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So this is Storin's first challenge, but he is confident and ready to KICK ASS. Here are my goals to complete for May 17th. I believe that they are SMART: 1: Lose 5 pounds. Weight as of 4/16: 237 (+2 Dex) 2: Go to the gym and work out at least 5 days/week (+2 Sta) 3: Eat paleo all but 2 meals per week (+ 2 Con) 4: Have no late bills (Rent, Car) (+2 Wis) 5: Jog for 10 minutes without stopping (I can do 4 or so right now) (+2 Sta) 6: Lose 1 inch from waistline and chest (Current: Need to check when I get home tonight!) (+2 Cha) 7: I forgot: Quit smoking cigarettes completely. (+2 Int) Here is me last month:

Hey NF peeps! I've been gone for a long time, but feel mostly ready to participate again. I want to start building some accountibility back into my life, but due to some life considerations I can't quite make my official comeback yet - hope this doesn't create any problems for the mods. Basically the last year of my life has been brutal. My wife and I lost a baby. My wife was diagnosed with cancer. The cancer was removed, but in that process the docs accidentally severed the ureter between one of her kidneys and her bladder. More surgeries were needed... Much craziness and struggle has ensued, but we're almost through it - we just need the results of some diagnostics in order for her to be given a clean bill of health and we'll finally be able to get on with life. Through all of this, the lifting kept me sane. Despite everything I also somehow managed to find a training method that really works for me and saw some encouraging results. The thing is that while I managed to keep training even through my personal apocalypse, I understandably failed to focus on other important things like eating well and getting enough sleep. So for this unofficial challenge I will stick with the program that's been working, but redouble my focus on the recovery aspect of things while pursuing better health in general. Goals 1. Stay on the gain train. I just started a new training cycle after a week off. A few months ago, I swallowed my pride dropped pundages significantly and switched to a higher rep scheme. I'll Stick with a double progression on the weights, aiming for 3 work sets of 10 reps before increasing poundages. Strict form, no grinders. Would like to see incline bench reach 125-130lbs for 3 x 10 and overhead press reach 90-95lbs (again) for 3 x 10, with chinups hitting bodyweight + 2.5 lbs for at least 1 x 10. Will strive for gains on other exercises, but the ones I've listed are the primary focus. For each training cycle I've been picking an exercise to grease the groove with, and for this cycle it will be chin/pullups as I seem to benefit from them the most. I already spend 30-45 minutes every other day doing mobility work, so I feel like that's pretty solid. 2. Clean up the diet. Drink 2L of water every day. Hit my protein goal every day. Take supplements every damn day (fish oil, greens,multivitamin), no bread, no sugar. Lot's of meats, fruits, veggies, rice, etc. Most of these things are already automatic, so I'll be focusing mainly on eating more protein instead of eating breads and sugars. 3. Meditate every morning. I've been trying to do 15 minutes of mindfulness meditation as often as I can, but I've been pretty relaxed about missing days, sleeping in etc. Bottom line: days that start with meditation are better. This is the most important thing for my health and wellness, even moreso than lifting. I need to make it the cornerstone of my daily routine. I've been gradually expanding my practice, but for now 15 minutes is the goal. 4. No non-essential spending (Life Goal). The past few months have been very difficult, and in addition to the "big stuff" losing a full-time income for the better part of a year has put the family in a precarious situation financially(i.e. we very nearly had to sell our home). In order to get back on track we have to catch up on bills, pay some debts, and start saving for some major house repairs (roof, furnace, etc.) In order to make this happen, every cent that isn't accounted for has to go to these items. There can be no exceptions (i.e. no buying coffee on the way to work, no e-books, no iTunes, albums, etc.).

Hello! I'm new to NerdFitness and to these forums, but I'm not new to working out. Here are my goals: - Do 10 consecutive pull-ups (I can do 8, with effort) - Do 20 consecutive pistol squats (I can do 12) - Get to bed at 10 pm (I usually get to bed at 12 - or 1. I'm a teenager )

