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Right so, I generally prefer to read about adventures rather then go on them, but that's all about to change. I'm gonna go it! Slay that dragon! or keep it as a pet can't quite decide. Main quest: to fit back into those size 10 jeans, feeling embarrassed on summer holidays is a thing of the past. Goals: -Walk to and from town twice a week instead of getting the bus- there's some nice hills involved there -Me favourite pasties and cakes shop is only to be attended once a week - And finally... to do 5 minutes of yoga a day at the very least Life quest: to give £1 a day to my shark Erik money box so I can go on said holiday Hopefully as my first time this will go alright, my motivation usually sucks so fingers crossed those jeans on the back of the door will keep me going and good luck to everyone else

Hey there everyone! My name is George and this is to be my first completed 6 Week Challenge! I have tried other 6 Week challenges and have flamed out in an epic way. For this one my resolve is two fold and I hope that the community can help me by offering support in the form of a thread response. I am also more determined than ever seeing as my journey was going well, and then I stopped going to the gym, started with the bad food, and wound up gaining another 20 lbs on top of what I already had to lose . That is stopping today, my goals are not over ambitious and I want to start small so that success here can lead to more success in the future. I have many different sources of motivation, but the biggest one for me right now is ME! I want to make a change in my life, I want to look at myself and feel good. I want to feel better when I getup in the morning, I want to be confident in myself for the first time in a long time Enough with the bread already... let's get down to the meat. Below are my goals and how I will get to them: Main Goal: Lose 15 Pounds by the end of the challenge Not super specific but measurable. I will get to this by the three side quests you will see below Side Quests: Go to the Gym three times a week This can be accomplished because I am a creature of habit ,once I establish going to the gym three times a week during the weekdays then i will go for a long time. I want to try and keep gym days on weekdays because I have contracting work that I like to do on the weekends and I like to enjoy what free time I have on weekends $less_pressure = "more results" . " profit!";Cut out junk food from my diet This will accomplished by making sure that everyday I am taking breakfast and lunch to work with me so I can avoid going to fast food places (which is really what I'm trying to avoid). The biggest help will be food shopping on a regular basis (which I have not been doing) that way there is always something healthy in the house. Sign up for Wing Chun, or other self defense class: Ok this one is the one I'm most excited about. I have been on a Donnie Yen binge lately and in one of my favorite movie series featuring Donnie Yen he plays the Legendary Master Ip Man. Ip Man is one of those responsible for bringing Wing Chun to the western world and giving it world wide recognition. I'm currently reading Ip's biography and in learning about it I'm more and more convinced that learning Wing Chun is something I would want to pursue. This will also help in getting back on track fitness wise. i have come up with a grading system that I will be using for this challenge and will be using this as well as the awesome support of the community to keep myself on track. Wish me luck, and good luck to all of you. Thanks for reading! Starting Weight: 255 lbs Goal Weight: 240 lbs Height: 5'7 Guild: Adventurer

So will get goals on here later but wanted to get this started. Hell of a way to start out the challenge, I got up to go lift this am (chest day one of my favorites) and found out that one of the muscles running from the left side of my neck into my left shoulder did not like me and tweaked evertime I lift my shoulder. So no gym today. back day tomorrow as long as shoulder/neck are compliant

My quests for this challenge are the same as in my past challenge but adjusting some scores and extending my workouts a little. Main (long term) Quest: the trail of tears To lose 68 lb (from 256 lb to 188). After that, quit smoking. I'm starting this challenge with 246.5 lb. Subquests The alimentary quest: Radical break with sugar, gluten, legumes and soda beverages and drastic reduction of alcohol and lactose consumption.​ Scores: Hard drink (distilled alcohol like whisky or rum) +5 points Dish of pasta +4 points Soda beverage +3 points Piece of bread +2 points Beer, glass of wine or cider +2 points Lactose (glass of milk, yogurt, piece of cheese) +1 point Nonalcoholic beer +1 point Sauce or dressing made with gluten or sugar +1 point Overall rating (in all 6 Week Challenge): A+: 84 or less points. A-: 85-90 points. B+: 91-96 points. B-: 97-102 points. C+: 103-108 points. C-: 109-114 points. F: 115 or more points. The workout quest: follow a routine of 3 days a week of workout + 4 days walking at least 40 minutes. Workout (2 series first 3 weeks, 3 series 3 next weeks) 10 abdominal chunches 30 seconds plank 10 push-ups 20 lumbars 10 squats 20 3k dumbbell rows 10 front shouders with resistance tube 10 side shoulders with resistance tube 10 biceps with resistance tube 20 jumping jacks Overall rating (in all 6 Week Challenge): A+: Program fulfilled (except in cases of force majeure). A-: 1 or 2 days missed (in all 6 Week Challenge). B+: 3 or 4 days missed. B-: 5 or 6 days missed. C+: 7 or 8 days missed. C-: 9 or 10 days missed. F: More than 10 days missed. The lifestyle quest: change nightlife for daylife Overall rating (in all 6 Week Challenge): A+: 3 days hiking to the country side + 3 days of cultural hiking to the city (musseums, expositions, etc.) (in all 6 Week Challenge). A-: 2 days hiking to the country side + 3 days of cultural hiking to the city. B+: 2 days hiking to the country side + 2 days of cultural hiking to the city. B-: 1 days hiking to the country side + 2 days of cultural hiking to the city. C+: 1 day hiking to the country side + 1 day of cultural hiking to the city. C-: 1 day of cultural hiking to the city. F: None. Global reward: PX for the average scores in all quests (to be distributed between any stat): A+: +5 PX. A-: +4 PX. B+: +3 PX. B-: +2 PX. C+: +1 PX. C-: +1 Wis. Side Quest (no rating) Accomplish at least 3 mini challenges. Lose 10 lb.

