Workout Recap - Week of November 5, 2017
I know I'm a bit late with this post this week, but I've got a good reason for it. This was the first time in a long time that I set a new personal record for my 100 burpee time, and I wanted to take a moment to reflect on something in order to commemorate the achievement. Of course, you'll have to go to the end of the post to find out what that is. I know a thing or two about how teasers work.
Sunday
Type: Pass/Fail
Semiclose Handstand Push Ups - 1 set of 16 (pass)
Uneven Pull Ups - 1 set of 10 (pass)
Shrimp Squats, Both Hands Behind Me - 1 set of 11, each side (pass)
Bonus: 4 sets of 3 Superman push ups
I was still dealing with the extension of the previous week's turmoil on this day, so I didn't try to push myself further. Despite that, though, I did notice that I was getting fairly comfortable with my current hand spacing for my handstand push ups, so I took that as a sign that it was time to make the spread a little bit tighter.
Tuesday
Type: As Fast As Possible
5 sets of:
5 Pull Ups
10 Push Ups
15 Prisoner Squats
Time = 4:45
Bonus: 10 bridges
Just a quick hitter to burn off some excess emotion this time. The end result was a step back from my previous attempt at this, which is always a disappointment. At the same time, though, there are times when the result isn't as important as just doing something that you want to do, and this was one of those times.
Wednesday
Type: Pass/Fail
Shoulder-width Handstand Push Ups - 1 set of 6 (pass)
Stand-to-Stand Bridges (with one touch of a wall on the way up) - 1 set of 10 (pass)
Pistol Squats - 1 set of 12 (pass)
Bonus: 4 sets of 3 two-way suicide jumps
Aside from progressing with my handstand push ups, I decided to switch things up to pistol squats in order to make sure that I still felt good while going through the full range of motion. I did, so while I don't think I'm there quite yet, I think it will soon be time to move on to doing pistols squats with my hands behind my back.
Friday
Type: Pass/Fail
1-Armed Push Ups, Feet Together - 1 set of 10 (pass)
Uneven Pull Ups - 1 set of 12 (pass)
Hanging V-raises - 1 set of 12 (pass)
Bonus: 4 sets of 3 two-way suicide jumps, 10 burpees
Honestly, I was taken off guard by how hard it was to hold myself up for the V-raises after doing the pull ups (for context, I think it's important to mention that I need to keep my arms flexed while doing any type of hanging leg raises since my pull up bar is too low for me to dead hang with my legs extended). On a conscious level, I was aware that my lats and arm flexors would be fatigued, but I don't think I've ever had those muscles get worn out prior to my abdominals and/or hip flexors while doing hanging leg raises. It was a weird feeling, which probably means that it's something I should try to get better at, since it might help with improving my general endurance at staying on the bar.
Saturday
Type: As Fast As Possible
100 Burpees
Time = 10:00
Bonus: 4 sets of 3 Superman push ups
Objective progress always feels pretty fucking sweet, but the funniest part with it is that my mindset going into this was similar to my Tuesday workout. I'd told myself that I'd be satisfied with just finishing the workout, whether I finished in ten minutes or thirty minutes. I'd noticed that I was on a pretty good pace early on, but it didn't really sink in just how well I was doing until I glanced at my timer while catching my breath after #81 and saw that I was only just passing the eight minute mark. Obviously, I managed to keep that pace over the final nineteen and set this new record.
More than that, though, it put something else in perspective for me. Whether working towards a firm and objective goal (like trying to paint a miniature as if it's wearing some sheer clothing), working towards a more ambiguous goal (like trying to do 100 burpees as fast as I can), or just doing something that doesn't have any sort of end goal (like trying to get along with someone), there are going to be difficulties and setbacks, or at least there almost certainly will be, if it's anything that's worth putting effort into. In the heat of the moment, it's easy to lose sight of the positive side of that. Yes, it's frustrating when you're struggling with something, but it's the process of dealing with those struggles that fosters learning and growth. Overcoming the obstacle is a display of that growth, and it's the satisfying part of it, but without the struggle, the obstacle is meaningless, and triumphing doesn't lead to satisfaction because you're no better off than you were when you started. If anything, you're worse off, because you've invested time into doing something that you're never going to get back without having any substantial payoff to justify it. While there are obviously exceptions, in general, the only time that any experience is truly a failure is when you give up at it without having gained anything from it. It's a little thing that's easy to overlook, and by no means does keeping this in mind mean that the frustrating moments will be any less frustrating, but they can be easier to bear when you treat them as an opportunity to improve yourself instead of as an annoying nuisance.
As Jerry Springer would say, until next time, take care of yourself and each other.