If you'll indulge me, I've written this as the start of my 6WC thread. ============================================================================================= It is pitch dark. That’s more or less due to the blindfold and double sacks over my head but I don’t think these people are big on well-lit places, at least when it comes to what I'm assuming is their headquarters. I’ve been led this way and that, turned and spun, pushed and pulled so many times I wouldn’t be surprised if I found myself in the exact spot I was first taken from. With all the deception I’m finding it ironic that this group I am seeking initiation in is rumored to treasure honesty with its members and with one’s self. That thought is interrupted when finally, after what seemed like an all-day trek, we’ve come to a stop. The sacks and blindfold are taken off and I find myself seemingly alone in a darkened room with only one spot of light in which I am centered. The combination of the darkness surrounding me and the light I am enveloped in make it impossible to tell the size of the room I’m in. I clear my throat instead of speak so I can test the acoustics of the room and to not appear to be talking to myself in case I’m being watched. Don’t want to be thought of as a weirdo. There’s a decent echo so it’s a fairly large room, almost cavernous. “You wish to join our ranks, do you?†I nearly jump out of my skin! I didn’t get the sense that there were other people in here with me! Oh, these people are goooood. “Yes,†I reply rather simply. I’m told I have a tendency to ramble, but I gather that brevity would be better appreciated by all involved. “Why do you wish to join us?†Same voice, but different part of the room. Plus, whoever this person is, the amount of confidence in their voice is astounding. This is a well-seasoned pro. “I want to be a hero.†The other person paused. I could almost feel them bristle. “Don’t be foolish, boy. You would not be here if we didn’t already know everything there is to know about you. Lie to us again, and things will become… unpleasant for you.†Yet again, same voice but from a different part of the room. Am I being toyed with? It seems that the rumors are true! Alright then, honesty is the best policy. “I… †... Huh. Damn, this is harder than I thought it was going to be. Being honest with myself, it’s not something that comes quickly to me although I do eventually come around to it. “Allow me to explain why we value honesty between our members and with ourselves. In order to carry out your missions as an assassin you must be completely aware of your abilities, your strengths and your weaknesses. When you are able to identify them honestly and without bias you can accomplish anything you desire. When you are able to identify them honestly that makes you a valuable member of your guild. So I ask again: WHY?†“I… I want to better myself. I really feel like I’m on the right path and that I’ve begun to improve, but… “Go on.†“But I lack drive. Well, long-term drive. I started out really well, but I’ve petered off. Joining with you I think would provide the means with which I can find the reserves within myself to stay on target and become a model assassin.†Suddenly, the room is filled with laughter. Thanks to the echo, I can’t really tell how many more people are in the room with us, there are so many voices bouncing off of the walls over and over. Could be a few. Could be dozens. I didn’t realize I was such a comedian. I muster a nervous smirk and a “heh,†so at least I can pretend they are laughing with me, not at me. After a moment, the laughter subsides. “The council is entertained by you. More importantly, you have been truthful. You may join us.†Relief washes over me until… “Your training begins immediately.†I’m stunned. “What? Did you think you would simply answer a few questions and that was it? You have only begun, dear boy.†“I’m in my mid-thirties-“ “You’re but a child in the eyes of this council!†“Okay. Jeez.†“A true assassin is always monitoring their abilities and strengths and weaknesses. That is why we laughed at your ‘model’ assassin. There is no such thing. We always seek to better ourselves.†It’s all making sense to me now. “The path is long and arduous. Cliché though it may be, it truly is not about the destination. Rather, it is the journey. Your journey is only just beginning. Now, for your first test.†I tighten up, unsure of what the council’s idea of a test may be. “Look within yourself now. Identify for us four ways in which you can improve.†I stand in thought. Eyes closed. I breathe deep. And think. “I used to run, but the last winter was bitter and I stopped. It’s now been months and I’m back to square one, I’m sure of it. I want to not only return to my former ability but I want to surpass it.†“Good. Speed and endurance is important for an assassin. What else?†“Physical strength. It’s always been something I’ve lacked. I began working on that when I stopped running. But I have lapsed in the last few weeks. I’ve preferred using my own body for resistance and I saw improvement. But I need to commit to it once again.†“Building one’s strength using one’s own body is one of the tenets of our guild. Please continue.†“I know it is important to eat in the ways of our primal ancestors, by selecting meals that consist of what they hunted or what was readily growing in their area. I would like to transition into this way of nourishment-“ “You want to switch to a Paleo diet, we get it. Has anyone told you that you ramble?†“…yes.†“Okay then. Try again.†“I want to switch to a Paleo diet, but I have to ease my way into it. Maybe cutting dairy out of my diet?†“Of course. And lastly…?†“I’m tired a lot. I regularly fall asleep while I’m trying to watch the night’s entertainment. It’s almost a daily occurrence. I want to try to go to bed earlier and avoid this.†“Sleep is important. Without quality nights of sleep an assassin can hardly be effective. The council will take your words into consideration as we determine your challenges.†Then, it’s quiet. A little TOO quiet. How are they deliberating? I can’t hear so much as a whisper. “It is decided. Good luck.†Suddenly, the room is filled with light as curtains are drawn letting the sun into… my house?! My small abode that has ceilings barely tall enough to escape my fingertips when I stretch? Certainly not large enough for echoes. Not only that but I’m alone! Am I crazy? Did I just imagine the whole thing? I spin around and step on something. It’s a scroll of paper. Well, that's rather old timey of them. I pick it up and unroll it. It reads: Wow. This is really happening. I’m a part of something now. I can’t let the guild down. More importantly I can’t let myself down. ===================================================== *EDIT (15Apr13): I'm adjusting Goal #3 ever so slightly, as I use whey protein almost daily and I don't have ready access to a non-milk based alternative right now. So this goal will exclude my whey protein use.

Hello all, I used NF for quite a while back in the summer of 2012. I was in great shape physically and mentally. Then I got a new, underpaying job and school caught up to me. Plus, I did CrossFit for 4 months when I most certainly couldn't afford it. Since December, I have gained 9 lbs and lost most of the strength and muscle I did have (it wasn't a lot, but it was something). I'm going to give NF another try because of how helpful everyone was and continues to be. Anyway, to the goals! Fitness Goals: 1. Run a mile every morning - an homage to the 30-day mile challenge back in December. It really helped me when I ran a 5k that month). 2. Lose 6 pounds - I'd like to get back to at least 135, but I think I can lose a pound per week. Currently at 143 (at 5'5). 3. Do a workout (cardio/strength/bodyweight) 5 times a week - because I'm at about 3 per week now, I need to step it up. 4. Eat chocolate and all "desserts" only on the weekends - my boyfriend is doing this with soda. I do it almost everyday and need to cut back. Level Up My Life Goal: 1. Find a different job - for 9+ months I have had two jobs that are not making me happy. I am actively looking for another where I can make money to afford my own food and gas again. Goal Completed like a boss. As a mini goal to replace this one I will find a summer internship.

The alicat is the most excellent version of me and its time he started working towards some goals. I've followed NF for a few months now, but this is my first challenge. I have my list of level up goals and the 4 I have picked for this challenge are a mix of strength, endurance and balance. The alicat needs to be a well rounded individual. That's the way of a ranger, right? My starting weight is about 250lbs... but being part of the Rebellion I can't use imperial measurements , so lets call it 115kgs. While it would be a bonus to lose some weight my aim is more to improve my fitness and let the rest follow! So back to my goals: 1 - Run a mile without stopping - currently I can run about 1/3 of a mile before feeling totally exhaused, Stick me on a bike I could go all day, stick me on a rower and I would do my best to keep up with Steve Redgrave, but running has always been something I have been scared of trying. One reason I now NEED to run is that I recently got accepted into the Police - and I wouldn't want to let any bad guys get away now would I? How am I going to get there? I figure that if I put together kick-ass playlist and incorporate two runs a week around my existing training (working through the beginner body weight workout) then I have to get better? If I can run that bit further each time then I know I can make the 1 mile mark. Extra credit - What if I achieve my goal early? Then I want to achieve it again. I am setting a provisional time that I want to beat of 1 mile in 10 minutes so lets see how I go! 2 - Complete 1 pull-up and 1 chin up - this is the strength element. Currently I am following the beginner body weight workout and I am loving it. By making sure to work some inverted rows in there and pushing myself every time I got to the gym (gym days are Monday, Wednesday and Friday) I think I can make it. Extra credit - If I could complete one of each I would be insanely happy - so if I can beat my target then even better... maybe I am being too optimistic but there is no point in aiming low! 3 - Balance on 1 leg on the upside down Bosu ball - okay so this needs a bit more explaining. In my gym they have bosu balls, which I can best describe as half a gym ball with a flat solid base. Turn it upside down so you can stand on the solid base and try keep it level as the semi-sphere side rolls on the floor. I can already stand on the upside down bosu, and I can just about squat properly on it as well. So my next challenge is to be able to balance on it on one leg (be able to balance on both legs individually so I'm not one sided!) Extra credit - you guessed it - a one legged squat balancing on the upside down bosu!. So there are my three ranger fitness goals encompassing endurance, strength and balance! ch 4 - Make my own lunch for work every day - I've spent so much money and eaten so much rubbish as a result of buying lunch in town every day that its time to change. I want to spend money on better things and have more control over my diet. I now eating properly is the key to weight loss and hopefully losing a bit of fat will help me with my other goals. So those are my goals - It's time to let the alicat out of the bag and to beat this challenge! Good luck everyone!

