It is easy to write about new-found optimism and motivation, but it is an entirely different thing to actually put it into practice. I realize that I set a lofty goal for myself yesterday, stating that I am gunning for a marathon. When setting such an ambitious goal, I think it is going to be important to break it down into digestible chunks that I can in fact keep track of in my fancy spreadsheets.
I came up with a brief outline of a strategy for the next six to eight months.
- September - October : General strength and conditioning
- November - February: Continued Strength while building back a 15k running base
- February - May : Full marathon training
Because of this focus, I thought it would be fun to create a new 2FNS Challenge. We haven't done one in quite a while, and I thought it would be a great back-to-school hook that might help people break free from their summer doldrums. My personal goal is to be able to do at least one un-assisted pull-up by the end of October. I have never been able to do one . . . and I want to change that!
September-October Calisthenics Challenge
The Goal:
Each member will work to improve their strength over a baseline reading submitted on September 11th. We are looking to see increased ability in push-ups, planks, squats, and for the adventurers among us, pull-ups.
How It will work:
During tomorrows weigh-in, people will be asked to leave a comment with their base-line statistics. We want to measure the following:
- Total number of push-ups during one set. (You can do lady-style push ups too!)
- Total duration of one plank.
- Total number of squats during one set.
- Total number of pull-ups during one set. (this is more of a personal goal of mine . . . so not everyone has to submit this)
Each week on Wednesdays I'll ask people to post their current benchmarks, so we can see progress over time. Missing a week is no big deal, but I would like if people made an effort to get their data in so we can see improvements as they happen!
Who Wins?
No one will really be declared a winner for this, as it is very much a personal challenge. I am looking to see people improve in general overall . . . any improvement is a victory in my mind.
How to take part?
Leave a comment and I'll make note that you are interested. Then, do the measurements tonight and submit tomorrow morning! Get involved!
When you say you want to know the pull-up baseline, is that unassisted only? What if I can do X amount with 70 pounds assisted, but I can’t do any unassisted and my goal is, if not to do unassisted, to at least get down to only 20 pounds assisted, or something like that?
Nope! Whatever your baseline is. If you need 70 pounds assisted, then you can mark that as your start. Any progress from where you are at counts!
I will get measurements in later tomorrow. I haven’t ever done a plank (my understanding is that it is a static push up that you hold steady – correct me if I’m wrong) and I don’t know where I stand right now on the other two, although I know I can do some.
Sounds good, any time this week is really fine too! Planks are pretty much like that, only bend your elbows and rest your forearms on the ground. It’s tough, but a great exercise!