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CALLING ALL SUPERHEROES! Okay, guys. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Comrade Talls. I’ve been on my fitness journey for a few months now and a NF Academy Member since May 2015. I won’t give you my life story in the first post, but if you want the full scoop, my forum introduction is here. But here we go: First challenge. -- Up until a couple of months ago, I hadn’t read a comic book since I was a kid. I used to have a fairly respectable collection of comics when I was younger, but as I got older, I just kinda’ grew out of the hobby. FLASH forward 20+ years. I had been on my fitness journey for a month or two when I came into possession of a Green Arrow trade paperback. I consumed it in a day or two and completely fell back in love. I felt like a boy again. Maybe it was because I was on my own journey now, as well, but I found it to be completely inspiring. So I bought more. Soon, I was buying vintage Green Arrow comics from the 1980’s on eBay. In an effort to expand my superhero horizons, I decided to start following a second hero. Wanting to stay in the DC Universe, I took a leap of faith and picked a hero I didn’t really know anything about…except that he was the fastest man alive. That’s right. I’m talking about The Flash. As I began brainstorming my first 6-Week Challenge, I noticed a lot of themed challenges in the Rebellion Forums. This clicked right away with me, and I decided to channel my new-found superhero obsession by incorporating them into my NF challenges. So without further ado, I present to you my first 6WC: Superhero Training I: Main Quest: I don’t know that I’ve ever went on a proper run in my entire life. Sure, I’ve went on ‘jogs’ here and there…and I do a lot of walking, but I’ve never committed myself to being a runner. So my main quest is this: Run a 5K. I’m nowhere near this goal now, but my 6WC will be tailored to help me work towards achieving this. Goal #1 – Run at least 2x/week by starting the C25K program. I know the program is set up for 3x/week, but I’m 236lbs. and I don’t run at all now, so I don’t want to bite off more than I can chew. However, I will strive to get that third run every week. Every time I complete 3 runs in a week, I score a *bonus run* for that week. If I complete at least 4/6 bonus runs, I will obtain Flash's famous SPEED FORCE and buy myself a Flash-themed item at the end of the challenge. I’m thinking an awesome figure, statue or t-shirt. But the item is TBD. Goal #2 – Complete 3 Bodyweight Strength-Training Routines per week. I already do this now with NF Academy workouts (7 weeks strong, no misses!), but for my 6WC, I’m going to alter my routine up to be more Flash-friendly. The new workout schedule will look something like this: MONDAY – NFA Workout: Bodyweight Brigade Level 2A WEDNESDAY – NFA Workout: Bodyweight Brigade Level 2B FRIDAY – FLASH FRIDAY: Neilarey’s ‘The Flash’ Workout – Level 1 I also will be incorporating a variety of moves from The Flash workout into my Monday & Wednesday workouts to help jumpstart my superhero powers. Goal #3 – Eat a minimum of one fruit and one vegetable per day, at least 6x/week. Garbage in, garbage out, as they say. But if I’m going to go from absolutely no running to 3 workouts and 2-3 runs each week, I need to be eating the right food. I’m going to shoot for doing this every day, but I’m giving myself a 6x/week goal in anticipation of unforeseen circumstances (like a mini-vacation in August). Life Quest: Hit the books! I’ve been concentrating so much on my health and fitness the past couple of months that I’ve pretty much put my studies on the back burner. Currently, I’m taking a self-paced online course that I’m only about 1/3 of the way through. So as my optional side quest, I’m committing to studying at least once a week for a minimum of 2 hours. It doesn’t have to be two hours in a row, but I have to get the two hours in somewhere. Small steps to get myself back on track! Scoring: This is the part I’m a little shaky on still, but here’s what I’m thinking for my attribute points. If I do any of this wrong, feel free to let me know so I can edit it before the challenge begins. Goal #1 – Run 2x/week (12 base runs, with 6 optional *bonus runs*) 12 Runs – 100% | 11 Runs – 75% | 10 Runs – 50% | 9 Runs – 25% | Less than 8 Runs – 0% Upon 3 Week Completion: +2 DEX, +1 STA Upon 6 Week Completion: +1 DEX Goal #2 – Complete (3) BW Strength Training Routines per week, including Flash Friday Workouts (18 workouts total). 18 – 100% | 17 – 75% | 16 – 50% | 15 – 25% | Less than 15 Workouts – 0% Upon 3 Week Completion: +2 STR, +1 STA Upon 6 Week Completion: +1 STR Goal #3 – Eat a minimum of one fruit and one veggie per day, at least 6x/week. (36 possible days, excluding one available miss each week) 36 Days – 100% | 33 Days – 75% | 30 Days – 50% | 27 Days – 25% | Less than 27 Days – 0% Upon 3 Week Completion: +2 CON +1 WIS Upon 6 Week Completion: +1 CON Life Quest – Hit the books! Study for a minimum of 2 hours per week. 6 Weeks – 100% | 5 Weeks – 75% | 4 Weeks – 50% | 3 Weeks – 25% | Less than 3 Weeks – 0% Upon 3 Week Completion: +1 WIS Upon 6 Week Completion: +1 WIS SPEED FORCE BONUS: I’ve found that rewarding myself with new loot seems to be a great motivator for me, so I added a couple of bonuses to my challenge: Complete My 6-Week Challenge 100% - I buy myself a NF Flag to hang in my workout room. I’ve wanted one of these for a while, but this way I’ll be making myself earn it. Complete at least 4/6 of the optional *Bonus Runs* - I'll obtain the SPEED FORCE and buy myself an awesome Flash-themed item as mentioned above. Okay, Rebellion. This is what I’ve put together for my first 6-Week Challenge. How’d I do? Any and all feedback appreciated. Good luck to everyone else on their challenges, and I'll definitely be following along. Here's to an awesome 6-Week Challenge, Rebels!

Hey all! This isn't my first attempt at a recruit challenge, but it's the first one I'm determined to see through to the end...! MAIN QUEST To reach 8st 7lbs and then maintain that weight. 2st 13lbs / 9st 3.5lb lost _______________________________ Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 _______________________________ SMART QUESTS My birthday is September 2nd, and I'd love to aim for being 14st by then, or at least get as close as possible as I can possibly manage to that target. I'll be finding out my weight this week on Wednesday, which will then give me the amount I'll need to aim to lose over the next 6 weeks. My diet is going really well so far so I'm not going to change too much about it, so my dietary aims over the next 6 weeks are to simply stay on-plan 100% . The only exception I'm permitting myself is my cousin's wedding day on the 8th August, though I've made sure my choices from her set menu are as close as possible to the plan I'm following. 2.5lbs / 14lbs lost over 6 weeks Week 1: -0lbs | Week 2: -2.5lbs | Week 3: ??? _______________________________ I've signed up for a 5k charity fun run/walk with some of my slimming group, which takes place on the 26th September. Therefore, I'm going to be using a couch-to-5k training podcast over the next 8 weeks to get myself to the best point possible in the lead up to that. I want to do my training on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and if that's going well, I'm going to try and build in Sundays too. 1 / 8 weeks of 5k training completed in full. Week 1: 0.5 / 2 sessions | Week 2: 0.5 / 2 sessions | Week 3: 2 / 2 sessions _______________________________ I also want to focus on doing some strength training. I'm very very lucky to be working at an office that provides us with a free gym. I'm going to start with the beginner bodyweight workout, and do this on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and I'll count it as a successful week if I've done the full workout on each planned day each week throughout the challenge. If I start to find the beginner workout is getting too easy, I'll move onto one of the other strength training workouts here on the site. 3 / 6 weeks of strength training completed in full. Week 1: 3 / 3 sessions | Week 2: 3 / 3 sessions | Week 3: 3 / 3 sessions _______________________________ LIFE QUEST I've started saving toward a mortgage deposit, but given that properties are pretty expensive here in London, I'll need to have a relatively hefty amount of money in order to make up a 10% deposit, so that's my current non-health and fitness related life challenge. I want to save a minimum of £15,000 to start being able to start seriously looking at places to buy - any more than that is a bonus as that then starts to open up more properties for me to be able to consider! £3.5k of £15k saved _______________________________ STATS STR: 0 | DEX: 0 | STA: 0 | CON: 0 | WIS: 0 | CHA: 0

