Hey folks. It's time for the December addition of the monthly fitness challenge. For those of you unfamiliar, the goal is to set a specific fitness goal for yourself, and then go for it. The goal should be specific and measurable, so that you can keep a running log here toward your progress. Some common goals are xxx miles run/walked/bicycled over the course of the month....xx hours on the elliptical, stationary bike..... xx workouts per week or xx hours spent exercising per week. Whatever you want, so long as it is specific and measurable.

Start off by introducing yourself and stating your specific goal...then come here each day or as often as you'd like and update your progress for the month.

The whole point is to set a goal that is slightly above your comfort level....one you have to push yourself a little to achieve. But whatever your goal, the success will come for reaching for it....whether you make it or not is irrelevant. We all have setbacks...we get sick, injured or just plain busy. If that happens, don't give up. Just amend your goal and continue on till the end of the month. This challenge will carry is right into the new year and hopefully by the time it's over all of us will be breathing easier and feeling better from the activity.

Ok....I'll start. My goals for December are to run 120 miles, swim 9000 meters and do 1500 walking lunges.

I have not been good this month in reference to this challenge I tried to commit to. I'm supposed to be doing th plank challenge and haven't started yet! I've been to Zumba a couple time this month but that's about it. I really have to do better but time is just not on my side right now....lol...just a quick vent this am! HAVE A GREAT DAY!

Fiddle - absolutely yes, ice baths work, but only immediately after the muscle has been worked. Also, epsom poultices work absolute magic - if I did poultice wraps immediately when I got home at 3am from 8 hours straight of tango and drank plenty of water and potassium the following day, I hardly felt a thing.

As for my weight, I never even got close to goal, even when I was so crazy intense in my exercise, and at that time I was eating 800 cals a day, I never got lower than about 168 lbs. Tomorrow (Friday) marks the end of week 3 of Insanity + weights. It is a 60 day program. What do you think about my calories being upward of 1000 now and the result being I'm up 2 lbs? It goes without saying that my food is clean - there is more at stake than just weight loss, for me...

Why can't I get motivated to go to the gym just feel really lazy

Have had a gym membership since jan 13 not used it

Why can't I get motivated to go to the gym just feel really lazy

Have had a gym membership since jan 13 not used it

Check with the gym and see if they have any classes you might be interested in. That might motivate you to show up. In the class you might meet some people with common interests...you know....people who wanna work out but would rather not have to. That's most of us if we're being honest.

30 min mma

Calves are on fire today from timed, weighted calf raises yesterday. I tried Jillian for the first time on Monday. She's a tough broad. Added another 2.25 miles so far this week. Total mileage is 12 miles for the month.

At 14 miles for the month and did upper body this morning. I may try another Jillian DVD tomorrow. My right calf still hurts but only when in heels. Looks like flats for the next few days.

Why can't I get motivated to go to the gym just feel really lazy

Have had a gym membership since jan 13 not used it

The classes are a great idea....I do a lot of Zumba!

Today I officially accomplished my December fitness challenge!! My original goal was to do Insanity at least 15 times in the month of Dec and today was day 15!! I am a lot stronger than I was when I started, my squats are 100% better than they were at the beginning but the weekly pics I take of myself from the front back and side sadly show almost no difference, the only change has been a subtle shaping of my butt. Today marks the end of the first week of me eating about 1000-1200 a day, instead of the 650 i was doing. my reward? I'm up 2 lbs ....... FTS!

Today I officially accomplished my December fitness challenge!! My original goal was to do Insanity at least 15 times in the month of Dec and today was day 15!! I am a lot stronger than I was when I started, my squats are 100% better than they were at the beginning but the weekly pics I take of myself from the front back and side sadly show almost no difference, the only change has been a subtle shaping of my butt. Today marks the end of the first week of me eating about 1000-1200 a day, instead of the 650 i was doing. my reward? I'm up 2 lbs ....... FTS!

Congrats! That's 2 lb muscle.

Trying really hard to ignore the f*&^ing scale and just stay on track!

Just got back from the gym and walked faster and varied the incline more than previous workouts. If you were at the gym, I was the fat angry girl on one of the middle treadmills. I'm not seeing the scale go down and I'm constipated - yeah, stay out of my way.

Anywho, I'm at 33 miles to my (revised) goal of 54 miles.

Gave a great day everyone!

Holiday time is not a good time for my exercise goals, I have been slacking big time, still managed to get in my walking and a couple of classes, but not as much as I wanted to. MTD-75miles 10 yoga classes(which will be it for the year as class is done til after the 1st), 7 strength sessions. Sorry GG, I've been slacking off on the planking, got up to 28s, and then haven't kept it up, will do better next month.

Today was not my day. Strength just felt missing in action. Felt weak.

For Time:

50 Back Squats 135#/95#

40 Pull-Ups

30 Shoulder to Overhead 135#/95#

50 Front Squats 85#/65#

40 Pull-Ups

30 Shoulder to Overhead 85#/65#

It took me 27 minutes to complete which is in bottom 10% of spread. I do not like to hate on workouts, but this one leaves me unhappy with my participation today. It hurt too in my shoulders. Well, not every day is going to be a step forward. This one is sort of like my goal workout for the month (filthy 50 in 22 minutes), but doing this much with the barbell was hard for me, especially with the pull-up sets in between.

I hope tomorrow goes better.

I hope everyone is doing great! So far I am having a decent month even as busy as I have been with work. It is time for a vacation. Glad I only work 5 days in the next 2 weeks.

So far I am at 79.9 miles for the month and I have been doing a minimum of 4 miles per day. Everything is feeling good and I am looking forward to the new year and all the promising things it holds. Stay strong everyone, resist the temptations of the holiday goodies. Enjoy them, just don't over enjoy. Stay focused!

I have already been thinking about the January challenge. For January, I am going to focus on one weak exercise of mine: pull ups.

I want to do 40 unbroken as these sets are often in my daily workouts and often sap a lot of time because I have much to improve in technique, grip and upper body strength and raw determination. I need to find a good systematic way to reach this goal of 40 rather then only doing pull ups when they are called for on a warmup or workout (not really getting better this way). My workout times would be much better if I could bang out pull ups and not die on them.

For example, I could have probably completed my workout yesterday (see above) 10 minutes faster if my pull ups were not such a struggle. I got to the point in the second set of 40 where I could only complete 1 and then need to rest 2-3 seconds. I actually had trouble even completing the last 5; could not find the energy to get my chin over the bar.

So long story short: when the Jan challenge becomes available, 40 pull ups will be my goal. It will probably be my Feb goal too (80 unbroken instead of 40).

6 miles today, 18 for the week and a monthly total of 58 miles