I'm new here, so here's my story, I am a freshman musical theatre major at a small private college, and I want to be a Hugh Jackman, huge and talented. When I want motivate myself, I write whatever the goal or idea is on my lifting shoes. This is my first challenge, and I'm ready to go hard and live up to my shoes. Here's where i'm at. Current Status Age: 19 Weight: 172 (changes daily) Height: 6'2" Bench: 205x6 Deadlift: 300x6 Squat: 230x6 Bar Curl: 100x6 I have taken measurements recently, but as of now i can't find them at the moment, so here's a picture from a couple weeks ago. http://imgur.com/WR8BMCo Goal 1(Life Goal): Sing, Dance... These goals are written on the tongues of my shoes and if I wanna succeed in this business, I have to be a triple threat, a great singer, a versitile actor, and a killer dancer. The first prong of this goal is to knock "Epiphany" from Sweeney Todd out of the park at the last recital, it's my American Aria piece, and it's not getting pushed to next semester. The second prong of this goal is to sign myself up for two dance classes for this summer, as dance is the weakest of my areas of study. Goal 2: ...Get Huge! This is written by my toes so I see it the whole time I work out. I don't gain weight easily, so my goal is to get my weight up to 180 while still showing some ab bumps. So we'll be eating clean...just more. Goal 3: Get you some butter! This was a phrase that was thrown around quite a bit on my HS baseball team, and in short, it meant do whatever you doing stonger, faster, or better. This butter is gonna be a bench of 225x6 and a deadlift of 315x6. Goal 4: No Pain One of my favorite lines from the Rocky series. In order for me to work out 6 days a week, i have to be up by 5:30 most days to hit the gym before work and classes. No pain, for me, means no matter how tired I am from rehearsal the night before or classes, I will make time to be in the gym 6 days a week, even if it is at an ungodly hour in the morning. These are my goals and I hope to be posting progress pictures and various other shenanigans in the near future

Aloha, fellow nerds. Long-time lurker, first time ANYTHING-er on the NF boards. I managed to go and have myself one of those oft mentioned 'wake-up calls' recently and I've been attacking my goals with all of the passion and fortitude I very recently only wish I could have mustered. The biggest change is that I quit drinking about 64 days ago. That led to fewer late-night burritofests, fewer hangovers, more money for fitness classes, and a renewed quest to eat paleo and do lots of high-intensity intervals and strength training work. In two weeks of working out at boot camp 4x a week and a week of eating paleo, I'm down 5lbs and getting back some strength. So, let's turbo charge this, shall we? GOAL #1 : LOSE 11lbs I'm currently at 201 as of today and a goal of 11 lbs gives me a loss of almost 2 lbs a week, which is attainable. My challenge end weight should be 190. GOAL #2 : DROP BELOW 30% BODY FAT I don't just want to lose weight. I'm working hard here lifting heavy stuff and I want to replace fat with muscle. As of today, I'm at 32.8% body fat according to a hand-held OMRON body fat monitor. Dropping 2.8% in 6 weeks to get below 30% seems attainable, what with a minimum of four high-intensity 45-minute boot camp sessions per week. I had to drop my gym membership, so I haven't been doing DLs and squats, but we're beyond just bodyweight in the boot camp, so I think this will work for now. GOAL 3 : EAT PALEO, ALL DAY, EVERY DAY I've been eating paleo for the past week and a half, save some grass-fed butter and occasional feta on a salad. My goal is to continue to eat pretty strict paleo for the next six weeks, and to exclude all dairy save for the occasional bulletproof coffee I have made with the aforementioned grass-fed butter. GOAL 4 : SERIOUSLY, QUIT SMOKING ALREADY I know, I know, I know. Seriously, right? It's time. I used to love happy hour because it meant I could pour sweet beer down my gullet and gas myself with cigarettes one after another. Everybody knows that the smoke bone is connected to the drink bone, but as I've made it over 60 days without drinking, it's time to get rid of this last crutch. My goal is to have been TOTALLY SMOKE-FREE for at least 3 weeks by the end of this challenge. Hopefully longer, but if I break and have a puff, I can still snub that out and get back on the horse. My teeth feel whiter already. I know I'm late to the party so I may miss out on all sorts of exciting side challenges, but better late than never, right? Please note, I'm saying that last part in my best Prince Vultan voice. RAR!

Shaking the leaves and twigs from out his fraying feathers, the Raven picks himself off the ground, hopping awkwardly into the shadows. Moments later a man emerges, still brushing the fragments of the forest floor from his person. Limping slightly, he walks into the clearing and stares up at the slate grey sky. The spring wind swirls around him, his dark, tattered clothing billowing slightly as he loses himself in thought. Turning back towards the shadows of the forest he whispers to himself, "Never again will I fall." To pick yourself up after the fall can be hard, but I am an Assassin and by all the Gods I will not lose. I'm picking up where I left off and revamping the previous challenge. 50 Pushups: +2 Str, +1 Cha, +1 Sta 13 Pullups: +2 Str, +1 Cha, +1 Sta 5 Mile jog without being winded: +3 Sta Basic Drumming Skills Achieved: +3 Dex, +1 Will This time I will take flight and soar..

