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"The Dawn of a New Era" So i had settled myself at the Assassins. First challenge after my recruit challenges locked me in with the Assassins. People are great, mini-challenges are of the chart. Other rebels there were starting to grow on me like family. But i felt something was missing. I had been doing some lifting for the first couple of challenges and the last couple of challenges. There aren't a lot of Assassins who are lifting. So i started wondering if i should join up with the Warriors or Rangers for next challenge. Than i overheard one of the Ranger Chaplains talking about how a lot of Rangers were lifting. That was it, that moment i decided to join the ranks of the Rangers for this challenge. And it's not only gonna be this challenge, but for the next challenges. Especially now with the 4 week format. I'm really curious to see how this unfolds, but if i had to choose i would rather make it a longer challenge, instead of shortening it. So now i'm thinking about doing 2 part challenges, first part set out goals. After the first 4WC tinker where needed and finish off the second challenge. Since i cut my last challenge short at week 5 and inserted another challenge (which ends today) i haven't had much time of prepping. Also the boards not being up didn't help much. As with other former challenges i had a short time before the challenge starts i suddenly get struck with and idea to create my challenge around. As it did this time. Tank's Bravestarr challenge got me into watching a YouTube video about 80's cartoons. Since i was born in 1980 this brought back a lot of memories. I watched a lot of television in my youth. Last night i was high on PWO and couldn't sleep and all things came together. I already knew which goals i wanted to work on, and now a theme which fitted in quite nicely. Since i wasn't able to sleep, i created the whole Challenge in my head. Since this is my first challenge at the Rangers i think it's appropriate to start with a little introduction. Introduction Why do i do this? I hate introductions... Nonetheless here goes. I'm a 35 year old working dad of 2 kids (boy of 5 and girl of 3) and have a wife and dog living in a small house in Belgium. I moved from Holland to Belguim about 10 years ago. I work as a system adminsitrator/network adminstrator at a mental institution, (yes i only work there). I drive a motorcycle and go to doggy school with the dog (just started doing agility at the moment). I have always been a rather chubby boy. 2013 i did a lot Intermittent fasting, with great results in lowering my BF%. I also did pick up on working out. At the end of 2014 i wasn't quite the most healthiest, but i was in shape. Then i joined the Rebellion. I think it's great. It helps me get motivated and i think it's a truly great gathering of people. Summertime had me build up some extra BF and my last challenge which didn't went all that well, had me built up some more, than the holidays hit. So now i'm about 7 kg heavier than my all time low in march 2015. My main quest set out for the first half of 2016 is lowering BF% (Tiamat!) My theme for this challenge (and probably the next one or two) is gonna be: Dungeons and Dragons Goals will be represented by the Protagonists: Exercise goals:Hank the Ranger: Grouplessons and Running (dark green)Bobby the barbarian: Lifting (light brown) Dietary goals:Presto the magician: Healthy choices (light green)Sheila the Thief: Mindful drinking (purple)Eric the Cavalier: NO bingeing (yellow) Life goal:Sheila the Acrobat: do an extra weekly chore (dark brown) Milestones will be represented by the Antagonists: Milestones:Shadow demon: tracking weight/measurements/mfp (grey) Venger: weight (black)Tiamat: BF% (Red) Hank the Ranger (Grouplessons and Running) "Hank is a ranger, with a magical bow that shoots arrows of glowing energy." A combination of grouplessons and running for a total of 3 instances per week. Either 2 grouplessons and 1 time running, or 2 times running and 1 grouplesson.Throughout the challenge one of these workouts may be skipped. Every full workout gives 91 points (x 11) for a total of 1001 points. Bobby the Barbarian (lifting): "Bobby carries a magical club, which he regularly uses to trigger earthquakes or dislodge rocks when he strikes the ground." Follow the enhanced Stronglifts 3 days a week for a total of 12 sessions throughout the Challenge.One workout may be skipped. 