Malakir

Of course! We aren't terribly chatty lately but several of us poke in when we can. -MAL

Howdy! Week one went well. Stuck to everything pretty well, but hitting my macro goals properly is more of a challenge than I expected! I find myself having to switch up portion control from my normal amounts to half of some things and double of others, then some nights I actually have to go find something else to eat to hit my goals haha I've done this once before but I wasn't married with a kid so I just preplanned and prepared all of my meals ahead of time. Doing it on the fly is much harder. That said, everything else is cruising. Started a new circuit in my weight training yesterday, and I'm relatively sure I will be in full on DOMS pain tomorrow haha How's everyone else? -MAL

Ok, decided on a challenge. Nothing impressive. Pretty general, but at least it's there! -MAL

04/16/15 Having completed my first quest after arriving in town, I've decided to apply to the Ranger's Guild. I believe they will be able to guide me in the future as our interests and talents are more aligned than others' in the community. They've given me a list of tasks to complete over the next couple of fortnights, and I will do my best not to fail. I intend to keep up with my current duties and strive to complete this new quest as well. -Malakir Here we go. Challenge two, and the first with the Rangers! Main Quest: Regain strength, endurance, and flexibility after spinal surgery. Smart Quest One: "Keep on keeping on" (+3 Str, +2 Stam) For this quest, I will be continuing my 5 workouts per week, my tracking via myfitnesspal, and my calorie goals of 2200-2400 per day. Full points = no days missed 3/4 points = 1-2 missed 1/2 points = 3-4 missed 1/4 points = 5-6 missed No points for 7 or more misses Smart Quest Two: "Intelligent choices" (+3 Wis, +2 Con) Here I will be cleaning up my diet. Following a mild IIFYM model I plan on getting within 2% of my macro goals each day WHILE making sure that vast majority of that food is unprocessed/freshly prepared goodness. Currently too much of my intake is coming from a bag, box, bottle, or can. I'm going to do my best to make sure most of my food is coming from as close to the source as possible with as little processing as possible. Full points = no days missed 3/4 points = 1-2 missed 1/2 points = 3-4 missed 1/4 points = 5-6 missed No points for 7 or more misses Smart Quest Three: "Mobility is key" (+3 Dex, +2 Cha) Before surgery I was very flexible and had great mobility in almost all of joints. Post surgery, that has changed a bit. My hips are tight and so are my hamstrings. For this quest I plan on introducing some mobility work three times a week, intermingled with my workouts. Stretching/Yoga/Foam Rolling TBD. Full points = no days missed 3/4 points = 1 missed 1/2 points = 2 missed 1/4 points = 3 missed No points for 4 or more misses Life Side Quest: Get my household projects completed. This will include clearing out my garage, scheduling the electrical work to be completed, and getting quotes for some of the other work we would like to have done. I'll be doing as much of the labor and materials purchasing as I can, and will learn to do what is feasible, but where licensing or insurance concerns will be a factor I will be hiring local professionals. LOOT: A happier wife, and a nicer house to come home to. Bonus Loot for Quest Completion: IF I am able to complete all of these quests with no more than 1 missed day per quest AND I am able to make headway on the Life Side Quest, THEN I will reward myself with something I've had in mind for quite some time. A Squat Rack and new Bar/Plates for my home gym. These would go a long way in helping me complete my main life goals and open up more training possibilities for the future. Here we go! -MAL

GIVE a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day. TEACH a man to fish, and he'll have an excuse to drink beer on a boat ANY day! -MAL

Hey Blaidd, welcome back! I'm still working out what I want to do as a challenge this time. I'm sticking to all of the same things I was doing in the first challenge so I've got a bit of time to plot and plan. Good luck on the caffeine! I gave up soda over a year ago but I'd sooner give up a toe or two than coffee. Kug fu theater - kickass! -MAL

Got a fishing rod and a beer with your name on it if you're ever in town. -MAL

I live a stone's throw from the beach, rarely ever go though. The river, on the other hand... -MAL

I'm recovering from spinal surgery and only now getting back to training, so for right now my biggest goal is strengthening my back and recovering the progress I had previously made. In that regard, I'm working out 5/6 days a week and following a moderately structured diet. Kind of a IIFYM/classic bodybuilding diet hybrid. I plan on getting into heavier lifting/crossfit and some adventure racing again in the future as my body allows. I miss it, but know my limits and am being a "good patient" so I don't end up becoming a "repeat patient". I could probably just repeat my last challenge, to be honest, but feel like I should change things up a bit - at least challenge/goal setting wise. I'm not changing my diet/exercise/water/reading habits anyway so maybe I'll find some new things to add on as my second challenge. -MAL

