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As a total analog nerd at heart, I can't tell you how much I loved this scene from The Batman. Bruce keeping physical, analog journals of his "project"?? Oh, MAN. That lil' clip gets ALL my lil' KW motivations firing again. So, in that spirit, I'll be starting a new workout log that doubles as a semi-journal. Basically I'll log things the way I always do, but add in more thoughts as often as I have something to say, regarding how I'm feeling, what seems to be working, what's not, recovery, diet, all that. Some of that maybe I'll just take photos of and post here, others I'll expand into full posts with more explanation. But here are the goals for the next 5 to 6 weeks! GOAL ONE: LOSE 10 POUNDS This one is pretty straight forward. No matter how you cut it, regardless of how much muscle I may carry, I'm also carrying way too much fat. I have a goal to lose 45 pounds this year (in this case, a "year" being a year in my life as I just passed a birthday; 45 pounds by the end of 2022 may be a lil' too optimistic. ) GOAL TWO: WALK, RUCK, OR RUN A TOTAL OF 50 MILES OR MORE If I do 2 miles a day most days, this shouldn't be a problem. The challenge is just getting going again. GOAL THREE: 5 STRICT PULLUPS AND 5 STRICT HANDSTAND PUSHUPS Basic body weight push/pull strength here. I should be better at both, but I've been healing up some wear and tear injuries, so I think this is really quite manageable. If I blow by those numbers early, hey, excellent! I'll do a video test at the end of the challenge though to see where I end up. GOAL FOUR: DECLUTTER APARTMENT I need a serious clothes purge, and an even more serious "stuff" purge. I'm not saying I have to be a pristine minimalist monk in 5 weeks, but I'm going to share what I am able to process through. GOAL FIVE: MEDITATE AT LEAST 20 DAYS Only 4 days a week to have a win here. That should be doable, though obviously I won't complain if I do more. This can take several forms, but it's about quiet and stillness for about 10 minutes at a pop. GOAL SIX: FINISH ONE CHAPTER OF PRECISION NUTRITION CERT I've kinda stalled out on my progress here after a good run on it. I want to finish studying and take the test for at least one chapter over the next 5 weeks. And there we go. Here's to a successful challenge for all!

I've always been a fan of the hashtag #becomingbatman so I thought I might use it as inspiration for a few challenges. So, here goes, possibly my first fully themed challenge thread... Okay, let's get going on the whole superhero transformation Get strong, get swole. Continue strength training three times per week. Unlike last time, I'm not going to be foolish enough to plan for 100% on this one again. Target: 10/12 sessions Get Superhero shredded. Track my intake. I've clearly not had much luck with this in previous challenges, so I'm going to trying and focus on just building the habit. Target 12/28 days tracked Get battle ready. Conditioning is key. And I don't do any currently. So, time to fix that. Going to try and take a leaf out of the page of apparently nearly all of the warriors currently and do burpies. The goal is going to start with like 3 per day, and setting the target really low again. Target 12/28 days. And that's it. I don't have a reward in planned just yet, but if I think of something, I'll update this later.