I’ve seen so many people preparing for a zombie apocalypse. Personally, I know that that’s not where the danger lies. We’ll be invaded by aliens long before the zombie apocalypse happens (not that I doubt it will happen. It just won’t be first). While the zombie apocalypse is obvious and, well, apocalyptic, the alien invasion will be much more subtle. They’ll slowly begin to take over, but we won’t know about it. Which makes being prepared even more important. And even though I know the Doctor and Mulder and Scully are going to save us all from the aliens eventually, it’s up to each of us to survive until they do. And besides, if they need help I want to be ready to assist!! FITNESS AND DIET GOALS: 1) Strength training. Physical strength should help me to resist any kind of mind-control they have going (black oil anyone?) and it’ll also help with any physical things I have to do to get away. (+3 STR) A: M-W-F scheduleB: 3x a week, but not M-W-F. (this because I’m trying to get a standard workout schedule)C: 2x a weekD: once a weekF: none 2) Interval/karate training. I know they’re not the same thing, but bear with me here. I need interval training to improve my endurance (because if I ever meet up with the Doctor, I just know there’ll be running involved). Karate is because, well, I want to be able to beat up any aliens I might come across. If a shape-shifting bounty hunter starts stalking me, I want to know that I can stick a needle in the back of his neck instead of the other way around. (+3 STA, +2 DEX) A: 2x a weekC: once a weekF: none 3) Eat well. (I’m honestly not sure if I’m doing Primal or Paleo, mostly because I’ve seen people reference Primal but not clearly define it. Basically, I’m doing Paleo but with dairy.) A good diet will improve my mental and physical functioning, making it generally easier to outsmart and escape from the aliens. (+3 CON) A: Have only 1 non-Paleo food item per week.B: Only 2 non-Paleo foods per weekC: 3 non-Paleo foods per weekD: 4 non-Paleo foods per weekF: 5+ non-Paleo foods per week LIFE GOAL (other than continuing to live): 4) Get enough sleep while I can. After all, if the aliens ever come after me, I may be up all night trying to get away. After all, Mulder never hit the sofa when things got crazy for him. Best to be well-rested in preparation for when it happens. (+2 CON, +2 WIS) A: average 8+ hours of sleep per nightB: average between 7 ½ and 8 hours of sleep per nightC: average between 7 and 7 ½ hoursD: average between 6 and 7 hoursF: average less than 6 hours SCORING: #1–3: I’ll score each week and then average them all together for the final score. #4: I’ll just find the average amount of sleep I got per night during the challenge. Total possible points: +3 STR, +2 DEX,+3 STA, +5 CON, +2 WIS MINI-GOALS: I got this idea by reading an old Challenge thread (I can’t remember whose!). I’ve got two reasons for doing this: first, I have waaaaay too many personal goals to just pick four that aren’t really eight in each; b, the aliens are a deadly threat. I need to prepare as much as possible; three, I want an excuse to make more references to Doctor Who and X-Files(; So, I’ll assign a certain number of points for each mini-goal. Depending on how many points I manage to accumulate by the end of the challenge, I’ll give myself some reward. If I reach 85 points (number possibly to change if I realize that's just stupidly unrealistic or easily achievable) I'll get a NF something. Probably a tank top. 1) daily slow kicks (better kicks = easier to kick alien butt): 1 pt/week 2) lose ten pounds (smaller me = easier to escape through small spaces): 2 pts/lb 3) stretch daily (more flexible = better kick height = kick alien butt!): 0.5 pts/week 4) go to as many karate classes as possible (to kick alien and Syndicate-goon butt): 0.2 pts/class (5 classes possible per week) 5) walk 10,000 steps every day (because you never know when the government conspiracy will disable your car): 1 pt/day 6) have a big glass to constantly refill with water whenever I’m home (if I have the glass there, I’ll continually refill it, but if it’s not there I won’t bother getting one) (because better hydration = faster running = keep up with the Doctor): 0.2 pt/day 7) finish homework as early as possible (so I have more time to improve my CSM-25 Countermeasure Filter so I can talk without being overheard by the Syndicate): 0.2 pts/day 8) singing practice twice a week (because song can inspire people to believe): 1 pt/week 9) use tanning lotion every day (because I don’t have time to tan while fighting aliens): 1 pt/week Total possible points: 104 Wow. That was pretty crazy long But I'm really excited for my first challenge. I'm ready to dominate it!!!

Newbie here, and not too sure how all this works, but I am excited to challenge myself and be accountable to my goals. Goal #1: Conquer second 5K So I finished my first 5k in March in 38 minutes and 21 seconds. I made a new years goal to complete my first 5k and I did it. The last time I actually ran non stop was in middle school when I had to run the 1 mile or I would fail P.E. and that was awhile ago. So now that I've completed my first one I want to do a second one before I move out of State and have to deal with the midwest elevation. So my goal is to complete my second 5k in 36 minutes or less. Goal # 2: Work out machine Since I want to finish my next 5k in faster time, I need to start training and getting my body fit. So my goal will be to work out at least four times a week which will include a combo of running and strength training. Goal # 3: Weekend Desserts My sweet tooth has been getting the best of me lately. Since I'm not willing to give up sweets totally, I've decided to curve my bad habits by only consuming sweets on the weekends. Thankfully there are no Birthdays coming up to derail my plans too badly. Goal # 4: Spiritual Boost Got to get spiritually tuned in and learn through the scriptures. My goal is to spend most days reading at least a chapter in the scriptures. The more peace and knowledge I find from the scriptures, I think the rest of my goals will fall into place that much easier. Alrighty... Challenge Begins!

This is my second challeng. Last challenge went really well (most of it any way...) Here is my new goals 1. Exercise at least 3 times/week, preferably 4 times/ week. One of these should be BBW and one swimming. The rest can be anything, running, gym. STA 2, CHA2, STR 2 2. Running! I'm doing a 5K race in May so my goal is to be abel to run the entire thing without walking. I'm not a total newbi in running but this winter was long and cold so not much running DEX 2, STA2 3. Last challenge i tried cutting out the aded sugar (candy, cake, soda). That went really well so this time I'm going to start cut out some carbohydrates. This is going to be hard, I love pasta! I'm thinking about tracking my food with some kind of food dairy? CON 2, CHA 1 4. Take care of my home! My boyfriend and I are foing to move some time this year and I have to clean out some stuff from our closets and cellar storage! Thungs will be given away or put in the waste. WIS 2 So this is it for this time!

