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Hi, I am working towards the one arm pull-up (not the one when you hold your wrist or shoulder....or whatever else) and I´d like to ask if there is someone who already achieved it and how..... I know there is a lot of videos and blogs and other forums on the internet on this topic but I´d like to ´´meet´´ someone who has already done it and ask some questions like... How many 2 handed pull ups should I be able to do before attempting OAP? Should I get there thru the weighted 2 handed pullups or follow progressions? (archer pullups, typewriters, around the world, 2finger->1finger) What do you think about machines supporting your weight? (think its called gravitron) Also if you got your OAPs recorded it would also be nice to see....

Hey ya'll, Does anyone have a recommendation for durable gloves that can be used to perform pull-ups and rows on an iced-over bar? Unfortunately, my day-to-day gloves are thin and getting too scrapped up for long-term use in this way. I was thinking maybe football gloves or winter biking gloves?

The Target: Muscle-Up Teh Skillz: Redevelop explosive high pullup Redevelop controlled dip Redevelop controlled tiger pushup & russian dip for transition Develop kip

Stumbled across this story and found it interesting enough to pass along - particularly for those of you contemplating learning pull-ups. The program is called "Zero to Twenty-plus" and is designed for everyone, from absolute novice to more advanced users. The blurb from the article: (http://www.marines.mil/News/NewsDisplay/tabid/3258/Article/673308/zero-to-twenty-plus-marine-develops-program-to-improve-pull-ups.aspx) I've included a series of links found in the article, as well as a website that seems to be re-posting the same information. http://www.marines.mil/Portals/59/Docs/SecretToPullupsHowToGoFrom0To20.pdf http://www.marines.mil/Portals/59/Docs/PullupTrainingProgramNovice.pdf http://www.marines.mil/Portals/59/Docs/PullupTrainingGuide.pdf http://www.noexceptions2016.com/documents/ Disclaimers: I am not now, nor have I ever been a Marine. I am not currently following the program, but I am incorporating some aspects into my training routine; I will likely be including more as time progresses, as the absolute novice program seems pretty straight-forward.

Okay, Google has been useless in this, so now I'm calling in the experts. Put your arms above you as if you are hanging from a tree above a hungry family of lions, palms facing away. This is the regular grip pull-up. Put your arms up as if you are angrily shaking your fists at some children on your lawn, palms facing each other. This is the hammer grip pull-up. Now, put your arms up in the regular grip, but rotate each one 45 degrees towards the hammer grip, as if you are trapping a tall person within a hula-hoop. This is the __________ grip pull-up?

So the place I am currently in has no access to a pull-up bar. I searched for parks or swings of some kind in a 3-mile radius. NONE!! I tried to do bodyweight rows with my bed,but it was already fragile and gave way.Now I'm sleeping on a mattress on the floor There is a ledge in my bedroom though,but I'm not strong enough to do a ledge pull-up. Are there any other alternate exercises to regular pull-up and chin-up?Or should I just do negatives on the ledge? Thanks!

So Hollywood has decided to make a blockbuster movie, a spinoff of Game of Thrones, called the Clash of Khal's. The story centers on Khal Drogo's rise to power and features many epic battles with rival Dothraki hordes. Jason Momoa told them to fuck off because they didn't offer him enough money, so now I'm playing the lead role. Of course, to play the lead in a blockbuster action movie, I have to get in shape to play the part. I'm gonna need to get ripped. I'm gonna need big showy muscles to look good on camera. I'm gonna need endurance to get through long days on set, and the coordination and agility to perform my own stunts and participate in fight scenes. Brogo goes to Khal-E-wood is going to be a series of challenges designed to get me in shape in much the same way that Hollywood actors use to train for their movie roles. I've been reading some of the articles about how these guys have been training to get in shape for their roles: How The Rock trained for Hecules, how skinny Jake Gylenhall trained for Southpaw, Hugh Jackman → Wolverine, and how Chris Pratt went from being Andy Dwyer to Peter Quill and Owen in Jurassic World. Most of these workout programs center on barbell training using strength and hypertrophy, and use additional circuits or complexes to increase weightloss and work muscle simultaneously. They may also incorporate fighting or martial arts work depending on the role. Basically, by supplementing my current strength routine I can make my workouts start approaching the rigor used by actors to prepare for action roles. So this series of challenges will take me around the guilds a bit. Where I'm at: My big 2016 goal is to bench press my bodyweight. I'm at 263 now, and plan to take a short break when I hit 250 to maintain weight and increase my bench and see if I can hit it. My best bench ever was 235, and I'm currently benching 180 for 3x3.I've spent the last two challenges nailing down my nutritional needs and figuring out how to manage steady weight loss. I've mostly been successful with losing a pound a week and keeping it up the last two months. More on this stuff later. I've also been reconditioning my big three barbell lifts. I have been successful with this as well, but progress has slowed since I'm getting closer to where I was before my 5 month lifting hiatus, and I'm cutting. Since I'm cutting, the big strength gains will have to wait a bit. But while I'm doing that, I can focus on some other conditioning work and bringing some of my current weaknesses up. Lately, of concern are my core strength and mobility. Plus I really want to get chins and pullups going and hopefully get more comfortable with jumping onto, up to, or over stuff. I'll be starting in the Assassins to try and condition myself to be more “Spry” by focusing on bodyweight exercises, core work, some agility, and mobility. Sounds Assassin-y enough to me. Here goes: Meta-Goal 1, Getting Spry: Goal 1, Stretch. Basically go through the stretching equivalents of squat, bench, and deadlift for stretching every day. Hip flexor stretch and/or couch stretch Thoracic extensions (palms up, arms back, head back) Forward bends If I just put a few minutes into each of these every day while I'm brewing coffee it'll pay off. And it should become routine, and I can start building on it by throwing some foam rolling and yoga poses in. Grading: 1 point for each day of the challenge. Goal 2, Core. I want a stronger and better coordinated core. I found this progression: http://jasonferruggia.com/gymnastic-secret-stronger-abs/ It looks like a decent place to start developing better coordination. These exercises will be my go-to's. And some of what this article says I think will help me with developing strength. http://www.elitefts.com/education/training/seven-rules-of-highly-effective-core-training/ And I really want to follow the hanging leg raise progression video at the end. Grading: 1 point for each core workout Goal 3, Jump. Box jumps, jump rope, distance jumping. Whatever gets the spring back in my step. 1 point for each jumping exercise. Goal 4, Pullups In my last workout, I was able to do 5 pullups with 40 lbs. of assistance. I'm going to keep shooting to decrease assistance until I can do an actual pullup. 1 point for each pullup workouts Bonus: +5 points if I complete one pullup from a dead hang by the end of the challenge. Bonus: +1 point if I do all 4 in one day. Meta-Grading 1: <25 F, 30 = C, 40=B 50=A Meta-Goal 2, Maintain. I still need to stay focussed on getting my bodyweight bench press. 2 strength workouts per week. (1 pt. Per workout) Keep average caloric intake at or below 3200 kcal/day. (1 pt per day <= 3200) Bonus: +10 points for a bodyweight bench press. Meta-Grading 2: Percentage of the <25 F, 30 C, 35 B, 40 A Meta-Goal 3: Circuits and Complexes I really like doing barbell complexes based around the Oly lifts which should help make me spry and encourage fat burn. Plus, when I do assistance work I usually organize it into supersets or circuits. But I want to do this more often and really up my game. Whenever I am working on the above and/or other assistance work, I'll perform them as a circuit or complex. It counts if there's no rest between exercises until the circuit is done and I've done it at least twice. Bonus: +1 if I do a circuit with all my spryness goals Meta-Grading 3: 1 pt for each circuit or complex. <4 F, 6 C 8 B, 10 A LUYL: Soto Zen style Zazen Meditation Enduring the lotus position with a straight back, a steady breath, and a still mind. Start with 5 min. per day. Add 5 min each week. tl;dr - I'm gonna jump, and do core, and hang from stuff, and work on being less of a slouch, while I'm cutting for the sake of a bodyweight bench press. Scoreboard: (as of ocho de Mayo) MG1: Stretch: 10 Core: 5 Jump: 1 Pullup: 2 MG2: Strength: 4 Nutrition: 0 MG3: Circuits: 2 LUYL: Zazen: 0

