Goggins 4x4x48 Challenge [Part 2]
Updated: Mar 6, 2022
It's been 1 year since I've done the 4x4x48 challenge and it's time I did it again.
You can read all about Goggins and the 4x4x48 challenge here - https://www.gogginschallenge.com/ and from this video.
Why am I doing it? Simply, to test my limits and harden my mindset.
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PLAN
Because the nature of my physical activities is grounded in bodybuilding and lifting weights, I won't be running every single interval:
2 Intervals - Running
2 Intervals - Boxing
2 Intervals - Lifting (chest & triceps)
2 Intervals - Lifting (back & biceps)
2 Intervals - Lifting (legs)
2 Intervals - Mix / My Own Choosing
My goal is to do 5% more work than last year. I'll be doing similar workouts as last year, with 5% increase in volume.
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Friday 0500 (Leg 1, 44 hours till the end)
I usually wake up at 0500, but today I set the alarm to 0445 so I could start my first leg at 0500.
Workout: 330 push-ups (10 push-ups per minute x 33 minutes)
Food intake: 4 eggs, 1 tortilla & protein yoghurt
Current mindset/state of body & mind: I'm already tired, which is a bad start. I slept badly for the past two days and I am already sleep-deprived. But fuck it, I'll push it through.
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Friday 0900 (Leg 2, 40 hours till the end)
Workout: 80kg squats (+ warmup 30,50,70kg) & Cold Shower
Food intake: 100g pasta, 1 spoon sour cream, apple & carrots
Current mindset/state of body & mind: "Rest" between intervals goes by quickly. A cold shower woke me up though. I usually drink coffee in the morning, but I'll save it for the night. I have college lectures until the next leg, which will be back & biceps.
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Friday 1300 (Leg 3, 36 hours till the end)
Workout: 160 pull-ups
Food intake: 150g rice, 150g chicken breast, 1 spoon sour cream, salad
Current mindset/state of body & mind: Switching between physical and mental focus between college lectures and workouts is harder than I thought. But this ain't a place to complain.
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Friday 1700 (Leg 4, 32 hours till the end)
Workout: 30min running & Cold Shower
Food intake: Meat pie
Current mindset/state of body & mind: At 3 pm I almost fell asleep during the college lecture, so I had to grab a small cup of coffee to keep me going till the evening. The run was awful as I already have shin splints and blisters from running & playing basketball days leading up to the 4x4x48.
The plan for the night will be to lower my food intake and increase my water intake. Throughout the night I'll be doing some graphic designing and maybe analyzing potential investments.
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Friday 2100 (Leg 5, 28 hours till the end)
Workout: 30kg biceps curls (5x8), drop set 15kg (7x8) and 160 sit-ups
Food intake: Carrots & protein yoghurt
Current mindset/state of body & mind: I am starting to feel DOMS (muscle soreness). A cold shower from the last interval really helped with bringing down the muscle inflammation. I also have a massage gun, which is actually really useful in this case.
Anyways, the night is beginning and as I remember, this was the hardest part of the challenge, because our brain is trying to shut off due to the night cycle in our circadian rhythm. But that's the thing - I don't quit.
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Saturday 0100 (Leg 6, 24 hours till the end)
Workout: 300 bodyweight squats (ATG aka "ass to grass")
Food intake: 50g rice, 50g chicken breast, cereal and milk with occasional fruits
Current mindset/state of body & mind: I'm halfway there. My old me would insert some sort of quote here, but honestly..... I fucking hate this... And because of the fact that I push through it... I fucking love it even more.
Like last year, I'll be doing the next interval (7th Leg) at 0500, take a 2-hour power nap and then finish the challenge without any further naps. People usually take naps between every single Leg... but where's the fun in that?
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Saturday 0500 (Leg 7, 20 hours till the end)
Workout: 100 push-ups, OHP 30kg x 30
Food intake: /
Current mindset/state of body & mind: Almost fell asleep before 7th Leg and barely pushed it through the workout. I'll go get a 2-hour sleep and onto the next one. 4x4x48 really does humble you in a way.
Also, Goggins started his first interval. I've started 24 hours earlier because I have plans on Sunday & have to be recovered for my new job on Monday, but it's nice to see him talk to us.
Around 20k people joined his live stream and are ready to go get after it - "those who live in the uncomfortable zone", these are my type of people.
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Saturday 0900 (Leg 8, 16 hours till the end)
Workout: Boxing (speed bag, working on reflexes, speed & agility)
Food intake: 3 eggs, 2 tortillas, tuna & avocado
Current mindset/state of body & mind: Waking up on a 2-hour sleep after 24 hours of being awake and working out feels like you've slept for 5seconds, but at the same time, like you've slept for 10 hours straight.
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Saturday 1300 (Leg 9, 12 hours till the end)
Workout: 30min Running & Cold Shower
Food intake: /
Current mindset/state of body & mind: This has honestly been one of the hardest runs that I've ever done, mentally and physically. And it's not "just" the running part, but it's the sleep deprivation, bad weather (it's literally started snowing when I was getting ready to run), blisters on my feet, shin splints, soreness, and so many different factors accumulatively impacting my being.
Fuck it, imma be cringe for the next minute. This damn interval helped me raise the bar of my mentality on another level. I really had to dig deep. I had to remind myself - who the fuck I really am. And how I got here. And what I stand for. That's how I got the strength to finish this run.
I went for it, even sprinting the last few hundred meters. When I got back home - I just smiled.
Nonetheless, I can see the end is near..That being said - these last hours are usually the hardest. But if there's one thing I can confidently say about myself is that - I don't quit. I never learned how to give up.
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Saturday 1700 (Leg 10, 8 hours till the end)
Workout: Warm-up benching to 80kg & then 50kg x 100 reps
Food intake: 300g beef, 200g potatoes
Current mindset/state of body & mind: I couldn't believe this. My goal was to hit 50kg for 7 x 5 (35 in total) due to fatigue and exhaustion (I also did warm-up sets up to 80kg prior).
I don't know how, but I just kept going and going until I saw I hit 100 reps total.
This 4x4x48 really brings out the best in you...and the worst. You are the one who decides which one is going to prevail.
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Saturday 2100 (Leg 11, 4 hours till the end)
Workout: Boxing (heavy bag, working on power & endurance). Guided session from this video. & Cold Shower
Food intake: Banana
Current mindset/state of body & mind: I left this workout for the 11th Leg because it's one of the hardest ones and I knew I'd have to really put my mind into it if I were to complete this workout. And man oh man, saying that this was hell would be an understatement.
After pushing it through all the way, I cannot explain the feeling of knowing that you completed 11 hard-ass workouts & that you'll be soon taking "the prize". It's happiness in its purest form - knowing that you held your promises, went through hell over and over again and never gave up.
But it's not over yet. Last year I almost failed the last Leg due to sleep deprivation. I almost gave in and overslept. This time around, I'll be more careful.
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Sunday 0100 (Leg 12, COMPLETED)
Workout: 200 pull-ups (6 reps / min x 32min and 8 reps on the 33rd minute)
Food intake: 2 tortillas
Current mindset/state of body & mind: If you were to guess how many times I wanted to quit during this workout, what would your guess be? No, higher - 33. Every minute I had to grip that bar again, I wanted to quit. But I couldn't.
Not after coming that far.
I took control.
Finally, it's finished. I am so fucking proud of myself.