Week 1 Buns N Guns Challenge – I’m Showing up

 “You are going to be so thrilled that you started this process now,” I thought to myself as I headed for the treadmill after training legs at the gym.

“September,” I said out loud as I started the treadmill.

What’s happening in September?

I don’t know.

All I know is that I am showing up so that I am ready for September.

I completed the first week of the Nicole Wilkins Buns N Guns challenge. I love these challenges because they give me something to finish and also to help me stay accountable. She has us lifting 5 days per week and 2 days of HIIT cardio, but I’m doing 3 Days of Cardio.  I am stepping it up. I also love challenges because I always end up with a few new recipes and habits that I didn’t have before.

I don’t follow the meal plan to the letter, but I’m improving my nutrition by focusing on Protein and getting back into meal prep. I am showing up for myself, and that doesn’t mean starving myself and exercising myself to death. It means getting 1% better every day by doing small, consistent acts that compound significantly over time.

How I Show Up

I show up when

I get up before 5 AM to get my workout in because I start work earlier

I get to the gym before 6 AM

I make my protein smoothie to start the day off with 30g of protein

I take 30 minutes to prepare my meals for 2-3 days ahead

I say no to chips and all those “healthy” junk food snacks I like from Trader Joes

I choose to do my Yoga and Pilates over scrolling on my phone

I say no to impulse buying to achieve my financial goals

I say no to sharing plans with those not in my trusted sources’ inner circle

I decline invitations that aren’t in alignment with my focus

I go first and reach out to someone I have been thinking about

I ignore stupid comments from miserable people

I limit my exposure to said miserable people and energetically draining environments

I block out an hour or two for writing

This quarter, I am determined to show up

For September.

Week 2 Buns N Guns Challenge – Six Months for Five Minutes

Years ago, I trained for a fitness competition. Even though I never made it to the stage, I learned a lot during the preparation. I marveled at how many months, weeks, and hours went into preparing meals, training, and everything else for what would culminate in two to five minutes on stage. 

Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance

No matter the endeavor, preparation is always longer and more involved than the event itself. What looks effortless and like good luck is the result of years, months, weeks, days, and many hours of work and sacrifice. Preparation is the key to success, even when it doesn’t seem to be leading to anything significant.

Roald Amundsen was the first man to reach the South Pole. For years, he prepared for the expedition by engaging in strenuous physical activity, living with the Inuit people (formerly called Eskimos) to see how they managed harsh winter conditions, and, when it came time for the journey to the South Pole, he was well prepared to handle worst-case scenarios. One of his contemporaries who also traveled to the South Pole was less prepared. He blamed the weather conditions for their troubles. His group made it to the South Pole, but was found frozen to death months later.

Amundsen’s philosophy was that you don’t wait until you’re in an unexpected storm to discover that you need more strength and endurance. You prepare with intensity, all the time, so that when conditions turn against you, you can draw from a deep reservoir of strength. And when conditions turn in your favor, you can strike hard.

The key is to view your preparation as the win. You may train consistently for years, unaware that five minutes in the right moment will change your life forever.

September: Staying Ready so I don’t have to get ready.

I haven’t aspired to compete in a fitness competition for many years, but this year I feel compelled to really turn up the intensity in my training and pay closer attention to my nutrition. It may be because I’m hitting a milestone birthday of 45 this year, but I don’t think that’s the only reason.

I was at the gym a few weeks ago and thought to myself, “You are going to be so glad you started this process now.”

“September,” I said out loud before getting on the treadmill.

 If you’ve been following along, you know I’ve been sensing something about September. I’m staying disciplined in my planning, preparation, training, and nutrition to position myself for victory when September arrives. I could be training for five months for five minutes that will change my life forever. I’m staying ready so that I don’t have to get ready! 

You are not on a march to nowhere

At times, we all feel that we are on the march to nowhere. The repetitive tasks, the early-morning wake-up calls, the late nights spent trying to figure out the answers to our problems, the regular exercise without seeing the progress we hoped for, and the feeling that we are facing many difficulties with little payoff. Know that each of these hardships, difficulties, and repetitive tasks, done consistently, is building our reservoir of strength for hard times and our strength and power for more favorable times.

