30 Day Challenges!

First, the 30 Day Squat Challenge:

Also, the 30 Day Ab Challenge:

Day 1, May 1st 2013:

I did 50 squats. The first 25 were not so bad, I do squats in the gym anyways and am holding dumbbells ranging from 15-25 pounds while doing the squats so my thighs were all whatev but around the 25th or 26th squat my thighs started to get a little cranky with me. By the end I had to really force the last squat. I did them as one set of fifty instead of breaking them down in to say two sets of 25, what does that really mean? I did all 50 without pausing. That’s ok for today but when it gets later in the challenge I think I will have to break them down in to sets.

I also did 15 sit-ups (which were childs play since I usually do way more then that in a day), 5 crunches (which I don’t normally do but didn’t find all that difficult, I can imagine them being harder later in the challenge when the number is much higher tho!), 5 leg raises (again, something I normally do so I didn’t find them all that hard) and a 10 second plank. I do planks anyways, they are so good for your core strength! but never properly time them, I just count in my head but I am well aware that when I start to get tired I start to count faster lol so I’m not sure how long I usually hold the plank for. Guess now I will know since I used the stopwatch on my phone to time an exact ten seconds, I don’t wanna cheat ya know? I can definitely see the ab challenge becoming more of a challenge quickly but the first day having such low reps of each activity for sure gave me a boost to my ego lol.

Oh, don’t forget I also did 15 girl push-ups. I am matching my push-ups to the number of sit-ups I will be doing. These I found quite hard as I suck at push-ups, and I know if I had a trainer nearby they’d be yelling for me to get my nose closer to the ground but I did the best I could and will try harder everyday to get better at them. 🙂

Day 2, May 2nd 2013:

I am a dumb ass! lol  I didn’t check the picture before I did my squats today, just assumed it was 60 squats on day two so that is what I did. Turned out it was only 55…wait, did I just type “only 55”?? That’s just so…wrong! lol Anyways, I got through 60 today so I don’t see there being any problem doing that number again tomorrow.

For the abs, I checked before I did those so I did the correct number lol. The cat seemed to think my feet were a toy to be swiped at while I did my leg lifts, the brat! 😛 Other than that my ab section went great. 🙂 The push ups sucked, I feel those will be my hardest section every day but I guess that just means I need to work those muscles the most right? 😉

Day 3, May 3rd 2013:

I did my 60 squats today without any breaks. My knees made funny sounds with each squat which was disconcerting to say the least lol so I think from now on I’ll make sure to play some music or something while I do them 😛

The abs were good. I feel from this point on I’ll have to start breaking the sit ups into sets because it’s getting to be a bit too much to do with out a break. Having said that I’m used to doing as many sit ups as I can then taking a break then going again and trying to hit the same number so I’m not sure how many reps I will put in to a set…we shall see! The cat ignored my feet today but he did decide to come rub my face while I was doing my plank, his ranking of brat is still there! lol The push ups sucked! Those I am definitely going to start breaking up in to sets since by the last couple I was barely getting my body down, they were pathetic push ups, sigh.

Day 4, May 4th 2013:

Day four for both challenges was a rest day. I felt it was too early in either challenge for a rest day so I contemplated doing some squats and abs anyways but then decided whoever designed these challenges probably put a rest day there for a reason soooooo might as well take it. I however, did do some random exercises lol I couldn’t help it! It’s a habit! When I am at work I take the stairs as often as possible (it’s an 11 story building) but if due to time constraints I need to take the elevator then while I am in the elevator I do various exercises. I either use the bar to do dips to work my triceps or I do squats, or lunges, or jumping jacks…I’m sure if there is a security camera in there and the footage ever gets looked at I will provide some bored desk jockeys with entertainment lol 😛

Day 5, May 5th 2013:

I feel I deserve props for Day 5 and here is why! Today was the first race festival for my dragon boat team so I spent the day outside, in the sun, racing…then that night when I was home I did my squats and my ab work and my push-ups – crazeeeee! Personally I can’t believe I did that lol There are many many maaaaany times in my life I would have used the race festival as an excuse to not do the challenge exercises that day but not this time! Where did that resolve come from?!?! I have no idea…maybe it is because I am so competitive and I’m participating in the challenge with a friend? Probably that and I view it as a personal challenge, I don’t want to fail, shrug, I hate failing…well, who doesn’t right? lol It was hard today but not as hard as I expected, I think I was tired enough from racing that my body was all “fine, whatever, I’ll do what you want but only because I’m too tired to put up resistance” 😛 lol