11 full workout at 91 points a workout for a total of 1001 points. Presto the Magician (Healthy choices): "He is able to pull an endless succession of various tools from his magical hat, but often these will be, or appear to be, of little use.There are also numerous instances when Presto will draw from his hat precisely what is needed in order to save all of his friends." Diet is 80% of the formula (or so i'm told), so before every meal, look at the options, and make a healthy choice. Most impact will be lunch and dinner (since i don't do much for breakfast). So that's 2 times a day, 28 days, equals to 56 times of evaluation. I know there are gonna be slip ups here, so i'm aiming for about 90% here. For every healthy meal i will receive 20 points for a total of a 1000 points throughout the challenge. This leaves me to 6 meals i can F.U. or 1,5 every week. That would be reasonable. Sheila the Thief (Mindfull drinking): "As the thief, Sheila has a magical cloak which, when the hood is raised over her head, makes her invisible.Although Sheila is often shy and nervous with a deep-seated fear of loneliness, she will always display bravery when her friends are in trouble" Drinking game is seriously getting on point, i only drink nowadays on real special occasions, not just every special occasion. Since it's on point, and i already left some wiggle room in it by definition, this has to be on point every day for the upcoming 4 weeks. If a day is special enough to have a drink i will write down why it is. If i slip up i will write down why i slipped up. If it's a mindful reason i will allow it, if it's not, no points. 4 Weeks is 28 days. 28 days to get a progress bar to 100% is about 3.6% a day. Eric the Cavalier (NO Bingeing): "Despite his cowardice and reluctance, Eric has a well-hidden heroic core, and frequently saves his friends from danger with his magical shield, which can project a force field." When it's good, it's good. And i can eat A LOT! Seriously! All the high KCAL stuff, i like it, i love it, IN LARGE QUANTITIES preferably. Use some sort of portion control. If it's good, just take a large portion and leave it there. No second (usually also) large portion. If i don't write this stuff down, i let it slip once or twice and before you know it, i will have an excess of a 1000 KCAL a day for a few days! Stating my quest so that this never happens, no wiggle room here. NO SECONDS! 4 Weeks is 28 days. 28 days to get a progress bar to 100% is about 3.6% a day. Diana the Acrobat (Do an extra weekly chore): "She is an acrobat, and an outspoken and tomboyish member of the group. She carries a magic staff which can shift in length from as short as a few inches to be easily carried on her person to as long as six feet, and which she uses as a weapon or as an aid in various acrobatic moves." Simple and easy, every week do an extra chore. There is plenty of stuff that needs to be done. It has to be an extra chore, not something i do every week anyway. 25% per week if achieved.

Way back in days of old there was a legend told about a hero known as Galvant. Square jaw and perfect hair, Cajones out to there, There was no hero quite like Galavant! Tough, plus every other manly value Mess with him he'll disembowel you! Yea, he ruled in every way, a fairytale cliché, an people called him Gaaalaaavaaaaant! Yep that's my theme this challenge. If you don't know what Galavant is, it is a comedy on ABC featuring a lot of singing and set in a medieval fairytale setting. So pretty much everything I ever wanted in a show. Anyway, I have been away for a while doing my own thing and making progress. That is, until the holidays hit. Now I need a little extra motivation to get back on track and lucky me I happen to come back just in time for the shiny new challenge system. As for my challenge, it is somewhat inspired by Galavant's return to questing shape toward the beginning of season 1. My lift workouts involve bench, Military, Deadlift, and Cleans. As for my diet, I have the most difficulty on the weekends, so for now I am going to focus more on what I eat when I am at home rather than how much. Anyway, down to it: Q1: Isabella's Training: Lift 3 times a week, Arrow workout 2 days a week Q2: Sid's Cooking: Stay paleo on weekends, stay under 1800 calories on weekdays ( I am on a cut right now) Q3: Fit in My Armor: drop to 20% body fat (if I can't do it this challenge I will roll it over to the next) SQ: Xanax's Laboratory: 95% completion of my work goals (kinda shoehorned this one into the theme, I work in a lab so it's the best I could come up with) That's it for now, I haven't decided if I am going to do anything fun with the updates yet. It will depend on how busy I get and, of course, how well I am sticking to my challenge. 'Till next time, TALLY HO! I'm off on a hero's journey Out where adventure lies On a quest the Poet's will sing about! With destiny at my shoulder, An ego of massive size, And a face most chicks have a thing about. So what if I'm still hung over? So what if I smell like slop? So what if I've got this pesky muffin top? I'm off on a hero's journey A champion through and through (More or less) Doing what other hero's do. Update: Epic Quest page here