I will give everything and become Batman. Äh... Batgirl. But first things first: Before I become member of the Bat-Family, I have to become Wonder Woman. You may ask why, and it's my pleasure to answer your question! Wonder Woman is the first superheroine! She is strong, fast and awesome And I think, she is a great base for my process to become member of the assassin guild Okay, I have a nice goal, but how should I achieve it? First, I have to depend my persecutors! But how?!? My plan is simple: I will hit the 5K! My loved smartphone and the awesome C25K app will help me a lot This will be step 1: Two times a week do a C25K run. Second, I need more power! A cool Wonder Woman themed workout plan will help me out: Step two is to do the Wonder Woman Workout two times a week. Third, I need to slim a little bit. The Wonder Woman costume needs a nice body to fit Step three is to eat max 1800kcal per day. Okay, the base for being an awesome heroine is done, but I need patience to reach my goals. So here is my life quest: I will meditate three times a week! The combination should give me a good start to become a fit and healthy person and then I will change the world!

I have struggled with my weight for a few years now. I'm 5'2 and I weigh 164 pounds. I have started and stopped working out lots of times in the past few years, and I go back and forth on eating habits too. I hate the idea of going on a "diet", but I did have success with a combination of crossfit and Paleo a few years ago. I injured my shoulder doing crossfit, so I quit that, and I couldn't afford Paleo/became concerned about the amount of meat/almonds I was eating so I quit that too (I was probably doing it wrong, but it was what it was). I came across Nerd Fitness several months ago, got really excited about it and then back burnered it. This weekend I went on a mini vacation, and lots of unflattering pictures were taken of me, which was the tipping point in my motivation to change. I don't feel like my weight is holding me back from doing the things I love, I do mud runs a few times a year, and hiked the Guadalupe Mountain in West Texas recently, but I don't *look* good, or really even *feel* good. I do have PCOS, so keeping my weight in check matters in terms of future fertility and that sort of thing. In March I bought a Groupon for a crossfit gym, and went on and off, but it's too expensive to pay normal prices (I'm a teacher). I joined a normal gym in June, but I've only been like 4 times since then. I enjoy a mix of weight lifting, steady state cardio, and bodyweight interval training, so I'm going to try to integrate that. So here we go. Main Quest: Lose 40 pounds by June 2016. SMART Goal 1: Quit being lazy. Get to the gym and do SOMETHING 3x per week. On the line: +2 STR, +3 STA A: 3+ workouts/wk. +2 STR, +2 STA B: 2 Workouts/wk. +1.5 STR, + 1.5 STA C: 1 workouts/wk. +1 STR, +1 STA SMART Goal 2: Know thyself. Or at least what's going INTO thyself. *Track food/water intake every day, good or bad using iphone app. On the line: +3 WIS A: 40 days of food tracking +3 WIS B: 30 days of food tracking + 2 WIS C: 20 days of food tracking +1 WIS SMART Goal 3: Be the master of my own destiny. Prepare an average of 18/21 meals per week at home. On the line: +5 CON A: 18+ meals per week +5 CON B: 15+ meals per week +3 CON C: 12+ meals per week +1 CON Life Quest: Read 2 books, 1 fiction, 1 nonfiction. Reward: +2 Wisdom Current Stats STR: 0, DEX 0, STA 0, CON 0, WIS 0, CHA 0 And that's that. Looking forward to joining a group for support and feedback. The adventure begins!

Hi, I'm Alex. As a bit of an introduction, I'm 23, entirely new to fitness, but determined to change my life, one step at a time! I LOVE the concept of treating life as a video game, since I have always been blessed with an overactive imagination. I've always been tall and thin (I was actually underweight for a lot of my childhood). However, the adult world of work and uni hit, and I'm currently a little heavier than I would like (the overhang on my trousers especially HAS to go!) I also love fell walking and being outdoors, so I'd like to improve my strength and stamina to explore the more challenging fells in the Lake District, maybe one day (not at the end of the six weeks) complete the three peaks challenge. (Ben Nevis, Snowdon and Scafell Pike). I'm a huge Lord of the Rings fan, so the idea of walking across mountains and wandering in the great outdoors is very appealing! So, beginning stats: 153 lbs. 5 ft 9 in. Female. Main Quest: Lose at least six lbs (roughly one a week), whilst gaining strength. Specific Goals: 1. Complete the beginner bodyweight workout twice a week 2. Go for a run twice a week, on different days to the bodyweight workouts. 3. Maintain an overall calorie deficit every day, via a combination of healthy eating and exercise. (The main challenge will probably be the fact that I go on holiday to Spain on Wednesday, so working out there and eating healthy are going to be a real test of willpower!) Motivation: I am tired of being timid, and living within my limited "comfort zone". I aspire to be the best version of myself that I can be. I want to have the body and the mental strength to pursue my goals, climb mountains and prove to myself that I am capable of so much more than I currently believe I can do. Okay, I think that's it. I'm not entirely clear on the attribute stats at the moment, but when I figure that out I'll put them as my rewards for the 3 week and 6 week milestones.

Introduction: Hi! I am Padawan Hideyoshi and this is my first full challenge (started late in the previous challenge). I like outdoor sports and ice hockey, but my desk job and poor eating habits aren’t conducive to being active and healthy. I joined the rebellion because I need an extra boost of motivation to keep active and eat right and I do much better when I have challenges to accomplish and focus on, so this site is great for that! I have been up slightly over 200 lbs, and have made some progress with crossfit and a couple eating challenges and things like that, but I've found I can't make any more fat loss with crossfit alone, so I know I need to get my eating habits under control, not just for weight loss, but overall health! Physical Characteristics: 36 yr old male, 5'7" tall (172 cm), 185 lbs (84 kg). Main Quest: Lose approx. 30lbs (really aiming for about 15% bodyfat, i.e. 140 lb lean bodyweight + 25 lbs body fat) by my next birthday (Jan 2016), and complete a Tough Mudder in the summer of 2016. Quest 1: Follow “21 day fix†(Clean eating + portion control). I’ll use mostly paleo food sources, but I won’t track that aspect this time around. This system uses colored containers for the portion control, and each color corresponds to a type of food source – green is vegetable, red is lean protein, yellow in starchy carb, etc... My wife picked it up and I had pretty good success while I stuck to it before. Of course I undid that progress since, but I think if I give myself a little more latitude than they recommend I will be more successful. So, rather than 21 straight days; I’ll follow it during weekdays and just try to do the best I can on the weekends. Measurement: A = 5 days per wk following 21 day fix portions, B = 4 days per wk, C = 3 days per wk, F = 2 or fewer days per wk. Reward: A = +3 CON, B = +2 CON, C = +1 CON Quest 2: Drink 80 oz. of H2O each day; and continue soda limit of 2 cans per wk. Last challenge my goal was to limit to 2 cans of soda per wk, and I ended up having about 4 per wk. I will renew that part and also track water consumption. In the past when targeting that amount of water there wasn’t much room for anything else to drink, so hopefully that will be the case. Again, I will try to follow this strictly for weekdays and do my best on weekends with a little more slack then. Measurement: A = 80 oz. H2O x 5 days/wk; 0-2 sodas, B = 80 oz. H2O x 4 days/wk; 3-4 sodas, C = 80 oz. H2O x 3 days/wk; 5-6 sodas F = 80 oz. H2O x 2 or fewer days/wk; more than 6 sodas. Reward: A = +1 CON, +1 DEX, B = +0.75 CON, +0.75 DEX C = + 0.5 CON, +0.5 DEX Quest 3: Run 5km (about 3 mi.) 3 x per wk; and do the Advanced Bodyweight workout 3 x per wk. (I was recently layed off from work, so if I am able to find something soon I may swap out the adv. BWW for crossfit; as it stands now, I can’t justify the expense for crossfit). I am combining these so I can run and do the BWW on alternating days, but if I have a crazy day that I don’t get anything it’s not too much to do both on one day, so for reward purposes I’ll just count the total, but for application/actual tracking I’ll aim for 3 of each type of workout per wk. Previously I was doing crossfit 3 to 4 x per wk. I will add the running with the aim to bring my 5 km time down to 20 minutes. The reason to add the running is for mud/adventure races. Measurement: A = 6 sessions/wk, B = 4-5 sessions/wk, C = 3 sessions/wk, F = less than 3 sessions/wk Reward: A = +2 STA, +1 STR B =, +1 STA, +1 STR C = +1 STA Life Quest: Meditate 10 mins each day of the challenge. Measurement: A = 10 mins., 40+ days, B = 10 mins, 36+ days, C = 10 mins. 30+ days Reward: A = +2 WIS, B = +1.25 WIS, C = +0.5 WIS Motivation: To be a role model for my kids. They are almost 4 and 7. I am one of the biggest influences in their outlook and behavior. What I model in eating and exercise they mimic. I want them to create better habits while they are young than I did, and put them on a path toward epic success. Prospective Guild: Torn between the Rangers (I like Crossfit; I’m neither a distance runner nor a heavy lifter) and the Assassins (more of a wish I was… the idea of being a great traceur and free climber is attractive, but not necessarily firmly rooted in my reality!) Thanks to all the moderators, especially Blaidd! I can't wait to fully participate this time around! Looking forward to getting to know all the fellow recruits over the next few weeks... Hideyoshi