My last challenge was kind of a disaster, but as it was said in Batman Begins, "Why do we fall?" I think this challenge is going to be more focused on getting into a groove. I also think that I wasn't really being active on this forum and utilizing the community for support. The idea of an alternative meal prep was also pretty bad because I underestimated my laziness. So anyway, here are my new goals: Fitness Goals 1. Improve Jiu-Jitsu. Jiu-Jitsu has been described as being a marathon, not a sprint. Taking this into account, I've decided to set my goal to a minimum of two classes a week. I feel that two is good for easing back into things after almost a month of being out of the gym. Three would give me growth. Anything more would be extra credit. So, I plan to improve Jiu-Jitsu by increasing my attendance. A - >3 Classes/Week B - 3 Classes/Week C - 2 Classes/Week 2. Run a 10 minute mile. I have never really been into running. Throughout school I was considered fast despite the fact that I never finished a mile in under 30 minutes. I did slack and end up walking for the most part, but I want to add running into my non-existent fitness regimen. So, I plan to use the Zombies Run! App and go for runs at the same frequency of attending Jiu-Jitsu classes with the addition that I'll run a mile at the end of the week to check my progress. Grading will be based on my timed runs. A - > 10 Min. Mile B - 10 Min. Mile C - 10:01 - 11 Minute Mile Nutrition 1. Meal Prep The last challenge, I planned to prep all my food and cook my food the day I eat it. I have the time, but I'm also lazy. So, I'm going back to meal prepping the more traditional way and cook everything on Sunday for the week. I'll cook meals taking into account that I'm probably going to eat out once during the week and once on the weekend. While I won't put any restrictions on what I'm going to eat when I go out, I won't call them cheat meals as I'd still like to try to get a health-ish option. Life Goal 1. Get a job. I was able to pass the tests to get my A+ Certification. So, I'm going to try to get a job in everything I qualify for. Accounting as well as IT. So I plan to put in two applications each day. Hopefully something sticks because I would like to feel less like a free loader when my wife has to go to work and I'm unemployed.

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Ryuu1011 Trains with the Bat Family Challenge 9 (2017 Challenge #2) Feb 12 - March 11, 2017 Continuing many of my goals from last challenge, with a few modifications. These lists correspond to my own goal setting philosophy which I came up with for my 2017 Battle Plan consisting of Auto Goals (goals on the back burner/ habits), In Progress Goals (long term goals that are works in progress) and Strike Goals (goals which are within striking distance of completion). Auto Goals (My Challenge Checklist): [X] Pay off $150 extra on my Student Loans [ ] 1 Date night with GF (Set! We're going to Medieval Times on Feb 26th!) [ ] 1 NC NF Meet Up (Set! We're having a dance meetup on Feb 18th!) [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Play with my throwing knives and bow In Progress Goals: 1. Train with Nightwing and The Robin's: Master my own Body- Continue GB Foundations (Upper Body, Lower Body, and Core) x1 each per week , Stretch (Front and Middle Split, and Thoracic Bridge) x1 per week and Handstand Series x3 per week. (___/12, ___/12, ___/12) Nightwing and Red Robin are both body weight training Masters, Nightwing was an acrobat and Red Robin was a Gymnasts. Robin (Damian Wayne) is a highly trained assassin from birth, so I'll be doing similar training to hopefully one day reach their levels. This goal shouldn't be too hard so long as I'm able to keep up my consistency. The GB foundation workouts are not too hard yet until they get to level 9 (their mastery level) which normally involves 5 sets of 15 reps or 5 sets of 60 second holds... uhhh they are rough. 2. Train with Alfred: Master my Health- Loose 3lbs, 1%BF, and ~ 1/2" off of my waist by recording my nutrition in MFP (___/28) everyday and prepping ~9meal per week (5 lunches (___/20), 4 dinners (___/16)) I'm sure Alfred knows a thing or two about nutrition and meal prepping since he has to keep the entire bat fam healthy and fed to fuel their late night escapades so I'll be studding under him to try and get my nutrition in check and thus my waist line. I'll be primarily using my waist and weight along with my body composition spreadsheet to guesstimate may Body Fat %. Starting Measurement were taken on 2/9/17 Starting Weight= 163.0lbs Starting BF% = 16.2% Starting Measurements: Waist: 32.5" Arms: 12/ 13.5" Calf: 14" Chest: 40.5" Hips: 33.5" Thighs: 21.5" Butt: 39" Neck: 14" 3. Train with Bat Girl: Master my Cardio- Run or Walk 3x per week, ~25-30min, ~5k/ 3m (___/12) I don't even want to guess just how much cardio the bat family gets in a week but by training with bat girl hopefully I'll be able to keep up with them soon. This goal might be a little bit more difficult, and might get changed depending on how my foot is feeling/ how much I think I can take. My feet have been having some problems which is going to definitely slow my cardio progress but I'd rather be safe than push myself past my limits again and hurt my feet for a second time. 4. Train with The Bat: Master my Training- Research Personal Training Certifications, Go to 3 gyms and ask what types of Certifications they require, Select a certification and start saving for it. ( [ ] Research, [ ] Champions, [ ] Snap Fitness, [ ] Life Time Fitness, [ ] Savings Started) There is no better master of personal training than Batman himself. He has trained many partners and continues to be train and improve himself mastering his own body. (I mean look at that picture that suit is practically painted on!) I am thinking about becoming a personal trainer, perhaps as a complete profession swap or just part time, I'm not sure right now, but for this challenge I just want to do my research and figure out the best path to start down on. Challenge Strike Goals: 5. Work on my Batcave: [X] Remove my old bed from the workout room [ ] Clean up and Organize the Workout Room I couldn't train with the entire bat family with out without working on my batcave too! By the end of this challenge I am hoping to get our spare room organized and start turning it into an actual full workout/ art studio for my GF and myself so we can workout from home and do art stuff too, though I'm setting the goal at just cleaning and organizing for right now.