Howdy! I'm STRUUUUGGLIN trying to come up with a challenge. Have some down time at work today, so I'm reading over everyone's so I can steal gain some inspiration from them. -MAL

Another new guy, checking in! Finished the first challenge as a recruit/adventurer but I think I fit in better with you guys. Well, I think my training and interests fit in better over here, anyway, I'm not sure I fit in, necessarily lol Looking forward to it! -MAL

Geez, I need to figure out what to do for a challenge as well. My current challenge is done and I didn't miss a day, but truth be told, I'll likely continue it pretty much from here on out anyway! Hmmm....Think think think lol I did level up though, and finally made a signature, so that's a start I suppose. Playground/park workouts are great! I have a great park about a mile from my house and used to run there, do a bodyweight workout and run back. May start doing that again once my current workout circuit finishes, just to break things up a bit. Where'd everyone go, Mimi? I'm beginning to think my weekly baths aren't enough and I've scared them off. -MAL

04/10/15 The first test presented to me in this place has come and gone. I have passed, and proven myself worthy, but I cannot rest. It is time to find a new challenge. -Malakir It's been established that I suck at this whole daily logging thing, haha. Myfitnesspal is easy but actually putting your day into essay form is apparently too much of a burden for me to even remember, let alone do. Either way here's a quick update. Challenge 1 is complete and I hit all of my goals without missing a day. I also participated in some of the various recruit and adventure quests so all in all I have 18 total attribute points and 2 levels to award myself. I've made a signature, so it feels all official and stuff. Since my attributes start at 0, and I'm a consummate jack of all trades, I chose to even out my stats to begin with - 3's across the board. My workouts lately have been going really well, although I'm experiencing some soreness in my back that I can't completely narrow down to DOMS. I may need to throttle down a bit in some of the more lower back involved movements. My nutrition has been pretty good, and I'm staying in my calorie goals just fine. I DO, however, need to get a handle on my macros. I tend to overeat fat and undereat protein. Not by much, mind you, but enough to make my percentages tick me off when I see them in black and white on myfitnesspal. Gotta work on that. It's Friday, again, and I may just make this my automatic battlelog update day. It will be much easier to contend with than everyday and I'm generally more pleasant on Fridays anyway! Have a great weekend folks. -MAL

Success! I made it through the entire challenge and didn't miss a single day! I was already on a pretty good roll before I found Nerd Fitness but I'm still pleased with the progress. I'm not losing any weight, which is fine because I'm happy at my current weight, but I am noticing gains in strength and flexibility. My stamina is improving during periods of sustained cardio, and other than some moderate soreness my back has held up just fine so far. I've even been able to finish 5 books in this time for my Life Side Quest! Very pleased. Time to update my stats and move on to challenge number two. -MAL

Hey! Doing well, and finished out my last challenge successfully (even if it was a bit late beginning). So the next one is the 13th? For some reason I thought it was the 20th. I need to catch up on housekeeping here. Stat allocation and prettying up my signature and such haha What's everyone thinking for their next challenge? -MAL

GOOD LUCK! -MAL

Rangers, here. Have made some contacts and it's the best fit for me overall. -MAL

Mmmmm soup. Love making homemade soups. Sounds great. We made a huge farmhouse style breakfast today for breakfast/lunch/brunch-of-shame. Definitely not healthy, but it was "cheat" day and that was my request! Still stayed in my calorie goals and got a workout in so not a total failure! Rounded out the day with Yoga - really helps me stretch and keep some flexibility/mobility in my hips and back. What's everyone else up to? -MAL

Thanks! Yes, what was feared to be a very serious situation ended up being relatively routine! I'm back to normal, for the most part, and working towards regaining my strength. I miss lifting heavy but soon enough I'll get back to it. I see you're a cyclist. Mostly road biking or ever get out on the trails? I love to mountain bike when I can! Haven't attempted again, just yet, but I plan on getting back out there very soon. Thanks very much for having me. I enjoy having some like minded people to chat with! Hope you're all doing well. -MAL