Welcome to my Challenge Log! 27th July - 6th September For those of you who don't read the intros (I'm sure there's a few). I'm a 32yo, Aussie mum of 3. I live in New South Wales in a small country town about an hour and a half west of Canberra. I'm a newbie gamer (playing LotRO - main is a lvl100 Runekeeper named Vilarya on Crickhollow server and I just bought Skyrim to try something I've never tried before and I love it, can't wait until VI comes out hopefully sooner rather than later!), I also bake, read sci-fi, fantasy and historical fiction and dress in vintage/vintage style (less now than ever because of my weight *sad face*). My Quest for these first 6 weeks is as follows.... Main Quest – Lose 5kg in 6 weeks SW: 111.4kg (as of 23/7) GW6wks: 108.9kg Goals Stick to a healthy eating plan (includes more vegetables and fruits, more protein and healthy fats and less refined carbs and gluten - trying to get my PCOS under control, 1900 calories a day) Aim to drink 2L + water every day and carry a water bottle with me everywhere NF Body Weight Circuit Mon/Wed/Fri Join the local Gym and start improving my lifting form Life Side Quest – Practice my archery and actually start hitting the target consistently (work on the basics/technique), before this year I never once picked up a bow and I want to be deadly accurate (working with recurve and longbows - no interest in compound bows). I plan to practice 30mins a day Tue/Thu/Sat. I'll get some walking in because right now the flights keep coming off arrows and I only have 5 that I can use right now. Motivation – Wanting to be able to fit in a vintage style tea dress I bought and have hardly worn The Dress Please feel free to pop in here and my Battle Log from time to time to see how I'm going. I do have before pictures I need to post, but I might save those until after the first challenge. It's just far too raw and confronting for me to post them right now.

Hello everyone! I'm a 40 year old I.T. Professional, loving husband, and father to 2 girls aged 6 and 3. I'm 5'6" and as of yesterday I weigh 195 lbs. My fitness has been through peaks and valleys for some years now and I want it to stabilize to something more positive. I'm not getting any younger and I would like to be physically fit to enjoy the company of my children. And I would like to be able to button up my old shirt so I could ... wear ... that ... tie ... and still be able to breathe. My main quest right now is to lose at least 30 pounds by November 30. By then I would have hopefully gained enough willpower to resist all the food that comes our way during the last month of the year. Quest 1: Workout 3x a week for 30 minutes each session. I'll most probably stick to bodyweight exercises for now and exercise from home. I usually start out all gung-ho and just fizzle out as the weeks pass. I want to be able to do at least 18 sessions by the end of 6 weeks. Grading based on completed sessions: A - 18+ B - 16 - 18 C - 13 - 15 D - 10 - 12 Fail - < 10 Quest 2: Ride my bike for at least 60km per week. I used to ride around 300+ km a month before I had a bad spill last June. I plan to get my bike fixed and get at least 60 km a week. Grading based on mileage (in km): A - 360+ B - 300 - 360 C - 240 - 299 D - 160 - 200 Fail - < 160 Quest 3: Eat at least 1 serving of vegetables per day. Time to get more vegetables in my system moving-forward! Grading based on number of servings: A - 42+ B - 36 - 42 C - 30 - 35 D - 24 - 30 Fail - <24 Life Quest: To take and pass that technical certification that I've been meaning to get by the end of October. I've been putting this off the past 2 months. Challenges: New job. I'm starting first week of August and I have no idea what the workload will be like. Best way for me to do Quest #1 would be to be up by 5am so that I'll be done by 6 and have time to bring my eldest daughter to school. Procrastination. Everyone's favorite villain. Broken front derailleur of my bike. Broke the shifter because of my spill. Rear derailleur still works but climbing those steeper hills will be more challenging and my mechanical limitation would most probably discourage me from riding some of the more challenging routes I used to take.

Hi everyone! I signed up to nerdfitness two years ago according to my profile information but I guess two years ago I was still in the thinking stage of making changes to my lifestyle and fitness. So I might have been on the forum lurking for a bit two years ago but I'm pretty much a newbie here really. I started running almost a year ago and at the beginning of this year I joined a gym. This would be the longest I've ever actually voluntarily done any exercise and actually enjoyed it. It was going really well and my motivation to start was wanting a career change and because frankly I was sick of myself - especially when I saw a number on the scales I was shocked to see. I didn't own any so had no idea. I lost 5kg doing that (typically went out and bought scales) but then plateaued hard and stayed the exact same weight (give or take 100g) for 3 months. So 3 months ago I signed up for a nutritionists 10 week challenge because I knew that my diet was really the problem and not that I wasn't running or gyming enough. It was a bit of a revelation in heaps of ways, and not just with weight loss. So to get to the point! My main goals for this year are: To run a half marathon in December To lose 5kg - I will have to weigh myself at the gym next week (at the end of my challenge I had lost another 7.5kg, but during my challenge I found I was getting paranoid about weighing myself, it was getting a bit unhealthy so I sold My scales!) My goals for this challenge are To reach 12km in a run - I have a 10km race in 3 weeks and so far have maxed at 6.5km... To drink no fizz/soda - I've been eating pretty clean the last three months but have noticed that this is sneaking in again, and it's been hiding in RTD alcoholic beverages, which I don't really need anyway. I'll be happy if I have no more than 2 RTDs in the next 6 weeks, but I'm not going to leave that as a reason to be lax. My lifestyle goal was one I was actually going to put up as a fitness one, but I guess It doesn't quite fit for this forum, though it does for me. In five weeks I have Indoor Nationals for archery, and I haven't been shooting enough. So my goal for the next six weeks is to shoot 500 arrows a week (100 a night after work). Another one will be to keep my kitchen clean - I will measure this one in the amount of "looks" I get from my significant other! I really hope this all makes sense - my phone has a mind of it's own regarding autocorrect and if anyone has any advice regarding writing up a challenge I'd be glad for it!

