Dance Expression 36
Welcome to my early 2020 fitness journey
Follow me through 10 weeks of self-reflection self-embarrassment and growth
Week 1
Week 2
Questions:
12-min run : 10 Laps
Push ups : 15
Sit-ups : 30
Wall Squat : 30 sec
Side-Hops : 45
Plank : 1 min
Chair dips : 10
Balance : 20 sec
Flexibility : Forgot how it works
Vertical jump : 50 cm
What’s the point of doing a warm up?
To get our muscles warmed and ready to face the sad future
What constitutes a successful warm up?
Something that gets your heart rate going without making feel exhausted. So some light cardio is nice
What’s the point of doing a cool down?
To make sure you don’t throw your life up afterwards
When is the best time to stretch and why?
Before and after exercising because you want to make sure you have full range of your abilities while working out and you also don’t want to pull a muscle. Doing at the end is to prevent pain the following week.
Why is stretching important?
To make sure you don’t break or stretch anything important while exercising or in other words, getting your muscles “optimized” and ready for an incoming physicala work session
Weekly Proof of Responsibility
Week 3
Questions :
On a scale of 1-10, what effort did you give the workout this week?
10 I always give my best d;^)
List three specific examples of what would motivate you to participate in and stick to a regular exercise routine?
Doing it with someone, making it a habit/routine, seeing improvement and health benefits
List three specific barriers or excuses which would prevent you from doing so?
Not feeling it (not in the mood), I can do it later, Don’t have the time
What type of workouts and physical activities do you like?
believe it or not, i like running and dancing and weight lifting… I like working out in general, I just never do it.
Do you prefer going to the studio/gym or working out at home?
I like the gym when I’m with a friend, but nothing beats doing it at home
What could you see yourself doing as exercise for the remainder of your life?
morning Jog or dancing
How was your nutrition over the course of this week?
Same as usual which is I have little control over it and eat whatever i happen to eat
What would you like to change in your nutrition for the following week?
No junk food until anime night
Weekly Proof of Responsibility
Week 4
Questions:
How does your exercise program fit into your weekly schedule?
I think I have a lot of time windows where I can exercise, but the problem is the space I’m in
Comment on how easy or hard it is to find the time to exercise.
The difficulty varies from week to week, because it gets harder when school work and responsibilities get piled up, but it’s easy when opportunities open up
What are your stress levels before and after exercise?
It goes from a 5 to a 4
What was your nutritional habit change that you chose last week to do for this week?
Keep the junk food for a specific day (like a cheat day)
Did you follow it consistently?
yes
What will be your next nutritional goal for the following 2 weeks?
eat slower (which should make me eat less)
Things to note: I will be 100% honest with my work. I do not have video proof of me finishing the workout, but I can tell you that I did finish it at one point and what you will see in the video is 2 different attempts at 2 different times where I tried the workout, but couldn’t finish it because of the intensity.
Regarding the workout: The first time I tried, I stopped after getting an immense wave of exhaustion during the first 10 burpees and the second time I tried, I skipped the burpees to see how far I could go afterwards, but wasn’t feeling good enough to proceed with Part 2 (AMRAP).
Week 5
How many servings of vegetables should you eat each day?
5 to 9 servings a day
Are you getting enough vegetables?
I don’t think so
If not, how could you ensure that you do?
Adding a vegetable in every meal should do the trick
What are your three favorite vegetables?
A bit controversial, but potatoes is definitely number 1, followed by broccoli and carrots.
Find a recipe that includes your favorite vegetables and post on your blog.
Sounds perfect for an Earthy vegetable soup
Things to note: Same case as last week where I have proof of an attempt, but not the official thing. The first few weeks were definitely rough
Regarding the workout: I didn’t finish the goal within the 15 minute time frame, but did 50 squats, push-ups and sit-ups. Also stopped after the first 4 minutes (1st round) of “On the Minute”
Week 6
What have been some major barriers so far in your activity plan?
definitely just finding the peace and quiet to do it and having the mental energy to start anything.
How have you adapted your plan to overcome theses barriers?