My first quest is over. My first quest was designed to prepare me for the long journey ahead of me. My goal is to loose 35-40 pounds of fat over the course of this year. I gained the majority of the fat I have after I had a miscarriage. My metabolism is different from what it used to be, so the way I gain and loose weight is completely different from how I would gain and lose weight three years ago. Regardless of how my metabolism has changed, I need to loose this fat and develop healthy eating habits. My first reason to lose this weight is for health reasons. Diabetes runs in my family and the longer I am overweight, the more likely I am to develop it at a young age. By developing healthy eating habits now, I'll be able to stay healthy and not develop Diabetes until I'm much older. My second reason to lose this weight is that my husband's cousin is getting married in December and I want to be able to wear one of my formal dresses. I don't want to outdo the bride but I don't want to have to buy a new dress either. Main Quest I want to lose 5 pounds of fat or go down one pant size. I'm currently a size 18 and I would love to be a size 16 or smaller at the end of this challenge. Objectives Kick off this challenge with Yoga Journal's 21 Day Yoga Challenge. After the third week of this challenge, I will start exercising 6 days a week. I will be doing yoga on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. On Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday I will be doing a mix of aerobics & arm curls. I hope to make the jump from 15 arm curls per arm to 30 arm curls per arm. I'm still working on developing healthy eating habits. I want to eat more fruits and veggies. I want to be eating them at least once a day by the end of this challenge. I'd also like to start replacing some of my snack foods with organic snack food. If I have to eat snack food, I want it to have no extra dyes, sugar, or anything else extra added to it. I don't eat snack food too often, so I would like to start eating organic snack food once every two weeks. I'm also going to try cooking a few Paleo meals. I'm going to start small and make one Paleo meal a week.

'Nuff said! Hi, I'm Captain Solo, a veteran Rebel Challenger and I figured it was about time I headed up an Accountabilibuddies group here. Obviously, I am a FullMetal Alchemist fan, so whether you have a hollow metal body, auto-mail, or just feel the need to flex and/or sparkle shamelessly, then welcome to The Armstrong Family Line! Just shoot me a PM to let me know you've joined!

I'm going to be a Jedi! I figured since Steve calls himself a Berzerker as a Warrior/Ranger cross class, then I'm going to cross class Ranger/Druid/Monk and become a Jedi. Right now, I'm in the Druid phase, working on my meditation and building my body into a strong foundation to launch back into Ranger and Monk activities. I'm gearing up for the Star Wars Workout for the next challenge, so I'm working pushups, Rocky situps, and planks into my morning Yoga to build up strength and stamina. I'm doing gentle, stretching Yoga in the evening to unwind and prep myself for sleep so that I get all the rest I need. I'm meditating before each exercise routine to clear my mind of worries and stress from the day so that I can be completely focused on my goal. We all know what happens when you're not focused during a workout! Challenge Quest: Build strength and stamina needed to become a Jedi. 1 - Warrior Yoga/core workout every AM (+2 STR +3 STA +1 CHA) 2 - Cobra Yoga/stretching every PM (+3 DEX +2 CON) 3 - Meditation before each workout (+4 WIS) Life Quest: Pay off $1000 of medical bill debt.

I start really late for the last challenge so I haven't finish it yet and I kinda fail my last challenge miserably so I'm thinking of Start a new one here with everyone on 24th Main Quest Refine my body strength endurance balance and agility enough to be able to start training Pakour or Martial Art Mission 1: Complete Focus T25 Alpha Work Out DVD (Will report what I'll be work out each day) A:100% B: 80% C: 60% D: 40% E: 20% F: 0% Mission 2: Wake Up Early 6:00 am - 7:00 am (I heard old Martial Artist practitioner wake up early to train so i will too! ) A:100% B: 80% C: 60% D: 40% E: 20% F: 0% Mission 3: No more Candy!?! And eat Orange (I really want to try Paleo food program but I live and birth in Thailand so i mostly grew up with Rice and Noodle so it nightmare for me to change suddenly so the next best thing i can think of is cut off Non-Paleo and add Paleo-Friendly one by one each Challenge so that I can slowly develop a new eating habit) (Only Eat Non-Paleo when It's a Special Event!?! ) A:100% B: 80% C: 60% D: 40% E: 20% F: 0% Grade: This how i grade six week is about 48 days. So I'm gonna count the day that I complete mission and then divide it by 48 is that good enough? Life Side Quest: - Ace an Exam that gonna happen in next week after so i gonna up my reading time each day Wish me Luck!?! - After Exam start clean up the House and start learning Guitar once again! Class that i want to be: Assassin/Ninja! Monk might change over time Motivation I might die tomorrow maybe next week or even next month I don't know But i know one thing!?! I got one chance at life why not give it my all. Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever. -Mahatma Gandhi Little bit about me: Well my name is Jin as that the name my family call me or as my classmate like to call me retard nerd otaku fat ass loser etc etc. I'm born in south east Asia "Thailand" in 1994. I'm use to be a short fat kid and right now I'm still a short fat-ass so nothing change much i guess. "shrug" Anyway i been try to get in better shape for past few years by doing DVD workout like Insanity Les mill PX90 all that stuff But i never got to finish any of it...... I give up every time it getting too hard always gave myself an excuse say that i don't have any motivation to help me or I'm tire let try tomorrow. So as you might think I gone back to the usual routine of eating playing game and then sleep. But past few month i stumble on this site and decide WTH let try once more time "I don't want to be the same Lazy fat ass forever!!" so here I am ready for a challenge! To rebel against my own very nature to become strong, fit, healthy to be free from those name calling to feel good about myself!?! Let the Journey begin!

