40 Days of Fitness Challenge #FitnessRevolution - Days 6-12

You know about the challenge by now, and you've heard about my early progress but I'm well and truly settled into the routine of this 40 day challenge as set by DW Fitness. I was a little disappointed to see that this week wasn't much different to last week and I had been hoping for more variety. That being said, I have looked ahead and know there are new things to come that will more than keep me on my toes. The tasks this week were much the same though, but rather than settling for the same I ensured I pushed myself that bit harder. Blogging about your fitness routine means recording results and that in itself is a great way to avoid plodding along in your comfort zone. I wanted to beat every single achievement that I shared last week to avoid posting this weeks results and feeling red faced (not in a good way). So, how did I do?

Day 6: Tricep Dips. 3 sets of 20 dips.

Tricep dips are another exercise that you can master in your own bedroom like I chose to do. Theres no excuses. They don't take long and it's a good way to wake up as soon as you roll out of bed. Don't be fooled my the unflattering, fat roll photo... I managed all 3 sets.

Day 7: Substitute Milk for 7 Days.

Reading this frustrated me, because I knew instantly that it would mean me missing out on a part of the challenge and feeling like I hadn't completed it. I've only just had a set of results back from some blood tests and they flagged up some low calcium levels. My calcium levels have been low since last September and dropping milk from my diet meant going against my doctors advice. I think the lesson to share here is not to beat yourself up when you can't do something or you miss a workout. So long as you give your all next time or in another way then you're still winning.

Day 8: Walk, Jog or Run for 25 mins.

I was pleased just to have come through last weeks 20 minute jog without my knee giving way and decided that the route I took was easily adaptable to run for a further 5 mins. I was nervous, as I am every time I lace up my trainers but I wasn't going to not try it. It was sunny but the wind was howling and if it wasn't for me making this challenge so public I'm not sure I would have ventured out to run. But I did. My split times were almost identical to the week before, so the extra distance didn't affect me - I was just annoyed I forgot to stop my timer after finishing which messed up my average pace calculation.

Day 9: Squats. 3 sets of 40 reps.

3 sets of 40 squats doesn't seem like a lot when you read it, but its 120 squats in a short space of time. It's 30 squats more than last week. Last week my knee ballooned after the squat challenge, aggravating an old injury and this week it did the same thing but I still managed the full amount. Little victories like that are pleasing (some might say stupid mind). 

Day 10: Plank and hold for as long as possible.

Having never timed myself planking before last week, I was delighted with my time of 2 minutes and 53 seconds. I couldn't wait for plank day to come round again and challenge myself to beat that time. My whole body was shaking and it felt like I might rupture my spleen but when my knees touched down and I glanced at the stopwatch, the pain vanished instantly!

Day 11: #3MinuteChallenge

For such a short peiod of exercising, this was the toughest part about last week and it was just as tough this week. To push yourself to the max is such an effective way to workout, whether its for 1 minute or 20 and I love the adrenaline buzz that it gives you. For each exercise I wrote down my score from the previous week and stared at it the entire time I performed that exercise this week. Determined to beat every total. Here's a reminder of last weeks and then this weeks following.

Day 12: Rest Day.

Ending the week with a rest day is a good way to reflect on how you've done and give your body some recovery time. It's testament to the core of this challenge though that I couldn't have a full day of rest. I've already gotten into the habit of exercising daily again, even if it is just in small increments. The sun was shining all morning and we enjoyed a relaxed country walk as a family that still got the heart working harder than it would have been lay on the sofa waiting for the roast dinner to be ready!

So that was this week. Disappointed to have skipped the dairy avoidance part of the challenge but delighted to have improved in every area for every single one of the physical challenges. To improve for the entire length of the challenge is the target I am now setting myself.