Here comes Week 6 . . .

Evening Fûsters . . . GG apologizes for the late weekly update but sometimes it happens . . .

Week 5 is complete and here’s hoping you thoroughly enjoyed your Cheat Day on the 4th! We’re now in the back half of this Sömmer Kamp with only four weeks to go to the finish line.

Couple things:

• This week’s strength training, completed three times each day:

  • 20 push-ups (on your knees push-ups are acceptable but your goal should be as many full blown push-ups as you can manage)

  • 35 sit-ups

  • 60 second plank

  • 60 second wall sit

  • One wall hand stand held for 20 sec (optional, only attempt this if you know you can hold a hand stand without injuring yourself . . . go here to understand how to get in the correct position: https://youtu.be/6YG9EE8J0VQ . . . ignore the first part of the video where she talks about make your body a perfect L shape and go to the second part where she show’s you how to kick up into a handstand).

• You can fast up to two days this week. Each completed 24 hour fast will be worth +1p. If you complete both days, you will get a +1 bonus. If you complete them back to back, you will earn yet another +1p bonus for a total of +4p.

Short and sweet this week. You guys are doing great so far so keep it up!

GG

4 weeks down and here comes that Betrugentag!

Morning Fûsters . . .

Week 4 is complete and we are mere days away from your cheat day (not that some of you haven’t been cheating on your own lately)! Don’t forget, guilt free excesses that you deliver upon yourself this 4th of July will most likely lead to a wicked sugar and alcohol hangover on the 5th so tread lightly . . . As an extra incentive to Füste responsibly this 4th, all Schmerzenfüste parameters are worth double punkte on the 5th of July!

Couple things:

• This week’s strength training, completed three times each day:

  • 15 push-ups (on your knees push-ups are acceptable but your goal should be as many full blown push-ups as you can manage)

  • 25 air squats

  • 30 sit-ups

  • 60 second plank

  • One wall hand stand held for 10 sec (optional, only attempt this if you know you can hold a hand stand without injuring yourself . . . go here to understand how to get in the correct position: https://youtu.be/6YG9EE8J0VQ . . . ignore the first part of the video where she talks about make your body a perfect L shape and go to the second part where she show’s you how to kick up into a handstand).

• No fasting allowed during Week 5 . . . sorry, weirdos.

• Some of the bonuses played so far:

  • STRAVA 100K cycling bonus

  • STRAVA 10K running bonus

  • Jump in a large, cold natural body of water bonus

  • After midnight but before 3am workout bonus

  • Spend a night camping out under the stars bonus

  • Completing a Schmerzenfüste parameter with a non-Füsting friend

  • Taking a friend’s dog for a walk

• And the Überfüsters have been released! Currently this pack of elite Füsters is lead by the Hare, who just can’t stop herself. Wolverine is not too far behind but the Owl is closing in on him fast and it looks like we’re in for a real feather and fur throw down during the second half of Sömmer Kamp!

That’s it for this week. Have a great holiday and remember, never close your hand around a cherry bomb!

GG

Week 4 Update . . . .

Morning Fûsters . . .

Week 3 continued the outstanding game play by this select group of Sömmer Füsters. GG is very impressed by the dedication and output so far . . . keep it up! We’re only a week and a half from the 4th of July cheat day so you’re almost half way through Sömmer Kamp! GG can’t believe it either . . .

Couple things:

• This week’s strength training, completed three times each day:

  • 15 push-ups (on your knees push-ups are acceptable but your goal should be as many full blown push-ups as you can manage)

  • 25 sit-ups

  • 45 second wall sit

  • 60 second plank

  • One wall hand stand held for 10 sec (optional, only attempt this if you know you can hold a hand stand without injuring yourself . . . go here to understand how to get in the correct position: https://youtu.be/6YG9EE8J0VQ . . . ignore the first part of the video where she talks about make your body a perfect L shape and go to the second part where she show’s you how to kick up into a handstand).

• Week 4 fasting will be a little different. You can fast up to two days this week. Each completed 24 hour fast will be worth +1p. If you complete both days, you will get a +1 bonus. If you complete them back to back, you will earn yet another +1p bonus for a total of +4p. Let’s see what you’ve got!