It's the job that's never started as takes longest to finish. - LOTR Hi, I'm Mike, and I am finally adding some accountability to my life with this thread. I am a 26-year-old graduate student (nuclear astrophysics) with the desire to climb mountains, funded by my eventual employment within the private sector as a data scientist. I am a former varsity runner who has never had much upper body strength but just enough to get by. After telling myself that I was going to climb Mount Moran in Wyoming before I finished my PhD, I did almost nothing to move myself toward that goal; since I should be finishing my degree next year, it's now or never. Why Ranger? I think it fits best with what I want and where I want to be (long distance travel with large strength requirements thrown in), and I like the idea of building muscle without losing my running ability. Why not Assassin? I felt it didn't have the same requirements for strength that I wanted to build up to. MAIN QUEST Climb Mount Moran in summer 2016 This is the end-all-be-all of my fitness push. Though not historically my namesake, I've wanted to climb this mountain and be the first Moran in my family on top of Mount Moran ever since I found out that it existed on my first trip to Jackson, WY. There are a few problems to this, though: historically the easiest routes require ropes and protection, it is the hardest mountain in the Teton range to get to, and getting to Jackson (with gear) is expensive. Thankfully, I know two families with homes in the area, so lodging should be taken care of, and I love long-distance driving, so the trip would not be horrendous. Short term goals to accomplish over the next six weeks: Complete 3x3 bodyweight pull-upsExercise (even a little) around work and vacation (3x strength at least) Eat a healthy breakfast in the morning (3x week) ​...and this is how I'm starting down that path. Since I've taken about six months off from any sort of exercise and training, I'm starting with something that I've always had problems with: pull ups. I read through a few articles on progressions to get to a full pull up, which I think I can achieve in six weeks without too much stress. In addition, I'll be combining that specific work with the Beginner Bodyweight and Hotel workouts to help my transition back into the gym. I've already been doing the BB for the last week (with added weight on the squats), and moving to the Hotel one is a logical step up. Plus, I'll be exercising in a hotel! As of this coming Saturday (August 8), I will be married and we are leaving for our honeymoon the following Monday. Suitcases are packed and I should have enough things to pick up for the necessary weight. I've also copied down the workouts onto paper since I'm not taking my computer with me. As for breakfast, I am notorious for sleeping in and rushing over to the office for work, so I am going to make sure that I don't do that. Since I've never been a morning person, I'm keeping it simple, with three-out-of-five work days starting with a full breakfast a good launching point. ​SIDE QUEST Data Science Work through all of Data Science from Scratch and High Performance Python (less important). I'm about half-way through DSFS and have skimmed through sections of HPP, so now I'm going to finish them. My GitHub account is about all of the motivation I need, keeping that commit streak alive! I won't be working on this at all during my honeymoon, so if it comes down to the wire, DSFS takes precedence. Yoga? Sure, this could be grouped into the main quest, but this is kind of a cursory glance at what I could do. I have never been flexible, but I want to be. I have the Wii Fit plus balance board, so I'd like to try to use that to start learning yoga poses and practicing them. Or, at the very least, stretch out more and more fully. MOTIVATION I want to look better naked (or half naked), and the part of me lacking in that department right now is all above the waist. Plus, if I don't take small steps now, I could actually die if I tried to climb a mountain without adequate preparation (not that I would attempt the climb, but anyway...). So there it is. My mountain awaits...

Main Goals: Lose 20kg by 2016Get better at my two favourite sports: Kayaking and Ultimate FrisbeeBe productive in my work by sleeping, eating and exercising rightChallenge Goals: 1. Sleep right At the moment my body clock is quite messed up. As a result, I have less energy throughout the day and my work suffers. For the duration of the challenge I will be awake by 6am and out of bed by 6:30 am, which is unusually early for me. I will also not use any form of computer/electronic device after 11pm, as I have a feeling this is a major contributor to my sleep patterns. Measuring performance: I will get one point each day for getting up at the right time and one for not using electronics. Marks out of 84. 2. Eat right I have been a vegetarian for several years, but since coming to Nerd Fitness I've been itching to try the Paleo diet. For these 6 weeks, I will be eating my version of it, with some concessions (due to not eating meat) including using meat substitute (Quorn), whey/protein powder and milk. I will aim to consume ~160g of protein, and no more than 100 g of carb per day. I will also be aware of my fat intake. In addition, I will eat mindfully, without watching TV, and concentrate on my food. Measuring performance: I will get one point each day for tracking my intakes, one point for eating mindfully and two points for eating correctly. Marks out of 168. 3. Workouts I will do 3 workouts per week based on the Beginner's workout: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/ These will be on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Measuring performance: I will get one point for each workout. Marks out of 18. 4. Interval Training I will do 3 interval training sessions per week: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/01/27/kick-your-ass-and-kickstart-your-metabolism-in-20-minutes/ These will be on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday Measuring performance: I will get one point for each session. Marks out of 18. 5. Meditation I already meditate quite a lot, but not regularly enough. For this challenge I will meditate for 30mins per day with the help of these meditation exercises: http://franticworld.com/free-meditations-from-mindfulness/ Measuring performance: I will get one point for each meditation. Marks out of 42. I realise this is quite ambitious, but I'm well up for the challenge. Can't wait to see how this turns out!

Hello fellow nerds! I'm a newb and pumped to start my first challenge! From past experiences, I've learned that I work really well with deadlines and accountabili-buddies, so I am feeling very optimistic. A little about my health, history, and what-not: I a 25 (as of Tomorrow) and currently weigh about 160 lbs at 5'6" (female). In college I weighed between 127-135, so I am aiming at returning to this weight range (and to fit back into my old clothes!). The year after college was pretty awful. I didn't like my job and really wanted to move out of my home state (but had to wait until the BF was graduated). I drank too much beer, didn't work out, and ate too many doughnuts at work... but they were SO delicious. Anyways, In October of '14 I moved from Kentucky to San Francisco and used the move as a fresh start. I found a job that I enjoyed much more, picked up running, started eating better (fast food has been completely cut out of my diet) and even joined a morning boot camp for 12 weeks. I wasn't weighing myself much during this time because I always felt upset when I saw the number on the scale, but I believe I've lost around 5-10 lbs since the move and dropped a pant size. The progress so far has been encouraging, but I'm ready to take things up a notch and stick to a workout schedule. I'm also quite nerdy! Super heroes, anime, Star Wars, LOTR - Love them all! MAIN QUEST: Return to a weight of around 130 lbs / size 6. Eventually run a half marathon. Improve upper body strength. Be a badass lady like Korra, Wonder Woman, Cat woman, etc. Quest 1: Run 3x a week minimum and be able to run a 10k without stopping by the end of six weeks (can currently run 4 miles... uncomfortably) +1 STA Quest 2: Strength Train 3x a week minimum. I'll be doing with at home and am going to purchase a resistance band and some 12lbs weights. I already have a pull up bar and will do body weight training too. Any suggestions for upper body workouts is much appreciated. I have noodle arms! +1 STR Quest 3: Eat Paleo(ish) 4 full days a week. For me this means cutting out rice, pasta, bread, and sweets. No fried or processed foods. I eat paelo(ish) at work already, but dinner is usually a wild card. +1 CON Life Quest: I have graduate school applications coming up in December and need to start buckling down on them. I'm in architecture, which means my portfolio is my most important asset. 1. Study for GRE 3 hours a week minimum. 2. By end of 6 weeks, have new portfolio layout finished and send to friends for critique. +1 WIS Reward: I have a wedding in late September, so if I complete the challenge I will buy a dress for the occasion. Stats after first 3 weeks: +1 STR +2 DEX+2 STA+1 CON+2 WIS+2 CHA I'll edit with measurements and other things before the challenge starts.