Hello again Rebels! Ken The Brave here, back for my next adventure. Took a bit of a break to spend time with some friends on vacation last week. (Vegas is amazing. If you've never been, totally get on that!) I've done some tweaking from my last quest and decided to give my missions a face lift in honor of the upcoming Justice League movies. (Who else is excited for the Wonder Woman movie? About time right?!) Main Quest: Join (or create) my own Justice League Our best friends are moving away later this year, and we haven't really made any new friends. We have both had a hard time meeting and spending time with other people. I'm turning 30 at the end of the year, and I want to spend with with as many new friends as I can. Colorado is such a beautiful place, and it's all the better when you enjoy it with others! Each member of the League brings something unique to the table, but they also have deep and interesting stories to tell about themselves. It's time that I follow their lead and get out in the world and forge my own story. I want to bring something to the table too! Quest #1: The Bat: More Than Just A Man Power Lift at least 2 x a week. I left off my 5x5 progress at the end of my last quest. I'm going to start over and focus on strengthening my back. A strong man begins with a strong body. Quest #2: The Flash: Start With A Single Step Run at least 2 x a week. We're running a 5K in June and both need to be ready to take on that, and whatever challenge lies ahead! You can't take the next step until you take the first one. Quest #3: The Man of Steel: Fortress of Solitude Meditate at least 2 x a week. I recently started getting into meditation and even downloaded an app called Headspace (which I highly recommend). I've noticed a huge difference and want to keep that going. Calm mind, calm life. Quest #4: The Amazon: Wise As Athena Keep reading and learning French every day. My wife and I want to go to Paris this year (thank you joint tax returns!) and we don't want to be the American fish out of water who have no idea how to speak the language. I've also recently started reading "How to Win Friends" and am loving it so far. I want to keep my bookmark moving forward at least one page a day and keep doing at least two French lessons in Duolingo per day. Keep learning, keep growing. Quest #5: The Atlantean: Flow From the Sea Get enough water and protein. You can lift and run all you want, but you need to start by giving your body what it needs. I want to drink at least half a gallon of water and get at least 60 grams of protein per day. I'm trying to be better about prepping my meals and be more conscious about what I'm eating and logging every day helps me stay on track. Build from the inside out. It's good to be back! Best of luck to my fellow adventurers and I look forward to reading about your quests as well!

