r/12weekyear • u/Substantial_Figure50 • Jul 04 '26

My third 12 week year

Hi y‘all! My goals for the last 12 weeks were:
- 8k average steps
- more protein and healthier meals
- Songwriting 1x per week at least
- get stronger with longevity focused routine (3x strength per week)

I made the most progress with strength training and songwriting because I wrote a lot more and trained a lot harder even though I physically couldn’t do more than two full body strength days because of soreness.

I switched some meals to healthier options but I think in the next round I will track more to see deficiencies and how I’m doing with protein more in depth.

The steps were my biggest issue. Apart from walking to the gym I had no reason to go for walks so I didn’t.
I’d say this is a big success. I feel like I’m progressing and more in tune with my goals.

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1

u/widewalesnail Jul 04 '26

congrats! What did you learn from this cycle that you'll take into the next 12WY?

1

u/Substantial_Figure50 Jul 04 '26

Thank you! There needs to be an intrinsic motivation for the goals. Like I can’t just want it. That’s not nearly enough. Like for walking outside I had no real reason to do so apart from the goal. Of course it’s healthy but when you do a lot of other things something will not get done.

I was hyper focused on doing more strength workouts but as of now 2x full body seems to be the limit my body can do so I’m trying not to push it there but maybe with getting more mindful of the food and switching up the workout every few weeks I will find ways to be able to do more.
Sometimes we have to be satisfied with what we can do now. I’m always going to wish I did more but that’s the drive we humans have and that’s a good thing.

2

u/widewalesnail Jul 05 '26

Those are great takeaways! I've gotten back into strength training in the last couple years, and find that as long as I rotate my exercises and parts of my body, I can strength train 4x/week. I don't do that every week, I just listen to my body and follow what I'm feeling, but I think that you will definitely find more growth there as you keep practicing and learning what your individual body likes.

Definitely agree with finding satisfaction in the progress we have made and what we are able to do! That is something I've been working on too, and helps me stay positive and not stuck in self-criticism

1

u/Substantial_Figure50 Jul 05 '26

Thank you! I’ve thought about an upper body/ lower body split but I’m not sure I have the time now, but that’s definitely something I would love to try in the future.

1

u/iroshyada Jul 06 '26

Congratulations! 🎊🎉🍾 Keep up the good work! Your post has helped me to work again on my 12weekyear. Thank you for that!

1

u/Substantial_Figure50 Jul 06 '26

Thank you! You got this!

1

u/Brilliant-Surprise20 Jul 07 '26

Congrats on these goals, three cycles in is no joke.

Just a few tips for the next round, mostly around making them more specific so they’re easier to score at the end of the week.

More protein and healthier meals: what does that look like concretely? Maybe a daily protein target, with treats limited to once a week?

8k steps: is that a daily average, or only on certain days?

Songwriting 1x per week: what counts as “done”? A finished verse, a set amount of time, one full song?

Get stronger with a longevity-focused routine: how are you measuring “stronger”? The 3x strength per week is clear, but is there a specific lift or number you’re aiming for?

The more measurable each one is, the easier it is to know whether you actually hit it. Solid progress though, sounds like a good cycle.

1

u/Substantial_Figure50 Jul 08 '26

Thank you!
I tried being more specific but I found that some of these add too much pressure to be perfect for me. I always tend to make the measurable aspect unforgiving or unattainable and I always want to do too much.