The Hard Routine

Beginning June 1st I will be attempting something called a Hard Routine. What this means is that I have a certain list of goals and restrictions that I will follow for the entire month with no cheating. It's basically a "trial by fire" experience designed to strengthen one's willpower and to get them used to doing things that they are not currently doing (or to break some bad habits). I think this is something that I really need to get the fire going again in my fitness life, as right now it's just a pile of smoldering embers. If I can get back in the routine of consistently getting into the gym, eating clean, and blogging then I know I can get back on track and keep that momentum for a while. So here are my goals for the month of June:

• No Alcohol - This one is very important, because I know I consume a lot of empty calories in alcohol.
• At least 4 workouts per week - This is the optimal amount of training for me to allow for weight-loss and recovery. If I can manage an additional workout it will probably be something I come up with that's both fun and challenging.
  
• Weigh-in every day and record - Just to get back in the habit.
• Take body measurements before and after - To have an objective measurement of progress.
• Record all workouts on beyondthewhiteboard.com - So I can compare my results when I repeat them in the future as another empirical measurement.
• Get under 200 pounds - Totally doable with this plan.
• Take weekly progress pictures each Sunday - It's been a while since I've done this, and I want some visual evidence to help keep me motivated.
• Strict Zone diet @ 16 blocks - This has worked well for me in the past, and it's not terribly difficult. It just takes a few extra seconds of weighing and measuring everything I put in my mouth.
• Practice pull-ups daily - Goal is to get 5 dead-hangs by the end of the month (currently at around 3).
• 1 cheat meal per week - This allows a little bit of something to look forward to each week so I don't completely burn out mentally. This has also worked well for me in the past.

So there it is. At the end of the month I will look at my progress and decide how to adjust for the next month. The goal is not to do one month and then go back to doing whatever I want, but it's to gradually reduce negative habits while (re-)introducing positive ones, with measurable progress at each interval. My girlfriend will be joining me on the no-alcohol goal, and she's coming up with some other goals of her own as well, so we'll be keeping each other accountable. I'll post my initial pictures and measurements on Monday.