I'll keep it short. Most of my stats (weight, BMI, measurements) are posted on my about me page Main Quest: Feel fit, pretty, and confident in my own skin. Sub-Goals: 1. Eat 85% paleo (exceptions: 1. yogurt, 2. occasional cheat days if necessary - no more than once a week) 2. Research and find new recipes, articles, exercises, etc. to help me on my quest 3. Work out every day that I don’t have work (3-4 days a week) Life Quest Pass my two hardest classes with an awesome grade Fitness Side Quest: (Yes it's my first time, but I'm doing one anyway!) PR in each of my track events this season (PR = Personal Record) Motivation: I am tired of feeling lazy and fat and have been ready for a change for months. It’s time to reinvent myself for the sake of my future. I want to enjoy my youth and start following healthy habits that will last a lifetime!

My main quest when I started this mission was to drop from 21% body fat to 15% body fat... Well I measured myself this morning and I SMASHED that goal!! 13.9% body fat. Just to illustrate, here is what I looked like on the first day I joined the Rebellion; (I've no idea what my BF% was, and I'm not putting it all back on just to check!) I hated myself pretty much. I wanted to change everything about my body; be someone else. I was the "skinny-fat" type of unfit and despite family and friends telling me I looked fine I wasn't comfortable in my own skin. Yet I was too lazy to get up off my arse and do something about it. Then I stumbled on NF and dragged myself up by the scruff of my neck. I'd just missed the challenge start so I started learning the ropes of the forums and blundering my way through my first workouts; hurt my ankles trying to go for a run, learnt to eat properly, and realized that how my body was feeling, wasn't right. I started to enjoy lifting weights and the burn and the racing heart that comes with exercise, and the feeling of being full and not bloated and sick when I ate a proper meal and cut back on dairy, gluten and grains. Start of the current 6-week challenge (I'd been preparing!) And I looked like this; (21% BF) Which was good, but I wanted to see my ab muscles. I also knew I had a long way to go lifting wise, and I wanted to gain a level here on the forums! So I gave myself a number to work for (15% down down from 21% BF) And went for it. I had a plan, I had a character, I had a quest. Something about it being like real-life WOW, and having to admit my faults when I logged on helped spur me on to continue doing good for myself. Then one week I gained weight (it ended up being hormonal mischief running amok through my body) and decided I should finally get a pair of calipers if I was going to keep seeing any results that wouldn't shut me down on the spot. Also the scales were starting to give me a shifty look. Day one of Week 5 and Weigh in Day has led to this! (now 14% BF!) Still no abs. Turns out THATS where all my fat has been sitting this whole time. But there is shape under that fat (that isn't "round") , my arms aren't pudgy and jiggly, and none of my clothes fit! (that's a good thing.) I feel like I have a body that I can go out and DO STUFF with instead of declining things like playing tennis or going out because I'm worried I'll look stupid or hurt myself. Now I look for any excuse to get into my bathers or take my shirt off or show off my arms and legs because I'm so pleased with how all the effort I've put in has paid off! I also keep getting sunburnt because I wear a lot less clothing then I used to and forget to put sunscreen on my lilly white skin. Whoops! If I wasn't standing in my own bedroom I would have a hard time believing that body is mine!

I'm know I'm late to the 6 Week Challenge party, but as Steve said "Start today!" Background: I'm a new mom that is trying to get back in shape. When I was in high school, I was thin and did a lot of sports. All that changed when I graduated from college and had to move back in with my family. A year of mom's home cooking, a sedentary desk job, and too many MMORPG's took their toll. Eventually I got talked into joining my local Roller Derby team and got moving again. I made great progress and was a pretty good player, but then I decided to take some classes at my local community college to possibly help improve my job prospects. I had to quit roller derby but knew I would come back as soon as I completed my classes. Of course, life likes to throw the occasional curve ball and just as I was planning on returning to derby, my husband and I found out I was pregnant. I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl about 10 months ago but have sadly had trouble motivating myself to get moving again. I recently returned to Roller Derby, but I'm worried that I won't be able to keep momentum. And so I have journeyed and found myself here, hoping that willpower and motivation of my fellow nerds will help make me successful. Stats: Age: 31 Ht: 5' 3" Wt: 170 lb Arm: 12" Waist: 40" Thigh: 27" Main Quest: -Defeat 5 Adipose (Lose 5 lbs) Missions: - Increase cooking skill to Apprentice Level (Cook 3 healthy meals/week) - Battle the tribe of She-Orcs twice a week (Attend 2 roller derby practices/week) - Choose and fight one additional battle per week: Gym Demon, Wheel Monster, or Evil Twin (go to the gym, ride stationary bike, BBWW) Motivations: Getting and staying healthy for my baby daughter. Loving my body the way that I used to. What I'm really needing is a team off ass-kickers to help keep me on my path. I respond well to small amounts of guilt and knowing that someone is looking over my shoulder helps keep me focused. I know I need to start small and be consistent. Newbie Mistakes I suffer from: Overeager Beaver Accountability Slacker Emotional Rationalizer "I'm too busy" Liar Help me, Nerd Fitness. You're my only hope!

