and thanks again you guys your support means ALOT!
Ill be joining you on that challenge (-: How long of a break where you expecting to take for the Active Rest? I personally I dont want to take any break at all and if so not longer then a week.
WelL I'm going to be finishing this challenge I think on 8/22? Wait let me count the weeks...
I'm wrapping up week eight today... So Week twelve wraps up on yeah okay on 8/20
I'm leaving on 8/24/2010 for a vacation to New York. My plan is to keep eating totally BFL clean through 8/23 NO Free Day nothing just perfect clean 6x per day BFL meals. Then I'm going to begin my "Active Rest" on 8/24. My "plan" is that the only exercise I will be doing will be tons and tons and tons of tourist walking (we'll be walking everywhere including ocross The Brookly Bridge). PLUS I'l be doing some very light steady state jogs in the hotel gym but this is only to keep up my tendonitis rehab that I've been working on.
As far as FOOD... thats going to be a challenge! The food is NOT going to be very clean eats! It will be more like vacation eating. I'm not talking binging here but we're going to nice restaurants... I'm going to have a hot dog from a street vendor... we're going to Rays (the first pizza parlor in the US) etc. This unauthroized/unstructured eating will be for five days. I'll be home on 8/29.
The question is... do I start Challenge II on 8/30? OR Do I do another week of ACTUAL AR (official authorized AR) which is supposed to be good clean eating but no HIIT and no lifting. I have heard that people drop pounds during this time and that its healthy to rest the muscles so they can repair and grow before lifting heavy/intense/BFL style again. So hmn, whats you guys's input?
I could start Challenge II on Monday 8/30 OR I could start on Sunda7 9/5. I DO prefer to have my challenge weeks start on Sundays with Saturday as freeday. I guess I'm leaning towards starting Challenge II on Sunday 9/5. I turn 34 on 9/2 (thats just a random sidenote LOL)
ALSO I am considering working with a trainer friend of mine for Challenge II. Still within BFL framework but using her input on any tweaks etc. to max out the workouts. She's so amazingly fit that we call her "Susan The Body" LOL.
llpirata, I'm at the end of week 8 of my first challenge. I'm pretty sure I've seen something on the forums that you're supposed to take 2 weeks off between challenges. You're not supposed to go nuts during that time, but give yourself a real break so physically and mentally, you're ready for the next challenge.
I'm very inspired by this thread. Some of you have real challenges you are working with and you keep sticking with it.
Speaking of inspiration, I rented Rocky and watched it with my boys yesterday. It's worth the rental fee just for that scene where he's doing the one armed push ups and runs up the steps at the museum - it's sooo inspiring!
Clare
off to do cardio, i remember saying how much i enjoy running cause i couldnt run for along time, well ive changed my mind, lol, when you hitting the 9 and 10s it gets ugly, lol,
anyways have great weekend yall,
GOD bless
robert
llpirata - Sounds like you have a good plan. It is suggested to take 1 or 2 weeks active rest. I will share that after my first challenge I only took 1 week AR but after about 1 or 2 weeks into the second challenge I was burned out (but carried on through to the finish). It was very hard. Two weeks seems to be perfect from my experience. All I have ever done during my AR was walk briskly on the treadmill and I still manage to lose up to 3lbs during that time (each time i've done AR). So I think your plan is ok. It is up to you how many weeks of AR to take. Be aware, AR is not easy. You sort of relax a bit and it can be very easy to drift a bit but if you catch yourself doing that, get right back on track. You do want to continue to eat correctly and perhaps add red meat in your diet during the AR time.