I'm brand new to the site (saw it for the first time yesterday) and I am soooo glad something like Nerd Fitness exists. I'm a sideline nerd - wanted to play with my brothers as a kid before they kicked me out of their games and, foolishly, I not only listened to them, but also I decided to avoid everything they were interested in then in spite. Damn. Bad move. Oh well, so here I am - a level 1 Lizardfolk training to be a Ranger with an extra dose of Scout. Current condition: 5'8", 212lbs, able to walk 5 miles in 2 hours with minimal soreness the next day, running is limited to 1 block at a time with about 4 blocks needed to recover and rinse and repeat 4ish times, I can do 1 3/4 full-length push-ups, 1 45-second plank followed by 1-20 second plank and can touch my toes but not gracefully. Prone to injuring my back and shoulder but very rarely get sick (knock on wood!). I'm also sugar/carb junky, although I gave up caffeine for Lent and am considering it to be a lasting change (the tired all the time was worse before I gave up my 6 servings of caffeine a couple weeks ago). That experience is tempting me to give up more of said sugars/carbs if it will help me avoid the major crashes and exhaustion I feel during the day and early evening. I have tried many workout plans that work for a few months until my support systems leave and/or I get bored or injured. I am currently signed up to jog 14 miles (divided into 4 parts) on June 1st as part of a 50-mile relay race with 3 co-workers who are in way better shape than me. That was supposed to motivate me and it's kind of working. Oh yeah, and I'm allergic to raw fruits that aren't citrus/berries and raw vegetables that aren't leaf-based (yes,it's a true allergy to the produce and not the pesticides and yes, I'm wierd. No, that is not an excuse. This is part of my underdog story that will totally kickass in the inspiration part when I can tell folks I can eat healthfully even with a strange handicap). STR - 2DEX - 1STA - 2CON - 4WIS - 3CHA - 3Goals: 1) Bring a list of symptoms and trends to my therapist's appointment next Tuesday to get a head start on combating depression. This is hard because I hate admitting how bad things have gotten and I procrastinate on doing what I should. 2) Develop a soccer-inspired workout by Sunday and do it each Wednesday evening (include my sidekick Bree, the high-energy herding dog). Why? Because soccer is awesome, the MLS season is starting, I miss playing it and I got an indestructible soccer ball that my dog can chew and tackle and not destroy and it'll wear her out while I get a workout. Heck yeah! 3) Follow beginning body-weight excercises 2x/week (Monday/Thursday) with proper warm-ups/cool-downs. 4) Add one serving of vegetables daily (currently <1/day with once a week eatng 4/day as "make-up"). 5) Take my inhaler and glucosomine once/day (currently inhaler is 4/week and glucomine in non-existent. I hate pills/meds but these are a requirement, so I'm going to pretend they're healing potions instead of man-made poisons.)

Hello all, Foilist here. This is my first challenge. I discovered Nerd Fitness back in December, but haven't had the timing work out to do a six week challenge until now. I've never been in great physical condition, I havent done a pullup since elementary school. Long story short, this past February marked the second anniversary of me getting hit by a car in a freak accident. I broke 15 ribs and a 3 other miscelaneous bones, had surgery, ended up with a couple of titanium-plated ribs. (Lucky to be alive!) Now I can tell you when it's going to rain by the various aches and pains, certain weird motions make my ribs burn, but I have recovered almost fully at this point (With the exception of a completely numb armpit. Weird, I know.) So, I am now trying to get back into the swing of things, hitting the gym as some depression and lack of excercise was catching up with my waistline. I also coach fencing at the local club, which I have eased back into, but I'm not in good enough shape again to compete across the state like I used to, hence the need to challenge myself. Starting stats: Weight: 138lb Height: 5'7" Goal One: Sleep! I have a particularly irregular sleep schedule that needs to get back into a rhythm. Must average 8 hours per night over the course of the challenge. A - 8 hours B - 7.5 C - 6.5 D - 6 E - 5.5 F - Below 5.5. That's just sad! Goal Two: Gym! Hit the Gym 5 days a week using the dumbbell plan of attack to rebuild my strength. I've been going sporadically, as it is directly between my work and where I park, but that's not quite enough. I psych myself out. Just do it already! A - 5 days a week B - 4 C - 3 D - 2 E - 1 F - No gym at all. Sad face. Goal Three: Eat Clean Food! I have been working on weaning myself onto the mostly paleo thing over the course of a few months and am almost there, but I have problems with eating enough vegetables. Also, gotta love my deeeelicious beer and cider. So, going to knock out all alcohol except that which I ferment myself. (I make hard cider at home. Cheap and delicious, and I control what goes in it) and limit that to 2 drinks per week. My definition of clean food is: no refined sugars, no grains, super limited legumes, limited dairy. So, paleo-ish. A - All meals clean for the day B - 80% C - 60% D - 40% E - 20% F - 0% clean - junk for every meal. Life Goal: Make a List! I have a horrible time remembering important things. I am going to make a master list of all the things I have to do, and cross them off when complete. Count number of days that I use a list out of the 6 weeks, divide by days: A - 100% of the days B - 80% C - 60% D - 40% E - 20% F - 0%, sudden amnesia on how to use a pencil or pen. So, we'll see how this goes. I'll do real tape measurements in the morning, as I need to hit my 8 hours for tonight.

Superawesome might be over stating it a bit! However if I complete the challenge I will totally make myself a small medal that says 'Superawesome Challenge Winner'. There will be ribbons attached and everything. Okay, so here we go: Goal 1 Work out at least 3 times a week, in addition to going to rugby training twice a week. I'm going to keep using the Beginner's Body Weight exercise in addition to a 1/2 hour on an exercise bike as a minimum for my own workouts, but I may add to this as I go. Points - STA - 2 DEX - 2 Goal 2 Man the feck up and go to the weights area at the gym - this can be in addition to the above workout goals or can substitute for the Beginner's Body Weight exercise. Go at least once a week. Points - STR - 5 Goal 3 Improve diet - eat at least one serving of veg with dinner 5 out of 7 nights. Eat a piece of fruit a day. This is quite a modest goal, but I'm taking my diet changes slowly and steadily. Points - CON - 4 Goal 4 Complete at least one volunteering activity a week. Last week I got involved with 3 difference volunteer centres, all in my professional area of education, and I want to keep up my involvement. Points - WIS - 1 CHA - 1 Okay, that's me! Wish me luck : ) Good luck to everyone else too! (Link to my regular Daily Battle updates - http://nerdfitnessrebellion.com/index.php?/topic/24361-daily-battle-updates-from-a-n00b/)

Hi! I´m very exited about this challenge Health 1. Do the beginner body weight routine 2 times/week and go to the gym/go swimming once week. (STR 3, STA 2) 2. Improve my plank (curently I can do the plank for 1:03 minutes) I will do a new test every sunday.(STR 2, STA 1, CON 2) 3. Cut the sugar! No candy, no cake, no cookies. Exeption: My brothers 18th birtday. (CON 3) Life 4. Stop jusing the snooze button! (CHA 2) A:100%, B:75%, C:50%, D:25% and F: 0% Any suggestions? Ps. English is not my native language