Happy New Year! This year is going to be AWESOME! Now on to the challenge... Complete my morning and night time routine at least 5x a week I am experimenting with a new morning and night routine. I have always had healthy teeth and I generally have good brushing habits, but I have been noticing that my teeth have not been looking so great. I have been doing a lot of research lately about natural oral hygiene and want to give some of it a try. Every morning: Oil pulling, relax with kitty while waking up, workout (strength, yoga, elliptical, etc depending on the day), brush with homemade tooth powder, floss, homemade mouthwash, wash face, get ready for work. Every night: repeat teeth routine, wash face, get ready for bed, stretch, read Healthy Meals My husband and I have been struggling to plan meals lately. We love to cook, but we often do not plan ahead, so come meal time we are stumped about what to have. We are experimenting with planning a day ahead. The goal is to cook 5 days out of the week, but hopefully we will be able to do all of them. Mastering the Pullup For those of you following along. The last few challenges have been focusing on push ups. I can happily announce that I can now do 5 push ups (15 in a full routine)! When I started NF I could not do a single regular pushup! Now I am aiming a little higher. It's time for PULL UPS. My plan is to work on pull ups 3 times a week. Right now I can pull myself up half way and hold it (couldn't do that when I started NF!) Seeking Knowledge and Improved Skills Complete a combination of 30mins of skill advancement 3 times per week. This can include studying programming, practicing clarinet, juggling, etc.

Hello, as stated above, I will continue my training, which is basically following the startbodyweight.com progressions. I will mostly update in my daily log, but I have run into complications of schoolwork taking up a lot of my time, so I may not update as often as I would like. I'll try to update weekly with the workouts for the week, but no promises. I practice Karate, as you will see this in my training, but I came to assassins because I, well, "want it all." Assassins sounded like the more logical choice for me as an individual. Last challenge, I realized I was confused about what I need to be doing. While I would like to lose weight, I also want to be stronger and it is difficult for me to do both at once. To simplify things (and so I don't starve) I will be focussing on strength. I already eat healthily, so it is difficult for me to modify my diet further. Additionally, I would prefer not to worry about food while I am trying to earn a ugrad degree. It creates too much stress. My goals: 1. Do the bodyweight workouts 3x a week. The workouts will be listed in my daily log. Upon completion, +5 Brawn/Strength 2. Run at least twice a week, as listed in the daily log. Upon completion, +3 Willpower/Endurance, +2 Agility/Dexterity 3. Go to Karate practice twice a week. Upon completion, +2 Brawn/Strength 4. Hike or take a walk on off days (sat/sun). Upon completion, +2 Cunning/Wisdom A note on my attributes: I prefer using the Star Wars rpg attributes because I am more familiar and it makes more sense to me. Also, the attribute points are for fun. The point is that I am improving my life. Thank you for taking the time to read my forum, I look forward to this challenge. - Sparkit