This is the 3rd attempt at a 6 week challenge. In the past, I've always let work get the better of me and tell me I don't have time for this. Since I've added a newborn baby to the equation, I'm only going to get busier. Therefore the time to win is now Goal: To Crush Enemies, have them driven before me, and to hear the lamentations of their women (This is an old saying. It means drop 20 lbs, currently at 215lb and would like to get back to 195) Slightly smaller goal number 1: Run 3 times per week The quickest way I've gotten lean before was loads of cardio. Mainly because it's easier for me to push myself in cardio. With strength training, I can always put the weight down and go get a milkshake. With running, no matter how demotivated I may be, I still have to find my way home, effectively forcing me to double my efforts Grading: A: >3 times. B: 3 times C: 2 times F: Anything less than twice Slightly smaller goal number 2: Strength train 3 times per week Life is better with biceps. It's time we stop being built like a marshmallow peep with toothpicks coming out of it. I've built a small gym in the garage, complete with Bench Press, Squat rack, and some bumper plates so I can do cleans. On days that I'm at work all day and don't have the time to do it at home, a body weight circuit will do. Grading: A: >3 times. B: 3 times C: 2 times F: Anything less than twice Slightly smaller goal number 3: Stop eating like crap I am 28. Far past the age of being able to outrun bad nutrition. Honestly I think if I quit eating out and brought my lunch every day it would be a big help Grading: A: No eating out for 6 weeks. B: Never eat out for lunch at work C: 1 time per week F: anything more than once. that's how the downward spiral starts BONUS GOAL!!!: Find time to work out while I'm at work once a week. I'm in the military, so it's allowed, I just never have time. I usually have 10-12 hour days every day, but If I can cut out whenever there is down time I won't have to worry about the baby taking up all my workout time. As an insurance policy, I'll be looking for accountability partners also looking to lose weight. I do better if I have peers to answer to, because no one likes letting their teammates down.

Greetings and salutations, My name is Zack, 27yo of Albion (the UK)... Since 2013 I have been on an epic quest to get healthy, motivated and become the best version of myself. The road has been long and there have been many setbacks... at first the motivation was there and I was unstoppable, I lost 3st of my 4st weight loss goal and went from being a sedentary beer monster with a dodgy ticker to an active guy, taking part in military boot camps, tabata and crossfit. I quit smoking and completely overhauled my eating habits, becoming a vegetarian, which was challenging, but extremely rewarding. This is me, before (complete with heart monitor) and after (complete with mohawk) the initial de-fattening took place: http://i58.tinypic.com/9fzk48.png I hit a bump in the road last winter and suffered very badly with SAD and anxiety, had to take medication which caused weight gain and my motivation took a beating. It has taken me until very recently to get properly back on the horse, and despite continuing head issues, I have rejoined my boot camp, dusted off the weights and am beginning to slay some adipose tissue. After all, "a good mood is only one workout away" - some guy on the internet. Mmm Endorphins... I have gained 13lb since last November and I want to get back to my lowest weight of 13st 9lb by this November. So my main quest is this: Lose 9lb by September the 7th! The sub-quests that I have chosen to take on in order to achieve the main quest are as follows: 1. Never go two days without a serious workout. 2. Use my fitbit fitness tracker to gamify my calorie counting. Update this daily. 3. Only drink beer twice a week (with the one exception below) EXCEPT...The tricky part will be that on the 12th of August I will be at a 4 day music festival, luckily the food there is good quality, lots of veggie noms... but there will be beer... a lot of beer. It's my biggest weakness i'm afraid. The plan is to dance my ass off so that I can mitigate all the delicious amber calories, however I imagine a small weight gain will be inevitable. As soon as I am home I will chuck myself back into fitness and healthy eating. So, to my fellow nerds who are undertaking their own quests for the next three fortnights, good luck and godspeed. Any kind words of support sent my way would be greatly appreciated. Also, to anyone starting out on the path to awesomeness, I will be happy to discuss what has worked for me so far and provide any support if you would like some. TTFN Z.

Main quest: to get better at crossfit. I know this is super general because crossfit covers basically everything, but I want to improve in all aspects of my fitness And the title is just because I think Princess Leia is super BA and cool plus she's a Jedi soooo Goal 1: Drink 2 water bottles everyday (+2 CON, +1 DEX) A: 72+ total (36+ days total) B: 60-71 total (30-35 days total) C: 48-59 total (24-29 days total) D: 36-47 total (21-23 days total) F: 35 or fewer (fewer than 20 days total) For some reason I have so much trouble drinking enough water. My boyfriend always says he has no idea how I don't just die of dehydration because I'm basically chronically dehydrated. Sooooo more H2O! 115.3%; background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, 0 0, 100% 100%, color-stop(.25, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.25, transparent), color-stop(.5, transparent), color-stop(.5, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.75, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.75, transparent), to(transparent) ); background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -moz-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -ms-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -o-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); -webkit-background-size: 23px 23px; -moz-background-size: 23px 23px; background-size: 23px 23px; border-radius: 4px;">115.3% Water goal 83/72+ Goal 2: Get 7.5-9 hours of sleep (+4 STA) A: 6-7 days/week (36+ days total) B: 5 days/week (30-35 days total) C: 4 days/week (24-29 days total) D: 3 days/week (21-23 days total) F: 2 or fewer days/week (fewer than 20 days total) My sleeping schedule got really messed up during school. I could never go to bed early enough because my roommates would either give me crap for it or be super loud and wake me up, or my roommate would be in our room doing homework until 1 in the morning with the lights on and it gave me anxiety to try and sleep with her doing stuff. And I had an 8:30 class every day. It was wonderful only getting 6 hours of sleep every night. Also, to clarify (more for my own benefit,) naps do count. I feel like I'm cheating if I don't point that out. Also, I did adjust this from 8 hours to a range just because it's hard to get exactly 8 hours of sleep, and I'm trying to wake up when my body wants to wake up, not when I feel like I should. 113.9%113.9% Sleep goal 41/36+ Goal 3: Strength train 3 days a week (+4 STR, +2 CHA) A: 3+ days/week (18+ days total) B: 2/wk (12-17 days total) C: 1/wk (6-11 days total) F: 0/wk (0-5 days total) Honestly this shouldn't be much of a problem for me. I absolutely LOVEEEE lifting. I just got out of the habit of it during the school year. 105.6%; background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, 0 0, 100% 100%, color-stop(.25, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.25, transparent), color-stop(.5, transparent), color-stop(.5, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.75, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.75, transparent), to(transparent) ); background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -moz-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -ms-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -o-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); -webkit-background-size: 23px 23px; -moz-background-size: 23px 23px; background-size: 23px 23px; border-radius: 4px;">105.6% Strength goal 19/18+ Goal 4 (life quest): meditate or do yoga 5+ minutes everyday (+2 WIS) A: 6-7 days/week B: 5 days/week C: 3-4 days/week D: 2 days/week F: 0-1 days/week I have really, really bad anxiety. It started this school year, and I'm assuming it was onset by the stress of a new place and not having any friends or fitting in at all. I know that meditation and yoga are supposed to help anxiety, so let's hope that this is a step in the right direction! 100%; background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, 0 0, 100% 100%, color-stop(.25, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.25, transparent), color-stop(.5, transparent), color-stop(.5, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.75, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.75, transparent), to(transparent) ); background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -moz-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -ms-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -o-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); -webkit-background-size: 23px 23px; -moz-background-size: 23px 23px; background-size: 23px 23px; border-radius: 4px;">100% Life quest 36/36+ If you've looked at this and you came back and were like "Wait what the heck? She had five goals!" Let me explain. I decided to not make drinking less soda an official goal because I didn't want the stress of five new goals. However, I am still going to try to drink less soda, I just won't base an entire challenge on it yet! Mini quests #1: Completed (+1 WIS) #2: Completed (+1 CHA) #3: Completed (+1 STA) #4: Completed #5: DNF #6: DNF