"Hither came Rurik Harrgath, wild-bearded and sullen-eyed, hammer in hand, a ranger, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the wild places of the earth under his booted feet… Passion tempered by Intellect, given life through Instinct." The MAIN QUEST: Build a life worthy of being called a Barbarian Ranger and everything that entails. In Dungeons & Dragons, the Barbarian class is capable of entering a Raging state that allows the character to endure more punishment and inflict more damage for a short period of time. Similar to those bouts of untapped strength and power unleashed by a Barbarian, I will unleash the fury within to crush my challenge goals and hasten my awakening as a paragon of savage glory, ever seeking to ignite reality full of passion, adventure, and excitement to bring myself closer to the life of a video game character, the likes of which you might find going about his business in World of Warcraft or upon the screen of a sword-and-sorcery action-adventure film. Thus, the Barbarian Ranger is born. Starting weight baseline: 188 lbs. Maximum pullups: 10 strict. Next goal: 12. Double-unders Combo: 22 consecutive. * * * CHAPTER I: Of the Far, Grim North (+2 CON, +1 DEX) Quest Description: "None may stand where titans have tread! Exertions that would otherwise kill another are but trifle inconveniences to you. Howl your war cry over the savage wastes and conquer the landscape as you would any foe! Fear not the rage within; let it control you while you reap through the blood of your enemies! You are beyond the mortal confines of mortal men..." Goal: To stave off weaknesses and enhance my natural toughness, complete a 5km ruck carrying my sledgehammer as an accessory. Additionally, achieve a rucking total of 40 kilometers over the course of this challenge, practicing Yoga balancing and flexibility alongside. Bonus Achievement: [Warrior of the North] (Complete a survival expedition - find shelter, start a fire, and cook a meal - while rucking in the wilderness.) CHAPTER II: Of the Muster at Greywatch (+2 DEX, +1 STA) Quest Description: “A paragon of primal fury, harness your wild rage to become a howling badass of death and destruction. You radiate bloodlust and fury and strike like lightning upon the Anvil of the Gods! You are more powerful than any foe! Your mere presence alone fills opponents with dread and causes them to shake with fear, hesitating before you in battle.” Goal: Like the savage berserker, I must relentlessly train to enhance my agility through dedication and perseverance, mastering my body with weekly drills to build a competency baseline in many skills requiring the body’s natural weight. Quest includes: Double-unders. Muscle-ups. Pull-ups. Ring Dips. Climbing. Bonus Achievement: [Heart of the Wolverine] (Ranger Yoga. Complete no less than 3 yoga poses in the wilderness.) CHAPTER III: Of the Warband’s Coming to Gabilzaramul (+1 DEX, +1 CON, +1 WIS) Quest Description: “Strike fast and violently, unleashing your terrible might upon your foes and deliver unto them a reckoning of blood! None shall stand before you! Move swift and sure like a wild beast through the Far, Grim North. Keen senses, swift motion, and flawless strikes; to the barbarian, weapons mastery is the key to survival.” Goal: No Barbarian Ranger is fit for battle without a foundation of weapons skills. Complete a weekly session of weaponry practice. Bonus Achievement: [The Fury Caller] (Complete four (4) sledgehammer, spear practice, or swordplay sessions after rucking.) CHAPTER IV: Of Ruin, Redemption, and Revenge (+2 WIS, + 4 CHA) Quest Description: "Yours is the Fury of the Mountain and its aid shall come to those who have earned it. Channel within you its terrible majesty, and call upon your great ancestors, for you are mightier with their ancient blessings within you! So does the savage wanderer returns hence from dungeons deep and caverns old to recuperate from his adventures, nurse his wounds, and enjoy the spoils of conquest!” Goal: Keep a running commentary on my daily activity, ranging from reading through gaming, additionally including any Domestic Rangering™ and nutrition compliance. Bonus Achievement: [A Dream of Victory] (Maintain more than 24/28 days within calorie compliance.) IN ADDITION to the main Chapter Quests, a running total of Experience Points is kept. Experience (+XP) is awarded for any effort that brings my real life character more in line with that of a Barbarian Ranger, specifically fitness activities and flavor achievements. Each activity awards +20% XP up to a weekly total of 100/100 Experience. See below for the full list. [Legacy of the Savage Wanderer] Achievement: Right-Click to open the Ancient Ironbound Chest… contained therein is a treasure much sought-after by mortal men and dragon alike, [Rurik’s War-Kilt of Primal Majesty]. It increases our hero’s stat points and attributes, experience gain, and awards him a legendary countenance so that all may look upon him in awe! Challenge Inspiration: Vikings, Barbarians, and other over-the-top manly tropes that carried me through childhood and continue to inspire me on my journey toward legendary greatness as an adult. We’re dialing the BAMF Factor™ to 11 here, folks! Over the following 4 weeks I will introduce a weekly barbarian mystic or warrior king who has inspired me at one point or another. Each of these has made me the man I am today and their indomitable spirits and iron wills shall aid me as I endure this arduous quest through the dark and frigid depths of winter!