I think you all remember but if not, my name is BlackTezca, known for generally insanity and clogging up your computer or mobile phone with GIFS, GIFS, AND MORE GIFS. You will also remember me from my titanic introduction From Lurker to (Newb) Rebel!, the colossal continuous war known as BlackTezca's Daily Battle Towards Feline Greatness, and the absolutely villainous and bloody previous challenge known as BlackTezcas' 5th Trial: An Artsy, Geeky Amazon Takes A Walk on the Dark Side! From that last thread, I have decided on an awesome theme for this challenge! The fantabulous anime known as Attack on Titan. I know this maybe a little late but the forums were hidden from me this time! Oh man I totally didn't find them until now! But now that I have found them it's time to party hard and start a brand new challenge! Now this anime is perfect for this new challenge as well as for my epically TITANIC main quest! A quest to become all powerful! To become larger than life! To crush down all the walls that stand before and become a truly colossal and deadly being! To fight with agility and strength despite being larger than life and to kick away any small thing that could possible think to stop me! My Main Quest is to be as POWERFUL and BATTLE READY as Wonder Woman Now this challenge is gonna be set up a little differently from the previous ones. This challenge is in a different grab bag format inspired by StillSkies previous challenge. The reason I chose this type of format is...well...because it looked fun and different and I wanted to check it out and see how it would fit! Not only that, but it allows me to have different options for each day in order to get the most points! And those points will start out pretty heavily but will be adjusted if I happen to make the total points! Here are the points I need to make for each possible grade for this challenge: REVAMPED 10/12/2015: 8500 to 7650 Pts - A 7649 to 6800 Pts - B 6799 to 5950 Pts - C 5949 to 5100 Pts - D Quite a heavy order! At least...it might be...not sure...but let's move onto the challenge side quests themselves: COLOSSAL TITAN: Representing Strength Training, the Largest Titan is the strongest titan. The Colossal titan kicks off the horror and action of the series. Details: All strength based activities are the only activities that can get me points for this side quest! Tracking: I'll be tracking using MyFitnessPal ( username BlackTezca ) this lovely thread will be updated as well with the activities that count for points Grading: up to 2 Str ARMORED TITAN: The armored titan dashed any hope of saving the outer ring by crashing through the inner gate. He is the fastest titan. Details: All cardio and stamina/endurance based activities are the only activities that can get me points for this side quest! Tracking: I'll be tracking using MyFitnessPal ( username BlackTezca ) this lovely thread will be updated as well with the activities that count for points Grading: up to 2 Sta FEMALE TITAN: The best fighter and the one more in control and seemingly the most intelligent, she is the most agile of the main titans. Details: All dexterity (martial arts, balance/yoga) based activities are the only activities that can get me points for this side quest! Tracking: I'll be tracking using MyFitnessPal ( username BlackTezca ) this lovely thread will be updated as well with the activities that count for points Grading: up to 3 Dex EREN TITAN: The Art Quest. Representing that Eren is the odd titan out and has to be creative versus the Female titan who is the far better fighter. Details: Art, gaming, and other activities meant to work my creative juices count for points here! Tracking: I have an art Tumblr and I also have a DeviantArt (WATCH ME FOR ACCOUNTABILITY). I'll use those for tracking and on a weekly basis...like a weekly update or something, I'll post art on this thread. Also! Check out Renaissance Rebels which is my accountability group! I shall post art and do some challenges there too . Grading: up to 1 Wis and 2 Cha Armin Arlert: A stabilizing force, Armin may not be the bravest, nor the strongest, but he is the heart of the main trio and often provides comfort in a very dark world. He's the puppy. Please don't hurt the puppy. Details: Cleaning, tidying and all other home stuff here! Need to keep up and happy home life Tracking: This thread will be tracked and notice I have a extra BONUS challenge in there for MEGA points! This BONUS is a minimalist type challenge to get rid of things I no longer need and it's called 30 Days to Less Stuff. I shall be tracking the stuff I get rid off in there and hopefully I made the full days! Woo! Grading: up to 2 Wis and 1 Cha Sasha Blouse: Potato Girl. Poor thing is only known as Potato Girl. She also steals food. She is all about eating a lot and eating it all well. Details: All diet, sleeping, and cooking activities belong here for points! Tracking: I'll be tracking what I make (and eat) via MyFitnessPal ( username BlackTezca ) and also this thread! MyFitnessPal will be updated with recipes too since those can save the recipe. Expect some pictures as well! Grading: up to 2 Con Of course, what challenge would it be without some starting measurements to track! I ended the last challenge pretty good and though I don't know if I can get these measurements any different, it's always awesome to see progress! Starting Measurements: Date: 09/04/2015 @ 6 am Weight: 125.6 ***Body Fat***: 23% (I haven't checked this) Waist: 23 Waist @ Navel: 24 Hips: 35 Neck: 12 Chest: 32 Left Bicep: 10 Right Thigh: 16 Wrist: 5.5 Forearm: 9 I'm gonna be interested in seeing how this grab bag format turns out! This looks like it might be one of tough challengers yet, but all of these side quests are building up on what I have done before and what I would be continuing on anyways! This encourages me to do all sorts of things and I can also be flexible with it so much so that even on rest days I can get up to so many points. The number of points I'm starting out with seems a little daunting, but if I keep up momentum, it shouldn't be too hard to accomplish! I think so anyways. That's gonna be the actual challenge. That and remember what I did and how many points I have earned. Man that's gonna be a lot to count up each day and week and MATH IS HARD YA'LL! Edited 09/11: Also I just realized that I'm not going to be in town at all during the final week. I;'m gonna be in a MAGICAL place where dreams come true So this challenge is a 5 WEEK challenge instead of 6 weeks. I know a few people are making their challenges 5 weeks for Camp so I find it very interesting that the stars aligned and I have the same issue. So this will need to be an EPIC FIVE WEEK CHALLENGE!!! Fuck it! Let's DO THIS!!! NOW! For humanity sakes onward Survey Corps! Show those snobbish, cowardly morons in the Military Police Bridage, and those merely average Garrison folks what we are made of! JUST DON'T GET KILLED (easier said than done...)

If you pay any attention to my gif choices, you must have expected it. . . The Supernatural-themed challenge. I rewatch the episodes on Netflix all the time, and I always wonder how I would do as a hunter (in all probability, very poorly). But part of being a Rebel is learning to overcome fear and become antifragile, and there is nothing sturdier than the Winchesters. Of course, the best part of the show* is the music, so I chose four songs from the show (or tangentially mentioned - I guess Kripke couldn't get the rights to Led Zeppelin stuff) to represent my goals for this challenge. Ramble On – DEX 2, STA 3. One of dean’s favorite songs, and one of my goals. I love running, I love hiking and going for long walks. I just need to make sure these are a priority in my life. I’m not going to try for 10,0000 steps per day, but rather 50,000 per week. Running, walking, hiking, line dancing, whatever. Get moving. Ordinary biking will not count, but a dedicated bike trip that lasts long (say, at least an hour and a half?) will be included in “stepsâ€, converted with the LIVESTRONG method here: http://www.livestrong.com/article/187672-how-to-convert-exercise-bike-miles-to-steps/ . (This has been way too easy. So I am bumping the total up to 70,000/week, which is the recommended 10,000/day. I also need to run at least twice, because come on. Not sure about the numbers, but it will depend how far over my minimum I go, I guess.) Green Onions – CON 2. Moose gets big eating “shake it baby†salads and green smoothies! Loving my usual “eat greens every day†goal, but it’s too easy. So I will try to eat at least 3 servings of veggies per day, and track all foods using My Fitness Pal. Eye of the Tiger– STR 4. I would like to continue with both my BW practice and my dance practice, but scheduling time to do each 3+ times per week would leave me with no rest days. So this goal is an either/or instead of a both/and. I will “train†3 times per week – bodyweight and/or intense dancing. Intense dancing is defined as minimum 45 minutes, heart rate goes up, or difficult muscle work like floorwork, etc. Ideally, I want to do one pull up by the end of 2015, so bodyweight is going to help me with that a lot. (Edited end of week 2: to make sure I do more BW, I top out at 70% unless I do at least two BW.) (I swear this isn't the only reason I watch this show) Got My Wings – WIS 2, CHA 2. While the show itself is pretty agnostic in tone (which is quite a feat, considering the demons, angels, etc that people the whole thing), spiritual themes are central to the show, and none more so than redemption. If religious stuff bugs you, skip to the gif of Castiel speaking in iambic pentameter, just like an angel speaking English should. I'm the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition. Mmmm, prosody. I am Jewish, and living in a place bereft of other Jews, except for my husband. As I live through my first ever Passover without a Jewish community, I realize how much I miss it. I can't make a Jewish community spring up in Shikoku, but I can reconnect to the observances of Judaism that I have let fall by the wayside due to absence. As i have made stretching and meditation into part of my bedtime ritual most nights, I find myself longing for more - more of the outside, physical observances that radiate inwards (lighting Shabbat candles, singing some of the evening service, covering my head when attending to my spiritual needs) and the inside, mental observances that radiate outwards, especially prayer and study. I am going to be realistic, which is a mitzvah in itself, since living life doesn't, and shouldn't. grind to a halt for the spiritual life (Judaism doesn't really have an ascetic tradition, we're more communal and in-the-world). I intend to continue my evening stretching and meditation, and add the Sh'ma and the V'ahavta, as well as keep up with the Parshah weekly – read section, read at least one commentary/midrash. (Also start the morning with the Modah Ani) Luckily, I already have my "Team Impala" playlist on my iPod! Challenges for this challenge: I have family visiting from the 24th to May 4th. However, this is my dad and his partner, so I will probably end up getting more exercise during their visit. We're planning on lots of walking, etc, plus a bike ride across the big bridge and maybe climbing the tallest mountain in Western Japan (if it is open for climbing). And i should try to remember Mothers' Day. And Coming off of Passover sometimes leads me to donut-and-pastry binge a bit, but I'm hopeful that having to track it in MFP will stay my hand at least part of the time. *Yes, even better than the very pretty (and only occasionally shirtless) men kicking demon ass.

