mckitterick | Fitness update: Need goals

I started seriously working out a few years ago, after the motorcycle accident that detached my acromioclavicular joint: The choice was hardcore physical therapy that transitions into a lifetime of keeping my shoulders and back strong, or surgery with a 33% chance of resulting in reduced mobility after three months of immobilization.

That was an easy choice.

So I worked on developing all the muscles across my back and shoulders necessary to keeping everything aligned and healthy, which in time resulted in the pleasant side-effect of getting stronger and more fit overall. So I've continued working out ever since, including CrossFit training at the Lawrence box plus setting up my home for daily workouts: heavy bag, pull-up bar, TRX device, free weights, weight vest, and so on. Except for when I'm buried in the CSSF Science Fiction Summer or otherwise on deadline, I've maintained a regular workout schedule, at least doing what I call "maintenance workouts" several times per week (single sets, basically).

But I find I lack motivation to go beyond maintenance! I want to continue to develop my body, continue to grow stronger and more muscular, and for me to achieve that requires that I set goals.

But what goals?

Aiming for a certain weight or reps does nothing for me, and I'm not shooting for any record. I can already lift anything I need to, such as heavy car parts. I can already do more push-ups or pull-ups or so forth than most of my buddies (those are always fun challenges). I'm not going to go back to martial-arts tournaments, because the really good participants are often much more ego-invested than is healthy (for their opponents). I've done a good job keeping off excess fat, and eating well is reward in itself.

Suggestions? What motivates you that I might try to keep improving my body?

Thanks,
Chris

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Date: 2013-09-11 07:56 pm (UTC)

From:

saffronhare.livejournal.com

no subject

Hm. Maybe some sort of experience that one would have to be Fit Enough to enjoy safely? Maybe not climbing Mount Everest, but something like that.

Date: 2013-09-11 08:54 pm (UTC)

mckitterick.livejournal.com

Good idea. I've always wanted to try windsurfing, for example....

Date: 2013-09-11 07:57 pm (UTC)

clevermanka.livejournal.com

Here's some food for thought from NerdFitness:

How Not To Suck At Goal-Setting

So I Lost Weight. What The Heck Do I Do Now?

Date: 2013-09-11 09:07 pm (UTC)

Yeah, I learned all about SMART goals back in my management days, and I still use it as a teaching tool for project planning and other stuff in my tech-writing classes.

I'm interested in this Nerd Fitness game, but it doesn't seem to exist anymore.

Which leads me to the idea of a support group (also mentioned on their site), where everyone posts goals and weekly check-ins. Hm! Wonder how many people I could rope into that....

Just need to find THE EYE OF THE TIGER, BABY!

Date: 2013-09-11 10:35 pm (UTC)

chalcedonygrey.livejournal.com

Which leads me to the idea of a support group [...] Wonder how many people I could rope into that....

I'd be game for something like that!

Regarding goals, here's some random ideas off the top & middle of my head:
*Maybe see how many days in a row you can work out for 5 minutes, then up it and see where you max out, with an ultimate goal of X minutes per day every day forever?
*See how many of a particular exercise/movement you can do in a row or workout session, and try to increase the number?
*Research other countries' favorite exercises/movements/workouts, learn them, post about them (with video of first try, etc)?
*Design your own workout themed around an interest of yours; name/rename movements, put them together into a flow that parallels [insert theme here] (movement of the planets, evolution of a star, narrative story arc, combustion engine, etc)?
*Survey your social media friends for movements/exercises/challenges they'd like to see you incorporate, then blog about them as you achieve them?

Edited Date: 2013-09-11 10:37 pm (UTC)

Date: 2013-09-12 04:12 pm (UTC)

These are some really good ideas - thanks, TG! I love the idea of switching it up. For example, I've done some yoga, and discovered where I'm really tight and need to work on things - and it's HARD WORK, too!

Part of what's going on for me is just getting bored with incrementally upping my numbers or adding new movements to my workout routine. That word right there - "routine" - probably explains a lot! I look forward to trying out the (free for faculty) old gym on campus to try new stuff. I loved CrossFit, and it really helped me up my workouts, but so much of it is overhead work - which I try to avoid, because lifting my arm overhead with weight makes the AC joint rub in really uncomfortable ways. So I've avoided going there, too, even if the workout leaders provide alternate movements, because of (I'm aware) my own stupid feelings of inadequacy for not being able to do it the "right way."

Designing custom workouts is a fun idea - could use naming conventions as with yoga, only nerdy!

The online-friends-challenge still seems to be the most-inspiring idea. Tell me what to do, and I report in! Perhaps I could even put together a simple logging tool people could use, and whoever is interested could take part in it.

Hm! Thank you!

Date: 2013-09-12 04:48 pm (UTC)

Glad to be of help!

Something I do when I'm bored with my housework routine is to write down all the different chores and put them in a hat, then draw one. When it's completed, I draw another, and so-on. You could probably do something similar with workouts/exercises.