• Some of the bonuses played this last week:

  • STRAVA 100K cycling bonus

  • Jump in a large, cold natural body of water bonus

  • After midnight but before 3am workout bonus

  • Spend a night camping out under the stars bonus

  • Completing a Schmerzenfüste parameter with a non-Füsting friend.

• No Überfüsten yet thanks to that pesky Owl hanging in there in 3rd place. She is just not going to let the two leaders pull far away enough to induce the Über state of game play. Now it’s time for her to set her sights on the Wolverine and go get that furry little beast!

Short and sweet. That’s it for this week. Have a great week and as always, may the Füste be with you!

GG

Week 3 coming your way . . .

Evening Fûsters . . .

Impressive game play this first two weeks of Sömmer Kamp. So far GG is very surprised by the amount of Doppelt and Trippelt punkte that’s being put up on the board by all players. The question is: can you sustain this level of output for eight weeks? I guess we’ll all find out together.

Couple things:

• Almost everyone passed their first strength training accountability test without an issue. To be clear, passing these tests earns you Speziell Kredits, not punkte. That’s why you’ll see a dollar sign behind your name on the Bestenliste (don’t forget, you can also earn SKs by really wowing GG with an impressive work out activity or experience). So what are they good for, these SKs?

  • +3 SK gets you a simple pleasure like a cookie or a brownie or a beer or glass of wine, something you would otherwise not be allowed to consume during the Füste (more to come on this concept).

• This week’s strength training, completed three times each day:

  • 15 push-ups (on your knees push-ups are acceptable but your goal should be as many full blown push-ups as you can manage)

  • 20 sit-ups

  • 45 second wall sit

  • 45 second plank

• Week 3 fasting will once again be a single 24 hour fast, midnight to midnight. You choose the day of the week. +3p if you leave your mouth hole alone for the full 24 hour period.

• Some of the bonuses played this last week:

  • STRAVA 100K cycling bonus

  • Jump in a large, cold natural body of water bonus

  • After midnight but before 3am workout bonus

  • Spend a night camping out under the stars bonus

• Are you Überfüsten? If you’re the Wolverine or the Hare, yeah, you probably are. So what does this mean? Once two or three players have cleared the pack by at least 15 punkte consistently for three days, those players move off the traditional Bestenliste and onto the Überlisten. Once there, new more difficult work-out parameters are unleashed and the Überfüsters must do even more to gain the cherished punkte that they clearly obsess about or wouldn’t have gotten themselves in this position in the first place. GG will be keeping a close eye on the punkte totals to determine when and if the Überliste will go live!

That’s it for Week 3 update. Have a great week and as always, leave your mouth hole alone!

GG

Sömmer Kamp, otherwise known as all things experimental . . .

Hallo Füsters. Thanks for volunteering to be a part of GG’s experimental take on Sömmerfüsten. I’m sure you’ve already noticed that things are a little different. There’s no Twitter or Facebook feed so communication is minimal and inspiration primarily must come from within. No Gruppen play and no apparent bonuses. All safeties are off and you can go straight to the Trippelts and just pound yourself into the ground as you see fit. This game is meant to be lean and mean and not have an enormous impact on an already overworked GG (fun fact: Sömmer Kamp was limited to only 16 players because that’s the number who signed up for the first Winterfüste).

Now for a couple of important items:

1. The website is active (or at least some of it). The Bestenliste is updated as close to daily as GG can manage, so you can check there to see how your game is progressing in comparison to the other fifteen players. A modified Regelbuch is also up for those who need info on the workout parameters.

2. You wil have noticed that the bonus page is dark. But that doesn’t mean you can’t earn bonuspunkte. You’ve all played this game before and know how to bonus. So throw something up there and see if it sticks. You might just help yourself out. And we’ll see who’s been paying attention over the last couple of years.

