Throughout this 30 day challenge, there have been several articles written and shared the interwebs, leading to…spirited discussions in the comments sections, online forums, and reddit about the Rock’s training regiment.

One thing is clear: people hold their views on how to workout seriously. Reading something that contradicts their view is often taken with great offense and a passionate reply is soon to follow. Whether it’s doing cardio while trying to gain muscle, using drop sets while lifting, or controversial views on “calories in, calories out,” people have a lot to say, and say it loudly. Many people have freely shared what I (and the Rock) are doing wrong in their eyes.

Like anyone else, I have my own opinions on fitness and what is or is not effective. The workout plan I’m doing includes several techniques I wouldn’t necessarily have tried otherwise. But it’s good to get outside your comfort zone, and test out new things. Fitness should be a life-long pursuit, and different approaches should be tried, tweaked, and evaluated constantly. The road is long, so enjoy the journey and don’t be beholden to your own dogma.

“Hey, I’m still using that.”

You know what’s broken? Our system for communicating to other gym-goers what stations we’re using, and vice versa. This is becoming much more apparent to me with so much time spent in the gym this month.

I’ve had people walk over to a station I’m using 10 minutes into it to let me know they’re using it (where have you been?). I’ve have waited for someone to return to a machine reserved with a towel, only to eventually realize it’s been abandoned. I have had people jump on a machine right in front of me during a 60 second rest without uttering a word. And I have lazily watched someone send text messages while in the general vicinity of a station, only to run over when they see you approach it.

I listened to a TED Radio Hour podcast this morning about why people lie. In studies, they greatly reduced the propensity of people to lie or cheat by having them sign an “honor code.” The simple act of signing the piece of paper made people exhibit better behavior. Perhaps when we join a gym, a “code of conduct” should be reviewed and signed by each new member. Maybe just emphasizing courteousness would make a difference.

So Long, You Tasty Bastard

I went to the fish market and made what was to be my last cod purchase for this challenge. Over the last 32 days, I have eaten nearly 75 lbs of cod. That’s a lot of fish. All steamed, with some seasoning sprinkled on. While I like fish, and cod is delicious, I don’t know when I would consider eating it again. We will definitely be taking a break from one another for some time.

Was it something I said?

You’re leaving me? Was it something I said?

Or who knows, maybe I’ll miss it so much I’ll come running right back. Time will tell.

Daily Stats

My last back day. Stayed in the “cardio zone” for 42 minutes. Yesterday it was 27 minutes. Felt good to keep that number up.

stats-day32