convict conditioning | Eileen's Insights

Hey Guys!

I know it has been a long time since I wrote to you. To be exact it has been eight months ago. Do you want to know why? Well, I was starting my master’s thesis in March… And while writing a thesis every day for six months, I just had no energy and inspiration left for writing a blog post. I did not think that this would happen, but it did. I still went for walks and continued my home workout though. I even started to run once or twice a week and to cycle regularly. But as with the blog posts I also had less to share with you via Instagram... Less time to cook so there was less to show… And when I took photos to share them and their recipes with you… Well, I obviously did not do it. But I want to change that now! I will just give you an update in this Blog Post. Then I will write the next one about convict conditioning and how it turned out.

Writing a Master’s Thesis

First of all, the experience of writing a master’s thesis was something else! It was harder than a bachelor’s thesis, but at the same time way more interesting! As you might know, I studied Logistics. I wrote my master’s thesis about predictive maintenance at the intralogistics of Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG. Predictive maintenance is about predicting future failures and future wear of machines. Then you can plan maintenance activities only when they are needed. Companies usually use corrective or preventive maintenance methods. Corrective means repairing machines or parts when they broke down. Preventive includes time-based or performance-based maintenance activities to prevent breakdowns. It was a very interesting and technical topic which was challenging as I have no background in computer science or technology. I learned a lot about machine learning, artificial intelligence, and maintenance. But mostly I learned about staying concentrated and motivated for long periods of time. And what can I say, I succeeded and achieved what I was working for since March 2020. I completed my master’s degree with an average grade of 1.1 and was the best of my year. I am kind of proud but mostly happy that I learned so much.

Ready for Vacation

After finishing my master’s thesis I was ready for the holidays. So I went to Croatia for three weeks. I have never been on holiday this long. I went to Vinišće in the North of Split for two weeks with my best friend and our boyfriends. It was beautiful there, a small village in the middle of hills, olive trees, and fig trees. We just lay in the sun, swam in the sea, and ate a lot of food. I especially enjoyed lying outside in the dark, looking at the sky and the stars. Around here you can not see them as good as there. Bright and clear. After two weeks we separated. My friends stayed in Vinišće, while we moved southwards to Dubrovnik. I always wanted to go there, even though I have not watched all seasons of Game of Thrones, which was partially filmed there. The town is just amazing and definitely worth a visit! You can also visit Montenegro and Bosnia from there. We wanted to do this too, but I had an accident after two days. I think it was the need to climb, as I have not been bouldering for more than two weeks at that point. So I climbed a fig tree to get some figs. The branch cracked, I fell, and I sprained my ankle pretty badly. That was the end of visiting cities and the beginning of lying in the garden in front of our apartment, reading harry potter and being bitten by tiger mosquitos. I still enjoyed every bit of it.

The Wine in Croatia is just delicious
View from the appartment
At the beach
Beautiful Croatia
Me taking Photos all the time
Croatian Fish
Pink Latte and Matcha Latte
Canoeing
The fatal fig tree
Still enjoying Croatia

New Familiy Member

One night after the accident, after visiting the hospital of Dubrovnik and after going to the sea without swimming (thanks to my sprained ankle), it happened. We just arrived in front of our apartment and there she was. A small, thin kitten ran towards us. She asked for cuddles and did not leave for hours. When we went into our apartment, she came with us. She left during the night, as we left the door open. We did not have any food or a litter box. But we have already fallen in love with her. The next day we thought about getting a cat. We could not take her, of course. We were more than 12 hours away from home and we did not know if she belonged to someone and if we were even allowed. So we decided, we will just get a cat in Germany. Okay, so far so good.

We came back later that night after visiting a restaurant. I limped around the car with my crutches. Then I saw her. She jumped down from a terrace and ran towards me. She ran right into my arms. After stroking her once, I knew I did not want any cat from Germany. I wanted her. She felt like family. Once again she followed us into the apartment and we cuddled for hours. I contacted our landlord and found out that she did not have any owner. She was a street cat. This night we did not leave the door open. The next morning we went to a shop with our kitten and bought everything we needed. Then we went to a vet. She got vaccinated and chipped, and we got a passport for her. We stayed for four more days, and she never tried to leave. At the end of the week, we got into the car with the cat on my legs and drove for two whole days. We spent a night in a B&B in Ljubliana (also a city you should visit, it is just breathtaking!). We even went to restaurants with the cat. She behaved perfectly! Arriving in Germany we had to visit the vet very often as she got some sicknesses from the streets (ear mites). But she grew into a healthy, strong, beautiful cat that is now part of our family. We called her Mlini, after the village where we found her.