3. So who’s this Percentil Platypus player and why does he keep nipping at my ass with his big weird bill? The Platypus is one of those “experimental” concepts being tested out this Sömmer. He represents exactly 70% completion of the total game points up to and on any given day. He is here to keep you honest and motivated. If your daily score total falls below Percentil Platypus at any time in the game, you have 24 hours to get back in front of him or your Totemfüste will be summarily retired and you’re out (oh, don’t look so shocked, Sömmer Kamp was free after all). GG has been trying to come up with a way to both keep the bottom third of the game motivated but also (and no offense meant to anyone) cut the deadwood out. Because the Platypus showed up a couple days late, GG has evened the playing field by giving +3p to anyone who scored a zero on Day 1. To keep things fair, all other players received a +1p bonus as well. So, Percentil Platypus is now in play. Take a look at the Bestenliste and make sure you stay ahead of him!

4. You’ll note that some players have a $ behind their name on the Bestenliste. Each $ represents one Speziell Kredit. You earn these SKs by doing something particularly impressive, like running a half marathon on Day 1 or playing a three hour tennis match in +95F heat. You can use SKs to go “shopping” later in the game. One may be worth an ice cream cone, three an ice cold beer, 5 a piece of pizza. The menu will arrive shortly. This is obviously another experimental concept GG is trying out this Sömmer.

5. How are those push-ups coming? After a week of the daily strength training, GG has experienced the very first hint of increased upper body strength. This makes GG, who has had a fairly self-destructive year so far, very pleased. How’s it for you? Trust in GG and do this daily work as assigned. There is plenty of proof that this will do a lot for you if you do it (and soon there will be spot audits starting up so, there’s that). Week 2 is the same as Week 1, except add a 60 second plank. So three times a day complete a round of 10 push-ups, 15 sit-ups, 20 air squats and a 60 second plank.

6. What would a Füste be without some fasting? it wouldn’t be a Füste, that I can tell you. In the next 7 days, complete a 24 hour fast for a +3p advantage. You can pick any day you like between now and next Sunday. Fasting hours are midnight to midnight. Clear liquids only. Declare your intent to GG before you begin the fast. Oh, and Percentil Platypus doesn’t fast so there’s a good way to get some padding between your butt and his bill.

7. Without Gruppen play, GG’s not sure what to do with the Dachshundfüsten concept given its history of abuse by some players. But keep sending in those long dog pics and GG will figure something out.

8. GG has an “experimental” request around your Schmerzenfüste. As you know, you should all be using STRAVA to track your activity (or be sending GG a summary pic from some other tracking device (good job Moose and Buffalo with the Apple Watch!)). STRAVA has a simple share function that GG thinks might help him out in confirming your Schmerze. If you look at your completed workout summary on the main feed, in the lower right corner you’ll see a symbol that looks like a square with an arrow pointing up. Click this and choose “Message” to share your workout. Share this summary with GG when you report your daily activity. No share (or Apple Watch or Fitbit or similar summary) and no punkte.

Well that turned out to be way more information than GG was expecting to put out there today. Two last items here. Let’s do a weekly weigh in moving forward. Send me a pic of your weight (you, standing on scale with the number clearly visible and your nightmare coyote paws socked up as needed) each Sunday morning and we’ll see how you’re doing. And, if you read this whole thing, text GG the phrase, “The Platypus is all powerful” and earn yourself a +1p bonus (you have until sundown tonight to send this text . . . after that, don’t even bother).

Good luck on Week 2 and as always, may the Füste be with you!

GG

This is the end . . . beautiful friend, the end . . .

NorCal Füsters (SEPs, wait your turn):

One last update before we close the books on Winterfüste 2019 tomorrow . . .

1. A quick ask . . . if you completed all the Fastentag days and have earned the +5p bonus, please text GG immediately with confirmation. It will save GG having to scroll through pages and pages of data to track each Fastentag day. Remember, if you received the bonus for Hungreiger Geist, you are not eligible to receive the Fastentag bonus!

2. A reminder, the Finalefüste event will be held at the Veteran’s Memorial Building in Santa Rosa. Address is 1351 Maple Ave. We will be in the “North Room”. Do not confuse us with the large crab feed going on in the main hall. Even starts at 6pm . . . this is not one of those things where you want to be fashionably late! Please show up on time as we have a lot to do to finish out Winterfüste 2019!

3. In addition to a beer or wine of choice (carried circumspectly in a brown bag), please bring a towel with which to cushion your planking position (hint, hint).