Day 6, May 6th 2013:

Ugh. Today was hard. The hardest day yet. I worked from 7a-3p which means I was up at 5:20a, I am not a morning person so this is basically my version of hell, sigh. But I gotta pay rent, can’t let my pampered cat become homeless now can I? lol Today I did 75 squats, by about number 50 I hurt, I was breathing hard, I was mildly wishing I’d never come up with this idea but I did, and I committed to it so I’m stuck. I felt better once I got all 75 done though, like I had accomplished something, and that’s always a nice feeling. The abs were also a lot harder today. What gives? Usually I can do the first 20 sit-ups fine, the next 5 are harder, and after that I am struggling but this time by number 10 I was starting to struggle. I broke the 35 sit-ups in to 2 sets, 20, then a couple seconds rest, then the last 15. I’m a little bummed I had to start breaking them up in to reps so early in the challenge but better to break them up then not get them all done, right? Right! All of this got done after I got home, borrowed my landlord’s dog and went for a run. Turns out there is a trail near where I live that is good for jogging/running/biking…it’s not an intense path but I think it’ll be good if I want an evening stroll, or somewhere to run that is outside. Unlike the other hiking trails that I use now or have used in the past this one I can actually run on until I need to stop because I am unable to continue due to ya know, wheezing, the inability to breath, feeling like the Grim Reaper is about to claim me, things like that. 😉 The other trails are more intense and there are sections I can’t run them because they are too much of an incline and I’m busy climbing. Yah for a new trail! 🙂 and ya know what? Yah for pushing through even though it was a lot harder today, I could have quit but I didn’t and since this is my blog and I make the rules I say that deserves a cheer! Yah! 🙂

Day 7, May 7th 2013:

Wobbly legs! Doing 80 squats in a row will totally give you wobbly legs! And a sense of accomplishment cause seriously, 80 squats in a row? What kind of sadist does that? lol

I did the squats before getting ready for dragon boat practice, then did the ab work after dragon boat practice, so all in all, an active day. 🙂  On top of the 80 squats were the 40 sit ups, 20 crunches, 20 leg lifts and 30 second plank. I have decided I hate the plank. It just plain sucks when you are actually timing it and can’t speed up time to make it end faster lol. My knee started to feel funny part way through it, not sure why, but it was definitely not a good sensation…maybe I was putting too much pressure on it, shrug. Gonna hafta be careful with that!

Day 8, May 8th 2013:

Rest Day! Yah! I went for a looooong walk with a friend, not strenuous, but a semi-decent pace, she tends to go super slow so I tried to nonchalantly go faster and kinda make her keep up. A tad mean? Maybe. But not like I was making her run! I intended to go for a run after hanging out with her but in the end decided not too. My shins hurt, weird right? And I’d already been out in the sun for a long time today, sun and I don’t get along well. I had the fleeting thought I would wait till it wasn’t quite as sunny and go back out in the evening for my run but lets get real here, once I am in the apartment I am in for the night lol.

Day 9, May 9th 2013:

I miss rest day, can it be yesterday again? 😉

I am stunned that I was able to do 100 squats today, stunned! I knew that was how many I was supposed to do, I knew I was going to try my best but I guess some part of me thought it wasn’t possible because when I not only finished them but finished them without dying, falling over, having legs turn to spaghetti or damaging myself I just kinda sat there, breathing deeply, trying to figure out what to think about the fact I just did 100 squats…

I’m still not entirely sure so I’m sticking with stunned lol

I had dragon boat practice tonight and it was a killer, got pushed super hard by the coach (which is great!) but after practice (and after the team got together for drinks/food) I went home to do the ab challenge. I suppose I could look at it as what else would I have done in its place that is so important, right? I mean, I got home around 11:30pm, not much goin on then, but I still wasn’t looking forward to it. Once I got going though I was fine. I broke the 45 sit-ups in to one set of 20 and one set of 25, I did all 30 crunches in a row, I split the leg lifts in to two sets of 15, and obviously I did the 35 second plank in one session. I’m getting better at the plank I think, I found a slightly better position for it (it’s still the plank position, but I have a better grip for my feet somehow…) and it made all the difference. I also found that instead of balancing so much weight on my arms I pushed back the weight to be held up more by my core and legs, it made my plank stance firmer and easier to maintain. I’m really hoping I can remember how I did that tomorrow! lol