So I may not be clear on how this all works just yet, but I've always had success by stumbling forward. My first challenge is in my sig below. I am currently on Day 3. I have been successful in packing my lunch for work. Our cafeteria is staffed with legit chefs, and the food is restaurant quality (read: DELICIOUS!!!). So, part of my challenge is to bring my lunch to work for the 6 weeks in order to fill myself on nutritious foods that aren't chock full of sugar and processed carbs. Strength training is going well. I'm doing the Beginner Bodyweight Workout. I'm currently 6'1", 253 lbs. So, bodyweight workout is pretty significant. I made it through the first workout fairly easily. I did work up a good sweat and my heart rate was definitely elevated. I think I am going to ramp things up by adding another rep per exercise, per workout, in order to make things a bit more challenging. Running is my Achilles' heel, pun intended. Currently, I'm at my heaviest and, historically, when I've tried running, I am quick to develop shin splints and quit soon thereafter. After strength training on Day 1, I incorporated a stretching cooldown and discovered that my leg muscles are very tight, and not in a good way. Sitting on the floor with my feet tucked flat under me is a painful challenge. So I think that is a big contributing factor. I've been driving a desk for 13 years now, and my muscles have shortened as a result. Yesterday was Day 2, and I ran for the first time. It was a struggle! I'm using the C25K app from Zen Labs, and the notifications weren't working properly. All told, I still made it through a 30 minute workout with an average heart rate of ~152. I stretched when I got home and, boy, did that smart! I focused on stretching my calves and shins. It probably would have hurt less had I just doused myself in gasoline and set my legs on fire. After 30 minutes of stretching, though, my muscles definitely loosened up, and I'm not nearly as sore today as I normally would have been. So I think I'm onto something. If anyone here has any suggestions on heavy runners avoiding injury or how much discomfort is within the normal range, I have a virtual high five waiting for you! Oh and... cat .GIF!

Introduction: Name's Rahk and this is my first challenge. Been a follower of the Rebellion emails and updates for years, but have finally reached a point where I am ready to embark on the longest journey and complete my first 6 week challenge. I'm a father to a Frozen Faery Princess Artist Engineer, as well as a Kunoichi Lover-of-Cheese Hiker. They are my drive to be a better me. I've been in Crossfit for the last year and a half, and recently quit because of the repeated re-injuring of injuries from my High School and College years. I weigh 280+ pounds and that is cramping my style. The Rebellion, to me, means a more permanent change in my lifestyle and ability to one day participate in martial arts, hiking, and learning about life through the curiosity of my daughters. Main Quest: Lose 30 lbs by the Faery Artist's 5th birthday (Fall 2015) Lose 12 lbs by end of this 6 week Challenge, with the ultimate goal of 10 - 12 pounds with each of the next 2 challenges to hit my 30+ goal by Fall '16 Quest 1: Walk for at least 15 minutes a day, 5 days a week. My girls are active and I frequently opt out of outside play or walks because I'm worn down from work. No more. It's just 15 minutes. It won't kill me right?! Measurement: A: 15 minutes for 30 days Reward: A: +2 STA & +1 STR B: 15 minutes for 25 days B: +1 STA & +1 STR C: 15 minutes for 20 days C: +1 STA Quest 2: More Veggies - Less Carbs, as monitored thru MyFitnessPal Calorie Counter App. Have struggled with even the idea of Paleo, so this will be some baby steps to get me there. More greens things, fewer or no grains and carbs. Mark's Daily Apple says that anything over 150 g of Carbs per day is just weight gain. For the last month I have monitored via the app and find that my average daily carb consumption is right around 200 - 250. So I will shoot for keeping it between 150 and 180 Measurement: A: 150 < 180 carbs/day for 30 days Reward: A: +3 CON B: 150 < 180 carbs/day for 25 days B: +2 CON C: 150 < 180 carbs/day for 20 days C: +1 CON Quest 3: Muscles and the Mind. I have high blood pressure. I'm a special case that the head of Cardiology likes to throw at all of his students to see what they'd make of me. Meditation is one of his prescriptions for me. It used to do right by me a lot in college, and I think the time has come for a return to the Way of Zazen. 10 minutes per day is all he asks, for now, and 10 minutes is what I will give. Measurement: A: 10 min/day for 6 weeks Reward: A: +3 WIS B: 10 min/day for 5 weeks B: +2 WIS C: 10 min/day for 4 weeks C: +1 WIS Life Quest: Something about finishing the things you start...in a timely fashion. Tore apart the from patio as soon as the snow melted. Got the new columns in. Still no frame and floor, and my kids like to hang out and watch the rain. Now is the time. Measurement: A: Complete Reward: A: +2 CHA/+1 STR B: Everything in place but need to stain/paint B: +1 CHA C: Framework in place but still placing floor C: +1 STR Motivation: Greener pastures. Want to return to the Pacific Northwest to live and raise my family and I know that my larger size has interviewers question my abilities. So I want to find a career that allows me to spend more time with my kids, be happier doing whatever work I am doing, and to live once again in the Northwest forests of my youth.

Hello there. Since i respawned again a few days ago, i thought i would use the 6 week challenge to keep myself on track. I have a bad abit of respawning again and again, so meaby the challenge will help me avoid it this time. My goals will be simple, i'll start to loose what i took in the months i was off the wagon and build bases that will hopefully be solid enough to build on in the future. I would also like to use the challenge to find people to create a support circle, because right now, i'm the only one i know who isin't feasting on pizza and pogo every night. ♕ Main goal : Loose the 30lbs i took when working at night at mcdonald starting weight : 230lbs ➊ Go for a morning walk/run every morning I just installed the Zombie Run! app on my phone and i want to use it. In a perfect world, i would want to start running all the way instead of walking, but well, this is a 30 min thing and i'm REALLY out of shape. ➋ Do the basic beginner bodyweight workout avery other day Working towark the push up, i can't do one of thoses yet ➌ Eating healty Not 100% paleo, but at least ditch all the junk food, sugar and others things like this, and cook everything myself. It would be funny if i managed to make my whole family go paleo. XD Ⓢ Draw at least once a day i tend to get theses HUGE art block if i stop drawing and starting again is horrible, so i'll draw at least once a day, even a doddle count, but i must draw SOMETHING. If anyone is interessed in seeing, i could meaby post something from time to time. If anyone got any ideas for inspiration, i'm all ears. So, this is my 6 week challenge, can i start early ? Too late, already done. =)

Okay, it says totally cool and awesome, but actually I'm at level zero. Or at least, I consider myself to be level zero because I'm not very consistent or very strong. I know I could be a lot better than I am, and that knowledge is driving me a little crazy. I'd guess I'm about ten pounds overweight right now, and my biggest concern right now involves looking good and building up habits that make me feel good too. My main quest is to lose ten pounds. I've been trying to condition myself for fitness a little more by jogging 2-3 times each week, strength training sometimes, and kinda sorta eating healthier, but I haven't held myself to solid goals. Completing this challenge will raise me to level 1! I'm going to take a picture on Monday as a "before" pic and then do one at the end of the challenge too, so I can see if there's any difference. Quest #1: Go running/jogging at least four times every week for at least 1.5 miles each time. Get enough sleep at night so that I can go early in the morning. A= 4x/week B= 3x/week C/F= >2x/week Quest #2: Engage in strength training at least twice/week (beginner body weight circuit). Remember to be really engaged in the work! A= 2x/week B/F= >2x/week Quest #3: Eat dessert no more than twice/week. If I'm craving sweets really badly, I'll drink a tall glass of water and wait for ten minutes to see if I still really want them. If I do, I can have paleo banana "ice cream" in place of other sweets. A=12 desserts or less B= 13-15 desserts C= 16 or more Life Quest: Seek to live without fear. Take the time every single day to pray, meditate, and refocus on the things that matter most. Motivation: To walk with confidence, knowing that I am doing the best I can to be the best I can. As I gain more control in my life, I will be able to care for my family and help others better in their journeys too. (And to feel more like Tigress and less like Po.) Reward for an "A" score: Go on a shopping trip for a new outfit! For a "B" score: buy a new pair of pants or skirt Anything less= try a challenge again. :[ I think that looks good for now. Any feedback would be great.