4. Don’t forget to weigh in first thing tomorrow morning and send a pic to GG so he can recored your final weight. Remember, every pound lost is 0.5p to your Gruppen so even if you’re not coming to the FF, you can still contribute towards their success.

5. Yes, tomorrow is an active Füsting day. You can earn punkte by exercising, not eating sugar or processed foods and not drinking alcohol before the final bell sounds at ~6pm . . . so don’t slouch off on the last day! You will report off for the day’s activity when you arrive at the FF event. If you’re unfortunately not attending, please send GG one final text at 5pm (yes, 5pm) to record your final days work (and so he can add your points to the final Bestenliste).

6. The final update to the website, with the point tallies for both the Individual and Gruppen games, will post sometime Saturday, March 2nd.

7. Don’t forget, Kühl in blue tomorrow night, Gletscher in green.

That’s it, Füsters! For those attending, we’ll see you tomorrow night. For this who aren’t, GG will touch base with you one last time after your final report . . . It’s been a pleasure being your Geschäftsführer again for another Füste. You guys are all incredible people and you should be proud of everything you personally accomplished during the first two months of this year (yes, it’s already March!). Everything you did, every day, was 100% you. You made that happen. All the miles walked or run, the swimming or the rowing or the biking, the 23 Drachens slayed (a new WF record) . . . all the kräp you didn’t eat, the alcohol you didn’t drink, everything you did or didn’t do was a pure, unfiltered act of will power. And just because Winterfüste is coming to an end does not mean you have to stop . . . Take the things you’ve done, the new habits you’ve formed and play them forward into your daily non-Füsting life. You don’t have to be obsessive about it, just take a little bit with you as you leave. That’s all that GG asks . . .

Good luck in the rest of 2019 and may the Füste be with you!

GG

And now for the last . .

Good morning, Füsters and willkommen to Week 8, the final week of Winterfüste 2019. As of today, there are 50 players left in the Northern game and 27 players left in the Southern game. We dropped a collective 18 players. That 20% drop rate is the lowest in recent memory and is a testament to how hard you guys have been playing the game. GG has been very impressed with what he’s seen during WF19 and can honestly say this is the best group of Füsters in the last century. Herr Doktor Mediziner Schneebärtchen would be proud!

Now for some final week updates:

• On Finale Friday (or Saturday for the SEPs), don’t forget to weigh in first thing in the morning and then text a pic to GG (or JJ), same as you did on Day 1 and the half way point. We will not be doing a weigh in at the Finalefüste event so if you want your pounds of lost flank meat to count as points for your Gruppen, make sure to send the weigh in pic.

• There is no homework assignment for this final week (not like most of you were doing it anyway, based on some of the struggles GG has witnessed during the recent audits). So relax and spend the week preparing for the coming brutality of the Finale Konfrontation!

• GG will put out location information for the Finalefüste in NorCal within the next 24 hours. He is happy to report that he has secured two venue options and just needs to make a final decision. Both venues are in central Santa Rosa so they will be easy to Lyft to . . . remember, GG has a strict no drinking and driving policy so if you plan to imbibe, plan to pay for a ride.

• And to that, some details on the Finalefüste event:

  • Please wear athletic-ish attire. The Finale Konfrontation is physical and requires strenuous activity from the players. GG respects the fact that you want to show off your newly earned skinny jeans but you’ll look just as good in something that breaths and allows a full range of motion.

  • For the NorCal event, food, beer and wine will be provided. Unfortunately, hard alcohol will not be allowed at the venue. If you have a special drink that you’d like break your drunkenfast with, please bring enough to share.

  • SEPs, you’ll be receiving info on your event directly from JJ.

• There’s a final plankenfüste bonus posted for Week 8. Check the Bonuspunkte page for details.

• Audits will continue this week so don’t be surprised when you get tapped to complete one. There is a +2p bonus associated with the successful completion of an audit request.