Oh, quick note, when I say I broke something up in to sets, indicating I took a break between sets, the break is for no more then 30 seconds, so not like I did 15 leg lifts, then went and did other stuff then came back and did the other 15…just thought I should clarify. 🙂

Day 10, May 10th 2013:

Wow, today was hard. Harder than yesterday! Not only was it harder, it got harder earlier, if that makes any sense? By squat 30  my thighs and butt were definitely making themselves known, oh how they were making themselves known! After squat number 30 the rest was just hard *grimace* But! I did them! All 105 of them! wOOt! 😀

The abs sucked but in a way I am more used to lol ab work has always been a particularly painful section of my workout so even though the pain sucks I am a bit more used to feeling that pain. *rolls eyes* I had to pause after the 20th sit-up and take a 30 second break, then paused for about 30 seconds after each additional set of 10. The crunches I just did all in a row, ouch! The leg lifts I did in three sets of 10, with about a 30 second pause between sets.

I don’t know why it was all so much harder today, I thought I was getting better at the whole lot of em because yesterday I did pretty well buuuuut apparently that was a fluke, or maybe today was a fluke? Hmm…well, one of them was a fluke! lol

Oh, and I wasn’t able to find that plank form I had yesterday so plank was really freakin hard also, I just couldn’t seem to tighten my core enough so either my butt was up too high or when I lowered it my lower back had massive pain because my back was arching weird cause the weight of my ass was too low. Not pleasant.

Normally I do my squats at one part of the day and my ab work at a different part of the day but today I did them all together. I am thinking I am going to go back to separating them – maybe that will make it easier?

Day 11, May 11th 2013:

I found some weird inner strength today, powered through the squats and the ab work like it was nothing! 🙂 Not to imply it wasn’t an effort, that my muscles didn’t get strained, that my legs didn’t go wobbly and that I wasn’t grateful when it was all over 😛 but still, way easier then I expected. Maybe I am getting stronger? Or maybe it’s just that I am getting more used to it lol Either way, it was nice to finish all those exercises and still feel strong enough to do more. 🙂

Day 12, May 12th 2013:

Rest Day! booyah! 😀 Did a couple random squats throughout the day while at work but not that many, maybe 30 over the course of the day? Barely counts! I love rest day, *happy sigh*

Day 13, May 13th 2013:

Today sucked. 😦 Ugh. I worked my regular 7am-3pm and was supposed to go hike the Grouse Grind with a friend after work but she is still getting over a cold and wasn’t up to any form of exercise. Instead of using the time between my work ending and meeting up with KL at the gym or doing something, hell anything! physically active, I had a nap, lol. Yes, that is right, a nap. Then went for dinner and a movie with KL which meant I got home way late. Even though I technically didn’t do my squats and abs until May 14th because I did them after midnight I am still counting them as being done on the 13th lol. 😛

I was so tired, and it was so late, and oh man did they suck. They all sucked. I was up to 130 squats which is bad enough right but guess who lost count of her squats and therefore had to do 10 more just to make sure she didn’t short change herself? Yup, that’s right, me! Lovely huh? lol.

I rested more between sets then I normally do, which I am putting down to general exhaustion. I know when I go running on a day I am exhausted my running speed and distance sucks, I’m thinking that goes for all form of exercise?

I was very glad when the exercises were over lol.

Day 14, May 14th 2013:

Sick day. Maybe this is why I was so especially tired yesterday? *raised eyebrow*

I slept in, not shocking, then felt so sick I cancelled my hair appointment (something I never do!) and missed my dragon boat practice because of how I felt, sadness. It was also my grocery shopping day, which I would have skipped but I was dangerously low on milk and I can’t survive without tea with a bit of milk in it so I had to go out. The grocery shopping basically took all the energy I’d managed to store up during the day *rolls eyes* But! I am crazy, and stubborn, and have my pride, and hate to quit sooooooo I still did my abs and squats.

Usually I do the squats first then the abs but I swapped them today, see, the squats are at a high enough number now that by the time I am done I am glistening. (which, fyi, different from sweating, it’s not as intense, and is less icky lol), they make me breath heavier than normal and are a bit tiring. Since I was already so tired I thought it might be better to do the abs first, that way if I actually couldn’t get through everything I’d get as much done as possible.

