There's a little more than a week left to the Plank Challenge I'm doing. Recently, I've held a 4 minute plank but I'm planning to get to 5 minutes by the end of the month.
I know I already have strong abs... you just can't see the muscle through the skin. I do a lot of sit ups, crunches, side planks, mountain climbers, etc. I do think my abs are noticably better, but I know it takes time.
My friend took some photos of my work out at the gym this past weekend. I wanted to see if there was any progress visible from all the hard work, with five days a week of strength training!
I think my arms are developing nicely. In fact, I'm surprised how the triceps are starting to show. The skin has tightened a lot in my arms and I feel so much stronger.
At the beginning of the month, I decided to do a 30 day plank challenge. The goal is by the end of the month to hold a plank for 5 minutes. For those that aren't familiar with the plank, the basic plank exercise is a way to improve core strength and stability. You begin in a plank position with your forearms and toes on the floor while your torso is straight. The body in a straight line with no sagging. The abs are being held in as if they are waiting for a punch.
It's difficult to hold the position for a long time because you are really engaging your abs. The longest I've gone is three minutes non stop. I want to get to five minutes because I think it will further strengthen my core and tighten my abs. It won't be easy, but my hope is by the end of the challenge, I'll get to five minutes.
I remember when I first started losing weight a little over three and a half years ago. I would feel somewhat embarrassed with all the attention and would sometimes understate how much weight I lost. But, eventually I had to admit my weight loss to others. I was always afraid of people's shock when they would hear the number... 140 pounds, Oh My God! Of course, now it's been over 150 pounds lost, but anyway...
Personally, I have no desire to get to a certain number. I'm very happy with my weight... in fact, if it goes down a little on the scale, I get nervous as I don't want my weight to go lower. I judge by how I look... despite the sagging skin on my abs, I know that I don't need to worry about my weight. I'm proud of the weight I lost and have no interest in losing anymore. I know I have an athletic body fat percentage and that my waist circumference is considered healthy. For me, it's all about being healthy. But there are other people I've talked to that obsess about getting to a certain number on the scale.
I've been using Apple's products for years. I use the Mac almost exclusively, I love my iPhone, so I thought I would love the Apple Watch. Unfortunately, it wasn't the case.
It's not that Apple didn't make a good product this time around, it's just that everything that the watch does, the iPhone does better. The Activity app, the reason I purchased the watch in the first place, worked for the most part. In fact, the steps were equal to the steps my old pedometer was recording. The Activity app also reminds you to stand for a minute for 12 hours of the day, another cool feature. This is a great feature for someone like me, as I sitting in an office.
