Most Recent Edit: Jan 3, 2019

Summary

Through this post, I want to:

• Stay accountable to improving my Holistic Fitness pillar (currently my #1 investment area) by publicizing my efforts

• Analyze the state of my Holistic Fitness: where it currently is, what got it here, why it is as it is, and how to hack it better

• Document a progression so I can revisit this in the future if/when relevant

This (now very public) post is an exceedingly scary thing for me.

It pains me to so openly admit what I perceive to be a weakness and character flaw (working on this), but this is important and I’m committed to being better.

Prologue

It’s important to me that I begin with transparency and vulnerability with these admissions:

I have had poor habits when it comes to health and wellness.

I have tried many times to form good habits throughout my life but struggle to keep them.

This is consistently the ‘priority’ that gets ditched when I’m faced with competing priorities.

I will need great discipline and support from others to make this happen.

Improving this area of my life will drastically impact my capacity to do everything else.

The trials + their analysis

Throughout my life, I’ve tried many sports and fitness routines. My wife likens these to a series of experiments that I’ve completed. She says I should leverage this data to thoroughly understand the patterns and triggers of my habit formation (note: she’s currently a Product Manager).

In this post, I will be reflecting on what attempts I’ve had, what has worked and not worked, why that was the case, and what lessons can be learned. My goal here is to understand my behavioural patterns around my Holistic Fitness pillar in order to have a plan that is optimized for successful outcomes.

Below is a list of things I’ve tried for an extended period of time (i.e. at least 3 months):

• Track & Field

• Weightlifting

• Dragon Boating

• Wing Tsun

• Kickboxing Conditioning (early AM)

• Boxing/Kickboxing (PM after work)

• Archery and strength training

• Working out with friend (weightlifting)

• Working out with friend (boxing)

• Working out with wife

• Ultimate Frisbee / Dodge ball League

• One Punch Man workout

• Choosing to walk when I can (e.g. instead of elevators/escalators, to/from work and activities, up 18 flights of stairs to get home)

Jan 3: Tired as I’m writing this at 11pm, analysis to come at a later time.

Currently working toward

I have arbitrarily set targets for myself because it seems sensible to have something to work toward. I have no idea if these are reasonable, but at least they serve as a starting point:

• Water Intake: currently 1-1.5L per day — aiming for 2.5-3L per day

• Weight: currently 194 lbs — aiming to be 180 lbs

• Intermittent Fasting: continue maintaining 8pm-12pm fasting window

• Running: aiming for 5km in 30 min with consistent pacing

• Squats: aiming for 100 consecutive

• Mountain Climbers: aiming for 100 consecutive

• Bench Press: currently 1x 160 lbs — aiming for 10x 180 lbs

• Chin Ups: currently 0 — aiming for 20 reps

• Pull Ups: currently 0 — aiming for 5 reps

• Bicep Curls: currently 2x 30 lbs — aiming for 10x 50 lbs

The overall objective is to feel strong, clear-minded, and capable of tackling life. Also, I really want to stop my joints from clicking and my knees from hurting (aching?).

Aiming to actively work toward these targets and their achievement will come when they come. It’s not specifically looking toward year-end. One thing I plan to do is work with a Personal Trainer for a proper assessment and set sensible goals based on my specific circumstances.

Going ahead and publishing this post now that I’ve gotten most of my current thoughts written down. Will be regularly coming back to this post.