Hey guys, Sorry I am very late. It's four and a half week left at this point, but I guess we'll have to start somewhere. My goal is to be light on my feet, efficient with my time, and confident with my body. I want them all. I want to be confident and agile (hand-stand, pull up, Muay Thai). I want to have time to play Skyrim. I want to find my PhD question. I know it would take great planning, willpower, and sacrifices. but I'll do it! - Training Gym 3 times a week. Run at least 2 times a week. Muay Thai 1 time a week. - Food At least 2 Paleo lunches a week No second serving No bought dessert (if it's offered or shared I'll have some) - Time Track my progress Adapt my schedule Go rebellions!!

Main Quest: Lose weight/size and continue to train for my first 50K the Jemez Mountain Trail Run Goals: 1. Eat baked goods no more than twice per week(Baked goods=2 cookies or 1 piece of cake/pie) I have a terrible weakness for sugary food. 2. Complete my running program + core work 5 days a week Running program is mostly Long Slow Distance with a little bit of hill work in there. Core work is needed for stability on trail runs. 3. Perform bodyweight exercises 3 days a week at work (100 pushups and 100 crunches during 12hr shift) I recently changed shifts at work and find that I have a lot more down time than I used to and am trying to do my BW sessions while at work. Job is definitely conducive to that, and this way I don't have much of an excuse for not going to the gym cause I'm here practically every day. Performance Evaluation: -10 points per baked good after 2 each week +11 points for each day of running/core work +15 points for each day of BW exercises performed Total 100 points total each week Life Goal: Learn Arabic I love middle-eastern culture and food, and think the language sounds awesome. Extra Credit: +1 point for each daily yoga session +2 point for each week without baked goods

If you can't tell by the two day delay as I struggled to saddle my horse, this is my first 6 week challenge and I have no idea what I'm doing. I bumbled around the forum for a little bit, trying to get a feel for what a challenge would look like. Proper etiquette for describing one's personal quests... I still have no idea what I'm doing, but I guess I'll just dive in head first with my little noob sword. Hi, I'm RK! I'm married to an Elven crossfit enthusiast who drags me all over due to his job. Right now I'm in a dingy cheap hotel room in Southern Germany, next week I might be in the Northern US, and the week after that, who freaking knows. Being either in transit for 6+ hours at a time or in a little room I kind of gave up on working out for a while. Main Quest: To compete in Tough Mudder with my dude annually Current Quests: Building Endurance; Ideally I'd like to be able to make it through an hour long workout without nearly passing out. To bring my body fat % down to 25. I'm currently sitting at 30.4 according to the bodpod. Which is right on the edge of 'no good'. Building my Paleo recipe cache. My husband and I eat pretty close to Paleo as is, we just have to cut out the dairy which is kind of huge in our diet. Tools on hand: Body Weight, running shoes, chair, tiny little fridge. Handicaps: Activity induced asthma (usually clears up enough to forgo the inhaler after the first 3 weeks), bad shoulders (push ups can dislocate my right shoulder, bleh), I refuse to count calories. Plan of Attack: Run every other day for 20 minutes +5 minute cool down Every day I'm not running I plan to do ZWOW #68 (a youtube trainer ZuskaLight posts workouts that are round based and I can usually get my husband to help me with modifications for pushups or any shoulder intense move) It's a 12-15 minute workout that I'm pretty confident I can fit in even if we have to travel all day. I will have one rest day a week in which I will stretch (this is for those 13 hour flights) Ranking System: This is the hardest bit for me. I want to do a hitpoint system... but that would mean doing math so I guess I'll try the A B C D F system, it seems to be pretty popular. Ugh, I'm already going to have minus points because of the first two days I missed. *sadface* A- weeks with 5 or more days of exercise B- weeks with 4 days of exercise C- weeks with 3 days of exercise D- weeks with 2 days of exercise F- barring illness, one week with only one day of exercise. Final ranking for the challenge will be based on the total # of days exercised vs. 36 (<-- total of 6 days per week of the six week challenge... I think.) and the percentage it comes to. A- 95% B- 85% C- 75% D- 65% F- anything below 65%

A little late but here I am once again, ready to challenge myself move toward the prophesied land. In accordance with the prophecy I need to increase my balance and I really need to increase my strength in my arms. For the first time in a while I'm setting a goal for the end of this challenge rather than simply having multiple tasks to accomplish during the challenge. My current target is the handstand. Currently I can do a wall plank at around a 45 degree angle for somewhere in the area of 30 seconds. I am going to be able to do a wall handstand for a full minute within the next six weeks and if I finish early I'll try doing a free standing handstand for 10 seconds. Targets are subject to change if they are deemed too easy or too hard. Towards this end, I will be working on my wall handstand every single day no matter what even if that only means going at it for a minute, or even doing a single 30 second wall plank. This is goal number 1. My main quest, my end game goal is still conquering Mount Midoriyama in Japan on the Ninja Warrior course. That's way off though, perhaps years off which is why I'm setting minor targets along the way leading to the big one to keep me motivated along the way. Goal 2 is to work out seriously 3 times a week. My target here is being able to do a single set of 5 pull ups with an extra 30lbs hanging off of me. I know I can do 8 max with an extra 10lbs right now and I haven't tried increasing that in a while. I don't know if this is a realistic target but I am setting my sights high because I'm been putting up with doing good enough for too long and it's time for excellence. Goal 3 is stretching every single day like last time. This only requires about 30 minutes per day so I never have a good excuse for not doing it but I still haven't ever been able to keep it up consistently for even 2 weeks. I will change this. Goal 4 is eating a minimum of 3 decent meals per week that involve a decent source of protein and at least 2 decent fruits or vegetables. (There aren't many fruits or vegetables I wouldn't count, basically iceberg lettuce). Goal 5 is to spend at least 1 hour per week clearing out the clutter in my life, especially in my own room. Now I need to go to bed so I'll post some updates tomorrow.

