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NEW CHALLLENGE! Oh My God So Excited ... This is just a placeholder, though. I'll be back later today. Just wanted to let you all know what you're in for.

My fitness adventure has been an on again off again relationship, with spurts of consistent effort mixed with spans of total inactivity. So, here I am again, but over the last year, my spurts of activity have been a lot more frequent than my hiatuses, and the set up of NF inspires me, because I want to click that button and get my XP!! My goals are for functional fitness so that I can do cool stuff, not get hurt at work, and have energy for life at the end of the work day. I spent the last 1.5 years just outside of Seattle, where I cycled occasionally, and then I spent 3 months in Ireland where I ran/walked 5ks a couple times a week up until this last month, where I gave up again. Now, I'm back in my hometown, Utah, and I've learned something: I'm a lot fitter at sea level. I ran a mile mixed with some intervals of skipping, in about 15 minutes, with another 10 minutes of walking scattered throughout, and I was knackered! I was gasping and panting, my heart was racing and my lungs were burning. You'd think I had never run in my life. I know part of it is deconditioning from lack of exercise the past month (where I lazed and ate junk food with my boyfriend for our last few weeks together...it's very easy to be on a constant holiday when visiting your LDR significant other! I put on 10 pounds in those 3 months...), but I know from the ease with which I started run/walking my 5ks in Ireland after months of inactivity, that this time something is different and I gotta think it's the elevation! But! That's okay. It's gonna take consistent effort to get back to where I was a month ago. I'm ready! I know the 4 week challenge technically starts on the 17th, but I don't want to wait to get started on my goals! So, to help me track my adherence to my goals and track my leveling progress, I'm using my Bullet Journal as a Quest Log, integrating my Daily Log (where I track my daily tasks/events etc. and now also track the specifics of my daily exercise) with a monthly tracker so that I really see my progress, both in overview and in detail! Lists combined with what I'm basically seeing as "Achievement Points", are really ticking my nerdy boxes, and inspiring me to stay on track and make changes that last! Goals for 4 week challenge (I'm just gonna start it now and continue through the actual 4 week challenge starting on the 17th): Exercise >20 mins 5/7 days Bike Tune-up Drink 5x20 oz water daily Bullet Journal daily

If you’re expecting a challenge centered around pause squats and deadlifts, my apologies ;). I’m pausing life, not my lifts. I’ve been MIA recently (but still lifting!), so for those of you who don’t know me: I’m a first year PhD student and started powerlifting when I joined NF about two years ago. After having some chronic health issues flare up this past year, I’ve decided to take about a year off to focus on getting my health in order. This will be my first challenge while on leave, so my goals are designed to help me make that transition + do what I need to for my recovery: Goal 1: Write down a daily plan by the end of breakfast that day. Doesn’t have to be super detailed, and doesn’t even have to be carried out – I just want to impose some structure on now structure-less days. Goal 2: Accomplish the following each day: Some sort of movement (e.g., lifting, walking, stretching, yoga…) Some sort of adulting (e.g., groceries, laundry, batch cooking, cleaning, making doctor’s appointments, going to doctor’s appointments…) An adventure (e.g., hiking, visiting rescue kittens, making a new/fun recipe, trying a new yoga pose, going dancing, learning a new programming language, listening to new music, going to the library, raiding a thrift store, working towards a handstand…) Some things can double-count (e.g., hiking = adventure + movement) at my discretion. I’ll have plenty of help with #3 since I’m spending most of the summer with The Best Friend, who is also fortuitously taking a couple months off before heading to grad school herself. Goal 3: 8:00 pm screen curfew, with two exceptions: 1) using my phone or computer for guided meditation, and 2) texting my mom (or other concerned party) to let her know I’m alive. From past challenges I know this is the best way to ensure an early bed time. LUYL goal: No brains – i.e., no reading papers or doing research in my field (neuroscience) or otherwise, for that matter. Coding for fun or learning math (NOT applied to biology/neuroscience) is fine if I ultimately need something to keep my brain busy. Yes, I actually need to make not working a goal. Other than that… food is still AIP, lifting program is still 5/3/1 (latest cycle ends this week). Maxes at the start of the challenge: Squat: 265 lbs (120.2 kg) Bench: 150 lbs (68 kg) Deadlift: 335 lbs (152 kg) OHP: 100 lbs (45.4 kg) I’m not starting the challenge in full until June 12, which is conveniently my first full day home. In the meantime, there will be plenty of exercising and adulting as I get ready to move…

One of the things I love doing is just listening to other people's adventures. It gives me a sense of wonder, as well as gives me ideas for what I want to do. So what is the best adventure you have ever had? It can be anything! so long as you look back at it and think, "That was awesome!" it counts. Let's hear all the cool things the NF nerds have done!