Here are a couple of posts that may help you from BFLMike:
Getting the Most out of Your Time Between Transformation Challengesby: Michael Harris 3/18/2007--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Are you planning another challenge after finishing the one you’re in now? If so, the material that follows should be of some interest and some help to you. It seems like roughly one-half of those who start and complete a 12 week transformation challenge are planning on going into another one in order to get into the shape that they want.The first thing I want to ask you--actually I’m begging you--is to NOT GO IMMEDIATELY from one challenge right into the next one without a break. Here’s why. Whether you really feel like it or not, a transformation challenge takes a toll on you. The early rising, strenuous exercising and relatively strict dieting are good for you--but over 12 weeks time they can also wear you out. You deserve AND NEED a week or more of rest before you get back into the gym. Think about this: If you go right from one challenge to another, what you’re really doing is taking a 24 week challenge. That’s nearly 6 months, and it’s longer than most should be doing. Most second and subsequent challenges that occur without a break between tend to be very unproductive and unhappy experiences. They also tend to be more often plagued by injuries, illnesses and overtraining effects.My favorite fitness author, Albuquerque attorney Clarence Bass, coined the phrase "active rest." That’s what you need to do between challenges. What you need to do, for at least one week and preferably two, is to stay clear out of the gym and away from the weight lifting routine entirely. And don’t worry about losing muscle mass, you won’t. The phenomenon called muscle memory will put you right back into the groove very quickly once you are rested. In fact, you might actually pick up some muscle mass due to the well-deserved rest. Your joints will thank you for it too.Instead of lifting weights, do one or two of your favorite non-resistance training types of exercises. I do lots of calisthenics such as pushups, pullups, and squat jumps. I also do some bike riding or stair climbing. I take very long walks with my dog. Others enjoy things like swimming, mountain climbing, hiking, or even chopping wood and heavy gardening activity. This gets you out of the old groove, works different areas of your body, and still gives you plenty of fat-burning and fitness forming activity.As for the diet, stick with the six meals a day. But, add in a bit of red meat if you are inclined, and experiment with some non-typical foods. This might be a good time to try a little of that natural peanut butter you’ve been craving. I eat a fair amount of non-tropical fruits and berries as carb portions during my rest periods. And I eat some lean red meat which has lots of creatine in it. Don’t make your two weeks off a two week free day or you’ll regret it.Consider your two weeks active rest a working vacation. You’ll be amazed at your renewed strength, your enthusiastic outlook, and your youthful appearance following your time off. If you don’t do it, you’ll feel like you’re dragging a 100 pound anchor around with you for the next twelve weeks. Which one sounds like the best bet to you?******************************************************************************************* After the Challenge–What Then?by: Michael Harris 3/19/2007So, your results were good, and you’re looking forward to living a "normal life" now. Only one thing is bothering you–you’re not sure what that is going to look like. You are also more than a little worried about your ability to hold onto this newfound you, right?First, the "good news." It never takes as much effort and suffering to maintain good health as it does to get it back. You won’t have to work out quite as hard, nor will you have to eat quite as strictly to maintain your physique. Now, the bad news–you’ll have to figure out how to do it on your own!Continuing to eat the six smaller meals a day helps make your new life easier. Since the whole purpose of eating six small meals a day is to stabilize insulin levels and blood sugar levels, which minimizes cravings, mood swings, and fat formation, it makes sense to keep that up. If you lost weight and burned fat while on the six small meals regimen, and you are now at or below the weight you want to be, then you’ll need to add a bit to each meal. Eating 42 meals a week, you really only need to adjust upward about 50 to 100 calories to stop the weight loss cycle. As an example, if your "meal" is a Myoplex, all you would need to do is add about 3/4 of a tablespoon of flaxseed oil to the shake and you would add about 100 calories to that meal. Just an ounce more meat or a slightly larger carb would accomplish the same things. So, whatever you do, don’t go back to eating plates full of food at each opportunity. Make very small dietary adjustments, or you’ll be trying to catch up with the gigantic swings that can take place!You’ll know when you get there with the diet. It will feel right. The key is to still stay away from the "trigger foods" that cause you issues, and to allow for the usual free day excesses as well. Sugary snacks should probably always be strictly a free day activity for all of us.And what about exercise? Once again, you’ll need to find your plateau. I am sixty now, so I recover more slowly than most of you would. So, what I do in maintenance stage is work each body part every 6 or 7 days, and that takes about 30 to 40 minutes four days a week. Now, that means an extra workout day a week, but that’s not a problem since I work out at home. For me, working out each muscle group one day a week nicely maintains both mass and injury-free joints if I’m careful. I really don’t think anyone who is happy with their body needs to work out with weights more than a couple of hours a week, but if you enjoy it, and you still want to try to add mass, go for it! As far as cardio, I still do the 3 HIIT sessions a week, early in the morning on an empty stomach, and that will never change.May I emphasize once again, because this does take trial and error, that the key is "small adjustments" so you don’t have huge swings. You will know that things are basically staying the way you want them by your weekly weigh ins and waist measurements, and if either gets more than 3 pounds or 1/2 inch out of where you want it, then make those adjustments and see what happens next week. Get your checkup regularly and keep tabs on those blood lipid levels.Don’t let the maintenance phase get you down. It’s no different than owning and operating an auto. Checking the tires, the fluid levels and the operating systems are part of that responsibility, as are the same kinds of things with your body. This IS Body for LIFE, remember?