The title comes from my response when a co-worker asked me why I was trying to get into shape. Without really thinking about it I said, "Bears." Now I feel a responsibility to follow through on my answer, at least for my first challenge. So: Main Quest: Get into shape, in order to defeat bears (including both social and physical combat) Quest 1: Outrun a bear. I will settle for: run twice a week, including one timed 5k per. My co-worker has autism, and there's a 5k in his name each year. I'd like to get my time under 21:00. a: 12 runs b: 10 c: 8 Quest 2: Lift a bear. Depends on the species, I suppose. I will lift twice a week, the following four lifts: overhead press, bench press, squat, and deadlft. My goal is to increase my one rep maximum by 5% for each of these. I have stalled out in this area, and will be trying a periodic series to start gaining again. a: 5% b: 3% c: any gain at all. Quest 3: Outfight a bear. Starting slow here! My kicks are weak and I can scarcely get them above solar plexus height. I will practice my kicks twice a week, focusing on increasing my strength and flexibility. I'll focusing on front kick, side kick, roundhouse, and back kick. If I get fancy and throw in some others, that's awesome, but first things first. My goal is head height with each, with genuine force behind the kick. a: 12 practices b: 10 c: 8 Life quest: Meet some non-bear people. I want to use my twenty seconds to try out some schools around town, with actual other people in them. In all seriousness, this is the scariest part of the challenge for me. Like, I would have to consider it for some time if offered the choice between meeting new people and fighting a smallish bear. Taking my cue from BlackTezca's monk challenge, I will be trying out some schools in the next six weeks. My goals for this are modest--like I said, this part is way outside my comfort zone. a: 3 schools tried b: 2 c: 1 I'll be starting a battle log on the 7th. Cheers!

Hello, all. Dyno here, waiting for my first challenge to begin. Main Quest, outside the bounds of the challenge: get down to 200 lbs. 10 down, 98 to go, roughly. I've had the evil sawtooth going for the past decade or so (260 - 220 - 260 - 240 - 280 - 250 - 280 - 250 - 308, and I may be missing a blade or two in there. Ugh.) I've done some of just about everything - swam an hour a day before lifting, trained for and ran a couple of marathons (finished one, since the bastards cancelled the first one WHILE I WAS RUNNING IT), blasted myself with Crossfit. Every time, things have worked for a while, then I've gotten tired or injured, stopped, and, well, back up the hill we go. I've also noted that things tend to go better for me when I track them religiously, so, that will be part of quest #1 for this challenge: Quest #1: Maybe I should write this down... 42 days in the challenge. Roughly 126 meals to track. Roughly 24 workouts to track. Honestly, the food is more of a concern than the workouts - I need to track those to do them right, anyway. I feel this will be fairly important to my success. So, scoring: 35-42 days food tracked: +5 Wis 28-34: +4 21-27: +3 14-20: +2 7-13: +1 0-7: +0 Quest #2: Must get stronger Right now, I'm running a 5/3/1 program, minus the bench pressing. So, I'm going to keep to that, lifting 3 times a week. +5 Str for completing all 6 weeks, +3 for 4, +2 for 3, +1 for 2 Quest #3: We can rebuild him. But only if he gets a reasonable amount of sleep. 35 weeknights. 35 chances to be in bed by 10 PM. +5 points, divided as evenly as possible between CON and STA, with the odd points going to STA. 30+ : +5 20+ : +3 10+: +1 I'm going to be working on some minor endurance workouts as well (walks on non-lifting days, one sprint day), but I'm out of points. I'm also looking forward to doing a pullup again, although that's going to take some weight loss. I'm going to focus on a primal-ish diet (plus dairy), since that seems to work well for me. This...all seems reasonable, yes?

Hey! I'm Mythical and I can't resist a challenge. There's so much I want to change about my life - I just don't know where to start. So, let's just dive right in and start SOMEWHERE! I've set three quests - not all fitness related because I don't think my fitness is lacking at the moment. If anything I could ease off the gym visits and spend more time with my family! I'm a bit new at this "goal setting" game, so any criticism would be welcome. Main Life Goal: Look after myself, become stronger, faster, better. Be able to save my own and someone else's life shoud I need to... 
Become a proper adult with a decent job and a home of my own... Mini main goal: Complete Manchester's Spartan Super on 4th July without dying of burpee poisoning. Quest 1: Chin ups and pull ups 
To help me complete the spartan race and with the goal of being the type of person who can pull myself out of an abandoned mine shaft should the need arise.
 Starting point - Pull ups: 7x negatives @3s each, 40kg lat pull 3x8 Chin ups: 8x negatives @5s each + lowering time + pauses when lowering, 40kg lat pull 3x8 TRX Rows: 3x15 A: STR: +5 Dead hang chin and pull up "for reps" B: STR: +3 Single dead hang pull up and chin up C: STR: +1 Half pull up and chin ups (jumping past the "dead hang" point) for reps. Anything less is an F. Quest 2: Eating Increase my willpower when it comes to cakes and sweets and junk food. This will hopefully help me drop a few pounds and so get my chest a little closer to that bar and my ass a little closer to the end of that ten mile obstacle race. Starting point - My diet is already pretty clean, pre-planned and logged but I have a weakness for cakes and biscuits. Often I can't bring myself to write them down in the book once I've shoved them in my face. I'm developing a system of rewards for this - hopefully it'll keep me on track for more than a week - I'd like to build on this system and stick to it. I think the proof of how my eating system is working for me will be shown in weight and fat loss so I'm going to put a weight goal for this one (as I consider the "body fat" feature on my scale to be little more than a random number generator)...Starting at 151lbs and using my official weigh in on the nearest Monday... Edit: Nope....Changed my mind. It'll be based on the number of days I've stuck to the plan. New rules - One daily treat allowed, within reason - under 150 calories and can't be chocolate every day. One weekly Coffee shop visit with coffee and cake. ONE. Must be taken in a coffee shop, in a proper mug and with a book. (this ensures it's a planned visit and not just "oh, I feel like a ridiculously expensive coffee") These will not be considered rewards, don't have to be taken every week/day, but may not be carried forward. A: CON: +5 >40 days planned, logged and stuck to B: CON: 3 32-39 days C: CON: 1 24-31 days Quest 3: Find my desk! I used to use my desk at home for work, doodling, gaming, reading, eating....all sorts. It had a little lamp that gave off just the right kind of light, a comfy seat and it was hella useful. Unfortunately, in time it's got lost under piles of magazines, future christmas presents, dead house plants and all sorts of other ephemera. I'd like to find it again and make it the happy place it once was. This will (hopefully) help towards my main life goal of finding a decent job by giving me a space to send applications and develop my portfolio. Pass or fail challenge because let's face it most people have this one nailed by age 10. Starting Point - as stated it's lost under a pile of *stuff*. P: WIS: +5 Found my desk, and cleaned the rest of my room. posted the end of challenge update from it,.. F: Try again, loser! My desk is in use, but my room is still a tip/ I still haven't found my desk. Action Plan Chin ups and pull ups: 4 strength sessions per week to include 1 x push, 1 x pull and 2 x legsComplete the day's scheduled workout PLUS 3 sets of 8 negatives with a 3-8 second hang or 3x12 press upsOR in the case of CAMP - BBWW/BWW as best you can ​given time and circumstances.IF no workout is scheduled, do NOT add one.Eating: Plan and log all food daily in pink diaryBe Honest1 x treat meal each week.Find my Desk: Spend fifteen minutes tidying up daily.Clear out one cupboard per week and re-home contents or prepare for donationPut things away when you get them out. And WHY? Because I can. Or....I want to believe I can. Because I'm THAT lunatic who cycles 100 miles in a day, then goes out dancing, or cycles 30 miles to and from an OCR...because my saturdays go like this: run, gym, cycle, eat, ride, cycle, dance....and I love saturdays. Because I HAVE TO BE that person who is just a little bit fitter than everyone else. Now then... I say we get out there and *deck* it!

