TLDR: Seeking Fresh Challenges

Too Long Dad Recap of the Week

I went to Home Depot this week on 10/27, trying to get some last minute Halloween decorations. I was expecting to maybe find some on clearance sale. Upon arrival, though, no Halloween decorations were to be found. Instead, it was wall-to-wall Christmas decorations.

Store employees explained all the Halloween stuff had sold out well ahead of Halloween. Apparently, folks are eager to decorate their homes if they can’t travel as much as they’d like.

So, we shopped the Christmas decorations. I grabbed a few things but exercised the same discipline I’ve been showing in the kitchen to abstain from pulling the trigger on this giant inflatable AT-AT walker.

Anyway, the point is life continues to move forward at breakneck speed. In a few weeks, Thanksgiving, then its on to Christmas and a fresh year. Time waits for no man, as they say, constantly slipping through our fingers. Make every second count, and if you want to have a giant inflatable AT-AT Walker on your front yard, go for it. Yolo, man!

Things I Watched or Read: Hard to Avoid Politics

I watched and was inspired by the Will Tennyson 100,000 challenge video he put out last week.
- I thought it was such a great idea, I dedicated 200 minutes Saturday morning to recreating the challenge myself. More to come on my version of the challenge.
- You can see his video here, as if he needs more views…
Me and my children watched the first episode of the second season of the Mandalorian
- A few days before the episode was released, my son and I were discussing what we expected from the upcoming season
- We were speculating that the budget for special effects would be bigger after the first season’s success.
- As such, we expected to see some big monsters, and (spoiler alert) the entire first episode revolved around a small town grappling with a giant monster.

Things I Lifted: Catching Pumps, Transition in Motion

With the strength test out of the way, I find myself with a few weeks to wander and have fun with training.
That freedom is alright for a few weeks, but I’ll need to start a program soon to avoid flailing around (and probably burning myself out).
- After this final week of playing around in the gym, I start the “powerbuilding” program I plan to use this winter to keep volume up, build muscle mass and maintain strength.
I still got my 7 days of 15,000 steps and 400 walking lunges.

I also still got plenty of volume via this massive 100,000 pounds in 100 minutes challenge I did. It consisted of 94 sets, 792 total reps, with weights ranging from 240lbs on the trap bar deadlift down to 10 pound dumbbells for lateral raises. See below for a few pics, stay tuned to my YouTube channel for a full recap of the challenge.

This week, I will probably going to pick one final challenge to try, alongside the final bridge week programming I have set up. Comment below with any suggestions!

Things I Ate: Everlasting Starburst Ball

I ran a pretty clean sheet this week in the kitchen. I think calories were hit every day this week, helped by large volume protein ice cream every day and high volume of steamed veggies.

Then Halloween, I overate by quite a bit with the 100 Starburst added 2,000 calories extra. But the process of unwrapping 100 individual pieces (25 minutes) and kneading them all into a giant ball (another 20 minutes) probably helped me burn off the calories consumed.

Doing that challenge left me un-interested in considering any other Halloween candy. Halloween can sometimes be a big day for binging, especially when you overbuy in preparation for trick-or-treaters.

Anabolic pizookie and brownie, staple recipes

Bodyweight trended lower this week and the trailing 7-day average is down another pound this week to 162.1 pounds. I’m still a few pounds off the ultimate threshold, but I’ve been a little looser lately, so I’m ok with the pace slowing a bit.

Dad Report: Gainz are Temporary, YouTube is Forever

It’s political yard sign season all across America, but especially in Pennsylvania. One of the best ones I’ve seen on my block reads: “Politicians are temporary, Wu-Tang is forever.” I chuckled. people are taking this election very seriously, but for most of us dads out there, not much in our daily lives will be impacted by the outcome in either direction. Relying on politicians to fix things in your life is never a good philosophy.

But enough about politics. This weekend, I had a chance to make some more incredible memories with my children and capture them on video. My son and I are already talking about how great it will be 20 years from now to go back and look at all the fun we had doing these fitness and food challenges. If having fun and being silly can be the lasting memory of 2020, it will be a win for me.

For all dads, the recommendation is simple: play with your kids. Its the most rewarding thing you can do, and all too quickly your time together will pass.

I’m still editing the video we did this weekend, but it was an epic fitness challenge that engaged the children as my little coaches. That was followed by an epic Starburst binge that we’ll never forget.

In the meantime, don’t forget to check out my video from last week, where I was challenged to finish all the meatless patties and other old freezer food for the whole day.