One day late, but enthusiastic about this challenge I've been about 2 weeks preparing mentally, seeking motivation, and finding strength and will. And now I'm ready. Main (long term) Quest: the trail of tears To lose 68 lbs (from 256 lbs to 188). After that, quit smoking. Subquests The alimentary quest: Radical break with sugar, gluten, legumes and soda beverages and drastic reduction of alcohol and dairy consumption.​Scores:Hard drink (distilled alcohol like whisky or rum) +5 pointsDish of pasta +4 pointsSoda beverage +3 pointsPiece of bread +3 pointsBeer, glass of wine or cider +2 pointsGlass of milk, yogurt, piece of cheese +1 pointSauce or dressing (made with gluten or sugar) +1 point Overall rating (in all 6 Week Challenge):A+: 50 or less points.A-: 51-56 points.B+: 57-62 points.B-: 63-68 points.C+: 69-74 points.C-: 75-80 points.F: 81 or more points. The workout quest: follow a routine of 3 days a week of workout (Beginner Body Weight Circuit) + 2 days a week of yoga + 1 day of hiking (see next point) + 1 day resting.A+: Program fulfilled (except in cases of force majeure). A-: 1 or 2 days missed (in all 6 Week Challenge). B+: 3 or 4 days missed. B-: 5 or 6 days missed. C+: 7 or 8 days missed. C-: 9 or 10 days missed. F: More than 10 days missed. The lifestyle quest: change nightlife for daylifeA+: 3 days hiking to the country side + 3 days of cultural hiking to the city (musseums, expositions, etc.) (in all 6 Week Challenge). A-: 2 days hiking to the country side + 3 days of cultural hiking to the city. B+: 2 days hiking to the country side + 2 days of cultural hiking to the city. B-: 1 days hiking to the country side + 2 days of cultural hiking to the city. C+: 1 day hiking to the country side + 1 day of cultural hiking to the city. C-: 1 day of cultural hiking to the city. F: None. Global reward: PX for the average scores in all quests (to be distributed between any stat):A+: +5 PX. A-: +4 PX. B+: +3 PX. B-: +2 PX. C+: +1 PX. C-: +1 Wis. Side Quest (no rating) Track my 6 Week Challenge at least once a week in this same topic. Motivation To be there, with my sister, next summer (Annapurna, Nepal)

So i've spent my whole life knowing I could be something better than what I am. I'm determined to be a doctor and heal people for a living but I refuse to be hypocrite and give medical advice on a healthy lifestyle that I'm not following! So here goes everything. Name: OreoDJ Age: 19 Race: Orc, born very large and strong and fearsome Class: Ranger Build: 6'2" 260 lbs bulky but not defined... for now Personality: Charismatic, Intelligent, Determined, and Caring Main Quest: To be Strong, Agile, and Adaptable to ANYTHING Side Quests: Go to the gym at least 4 days a week for at least an hour a dayStart (and stick to) the Paleo Diet (and hopefully get my family on board)Do 10 perfect Pull-Ups by the end of the challengeLife Quest: Get an interesting job in the field of healthcarePersonal Motto: Never Settle For Mediocrity! Wish Me Luck!

WHAT?! WHAT IS THIS MADNESS?! Is Angela The Geek back??? Well... kind of. I'm going to use this challenge to try to get back into my groove. I need to be accountable and I want to interact with all my favorite nerds again. I'm following Nightlight's lead and doing an informal challenge. No grading. It's just easier to get back in the groove this way. I do have goals though! I spent the last part of 2013 in a general funk. It was just not a great time for me or the people around me. BUT, I do not wish to dwell on that! ON TO 2014! This year will be different. This year will be amazing from beginning to end. I DEMAND THAT IT IS! Let's start... Goal 1: Get back on the competition platform My big goals this year for weightlifting are to compete in the A sessions at Nationals and the American Open and to total over 190kg in a meet by the end of the year (this was my 2013 goal before I hurt myself). My current best meet total is 177, with a 76kg snatch and a 101kg clean and jerk. This challenge will include two meets. These will be my first competitions since Nationals in July 2013. First meet: January 19 My goal for this meet is to get a total. That's it. I'll be in the middle of my training cycle for the February meet, so this is just to see where I'm at and get a total. Second meet: February 16 My goal for this meet is to go 6/6 and to make 90% of my best total at 160kg. This is really nothing spectacular for me, but I need to have an ATTAINABLE goal, so this is it. I'm hoping to hit much bigger numbers in the following months. Goal 2: Consistency in training I have been slacking with my training and I need to knock it off. 4 days a week, no excuses. I mean, I was doing 6 days a week before, so this should be a piece of cake. My planned training days are Mon/Wed/Thu/Sat. There shouldn't be much deviation from that. Goal 3: Be happier I just want to be happier. I want this looming cloud of sadness to finally dissipate. I have a feeling getting back on track with my training will help that because I was the happiest in my life when I was lifting consistently and always proving to myself how strong I am. What I do on the platform has a HUGE impact on the rest of my life. It just like to remind myself how awesome I am. Goal 4: Accountability Gonna try to keep this updated much better than I have in the recent past. I miss my nerds and you all keep me going... I need this, so I'm going to try to post more. Here it goes... I'm back in the game and ready to rock! Watch out 2014! I'M HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERE!!!