Next week another movie about my life comes out. I like the guy playing me, he's a handsome chap. And is he built or what? My red and blue suit mocks me from the back of the closet, reminding me of a healthier time in my life. I may be getting old (82 last I checked), but if you believe a man can fly, then I believe I can still get back in shape. I have a world to save, whether by journalist's pen or warrior's fist. Lo, as I call her, is getting tired of me sitting on the couch watching reruns of my great deeds. She asks me what I stand for anymore. The truth is I stand for the McDonald's line, and that's only because they do not provide chairs. My goal is to fit back into my suit by October 2016. I'll have a new goal by then, probably involving Wonder Woman and Catwoman, but let's stay simple for now. S.M.A.R.T. Goals: reduce sugary drinks to 3 per week (including fruit juice)increase vegetable servings to 4 per weekdecrease refined carbs to 3 servings a week (white pasta, white bread, sugary cereal)Walk my staircase 3 times a week for 14 minutesComplete the Nerd Fitnessâ„¢ Beginner Bodyweight Workout 3 times per weekComplete 15 consecutive pushups

@Rooks, @Gainsdalf the Whey, @Rookiebeotch, @mattyboy7one8, @ El Exorcisto I'm calling you out! All of you! Here's my big two: DEADLIFT, OVERHEAD PRESS. STRICT, BITCHES. NONE OF THAT PUSH PRESS CRAP. The goal? Deadlift 500 pounds. OHP 250 pounds. Same workout. I don't care how long it takes. First one in the group to pull this off wins. If you don't want to participate, it's cool. I guess. If you want to suck.

Hey, BRHemp here (my name, not my hobby.) 44 yr old Batman wannabe. LV1 and 2 CF instructor who makes most of his own stuff. I have a family and child support so I'm not exactly rolling in the dough. I am one of those guys in green who run around in the desert looking for people and drugs that shouldn't be here. You might have seen me on Border Wars. Anyway, I'm always looking for people who want to get fit and have fun. Me??? I was 245 lbs two years ago with a 40 inch waist. Not the image of law enforcement that I should have been. I started doing Crossfit and loved it. Dropped 35 lbs, and 6 inches off my waist. Got a ton of certs. But wasn't real happy with how some of the things were promoted i.e. pay lots of money for things that you can make on your own (sand bags, bulgarian sand bags, tires, etc.) So I started researching on my own and lo and behold found Nerd Fitness. WOW. People like me who want to get healthier and not spend their entire paycheck to do it I have my own garage gym where I train and train family and friends, The Old Bastard's Gym. Come and get your snatch fixed at the OB GYM heh heh heh. Most of the stuff I started with I paid handsomely for. Now I try to make as much as my own stuff as possible. I look forward to hearing from like minded people. And yes I am a nerd, or at least I'm told on a daily basis by my fiance, kids, co-workers and students. Yeah, I said it, so there. and Yes I really do want to be Batman. Always have, always will. Hope to hear from my nerd fitness brothers and sisters.

The Batman villain pantheon is one of many of my true loves -- particularly that of the Batman Animated Series of 90's era. With villainesses such as Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, and Catwoman... well women on the comic stage have been downplayed a bit on the ingenuity and power spectrum. However, it was the 90's so the plots of Poison Ivy and Catwomen really struck a chord in me and my whackadoodle burgeoning hippiness. Such is my challenge this round -- Bring on the Whackadoodle Hippiness! Or, you know, keep trying to get fit so I stop creaking so much when I move, by being inspired by the femme fatales of Gotham City! Step 1: Fall in love with the color of green food. Eat something green with every meal -- bonus if it is a dark and leafy green. Step 2: Give up on my unstable and unreliable relationship with Starbucks. Step 3: Study the end objective before going in for the kill. (Study for Wetlands Ecology and rock it!) Step 4: What do these Ladies have in common? Well agility, strength, daring and what have you! While maintaining my current workout regime, I will add in one balance and flexibility workout each week. (I am going to keep swimming, this is just an important part of strength training that I have been ignoring). *Bonus* Step 5: Keep moving throughout the day -- Park far, far away from the necessary access building