Hello fellow Assassins. Since my major Quest is gonna be about mastering a couple of bodyweight excercises i decided on joining you. (and a great part because of a great post by Hazard) I know i am a little late at the party but that's because i have been ill at the end of last week and beginning of these. So i just now had time to wrap everything up (and workout got dibs). So i will be updating this topic with more info later this day. Good luck on your Challenge everyone! Challenge First of all, i wanna say for me this is gonna be a 5 week challenge. I'm writing this on my first day on vacation. Next friday we will be going home again. Monday after that my challenge will start. A balanced foundation. So i want my body summerready before summer. Allthough last challenge worked huge towards my BF% this will still be my main focus. Just inserted because i'm so damn proud! But i also want to start with a balanced body. At the moment everything is really going good. Running is at good pace, stronglifts is coming along nice. Kickfun and Crossfit lessons are heavy but really doable. Ab workout is really hard, but i can see that's hard for everybody. But the thing i really lack at the moment is my upper body strength. Pushup are going much better but can use some work, and i still can't do a proper pull up. Not even one!!! And that annoys me! So i'm gonna work on that. My main quest pushups and pull ups. I'm gonna go look for some program on both and make them a quest to maintain. I'll get back to you when i found a proper program. QUEST1: PP-Plan At the moment i'm thinking about doing these 2 programs: www.50pullups.com and www.hundredpushups.com I'm not saying my goal is to do 50 pullups or 100 pushups as i know that would be almost impossible to achieve in the 5 weeks i'm training for this. Keeping things SMART. Also i want to keep on doing the Stronglifts program and kickfun and crossfit lessons. Even the occasional run will take place because i just really love doing these things. These are the programs i'm gonna follow, but if i feel they are too easy or too hard i'm gonna look for something else. So now another hard part. When to do these excercises. When i am able to do my stronglifts at home i want my week to look like this: Mo: Stronglifts Tue: Grouplesson Kickfun Wed: Stronglifts Thu: Grouplesson Crossfit and Ab workout Fri: Stronglifts Sat or Sun: Running (4-6 miles) So i'm thinking about doing my PP-plan (PushupPullup-plan) on tuesday wednesday and saturday. So my week will look like this: Mo: Stronglifts Tue: Grouplesson Kickfun / PP-plan Wed: Stronglifts Thu: Grouplesson Crossfit and Ab workout PP-plan Fri: Stronglifts Sat: PP-plan Sat or Sun: Running (4-6 miles) I'm gonna think of a scoring system by the time i made the other Quests (head is buzzing with information at the moment!). Scoring system: 3 times a week is 15 times in a 5 week challenge: A= 13 or more B=12-11 C=10-9 D=8-7 QUEST2: MaintenanceThis quest is about Maintenance. I'm a little bit worried that all the work i did in the previous challenge will slowly fade away if i don't keep on focussing on it. So this quest is gonna be about maintaining my habits made in the previous quests. Especially the nobinge and nobeer quest, they aid a lot when i'm being held accountable. The workout part of last challenge isn't gonna be a problem. I actually would just look some more days in a week so i can do more different workouts. Also the lifequest is something i enjoy and i feel is very usefull. So i'm gonna keep on getting up a little earlier then i was used to, no need for that to be accountable on. So this quest is gonna be the nobinge/nobeer quest. As with the first quest scoring system will be determined later on. This is it for now. Now first, lunch and then, lunges!!! Scoring system:I'm gonna make a total of these, so when: "i binge" or "i drink beer (more than 2 days a week)" i'm gonna add one to the counter.A=0-2 B=3 C=4 D=5 QUEST3: Healthy WeekendsThis quest has to be about introducing something in the diet. Everything is going really well during the regular workweek (mo - thu) but in my 3 day weekend (fri - sun) there can be a lot of bad food. So normally there are 3 meals a day, which makes 9 in total for the weekend. This quest is about making one "day" healthy. So that's 3 meals in a weekend. One breakfast, one lunch, one dinner has to be "healthy". This doesn't have to be on the same day. Scoring system:Counting the healthy meals per weekend, 3 meals a week is 15 meals in a 5 week challengeA=13 or more B=11-12 C=9-10 D=7-8 LIFEQUEST: ProcrastinationI'm an expert in procrastination. As well at work as at home. So i'm dividing this up in 2 parts:At home: Do at least one chore every week that is long overdue!At work: Do more work!Haven't made up yet how to specify the "at work" part. Nor do i have an idea how to score that one. Tips would be great! Scoring system (on the home part for now):5 weeks = 5 choresA= 4 or more B=3 C=2 D=1