Cobaltsword’s Journey : Chapter 5 (The vacations are over, and i know i wasn’t very present the two last weeks of the challenge. I had other things on my mind but stuck to my regimen. But now I’m back, with a new training plan and a new drive. Bring it on!) (Oh, I’m right in the middle of my exams now and while it won’t interfere in my challenge it may make my update kinda irregular, but I’ll check up on every one of you for sure) After weeks of travel through the Barren Lands; a territory avoided by the strongest of persons because it was plagued by ghosts and bad omens of a long forgotten battle. A place I was forced to cross through to get as fast as possible to my destination: The Eagle’s Gate. A giant fortress set into the cliff side of a mountain range guarding the entrance of the sole passageway through the mountains. It was an ancient Assassin fortress, held by them for ages on end, protecting the contents and inhabitants of the valley where I found myself. I had received a note from my Mentor who called me to him, to help the Brotherhood in a battle there against the Templars. I needed to get there as fast as possible, my brethren needed me… I had been traveling for weeks already but now that I had crossed the Barren Lands, I believed the worst was behind me. The last two weeks had been hard, and although I had fought on as best as I could I had grown sluggish and gained some weight. Curse the Barren Lands, I thought to myself! But now I had left them behind me, and I had already started on my new training plan to get further in shape, my goal even clearer in front of me. From now on my training looked like this: 10 split squats 20 plyo squats 20 walking lunges (10 each leg) 15 indian push-ups 10 pull-ups/ 10 close handed push-up 10 dips 10 burpees 10 push up 30 sec plank (No stop, 20sec rest at end of circuit and restart. 2-3 sets depending on level) Today I had already completed 2 sets, exhausted afterwards but happy I had once again found a challenging training regimen. To make myself everything a little easier I set myself 3 new fitness goals to reach by the end of the challenge: Make a new Personal Best on the pull-ups Make a new Personal Best on the plank (now 1min) Lose the holiday weightFurthermore I laid down a Life Goal to achieve inner peace by studying the art of music. As I mused over my challenge I figured that I had to keep on moving if I wanted to get to the Gate soon. I pushed on through the night as storm clouds started to form above me. Reflecting the maybe had month that was coming for me. (Let the Challenge begin!)

Silence blankets the forest, broken only by the occasional flapping of wings or creaking of tree. A seldom used road lies just on the other side of the tree line, leading into the nearby town. Twilight draws near, shadows lengthen. Crouching low, Catscratch surveys the paths available. He needn't trod them yet, but a good Assassin plans his path in advance. The trees seemed fairly close together, but Winter's chill had removed any foliage cover. The ground was pure and white, marred only by the passing of wildlife, some of which had created clear trails to several points exiting the woodlands. Deer.. rabbit.. fox.. ahhh, what's this? Catscratch carefully brushes aside a low-hanging set of branches from a nearby bush. A set of human footprints, partially obscured, purposefully no doubt. So, I am not the only one to have been here recently. Troubling. Somebody must patrol here, but I cannot tell how often. Damnable snow.. Glancing around the area, it appears that traveling by ground is not going to be one of the better options should this area be under surveillance. He would have no time to properly conceal his tracks once the mission was under way. Alright, through the canopy it is.. but this chill and winter idleness had not been kind to my body. I shall need to prepare myself or risk injury. Reaching into a concealed pocket, he pulls out a folded slip of paper. ___________________________________________________________ | | | Your invitation has been procured and is contained within. | | This is a requirement to pass through the front door. | | Winds guide you, Shadows hide you, Contracts bind you | | 17 crows must fly by the 2nd moon | |___________________________________________________________| The party was being held at a manor just up the road from where he would exit the woods, roughly a mile. It wouldn't do to have anybody seeing a guest at such a prestigious event running out of a forest, not to mention running up to the gates. A carriage ride was out of the question.. no loose ends. That left running the short distance without looking like he had done just that with only a couple minutes to clean up. Putting away the slip, Catscratch notices something on the ground at his feet. Oh.. please don't.. bloody hell.. The invitation lay half buried in snow where it must have fallen from his pocket. Careful examination of the sodden parchment reveals an ornate design bordering a personalized invitation for one Sli Steil. Of course, no such person existed but there would be far too many people for the door attendant to double check every invite. No, now the problem was that half of the ink had ran and bled out, ruining the invitation. Damn and double damn.. looks like I'll have to re-forge it or getting in will be difficult. This template took far too long to procure and there are only six weeks remaining until I am to meet my contact. I must not mess this up if. I will become stronger, I will become better, I WILL make my Clan proud to have accepted me. Glancing one last time around before returning to his Den, Catscratch vanishes into the dusk's purple shadows, his tracks obscured behind him. To Be Continued... - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Catscratch must work on a few goals if he is to be able to traverse the canopy, make it past the front door, and make contact all without drawing undue attention to himself. He will need to work on his strength and endurance for this. Also, he will need to hone his artistic abilities if he is to recreate the invitation. Muscle and endurance building is the overall goal and will consist of three parts: weekly routines of sets, minimum distance running per week, and eating healthy. Catscratch will need to Level Up if he is to advance amongst the ranks of Assassins. Like a Leaf on the Wind (Str +2, Dex + 2, Con +1, Sta +2, Cha +1) Mondays and Thursdays: - Warm-up routine: Stretches and 1 set of Level 1 Power Up - Ripper: Level 1 Tuesdays and Fridays: - Warm-up routine: Stretches and 1 set of Level 1 Power Up - Strength of Thor: Level 1 Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays: - Stretches - Work on other Goals He will allow himself to miss 2 individual sessions if something comes up and he is absolutely unable to perform. He can't beat himself up for events he can't control. Down the Silent Road (Sta +1, Con +1) Weekly: - 2 sessions of at least one mile each. Going to try for the best time he can achieve. Health and Obscurity (Con +1, Wis + 2) Eating healthy from home: - NO FOOD FROM VENDORS! It is important that he remain as unseen as possible. Also, his cooking is healthier than the cheap fare offered for the patron on the go. Side Quest: Forgery (Wis +2) Increase artistic ability: - One complete drawing a week of varied subjects. His hand must be steady and sure if he is to pass off this forgery. Grading A - 100% B - 75% C - 50% D - 25% F - 0% (Not an option) Leaf on the Wind: A = 0 Weeks with a missed session B = 1 Week with a missed session C = 2 Weeks with a missed session D = 3 weeks with a missed session F= 4+ weeks with a missed session Down the Silent Road: A = 0 Weeks with a missed session B = 1 Week with a missed session C = 2 Weeks with a missed session D = 3 weeks with a missed session F= 4+ weeks with a missed session Health and Obscurity: Minus one letter grade for every 2 meals acquired outside the Den's kitchen. Side Quest: Forgery: Minus one letter grade per week sans completed drawing. Will Catscratch be able to train himself to perform the tasks as needed? Will his forgery pass the doorman's scrutiny? Time will tell...