Start of a new Phase in Life

So, the master’s thesis was finished, the family was enlarged and my foot was injured. The next step was starting my very first job. I did not plan to start my first job with crutches, believe me. But as I am working in the office, at least I can work anyway. I started to work as a Junior SAP Consultant in the logistics/production area. As I have gained experience in maintenance and learned to be interested in that field, I was asked to work in the maintenance team within the logistics project. So now I am to become an SAP Consultant in Logistics and Maintenance. I am excited about everything that I will learn. I started to work for a Start-up, as I wanted to work in a small company. I have worked for big companies like Bosch, Porsche, and Lidl and I needed a change (I enjoyed all three companies, don’t get me wrong). It was the right decision. A small company can be so much more agile. You can participate in improving the company and when you have ideas you can actually realize them rather than only address them.

For now, I am happy. I make tons of photos of Mlini. I enjoy working and learning a lot every day. I started to go bouldering again (very slowly because of my foot) and I still do convict conditioning. I just started working on some personal ideas, too. I hope I can realize them soon. Of course, I will tell you about them, when they are ready. You will definitely hear from me soon. And as always, feel free to leave a like, a comment, and to visit my Instagram account, where you can watch photos of Mlini and stay up-to-date!

Love, Eileen

Hello Guys,

When lockdown 2.0 started in November, I searched for something to stay fit until bouldering is possible again. Bouldering is a sport that needs strength, endurance, agility, technique, and courage. The strength in the fingers and hands disappears quickly, as well as muscles in the chest, arms, and back if you are not exercising. I did not want to go back to bouldering after months of lockdown, feeling weak. As I am still a student, I am not able to spend endless money on equipment. That is how I found calisthenics. Calisthenics is a sport, where you only train with your own weight. On Amazon, I found a book by Paul Wade, which is called convict conditioning. Paul Wade went to prison. This is where he learned to train himself without any sports equipment. He needed to get strong, to be able to protect himself. He writes, that with his training you will be able to get strong. That is exactly what I was looking for! I bought his book and started the training right away, when lockdown started on the 1st of November 2020.

The training consists of six different disciplines: leg lifts, push-ups, pull-ups, squats, handstand push-ups, and upward bow poses. The disciplines are based on ten different levels. Each level contains three steps, which are based on a different amount of repetitions. During each exercise, more repetitions can be done. When you arrive at level 10, you can do, for example, push-ups on one hand. Handstand push-ups and upward bow poses can only be done, when level six of the other disciplines is accomplished. The disciplines are well described and demonstrated by pictures. Paul Wade also explains, how the training enables the ligaments and tendons to get stronger as well.

At first, the exercises might seem easy, as a real push-up is only done by level 5. But the different levels prepare the body for a real push-up, and more. I started with level 1 pull-ups, push-ups, leg lifts, and squats. Now, after three months, my state is the following: pull-ups – level 2, push-ups – level 4, leg lifts – level 5, and squats – level 5.

I started the training knowing, that I have problems with my left knee. I had a patella dislocation last year in March, which did not heal very well. I was not able to bend my knee completely, nor was I able to put a lot of pressure or weight on it. My knee made bizarre sounds and felt strange when I bent it. Sometimes it was a little unpleasant during the exercises or even painful after finishing. But after three months of training, I can bend my left knee as much as my right knee again. I can do full squats without any pain, and the strange feeling I get when I bend my knee tailed off. I have hopes that with continuing the training it will get better and better. We will see if this is true.

So, how do I feel after three months of convict conditioning, despite my knee getting better? I have to say that I feel stronger. I am happy every time I accomplish a new level. Also, I am impatient to start the upward bow pose and the handstand push-up. I never tried such a thing. My legs are stronger than ever, while my six-pack grows. I even feel as if my hands and fingers are still strong. If this training works, or how strong I really am, will be visible when I go bouldering again for the first time. When it happens, I will tell you about it. Also, I will publish another update in three months, after six months of training. However the situation changes in the future, I will continue the training besides bouldering.

Until now, I can totally recommend convict conditioning, if you are looking for a home workout to get strong. The book is available on Amazon and not very expensive. You only need a sports mat and a ball for higher levels. I also bought a pull-up bar. A special ball helps me to train my hands in addition to convict conditioning. The levels divide the big goal into small, achievable ones. That makes the training process easier and maintains motivation. I am very curious about how far I can get. Until the next update, stay motivated, however bad the situation with covid-19 might seem or be. Having a healthy and sportive body helps in the everyday life, and feels great.

Love, Eileen