One of the things I noticed during my 1st challenge, was that I wasn't consistent. Not only was I not consistent in the number of training sessions I was putting in during the 6 weeks, I was also inconsistent in the type of session - sometimes I focused on pushups, other times on pullups, or total body workout, or running or whatever else i decided on that session/day. Whilst any exercise is better than no exercise, exercise without direction does not necessarily lead to goal accomplishment. So for the next 6 weeks (7 including this 'off week') I'll aim to be more consistent. Main Quest:- Complete the Loch Ness Marathon, 27th September 2015. Same as before, and until 28th September Q1:- Complete a 6 mile run (no time limit) by 25th May. (6 miles = 4 stamina pts, 5 miles = 3pts, 4 miles = 2pts, 3 miles = 1pt) Q2:- Complete the 3 circuits of the Advanced Bodyweight Workout (or more likely the variation of it under Scale Your Routine on that page) at least three times per week. (18 and over ABW sessions = 3 strength points, 12-17 ABW sessions = 2 points, 6-12 ABW sessions = 1pt) Q3:- Be able to perform a single proper pullup by 25th May (A= 3 strength points, B= 10 chin ups, 2 pts, C = 5 chin ups = 1 pt) Motivation:- to be a good role model to our girls so that they see exercise as a good, enjoyable experience rather than something to be avoided or a punishment. Q1 & Q3 are repeats of my 1st Recruit challenge. Q1 was me getting back to running after a stress fracture...I guess I didn't give it enough time to heal (8 weeks) as after a couple of weeks running I was back up to 4 miles but my injury site was protesting so I bailed on the running for a few more weeks. I'm starting back running this week, taking it very easy for a couple of weeks (10 mins only, light jogging, every other day). After two weeks I'll be dropping down to max of 3 runs per week and increasing slowly each week. Q3 was my first attempt at getting strong enough to do a pull up. As stated previously, my approach to training was a tad inconsistent, but even so I saw fairly good improvements - I did my first ever chinup! I managed to pull myself up about 6 inches, and I was able to static hang from a bar for a minute...6 weeks ago I couldn't hang for 10 seconds! Weight at beginning of this 6wc = 75Kg. I'll get weighed again at the end, not for any particular goal, just to compare.

Ok, for real this time, I really REALLY want to get going with my chin ups and pull ups!! We've had an ongoing battle over the last two challenges, and so far I've lost. It's been a wee bit discouraging. No more! Even though I will never have this level of fluffy-tailed greatness, this guy is still my role model Main Quest: Achieve chin up (and then maybe even pull up) glory Quest #1: Keep up with the Beginner Bodyweight Workout 3x per week, gradually adding difficulty. Make sure to keep up the good stretching work! Reward: +4 STR +1 DEX Quest #2: Follow the Pre-Armstrong Pull up Program on non-BBWW days. Also, make a tracking chart.http://armstrongpullupprogram.com/the-pre-armstrong-workout-for-pull-up-beginners/ Reward: +5 STR Quest #3: Don't help the gravity nemesis. Eat well! Eat only 7 servings of grains or sugary treats per week. Also, REMINDER: two bowls of cheesy popcorn does not equal one serving. No cheating. Reward: +3 CON Quest #4: Floss floss floss! Cause who needs plaque weighing them down? I have never ever been able to do this consistently, and I really want to start. I think I will have more success in the mornings, since at night I tend to forget / be too tired to feel like bleeding. Floss 6x per week. Reward: +1 CON +1 CHA(Shiny teeth and nice gums mean charisma power, right??) I'm also going to make a better effort to keep posting on here, even if things aren't going super well. But of course I hope it does go well Grading:A= 85 -100% completed = Full points B= 70 - 85% completed = 0.75 points C= 55 - 70% completed = 0.5 points D= 40 - 55% completed = 0.25 points F= Aint gonna happen!!

I had a pretty good year in 2014 and am starting 2015 with the aim of building on last year's successes and surpassing them. Heck, I'd like to sink the battleship with how well I'm going to blow my goals out of the water in 2015!! This first challenge of 2015 is aimed at locking in on what worked so that I can do more of it .... and gathering up tools that will support my progress toward attaining at "normal" weight of 149 lbs by the end of the year. And about 30% body fat .... which should be a very nice, feasible goal that I hope to sweep past long before we're thinking about egg nog again. 1) Major goals for this first challenge to lose weight & body fat to get down to 164 lbs and 33.4% BF by:keeping to my macros (from IIFYM.com) and calorie goals as reported on loseit.com (link in signature)Maintaining my running plan - doing some cardio at least 6 times each week, but usually working on components from 5K training plans - I'm an experienced runner; so 6 days a week is feasible, and I know when to let the body have a break.Strength training 3 times per week … doing a mix of bw, free weights, and oddball things in preparation for obstacle course races. Check out my plans at Fitocracy.com (see link in my signature)At stake: 1 WIS, 1 CON, 1 STA, 1 STR, 1 DEXScoring: a percentage based on how close I come to meeting the weight and bf% goals. No score for effort - gotta achieve the endpoint!! Other goals in support of the major goal 2) Do something fun & adventurous each week. I need to get out of the house, challenge myself to meet people, and do things to get out of my cocoon. Keep in mind that my life is pretty tame. If I got out to geocache or do some wall climbing, that's an adventure.At stake: 2 CHAScoring: percentage of how many times I get out for an adventure out of the goal of 6. 3) Wear my contacts!!!! I'm going to try daily wear contacts since I really don't want to do obstacle courses (or karate class) wearing glasses. I need to pick up the new prescription, but I can slip in my old monthly pairs until I get to the eye doctor's clinic.At stake: 2 DEXScoring: percentage of the number of days I at least wear them at least some of the day. 4) Expand the garrison!! Get/make stuff I need in order to do the rest. I've already started!!!Pullup bar installedLoseIt! premium membership750words.comClean out and organize the kitchen - then use it!Basement workout areaMake a sandbagAt stake: 2 WIS, 1 CHAScoring: percentage completion 5) Write 750 words per day. One big theme is how to get my mojo back, but I may wander anywhere I like with those 750 words. I might even start to write on my research again!!At stake: 3 WIS