Roald Amundsen said, “Victory awaits him who has everything in order—luck people call it. Defeat is certain for him who has neglected to take the necessary precautions in time; this is called bad luck.”

This week, I am reminding myself that the planning, preparation, and process are the wins. The outcome isn’t always mine to control, but my commitment is, and that’s what gives you the best chance at victory.

Week 3 Buns N Guns Challenge – Livin’ on a Prayer through the boring 

We’re halfway there! Whoa, living on a prayer!. – Bon Jovi, Livin’ on a Prayer

I am halfway through the Buns N Guns Challenge. Generally, by the time we get halfway through a program, living on a prayer is an accurate assessment of the situation.

I like to start things and create things. I get very excited at the start, but my enthusiasm wanes as I go through the repetitive tasks. The finish line is nowhere in sight, and I start to look around and wonder if there’s something else more exciting going on or a more exciting way to get this done.

People call it the messy middle. I say it’s the boring middle.

Adam Bornstein of Arnold’s Public Club says it perfectly:

“The boring middle of a program — week six, when the novelty is gone, and the results feel stalled — will test every reason you started. This is the reality of every goal. Excitement fades. Challenges are inevitable. And you’re convinced there must be another way.

So we look for a side door. A workaround. Something that gets us to the outcome without the friction.”

I do love the sense of accomplishment that comes with finishing programs, but I don’t love doing them day to day. As Adam says, I want to avoid boredom, the reality that I am not as great as I thought, and discomfort when challenges arise.

Over the years, I have gathered tips and best practices to finish programs and not quit halfway through.

Have a Well -Defined Outcome and Goal

My 3 Goals for this program

Improve my strength by lifting heavier weights and hitting Personal Records.

Ingrain the early AM workout discipline habit even further]

Improve my meal preparation habits and incorporate more exciting, healthy recipes

What I am NOT doing: Focusing on losing weight.

Over the years, I have learned that no matter how much the scale goes down, it’s disappointing. I am more focused on completing the program and building my habit stacks. I may not lose any weight, but if anything, I will feel better.

Why is it important to finish this program and accomplish these goals?

It’s in alignment with where I am going. I don’t even know where I am going, but I know it requires me to be strong, disciplined, and fabulous

This program will help because it will cause me to focus on the daily wins and habits of checking off workouts and eating one meal at a time

Don’t expect it to always feel exciting, but bring the excitement!

I have added so many great songs to my workout playlists, and that has made workouts more exciting. When I prepare meals, I try to listen to engaging podcasts or music, and the time goes by much faster.

Sadly, there is no eye candy at the gym to make workouts more exciting, but there are friendly faces, and I enjoy seeing the same people working hard. Besides, there is always YouTube for motivating gym eye candy.

Have a reward

Besides the reward of finishing and completing a program, I am rewarding myself with a Golden State Valkyries T-Shirt and Hat.

Week 4 Buns N Guns Challenge – Everything takes longer than you think

In January, I tried on my “LA Hot Girl” shorts, and them joints were begging for mercy. I couldn’t even zip them up. Three months later, I tried them on again and could zip and button them without lying down on the bed! They still don’t fit well enough for me to be comfortable wearing them outside, but there has been progress!

I refused to try those shorts on for three months because trying them on any sooner would have led to disappointment. Thanks to weight-loss programs and social media influencers, we all think there’s something wrong if we don’t hit our goals or have a major transformation in six weeks.

Yes, I am doing this six-week Buns N Guns program, but as I said in my Week 3 journal, these are my three goals.

• Improve my strength by lifting heavier weights and hitting Personal Records.
• Ingrain the early AM workout discipline habit even further]
• Improve my meal preparation habits and incorporate more exciting, healthy recipes

Estimating how long things take

People consistently and dramatically underestimate how long things will take. I recently read that researchers found people underestimated how long it would take to finish their projects by roughly half. Even when they knew they would be tracked for accuracy, they were still off by about a week.

When optimism and planning can get us into trouble

I am taking the Google Project Management certification, and I started laughing at this section on the planning fallacy and optimism bias because it sounds like most of us.