Easy Venison Jerky Recipe - Can be used with beef too, of course, or maybe tofu or something...stick with venison if you can. Marinade 2lbs of 1/4-1/3" thick sliced meat overnight in the fridge. I like to cut the meat in 3 or 4" wide strips, 5 or 6" long. Basic Marinade, but feel free to play with new ingredients. I tend to kick mine up with some garlic and hot peppers but this will get you going: 2/3 cup worcestershiresersar-shire sauce 2/3 cup soy sauce2 teaspoons ground black pepper2 teaspoons onion powder1 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)1 teaspoon cayenne pepper1 tablespoon honeyOnce marinated to perfection, place the strips into your dehydrator (you remembered your dehydrator right?) and depending on the model, either watch very closely or set it to medium heat and check back in 12 hours. The old school one setting units are usually already low/medium temps so 12-24 hrs is more likely. IF YOU DON'T HAVE A DEHYDRATOR- Don't fret. You can use your oven on the very lowest setting and it works even better if you can leave the oven door open a crack. Just be careful. I've also had great results in my wood smoker, but the temps need to stay very very low. If using venison, this is quite literally a protein stick, very low carb (sugars in the marinade) and extremely low fat compared to most beef jerky. The only real downfall is the sodium content. It's definitely in there! Here's a comparable Nutritional Table for a commercially available Deer Jerky: Serving Size 1 oz Calories 71.9 Fat 0.8g Cholesterol 31mg Sodium 477mg Carbohydrates 2.2g Sugars 0g Protein 13.2g ENJOY! But be wary of sharing...this stuff is like crack to most meat eaters, and you will run out much faster than you think! -MAL

Bringing this one back from the dead... I'm trying this too! Seems cool. You guys having luck with it? -MAL

03/27/15 Yesterday is gone; a missed opportunity to log my journey, but I'm moving forward. Some contact has been made with the local folk of this land, but I am still an unknown newcomer and many are suspicious of my presence. I will continue to do what I can where I can, and hopefully -in time- I will come to be accepted. -Malakir COMPLETELY forgot to do this yesterday. Oops. I didn't miss my workout or nutrition goals, though, and I logged everything properly on myfitnesspal. I do think this log will be helpful in keeping myself accountable. I've also responded to an accountability group (adventuring party) thread with hopes of joining up. I'd like to have the support of others here, if for no other reason than to have some folks to talk shop with. Fitness isn't really an interest of most of my friends and family, so I find myself boring them most of the time when I mention it. Oh well. 03/26/15 - Great workout cardio and abs. Huge burn. Calories and macros were right in range and I even managed to sleep pretty well! 03/27/15 - Strength circuit day with an emphasis on back. Gotta get this thing stronger so I can change up my workouts and move forward with proper lifting again. Friends visiting from out of town so I'm betting dinner will be less than ideal when it comes to nutrition BUT I'll do my best! It's Friday, so I'm automatically in a good mood! -MAL

Easier to let you read this as part of an explanation. Not a huge fan of everything T-nation does but they have some pretty good write ups and this one was done by Jim Wendler himself, the 5x3x1 creator (compiler). Wendler's book itself is a good read too. https://www.t-nation.com/workouts/531-how-to-build-pure-strength It's a great method to build strength quickly. Not ideal for year round, in my opinion, but throwing it into the mix a couple time a year made for some large gains for me. -MAL

A sarcastic/cynical Canadian? Naaaaah! I don't buy it, you all are way to polite for all that. Welcome, and good luck with the lifting. Stronglifts is a great method. I prefer 5/3/1 for building pure strength but stronglifts is more well rounded in my opinion. We are the same age and about the same size so I'll be following your progress with interest! What are you doing on your off days from stronglifts? Working on mobility/flexibility at all? -MAL

Hey folks, I'm brand new here as well. If you'll have me, I'd like to join you too! When it comes to the gym/working out I am most definitely a solo player, but on the back end I've always found that having some support and folks to discuss progress and such with is crucial. That's something I'm lacking lately, as most of my friends and family are busier with families of their own or work etc to be very interested in fitness, so I've taken to the internet to find that support group. Quick/dirty version of my own story - athlete most of my life, sedentary after a car wreck, married with a kid, moved for work, decided to get back in shape and become the athlete again, did that, diagnosed with a spinal tumor, removed and did the therapy to get back to normal, released by my doctors to return to normal activity, now 5 weeks into my rebound period of working out and fixing my nutrition to recover the gains I had made pre-surgery and hopefully improve even further! lol fun, right? Anyway, if you're full up I understand and wish you all the best of luck! If you'll have me I'll be sure to encourage, praise your accomplishments, and give you the swift virtual kick in the rear you may need should you wish it! Thanks! -MAL