I know that I'm coming in late to the party so please forgive my tardiness. Here is Challenge #6 Main Quest: Quest 1: Muscle Up Hunt It's tough and takes a lot of strength to master. I am on the hunt catch the elusive muscle up. It seems like forever that I have been working on getting this move. It is my goal to achieve 1 clean muscle up without excessive kipping. The plan below allows me to get use to the movements I'm doing it 2x a week. 10 Chest High Pull Ups 12 Straight Bar Dips 10 Clapping Push Ups 10 Head bangers 10 typewriter pull ups 12 jump muscle ups 8 Plyo Australian pull ups 3 cycles 2 min rest between cycles Quest 2: Stretch I have this bad habit of not stretching after all of my workouts, mainly because of time or my wife being ready to go somewhere. I will be working on the "Functional Triad" that includes the anterior chain, posterior chain, and the lateral chain. The exercises for this are the bridge hold, L-sit hold and full twist. Quest 3: Meditation With everything that is going on in my life. I have to meditate so that I will remain sane. My goal is to meditate 5-7x a week (mostly Yoga Nidra). Life Goals: WORK & School I recently lost my job during the holidays. (Just won my appeal for UI ) My goal is to find employment so that I can continue to provide for my family and not rely on my veterans disability and excessive student loans for survival. I'm not really sure I know how to find a job with this economy so guess I may need to find a coach. The second part of the goal consists of passing this class that I am in. I'm using the rest of my G.I. bill to get my MBA. After my current class there is one more class and I graduate at the end of April.

I have made some surprisingly clear goals for the first challenge. I graduated on Christmas and started working full-time, so now I've got some real free-time and I can focus on fitness! I've been having quite a lot of different kinds of physical hobbies in my life. From dance to horseback riding. Now my main hobbies are gym and climbing (I know I should belong to the assassins' guild, but my body type is too heavy for that... in my opinion.) Main Quest: Sticking into healthy lifestyle and building strong body! (Exercise routines (both strength and cardio), almost vegan diet and getting out of the sugar addiction) Challenge quest 1: Reduce sugary treats into eating them max 3 times per week. (That's a hard one for a chocoholic) Challenge quest 2: Make up a clear gym workout-plan. (leg-day, pull-day, push-day) And DO IT! (Gonna post more about it later) Challenge quest 3: Four clean pull ups wit underhand grip. 3 is my record so far. One pull up with overhand grip.

Level 5: Re-fawned! My fifth challenge now? Some successful and some less so - all have been good motivation to get things done, and so I’d like to continue with them. I most definitely have a “Let’s do ALL the things NOW†mentality, even though I know it isn’t the best way to get things done well. So I was happy to let all that crazy loose by making an “ALL the things†epic quest list for 2015. I have had a long sit down and thought about what I would like to achieve this year and who I want to be at the end of it. Not going to lie, I love that list. I stare at it lovingly quite a bit. And I will love it even more when I cross things off it! So today I’m going to start. And Talvi looked upon the simplicity of the NF challenge, the elegance of the quests and the beauty of the goals, and she thought “lol jk nope, let’s make this more complicatedâ€. Now my two most successful challenges had two completely different setups; one was simply three quests + progress log, and the other had a flexible points system earned by doing stuff. I present to you my mutant setup! Three goals + a flexible point system for each so that if I can’t do a lot at once, I can do a lot of little instead. I can pass each week by getting 6 Strength, 6 Agility and 6 Intelligence points. STRENGTH Get closer to that mythical pull-up Possible challenge reward: +3 STR, +1 DEX, +1 STA 3 points = BBWW + Negatives 2 points = Warm-up + rows/planks/hangs/negatives/curls 1 point = 10 minutes play 1 point = Bouldering AGILITY Beat my 5K PR (28.44 minutes) Possible challenge reward: +4 STA & +1 CON 3 points = Running session (10+ laps) 3 points = Run to the adult playground, play and run back (total 6km) 1 point = Post-bouldering mini jog of 1 - 4 laps INTELLIGENCE Learn to speak Spanish (Benny Hill style) Possible challenge reward: +3 WIS & +2 CHA 1 point: 30 minutes speaking 0.5 points: 20 minutes listening to Spanish One session of Anki Spanish flashcards I bought the book and I’m going to try the learning to speak rather than read whatever which way it says. I haven’t read anything more than on the website yet, so I’m not sure what I’ll be doing yet and so the following points criteria is subject to change. Image by Karzahnii (DeviantArt)

Hey all, longtime reader, first time poster here. I hit the halfway mark on the 60 Day PLP Challenge, and I'm feeling great! I never thought I could do 40 pullups, and it's surprising to me every day I do one more. I'm so glad I found this site! With the help of Nerd Fitness, I eat better, look better and feel better. I've attached my before and during photos. Each one was taken right after my workout. Along with the PLP Challenge, I'm also doing a workout routine of squats with weights, bent over dumbbell rows, dumbbell bench press, and 4 1-minute long planks. I was never athletic growing up. I'm a movie and music nerd. I was in concert band, marching band, and jazz band all throughout school. After working my 9-5, I used to love just sitting around finding new music and watching movies. Now, exercising is included on that list, thanks to Nerd Fitness. Woot! Thanks for reading, B