Main Quest – Become Resilient People have accused me of becoming “consistent†over the last challenge. Sadly, this remains a struggle for me. Over the last few years, I’ve learned what works to keep me happy and healthy. Far too often, I wander astray because I “deserve some time off†or want to pursue some shiny new method or goal. Time to develop persistence and focus like Batman. Time to bounce back from setbacks even stronger and wiser. Time to become resilient. (BTW, grading = >90% - A 75-89% - B 50-74% - C <49% - F) 1) The Training is Nothing! The Will is Everything! The Will to Act! [+5 STA] Doucard is right. The will to act is how I will continue my daily training, including: - pray and read the Bible - prepare food - play outside (walk, BWW three times per week) - post on NF - pause (meditate) - plan for tomorrow This is the big goal for this challenge - consistent will to develop a healthy, happy Batperson. 2) Why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves back up. [+3 DEX] Because sometimes falling is the only way forward, at least 3 times per week, I will develop the following skills… - chin/pull up negatives - bailing from handstands - parkour rolls 3) I synthesized an antidote. [+3 CON] I will counteract fear toxin (candy, junk food, baked stuff, work cafeteria “foodâ€, and other forms of emotional eating) with new antidotes. Some ideas (feel free to suggest more)… - drink tea - walk - listen to a song on my iPod - meditate - find a joke on the internet - animal pictures - read inspiring quotes - five deep breaths Side Quest – I am the Night! [+2 CHA] For the last 2/3rds of the challenge, I’m going to be working a super wonky schedule – 16 hour overnight shifts every other night. I have enough trouble shifting my schedule, but this looks to be playing sleep on expert difficulty. Here’s my plan to maximize the sleep that I can get, but expect adjustments - while on days sleep 9pm-6am - while on nights sleep – 9am-3pm - nap sometime between 1-4am or sleep later on non-working days - yellow glasses - magnesium? Life Quest – Build the Batcave [+2 WIS] My house and laptop are crammed to bursting with too much stuff. I will spend at least 15 minutes per day to declutter, organize, clean, or otherwise improve my physical and digital batcave.

I have been a Batman fan since childhood. I’ve watched him in movies, animated TV shows, and in the comics. He is relentless in his efforts to be in the best shape possible so he’s ready to face any adversary. But what people don’t often see in his stories are the countless hours of training he goes through to stay on top. He’s trained with ninjas, super heroes, and learned from his nights battling super villains. He maintains a strict diet to fuel his efforts. Since he has no super powers like super strength, super speed, or flight, he has to rely on his own body (and some help from some high-tech gadgets) to save the day. I admire his dedication and want to use him as my workout role model. Batman will be my “patron saint†of fitness. Bat-stats Batman is in peak physical condition so he would be level 50 for strength, dexterity, stamina, and constitution (STR, DEX, STA, CON). I can certainly aspire to his physical attributes. Batman is without question a level 50 for wisdom (WIS). He is the world’s greatest detective, has defeated some of the most intelligent villains in the universe, and is regularly consulted by the Justice League for his expertise. But his type of wisdom is based on crime fighting as a vigilante, which I do not intend to do anytime soon. I want to gain wisdom in how to be a happier person, a pursuit that Batman has set aside in his quest for justice. Batman’s charisma (CHA, defined by the Nerd Fitness model as “force of personality and physical attractivenessâ€) is used to lead a double life as Bruce Wayne and the Dark Knight. He is the best at what he does so is a level 50 in this category in his own right. He uses the art of intimidation to strike fear into criminals through his symbolic bat-suit, muscular frame, and no-nonsense dialogue. But his brand of charisma is not very practical for a citizen such as myself. I’m not sure yet how to define my ultimate aspirations for charisma. For these reasons, I will likely look for other patron saints who reflects my level 50 aspirations for WIS and CHA. Please post in the comments any patron saint ideas for WIS and CHA (another super hero would be a great option). Stats Summary STR level 50 = Batman DEX level 50 = Batman STA level 50 = Batman CON level 50 = Batman WIS level 50 = ????? CHA level 50 = ?????

