Open Challenge 2009: Beyond the Resolutions

[CloveApple]

Open Challenge 2009

Who can enter:

• Everybody. Men, women, hamsters, everybody. If you can post you can enter.

The goals:

• At least 3 goals
• A maximum of 6 goals
• At least one of the goals should be related to fitness (stuff like training, sports, fat loss, other recomp, nutrition, rehab, etc) but you are welcome to have goals that focus on other things too.
• The goals must be measurable. How you choose to measure them is up to you. (Choose the measurement that works for YOU and fits your goal whether it's passing a martial arts test, scale weights, measuring tape numbers, pictures, a compliance sheet, lbs lifted, miles biked, number of push ups, WII fitness score... whatever.)
• Let us know both your starting point and what you are shooting for.

The timeline:

• Start date February 1st.
• First post due February 10th. A first post with your goals, how you will measure them, and your current status on the goals is due by midnight February 10 but an earlier post is good too.
• Logs are encouraged but not required. You don't need a specific challenge log unless you want one.
• To stay in the challenge you must post each month by the 10th day at midnight. (You can post any time in those 10 days. For the time we'll be going by the time stamp on the post, which is the Central Time Zone in the US)
• final post due by midnight on August 10

If something goes wrong: If you know that you will be unable to post during the first 10 days in any given month because you will be somewhere with no internet access (unlikely but possible) post your update early. If your area gets hit by a catastrophe bad enough to require evacuation or cause similar levels of chaos, posting a link to a news story when you get back online along with your late update post will keep you in the running.

The outcome: The winner will be decided by poll. Judging should be based on both how far you progress towards your goals and the difficulty of the goals.

[Littlemermaidklb]

Thanks for starting this, I'm in, just have to get all my goals figured out.

[CloveApple]

Originally Posted by Littlemermaidklb

Thanks for starting this, I'm in, just have to get all my goals figured out.

I'm working on mine too. I've got too many goals right now and and I'm trying to narrow them down. Plus I'm trying to figure out what's hard enough but not insane.

And remember everyone, this is the place for any questions or comments or just plain talk about the challenge. If anyone's not sure about a goal or wants some ideas or feedback post away and someone else may have the idea you're looking for. We're gonna kick some major butt here!

[Celestialmom]

Originally Posted by Littlemermaidklb

Thanks for starting this, I'm in, just have to get all my goals figured out.

Me too!

[kingkop182]

I'm in and i'm gonna win

[Rangrs2000]

I'm in.... do I post my goals here? Or in a separate thread?

[CloveApple]

Originally Posted by Rangrs2000

I'm in.... do I post my goals here? Or in a separate thread?

Go ahead and post them here when you're ready.

[brenita50]

I'm in. I am new to this and lifting. I am hoping that doing this challenge will keep me focused on my goal.

My Goal:
Start and Complete the 6 month NROL4W program.

[Littlemermaidklb]

1- 5 consecutive unassisted chinups.
Currently can only do 1.... and sometimes I can't even do that!

2- Work on shoulder prehab/rehab and glute activation on my off days, as well as chin-ups, push-ups, and some type of metabolic circuit or aerobics (treadmill), and stretching. Shooting for 2-3 days a week, 90% compliance or better.
Currently doing this randomly, whenever I feel like it, so it's not very consistent.

3- Drop my bf% from around 24% to 20% while maintaining lean mass.
Scale weight hovers around 130 currently, and bf% (per health central) is 24% (One-site calipers are done sporadically when the bf visits)

4- Increase my DL from 95lbs (6-8 reps) to 120lbs or more. My ultimate goal is to get to 135lb for my DL, but I don't know if that's do-able in a couple months. It is my goal for the year though.
Currently at about 95lbs for 6-8 reps with good form.

5- Participate in something active outside the gym.
Currently not doing this, but am looking to get in to ballroom dancing lessons with my roommate. Now that her finances will allow it, we'll be looking to start the next set of classes that starts after we check the place out on one of their "free fridays".

6- Track food for at least the month of February, may continue in to March.
I only just recently started tracking again and I HATE it! But I know that it will help me reach my goals faster, especially the bf% goal. I need to find an equation to determine what calorie levels I should be aiming for, but once I do that I should be able to work at a slight deficit and still throw around some good weight at the gym. Looking for 75% compliance or better with this

[CloveApple]

Originally Posted by kingkop182

I'm in and i'm gonna win

Nah, that's me gonna win!