I kept swapping between the sit-ups and the crunches, I did 40 sit-ups, then 60 crunches, then finished the sit-ups, then back to the crunches till they were done. When I saw I had to do 42 leg raises I got a little snarky and started to wonder what sadist came up with this challenge but told myself to suck it up and get on it. Oddly enough I don’t find the leg raises all that hard which makes me worry I am doing something wrong, hmm…I managed to get a great plank position right from the start and I think doing the abs before the squats helped with that. Usually the last thing I do of everything is the plank and it has been getting harder but this evening it was hard, but not as hard as it had been, even though it was a 55 second plank! I could feel my core tightening up to maintain my position which was awesome. 🙂

I did a better job counting my squats today, so didn’t have to do any extra, yah! 🙂 My thighs still hurt from the squats I did yesterday, there is one specific spot in my left thigh that hurts so I think I actually hurt it but not badly enough to stop my squats, just enough it twinges a bit. I did a better job of stretching after I was done today in the hopes of getting rid of that twinge, here’s hoping it works! 🙂

Day 15, May 15th, 2013:

I didn’t think I’d make it. Maybe it seems harder today because I am still not 100% feeling better, or maybe I am reaching my max ability, I’m not sure which it is, but either way, today sucked.

I did the squats earlier in the day then the ab work. The squats actually weren’t that bad, I’ve sorta gotten used to them. I did a set of 30, took a quick water break, did 20 more, stretched my thighs a bit, another set of 30, quick break to catch my breath, did a second set of 20 after which I congratulated myself at getting to 100, then I did the final 40. After which I chugged some water and hobbled off to the shower lol. 🙂 Everytime I hit the 100th squat I congratulate myself because there was a time I never thought I’d be able to do that many squats in a day, let alone in one session. That number is a milestone to me and I am proud of it. 🙂

The ab work is where I am worried I am going to hit my max ability soon. The leg lifts I kinda rock at, which makes me feel good lol. The plank I fluctuate on. Yesterday I rocked it, today my foot kept slipping and while I could feel my core working to maintain the position it hurt more then before. When I plank I focus really hard on my breathing, deep even breaths the whole way through usually help but towards the 40 second mark today I was practically groaning, and I had to get all the way to 60 seconds! The thought that kept me going was if I lose the position I am going to have to start all over again and I soooooo didn’t want to do that! lol I split the sit-ups and crunches again, going between the two, and I took longer breaks between sets today then I had been. I don’t time the breaks but I know they were longer today then any other day…except maybe yesterday when I was feeling sicker…I did 70 sit-ups and I don’t know how I will be able to do anymore then that since hitting the 70th sit-up nearly did me in, ugh. I’m so glad tomorrow is a rest day, and I don’t even care if that makes me sound weak or like a quitter, I just really need to give my body a break.

Day 16, May 16th 2013:

Rest Daaaaaaay! Not that I’m excited about that or anything 😉 lol

When I went to bed last night I had so many different muscles hurting it was crazed. I had dragon boat practice today so it’s not like it was a total rest day, but noooo squats and nooooo ab work and boy oh boy do my muscles appreciate it!

Back to the trenches tomorrow!

Day 17th, May 17th 2013:

First day back after a rest day is always easier than I expect it will be lol I meant to do the squats before I went to work but totally didn’t happen, as punishment for my procrastination I had to do my squats and abs at the same time, after work, starting around 9:30pm, not pleasant!

I did the abs first, I find them waaaay harder then the squats, although, by the last ten squats I was not grunting exactly, but making a more feminine version of a grunt with every squat lol and by the last one I actually yelled out a bit like those bodybuilders in the gym do when they are lifting a huge weight. I was very glad I was doing the squats in the privacy of my own living room with only my cat to judge me…which fyi, he totally was!

I actually hit the cat when I was doing a sit-up, he walked behind me when I wasn’t looking so when I was on my way down I hit him, he was not impressed, I felt guilty…well until I realized he most likely did it on purpose since he got a nice cuddle as an apology, lol. 😛

Day 18, May 18th 2013:

Today was the first day in these challenges I really didn’t want to do the work. I just didn’t feel like it. Doesn’t mean I didn’t do the exercises, just means I really didn’t want to and I got absolutely no enjoyment from them. Not like ab work and squats are ever really fun lol but usually when I am done I feel a sense of accomplishment, dare I say even a bit of pride? Not tonight. At best I felt a “finally, that’s done” blah kind of emotion, shrug.