Getting the Most out of Your Time Between Transformation Challengesby: Michael Harris 3/18/2007--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Are you planning another challenge after finishing the one you’re in now? If so, the material that follows should be of some interest and some help to you. It seems like roughly one-half of those who start and complete a 12 week transformation challenge are planning on going into another one in order to get into the shape that they want.The first thing I want to ask you--actually I’m begging you--is to NOT GO IMMEDIATELY from one challenge right into the next one without a break. Here’s why. Whether you really feel like it or not, a transformation challenge takes a toll on you. The early rising, strenuous exercising and relatively strict dieting are good for you--but over 12 weeks time they can also wear you out. You deserve AND NEED a week or more of rest before you get back into the gym. Think about this: If you go right from one challenge to another, what you’re really doing is taking a 24 week challenge. That’s nearly 6 months, and it’s longer than most should be doing. Most second and subsequent challenges that occur without a break between tend to be very unproductive and unhappy experiences. They also tend to be more often plagued by injuries, illnesses and overtraining effects.My favorite fitness author, Albuquerque attorney Clarence Bass, coined the phrase "active rest." That’s what you need to do between challenges. What you need to do, for at least one week and preferably two, is to stay clear out of the gym and away from the weight lifting routine entirely. And don’t worry about losing muscle mass, you won’t. The phenomenon called muscle memory will put you right back into the groove very quickly once you are rested. In fact, you might actually pick up some muscle mass due to the well-deserved rest. Your joints will thank you for it too.Instead of lifting weights, do one or two of your favorite non-resistance training types of exercises. I do lots of calisthenics such as pushups, pullups, and squat jumps. I also do some bike riding or stair climbing. I take very long walks with my dog. Others enjoy things like swimming, mountain climbing, hiking, or even chopping wood and heavy gardening activity. This gets you out of the old groove, works different areas of your body, and still gives you plenty of fat-burning and fitness forming activity.As for the diet, stick with the six meals a day. But, add in a bit of red meat if you are inclined, and experiment with some non-typical foods. This might be a good time to try a little of that natural peanut butter you’ve been craving. I eat a fair amount of non-tropical fruits and berries as carb portions during my rest periods. And I eat some lean red meat which has lots of creatine in it. Don’t make your two weeks off a two week free day or you’ll regret it.Consider your two weeks active rest a working vacation. You’ll be amazed at your renewed strength, your enthusiastic outlook, and your youthful appearance following your time off. If you don’t do it, you’ll feel like you’re dragging a 100 pound anchor around with you for the next twelve weeks. Which one sounds like the best bet to you?*******************************************************************************************
Love you some you...PERSEVERE!
I had a couple of errors in my post which have now been corrected. Sorry about that.
posted my end of week 8 pics on my profile, stepping out to go for a 5-10 mile bike ride on my rest day, with 4 weeks to go im going to ride every rest day here on in to completion, wont bust my guts on bike but will burn some calories,
Have an awesome weekend yall
GOD bless always
Oh how i loved that, 12 miles on bike, it felt so great getting outside and just riding, worked up great sweat, i hadnt ridden like that since i began, and riding with less weight felt awesome, im an alright swimmer (spending most of my life in australia, everyone swims) if i can get my running together i would love to do a mini triathalon in the near future.
Excellent changes occurring rodie!!!
thanks ridshack, the last 4 weeks will be important, i am happy with results so far, but i have put high expectations on myself, and am hoping i can get the results i wanted in the last 4 weeks, i mean i dont mind doing a 2nd challenge, but for me it was about getting outstanding results in 1 challenge,
Looking good, rodie. Keep it up!
Rodie inspired me to post my week one and week eight photos.
I love that you all are sharing your progress. Nice job Ridshack! You are on your way. :-)
OMG!!! YOU GUYS ARE LOOKING GREAT!! Such good work. I'm proud of you!
Clare how's your week eight wrapping up?
Sharon thanks for all that! I'll be taking two weeks and starting C2 on 9/5 (I like that its after my birthday LOL)
Just did C1W9D1 LBWO... went well!
Doc appointment tomorrow really looking forward to his input. Not looking forward to paying the bill LOL.