Hey Guys! I am back and proud to be a part of the new PCC (Peak-Condition Community) blog!When Patrick first sent out the e-mail to us veterans I was really excited because this was something I was thinking needed to be present in the PCP program and couldn't wait to start blogging (once a week this time, yay!). I hadn't done any post-PCP blogs back on mine because every time I tried I felt like I was polluting the closure of the last post and I felt like I should only ever post on it for important announcements, maybe. But I am ecstatic to see what is to come hear from people who I followed and people I shared the PCP experience with.
So not only is this importance of healthy community vital to continuing the PC journey but something else I'm going to discuss today, active life choices, or active life-style. First a little update on me and my thoughts of post-PCP life.
I definitely took it easy. I haven't jumped rope much at all since the project (i miss it but it's hard when cold) and haven't done well-rounded intense work out routines. I really took it easy and I am surprised I haven't gotten more out of shape. I put a little more fat on my belly again (maybe a 1/2 inch) but only gained 3 pounds. I have been eating pretty healthy and have done probably weekly indulgences, mainly in the forms of canolis and caramel lattes. Besides that I have kept up good breakfast daily (something I have never done my whole life and it's a huge benefit!) and healthy eating. The only thing I have done wrong is not enough veggies and probably too many carbs for my activity level.
So now onto some discoveries and insight on how to maintain relative PC while taking it easy. I was extremely surprised that once in great shape it's actually harder to get out of shape than into shape. You have to push yourself into bad habits if you want them to form (Patrick and that nasty Reeses thing! Ugh! haha). You also have to be extremely inactive if you want to loose your muscle mass and stamina. Your body really does want to be in shape! And once you are used to the rigors of the PCP you want to stay active as much as you want to take it easy and that's what has helped me stay in shape, active life choices.
While the weather was still decent I actually spent a lot of time climbing trees at my house and local parks, expanding on my ideas for nature Parkour. I also have gotten into rock-climbing (indoors right now of course) and have been going 1 to 2 times a week. So because of this some of my muscles have gotten smaller (pecs, biceps, quads) but other muscles have gotten MUCH stronger (Back, shoulders, and forearms especially). Not to mention doing something fun and active that gives you a sense of accomplishment and evolution continues to spiral your desire for fitness upwards, I can't wait for good weather again!
So over the next few weeks/months I plan on increasing my activity again and using this opportunity to get into better shape than I was before, hopefully get to my true vision of PC by the mid-summer. And I think the PCC will help me stay motivated.
I have my 3 week trip to backpack Europe (Dublin-Rome) in May and I certainly wanna be in great shape for that, and I want a 6-pack for the summer (since it has faded lol)! So since I know the PCP is the fast-track to doing that I'm cracking back down and can't wait to release my pent up energy. This June I will also be doing my annual juice fast detox and will like to blog about that.
Until then stay active people!
I'm now passing the baton to David in this relay of PCP madness! Back from PCP1 or PCP Amber. I can't wait to see how he has been doing! Be back next week.
Peace
8 comments:
How long IS this thing supposed to last, anyway? Forever?????
Haha, I was wondering that too.
Mwa Ha ha, you will be doing the PCP FOREVER!
Seriously, my idea is to cycle people in and out as new PCPers finish their projects, so yes, technically, the PCC will never end. I'll probably be blogging it by myself in 20 years when the ice caps have melted and started a global ice-age and no one has internets anymore.
You can opt out anytime you want!
Rock climbing will really pack the muscle on, but not much in the core area. It's the only sport I know that doesn't count on the core as it's main engine.
I was thinking about this for years and trying to figure out how the abdominals work in climbing, but one day watching some monkeys in Bali it finally hit me that the abs really aren't doing much of anything when you climb. There's some illio-psoas stuff but that's about it. Strange exercise!
PCP forever rock on! I can't wait to read patrick's blogs when he is like a kung fu master at age 80.
And maybe you don't strain your core muscles while climbing but it's a lot of muscle function you don't realize. Your abs work really hard for stabilizing while bouldering, especially to hold you close to the wall while inverted and while making big jumps or long static reaches where you have long holds. also on top-roping you do use a lot of legs and very little arm strength, if you are doing things right. So actually rock-climbing is very good for a lot of muscles that you don't think about. it just doesn't BUILD muscles on places like the pecs abs and biceps etc. It definitely does build shoulder, back, and forearm muscles without a doubt though.
oh and doing pull-ups on door jambs are great for finger and back strength!
When I climbed in high school we used to hold 2 liter Coke bottles by the cap until muscle failure to improve finger and forearm strength. That burned! A few times I couldn't even write the next day.
That's a killer idea patrick. I gotta try it. Also dead hanging on sloped holds shreds your fore-arms. It's awesome. After a good day of bouldering it's so painful to push back on your hands cuz the burn in the forearms is tremendous! I think my forearms are gonna be like pop-eye soon.
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