Well hello fellow Rebels! I am a new recruit to the Assassins (having spent my last adventure as.. well.. an Adventurer) and I am looking forward to this challenge! Now that I've already completed ONE challenge I feel like I've gotten a better feel for what sort of goals I should aim for and how to achieve them. Goals- Fitness Goal 1 I need to be able to pull my self up onto that ledge, or through yon window at a moments notice. I may need to do that several times in a row and at the moment I am only capable of doing it three or four times tops. If I falter then I may fail a mission and that CAN NOT be allowed to pass. Life and honor depend upon my success. Therefore I need to be able to do: 15 consecutive pull-ups +2 Str, +1 Sta, +1 Cha Fitness Goal 2 I am going to need more arm strength if I'm to fight off my enemies, scale walls, and cling to the shadows. My current capabilities are only good enough to effect twenty-five push-ups in a row. Therefore, I shall train until such a time comes to pass as that I can do: 45 consecutive push-ups +2 Str, +1 Sta, +1 Cha Fitness Goal 3 As part of my "civilian" life, I am utilizing a set up that others are putting together in order to further train myself. I will be doing a Warrior Dash a mere couple weeks after this challenge ends and I need to be up to the task. My previous goals help to work on the strength needed to surpass these obstacles, but I still need to increase the amount of ground I can cover before needing to rest. This could prove to be a crucial element in future assassin missions. To this end, I will need to increase the distance I can cover in a single run from one mile to: Running 3 consecutive miles +3 Sta Level Up Goal I have decided that I need to work on my disguise skills. I don't have a very good "other self" so I'll need to improve upon one of my personas. My "Drummer" persona is the one I have chosen to improve for this challeng. I need to be able to play well enough to convince someone that I'm "in the band." That means I'll have to: Master basic drumming +3 Dex, +1 Cha Something I learned from the last challenge was to set myself a schedule/plan for how to achieve these feats. Goal 1 - 3 times a week I will be doing 3+ sets of pullups to exhaustion Goal 2 - 3 times a week I will be doing 2+ sets of pushups to exhaustion Goal 3 - Run for as long as I can, minimum 1 mile, 3 times a week (always running more than my previous run) until I reach 3 miles in a single go. Level Up - I talked to a friend who drums for a local band Mumfords here in Ames and he's agreed to help teach me in exchange for letting him play with my microKorg synth. On TOP of these lessons, I will be playing my drums for a minimum of 30 minutes 3 times a week.

Jonesy's 3rd Challenge - Building Good Habits I don't want to burn out this challenge so I'm going to build good habits. My first challenge was pretty strong until the last week, my routine was thrown off and it was Christmas. I kind of knew that was coming but was hoping I could break through it. My second challenge emotional life issues kicked me around for both weeks 3 & 4. I put a lot on my plate for challenge 2 but I got back into it to finish the challenge strong but not exactly where I wanted to be. While I know my goals are not all that difficult, I don't want to give my brain room to lose any willpower. This challenge is going to be about building good habits! Reward for an A grade = New workout pants 1. FITNESS : BUILDING: Workout 3x a week - Preferred days M-W-F How will I accomplish this - My plan is to start doing the Beginner Body Weight Workout 2-3x a week. I also want to take advantage of the rare sunny days in WA and get out and run. GRADE: A:3 - B:2 - C:1 - F:0 (PER WEEK) : Total 18 out of 18 WORTH: +2 STA, +2 STR & +1 DEX 2. DIET : PLANNING : Plan my meals weekly How will I accomplish this - Every Saturday/Sunday I will sit down with my local newspaper/Grocery APP and figure out what food I have, what I need to use ASAP & write down my meal plan. Based on this meal plan, I will also make a grocery list of everything I need that I do not have. GRADE: A:7-5 - B:4-3 - C: 2 - D:1 F:0 (PER WEEK) : Total 6 out of 6 WORTH: +3 WIS & +1 CON 3. DIET : PREPARATIONS: Make a healthy lunch for every work day - unless scheduled otherwise How will I accomplish this - Using Chanda's advice, I'm going to prepare for the day. Figuring out what I will wear, what I need to do or have scheduled & prepare my lunch. GRADE: A:5 - B:4 - C: 3 - D:2 - F:1 (PER WEEK) : Total 30 out of 30 WORTH: +3 WIS & +1 CON 4. LIFESTYLE : REDUCE : Reduce credit card debt How will I accomplish this - I will budget and set expenses Based on that, I can use left over money to lower my debt while not adding any on. Starting debt: $3,238.64 GRADE: A:500 - B:400 - C:300 - D:200-50 - F:50-0 (ENTIRE CHALLENGE) WORTH: +2 WIS Starting Stats Weight : 273 lbs Chest : Waist : 50 Hips : 54 3/4 Mile Time : Hovering around 15 mins Push Ups : 10 Wall Push ups - 5 incline - .5 real push up

It's been a while since I have participated in a 6 week challenge. Heck the last few months have been rather sloth-ish in the health/fitness department. That ends today. I'm ready to jump back in the game. And, I've come to win. As, I've been scrolling through what old posts have remained (where did some of them go?), the last fitness challenge that I started participating in had essentially the same goals that I have now... I never finished the post from that time period. I achieved some of those goals, and went on to complete two Spartan Races and a Tough Mudder. But, it is interesting that my current fitness goals/strategy lines up with that previous post. So, I'm going to copy some of those goals and use them now. Health/Fitness Goals Workout/Lift 5 times per week. Once again, I am doing the modified Daniel Craig 007 workout. Run 3-4 times per week. I am following a (slightly) modified version of one of the rebel running guides routines. I need to stay on that program and complete a 6 mile run. No stopping. No walking. Complete 10 pullups in one set by the end of the challenge. Drop 15 lbs. (Starting weight 176.) Life Goals Clean up any remaining financial issues. (Vague on the internet - but the goal is solid in my mind.) Create and maintain an active vacation fund with weekly deposits & no withdrawals. Attribute Points I'm going to keep the attribute points exactly the same as I had originally assigned them. Strength (STR) - physical strength - 2Dexterity (DEX) - agility and speed - 1Stamina (STA) - Endurance and Energy - 4Constitution (CON) - ability to resist damage and disease - 2Wisdom (WIS) - intuition and sense of things around himself - 3Charisma (CHA) - force of personality and physical attractiveness - 3Points Assigned to Goals fitGoal1 - 5 Days of Lifting/Week. (+3 Strength, +1 Dexterity)fitGoal2 - Run 3-4 times/Week (+2 Endurance, +1 Dexterity, +1 Constitution)fitGoal3 - 6 mile run complete (+1 Endurance, +1 Dexterity) fitGoal4 - 1 Set of 10 Pullups (+1 Strength)fitGoal5 - Drop 15lbs (+2 Charisma)lifeGoal1 - Clean up $$ issues (+1 Wisdom)lifeGoal2 - Vacation Fund Created/Maintained (+1 Wisdom)All of these things will help me achieve other goals I have for the year including completing a half marathon, becoming a member of the 2013 Spartan Trifecta Tribe, completing the 300 Challenge, and hiking at least 25% of the NH 4000' footers. Let's do this!

