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Did a bit of a hybrid sprint workout today: 1) 10 Rounds every 60 seconds: 10 push-ups and 10 sit-ups 2) 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 of Burpees and reverse crunches 3) 6 X 400m sprint @ 1:35 per sprint with 2 min rest between. I'm smoked!

Felt really good today. Front Squat: 185lbs X 20 (5, 4, 4, 4, 3) Pull-Up: +25lbs X 9, + 10lbs X 11 Dumbell Bench Press: 90lbs X 20 (5, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1) Ab Wheel X 20 Sit-ups: 21 on the minute for 5 minutes. 200m Sprint X 4 60m Sprint X 5

Didn't get a chance to post on Friday... here's what I did: Deadlift: 208 X 40 (8, 8, 8, 6, 5, 5) Incline DB Bench Press: 60 X 40 (8, 7, 5, 6, 5, 5, 4) Pull-Up: Body Weight X 8, -40lbs X 8, 4, -55lbs X 2, -85lbs X 8, 5, 5 (the weights listed were using a Gravitron Pull-Up Station as assistance). I really need to work on my pull-ups!!! Ab Wheel X 40 Gonna shift it up a bit, I just signed up fro 3 Spartan Races in the next few months... even though the weather sucks, I gotta get some cardio in!

Checking to begin Week 2!! My strength training is going well, check my Battle Log if you're interested in what I'm doing. Still working on tuning my diet... my weight from last Monday is relatively unchanged, but I did take before pictures, and I retook them yesterday, and there is a very visible difference, so I'm happy about that (we all know it's not always about the number on the scale). Ramping it up a bit this week as I start to add in very specific training to get ready for my Army PT Test which I'll be taking around 25 March. I have always been weak at sit-ups, which are one of the three events, so I gotta train that motion to be able to do well. My goal is +/- 70 in the 2 minutes that are prescribed in the test. I'll also start to add some running to get ready for the 2 mile run... goal is under 14:30. The winter here in New York (about 45 miles north of Manhattan) has been ridiculous, so I haven't been out running too much... this means treadmill and indoor track (BOO!!!). Stay strong fellow Nerds!

I just signed up for the Spartan Sprint here in NY on May 30th.... Going to hit the Super in PA in July, and the Beast in VT in Sept or in TX (with my brother) in October.

Checking in for the weekend.... Things are going well. I am noticing an appropriate increase in my strength... diet is still a bit rough, but I am on track. I gotta make a few adjustments on the fly based on some goings on. I am going to start doing a lot more cardio next week. I got accepted into a year long clinical trial about changing running patterns from a real heel strike to a mid-sole strike in order to reduce injury. There is a 4-week "strength" program to strengthen my foot and lower leg at which time I get a free pair of Nike Free 3.0 Flyknit shoes to actually do the study with, and a second pair six months later... pretty cool! What this changes is my Army Fitness Test was scheduled for 6 April. I'm probably going to take it closer to 25 March now so I'm not trying to change my running pattern at the same time that I'm taking a fitness test where I have to run 2 miles as fast as I can. My goal for this test remains unchanged for this 6 Week Quest: 290 - 300 points. This clinical trial requires me to run an average of 12 miles a week. Quite honestly,that is a lot more running than I usually do (looking at MapMyRun averages, I'm about 6-8 miles per week). Here in New York we are in the endless winter, so running outside is, well, problematic. So that means treadmill for the next few weeks while we pray for a thaw-out. My biggest problem with running has always been "running for nothing." I run just because the Army says I need to, and that makes it very tedious. To combat that, I've signed up for a handful of Spartan Races coming up as motivation. My first one will be a Spartan Sprint on May 30th here in New York. I"m going to hit a Super (in July) and Beast (October) this year to complete the Spartan Trifecta So there is my motivation to really start some decent mileage. My current workout regimen will not change too drastically, except the addition of the cardio to start supporting this overall goal. I'll check in on Monday with my body composition progress for week 1. Have a Nerdy Weekend!

