Day 40

Challenges:
Upper body light (day 20)
No Salt (day 14)
Splits (day 9)
1min Plank (day 9)
And introducing the new Challenge for the coming 30 days... (drum roll, please)... Ninja (And the crowd goes wild!!) I like that this one, unlike the others I'm currently doing, has something different every day. Looks like total fun!!

Programmes:
day 22 Foundation Light Sometimes this seems so light I have to hold my hand on the muscles that are supposed to be working, and I'm pleased to note that they are working, but so gently. This is a lovely programme, either to start with if very unfit (I mentioned earlier that I had started it with the hope that someone else would join me but that didn't happen) or just to have a working break from other programmes. I do it hard enough sometimes really to feel it - generally on the Fast pace cardio days, I really get the heart pumping there - so even though this one isn't really challenging me, I am enjoying it. And I guess, that's one of the primary things. I'm not such a masochist that I don't keep doing something I don't like. Even burpees end eventually!!
day 21 Totals This programme, on the other hand... My hip does not always like squats but I took them easy. I did 20 side kicks too many because I got carried away. Recently I may have suggested that the side leg raises in the 1min Plank challenge were really boring, and Damer gently
informed me as to exactly the purpose of all reps (and advise distraction methods!) - please read his response if you haven't - leg raises counting - because it really explains why seemingly mind-numbingly boring repetitions of certain exercises are doing wonderful things to/for us! Even though I've only been doing that programme for 9 days now, I have noticed that my side kicks were faster. Perhaps that's why I got so carried away today!! Oh, and just thinking about that, at training tonight, when I was helping someone with her turning kicks, my own were more balanced as well. May I, my dear patient readers, in all seriousness, recommend to you Splits challenge! Just make sure you have some heavy-duty distraction material!!

DD with EC (#39) Total DD = 40.

Training tonight was pretty good. I took things a bit easy with the running - inability to breathe well sometimes makes that advisable! - but still did it. Back to Friday night training from tomorrow, but only Poomsae which I really want to focus on.

I loved that challenge

Variety in a challenge is great. Flexibility ends with 200 lunges and a 4min split hold. Fine with the split hold but the lunges make you feel like a human metronome
Will put Ninja on the list.

I saw Ninja the other day and I've added it to the list of challenges to try, I'll probably combine it with Combat HIIT when I get around to it

Day 41

Challenges:
Upper body light (day 21)
No Salt (day 15)
Splits (day 10)
1min Plank (day 10)
Ninja (day 2) I was Flexible today with side lunges.

Programmes:
day 23 Foundation Light
day 22 Totals Ergh, burpees! 80 of them! Actually, must confess that they weren't so bad as all that! Now that I don't jump quite so far in towards my feet, I find it's much easier to jump back out. Still, 80 took a bit of time!

DD with EC (#40) Total DD = 41.

At Poomsae training tonight, I impressed both myself and my training partner when we did partner stretches. All the DAREBEE exercises I have been doing appear to have been having a very positive effect on my body - or is it just my imagination?! (Perhaps it was today's side lunges!) When my leg was lifted up in a front kick stretch, Ben had to hold my foot above his head, and when he let go and I had to hold it up, I had quite a bit of strength to do that, though, of course, not so high! The side kick stretch was harder to hold but again I got very high, and I held well.
Completely bombed with the pattern I thought I had learnt last weekend! First time I had actually done it with others, so it was impossible for me to stop and ask myself what came next! It's all just a matter of practice.

And on the 10000 steps challenge, I reached the Seoul Olympic Stadium a few days ago and there's still a week to go of the month. Be interesting to see how many steps I have actually done this month.

Day 42

This was a busy day. Started the morning going to see a bellydancing performance, brief stop at home, then off to a Family Fun Day with the Brigades. The children had a great time, it was so well organised, and the parents had to take one side of the Tug-o'-War rope. It was a bit rigged so the children did get to win once, but a good time was had by all. As a result, though, I didn't have much time to do my workouts but that's not so important, and I still got a lot done.

Challenges:
Upper body light (day 22)
No Salt (day 16)
Splits - no time for this today.
1min Plank (day 11)
Ninja (day 3) I was Strong today with push-ups.

Programmes:
day 24 Foundation Light
day 23 Totals

DD with EC (#41) Total DD = 42.

Today's Totals gave me 70 push-ups to add to my Pushers quota.

My new shiny. Complete with pull-up assistors. (Note commanding view of compost bays!)


Setting the thing up was a workout in itself! And I stil have Upper Body (light) to do today!!

Here's one for next to the compost bin, got pretty colours and all:

Nice and solid tool are you ready for the pain from pull-ups?


It took me an embarrassingly long time to assemble mine, with the help of my partner, but the result was more than satisfactory

Fremen You mean the pain in my hands?! I've already got callouses!!

I was foresighted and bought gloves first

Day 43

Another busy day. Took hours to construct the pull-up squat rack, and such work with the bolts - I reminded myself a little fearfully that I still had Upperbody Light to do!!

Challenges:
Upper body light (day 23)
No Salt (day 17)
Splits (day 11)
1min Plank (day 12)
Ninja (day 3) Today I was Stealthy - and just had a relaxing (wall)sit.

Programmes:
day 25 Foundation Light
day 24 Totals - but I think if I let Io6 do my final burpees, it might not be considered that I had actually finished the programme. Rats...

DD with EC (#42) Total DD = 43.

Played with my new shiny. When I do a chin-up, my feet are quite flat on the ground, even though I don't push up from them. I wonder if that is "cheating"? Should I perhaps lift the thing on some bricks so my feet don't touch the ground? I reckon I drop about 10cm from standing straight to hanging from my hands. So, the question is: should I be quite off the ground when doing a chin-up or pull-up, and if so, does it matter if to do this I must raise my legs to cross them (as recommended in the Pull-ups Guide) - and does it matter if, at the same time, the tips of my toes touch the ground but bear no weight? I know the diagrams show the knees significantly bent Or am I overthinking this? I did a couple of pull-up shrugs, too, just for fun. And I wonder if there is an exercise (there wasn't one shown on the Pull-ups Guide) where you do a pull-up (or chin-up) with the legs straight out in front to begin with. The Guide only has one where, once you're up, you raise your legs. Anyway, it's probably something that makes it easier because that was the way I could do a chin-up! But the worst thing was - doing these things really hurt my hands! My goodness! These soft, namby-pamby lily-whites! Sparring gloves were no help because of the padding across the upper hand. Still, this was just the first day with my new toy. And by moving the barbell holders, I could also use this for chair rows, just to get ready for the real thing. Perhaps I should try the Chair Rows Challenge and/or Dead Hang Challenge - once I've got me some gloves!!

Enjoy your new toy! (I would go with just bending your knees to get your feet off the ground--much safer than elevating the rack.)

I can't see the bar so well, but if it is not wrapped then you could try wrapping it with some tape in order to make it easier to hold.

As for the knees, for me it felt unnatural at first, but now I just instinctively bend them just enough to keep them off the ground. It is not really cheating if you put them down on the ground, it is not really cheating if you use them to jump up either. I built my bar about a month ago, and despite having done lat pulldowns solidly for a year, pullups were too much for me. I started at one with bad form, now I can do 3-4 with bad form, and I can usually make it to seven total with bad form (could be described as Crossfit form). Point is just do what makes you progress, don't worry about technicalities.