I did my plank at work when it was quiet because once again I didn’t get my squats or my ab exercises done before work so I was going to be stuck doing them all at night when I got home, which, I did yesterday and it sucked but it’s not like it killed me or anything. Tonight it was going to suck more though since I am up tomorrow morning at 5:20am, ugh. So I really wanted to do something to make it a little less sucky once I got home from work. I had hoped to be able to do some of my squats at work but that just didn’t pan out. The plank was hard enough to fit in there without anyone seeing lol 😛

Day 19, May 19th 2013:

I did my 160 lunges at work on my lunch break – I’m glad I fit them in there because it meant I wasn’t doing the squats and the ab exercises all together at the end of my work day buuuuuut the squats had me breaking out in to a slight sweat (nothing major or anything) but enough that I got quite chilled afterwards, ya know, cause the dampness was cooling on my skin. Gross I know! We have a staff room at work that almost never gets used, it’s a really nice space though and was perfect for my squats. 🙂 I played music while doing them so it made it a bit more fun. I wanted to do my plank also but I didn’t want to be on the floor, even if it would have just been my forearms and feet. That’s the other reason I didn’t do my ab exercises at work, I don’t want to be on the floor while at work but if I decide to do one or the other at work again I might take a towel or something and do my ab work instead of the squats because it makes me less sweaty. Oh the random things I now think about lol 😛

I didn’t have too too much difficulty with the ab exercises when I got home. The biggest problem was that I ate dinner first and ate  too much so it was a waiting game until I didn’t feel overly full, ugh. Once I started doing them I decided to split them up, so 20 sit ups, 20 crunches, the plank, 20 leg lifts, then back to the sit ups and repeat. It’s a system I’m finding is working for me. If I try to do all the sit ups in one session without switching to the crunches or leg lifts I end up hurting in a not good way, ugh. I misread the number of sit ups for the day so I did 75 and was all “thank gawd that is over!”, then I looked at the requirements for the day and started swearing because I was 10 short! lol Good thing I always double check to make sure I do the right amount. 🙂

Day 20, May 20th 2013:

Rest Daaaaaaaaay! 😀

Since I didn’t have to do squats or abs today I went back to the break room at work and when I was done catching up on my texts etc I played some music and danced a bit lol This was because I was kinda laggy all day due to not enough sleep and exercising is supposed to help fix that…it didn’t really help me wake up but the music was upbeat and fun and it helped me stay in a good mood. 🙂 Then when I got home I strapped on the runners and went for a 30 minute run…well, jog interspersed with fast walking lol

I don’t know if it is weird or good that I purposefully exercise on my rest days…so I’m gonna go with good cause I’m already a tad odd, don’t need to rank myself all the way up there as weird! lol 😉

Day 21, May 21st 2013:

I did my squats before going to dragon boat practice today, which I gotta say may have been a tactical error on my part…although, it would’ve sucked to have to do them afterwards so really, I’m thinking there’s no winning on this one lol My thighs were already sore when I went to practice and when practice was over and I had to get out of the boat I had some actual issues lol issues like my thighs seizing up a bit and me thinking I was gonna fall. Of course I didn’t actually fall, I just had to pause and brace and manage to get out of the boat lol But still, not pleasant. I wasn’t the only one having problems though, it was a tough practice and we were all feeling it by the end. There’s comfort in shared pain lol

I did the abs when I got home from practice, they were…unpleasant… 😛 I’m really learning to hate ab work but at the same time I’m enjoying the routine, twisted huh? I don’t think the ab work is actually doing anything though, at least, nothing visible, my abs still look the same as always, sadness. 😦  I am able to do more of each of the ab exercises before needing a break, so I guess that’s a good change, right?

Day 22, May 22nd 2013:

I did my squats and abs after a gym visit today, all in one session, and somehow managed to survive! lol I thought I would have more pain with the squats, some of the stuff I did at the gym caused a bit of muscle pain in my thighs but I was fine. 🙂

Usually the second day after a rest day is my hardest, I’m not sure why, just for the last little bit it has been my sucky day however, today did not suck! There was pain involved, mostly during the ab exercises, but not as much as I am used to. Maybe I’m getting used to this? *raised eyebrow* I’m finding the squats a bit tedious, I mean come on, 185 in a row? I was bored! I’ve taken to watching tv while doing them so I have something to focus on besides just counting lol. 😛

Day 23, May 23rd 2013:

There should be a law against doing 100 sit-ups in a row!