Hi there! How do? Feel free to peruse my previous challenges (in my signature) for an overview of my life over the past year My life goal is to improve my health and get over my issue with food (= if I don’t calorie count, I binge). My goal for 2015 is to get clear below 11 stone (currently anywhere between 11 stone 2 and 11 stone 6) and to be able to do one chin up. Every challenge so far has involved calorie counting, so I’m going to mix it up this time and totes steal ideas from my amazing twin from another city, Deftona The rest will be exercise based. Goal 1: Intermittent fasting Not eat anything until midday each day – for the most part I won’t be allowed to eat after 10pm the night before, but will allow myself to extend this in certain circumstances (e.g. where eating something after drinking is just sensible to reduce hangover etc!) Bonus points if the number of ‘fail’ days is less than 10. Goal 2: Dumbbells I have two currently set at 12.5kg (recently upped from 10kg), and my usual routine is bicep curls, military press and chest press. By the end of the challenge I want to be able to comfortably do 3x10 reps for each. Bonus points for the weeks I add squats, deadlifts and the like. Goal 3: Jogging (pron. yogging obvs) I really enjoy running and have been pretty lame at keeping up with it. I need to do at least 3 hours of running over the challenge. This equates to only 30 minutes a week which SHOULD be easy, but means I have to catch up if I forget! Bonus points if I do more than 3 hours total. Goal 4: Press-ups So from the beginning of the year I’ve attempted 20 press-ups a day, which started strong and has become more every other day or every few. Over six weeks this would be 840 done, so I’m setting that as my goal – allowing myself to catch up on days I’ve forgotten. Bonus points for going over this by the end, and super bonus points for going over 1000 That’s all, wish me fun! Silmarilliane

Week zero, here we are. And where, in fact, are we? That's right friends, it's a Daredevil challenge! This comic means a lot to me - it's one of the comics that I discovered on my own, in middle school, and it really got under my skin. Daredevil taught me that hypersensitivity can be an advantage, it doesn't make you weak and fragile, it just requires you to work hard, stay balanced, and have a clear head. When the world floods in on you from all sides, you need structure and purpose, and then you can become someone extraordinary. He was also a hero who used words and smarts as often as fists, and had a full, meaningful life outside his vigilante activities. Balancing the self-control with rage, aggression, etc. Anyhow, all that to say that this one's real close to my heart, and I spent a hell of a lot of time during middle school teaching myself how to do things blindfolded, and hitting myself in the face with makeshift weapons. Here is the challenge! 1. Training I've been having pretty good success with five bodyweight workouts per week, so I'll keep on with that, with a few changes. First of all, I will do at least one workout blindfolded each week - this is something I have done before, and I really love it. I'll also continue with handstands, folded into the routine. I also want to start upping my workouts - for the past six weeks I have kept myself at the "level 1" for all the neila rey workouts - that's three rounds for the regular workouts and five rounds for HIIT. I think I can do more now. Let's start with four. I'm also thinking about starting to get organized about training my side rolls and cartwheels... 2. Study Matt Murdock isn't just a punching kind of hero, he's also a talented and hardworking lawyer who understands the power of the word. He worked hard for that knowledge and skill, and so will I. I'm applying for graduate school this fall, for an MFA that will be a really important step towards me breaking into being a professional author, and give me two years to do my work, to learn and study and hone my craft. I have a lot of work to do to get those applications ready, but most immediately I need to get my portfolio into shape, and i need to take the GRE. So, that's 30 minutes editing per day, plus 10 minutes GRE study. Also I need to sign up for the GRE. 3. Fuel I'm getting real tired of all this dead weight on my body. Need to be able to move and fly. So, I'm cutting white breads, including pasta, anything battered, cake, whatever. Continuing to track all food. I would say that part of this challenge is cutting back on booze, but it actually looks like that's been taken care of by budget concerns. Yay? 4. Embracing Silence I have been so overstimulated lately - comic bingeing, video games, constant audiobooks and podcasts, and not only is it interfering with my general productivity, it's cluttering up my headspace, dragging energy out of me, and I just plain don't like myself in my lotus-eating phases. So let's start with a hard and fast rule of only music allowed after 10pm, and I'll be trying to see other places where I can create a little more silence. Hopefully I'll find an equilibrium, dedicated times, places, amounts for media consumption. I'm also going to put a little more juice into my meditation practice, be a little more deliberate, give myself less wiggle room to slip out of it. LIFE QUEST: Micro adventures! Once a week, I will embark on some kind of micro-adventure! Visiting a new island? Going to a concert or a theater production? Kayaking for free on the Hudson? Finally walking across the Brooklyn Bridge? Dare-devil indeed... I will be using this week for it's actual purpose, which is of course test-driving the new challenge parameters, and probably all this will change a little in the next few days. WEEK ZERO GO!

