Once upon a time, there was a Bay12 group on HabitRPG. I put together an exercise challenge for the group, then quickly lost interest in HabitRPG in general because their website is held together with scotch tape and chewing gum. Some people have expressed interest in taking up the Dwarven Gauntlet, so I'm posting it here if you can't get to HabitRPG, don't want to make an account, or just want to stay on Bay12. Post exercise stories, support, advice, or whatever in here.
Anyway, this is the challenge I issued.
Let's face it, B12, most of us are pasty, chair bound nerds for one reason or another. Well, it's time to change that and dorf up. If you want to get healthy, you have to get moving, and you will move in this challenge. We aren't expecting to become super-athletes or bodybuilders here, it's all about getting a little better than we were a little bit at a time. Incremental steps are the key to getting better at anything, and health is no exception.
Don't overestimate yourself at first, and know your limits. If anything hurts, stop and take a breather. If it still hurts after resting, you may need to see a doctor or find an alternate exercise. Easy mode is more than what much of the internet is doing, so there's no shame in starting there. Take your time, use controlled movements, and don't injure yourself. Start every workout with a brief warmup. 20 jumping jacks or 30 seconds of jogging in place (get your knees up to your chest if you can!) is plenty. Stretch a little bit, but save the real stretching for after the workout. We aren't training for the Dorf Olympics, and we don't want to see anyone hurt. Let's use proper technique.
Below are the Circuits. Give yourself 30-60 seconds of rest time between each exercise, then get right back to it, even if you're tired. If you get too tired, stop for a second, then keep on pushing. Whatever you do, do not let your form slip. Bad form creates bad habits and injuries. Drink plenty of water. After you're finished exercising, gently stretch anything that is sore or burns, and take a shower (it helps your recovery time.) Then, eat something good for you. If you're into milk, drink an 8oz glass of chocolate milk. Seriously, it's the best thing you can drink. Soy milk works for this, too, if you can't do regular milk.
**Easy Circuit**: 10 incline pushups, 10 crunches, 5 oblique crunches (each side,) 10 squats, 10 lunges (each side), and 30 seconds straight of planking.
**Medium Circuit**: 20 pushups, 25 crunches, 10 obliques (each side,) 10 squat leaps, 15 lunges (each side), and 1 minute straight of planking.
**Hard Circuit** (Are you dorf enough?): 50 pushups OR 30 decline pushups, 50 crunches, 20 obliques (each side), 20 burpees, 20 lunges (each side), and 2 minutes straight of planking.
If you have no idea what any of those things are, fear not! Here are some videos to help you get started:
PushupThis is pretty much a perfect military pushup.
Incline/Decline PushupGuy's butt is too high, but you get the idea.
CrunchPerfect crunch form. Nice and controlled.
Oblique CrunchI don't go quite so far apart with my legs (I actually tuck my top leg so that my knee is on the ground,) and the weird noises are optional.
SquatI prefer a straighter back, especially when working with weights, but you get the gist.
LungeThis is why I have absurdly large calves and thighs. Get low, people!
PlankThis is perfect form. That's really all there is to it. Looks easy, will start to burn after about 20 seconds. To make it easier to track your time, put a stopwatch in your field of vision. To make it harder, get a yoga ball and plank with your arms on that. Planking is really, **really** hard, especially at first. If you can't stay up for the full time, go 10, 20 or 30 seconds at a time, just remember not to count the time you're on the floor.
Jump SquatI like to see more explosiveness in the jump, though. Aim higher!
BurpeeMore explosiveness on the jump! Aim high!
Alright, folks, let's get to it! Get that fat burning like it's made of magmaaaaa!
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Topic: The Dwarven Gauntlet (Read 13261 times)