Hi, This is my first 6 week challenge. I haven't quite set my goals yet, but wanted to get this post in to make sure I committed to it. I'll come back and edit this when I've got them set. Here is my intro post : http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/65381-just-skinnbones/ Basically to sum up, my long term goal is to gain about 20 Kg over the next 18 months and actually increase my body fat %. Main Quest : Gain 20Kg (over 18 months) and be able to complete a full hour of cardio (hopefully sooner) Goals: Complete advanced bodyweight programme - at least 3 pull ups and chin ups (edited down from 10 - gotta be realistic ...). +3 STR, +3 STAFinish NHS Choices Couch to 5k Training program on Cardio Days. +3 DEXLife Goal: Tidy and complete laminate floor in the house (first step to getting some exercise space in the garage) +1 WISScoring :C=1, B=2, A=3, A+ = MorePass / FailPass / Fail1st edit: had a bit of a shock on first attempt of advanced bodyweight - can't even do 3 pull ups - challenge target updated accordingly!

I don't know where I fall in terms of recruit, stat points, or progress. I consider myself at the back of the line. This is the third time I have started a new recruit challenge post, because I never end up following through. Anyway, I still want to stick with my main quests and not change what I have previously written. They're fine, I just haven't seen them through! My lifting buddy stopped lifting because he needed to focus more on cardio, which is why I think I lost my motivation to continue halfway through the semester. It would be wise to commit to logging my activities on here, which can be viewed in my daily battle log here. I did not want to wait until the next challenge started. I want to start again as soon as a new week began. I am following Medhi's SL 5x5 as close as I can. I will post progress charts off and on so you can see how things are going. If you read this and I haven't posted anything in the last 3 days, get on my case! It's not your responisibility, but I can't make excuses for taking care of and improving myself. Below are the previous quests I posted with Life and Motivation updated for this summer. Thanks for reading! Main Quest: Build back muscle and get stronger I. Get at least 8 hours of sleep every night (this means bed around 9 p.m. for me) II. Eat 3 square meals a day of at least 2000 calories (fresh foods) III. At least 3 days a week go lift weights and 2 days of more intense cardio (sprint intervals, swimming, or biking) Life Quest: Finish summer school well, complete the two online classes I have before the end of July. Motivation: I want to see this through and finish what I start!! (Previously posted): The line of work that I am moving towards requires my body to be in top physical shape for survival reasons (and no it's not the military). I need to gain an attitude of caring for and disciplining my body on a regular basis no matter the circumstances.

Introduction: Hi, my name is Jeremy Boyum. I've already done an introduction here but I will summarize and expand a little. I work at Dell as my profession but have an aspiring career as a touring musician in my band Shadow of Whales and running a music news site Anchor Music news. I have a wife and step son I adore a lot. I didn't have any special doctors visit that brought me here and I am not visibly unhealthy. However, I've never had a healthy eating habit (EVER) and fitness has been seldom at best. (I think my longest running routine was in my sophomore year at high school for like maybe a month?) I am very serious about working my way to being full-time in the music industry and want to live for as long as possible so as to spend as much time with my family as I can before I leave this world. All of the men in my family at some point in their twenties started exponentially gaining weight and I'm afraid of getting to that point. It hit me about a month ago that it was time. It was time to start acting like an adult with my fitness and health and diet, and stop making excuses. To be a touring musician, I'm going to need to be healthy and fit if I want to keep jumping and running around on stage the way I love to. (And if I want to keep myself from injury) I discovered Nerd Fitness late last year and really dug in in the last couple months. I've been reading about the six week challenges here for weeks now and I'm so pumped that I'm finally getting to start my own. As suggested I've started changing habits slowly as I'm prone to being to eager to take everything on at once so I'm taking small steps. Looking to be pretty well rounded with a focus on Strength and Stamina so I'm thinking I will likely end up in the Ranger class, however, the Assassin class looks hella fun and I've always loved the idea of free running. Main Quest: Obtain/Maintain Healthy/Fit Lifestyle with both my diet and fitness Quest 1: Run 10 minutes (outside), 5 days a week. Right now I'm on a ten minute routine that takes me about 1.2 miles around my neighborhood. My goal is to be able to do this without taking any breaks. I normally take one. If I reach that goal I'm assuming it will take me less than ten minutes which is why I put a ten minute goal instead of 1.2 mile goal) I really want to make sure I'm able to be consistent with this before adding on to it too much. Best I've done is 3 days a week but I want to get it consistent Monday-Friday. Measurement: A = 10 min for 30 days, B = 10min, 25 days, C = 10min, 20 days Reward: A = +3 STA, +2 STR, B = +2 STA, +1 STR, C = +1 STA Quest 2: Drink no soda for the whole challenge. My first step was to drink only one cup of coffee a day. Right now I do that with an occasional soda near the end of the day. (between 1-3 times a week) I want to take soda out completely. Next six week challenge will be to eliminate caffeine completely Measurement: A = 0 sodas, B = 1-6 sodas, C = 7-12 sodas Reward: A = +3 CON, B = +2CON, C = +1 CON Quest 3: Ab Circuit workout 3 times a week. This is the goal I'm worried about. Like I said above I don't want to add too much too soon, I really want to make sure I make habits that change for good. My wife gets off work at 6 and I get off at 5. So normally, I do my run right when I get home. This should leave me plenty of time to do a small workout every other day. But I'm worried about being able to be 100% consistent with it. They don't call it a challenge for no reason though. Workout is: 30 leg lifts 30 knee lifts 30 knee lifts + crunches 15 bicycle kicks 15 v-sit ups 30 second plank Probably not the hardest workout in the world but I've done it twice now and I am wiped by the end... Beginners Body Weight Workout 3 times a week. I changed this due to suggestions below. I'm liking it better... I think haha. I like that is more well rounded than the ab circuit I started with. 20 body weight squats 15 push ups 20 walking lunges 10 dumbbell rows 30 second plank 30 Jumping Jacks Measurement: A = 18 workouts; B = 15-17 workouts C = 14 or below Reward: A = +3 STR, +2 STA, B = +2 STR, +1 STA, C = +1STR Life Quest: Finish a book on marketing in the music industry or financial planning within the six weeks. (I suck at sticking to reading unless it's online articles or comic books so this one will also be a challenge) Measurement: Pass or Fail Reward: PASS = +2 WIS, FAIL = Nothing Motivation: I kind of already said. But I want to be in best shape so I can be better ready for my aspring career but also to ensure I live a long life. I know this change will be good for me and I think I'm really ready to do it. I know the challenges seem small and honestly I feel like I'm not doing enough but I know it's a challenge for me to stay committed and consistent, what I'm aiming to change is my habits and I will SLOWLY add on to this as I master each habit change. I want these changes to be permanent.