I did my 190 squats when I got up then did all my ab stuff after dragon boat practice. I feel good about it all, parts of it sucked but in a good way. 🙂

Part of me wishes the challenges were over already, not because I’m not able to do the exercises, but because it feels like I have been doing this for eeeeeeever! And really, when I get up and know I am about to do a whole heck of a lot of squats, well, it’s not a fun thought lol They take time, and effort (obviously 😛 ) and for all that when I am done them I feel good about it I’d also feel good if I’d just gone for a run, or popped in an exercise dvd, or done some other form of exercise, I guess I am bored. shrug. But bored is ok, bored I can deal with, bored I can do my best to ignore so I can finish the next 7 days and say I did it! I survived! I actually completed something! lol 😛

Day 24, May 24th 2013:

Rest Day! 🙂

I actually rested today, lol, didn’t have dragon boat practice and I slept in too late to do anything before going to work. After work I had plans so no exercising for moi! The entire day I kept thinking “crap! I haven’t done my squats or abs yet!” then I’d remember it is a rest day and be all “phew!”…then that would repeat a little bit later. I think my body has gotten used to doing the squats and abs the same way it is used to dragon boat practice, it is so routine if I don’t do it my body wonders why I haven’t and when I am going to lol Weird!

Day 25, May 25th 2013:

I slept in later then I meant to (again lol) so I did the abs and the squats after work, which sucked cause I had to get them done super fast so I could try to get to sleep at a decent time since I had to be up super early the next morning for work. I had intended to try to do at least some of the exercises at work, once it was quiet, but it didn’t get quiet so that didn’t happen. shrug. Ah well, they all got done in the end and that is what matters most. 🙂

Day 26, May 26th 2013:

I did my squats at work today during my lunch break, I like getting them done at work, part of why is because it helps boost my energy for the rest of the day, stops me from feeling like a blob all day aaaaand it means I have less to do when I get home lol

Thing is, a little bit after lunch, when I was back at work, my left knee started acting up, it was achey and causing me problems. By the end of the work day I was limping and hoping super hard my knee wouldn’t pop out of joint cause ick! and Pain! It didn’t pop out, so yah! 🙂 I had plans after work but they got cancelled and I was super grateful because it meant I could go home, put my knee up, and stick a heating pad on it.

Today was 225 squats, I sure hope my knee can handle a bit more because this challenge isn’t over yet and I don’t plan to quit!

Day 27, May 27th 2013:

230 squats. My knees are not happy! They aren’t screaming in pain but they have definitely had days where they liked me better. I waited to do the squats till I got home so that if my knee started acting up again I wouldn’t be limping at work, gotta maintain my image ya know! 😉

Instead, on my lunch break I did part of my ab exercises. I did my 110 second plank, 62 leg raises and 180 crunches. I didn’t do the sit ups because I only had a short amount of time and I figured 115 sit-ups would take me a while. No worries though, I did them when I got home later in the evening. 🙂

I honestly don’t know how I am managing the sit-ups, except by sheer stubbornness lol I used to tap out at 25 sit-ups and here I am doing 115?! What dimension have I stumbled on to?

Day 28, May 28th 2013:

My last Rest Day! Sooooooo close to the end I can almost taste it! 🙂

Day 29, May 29th 2013:

I was stupid lazy today. By 9pm all I had done was my volunteer work, and eat. Distressing! I got off my lazy butt and went to the gym where I had a decent work out then I came home and started my squats and abs at around 11:30pm. I don’t really like doing them so late but it is my own fault. *rolls eyes*

Both the squats and the ab exercises went fairly quickly, well, quickly considering how many of everything I had to do lol.  I’m still dealing with the pain in my knees from all the squats which sucks but the workout at the gym really limbered me up and made the challenge work go smoothly.

Day 30, May 30th 2013:

Oh. My. God. I can’t believe I made it! I did both 30 Day Challenges without missing a day! wOOt! 😀 I gotta say, even though these challenges are just little things (not like I ran a marathon or anything) I am proud.