...can you walk the walk?! This is a walking PvP that will be running during the current 6 week challenge from 8th June - 12th July 5 levels this time: Titanium - 200km's (124 miles) Gold - 150 km's (93 miles) Silver - 100km's (62 miles) Bronze - 50km's (31 miles) Copper - 25km's (16 miles) PVP Rules 1. Pick a level above that will stretch you but you think you can make. During the challenge walk that many km's in 6 weeks. 2. Sign up in this sheet and track your km/miles during the 6 week challenge. 3. Specify after your name either (walking) or (pedometer) depending on if you will be tracking either just specific "I'm going for a walk" distances (walking) or I will track steps by wearing a pedometer/fitbit/etc. (pedometer). It's easier to get more mileage using a pedometer so we want to keep you accountable to hit those higher medals 4. Any amusing walking gifs are most welcome Anyone is welcome to join in from any guild, including recruits

Crouching in a small cupboard, where Ocelot had flung herself to evade detection, it was hard not to groan aloud: her entire body ached with the tension. Her thumbs rubbed against the newly formed calluses on her palms in futile distraction. She could hear the guards’ conversation - snatched words, at least. They were wondering aloud about the identity of the assassin who had been haunting the fortress for over two months now. Imagine if they knew it was the new maidservant to blame, the small red-haired girl who looked as if butter wouldn’t melt, who concealed her powerful weapon-skilled arms under a brown cloak and kept her sharp eyes turned downwards to hide their rebellious flashes. Hours had passed - they must have, for her counting of breaths had lost itself at over a thousand. She had lost all sense of time and place. But in the darkness, in the solitude and forgottenness, a plan was beginning to form. Goal One: Ascending She would escape using her best skill - her small size and relative strength, meaning she could climb to freedom. For this goal I’m going to go on climbing based adventures! An adventure counts if I climb something to a significant height (rock, tree, hill, mountain, building, etc) and I get photographic evidence. I need to learn to use my climbing harness and I need to get into positions from which I can hang my new rings. Time to put those pull-up muscles to action. 0-6 climbing adventures: 0 points 7-12 climbing adventures: 1 STR, 1 DEX 13-18 climbing adventures: 2 STR, 2 DEX 19+ climbing adventures: 3 STR, 3 DEX Goal Two: Dragon Taming And at the top of the tallest tower, who knew what she would find… except that she’d seen it through her window: a huge, burnt umber scaled beast, with long black tail and huge black wings… a creature she could only hope to tame with patience, time - and plenty of tempting morsels of food. My dragon (aka, my horse) has been out to grass all winter and its about time I started his spring-grass fitness regime again… For this goal I need to go on a ride or do groundwork with him for at least 20 minutes building both our muscles up to some good long rides. 0-6 taming sessions: 0 points 7-12 taming sessions: 1 STA 13-18 taming sessions: 2 STA 19+ taming sessions: 3 STA Goal Three: Feeding the Fires of the Mind Then, with pure exhilaration they would take flight - but would she find the endurance to turn around and continue the battle for the Castle of Consistency, or exalting in freedom, leave it behind for more varied and unpredictable lands? This is a strange goal I’m afraid. I’ve been reading about neurotransmitters and their role in improving mood and emotional wellbeing. Interestingly, even if vital proteins are in the bloodstream, apparently its no use to the brain unless given a hit of carbs in the evening to enable the uptake of neurotransmitters like serotonin etc. Having also read some interesting analysis by various authors regarding nutrient timing for muscle growth, I’m doubly interested in shuffling things around a bit. My idea is to save all simple carbs until after 6pm, or at least 1 hour after a protein based meal. I’m still going to eat the same way - ie, mostly chocolate - just change the timing and see what happens. So, a day will count as successful diet wise if I: Get enough protein pre 6pm Save simple carbs for after 6pm Drink 2 litres of water Eat fruit and veg Track everything on MFP Seems simple enough except for the timing thing which might require some mental endurance! So, we’ll see... 0-25% of days successful: 0 points 25-50% days successful: 1 CON 50-75% days successful: 2 CON 75%+ days successful: 3 CON Life Goal: Translating dreams to reality Adventures with art! Another goal all about having fun. (Are we sensing a theme?) I’m determined to rekindle my drawing habit, and find some new enthusiasm for the illustration work which I’m pretty sure is my calling in life. (Not gonna quit the day job though. Yet) This goal is simple: go on art adventures! This means at least 20 minutes, preferably more of drawing in an unusual/public/awesome place. At least one sketch per adventure must be from life and be posted here. 0-6 artistic adventures: 0 points 7-12 artistic adventures: 1 CHA 13-18 artistic adventures: 2 CHA 19+ artistic adventures: 3 CHA Mini Challenges: Game of Pwns I'm in House Baratheon!

