Push and Pull or Drag?

March Challenge: complete my age (36) in unbroken pullups and twice that number in unbroken pushups. My starting numbers are 11 and 26 respectively, so there is work to be done. I'm sure I'll find some way to embarrass myself if I fall short and I know for sure how to reward myself if I complete one or both. Anyway, mostly I just wanted to get a short update out there. Next time I'll show you how I attempted embarrassment for failing my last challenge and rewarded myself for the challenge before that, both in the same day!

Motivation

Funny thing, motivation. Why we do the things we do. In this case, what the hell would motivate a man in his 30s to want to be able to touch his heels while sitting on the floor or touch his hands together behind his back, one with the elbow pointing up, the other with the elbow pointing down? The funnier thing is, I don't really have an answer. These things are hard for me to do and I feel like I'll be somehow better equipped to deal with the obstacles I encounter in life if I have these abilities, I guess.

Well, February 1 has long come and gone and I'm still an inch and a half from my shoulder goal and four inches from my hamstring goal. I'm not proud to say I didn't give it my all. I did the hamstring stretch series three times over the six or so weeks of this 'challenge' and I never actually did the shoulder one. My heart just wasn't in it. I couldn't find the motivation. The best I could get to was that it would be cool to check that box. It's like a circus trick only I'm not in the circus, so no one would see it (much less pay to see it). I know that hamstring flexibility is part of Functional Movement Screening. Maybe I should find out why. Perhaps that's a challenge for later. For now, I'm going to move on.

You see, I actually like doing things like going to the gym, manipulating heavy bits of iron and steel, running, biking, climbing and the like. Bending my body around in different directions for it's own sake has just never held my interest. The closest I've ever been to being 'flexible' was when I was training in the martial art of Capoeira. My hips were dynamically mobile. The soles of my feet were tough as two-dollar steaks. I was also in decent shape and it was a fun, social activity. It wasn't just a box to check. Flexibility was very much the side effect. 

When I have been successful with fitness challenges, the motivation has been largely external. I once won $500 in a year-long bodybuiding contest (after paying $1300 for semi-personal training) where the grand prize was $10,000. I was gunning for that #1 spot. I was even up to an all-time maximum weight of 200 pounds from a 155-pound starting point. I also carried twice the bodyfat I did when I started. Wouldn't you know, less than four years later I'm right back down to 160, albeit a leaner 160 than I was at 155 before. (I know because I track all this shit in spreadsheets. Moron that later.) I've won and lost other fitness bets with my brother and other friends. There's always something on the line. You might end up collecting the money or you might end up wearing a luchador mask in the McDonk's drive-thru line. 

The thing is, there is always internal motivation, too. Would I have ever signed up for a year's worth of training that cost 1300 bucks if I didn't care about how fit I was? Doubtful. There is always a little itch to scratch. Doing something difficult. Doing a little more a little better. Hell, what is stretching but reaching for something that you can't grasp. Literally. Getting comfortable with the journey over the destination is part of all this for me. Finding that balance of internal and external motivation.

Anyway, I'm done and done and on to the next one. Since I didn't come through with the flexibility goals, I'm going to 'punish' myself. (Moron that later, too). I will keep some mobility training as part of my regimen, but the next phase will be something strength related. Stay tuned. Comment below if you have ideas for month-ish-long fitness tests for me. Or punishments for failure.

Three Weeks' Progress

I took some measurements today and contrary to Mr. Six Months' hypothesis, I've made some great gains in the flexibility department in three weeks. My over/under is down from four inches to just one-and-a-half. More importantly, I don't feel like I'm playing a prank on my girlfriend, who is doing the measuring. The first time we measured, I felt like my left arm was locked into place. You know, sometimes you feel like you can reach harder and you're almost there. Not me. I felt like I was frozen in carbonite. In the other direction, I have a solid three-knuckle overlap. There's a joke in there somewhere. Go for it in the comments.

Now on to the sit-n-reach. It's still feeling more like the hunch-n-groan, but I've managed to decrease my deficit from six-n-half inches to four-n-heif. Progress. Still straining. Maybe I should call this the 'indy stiffy' stretch for extra motivation. ('Indy Stiffy' also doesn't have a lewd Urban Dictionary deffinition. I might have to get on that.) Tomorrow, a word on the rampant performance enhancing drug use going on in this competition. With myself.