1) Candy Land Escape from Holiday Treats*Every year, the holidays start to feel like a gauntlet of poor food choices combined with a big helping of guilt masquerading as holiday cheer. You can't avoid "opportunities" to eat calorie-laden, low-nutrient foods unless you crawl into a hole and pull it in after you. And trying to say "No, thank you" to friends, family, and random strangers proffering these items becomes an exercise in extreme diplomacy. I usually feel like Scrooge crossed with the Grinch before Thanksgiving is done. Forget the wreath on the door ..... this should go up as a fair warning to neighbors: (Maybe I should tattoo it on my forehead ....???) So, this year, I'm embracing the challenge!!!! Bring on the gauntlet!!! We'll have some fun framing the holiday season as the battle ground that it often seems to be, populated with sugar monsters, office party swamps, and little devils pushing caramel corn and cookies at us whenever we are weakest. For fun, people may join in the game - pop over to the accountability group (which I will create shortly ....) and have some fun with me. (Keep in mind that this is NOT a well-constructed game ... just somewhat of gallows humor designed to raise a laugh as we try to avoid gaining the traditional 5 pounds that Americans put on ---- and do not lose ---- each holiday season.) *Thanks, Beaucastle for the name!!! At stake for me: 1 CON, 1 WIS, 1 CHA, 1 STA, 1 STR - if I escape (i.e. get to the end of the game board) 2) Apprentice to the Black Widow Yeap, I'm back among the Assassins to work on changing body composition and redevelop the ability to do a pullup (among other bodyweight workout goals)!! I refuse to give up on this goal and will be working hard at reducing the amount of assistance I need on the pullup machine at the gym. By the end of the challenge, I want to be able to do 3 x 8 at 100 pounds of assistance or less. At stake: 1 STR, 1 DEX 3) Comfortable in any SettingSince I work at home, it's way too easy to get stuck inside as winter descends upon us. I can become a hermit, sitting at the computer, getting all my social interaction online. I live in the 5th coldest city in the United States .... I love it, but it can become a challenge to get outside in the winter. So ... gotta fight that trend and get reacquainted with people and my favorite city. Besides .... assassins have to blend in everywhere, right? My goal is to get out and do some adventuring every day!!! The list of possible adventures will keep growing as I think of things. Some will be planned, but some will be random (dice roll or picking a card). At stake: 2 CHA, 1 WIS 4) Outrun the Ghost of Christmas PastRunning is good for my spirits and usually kicks S.A.D right in the teeth too. So, finish C25K and run the http://gobblegallop.com/ and the Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis with take place on Thanksgiving and then a week later. Let's hope for no ice! I can handle cold air, but I don't want to risk messing up my ankle again. At stake: 1 DEX, 2 STA 5) DestressMeditate daily. At stake: 2 WIS The goal is to NOT go over 165 pounds (losing weight would be even better), to hold BF% steady or even reduce a little, and to emerge at the end of the challenge filled with health and holiday spirit!!!

Hi, my name is Lee and I started my quest back towards long term health on May 12, 2014 when I realized that I needed to reform a lot of aspects of my life to be the father I wanted to be. Since then I've started eating paleo, commuting via bike, playing Ultimate Frisbee consistently again, disc golfing when I can, and spending more time hiking and taking our dog for walks. I've lost 50 lbs, put on some muscle, improved my athletic performance, and feel better than I ever have. You can read more details on my past if you wish; I'm pretty sure that's not really violating the spirit of Rule 1. I've been reading all of the blog posts here since then, a lot of old ones, and some forum posts, but am ready to get more involved. I actually would have done the last challenge but my daughter was born the day it started and I was a bit preoccupied. Main Quest: Dropping another 10 lbs of fat while adding more muscle 90%90% I really have no way to measure this, but I'm down 6 pounds and have some measurable strength gains and visual muscle gains, so presumably some additional muscle. Let's call it 90% Stat boost totals: 2 Cha, 3 Con, 2 Dex, 3 Sta, 3 Str, 1 Wis Goal 1: Improve mile time - Deciding to work Mark Sisson's 1 mile challenge in as a goal here. I basically hate running unless I'm aiming to catch a frisbee at the end of that run, but going to use it as a measurement. Week one will actually be doing a 1 mile run a couple times to establish a baseline, then I'll do another timed run each week. Aiming to shave about 10% off, though no idea if that's a realistic number. 100%100% Down from 8 minutes to 6:51Stats granted: 1 Dex, 2 Sta, 1 Str Goal 2: Move some distance every day - This is actually kind of funny because currently I commute via bike except if I'm going to play Ultimate that day (and drive there right from work), but the challenge to my willpower will be continuing to move every day after I start my new job in 2 weeks, working from home where nothing is making me get out and move. Hopefully these 6 weeks will make that habit stick. I imagine my dog will be thrilled by the idea. 100%100% Didn't miss a day Stats granted: 2 Con, 1 Sta Goal 3: 10 pull-ups. I'm up to 4 now, having plateaued for quite a while now due to falling out of the habit of my 2-3 times a week NF Advanced Bodyweight workout when my daughter was born and I was just too exhausted to even think about working out for a long time. 100%100% Made it to 10Stats granted: 1 Cha, 1 Dex, 2 Str Life Quest: Manage chronic stress better. I'm already quitting my job for a much better one that will definitely make me a happier person and cut down on my biggest source of stress. The new job will be a lot of work too, but it will be work towards a goal that matters to me and with the ability to solve the problems I face. Along with that I plan to actually take time to relax, get back to reading again, and cut back on caffeine. Stats granted: 1 Cha, 1 Wis, 1 Con Motivation:

Howdy! I've been lurking around here since probably the beginning of the summer, but never really got the guts to commit to it until now. Time to jump in! Main Quest - lose 10 pounds. I ultimately have lots of things I'd like to do, however, this seems like a good starting point - something very solid and easily measured. A = Quest completed! 10 pounds lost with A's or B's in all side questsB = 10 pounds not lost, but A's or B's in all side quests, or 10 pounds lost but some C's in side questsC = 10 pounds not lost, and some C's in side quests, or 10 pounds lost and some D's in side questsD = 10 pounds not lost, and some D's in side quests, or 10 pounds lost and some F's in side questsF = 10 pounds not lost and some F's in side quests Side Quests: 1) Continue going to the gym 3-4 times a week and doing at least 30 mins of elliptical. I've started trying to build a gym habit already, and I want to continue this and get the habit to really stick. I've found in the past that in my current condition, I get terrible plantar fasciitis when I run on a treadmill. I don't get this when jogging outside, but it does hurt knees to a disconcerting amount if I jog on concrete for any extended length of time. So, for this challenge I'm going to stick to low impact elliptical, and hopefully as I lose weight and strengthen the muscles around my joints I can do these other activities in the future. A = 4 times a week for at least 30 minutesB = 3 times a week for at least 30 minutesC = 2 times a week for at least 30 minutesD = 1 time a week for at least 30 minutesF = I didn't do crap that week! 2) Get 8 hours of sleep a night and stop snoozing in the morning - I've gotten really bad lately about dinking around on the internet for too long before I head to bed, and end up getting to bed way later than I intended, which leads to me snoozing much later than I really should when my alarm goes off. So, for more concrete measures, I'll aim for starting my before bed routine at 9:45, and getting up right when my alarm goes off at 6 on weekdays. On weekends, I will let myself shift these times back by 1 hour. Actually getting up out of bed on the weekends will be a key point, as I tend to just lounge in bed for a few hours after I really should have gotten up, which impacts both my mood and energy levels, in addition to really wreaking havoc on the beginning of the next week by messing up my sleep habits. I have a sleep app to monitor my sleep habits, and hopefully I can also pinpoint anything else that tends to impact my quality of sleep by taking notes with it. A = 7 days a week of getting to bed on time and out of bed on scheduleB = miss scheduled times 1-2 times (miss either bed on time or out of bed time)C = miss scheduled times 3-4 timesD = miss scheduled times 5-6 timesF = miss scheduled times 7-8 times 3) Be able to complete a single pull up* - This one is quite ambitious for me right now, and even more so since I'm not quite sure what I'm starting with right now in terms of muscle (though I expect I'm starting with very little), in addition to being overweight. BUT, even though I may very well not complete this quest this time, this is something I REALLY want to be able to do, it will be here until I can do it, dammit! I plan on starting 3 times a week with dumbbell rows and moving on from there, more or less as laid out in this article. *I originally had this as a set of ten pullups, but after doing an assessment of my upper body strength (heh, which to say politely is lacking) I moved it down to doing 1. Still a touch ambitious, but much more reasonable and not setting myself up for failure. A = Workout towards this goal 3 times a week, with progress through dumbbell rows, body weight rows, assisted pullups, and managing 1 unassisted pullupB = Workout towards this goal 3 times a week, with progress made but 1 unassisted pullup not achievedC = Workout towards this goal 2 times a weekD = Workout towards this goal 1 time a weekF = Failed to do anything to workout towards goal Life Quest - Something I've been sitting on for years now is trying my hand at writing a fantasy novel. But I've never really been able to follow through on it. So, I'd like to make inroads on really trying my hand at this. I intend on trying out this method, and I'd like to be working on step 7 by the end of this challenge. Failing this won't fail my main quest, but I'm going to grade it just the same so I have the motivation of not getting bad grades Here's a rough schedule: Week 1 - get through steps 1 and 2Week 2 - get through step 3 and start on step 4Week 3 - finish step 4, and start on step 5Week 4 - finish step 5, start step 6Week 5 - finish step 6Week 6 - start working through step 7 A = on step 7 at endB = on step 6 at endC = on step 5 at endD = on step 4 at endF = on step 3 or lower at end What's my motivation - I hesitate at this one. In all honesty, motivation has often been lacking in my life, and I often use that as a scapegoat or excuse to not do things. I want to cultivate discipline, the ability to get myself to do what I want to do or need to do whether the motivation is there or not. I need to be able to get life done even when I don't 'feel like it.' ***I went through and edited to add grading scales for myself

Allright, here I am: during my first challenge I was invited to join the assassins, so I will start my second one here. Last time I joined late but still I had at least some success with my main quest, completing my first pullup. Also, for a little while I managed to resist my built in urge to drink every single beer that somehow sneaks into sight or, let's be honest, my mind. Relax Grover... Beer is here to stay, it will be there all your life. You can drink it another time...breath... Ok, so obviously there is still some room for improvement. Here is the plan for this round. Main Quest Become even more heroic! Be stronger, fitter, be kind to my body To achieve this I will Do the beginner bodyweight workout at least 3 times a week. (Secretly working on that pull up, of course) Go hiking, swimming or to the sport club at work at least twice a week. Drink alcohol only once during the week and once during the weekends. Side Quests Play outside every day. (Meaning being outside on purpose, enjoying it) I am an outdoor person and much healthier and more balanced when I remind myself of that instead of coming home after work and locking myself up indoors for the rest of the day. Life Quest Meet friends. I have some really good friends that I need to see, but "more important" things keep getting in the way. There is nothing more important than the people that are close to you, therefore this must stop. I will plan how to or actually meet one of these people each week. Note to myself: Steffipopeffi, Timmi, Mirka, Christine, Dönerleute

Hey everybody, Made it to the gym for the first time in months because I was pumped to dive into the challenge. On my mission to complete I pull-up I thought I'd start with Steve's recommendation from his post here. I thought I'd try an inverted/body weight row to see how well I could hold up. Though my gym has a smith machine, they recommended I try the same exercise with a suspension TRX system instead. From what I can tell the exercise IS very similar to an inverted row, except instead of pulling yourself up to a bar you pull yourself up using hanging straps with handles. Can anybody vouch for these? Thanks!

Ok, this challenge is going to be simple and straightforward. I probably will not do anything with the run-on story. And I will be online less than I have been for the previous 9 months. We moved. I am really enjoying being back in my home town in Minnesota. I love the new house. Life is good, but it is also really busy with unpacking and decorating, new jobs, and tons of fun things to do. I don't think I really fully grasped how limited my life (especially social) had become. I have already auditioned for (and made it into) the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra's Chorale!! It's a complete change in my life!!! And I hope that this will curtail emotional eating and drinking and make it easier to get out to exercise and just MOVE more. Moving to the city where I wanted to live marks also a new direction/philosophy in my life. I'm not waiting to be rescued anymore. Last challenge, I got a wake up call and realized that I'd become very passive. I was always waiting to be noticed and asked to take on roles and activities that I wanted. That shit is DONE. Auditioning for the chorale was another step in saving myself. Boom! I'm on a roll. So, here's heading for 33% body fat by the end of the challenge as my main, overarching goal. How?? 1) Strength Training. I have a set of free-weight and body weight workouts for 3+ days per week. That's process stuff. The GOAL for the end of the challenge is to do a pull up/chin up with only 25 pounds of assistance. Having shifted gyms (along with cities), I am looking at options and may have to ask one of the trainers for help. There is an assisted chin up machine at the location I visited yesterday, but it's different than the one I was using. (+3 STR) 2) Running 5Ks. I like running and am working through the C25K, ZR5K, and ZR apps to keep building up stamina and speed. I'm planning on the Harvest Run for October 11th but won't sign up until after I find out how my mom's surgery (back) goes on October 6th. (+2 STA, +1 DEX) 3) Cleaning up diet using the Anti-Aging Diet (Elizabeth Somer) guidelines. Eating fruits and veggies and whole grains and low-fat calcium sources and protein. Not counting calories this time - just working on eating cleaner and avoiding sweets and alcohol. I do have a way to track 6 objectives per day and will report on those daily. (+2 CON, +1 WIS) 4) Sign up for and go to TKD classes. I have a studio in mind and have to go see Master Chris about joining. I never have a weight problem when I'm doing martial arts a couple times per week. (+1 WIS, +2 DEX) 5) Do a chapter (plus exercises) in the Staging Your Comeback book (Christopher Hopkins). I would like to look very stylish for my daughter's wedding ... tentatively slated for next fall (?). But I think I also need to start looking like an adult now that I'm out of grad school and am teaching. (+3 CHA) Short and sweet!