Here we go again. Challenge goals for the next 4 weeks: There are a few things that need to happen in the next few weeks. I need to keep steadily losing weight (without obsessing over it!). I need to keep the daily exercise habit rolling when school starts and "life returns to normal". As I said on my last challenge: these points of movement, they arent big. 30 min walk, 15-20 minutes yoga routine, 5-15 minutes workout at home or a 20-40 minutes workout at the gym or at the physical therapy place. They aren't big 2h sessions, they are "get started" tasks. It's like lifting, I imagine, you lift the empty bar to practice the movement "without load" so to speak. Similar thought is behind these goals, there is classes at the gym I could do, hour long classes, and eventually I want to try out lots of things and find something that engages me and is fun and challenging, but for now: No more Reasonable Reschedule. Do the Monday workout Monday, and so on and so forth, plan possible obstacles and contingencies each Saturday before the week starts. Nutrition. Less leeway, stick to the budget, keep notes, always. Balance. Mother, wife, house keeper, shopping monkey, appointment juggler, don't lose yourself. Keep breathing, stay connected to Source, keep up on the Domestic Rangering, have a cup of tea and a break in the pm, nap if necessary, but not longer than an hour, get to bed in time to be rested in the am, hubby's late shift be damned. That's the goals for now. And Journey Quest, because on the 18th this month the kickstarter for Season 3 starts and I'm SO PSYCHED Life goal: Get ready for the race. September I plan on running the Dirty Coast. My PT, and I trust him, said 75-80kg is the weight I need to reach to start running and not hurt myself. I can get there, I know it, I've lost a lot of weight in the last 9 months, question is: Can I lose it fast enough to have enough time to train up for an 8 km obstacle race? Mathematically it sure is possible, but that is numbers, numbers are easy, it's the getting myself to stay within my margins that'll be the interesting thing. Monday I'll weigh in, as I always do, but I am in the vecinity of 92,5 kg. 25lbs to go in the next 20 weeks, during which I'll also be starting specific training to eventually be able to get past that blasted 2m wall as well as the pile of tires and the low crawly cold water places... leaving me with 14 weeks of 10K training. I tend to write too much, sorry guys. Here's the short list: EDIT I always forget to fill these out in the later weeks

Welcome to Part II of my last challenge, The Path of the Barbarian. On the surface, this may appear to be a simple repeat of the last challenge. Ok, technically, it is. But there is a reason behind this. Simply put, it worked so well that I WANT to do it again. Also, the holiday break so sufficiently disrupted my awesome routine that I NEED to do it again. Just to make sure I haven't lost any Barbarian savagery. Without further delay, the challenge itself:Goal 1 - Barbarian Mobility: This is the primary focus of the challenge, same as last time. A true Barbarian should be able to traverse all kinds of terrain, even while carrying a heavy load, even over snow and ice. I will be going for a 20-30 minute ruck (basically walking with weight on my back) four times per week. Location isn't really important. I should be able to adapt, whether it's a ruck through the woods or simply through the neighborhood. Also, like with the last challenge, any XC skiing I am able to do will count as a ruck. This will happen at least once per week, as I am now volunteering as an assistant coach with the local youth ski league on Sundays. So really, it's just a matter of getting in three rucks/skis in during the rest of the week. +5 StaGoal 2 - Primal Awareness: To survive, a Barbarian needs to be in tune with what is happening around him. To further develop awareness, I will continue daily meditation. This time around, I intend to get back to meditating for at least 12 minutes at a time. I don't have to start out with this, but by the last week of the challenge I intend to be meditating for 12 minutes (or more) daily. +3 Wis, +2 ConGoal 3 - THOR's HAMMER: It wouldn't be a Barbarian challenge without bringing back the hammer! Like last time, I will complete three sledgehammer workouts per week. My current routine takes about ten minutes to complete. Since I am regaining lost momentum after the holidays, my goal here is to simply maintain this level of intensity for the duration of the challenge. Increases in sets/reps/intervals can wait until the next challenge. +3 Str, +2 ConGoal 3 Update (as of 1/17/2016): Ok, so I was wrong. It still can be a barbarian challenge without the hammer. With the extreme focus I've been putting on daily meditation and early morning rucking 5x per week, the hammer has fallen by the wayside. So I won't get my strength and constitution bonus off this one, but nor will I have it count against me as far as whether I level up or not. The positive changes I've been making as a result of Goal 1 and Goal 2 more than make up for letting Goal 3 slide.Goal 4 (NEW as of 1/17/2016): In my never ending quest to find new and obscure interests, I have done some research and finally constructed a sling! Goal 4 isn't so much a deliberate SMART goal as I generally try to stick to. It is just a bonus quest of a sort, to simply keep moving forward in this new interest, whether that means crafting slings, practicing with them, or simply reading more information about them. Expect slinging to make an appearance in my next proper challenge as a full-fledged goal. I will perhaps award myself +1 Dex and +1 Wis, depending on how much I accomplish it the last two weeks of this challenge (but no more than this, as I am starting halfway through).In conclusion...METALZ : Onward to greatness!

Hello rangers! I am back after being gone/with the Adventurers for the last 2 years. Background I am a former Marine who has always been a bit on the larger side of the scale. When I got out of the corps I stopped running because I could and I hated it anyway. I went to Afghanistan for two years and did nothing but lift and circuit training. This is where I found NF in 2012. Other than not being able to run I was in the best shape since boot camp and was actually comfortable in my own skin (which was a first). So there I was getting ready to leave Afghanistan and stopped working out as I shipped everything home a few weeks before I left. I got back to the states and everything fell apart. I ate all the things!!! I also drank all the beer which I had very little of over the past two years. I also had a job that traveled across the country and world quite frequently while living out of hotels and working up to 18 hours a day (for 3 week spans). Add everything up and I gained close to 80 pounds in a year. 2015 was a new job and really no change in anything I had moments where things were going well, but then would go right back to the habits I developed in 2014. 2016 is the year of change and this first challenge is all about getting back to basics and setting a foundation. Starting off with the life quest as this is the most important part of this challenge at this time and is taken directly from my epic quest of 2016. Goal 1 Rebuild my wagon - I never fully got on the wagon in 2015, there were times were I was driving along nicely, but those were short and inconsistent. Finalize living situation AKA buy the damned house. This is starting to move and would like the majority of the process completed by JAN 19 AKA the day I become unemployed Get a job. woe is me I've lost my job. Time to grab my straw and suck it the fuck up and fix the situation.Goal 2 30 MINS of work everyday. this can be walking, running, rucking, lifting, mace work, or yoga. Doodlie yoga doesn't count towards this This is to build both a habit and basic foundation of exercising everyday. Goal 3 Meal planning/batch cooking. This is to stop wasting food mainly veggies. I need to figure out what to eat and when vice just eating whatever whenever. I will only buy things that I have a plan for and eat the food I buy for that week. This will also cut out all the eating out I've been doing in the past month or so. Goal 4 Mindful eating. this is a 3 part goal. 1. be aware of what eating and track food 80% of the time. 21/26 days 2. No alcohol (will allow the splitting of a bottle of wine with the wife when we move into the house) 3. stick to IF/IIFYM 90% of the time. 24/26 days Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 totals Edit: It was mentioned in chat last night that bribing myself could be a great motivation to stay on track. So here is my bribing list for this challenge. 90-100% of goals 2, 3, and 4. I can get one of these. shirt 1 shirt 2 80-89% of goals 2, 3, and 4. I get to get these two items for my rucksack. Item 1 Item 2 71-75% of goals 2, 3, and 4. A 6 pack of my choosing for weekend 0. 70% or less of goals 2, 3, and 4. must do two word workouts during weekend 0 as punishment for being a failure. each word must be between 4 and 8 letters long and the doodlies get to choose the words. PAIN RETAINS