[CloveApple]

Originally Posted by brenita50

I'm in. I am new to this and lifting. I am hoping that doing this challenge will keep me focused on my goal.

My Goal:
Start and Complete the 6 month NROL4W program.

Great goal.

To get 3 goals are you going to break it into three parts? Maybe someone more familiar with NROL than me can give suggestions on ways it could break into subgoals?

Or are you considering any other goals?

[kingkop182]

Neil’s Goals

10 Chins Ups and 5 Pull-Ups with Correct form

Current level - 5 chins, 2.5 Pull Ups

Complete the 'I will List' 90% Compliance

My big problem in many aspects of my life is consistency, I have devised an ‘I will list’. These are things that if I complete each and every day things will run a lot smoother;

• I will get at least 7 hours sleep per night
• I will have my bag packed and ready to go the night before
• I will commit to working out at 6:30 AM when the gym is less busy
• I will limit myself to 1.5hrs forum/non productive surfing internet activity per day
• I will commit to 90% compliance to both nutrition and workout frequency
• I will have an absolute maximum of 5 alcoholic drinks per week. No more than 3 in any one day.
• I will do Mag Mob/Inside Out at least 5 times per week
• I will do 30 mins of math practice every day.

All items must be done/complete for the day to be considered a pass, 90% compliance in terms of days passed is the goal.

I will read at least 3 books per month

Since completing my Masters the amount of reading I do has fallen through the fall, the aim is simple – keep the brain active. Similarly with the math (point 8 of goal 2) I found myself dumbing down. I reach for a calculator far too often, and I copy many of my forum posts into word to allow the spell check to do the work for me. This is a good goal and it is both fun and productive (unlike some of the 'I will list' which is more task orientated)


Weigh 182lbs or less, with a wiast of 33” or less

This has been a goal for a while, I got fairly close before blowing up big style.

Current (as of 1^st feb) 212lbs, 37.75” waist.

[brenita50]

Originally Posted by CloveApple

Great goal.

To get 3 goals are you going to break it into three parts? Maybe someone more familiar with NROL than me can give suggestions on ways it could break into subgoals?

Or are you considering any other goals?

I will think about the goals. I am considering Body Fat % and amount of weight lifted/used. I am not sure what numbers are realistic.
For the Body Fat is there a reliable way for an individual to measure this? Do the Body Fat weight scales measure accurately?

[CloveApple]

Originally Posted by brenita50

I will think about the goals. I am considering Body Fat % and amount of weight lifted/used. I am not sure what numbers are realistic.
For the Body Fat is there a reliable way for an individual to measure this? Do the Body Fat weight scales measure accurately?

As far as body fat goes, I'm far from knowledgeable on the subject but my understanding is that none of the ways are totally reliable, but any of them can give you an idea of how you are trending. So people just pick a method and stick with it to see the trend of their progress. Also some of the methods seem to bounce up and down a lot so some people have described using monthly averages to smooth the up and down spikes out.

If I were setting a body fat goal I'd figure out what method was easiest for me to track consistently at home (or at your gym if you have one).

Some discussions about measuring body fat%:
a thread: "The best way to calculate body fat %"another thread: "Advice on choosing Body Fat Scales & appropriate BF levels"
yet another: "Body Fat Measurement Variences"realistic.
and another:
one more: Tracking body fat percentage

[AFI82]

Nice goals Kingkop. I'm impressed with how numerous and specific they are. I hope to see you meet all of them in the coming months.

[jbb]

As a newbie to strength training, it's hard to know what goals are realistic, but here goes:

Goal 1: Do 10 consecutive chin-ups
Current level: 3 chin-ups

Goal 2: Do 30 push-ups with good form
Current level: 10 push-ups

Goal 3: Run a 10K in under 45 minutes (7:15 average pace)
Current level: 50-55 minutes

Goal 4: weight 145 lbs.
Current level: 155 lbs.

Goal 5: reduce waist size to 32"
Current level: 34"

Pretty lofty goals for me.