My goals for this challenge are as follows: By the end of this challenge I will... 1. Bench the bar 10x in a row (no rest between) [sTR-3] [sTA-2] 2. Complete 1 army push-up [sTR - 3] 3. Run 1 mile with no stops (under 9 min) [sTA - 2] 4. Be regularly drinking 8 cups of water daily [Con - 5] As you may have guessed, I have absolutely no upper body strength. I haven't been in shape ever, but I'm hoping this is the start to the end of that! Here we go!

Diet/Fitness : 90% Paleo food intake each week (avoiding allergens) [+3CON] I have a long history of chronic migraines. Over the past few weeks I've discovered that eliminating foods through a paleo diet seems to be clearing things up radically. ... and then I went out for wings and beer on the week off and ended up feeling horrible. So... in the general interest of my health I I'm going to adhere as strictly as I can to a paleo lifestyle for the long haul. I'll be photo-journaling my food through out this challenge and I will make note of any foods that I eat or drink that aren't paleo. The main things I'll be avoiding very carefully: dairysoyglutenartificial sweeteneradded sugar > 10g/servingalcoholThe arbitrary 10% allowance is for the occasional serving of brown rice or hummus on days I need a boost in carbohydrates. Each week I'll go over my foods that I've eaten and grade myself on this: A = 1-3 servings of a non-paleo food during the week B = 4 servings C = 5 servings D = 6 servings E = 8 servings Diet/Fitness: Hydration [+2CON] I drink coffee... lots and lots of coffee... during the week. My goal is to cut back and drink more water and herbal tea in it's place. I have a 32oz water bottle, my plan is to drink 2 of those each day. Accomplishing at least the 64oz of water each day will be awarded with an "A" - anything less than that will be a C (E if I only drink caffeinated beverages!!) Diet/Fitness: Exercise [+2 STR +1 STA + 3DEX] <---- adjusted attribute values I got ambitious last time and planned to go gung-ho for 6 workouts a week... that ended up being more discouraging than I thought it would be... so I think establishing a routine like I used to have in the past is an important thing to do. This time my plan is to start and complete the Bodyweight Brigade Workout Rank 1: Workouts are to be completed Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings at 6AM. Optional extra credit workouts such as "going for a run" or "taking the dog for a long walk" can be completed Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday if desired. A = all 3 BBW completed for each week + at least 1 additional optional workout completed for the week B = no more than 2 workouts missed for the 6 week period C = 4 workouts missed D = 6 workouts missed E = 8 workouts missed Funny story: as I was on track with my workout this morning... my pullup bar came 'undone' from the frame it was perched on and I promptly was *splat*ed into the floor. I checked to make sure I could move and then got up and finished my adrenaline fueled workout... by noon my ankle which took the first hit to the floor was swollen up and I'm no longer able to move it. X-rays didn't reveal any obvious fractures so my doctor's official opinion is "severe sprain: here take these pain pills, a couple ace bandages and a script for some crutches - stay off if for a couple weeks and keep it iced" THIS... does not bode well for my original fitness challenge. Sooooo... New challenge guidelines include just trying to do something each day whether it's a few one-legged planks or arm work, modified pushups, reverse crunches ... or leg lifts - whatever I can while the ankle is healing up. Then get back into more full-body encompassing workouts. Grading: A = a bit of something each day during the week B = something only 6 days C = something only 5 days D = something only 4 days E = something only 3 days or less LIFE: Organized Space = Organized Mind [+5 WIS] My home and office have been disaster areas for years. I always jokingly refer to it as an organized mess "don't move anything... I know exactly where it is" Think of how much less brain power I'd have to waste daily remembering where things are in a clutter if I finally just dealt with the mess!!! Objectives for this project: Sort all clothes, donate old clothes that don't fit or that are no longer desired, put off season clothes into a storage bin and store!Discard all expired canned goods in the pantry cupboardsDiscard all old/expired toiletries in the bathroomsRe-organized living room so I no longer have to trip over things to get from one end of the room to the otherRepair front door (or indeed... find a replacement...) File papers, recycle boxes, organize desk at workGrading (A-F) will be awarded according to the number of projects completed on the list. I'll be checking in at least 3x a week on this thread: here we go!

Starting Stats: Name: KillerGriller Race: Fire Elemental Class: Scout Attributes: Strength (STR): 17 Dexterity (DEX): 11 Stamina (STA): 19 Constitution (CON): 11 Wisdom (WIS): 8 Charisma (CHA): 4 Total: 70 _______________________________________ This 6 week challenge is going to be much like my last challenge. The race I've been training for (Around the Bay 30km Road Race) is 4 weeks away meaning that I still have a couple weeks of solid training left, then two weeks of taper, and finally two weeks post race for recoup and institution of a new training schedule post race. Also, to make things complicated, we are going away for a week in mid-March which might throw a wrench into things although it's during my taper period so it hopefully it won't be a big deal. My biggest challenge will be staying on track until race day, I'm already starting to feel my focus being diverted to other shiny objects. _______________________________________ 6 Week Challenge Goals Fitness: 4-5 runs a week - (+3 Sta) – Stick to the plan and good things will happen. 5 runs/wk until taper, 4-5 runs (with less distance and/or intensity) per week in taper, and 3-4 easy runs per week post-race (fun runs, recouping etc.) 1-2 workouts a week - Bodyweight (Pull/Chinups, dips, pushups, lunges, squats), AND/OR weights (+3 Str) – I've been enjoying these workouts, and it's just a good idea overall. Hopefully I can gain some long-term strength and shed a pound or two. Speedwork once a week - (+4 Dex) – This is key to developing some real speed, and it's worked well so far. Life: Alcohol-free - (+3 Con) - No-Brainer, this worked really well last challenge so let's stick with it. I will be "cheating" on this metric during my vacation...because it's vacation;), but I'll also be in taper so I'll have more time to do my runs and less pressure to hit time goals etc. Bonus Items: - Around the Bay 30km Road Race - Try and get more sleep; in bed by 10:30 if possible - Play hockey once a week - Rockclimbing 4-5 times over the 6 week challenge - Outdoor rock climbing trip over Easter weekend - Develop training plan for a multi-sport race later this summer (more details to follow)

I'm excited to be starting my first challenge. After countless starts and stops with trying to reach healthier living goals, this seems like a good place to be more accountable. Starting weight: 220 lbs Height 5'-10" Goals: Track calorie intake (using myfitnesspal) and limit food to 1800 caloriesEliminate all excess sugarGo to the gym 4x a weekMeal Plan for the family with more consistency I think the excess sugar one will be the most difficult to accomplish, but I think if I focus on that (along with the other three goals kind of in sync) I should be ok. I should also toot my own horn a bit. At the beginning of the year I realized that making a ton of changes at one time is why I was continually failing, so I set out with two minor goals to accomplish before I moved on to other ones. I successfully quit drinking soda and quit going to starbucks for breakfast. I was addicted to diet coke and those dang sausage sandwiches.