Hey Rebels! Let's do this My main Nerd Fitness quest, while still being developed, was inspired by the Tomb Raider video game reboot last year. I loved "new Lara's" relatability as she struggled to become a tough, strong survivor, and I'd like to do the same! Young me read books about adventures instead of going on them, and I hated sports. It's only been in the last 2 years or so that I've really found my way to fitness, beginning with this site and garage crossfit workouts. I'm still having a hard time seeing myself as fit/athletic, but I'm working on it! In January this year I quit my desk job in Wisconsin and hit the road to live in a tent in the desert and work for the Arizona Renaissance Festival. (It's AWESOME so far.) When the Faire ends in March (also when this challenge draws to a close), I will pack up and move to Portland, Oregon -- and hopefully begin working as a personal trainer! I passed my NASM CPT exam in late November last year and also have my CFL1, but my own workout history began only recently and has been pretty inconsistent, and I do NOT feel ready to start training others. Therefore, my overall goal for this challenge -- especially since I essentially only work Saturday and Sunday and have the whole week off to work out and pursue things that are important to me -- is to build a consistent and active lifestyle, and prepare for the intimidating challenge of leaving Receptionist Me behind and showing up in Oregon ready (well, readier?) to start looking for coaching jobs. So: Goal 1: Activity. My tribe and I go on 3 mile "perimeter walks" of the Faire 4 days per week. Three days per week we do bodyweight crossfit workouts (15min or less of dips, squats, push ups, and sit ups, primarily) and another day or two we'll work with kettlebells (no barbell access out here, sadly!). I'm also doing self defense lessons 3-4 times per week, and the odd yoga class or hike thrown in there. I'm still working on more defined parameters to stick to, but if I keep to the overall active daily schedule I've created in the past week, I'm giving myself +1 STR and +1 DEX at the end of the challenge. I'm working on handstands, safe falls in combat, and being able to do more than one strict pull up - maybe I'll work those into the grading process. Goal 2: Mindful fuel. It's tough to eat paleo out here -- we have a propane camp stove, but an unreliable cooler. Does anyone have advice on how to get enough green things in my diet?? I don't want to live off of beef jerky and clif bars for the next month. Anyway, I'm going to do my best to eat paleoish, and I haven't been hydrating enough, so I'm going to shoot for getting through 3 water bottles per day. +1 CON if I am successful! Goal 3: Study/practice. I have my NASM textbook with me and tons of training/coaching resources online to go through. I also have a tribe member who wants me to help her lift when we go to the gym (which we really only use for showers... shhhh). I led some "squat therapy" and gave some technique pointers on squats before one of our crossfit sessions and will keep learning and practicing while I'm out here so I'm more prepared for the next chapter! +1 CHA. Goal 4: Saving. Moving across the country is expensive, and I'm going to do my best to be at Camp Nerd Fitness this year (YAY!), so I need to be setting money aside. I'm obviously not making much out here right now, but I'm going to set aside at least $50/week if not more. +1 WIS. I'm nervous about all of my larger goals, but optimistic. Let's do this!