[jbb]

Originally Posted by jbb

As a newbie to strength training, it's hard to know what goals are realistic, but here goes:

Goal 1: Do 10 consecutive chin-ups
Current level: 3 chin-ups

Goal 2: Do 30 push-ups with good form
Current level: 10 push-ups

Goal 3: Run a 10K in under 45 minutes (7:15 average pace)
Current level: 50-55 minutes

Goal 4: weight 145 lbs.
Current level: 155 lbs.

Goal 5: reduce waist size to 32"
Current level: 34"

Pretty lofty goals for me.

Is there a way to edit posts here? I wanted to add how I plan to reach these goals.

Exercise:
I've always done a lot of aerobic endurance exercise, and I plan to continue that, but at a lesser level, and concentrating more on speed than on distance. I will run a couple of times a week, swim once or twice a week, and maybe bike once a week or so.

I will start the NROL workouts, beginning with Break-in, then probably go to Strength I, Fat Loss I, and Strength II. My overall strength and especially core strength are pretty weak, and I think these workouts will improve my posture and reduce my chronic back pain, and hopefully increase lean muscle mass and reduce fat. I plan to lift 2 or 3 times a week.

I became a new dad a year ago and my job schedule is pretty crazy, so it's hard to fit in workouts, but I am making it a priority.

Diet:
I want to lose fat, but I need to eat enough to repair my muscles after hard workouts. I will concentrate on clean eating, mostly eliminating sugar and processed foods, eating good proteins, healthy fats, and lots of vegetables.

[gobbla]

Oopsie, I forgot about this one!

What is our time frame here (when does it end)?

I know I've mentioned it before, but I'll be doing a lot of traveling over the next few months. So I'll do my best to keep ya'all informed of what's going on in my world and update as possible.

[CloveApple]

Originally Posted by gobbla

Oopsie, I forgot about this one!

What is our time frame here (when does it end)?

• Start date February 1st.
• First post due February 10th. A first post with your goals, how you will measure them, and your current status on the goals is due by midnight February 10 but an earlier post is good too.
• final post due by midnight on August 10

Originally Posted by gobbla

I know I've mentioned it before, but I'll be doing a lot of traveling over the next few months. So I'll do my best to keep ya'all informed of what's going on in my world and update as possible.

I tried to make the posting rules (first post in this thread) flexible enough that they wouldn't mess anyone up who was traveling or was in an area with no internet access, so I hope it works for you.

[gobbla]

OK, late bloomer here:
Goals:
Weight lifting: Get back to where I was at my best
1. Bench goal of 220x1 (currently 165x5, est 1rm = 185)
2. Squat goal of 300x1 (currently 185x5, est 1rm = 208)
3. Deadlift goal of 400x1 (1rm = 285)

Body Comp: Stop being a fatty
Goal 13% Current = 19.6% (as read by bod pod)
I'm not going to be able to track this via bod pod most likely so I'll use waist measurements when needed. Current = 34"

Personal Goals: Professional Development
1. Read 11 books from CSAF recommended reading
2. Study 30min a day x 4 days a week of professional "stuff" (PDG\SKT for those of you in the know)

[Rangrs2000]

Sorry for the late post, but I'm finally checking in with my goals. (I'm an auditor as well as a MBA student and things have been busy).

By my count, there are 25 weeks left in this challenge. With that in mind, here are my goals:

Measurable Fitness Goals (The "What")

1- Lose 40 lbs (a little over 1.5 lbs per week). I'm currently weighing in at approx 255 lbs, so I'm hoping to be down to 215 lbs by 8/1.

2- I will fit into size 34" pants. I'm currently wearing a 36" or 38" waist, depending on the cut.

Behavioral Goals (The "How")

Note: I'm going to list my goals in the present tense. This is something I read in Tom Venuto's E-book and it sounded like a good idea.

3- I am working toward my goal by:
(a) Eating 6 smaller portion meals per day
(b) Lifting 3 times per week
(c) Running HIIT at least 3 times per week

4- I am limiting myself to 1 "cheat" meal per week. All other meals fit within my caloric and macro goals.


Other Goals

5- I am staying up to date with all of my MBA schoolwork.

6- I am taking time to enjoy the little moments of life. I will not let life get away from me.

[CloveApple]

For all these goals I'm going to total the numbers monthly so that I don't use a bad month as an excuse to stop the next month because I've "blown it."