“The planning fallacy describes our tendency to underestimate the amount of time it will take to complete a task, as well as the costs and risks associated with that task, due to optimism bias.

Optimism bias is when a person believes that they are less likely to experience a negative event.”

Health and Wellness are targets for planning fallacy and optimism bias

I no longer work with fat-loss clients because that comes down to nutrition, which is outside the scope of training, but I used to tell clients it would take at least ONE year to see sustainable fat-loss results. Most were not interested in that because there were gyms and programs promising to help them lose 20lbs in six weeks.  That’s all good, but usually the restrictive diets and pounding exercise leave people with sore joints, injuries, and an eventual rebound weight gain because eating 1000-1200 calories a day is not sustainable, and they eat everything in sight after the diet is over.

When it came to optimism bias, people either forgot or didn’t believe there would be birthdays, anniversaries, parties, vacations, holidays, and other food-related celebrations. Unless one is dieting for a fitness competition or is incredibly disciplined, most folks will partake in food-related celebrations. This is why I gave up dieting.  The more restrictive I was, the more obsessed I became with food. I don’t need to eat a whole tray of brownies if I tell myself I can have one.

Measure Progress with a longer view

Progress takes longer than we think, and it is not linear. There will be ups, downs, and in-betweens.

We also need to adjust the lens through which we view our progress. When I completed the Mindset Performance Institute certification, we were told to coach people not just to measure their three-month progress, but also to assess where they were compared to three years ago.

When I think about my life three years ago versus now, I know there has been a lot of progress and tremendous change, especially in my inner life.

If you just gauge where you were one month ago instead of one year ago, it is easier to minimize how far you’ve come.

Last year, I was in a funk and knew I needed to make some big changes if I wanted to move my life forward, so I asked, “What were my habits when life worked best?” My first answer was getting up early to work out or have a power hour. One year later, I can say that I’m a member of the 5 AM club, with early-morning workouts at least 3 days per week.

I haven’t been perfect, but compared to last year, when I wasn’t doing it at all, I have made a lot of progress.

It may not be your lack of progress that is the problem, but the lens through which you are viewing progress that is the problem.

Focus on Habits and Consistency instead of results

Don’t focus on results.

It’s one reason I no longer set goals like “I want to lose x number of pounds,” because no matter how much the scale goes down, I will be disappointed and think it should go down further.

Instead, I focus on habits like meal preparation on Sundays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and waking up early for workouts on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.

Habits + Consistency will bring results

These habits and consistency over three months have enabled me to zip and button my hot girl shorts. With another three months of consistency with my habits, they will fit accordingly!!

Week 5 Buns N Guns Challenge – Showing up is the first part of discipline; I want more. 

It’s Week 5 of the Buns N Guns Challenge, and there is one week to go!  I am really enjoying strength training again. I even thought about signing up for a summer challenge because I am enjoying myself so much.

I’ve got big financial goals to hit this summer so I can move my life forward, which means I’ll likely wait until the Fall Acceleration to do the next Nicole Wilkins challenge.

Discipline means no compromising or cutting corners

My big goal for Q2 is to join a great team, and the skill that I am working on is discipline. Being a good teammate requires discipline. I want to join a disciplined and well-run team because I have been part of undisciplined, haphazardly run teams before, and it is miserable because they are so chaotic and filled with strife.

Then there is this yet-to-be-known event happening in September. Whatever it is requires me to be disciplined without compromise.

I was expecting my period, and that generally leaves me feeling fatigued and without any oomph. On Saturday, I showed up at the gym, and then I thought: “Well, maybe I will cut the cardio or do less. At least I showed up.” Before I knew what was doing, I did my normal Saturday cardio routine.  I can’t compromise or cut corners because showing up also requires the discipline to do what I said I’d do. Showing up is the first part of discipline;I want more.

I am focused on eating more protein as well because it keeps my blood sugar stable, and I do not snack nearly as much. Plus, protein and carbs are vital for maintaining strength and muscle mass, so body parts do not drag on the ground.

One more week to go!! I will keep showing up!!

