About two years ago, my writing group (which had come together mostly because we are part of the same workout program – plus I dragged my writing buddy along) started talking about our goals for the following year. We talk about both our writerly goals and our workout goals. One of the members said she was thinking about doing a million pound challenge to try and get her workouts back on track.
A million pounds? I felt like that gif that goes around a lot:
I mean, was that even possible? An entire MILLION pounds?
I did the math.
That’s 83,333.33 pounds a month.
Or, if you lift three times a week, it’s 6,410.27 pounds per session. (Assuming you don’t miss any days…)
The program I follow is lower weight (as in not trying for personal bests every time) but high reps. It was possible. So I went for it. (I’ll admit, I got a little flexible with what I allowed myself to count the first year. I live in the midwest. So yes, I weighed a shovel full of snow and then counted how many shovelfuls I lifted off my driveway. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I did what I had to.)
And I made it – I lifted my millionth pound on Dec 30 of that year.
When I decided to repeat the challenge, I opted to make it “clean” – meaning no more functional fitness pounds lifted would count toward the total. I was lifting heavier weights at the start of this year than at the start of last year, so it shouldn’t be too tricky, right?
Well, I didn’t expect that stretch in May when I got sick. Or that three week stretch in July when I spent a week in Scotland (we planned it only a couple months in advance), got sick again while back home for a week, and then headed to Washington State for another week. Those missed workouts added up, plus a few here and there when I could only work two lifting days into a week (I workout at home with an Olympic weight lifting bar and plates, so if I’m not home, I don’t have access. I do travel with bands, but it’s not the same.)
Even so, with the bumps (and, yes, bruises) along the way, I made it. 💪🏻 (I’ll admit, there were some extra sessions the last few weeks as I’ve been home so much.)
This year, I lifted my millionth pound on Dec 23 – and not a single flake of snow was included in this endeavor. 🤣 (Though there have already been plenty of opportunities to shovel already this winter.)
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do the challenge again. It’s a lot of time adding totals and what not – and some days, I just want to lift the heavy things and be done with it. But it is indeed a good motivator to get those workouts in. I’m planning to do it again – and try to hit that goal even earlier.
Ami Maxine 