"Even though the future seems far away, it is actually beginning right now." - Mattie Stephanek
For stage two I am really stepping it up a notch. Over the next 30 days I will be engaging in two challenges , one which will focus on my core strength another focusing purely on the abs. These areas were the two I really struggled with during the last program so I thought I would try and work on those areas first. These programs include no running at all, I think stopping completely would be a mistake so on top of these programs I will be completing two 1.5km runs a day to keep my running in shape.
These were today's objectives:
It was strange going back to exercise after a two week break, my body seemed to have already gotten used to doing nothing everyday however nothing proved a problem as my body is in a much better state than it was when I began stage one.
Until the programs require me to do a insane amount of reps I will be doing all my exercise in one go. Today I headed out to the park which is about 750m from my house which I ran. I then got down to the core exercises first which I powered through. I then went on a 1.5km run to break it up before doing the ab exercises, as per usual the flutter kicks proved the toughest. By the end of the program I will have to do 300 in a single day so hopefully I make significant progress before then. Then to end the days exercise I headed out for a final 1.5km run before walking home to cool off.
The days diet consisted of three meals:
- Breakfast- A bowl of fruit and fiber cereal with a added sliced banana.
- Lunch- A Home made burger, with tinned tomato chucks and pasta.
- Dinner- 250g of plain yogurt with added honey for taste.
The only meal which required any preparation was the lunch. I had made the burgers a week before so all I had to do was cook the burger, add some pasta and the tomato chucks. For those of you who would like to make your own burgers this is the recipe.
http://neilarey.com/recipes/healthy-burgers.html
Next Monday I will have to make another batch, I may post some photos so you can see how my ones came out!
In terms of the Starcraft I am starting totally from scratch, as a result I needed to get hold of some new builds to reflect changes in the meta-game. As a result I played no ladder games today, but I played quite a few customs trying out a few builds to see what I liked.
Here's a quick overview of the builds I will be using both on and off stream for the next month or so.
In ZvZ I am going back to the "Hyun three queen roach" build, the build is solid macro and starts off with a really strong timing push which rewards both good micro and macro. Unlike previously I will be using Hyuns variant to the letter, meaning a rather late gas. Learning how to defend two base aggression will be a large focus in the upcoming week.
In ZvT I will be returning to my Tefel opener which starts with a 14 pool, since I began using it I have enjoyed massive success. Only quite recently have I began to lose due to the new hellbat all in which has cropped up. I will start games with a 1/1 roach timing which will either deflect a hellbat all in or pressure my opponent. In the past I have expressed hatred for such a style and that has not gone away. As a result my upgrades will include +1 melee rather than ranged. After the defense/assault I will transition straight into mutas and carry on with the style I am best at.
In regards to ZvP not much has changed, my chosen transition from roaches will continue to be roach/hydra/viper as I have no interest in playing swarmhost.
Game Summary and Points of Improvement
Vs Protoss (x-x)
- Play at least 5 ladder games and find areas of weakness.
- Use first training session of the day to grind customs to further familiarize myself with the build order.
Vs Terran(2-0)
- Play at least 5 ladder games and find areas of weakness.
- Use first training session of the day to grind customs to further familiarize myself with the build order.
Vs Zerg (2-0)
- Play at least 5 ladder games and find areas of weakness.
- Use first training session of the day to grind customs to further familiarize myself with the build order.
There was no stream today. From now on I will be streaming at least four times a week, I have a full schedule posted below in the information section. I will often stream at other times which will include other games such as hearthstone.
As always thanks for reading! Its really nice to be back and I hope you all like the blog updates, if there is anything you would like me to add to the Info section please let me know. Over the past few days I have received flack for not properly stating my objectives I have made some small changes to adjust for that, hopefully that has cleared up any confusion. Ill see you all tomorrow!
FAQ
Q: What is this blog about?
A: This blog is about self improvement in two specific fields, health and gaming. I aim to try and show the community how they can improve themselves in and out of game by maintaining a positive mentally. I hope I will encourage others to take up some form or exercise and improve themselves.
Q: Why are you doing this?
A: It has been proven that your physical well being directly affects how you perform mentally. This of course will affect game-play skill. It is my hope that by improving myself physically I will firstly feel better about myself while also being able to improve my Starcraft/ MTG play. Another goal is to encourage others to do the same and engage in exercise to improve themselves.
Q: What do you do on your live stream?
A: On my stream I play and commentate Starcraft and MTGO , I aim to help weaker players by explaining my decision making and looking over replays. I also aim to improve myself to the point where I can compete on a high level.
Q: Can I get involved?
A: Yes!!! I encourage everyone to start the journey to self improvement today. Find a exercise regime which looks suitable for you and get started! Also be sure to update me on your progress.
Q: How can I support you?
A: Simply watching and following my stream helps me a great deal.
Streaming Schedule
Times are in CET
Monday- No stream
Tuesday- 8pm- 10pm
Wednesday- No Stream
Thursday- 8pm- 10pm
Friday- No official stream, will often stream from 6pm- 12pm playing games with viewers and friends
Saturday- 8pm-11pm
Sunday- 8pm-10pm
Health Related Programs
Current Program - "Ab Challenge" + "Core Challenge"
Programs Completed - "30 Day's of change"
Diet Program- http://neilarey.com/mealplans/modern-hero-diet.html
Designer- Neila Ray
Website- http://neilarey.com/
Gaming
Starcraft 2 League - High Diamond
Highest concurrent viewership: 12
Number of followers: 47
Body
Current Weight- 65kg
Starting Weight- 60kg
Height - 6'1
Age - 18
Long Term Goals
1) Reach High masters in Sc2 and compete in the MSI circuit.
2) Win a PTQ or reach the Top 8 of a Grandprix.
3) Improve my fitness levels to a point where I can run 5km in under 20 minutes.
4) Create a live-stream which maintains a concurrent viewership of 20 everyday.
Relevant Links
Blog: http://www.teamliquid.net/blogs/haulvern
Livestream: www.twitch.tv/haulvern
Twitter: www.twitter.com/haulvern
Contact details: hauljin (skype)