Finally… My 9 Week Results

At the beginning of the 9 Week Challenge there were eighty, that’s right(!), eighty participants that decided to take the challenge to better themselves and see what they could do to improve their health, strength, nutrition etc.  Here we are now at the end of the 9 weeks and where oh where is everyone?!

I refuse to even mention the excuses made by the people that wanted to do the challenge – but didn’t.  And I refuse to mention the reasons why some fell off the wagon and couldn’t treat their bodies well for 9 weeks because those who know me know; my # 1 pet peeve is negativity! I had a broken foot for gawd sake!

I didn’t meet one of the goals that I had set for myself, but gosh darn it, I am still proud of the results of today’s testing and had I not kept plugging away at training… you know what would have happened?  First and foremost, I would have let myself down!  I would have let my students down and I would have been a depressed mess.  Exercise keeps the mind, body and spirit strong!  Aren’t you worth it enough to take care of yourself the best you can?  You’ve only got one body.

Okay…  Enough preaching.  Here’s the dirt:

Original weight: 140.4 lbs,  End Weight: 135.4 lbs =  5 lbs weight loss

Original Chin Ups: 13,  End Chin Ups: 17 = Increased by 4

Original Push Ups: 60, End Push Ups: 66 = Increased by 6

I have to state right here and now that I was sorely disappointed in the push ups at first because my goal was 75.  The flexibility in my toes is really bad right now and it’s painful to do push ups with both feet down.  My goal was 75 because I’ve done 72 push ups in 60 seconds.  I figured that I should be able to do at least that in this challenge.  What I wasn’t taking into account was that you cannot pause between your push ups in this challenge; you have to have a steady flow of movement… With the 60 second drill it is simply how many you can do in the allotted time.  So?  Maybe not quite as bad as I initially thought, it’s an entirely different way of doing the drill.

I am going to put together a much different challenge for the Fall.  And in hindsight, I will not allow the participants to go so long “unchecked”.  I think that next time the participants should have frequent re-testing to keep them on track.

Do I deserve the new T-Shirt I’ve had in hiding?  Did I do well enough?  Looking at the “after” photos, I think so, yes! I’ll have to get Joey to take a photo of me in “THE SHIRT” so I can add it to this blog…

Congrats to everyone that has come in for the re-testing!  The increased strength, sensible weight loss and toning looks great on you all.  You’ve done yourselves proud and your body good!

Cheers to that!