1) Fat loss
Measurement: to reach 130 pounds (after which I'll take stock & I may go to maintenance, to some muscle gain, or keep working on fat loss).
Current Status: I was at 164.6 on February 1st and 166.2 on the 8th.
2) Read about exercise and nutrition
Measurement: read 4.5 exercise or nutrition books and two research studies (one book can be a cookbook if I actually use at least 6 recipes, techniques, or ideas from it)
Current Status: I'm about half way through Alan Aragon's Girth Control. (I've read this through once very unevenly with some jotting down terms to look up later and some skimming, and now I'm reading through a second time for solid understanding. So since I started this one before the challenge I'm counting it as half a book.)
3) Writing
Measurement: an hour a week of freewriting plus a minimum of an hour a month of writing-related stuff(like editing, rewriting, sending out submissions, classes/workshops/networking), also sending in at least 6 writing submissions to reputable magazines over the course of the challenge.
Current Status: Right now this is pretty much at zero. I've done freewriting once in the last 3 months. I haven't submitted any writing in years.
4) Financial Goal
Measurement: to spend 20 minutes a day on keeping track of money/spending/bills (or if I'm mostly caught up on entering information, whatever shorter time it takes to keep my checkbook program up to date) It's ok to average the time out over a week.
Current Status: Checking accounts were last truly balanced in March and only approximately tracked since then.
5) Workout Consistency
Measurement: an 85% compliance rate on exercise sessions. The current program is a fairly rehab-y A/ B routine 3 times a week, and at least twice a week cardio. It will change as Andrew (my trainer) makes adjustments and as my back/hips get better. If I start a new program 85% will still be the goal.
Current Status: I'm flaking out on a regular basis on making it to the gym right now. This may be the hardest goal on the list for me.
6) Stretching/Warmup/Foam Rolling
Measurement: stretching/foam rolling/massage/warmup a minimum of 5 days a week.
Current Status: The first week in February and tail end of December I've actually been doing some stretching, but before that it was non-existant or very sporadic (unless I was with my trainer).

[Michael Phelps]

1. To keep all my corporate sponsors by being a good citizen and helping out with the Challenge
2. To keep furthering nutritional awareness with silly news stories about how much I eat.
3. To cheer on everybody in the challenge

[CloveApple]

Last Chance to join the challenge!

Just post your goals by midnight central time (10 PM Pacific Time, 1AM the next day Eastern Time).

If you have daily or weekly goals you want to include and think that joining now would wreck your first week of results, just state in the goal that data tracking starts on the 11th. No problem.

But do post.

[Littlemermaidklb]

How many do we have in this so far?

[CloveApple]

Originally Posted by Littlemermaidklb

How many do we have in this so far?

People I have heard from: 9 said they are in, 2 more said they are deciding.

I've tried to PM those I know were considering it with reminders. Of course there might be other folks planning to post that I don't know about.

[brenita50]

Thanks for your suggestion.

OK, here are my goals:

1) 15 Full Push-ups on floor
currently 15 on bench

2) Squat 10/85lbs
currently 15/55 lbs

3) Deadlift 15/80 lbs
currently 15/50lbs.

4) Complete NROL4W 6 month program

[Celestialmom]

1. Nutrition: 90% compliance rate to nutrition plan. (Currently at or about 90%)
a. Continue eating at maintenance level for the rest of the 16 weeks--started Jan 5. Currently at 2000/2200.
b. Min 30% protein/max 40% carbs, eating mostly whole, clean foods, alcohol on weekends only or true special occasions (like vacation or Wednesdays...j/k)
c. After the 16 wks is over, evaluate whether to go back to fat loss, maintain, or *gasp* bulk!

2. Training: Complete Maximum Strength Program by Eric Cressey (Started Jan 5)
3. Increase Maximum Lifts by 10-15%.

4. Education: Read at least one more book or resource on nutrition, and either re-read one of the lifting books I have to choose a new program, or decide what to do when Maximum Strength is done.

5. Family: Plan either a fun activity or read a (non-school) book to my little guys every day. Right now, they kind of get left behind in the busy-ness of life.

[MHildman]

1. Getting all the way moved into my apartment: cull & organize (About 30% settled in.)
2. Pruning stuff in storage (Currently renting 10x20 storage unit. Want to reduce size and rent a smaller unit. 0% done.)
3. Exercise 90 minutes a week (Now at 0%. Not exercising now.)

[gnome]

I tried to post last night but my internet was acting up. Is it too late?