Well, I've worked out before, but that was mainly distance running. I'm a freshman in college now, and though I've been taking capoeira classes twice a week (which I really stink at to be honest), I haven't done much besides that. I found that I feel like the weakest guy in my dorm and I want to change that. The problems: 1) I'm lazy about it, and 2) I feel really insecure working out around people in a Gym. So I've taken it upon myself to try a body weight workout. (The whole Insecurity thing can be a challenge for another day) I may be under/overestimating my abilities, but the numbers will only ever move upwards. I will adapt to fit the workout if its "too" tough. Pull-ups 10 Push-ups 20 Jump-squats 20 Planks 1 minute Chin-ups 10 Leg-lifts 20 2 Sets Finish by drinking a bottle of water. 3 times a week +2 Str 3 800's with 2 minutes break between each 800 Finish with a bottle of water +1 Dex,+1Sta 3 times a week Quick nutrition fix: no more sugary drinks. water only. 2+ cups/meal. Scoring: Each successful completion of a workout (the body weight or the 800's):+2.5% Every numerical improvement: +1% (after 1 week period to get a feel for what a challenging workout is) Drink +1% per good week Feel free to post, especially if you have advice. This is the first time I've ever made a workout.

Hey guys! Super excited about this 6 week challenge! I'm getting married (OMG it's getting closer and closer!!) in 9 weeks so I really want to pump things into overdrive. What better way than a 6 week challenge Main motivation: Looking and feeling AMAZING for my wedding. And also just building my confidence so that I can spend 5 gazillion hours taking photos on the day and not hate it. Main Quest: Lose 6kg Goal 1: Bikram yoga minimun 4x per week Goal 2: Keep track of all food in my food diary Goal 3: Eat paleo/primal throughout challenge Life Quest: Organise transfer to full time work at NRMA Alright guys let's do this!!!