That’s it for now . . . there will most likely be one final communication out to this group before Friday. In the meantime, don’t let up! Your flank meat is on the ropes, beaten down and confused as to what the hell just happened to it. Keep the pressure on through Friday! Stay away from the sugar and the alcohol and get those Trippelts in for the most punkte possible. If you have open bonuses, get those done too! The game will be over as of Friday and there won’t be another opportunity to Füste until 2020, so this last five days is it! Get as much final punkte as you can and hit your flank meat hard! Now is not the time to start slacking off!

Good luck in the final week and as always, may the Füste be with you!

GG

Week 7 Penultimate Update

Evening Füsters!

Believe it or not, we’ve chewed through six and a half weeks of game play and are now on long final for landing at the Finalefüste event on March 1st. And to that, just to reconfirm, March 1st will be the date but the Finalefüste will be an evening event (not late afternoon) and not at Howarth Park (but still somewhere in the greater Santa Rosa area). More to come on all this very soon . . .

Now to some updates:

• Just a reminder, you can only do three Trippelt workouts in a row before stepping back down to a single. This is specifically designed to prevent you from injuring yourself if you happen to be hyper-0competitive or mentally ill.

• You are now entering the most difficult phase of the Füste. With only 12 days left of game play, you will be tempted to lift your foot off the gas. Don’t do it! You don't have to be angling for the win like Marten or The Wolf to keep the pressure on to the end! Don’t cheat yourself by having a little nip of wine here or a cookie (looking at you Black Swan) there. Stick to your guns and let’s see just how much damage you can do to your flank meat before the Finalefüste!

• It’s time for you to declare your Drachenfüste intentions to GG or JJ. You have until 17:00 hours on Friday to communicate what your plan is. You then have from Friday at midnight until 18:00 hours on March 1st to complete it. Remember, your Drachen must be at least equal to four single workout parameters and must truly challenge you (so if you’re a long distance marathon runner, don’t tell GG your Drachen is a marathon . . . ). Your Drachen, if slayed, is worth +10p (which is ‘UGE) so make sure you’re earning this giant reward. Declare, complete, and then bask in the glory of having set a goal that you may have thought was impossible back on Jan. 2nd but proved to be just another day in the Füsting saddle.

• Prepare to be audited. To date, you should have been audited at least once. In the next two weeks, you will receive the final audit request and cards on the table, it will be more difficult than last time.

• Week 7’s Hausaufgaben Assignment:

  Complete five rounds of the following:

  • 10 burpees (#23)

  • 25 sit ups to twist (52)

  • 20 plank ups (going from forearms to straight arms counts as 1) (#23)

  • 60 second wall hold

  • 90 second plank on forearms

Remember, the number in parentheses corresponds with the explanation of said maneuver found on this reference page: CLICK HERE.

• No new bonuses this week as there are still plenty of Füsters who have plenty of bonus points to earn. If GG see a considerable increase in bonus play, he’ll release an extra bonus or two for the final week.

• Having said that, prepare yourself for a Schnitzeljagd next weekend. What’s a Schnitzeljagd? Some may remember back to the first Sprûngenfüste event a couple of years ago. For the rest, it will be a surprise. But suffice it to say, the Schnitzeljagd is one of the all time most popular Füste activities!

That’s it for tonight, Füsters. Hope you had a good weekend and GG wishes you a pleasant Week 7.

Defeat the meat!

GG

Weekend Update: Trippelts and Finalefüste confusion . . .

Guten Tag, Füsters . . .

Very quick update for you:

• Trippelts begin today . . . this means you can triple a single daily Schmerzenfüste parameter OR complete any combination of one, two, or three different single parameters (as long as they add up to a triple workout) to earn +2.5p.

• GG knows this isn’t going to make everyone happy and he apologizes in advance. I have been completely unsuccessful in finding a venue for the Finalefüste event on March 2nd. At this point, GG has only been able to find a venue on Friday the 1st (at Howarth Park in Santa Rosa) and that’s the best I’ve been able to do. I realize that because of this some of you will not able to attend the final event and this sucks. And GG also knows it’s late in the game to be changing the date and can only ask that you understand the situation. I have been working on this for over a month and for one reason or another the availability for anything on Saturday has just not been there (or fallen apart after I made the reservation). So, like it or not, the official and final date of the Finalefüste event will have to be Friday, March 1st. Please text GG today to let him know if you will be attending (+1p bonus for those who confirm yes or no by the end of the day). Again, I can only apologize for how this went down . . . GG isn’t happy about it.