ROUND TWO, FIGHT! I'm really excited about this challenge. For one thing, my boyfriend just joined the rebellion! So we'll be doing parts of this challenge together (the diet parts). I am super pumped about this. For another thing, I learned a lot from my first challenge. I've narrowed the scope of my goals this time around, and am going to be measuring things a lot more accurately. My only compound goal relates to diet. I think my goals are a lot more reasonable this time -- for example, my strength goal is at a more beginner level, and I dropped the easy reading goal from my life challenge, which distracted me last time from the writing goal. (If I keep up the writing goal for these challenges, maybe I'll actually have a draft of the book this year. Wouldn't that be neat!?) I JUST WROTE THE WORD "GOAL" SO MANY TIMES IT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE ANYMORE. Anyway. On to business! Beginning Stats: Level 2 Half-Elf Druid Height: 5'10" Measurements: (Wow. These are embarrassing) Weekly tracking marked with **, the rest I'll measure at the end of the challenge, just out of curiosity. Neck: 13" Chest: (tape directly under armpits) 34" Ribcage: 29.5" **Bicep: 10" **High Waist: 28" **Low Waist/belly: 36" **Hips: 38.5" **Thigh: 22" Calf: 14" [sTR] - 3 // [DEX] - 6.5 // [sTA] - 1 // [CON] - 6.5 // [WIS] - 4.5 // [CHA] - 3 Fitness Goals: I will be tracking my measurements this challenge, every Monday morning. I don't want to set goals related to measurements because I don't know what a reasonable expectation would be. I want to take some circumference off my middle and my thighs, and I want to gain some circumference around my arms and calves, but I have no idea how much. Let's call this a "side-effect test." The soft goal here is that I want my arms to look a lot more defined and I want my clothes to hang better. (Eventually I want my whole body to be a lot more defined, and I want to be able to spontaneously walk around on my hands like it's no big deal. Also back flips. But, baby steps!) The other side effects I would like to see relate to flexibility. I'd like to be able to do a real forward fold -- head to knees. I'd like to be able to step my foot through downward dog into a lunge without thumping it on the mat and wiggling it ungracefully up to my palms. I want to be able to do crow pose. Overall, less squishy and floppy, more dense and controlled. 1. I am a yogaholic. The challenge: Spend at least 4 hours a week doing yoga. Last challenge I set a goal of 3 hours and didn't quite make it...but I did go from 0 hours to 2 hours! This time I would like to have the same increase. I only get the strength point if I get a B or above. +2 [sTR], +3 [DEX] 2. I am strong. The challenge: 5 full push-ups in a row This weekend I assessed my push-up ability. It was a push-up state of the union. Long story short, I can do one full push-up, or twelve push-ups from my knees. In order to get to 5, I need to do push-ups at least every other day. I only get the stamina point if I get a B or above. +4 [sTR], +1 [sTA] Extra Bonus Awesomepants goals (accumulated along the way)- Post to this thread. Diet Goal: 3. You are what you eat -- I'm healthy, and I know what I'm made of. The challenge: adhere to the "banned foods/controlled substances" list that Roback3 and I are sharing; eat veggies with two meals every day. Adjusted this because the other one was stupid. Banned foods: - Soda - Coffee Drinks - White bread - Ice cream (this one is Rob's. I can't eat ice cream ) - Sweets at work (this one is mine.) Controlled substances: - basically anything with sugar. +2 [CON] Life Goal: 4. I am a writer. The challenge: Complete 30 pages of my book Yep. 30 more pages. Grading: A = 30 pages, B = 20 pages, C = 10 pages, D = 5 pages, F = 0 pages +3 [WIS]

For my first (shortened, I was a late starter) challenge I focused on creating a base level of fitness from which I could continue to build in the future. With this challenge my aim is continue to build through my diet while also focusing on a few more mental and lifestyle goals to develop myself. Goal 1 Work out 3 times per week. This level is the same as my previous challenge but I have now progressed from the basic training schedule into the dumbbell routine from the nerd strength guide. The thing I noticed about myself previous Is how much the post workout stretching is improving my flexibility. As part of this I intend to continue to track and record my workouts. Reward : 3 STR, 1 DEX Goal 2 Eat paleo 5 out of 7 days. During my previous challenge I tried to track my food intake with the aim of altering it this challenge. Although the tracking didn't go so well I'm still aiming to change my diet for the better. My aim is to eat paleo throughout the work week then eat as cleanly as possible at the weekend. In order to measure this I will again attempt to track my food intake. Reward: 3 CON, 1 WIS Goal 3 Attempt to run 5k with minimal walking. This is another continuation of my previous challenge. I'm not sure I would be able to run 5k straight by the end of the 6 weeks but I am content to continue my efforts to trying. Reward: 2 STA, 2 DEX Goal 4 Part A: go out somewhere new to take photographs once a week [EDIT] - After reading this weeks challenge I went back over my original goals and realised with the weather being as it is in the UK at the moment (dark by the time I finish work) it was unlikely I'd be able to go out somewhere new each week to take photos, because of this I am editing the goal to undertake a new mini photography challenge each week giving me the option of using indoor photography. Just before Christmas I took a photography course at a local college which I really enjoyed. Unfortunately since completing the course I haven't been out much with the camera which is something I'd like to change. I'd like to start to learn a bit more about portrait photography and ideally would love to do a 100strangers project however, at this stage I think im a little to shy. Part B: read one issue of classic Amazing Spider Man a day and 2 books by the end of the 6 weeks Im a big fan and collector of the old Amazing Spiderman comic books but to my shame haven't yet read them all. They're only 20 double sided pages an issue with 700 total published so one a day isn't too hard of an ask. As for the books well, who couldnt stand to gain from reading more? Reward: 3 CHA As a way of tracking my overall progress in my strive for fitness I will be taking before and after measurements of various parts of my body. Before measurements: Height - 6 foot 1 Weight - 12.5 stone Chest - 38 inches Waist - 34 inches Biceps - 12 inches Overall Reward - Nerd Fitness T shirt (if international shipping is available) and (if money allows) and good condition copy of one of my favourite ASM comics