Decent first couple of days in this challenge.... Had some good strength work-outs on Monday and today. Tuesday I did a BUNCH of stairs... details are all in my battle log (link in signature). Nutritionally, I have been decent on my selected diet. My wife made home-made macaroni and cheese yesterday for the kids... I had one single bite. I was also a bit down in my ability to get one of my protein shakes yesterday, so I substituted with some beef jerky. Not the best, but better than a bag of Pizza Combos! I am still plugging along, extremely happy with the effort so far. Tomorrow morning a bunch of co-workers and I are headed to our indoor field to work-out / practice with our Women's Soccer Team. On of the things about my job, I work at the United States Military Academy, West Point, is that we have all of our NCAA Division 1 teams and support facilities that we are able to access. About once a month a bunch of us get together and do a work-out with one of the teams and they put us through their paces. Should be a good time!

Solid effort today.... 1) Reverse Lunge w/ 50lb DBs. Reps: 9, 8, 7, 8, 8 2) Bent-Over Row w/55lbs. Resp: 8, 7, 6, 7, 6, 6 3) Push Press w/115lbs, Reps: 8, 7, 5. Dropped to 105lbs. Reps: 5, 6, 5, 4 4) Barbell Curl w/70lbs. Reps: 8, 7, 7, 6, 5, 4, 4 Finished with some ab work and about 10 minutes on an inversion table.

Good work-out today... 1) Row 2500 meters 2) 5 Gym Laps (1 gym laps is up 10 flights of stairs, run to the other side of the gym and go down 10 flights of stairs) 3) Ab and mobility work. Short one today, but it was good to get out of the cold (-5 here today) and get some cardio done.

"Let's Get Smart" Mini Quest COMPLETE. See my Challenge Log for details (link in my signature)

Day 1 Complete... Starting Weight: 202 @ 17% Body Fat. I want to see under 190 by the time this challenge is over! Not a bad day so far. Got a good workout in (see my Battle Log) and my nutrition has held solid. I wanted to take a moment and answer the mini-quest posted this morning regarding SMART Goals. I feel that overall my goals are SMART. I broke down the 6 weeks in easy to digest chunks with a simple task in each group that enables overall success. As far as tracking the goals, they are pretty straight forward.... either I do them or not. There isn't a lot of room for interpretation. While using a target weight (under 190lbs) may conflict with increased muscle growth, I feel that overall, with a strict --> good diet, the excess weight will come off even if I do replace some of the bad weight with muscle weight. As far as grading, it is simple... do I follow the diet? Do I follow-up with a healthy eating regime, even while traveling to Australia? I am not naive enough to say that my goals are black-and-white, there will be times when my nutrition isn't perfect, that's just part of life... or I'll miss a workout, again just part of life. The metric is overall success. Do I lose weight (or do my measurements change), how is my overall performance on my APFT, and have I transitioned to an 80% or so Paleo diet? Those are the questions I will answer and use to evaluate my success at the end of this six-weeks. I have taken into account special occasions (flying for 20+ hours on a plane... meals provided by my hosts in Australia), and those are easily managed by thinking first, eating second. None of my goals are in conflict, I have the time, and while it gives an illusion of building multiple habits, the majority habit here is my nutritional intake. I already lift several days a week... just gotta really start focusing in on my nutrition. So, mini-quest complete. My goals are SMART, and I am on my way to knocking them out of the park!

Okay, so Day 1 of my frist NF Challenge. Here is what I am doing: My fitness and nutrition are linked for hte next three weeks. I am 1 week into the Velocity Diet (info here: https://www.t-nation.com/store/packages/velocity-diet). I'll finish that on March 13th. Real short version is the diet is 4 very sepcific shakes per day with one solid paleo-esque meal per day. There is a pre and during work-out supplement in addition. The work out is a three-day per week strength training and one day per week cardio. I'm adding a day or two a week of cardio for good measure and just to round everything out. Sooooo..... Back to Day 1: Weight: 202 Body Fat: 17% Training: Front Squats 165 X 5, 4, 4, 4, 3 Pull-Ups: Body Weight X 6, 4, 3, 3, 4 Dumbell Bench: 85 X 5, 5, 4, 3, 3 Ab Wheel Roll Out: 10, 5, 5

Hey Nerds.... Who am I? I am a person who fights and claws through everything to acheive my goals. Fitness has often taken a backseat to other endeavors (like work ), but I have reignited my journey toward a fit soul and body. What are my goals? To not be a fat-body, to have the look of being a formidable person again (desk life is trying to get the best of me), to eat healthy ('cause I love all the bad stuff), and to enjoy life to its fullest... if you're interested, follow me on this journey.