So last challenge, I chilled out so much that I forgot to post much on the forums. While the time away was a nice break, I've rested and recuperated enough. Like many others, my workout schedule has suffered over the holidays. Time to get back to basics. Motivation: I absolutely love this feeling of being able to wear what I want without self-consciousness. I love bounding up stairs and running after buses without feeling like I'm going to die. This. I want to keep this. Main Quest: Climb, Ninja, Climb! Preparation For Ascent... I'm really not a marathon chick. Long distances really bore me. So does spending more time than I absolutely have to at the gym. I dig short, sweet, communing with nature. I'm challenging myself to keep on maintaining throughout the winter in order to be in prime hiking condition, come spring. Fitness Goal: Love Thy Workouts (+3 STR, +2 STA) Namely: 4 workouts per week, mix of 3 weight sessions & 3 cardio sessions. Need to be especially diligent, as I'm cutting back on the personal training sessions (once monthly). Digital tracking has never worked well for me. Instead of fighting against myself, this time I'm going to track the old-fashion way - scribblings on a wall calendar. Diet/Budget Goal: Love Thy Body (+3 CON, +2 WIS) Somewhere in the first part of the year, I'm taking a trip to China. I'm also saving up for a mortgage - scary new territory ahead! Need to severely cut eating out without dampening the fun. Here are the tentative 'rules' I've cobbled together with the help of my Stealthy Ninja Bastards: Pre-purchased things don't count (groupons, gift card balances, generous friends, etc). The goal is net zero balance in the Restaurant line of your budget.This doesn't equal Anti-Social month. Have potlucks. Dinner parties. Tea at your place or theirs. Go to a play. (I will be attending many.) Brew coffee/tea for on-the-go. Or have it at work. Try not to slip in pre-packaged food / soups / meals into your grocery budget. This is all to get you prepared to pack enough food for your day! Take that balance and put it towards something nice/useful. For me, I'm imagining my next trip / downpayment. Don't try to overcompensate by going hog wild on the grocery budget. It might go up a bit because you're not eating any meals out, but it's also not the time to buy those bacon covered truffles (I have no idea if these exist in a grocery store. Probably.) To help me on this challenge, I'm subscribing to a cool list I found on Lifehacker. All She Cooks: 52 Weeks of No-Repeat Meal Plans. Life Quest: Body Hack (DEX +5) One of the reasons I don't stretch enough is that I don't incorporate it into my day. As with many people at a desk job, moving around and being mindful is essential. I'll be looking into ways to turn stretching into my norm. Any suggestions / programs / hacks on what works for you are highly appreciated! It all may look basic, but I also have a few side projects on the go. I'm getting used to reviewing on a quick turnaround basis for a local lifestyle site, and that's fuelled a few creative projects. Amazing how a little reorganization can refocus your energies! But on this forum, I'll stick to the things that I absolutely need. Thank you all for sticking with me! Here's to a fantastic 6 weeks- full steam ahead!

Admiring his fused shard, Red feels optimistic about his progress. He journeys north until he comes across a large temple surrounded by a forest, the ledge reads in faded marble: Bibliotheca Scriptorum Antiquorum. "Huh, I wonder what that means." Red mutters to himself as he steps inside. The Hallways are dark and silent, Red searches for any signs of life and then he yells out, "Hello?" "Hello?" "Hello?" Suddenly, a sharp voice breaks the echo and out of the shadows a man with a red cloak appears behind Red, scaring the crap out of him! "SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" \/ A Scholar pulls Red behind a pile of books, and before Red could speak, the Scholar tells him, "Be quiet! They'll hear you!" Red gives the Scholar a confused look when the long-haired individual points to the pages of a random book. "The books! They came right out of the pages! I don't understand how! They've taken over! All hope is lost!" Red then calmed down the excited man, and tried to get him to speak normally, "Easy buddy, What happened?" "I just told you! Monsters appeared! They came out of the book! I don't know why! Mid went down to look at the Sacred Tome, and the next thing I notice! Monsters! Demons! Flying at us like bats outta Hell! Most of us ran, but someone has to save Mid!" Red looked at the scrawny Scholar. "Don't tell me that you were planning on going in there." "Me? I'd- Well... You see I can't... exactly... fight... But you! You can do it! Take this book! It'll help you!" The Scholar shoves a book in Red's face, and then runs back into the shadows. "Wait! Whaa?! I didn't agree to this! What is this book?" The only response out of the shadows was a sharp "SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" "Sigh... I guess I'm on my own. Let's see what that screwy Scholar left me with..." "OK So according to this book, It's about Scholars of the past and their lessons... yada yada... it's got info on their history... blah blah... 'Chapter 3: Typewriting and You' Oh boy, this is... just... terrible... Now how am I supposed to implement Typewriting into saving this Mid guy?" One Typewriter Pull-up: Man, these ledges are small! I'm going to have to move like a Typewriter in order to get across these shelves! If I can do just one, I'll be set! Five Typewriter Push-ups: This place is a mess! Looks like I'll have to shift my weight from one hand to the other just to navigate through all this! Five of these Push-ups should do! Running: I never thought I'd look forward towards the end of a hallway! If I stay in one spot too long, I'll get throttled! I need to start running, when I'm not working on my Typewriting, two times a week should do it! Reading: OOO This book looks interesting, and this one too, OOO Look at that one! Wow, there are a lot of cool books here at this place! I'm definitely going to make an effort to read at least 1 chapter from two of these books everyday! I've got The Bible, an Anatomy book, Manvotionals, and the Book of the Five Rings!Hmm... With this new shard, I think I'll try out a new routine! Going a little past Ninja and going into Assassin! My New Routine: Handstand Lunges Pull-up Finger Push-ups Hanging Knee Raises Bar Dips Back Raises Towel Hangs VS "Oh this can't be good..."

One of my favorite quotes of all time, BTW! Hi, I'm Captain Solo. For those I haven't met yet, I'm a US Army Veteran and a Wounded Warrior who is well on his way to recovery. Long story short: My back should be broken, but it's not. God is good. Situation: Nerd Fitness 6-Week Challenge! Yeah Baby! Mission: Continued recovery efforts, focusing on back and shoulder conditioning. Execution 1: Continue Bodyweight Workout every other day (attached for reference) 2: Yoga and Boxing every day 3: Find more gluten-free recipes (wife is alergic) Service / Support (Side Quests) Life: Land the job with H&R Block Fitness: Do a Handstand <how-to-handstand-better-than-luke-skywalker> Command / Control (Motivation): I was given a second chance. What will I accomplish with it? Lee's Bodyweight Workout.doc