WonderMonkey

https://www.280dude.com/2013/07/22/la...xercise-goals/

The last fastpitch tournament of the year was completed this past weekend. We still have the last night of our double-header league on Tuesday and I’m guest coaching a double-header league on Thursday. Then I’m done. This will return a little time back into my day that I can dedicate to being far more consistent on getting some exercise in.

Typically I gain weight during fastpitch season due to living out of ballparks, being low on sleep, eating at the wrong times using the wrong food, etc. Then I would lose some weight after the season was over but the net gain would be a positive so each year I was heavier and heavier. Each year I told myself that if I could just end the season without gaining anything I could progress, but that would not happen. This year we played less tournaments which helped but the overall situation still existed.

I’m pleased that I ended (just a few days away, anyway) this fastpitch season with a net loss in weight. W00t and such. I didn’t lose at the pace I was on before the season started but I’m still happy that for the first time in years and years I’m in better shape now than the start.

“Better shape” is a matter of opinion though. I’m lighter with better BMI but I’ve lost a bit of conditioning. This is to be expected because I reduced exercise during this time. It gave way to the fastpitch season, taking college courses, building my business and whatever other things I felt were necessary. I can now start the process of being more deliberate on my exercise. I have a plan that has been floating around my head and I am going to use this post write it down (concrete goals), share it (social accountability) and then elsewhere I will track against it (journal).

Exercise Goals:
The main goal I have is to be consistent and deliberate. When you get down to it many things can be achieved this way. It’s a generic goal and it begs the question “Sure you can be consistent and deliberate, but at WHAT?” Fine question! The goals I have will be basic. Instead of wanting to do resistance training and do a bunch of isolation exercises I am going to choose compound exercises that can be accomplished at home or at least with a minimum of other equipment. I am also not going to try too hard to time things up. I used to think “Well I can’t get out and ride my bike for the 45 minutes I have available because that would mess up the 30 mile ride I want to do tomorrow. I’ve found out that the “tomorrow” activity has a way of not happening due to schedule changes. Unless I have something VERY SPECIFIC planned I’m going to take the exercise where I can and let the rest fall where they may. I suspect that most weeks I won’t be able to accomplish my goals due to finishing my degree but I’m going to give it my best.

I’ll cover more about each goal in another post. Until then, here we go!

Be consistent and deliberate
Do 100 pushups every other day, of various kinds, working towards doing 100 in one set
Do 100 body weight rows every other day. A reverse pushup kind of thing
Do 100 various chins every other day
Do my run/walk route at work two or three days a week depending on how many weekly bike commutes I do each week
50 miles a week on the bike. Commuting miles are included.
Bike commute into work two or three days a week.
Do some simple core work three days a week

I’d love input on this. The above is simple yet hopefully I can work towards accomplishing this on a weekly basis. The items were chosen mostly due to their simplicity.

ill.clyde

Substitute "Little League" for "Fast pitch softball" and I could have written this post (though I was a net gain over the season, not a net loss)

I like you goals ... mine are similar but still evolving and somewhat undefined.

They include regular workouts (gym downstairs from work) and commuting (using the gym for the shower in the morning) and eating much better. Good luck!

StephenH

50 miles a week isn't much.

WonderMonkey

You are right, I've done much more and if I meet my commuting goals I'll smash right through that.

WonderMonkey

I don't know anything about Little League but when I was coaching baseball we had 55-60 games which meant about 7 tournaments. For my daughter last year we did 13 tournaments over the entire year and many games. I backed her off that this year but it was still around 8 tournaments, a double-header league on Tuesdays, etc. Add to the mix that I coach and work with the stats, recruiters, tryouts, etc. it doesn't leave much time for sanity.

ChuckHubbert

Maybe not goals, exactly, but I'm planning for activities after my 250 mile / 5 day riding tour in early August. I'm going to try karate one evening a week. I've never done anything like this, so I'm interested in seeing how it goes. I'm also going to start jogging with the Couch-to-5k program and targeting a race in December. I'll still be riding my bike in the evenings and on weekends, but these new activities will see me into the wintertime, I think.

ill.clyde

For me it's not quite that many ... BUT, in addition to coaching my 8 year old's baseball team, his twin sister is in softball. So, we got started with baseball in April, practice two, three nights a week depending on weather (and the weather up here plays a role in how much I ride as well), then from May through late June we have two to three games per week for baseball, and throw in two to three games for my daughter as well and I was lucky if I had ONE night a week when there was nothing going on.

That said, I DO love it

rumrunn6

rode my bike once this season. ONCE! then a few short rides w the family while camping last week, but because it was the hottest week of the year 6 days over 90 the rides were barely that. got a ride with wifey planned for tomorrow, here's hoping we're on the bikes for more than an hour ... ;( so, my goal is to ride more, any amount would be good.