Blaidd, Thanks for the encouragement. I am one of those who is never happy unless my "plate" is overflowing with stuff to do! And thanks for the link to the Ranger side of the house. Look forward to kicking this challenge off this morning!

Good day to everyone… I wanted to take a moment and introduce myself to all my fellow Nerds out there. I am Ronin (or Jeff) and I have been working in and around fitness for my whole adult life. Now, that doesn’t’ mean that I am where I want to be… oh, shoot, let me start at the beginning. I have been in the US Army since 1989 and will be retiring transitioning in the next year and a half. I enlisted right out of high school and went to Germany. After a few years there I was selected for the US Army Special Forces. After all that training I spent quite a few years as a Green Beret. During this time I met and married my wonderful wife, who I hope to bring the NF one day. After a few more years, I was selected for the Army’s Officer Candidate School (OCS) and earned a commission as an officer in the Infantry. My growing family (now daughter and son) spent time in North Carolina, Alaska, Georgia, and now West Point, NY. I have been humbled to have led some of the finest soldiers in the history of our planet both at home and deployed in places like Iraq, Africa, and Afghanistan. Being a career soldier, fitness has been part of my life. However, since graduate school a few years ago, and finding myself NOT running around in the mountains of Afghanistan, or jumping out of airplanes, and more often than not stuck behind a desk for hours a day, my own personal fitness has declined. Here at NF, I see myself as a Ranger… I am one in real life, having attended the US Army Ranger School (and earning my Ranger Tab), but the idea of a general specialist really speaks to the type of fitness required of my profession. I look forward to interacting with everyone here and leveling up my own life along the way.

Nerd Fitness recruit here with Challenge #1 knocking on the door. I fyou'd like to know a bit about me, you can find it here. Main Goal: My main goal is in three parts for this six-weeks. (1) First Three Weeks: (STR +2, STA +3) Complete my current diet regime: https://www.t-nation...s/velocity-diet Working this diet, I am about 1 1/2 weeks in, and will be complete on March 13th. This thing is very restrictive and is emotionally as well as physically challenging. While I know that diets like this are not necessarily part of Nerd Fitness' psyche, I am a person who needed a jumpstart in the right direction... this is it. (2) "Swing Week" (STA +2, CON +1, DEX +1) On March 13th I head to Australia for 10 days. I'll be coming off this calorie and carb restricted diet as I board a plane for 20+ lovely hours to spend some time in Canberra and Sydney. The attitude change for the way I fuel myself is going to be in the forefront to see if I am able to really make some serious physical, psychological, and physiological gains from my transformation. While in Australia, I need to remain active and nutritionally focused. I will bring my TRX with me at a minimum, but I gotta stay "in the moment". (3) Final Weeks: (STR +2, DEX +2, CHA +2) I'll be back at home with a fitness test approaching (on Monday, April 6th). My goal is to score between 290 and 300 on the Army Physical Fitness Test (out of 300). So where will I be at the end of this challenge? I want to be under 190lbs (currently about 199), fit a little better into my clothes, and do well on my fitness test. Life Side Quest: (WIS +2) For the next three weeks I am finishing up two classes in my MBA coursework. They are really draining my time when added to my fitness goals, and, yeah, I do have a pretty demanding day job as well. I need to carve out the time to not just pass these classes, but kick them in the butt.

I am travelling as well... Australia right in the middle of this challenge. My recommendation is to not focus so much on working out in the airport, aside from walking and not escalating... but would be to stretch and do what you can to arrive refreshed so the minute you get to your destination you are able to do a quick work-out to shake off the effects of travel. Good Luck!

Admin... please delete. My mistake!