My 8-Week Birthday Photo Shoot Challenge

I’m about to turn 42 years old, and I want to keep pushing myself to make fitness gains. It isn’t enough to maintain: For as long as you can grow, you should. To keep myself going, and to show how good my program is, I have designed a fitness challenge for myself using my INTEGRE8T Wellness program as the template.

#8Patterns1Lifestyle
#8WeeksInfiniteProgress

Video transcript

Good morning. It is June 10, 2018. Today is the end of week number six and it’s time to check in and see how I’ve done.

Okay, so here we are at the end of Week 6, so let’s check things out. What I’d like to point out first is that this line has become crystal clear. It is there, no doubt about it. And interestingly enough, this one’s actually going to come out in time. I give that one or – I’ve got two weeks, and I think this one’s going to come out.

You know, last week I was saying I wasn’t sure if I’d get that lean, I think I will now. I’m pretty sure. Also, everything else is getting clearer and clearer, it’s really exciting how this is progressing along.

Let’s see. The pads here, you’ll notice, are pretty much gone. This fold is almost gone. The lines here are flattening out, I think that’s going to happen in time for the shoot. I think this will be gone. The pad here on the front is almost essentially flat. A little bit more, but with two weeks to go, I’m not really worried about it.

I can barely grab anything anymore. If you remember back to the first video, I could actually grab something and pull it down. Now I have to really dig in and move it and I don’t really even need to so that’s fine. And because this is flattening out, it’s accentuating the curve of my bootay better. So, all of this is happening.

In terms of the numbers, I’m just kind of ignoring them at this point, because I thought my goal was going to be 145lbs at 10% body fat. But these numbers just, I mean, they’re going up instead of down and yet I’m making visual progress. So, I think I’m going to keep documenting the numbers just to be consistent through the whole eight-week process, but really ultimately, I’m just not really worried about the numbers anymore. Everything’s strange with them anyway so, I mean, why bother. But anyway, yeah, I’m excited. This is going to be a good shoot so, booyah, booyah. Nice.

My 8-week Fitness Challenge

I’m about to turn 42 years old, and I want to keep pushing myself to make fitness gains. It isn’t enough to maintain: For as long as you can grow, you should. To keep myself going, and to show how good my program is, I have designed a fitness challenge for myself using all eight of the patterns in my program.

My 8-week Fitness Challenge: Week 1

I’m about to turn 42 years old, and I want to keep pushing myself to make fitness gains. It isn’t enough to maintain: For as long as you can grow, you should. To keep myself going, and to show how good my program is, I have designed a fitness challenge for myself using all eight of the patterns in my program.

My 8-week Fitness Challenge: Week 2

I’m about to turn 42 years old, and I want to keep pushing myself to make fitness gains. It isn’t enough to maintain: For as long as you can grow, you should. To keep myself going, and to show how good my program is, I have designed a fitness challenge for myself using all eight of the patterns in my program.

My 8-week Fitness Challenge: Week 3

I’m about to turn 42 years old, and I want to keep pushing myself to make fitness gains. It isn’t enough to maintain: For as long as you can grow, you should. To keep myself going, and to show how good my program is, I have designed a fitness challenge for myself using all eight of the patterns in my program.

My 8-week Fitness Challenge: Week 4

I’m about to turn 42 years old, and I want to keep pushing myself to make fitness gains. It isn’t enough to maintain: For as long as you can grow, you should. To keep myself going, and to show how good my program is, I have designed a fitness challenge for myself using all eight of the patterns in my program.

My 8-week Fitness Challenge: Week 5

I’m about to turn 42 years old, and I want to keep pushing myself to make fitness gains. It isn’t enough to maintain: For as long as you can grow, you should. To keep myself going, and to show how good my program is, I have designed a fitness challenge for myself using all eight of the patterns in my program.

My 8-week Fitness Challenge: Week 7

I’m about to turn 42 years old, and I want to keep pushing myself to make fitness gains. It isn’t enough to maintain: For as long as you can grow, you should. To keep myself going, and to show how good my program is, I have designed a fitness challenge for myself using all eight of the patterns in my program.

My 8-week Fitness Challenge: Week 8

I’m about to turn 42 years old, and I want to keep pushing myself to make fitness gains. It isn’t enough to maintain: For as long as you can grow, you should. To keep myself going, and to show how good my program is, I have designed a fitness challenge for myself using all eight of the patterns in my program.

Eight Patterns of Fitness, part 1 of 8: Breath

The first, and therefore most essential pattern, is breath. You can survive weeks without food and days without water, but only minutes, or even seconds, without air.

Eight Patterns of Fitness, part 2 of 8: Hydration

There are many symptoms of dehydration, because a lack of water impacts everything in your body. Are you hungry, despite eating recently?

Eight Patterns of Fitness, part 3 of 8: Nutrition

Our modern world has made eating far more complicated than it needs to, and has become a point of confusion for many people. There is no mystery: Eat healthful foods in sensible quantities.

Eight Patterns of Fitness, part 4 of 8: Strength

Strength is not only the ability to move against forces, it’s also an important factor in control, stabilization and power.

Eight Patterns of Fitness, part 5 of 8: Conditioning

For decades the assumption has been that performing monotonously at a medium pace for a long time is a great way to burn fat; however, the more current research shows that this is not necessarily true.

Eight Patterns of Fitness, part 6 of 8: Flexibility

Doing a minute of bouncing around and grunting at the beginning, and then skipping it outright at the end is definitely not helping you. Healthy joints that perform efficient movements require a balance of strength and flexibility.

Eight Patterns of Fitness, part 7 of 8: Focus

Set aside a few minutes each day to experience something sensuous, or to allow your mind to wander. It isn’t good for your focus to always be so focused. You really do need to take your lunch break.

Eight Patterns of Fitness, part 8 of 8: Rest

Sleep, fasting between meals, time between sets during exercise sessions, days between training, personal time, play: All of these (and more) are opportunities to give yourself the ability to process and recover from all the living you do.

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Jack Kirven is a mobile personal trainer in Charlotte, NC. He is the owner of INTEGRE8T Wellness.

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