That’s all GG’s got for today . . . Enjoy your weekend.

GG

Week 6 Update: A Heart Shaped Box of Nothing . . .

Evening Füsters . . .

We have crested the peak of WF19 and are now heading down the backside of the Speilbrett towards the Finalefüste event. A couple of updates for you:

• First, an apology . . . GG has been on the road for the last two (now going on three) weeks and that has had the expected effect of directly impacting his ability to update the Bestenliste on a nightly basis. GG would like to say that this will self-correct but at this point that’s not a sure thing. Please continue to report daily, event if you haven’t heard back from GG.

• This coming Thursday is a special day . . . for corporate America. It’s the first day since the Christmas holidays that they can manipulate you into buying krap that no one needs so their CEOs can make their first quarter bonuses. Ah, yes, Valentine’s Day. Here at The Füste, we have a different take on this “Hallmark” holiday. If you love someone, you won’t give them chocolates or candy hearts . . . you’ll give them the gift of health! In order to earn your three punkte on Thursday, here’s what you have to do: get your partner, significant other, BF, GF, husband, wife, or just a really, really good friend to Füste with you on Wednesday (yes, Wednesday). This person must complete all three of the daily Füsting parameters with you: they cannot partake of the sugar or processed foods, cannot imbibe of the alcohol, and must complete the same exercise regimen as you do (so, if you’re running a 5K for your +1p on Wednesday, this person must do it with you and you must send picture proof of this co-work-out). Whatever your partner/lover/friend scores on Wednesday is what you earn on Thursday. So if you want a +3p for Valentine’s Day, you’ll need your partner to step up on V-Day Eve. For those whose partner is already a Füster, both you and your partner will need to complete an extra half of a work-out to earn your Schmerzenfüste punkte for Thursday . . . e.g. I am Polar Shark, married to Arctic Hamster. We want to earn our V-Day punkte together so on Wednesday we both eat right, don’t drink, and walk 6 miles (1.5 of the walking/hiking Schmerzenfüste parameter) to earn +3p total. If your Wednesday partner is not currently Füsting, you do not have to add the extra half of a workout on . . . But what if a great physical distance separates me from my intended on Wednesday? Let GG (or JJ) know and we’ll work this detail out . . . Please announce who your partner will be on your Tuesday report off to GG/JJ (as well as texting “Sei Mein” to earn a +1p bonus).

• Speaking of the Finalefüste . . . GG has been greatly challenged in finding a venue for the Finalefüste event. He continues to work on this problem but one thing that is clear is that the event will have to take place on March 2nd, Saturday. GG knows that he has communicated in the past that it could be either March 1st or 2nd but it’s going to have to be the 2nd. Good news for you, it means you have one more day to earn punkte (the game is live until the final bell is rung at the Finalefüste). This is going to be an evening event (GG knows that a number of the top players have to work Saturday till 5:30pm) and will most likely be indoors. GG will continue to work this problem and let you know as soon as he’s secured a venue (at this point, suggestions are welcome). He apologizes for any inconvenience this causes any of the Totemfi (JJ down south is not having these issues and has already secured her venue and date also as March 2nd).

Week 6’s Hausaufgaben Assignment:

Complete three rounds of the following:

• 10 push-ups (#26)

• 14 forward lunges (7 each leg) (#2)

• 15 squats (#13) or 45 second wall hold

• 45 second plank (on forearms), then right into . . .

• 12 plank ups (going from forearms to straight arms counts as 1) (#23)

• 40 bicycle crunches (tap left elbow to right knees count as 1, tap right elbow to left knee count as 2, etc) (#35)

• 20 hip bridges (#28)

• 7 burpees (#23)

Remember, the number in parentheses corresponds with the explanation of said maneuver found on this reference page: CLICK HERE.

• For new bonuses, click here.

That’s it for now. Only three weeks to go. Hopefully you’ve put a big hurt on your flank meat and it’s crying out for mercy! Don’t give it any. Keep Füsting hard all the way to the end to defeat that meat!

GG