For the space and time aspect, it’s just a mental block that I have to break and activity plan wise, i just do everything relatively to how I feel at the end of the assigned workout.
What solutions have you found?
reserving specific times and days to conduct the physical activity of working out for self-improvement and having an extra timer of the side.
Have you noticed an energy level changes now that you exercise every week for the past 6 weeks?
Energy level in general? I do feel a bit better overall, but energy during workout is still painful.
Have you started working out more than once a week? If so, when and what?
I actually did! But I don’t know if it counts… I generally try to repeat the assigned workout at least twice a week (but I don’t have video proof, because they’re simple tryouts), but I don’t do any extra one hour workout. It’s more along the lines of using a quick 5-15 minutes to so quick exercises (push-ups, plank, using weighted bar on specific muscles) throughout the day whenever I get up from my chair or just feel like it.
Regarding the workout: Here’s the data for Part 1
Round 1 : Max push = 15, Max curl = 20, Max wall = 1:40 min, Max plan = 0:50 min. Round 2 : Max push = 12, Max curl = 15, Max wall = 1:10 min, Max plan = 0:42 min
For Part 2, Round 1 took me 7:35 min, Round 2 took me 10:20 min and Round 3 took me 11:28 min. In total (including breaks), 34:28 min to finish.
Week 7
Do you need to revise your original goal(s)?
not goals, but i did make some changes to my action plan
Are/is your goal(s) still realistic? Why or why not?
I think that they’re still realistic in general, but maybe not in the time frame
State your new goals if they’ve changed.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
What is working in your program?
the outside world is too weird for me to run (which is a main goal)
What do you need to change?
grow out of the social discomfort and use a treadmill, or just grow up and run outside with enough warmth
Do you feel different this week… more energy, better sleep, better mood, or increased self-confidence?
not just this week and not all of those
What effect is the activity plan having on you?
It is making healthier in more than just a physical format
Things to note: I remember you saying we should prioritize the given workout, so I started with Part 2 instead of 1. Also, I modified Part 2 a bit to make it possible for me to finish it sanely (the change being doing 10 sit ups instead of 20).
Regarding the workout: Max push = 20, Max curl = 23, Max wall = 1:20 min, Max plank = 0:55 min. The 3 sets in Part B took me 18:35 min to accomplish, but I would add an extra 10 minutes if I properly did all the sit ups.
Week 8
How much sleep should you be getting every night?
7-9 hours of sleep
Are you getting that much?
Yup, I usually get 8
If not, what could you do to ensure that you do get enough sleep?
Having a routine is probably the best way to get enough sleep
What are the serious health effects related to insufficient sleep?
High blood pressure, weaker immune system, higher chance of obesity, mental health instability
Give two examples of healthy snacks that you can munch on while studying.
fruits and nuts
I actually skipped this one. No real reason why… I just did ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Week 9
Which goals did you succeed?
The chair dip one (triceps)
Which goals did you not succeed?
The running (cardiovascular) and the plank (Abdominal)
Why do you think you did not achieve the above-mentioned goals?
For the running, I just never went outside since March 23rd, so it was bound to go down. For the planks, I guess I might have over estimated myself, because I did improve, but not quite at what I targeted. Honestly, this whole quarantine stuff also had an impact on the project, because it boosted my sedentary lifestyle, decreased my overall mood and life just sucks right now.
What could you have done to succeed your goals?
Push myself further and remember that school isn’t over.
What did you learn throughout this process?
I already knew the benefits of exercising, but knowing and actually living those benefits is 2 completely different things. I actually had a boost in self-esteem and I reflected a lot on my current condition after each workout section.
What personal goals would you like to set for yourself in 2020?
Keep this healthy habit up! Simple as that 😀
Week 13
I’m having problems with the running part so the video will come later than intended.
Comments: I did a voice-over of me calling the moves, because you couldn’t really hear them in the video (but if you listen hard enough you can hear them) and I wanted to make it easier for you. This was our best attempt (#5 out of 10) at my choreography of Bailando, but be aware that we were both tired by that point so facials and fluidity might not be the best, but enjoy! It was pretty fun to do :3
