FitSix Challenge: Week 8 — Reflect & Refine

In Week 8 of the FitSix Challenge, pause to reflect on your wins, refine your habits, and reset your focus as you prepare for the final four weeks.
By
William Baier, MS, CSCS, USAW, CFL2
September 6, 2025
FitSix Challenge: Week 8 — Reflect & Refine

William Baier, MS, CSCS, USAW, CFL2

   •    

September 6, 2025

Why Week 8 Matters

Congratulations—you’ve made it to the two-thirds mark of the FitSix Challenge! Over the past seven weeks, you’ve created consistency, built minimum standards, adjusted your rhythm, fueled with more intention, and tackled energy balance and emotional awareness.

Now it’s time to slow down, reflect on your progress, and refine your approach. This week isn’t about adding more—it’s about identifying what’s working, letting go of what isn’t, and making sure you’re set up to finish strong.

The Focus This Week: Reflect → Refine → Reset

Instead of chasing new goals, use this week to zoom out. Reflection gives you clarity, refinement gives you focus, and resetting helps you realign with your original “why.”

Nutrition: Simple Tweaks, Big Payoffs

  • Look back on your eating patterns from the last 7 weeks.
  • Where have you been consistent? Where do you feel resistance?
  • Make one small adjustment—like moving protein earlier in the day, prepping snacks, or tightening up hydration.

📌 Pro Tip: Don’t try to overhaul everything. Pick one small refinement that clears the most friction.

Training: Audit Your Rhythm

  • Are you consistently making your 3+ workouts per week?
  • Does your current schedule match your energy levels?
  • Add in 1 low-intensity session (walk, yoga, mobility) to support recovery.

Mindset: Reflection Creates Resilience

Ask yourself:

  • What’s been my biggest win so far?
  • Where have I struggled the most?
  • What habit feels strong enough to carry me through the final 4 weeks?

Reflection isn’t about judgment—it’s about awareness.

Action Steps for Week 8

  1. Review your food, sleep, and training habits from Weeks 1–7.
  2. Refine your minimum standards—make them harder if they feel too easy, simplify them if they feel too heavy.
  3. Add a recovery or mobility session this week.
  4. Complete the checkpoint reflection below.

📌 Checkpoint Reflection: Weeks 1–8

Take 5–10 minutes to write down your answers:

  1. What’s the single biggest win from the first 8 weeks?
  2. Where have you faced your biggest challenges?
  3. What’s one habit or focus you want to carry with you into the final stretch?

The Bottom Line

Week 8 is about pausing, reflecting, and resetting so you can finish strong. Don’t underestimate the power of small refinements—these are the adjustments that make your habits sustainable long after the challenge ends.

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Outdoor Workouts for Strength and Conditioning

Outdoor Workouts for Strength and Conditioning

Why Train Outdoors? While gyms provide equipment and structure, stepping outside can supercharge your training in ways that go beyond barbells and rowers. Outdoor workouts challenge your body differently, boost mental health, and connect you with your environment—all while building strength and conditioning. Benefits of outdoor training: Varied surfaces and terrain improve stability, balance, and coordination. Environmental exposure (heat, cold, wind) builds resilience and adaptability. Fresh air and sunlight can improve mood, Vitamin D levels, and recovery. Minimal equipment needed—your body weight, a few simple tools, and creativity are enough. Strength Training Outdoors You don’t need a squat rack to build strength. By using natural resistance and bodyweight, you can load your muscles in new ways. Examples: Sandbag carries or sled drags → build raw, functional strength. Weighted backpack squats and lunges → challenge legs and core anywhere. Pull-ups on bars or playground equipment → strengthen upper body and grip. Odd-object lifts (rocks, logs) → develop stability and whole-body tension. Conditioning Work Outdoors Conditioning outside doesn’t just mean running endless miles. Mix sprints, intervals, and carries to build work capacity. Examples: Hill sprints or stair runs → explosive power + cardiovascular endurance. Shuttle runs → change of direction + speed. Farmers carries with kettlebells, dumbbells, or sandbags → grip + aerobic capacity. Circuit training combining running, burpees, and push-ups → whole-body conditioning. Sample Outdoor Strength & Conditioning Workouts Workout 1: Hill Sprint Power Warm-up: 5–10 min jog + dynamic mobility 6×20–30 second hill sprints, walk down to recover Finisher: 3 rounds – 20 push-ups, 20 air squats, 1 min plank Workout 2: Sandbag Strongman 4 rounds: 40m sandbag carry 10 sandbag cleans 10 burpees 400m run Workout 3: Park Circuit 5 rounds for time: 10 pull-ups (playground bar) 20 step-ups (bench or box) 30 sit-ups 200m sprint Tips for Outdoor Training Hydrate well—heat and sun increase fluid needs. Wear stable shoes for uneven ground. Adapt intensity to terrain and conditions. Scale movements just like in the gym—mechanics, then consistency, then intensity. The Bottom Line Outdoor workouts are a powerful way to challenge your fitness, build resilience, and keep training fresh. Whether you’re carrying a sandbag across a field, sprinting hills, or pulling yourself up on a playground bar, you’re building strength and conditioning that transfers directly to life.