I was going to do a theme, but then I didn't. Might add one as this week progresses, might just work on one for next challenge. Anyways, the next couple months are going to be in a state of uncertainty. My gf is in the process of buying a house back where I grew up and as things are heading into deeper waters I am looking for a job back there with the intent of moving. With that I'm going to step out of the gym and use the challenge I created for the doodlies as an impetus to start training at home with the limited equipment I have. Back to the stone age. Unfortunately it is winter here in the Midwest so most of my training will be indoors forcing me to improvise. Goal 1: Strength train 3x/wk. Most of this will obviously be bodyweight training but will also do NF yoga to work on limbering myself back up as I let my flexibility fall way too far from back in my Martial Arts days. I'm also planing on starting with my combative training. Goal 2: Cardio 3x/wk. HIIT will be my mainstay here. I'm going to see if I can jump rope in my bedroom in the basement, if so that will also become a staple of my training. . Goal 3: Eat Primally 6x/wk. Chicken, fish, eggs, bacon, veggies, etc. I'm going to stay away from any processed food or drinks. Except black coffee and unsweetened tea. The two biggest speed bumps will be cheese (I'm not going to completely cut this out just cut way back) and bread. I'm usually good with bread but sometimes I will eat a loaf in 3-4 days with copious amounts of peanut butter.

And so begins my next challenge, The Path of the Barbarian! This is not only a way to get fit and stay fit, but a way to connect with the great outdoors, regardless of weather conditions. Because a Barbarian does not shrink from a little cold and a few snowflakes! I'll be drawing heavily on many barbarian-esque influences to flavor this challenge. This includes historical barbarians (Gauls and other Iron Age Celts, Germanic tribes, Vikings), as well as fantasy-inspired barbarians (Conan, D&D, etc). I will also top it off with plenty of folk/viking/pagan heavy metal! On to the challenge itself: Goal 1 - Barbarian Mobility: This is the primary focus of the challenge. A true Barbarian should be able to traverse all kinds of terrain, even while carrying a heavy load, even over snow and ice. I will be going for a 20-30 minute ruck (basically walking with weight on my back) 4 times per week. Location isn't really important. I should be able to adapt, whether it's a ruck through the woods or simply through the neighborhood. As winter starts to set in (as it undoubtedly will within the next month) and groomed ski trails become available, I will start substituting crossing country skiing (or XC skiing) for rucking. XC skiing has become a real passion of mine of the last couple of years. Either way, snow or not, I will get outside 4 times per week and put some miles/kilometers behind me.Goal 2 - Primal Awareness: To survive, a Barbarian needs to be in tune with what is happening around him. The goal here is simply to meditate every day, for at least 8 minutes, to keep improving mindfulness and awareness. In addition to meditation, I will also make a daily list of tasks/priorities to complete (in the morning or immediately after work), and make sure I get to bed no later than 11:00 PM. Also for this challenge, NO VIDEO GAMES! Video games are bad for me. After all, a Barbarian should have a strong sense of what his priorities are, and be well rested, in order to be effective and strong. Barbarians don't play video games anyway. Clumsy fingers. Goal 3 - Hold the Heathen Hammer High!: A Barbarian must be strong and able to wield his weapon! For this goal I will complete a sledgehammer workout 3 timers per week. Part of the inspiration for this goal comes from here. The rest comes from the likes of Thor and Wulfgar. I may at times replace or augment this workout with bodyweight exercises (pull-ups, push-ups, squats) and training with a nunchaku. Part of the reason for this is that as I write this, I don't actually possess a sledgehammer. I hope to obtain one by the end of the weekend. But if I don't, and have to order one (I want a very specific size), I want to at least be able to do something in the meantime. Conventional strength and endurance training through body weight exercises will fit the bill. As will some time spinning my nunchaku. I have developed quite an affinity with the nunchaku, as I have re-learned how to relax my muscles when using it. Many aches and pains, especially in my back, have subsided since I started the practice, so I expect that even once I get into the full swing of sledgehammer training (hah, nice pun), I plan to keep up training with the nunchaku.