I have completed the Buns N Guns challenge!

My Top 3 Takeaways from this challenge are

• Strength Training is the Holy Grail of exercise for me.
• Good habits
• Everyone over 40 should be using the concept of periodization

Week 6Buns N Guns Challenge – I finished the challenge: Here are my Top 3 Takeaways!

• Strength Training is the Holy Grail of exercise for me
• Good Habits I developed during this challenge
• Everyone over 40 should be using the principle of periodization

 Strength Training is the Holy Grail of exercise for me.

I don’t think I’ve been this sore consistently in years. I really upped the intensity of the strength training during this challenge, and I feel it.This challenge solidified for me that strength training is the holy grail of exercise. Last year, I got back into running, but I ended up with weight gain, inflammation, and an unhappy digestive system.

With strength training, I feel strong and powerful, have no gut problems, and enjoy it. What I know for sure is that strength work is truly the fountain of youth. My eighty and ninety-year-old clients will testify to this.

Even at the cellular level, strength training helps our bodies absorb glucose more effectively, so we do not become insulin-resistant. Avoiding Type 2 diabetes is huge for me, so strength training is my go-to choice of exercise.

Good Habits I developed during this challenge

• Meal Prep Sundays and Protein Shake Mondays
• Lifting heavier weights
• Inspired me to start watching workout channels again, which sparked my motivation for strength training.

Meal Prep Sundays and Protein Shake Mondays

Back in the day, meal prep on Sundays was all the rage. Many folks who were into fitness at the time had their little containers out with their rice, chicken, and sweet potatoes, all measured out and ready for the week. People snapped photos of their meal prep and posted them on Instagram. This was back when Instagram actually showed you photos of people you knew, not just ads or influencers.

I am not doing the container thing or posting on Instagram, but I do cook my rice and chicken breasts, or plan my lunches for the week on Sundays. It’s just great to eliminate more decision-making, so I can focus on other things during the week.

Another decision that I eliminated is what to eat for breakfast on Mondays. I make my protein smoothies with fruit and kale. The smoothie tastes good and has tons of nutrients, so I get my 30 grams of protein in for breakfast, and I can spend more time getting into action for Monday morning.

Lifting Heavier Weights: Strength Gains

I’m up to 135lbs on the squat rack for 5 reps. My goal is 10 reps at 135lbs by my birthday in August.

I bought 25-lb dumbbells for my home gym, and I use them regularly for both upper- and lower-body exercises. I’m pretty sure that I’ll be buying 30lb dumbbells when I do the next challenge in the Fall.

Overall, I notice that I am lifting heavier, and I love it. My aim is to get as strong as I was in my 30s.

Watching (smart) workout channels

I have started watching (smart) workout channels again, and they have helped me get motivated to start strength training. I watched a channel where the woman gave some good tips on overhead presses and incline presses. I tried it the next day at the gym, and I liked it so much I started doing it with my clients!

Watching (smart) workout channels has really reignited my motivation for strength training.  Two of my favorites in this area are Cydney Gillon and MDJ Fitness. I enjoy learning new tips and tricks.

Everyone over 40 should be using the principle of periodization

I know some people love to come up with complicated training routines and plans, but unless you’re entering a competition or playing a specific sport, I think it is better to keep your periodization simple.

I like my mesocycles to be 6-8-week challenges where I increase intensity by strength training 4-5 days per week, then back off.  The next mesocycle would maintain strength training at least 3 days per week and allow my body to recover through yoga, Pilates, and stretching.

As I get older, I prefer short bouts of more intense training, then allowing my body to recover. During the recovery cycles, I do more yoga, stretching, and Pilates.

Those of us who are over forty cannot burn the candle at both ends as we did in our twenties and thirties. We will soon find ourselves run down and injured. We simply must take more time for rest and smart recovery.

What’s Next?

It’s a recovery phase, so I will be doing

• Full-body workout 3x per week
• Yoga 1-2x per week (Focusing on getting to in-person classes. My faves are teaching classes I can attend)
• Pilates 1x per week

It’s good to make commitments, and it’s even better to follow through and complete them!

I showed up and got it done.

On to the next one!!