I’m proud I never missed a day. I’m proud today I did 250 squats, 125 sit-ups, 200 crunches, 65 leg raises and a 2 minute plank. I’m proud that except for rest days I was active everyday for 30 days – and most of those rest days I did something else activity wise so really, for 30 days I was active, daily. I guess I’m just proud. Doesn’t quite fit in with being a humble Canadian lol 😉

Part of me is a little sad that it is all done. Part of me is grateful it is all done. My knees are very grateful it is done! lol I’m hoping that I have started a habit, one I will keep up, maybe not with a whack load of squats and ab exercises but with something!

I don’t know that I got the results I was hoping for. I didn’t expect to get the abs that are in the picture, or some crazy awesome looking booty but I was hoping for some sort of improvement. I took ‘before’ pictures at the beginning and tomorrow I will take the ‘after’ pictures, compare the two and see if there are any visible changes. I suppose it would have been smarter to take measurements but I didn’t think of it, and honestly, even if I had thought of it I don’t want to know the size of my thighs, I mean come on! lol I’m almost completely certain my tummy has not changed at all but I’m crossing my fingers about my butt, it’s harder to see so maybe my glances in the mirror this past month which seemed to detect no changes were incorrect? Hey a girl can hope! 😀

I’ll update this tomorrow to let you know if the before and after pictures showed any change…

June 26, 2013

It was pointed out to me the other day I failed to update this page on the results of my 30 Day Challenges, sorry!

I finally got the pictures off my phone and on to my computer where I could put the before and after pictures side by side and really check myself out…that sounds so weird…lol

Anyways! Here’s what I found:

Abs:

Nuthin, nada, zero, zip, zilch.

They looked the exact same at the end as in the beginning. Actually, they looked a little worse. 😦 I was all bloaty and fat feeling the day of the pics, had been for about 4-5 days at that point (which was seriously pissing me off!) so instead of my abs looking better after 30 days of hell er, I mean work 😉 they looked softer and less defined. Definite bummer. sigh.

Squats:

I had stronger legs at the end that’s for sure! There was an obvious increase in my muscle definition for my thighs which was an unexpected boon. Why unexpected? Cause I just didn’t clue in that might happen lol. Also, upon close examination of my butt (which lemme tell ya, I found weird to be examining that particular body part in pictures) the cheeks were perkier. Did I have a “buns of steel”? No, nowhere near, but it was rounder, higher and a tad firmer. I’m not exactly sure how I feel about that since I feel my butt is round enough and I would like it to be smaller but a guy friend assured me that if the butt is rounder due to muscle definition and firm all is good and hey, guys look at women’s asses more than I do so who am I to say he is wrong? 😉 lol

Also, by a week or so in to the challenge I noticed I was able to achieve a deeper squat than when I started and by the end I was consistently getting deep squats for every squat which is excellent because it meant a better work out for me.

I do feel I should post a bit of a warning though, I have a bum knee (I know, not news to any of you lol) and the squats made it worse. The day I had to do 200 squats my knee started to really hurt and it never stopped, just kept getting worse every squat day after that. A normal person might have stopped at that point but I was so close to the end no way was I stopping so onwards I went and inadvertently did some damage, sigh. Stupid knee. 😦

Turns out women are more prone to knee dislocations than men (so not fair!!) and my left knee had started slipping a bit out of joint when I was doing nothing in particular. In two days it popped out then went right back in super quick 3 times and it was freakin me out! I can’t deal with the thought of my knee doing a repeat of its injury from all those years ago yet it definitely seemed to be on its way to that so I went to a walk in clinic to see if I could get a referral to a knee specialist. I was told no (figures!) and was given one measly exercise I was to do while sitting that would increase the muscle strength in my inner knee/lower thigh area and told to stretch out the outer thigh to compensate for the excess pull on my kneecap that was the reason my knee was popping out.

So far the knee seems to be getting better, no more randomly popping in and out buuuuuuut it is still hurting a lot! Like a lot a lot and I am having way more days where just walking is causing me to limp let alone do any kind of cardio. I’ve had to scale back my cardio a bit in an effort to make things up to my knee, not sure how well it is working but I’m trying to be patient.

I would say if you already have knee problems the 30 Day Squat Challenge may not be a thing you should do, unless you are prepared for it to possibly make your knee worse. If your knees are ok though I say jump on board and give it a go! You’ll get stronger legs and a perkier butt and who doesn’t want that? 😉