So, I am looking for an adventure sometime Memorial weekend(or the Wednesday before). Only problem being, I am tight on cash and I don't know what to do. Okay, that is a lie, I've looked up horse back riding and kayaking/canoeing but I don't know if I have anyone to go with, and I don't know if I want to adventure alone. So, if there is anyone looking for some fun times this weekend that isn't too expensive and around the Tampa Bay Area let me know.

Hello everyone! I know I just joined, but this has been what I've been looking for for ages now, a way to track my goals, my leveling up in life and to keep myself accountable. I've always wanted to blog and write, and I have always had a problem being consistent, so this is going to be my effort to change all of that! My name is Akkina and I am a 23 year old from Alaska, I have been struggling with my weight since highschool, and I've been out of school for four years now so it's been a while. I ballooned up to a whopping 265lbs during school, and I took a bit of an initiative to loose some weight and I've been hovering around 240lbs recently, not a lot of weight, but I did manage to keep that 25lbs off during the lull, even though I have been far from good on diet and exercise. Around October I had a realization that I was unhappy with my life, with pretty much everything in it, so I started trying to get healthy again, ate right, drank lots of water, though I was not perfect, it was a good step to help me get serious, which lead to lots of reading and research. I was primarily vegetarian until the end of January, which allowed me to drop down to a low of 233lbs without any serious effort(I had not yet kicked my soda habit). In February I was still incredibly unhappy and I left my boyfriend of two years, it had been a long time coming it felt and for that month I was miserable so to speak. I knew I was tired, and as I tell everyone, though I am terrible at following my own advice, "If there is something you don't like, then change it." It's not always that simple, but in this case it was. I got a gym membership and worked out almost everyday, I built muscle and burned fat and I felt pretty damn good. I even met my current boyfriend and we are very happy currently. But here I am, deciding that I really need to do something more, I am still not happy with my body, and I am going to change it damn it! So I have embarked on the epic quest to level up my life! I am going to ROCK this out I can just tell! Fitness Goals: Long Term: I would like to be able to run a mile without stopping. I have never been able to do this and I want to, so bad! I want to free run/parkour so being able to run and not die is a good thing. Short Term: Be active for 21 days! Creative Goals: Long Term Goal: Finish a Novel/Story Short Term Goal #1: Finish sewing projects for the Ren Faire! Short Term Goal #2: Write Everyday for 15-30 minutes or 1,500 words all this week! Life Goals: This section is Pending! I technically started on 4/29 but I am going to count it from the 1st because that makes it nice and linear in my mind. I did the Beginner Body Weight routine for the first time on the 30th, including a mile walk with my two dogs. Today would be day three of walking, and my rest day of the BBW workout. My legs are pleasantly sore, though my arms are not, so going to up my weight for tomorrow. I am going to add in goals for several things that I need to do to level up, mostly being maintaining healthy eating/calorie count, doing something creative everyday, drinking enough water and things like that. This section will probably change a lot as I find things I want to work on in my life so for now: Life Stuff!: Write for at least 15-30 minutes everyday. This one is something I have wanted to do for a while, I have competed three years in Nanowrimo(National Novel Writing Month) and have yet to complete it, though this year I did manage to break the 15,000 word mark which for me is very impressive. So in preparation for this November's endeavor to write a novel I am going to start writing everyday, writing for one of my various stories for at least 30 minutes or 1,500 words whichever I hit first, or depending on how I am feeling about it that day. Do something active everyday! Another thing I am not very good at, though so far this week I feel a lot better about it than I usually do. Even if it's just dragging my lazy butt out of bed to take my dogs for a walk, anything is better than nothing! Do something creative at least once a week! This one is easy, at least to start with, my boyfriend, myself and one of our good friends are all going to the Ren Faire in June and I offered to sew a new tabard and some padding for under the BF's armor. The boys both are part of our local LARP group which makes for some very fun times. So I need to sew my dress, and his stuff for the Faire, none of which is too complicated thankfully. I think for now that will be alright, be back tomorrow with an update! Love lots, Akkina!

