some other medicines.  My liver function numbers were super-elevated and there was no other likely cause.  Whatever was in this product was killing my liver.  While the enzyme numbers came down, it took almost twice as long as I had been on the supplement for them to return to my normal numbers (Below average BTW, so we knew something was way wrong when they spiked).

So what's the point?  Be very cautious if taking supplements at all, and don't believe any advertisement-most bodybuilding and many fitness magazines are owned by supplement companies!  Eat whole foods primarily and in variety, lift hard, laugh often, and love.

Oh yeah, and get "under the bar" instead of hanging out in bars!  Squats, military presses and barbell rows tomorrow-can't wait.

Hmm, this goal or challenge might not ever be attained!

One of the forums I read is the John Stone Fitness Forum.  It is primarily a weightlifting and bodybuilding forum with many sections.  I'm not sure how I found it when I was researching weightlifting and powerlifting sites and forums.  It is pretty good but isn't as active as it seems to have once been.

One section that caught my eye was the "challenges" section.  Remember, a goal you keep to yourself is too easily watered down, so I went looking for challenges I could participate in.  Sure there are some lift challenges that I'll never reach but there are also some that are easily obtainable in a few months with consistency and steady increases in poundages.  But there is one that I'm not sure any of us will complete:

THE ONE MILLION PUSH-UP CHALLENGE!

Well, it's meant to be cumulative from every poster, not one person doing a million push-ups!  But even then, the thread goes 56 pages right now, and I just added to the total to get it up to 165,900 total.  Talk about a long way to go and a "scary big goal"! 

Want to help?  The thread is at http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=37567 and you have to sign up to post.

Update on goals and experimenting with embedding videos clips

Pretty good progress so far in October.  Slightly above average push-ups a day to reach 1000 this month, lifting and getting points for Presidential Champions Challenge.  Diet is improving, but had a big time cheat day today.  How are you doing on your goals?

I'm going to try embedding the first in a video series on deadlifting, as I found it informative and helpful as I begin lifting again and hope to get a 405 pound deadlift before next summer.  There may be a little coarse language in here, so if that offends you, I'd recommend not clicking it.  It's 13 minutes long and is part one of four.

Working on the goals!

So far it's been pretty good on working towards the October goals.  Just finished my last set of 15 push-ups and some stretching, so 45 push-ups for today and 4 items logged on the Presidents Champion Challenge.  Humbling thinking 45 push-ups was a "good day" as sets of 40 were the norm at Dive School!  But rebuilding is rebuilding just the same, and I know how I recover now and am in this for the long haul.

I also tried a new Indian restaurant in Poway today, and it is good!  Chicken Ticka Massala and Daal and a whole bunch of rice.  I still like Delhi Kitchen due to the variety in a buffet, but this new place (Kasi I think) is a welcome addition.  Good, pretty clean meals today-kind of two snacks instead of supper could have been better but overall pretty good.

I hope you have a great weekend with active activities and rest too!

Putting some goals out there for accountability and comment

Good evening everyone!

So far, so good on getting back in the gym, being active and pursuing the Presidential Champions Challenge awards as a way to stay motivated.  My workouts in September mainly focused on flexibility, consistency and getting started on Stronglifts 5x5 again.  Pretty humbling to be moving an empty bar, but that is no one's fault but my own-was up to squatting my bodyweight for 5x5 before slacking off, so plan on getting there again!  Another problem is I am within 3 pounds of my heaviest weight ever, and while more muscular than that foray to nearly 200 pounds, still getting a little pudgy.  Stop it now or cross 200 at Christmas time for sure.

Here's the goals for October, so if you want to comment on them, feel free!  Calling me out, talking trash, adding your goals so we can motivate one another-all acceptable!

Positive goals: (and rationale)

1) Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables (FFV).  I like them, and a small amount of effort would make a big difference. Measurable part:  Minimum 3 servings a day most days.  Made it today as I had a vegetarian supper.

2) Lift no less than 2x a week and add 2x high intensity aerobics, primarily biking.  Recovery isn't what it used to be so going beyond 4x a week probably won't work for the first full month back.

3) Get 6 hours of sleep a night, consistently.  While some 4-5 hour nights are inevitable due to work, those should be the exception.  Try to get 7-8 hours if possible.

4) Do 1000 push-ups either as part of warm-up or just during the day.  40 so far.

5) Log at least 7500 points on the Presidential Champions Challenge.  That will require consistent workouts and high levels of activity-no long weekends of veggi-ing out possible, but 4-6 hours of moderate yard and house work really add up on top of workouts!

Negative goals: (stop doing type goals)

1) Stop nightly high carbohydrate snack.  If hungry after 9pm add healthy fats and FFV and more water, and go to bed!  I am a textbook eat carbs when tired snacker!

2) Cut down the French fries to 3 servings or less a week and smaller sizes when eaten.  One of my favorite foods but almost completely gave them up once before-was partially the reason I dropped nearly 40 pounds while remaining healthy.

So there they are-5 positive goals and 2 negative/do not type goals.  And posted on the internet for all to see and exist forever courtesy of Google and the NSA!