7 Day Core Challenge: Complete!

Mission Level
Success!

This is my second (actually my third) 7 Day Core Challenge attempt. The first time was a couple months ago and I actually just forgot to keep doing the exercises. The second time, if you remember, I got sick (you can read about that in my Sickness Strikes the 7 Day Core Challenge).

The Challenge

Six pack not achieved

Well, seems simple enough. I found the swanky graphic to show you what I have been doing every night while watching the Jeff Probst show.

I found by staying healthy I avoided my last inability to complete this challenge. By building in the 15 minutes or so into my nightly routine (JeffProbst makes me think of my core) I avoided forgetting to do it. Routine is often key when you are doing something new or trying to form a good habit.

Before You Start
First off, it is good to do a little research before you do an activity like this. You want to make sure you are doing the motions correctly and avoiding any potential injury. For example, I use to think you preformed the plank with extended arms and wondered why I hurt my shoulders so much - that is a raised plank, I learned. A normal plank is done on your forearms.

I did not measure myself before to see if I lost some inches or anything. I don't think in a week there would be that dramatic of a difference. Plus, I have a little adrenal fatigue belly going on that I hope will go away soon. I was interested in the challenge not in my actual waist line.

Evaluation
I did feel a difference pretty much after the first night. Nothing super-painful, just a dull ache that proved I did something. The key to working out is not to kill yourself - there is not truth to "no pain, no gain," you never want to hurt yourself. A dull ache isn't to bad, though. I found I wanted to stretch out my obliques and stomach muscles more. And that's what I did at work. .mostly in the bathroom, in the stall, when no one could see me doing belly dance moves.

So - how did it go? I was surprised how easy doing the crunches were. Enough so that I looked up how to do a good one online. I do them correctly and I did feel a little bit of a burn. I was impressed that I could pull off 150 crunches a night without much issue.

On Thursday night I held the first plank for the whole minute. That was a pretty good feeling! I had been able to hold a plank, at most, for about 45 seconds I will say, I could have done better and pushed through it sooner. Sometimes you got to know when to push, sometimes you got to know when to just not give it. I felt pretty awesome when I held the plank for a minute so I think I will push myself a little more. Progress does that.

I was doing the side plank wrong for two nights by using an extended arm instead of on my forearm again. That was painful. My wrists are not great at supporting my weight. When I did it correctly, the first night it was a struggle to keep my balance. By the night after that, I think I trained my muscles to stabilize me and I got over the minor joint discomfort of holding up my body. After I am done everything, then I feel it in my obliques - which is great!

One of my major weaknesses is my upper body. I cannot do a push-up - I can do a girl push up where you are on your knees rather than your toes (dirty description, much?). I also have issues with my wrists and holding up my upper body on them. Anyhow, I did my girl push-ups and I did 15. By Thursday, I was able to rest more of my weight on my arms and I made sure I was working hard to complete all 15. I think in another week, I might be able to actually do a push-up.

I am not sure about the bridge. This was a huge break for me. By Wednesday I felt a little ache in my back and the outer sides of my thighs. I suppose my gluts and hams are pretty strong because I can hold the bridge position all day without an issue. I just used the time to play the bongos on my tummy.

Future Plans
I think I am going to continue doing this routine.

I have noticed my posture feels better. I feel like my core is getting stronger from my stomach to my obliques to my back. It's a great feeling and I'm pumped that I do actually feel better. Little things actually can make a huge difference in a variety of ways. I feel pumped over my slight improvements, even if they might be viewed as failures or weakness. I almost can do a real push-up and that's big for me.

I am always amazed when my body responds normally and gets stronger. Once, when I thought I was healthy and in a little denial after my second relapse, I went for a three mile walk-run and ended up not being able to function for days. Even my doctor was out of his mind when I told him what I had done. My body just collapsed after any activity.

When I started biking and struggling through those miles up until I completed my century, I wondered why more people weren't doing physical things. It really is a joy to work through something that is difficult and then see results - even if they are minor, like my minor improvement with push-ups.

I was held back from doing anything for 15 years of my life. I couldn't walk up stairs or walk more than a few steps without needing to sit down and rest. It's a joy to put my body to the test and feel it change and grow stronger.

I think I will keep doing this little routine and see what changes I can get in my core area.


Be Part of the Adventure
Do you have a suggestion or want to see me attempt something? Drop me an email at AdventuringAmanda@gmail.com with your suggestion.


Image Credit
Image from smashem.wordpress.com