After much deliberation I decided to join this challenge after all. This is my first challenge with you assassins, after I hung around looking at all your inspiring threads during the previous challenge. During my previous (and first) challenge I lifted heavy weights while trying to get a handstand and my first pull up. At the end I realised that I like heavy weights, but that at present I don’t have the time to train as much as I want to. It impacted on the performance in my aerial sessions, and I realised that I prefer functionality to pure strength for its own sake. This experience made me think about what I want to achieve and what I enjoy. And this brought me to one of my childhood heroes, Indiana Jones. My favourite of the three movies (there never was a third as far as I am concerned) is the last crusade. When I saw that I wanted to study archaeology and jump from a horse onto moving things. By now I know that I will do neither, but I definitely can improve my stunt woman skills. 1. To be Indiana Jones/ a stunt woman I will need more strength Pull upIf I slide of that tank when finally jumping from the horse, I will need to be able to pull myself up. I am very close to one pull up, this challenge I will get it! Aim: To be able to do one pull up by the end of the challenge HandstandOnce up on the tank I need to confuse them. So if I could do a handstand, it would look smooth and throw them a bit. (I will try on the floor first before I do it up on a tank) I will practice both 3x/week A – 3x/week B – 2x/week C – 1x/week F- no practice all week Aim: To be able to hold a wall handstand for 60 seconds and get away from the wall for 10 seconds 2. I will also need to be faster and have more endurance, so I can outrun them. I will do Hiit training and/or conditioning 4 times/ week for at least 15 minutes A- 4x/week B - 3x/week C - 2x/week D - 1x/week F- No training all week 3. The last point in all this is flexibility and movement I am not so sure that Indiana Jones is flexible, but I’m sure my stunt performance will improve if I am getting more bendy and if I am able to roll/ move around more smoothly. I will work on it 4x/week, time will vary depending on work commitments A – 4x/week B – 3x/week C – 2x/week D - 1x/week F- no practice all week Aim: to get the front splits Life quest Language One of my brothers lives in Denmark. He has three lovely children, who I really want to be able to speak to. I got myself a Danish course from the library and will work through one unit/week. I will meet them again in July, so learning Danish during these 6 weeks should help me to get started.

Know that feeling when you realise that you've strayed so very far from the 'real you' that you almost give up and just accept where you're at? When you just stop looking in the mirror, buy clothes without trying them on, wear black and generally just stop trying. With a whole bunch of seemingly plausible excuses for how you got to this point? Well i've felt it, it absolutely sucks and it's got to stop. Despite a very active past and a background in elite sport, I have founded two companies in the past year and taken on a whole lot of projects which keep me computer-bound and as well as the professional awesomeness I now have, I also have an extra 30lb of fat on this warrior ass-kicking body. So it looks less than ass-kicking... and I work in health, and it's hurting the brand! I have a lot of personal and professional input I can offer others here (im a Physical Therapist, Pilates instructor, former elite mountain biker and adventure racer) but I'm actually scared and apprehensive about this journey this time. I don’t have time to do the training I used to do in the past- I’m going to have to be a bit more ninja to strip this fat, and rather than be the lone wolf, I’d love some support because my self belief here is a little shaky. I can rock the world in lots of ways, but this fat and this body… it’s a weird and foreign concept and im not sure how to get rid of it for good! My goals for the next six weeks: 1. Be active everyday (move for at least 30 minutes EVERY DAY of that six weeks, no excuses) 2. Drink 2L of water daily 3. Track my food intake with an app on my ipad and be truthful! 4. Find a business partner/ employee to share the professional journey I have started I'll put some photos up here tomorrow as much as I hate the idea- I cannot fail at this again and I cannot stay stuck in this!