Back for my 5th?!?! challenge. Time flies when you are searching for gifs on the internet. Getting back to ass-kickery on this challenge. Fitness (+3 STR) ♦ 20 consecutive push-ups Is this crazy? I don’t know. I set high goals for myself and I can usually reach them. So I figure I’ll set the push-up mark high to really “push” myself. I’m going to steadily increase the amount of push-ups that I do day-to-day. (+3 DEX) ♦ Interval sprints once a week. Self-explanatory. Diet (+2 CON +1 CHA) Grilling outside at least once a week (may be modified) I love grilling in nice weather. This might not be much of a challenge, but it will provide me with Vitamin D and delicious meats for devouring. Paleo/Primal eating has become a no-brainer, so this quest is more to get me outside more. Perhaps I will add some different objectives like grilling seafood or finding/making a smoker. We will just have to see where this quest takes us. Life (+2 STA +1 STA) Wake-up at 430am Some may think this is crazy. Most people will think this is crazy. I have to wake up at 5am to get to work on time, but I would like to wake up a little bit earlier to start the day with exercise/stretching. I’ll try to wake up at 430 Monday – Saturday. Keeping Sunday for a rest day… just as the lord intended. (+2 WIS +1 CHA) resume, portfolio site, job hunting This is boring stuff, but stuff I need to take the time to do. I don’t see a lot of growth potential at my current workplace and I am not doing exactly what I want to be doing. It is time to get the ball rolling on this task. Side Quests (+3 DEX) I kind of stole this idea from ApfelStrudi. Variety is the spice of life, so I would like you (my friends) to give me side quests. This can be anything. I’m not scared. I will however make a request that my bendy friends challenge me with bendy things, because I am so very un-bendy. Click on the icon and it should take you to the Google Doc Reward: Sword! time to slay some dragons!

Been gone for the past few challenges, but feel like this is the perfect time to come back. This is also my first time as a Warrior - spent all my previous challenges as a Ranger, but since I love picking up heavy things above all else, this is where I belong for now. Anyway, I'm starting off this challenge angry - mostly at myself. When I was first getting into weightlifting, about a year and a half ago, I attempted a front squat without utilizing proper form, and strained something in my back. It was painful for a couple of weeks but I've had it under control for the most part since then - trying to use good form, warming up/stretching, and so on. Well, stupidly, over the past few weeks I've been getting lazy about warming up/stretching, and let my form get a little more sloppy than it should. This past Saturday, at the end of a 135 Romanian Deadlift - the heaviest I've ever gone - I felt a huge twinge in my lower back, and for the past couple of days it's definitely been uncomfortable. Bending over, for example, is painful. So, all my previous thoughts for goals have gone out the window. Instead I'll try to take some inspiration from Batman - even he had his back broken and had to recover. Ultimate goal - get down to 22% bodyfat (currently at around 28%) 1st goal - Do all the stretches Got an appointment with the chiropractor today, and whatever the diagnosis is, I'll apply her advice religiously. I've also got Al Kavadlo's stretching book, and am ordering Supple Leopard today, and will focus on reading those and applying the stretching and recovery exercises they recommend. These are things that will probably need to be done everyday. 2nd goal - It's all about the diet Since I probably won't be able to do as many of the traditional exercises I was planning (heavy squats, deadlifts, etc.), and my ultimate goal revolves around leaning out, this means I need to zero in on my diet even more. The goal here is to eat paleo 90% of the time, with room for one cheat meal per week. 3rd goal - Incorporate more bodyweight movements When Bruce Wayne had to recover, he didn't have access to his traditional training methods, and he had to think about his back problems. So he used bodyweight exercises! I've been getting closer and closer to being able to do chin-ups, so I'll continue to concentrate on those, along with pushups, planks, and so on. If I'm told by the doctor that weighted squats and deadlifts are out, I'll focus my work on pistol squats. Life goal - Don't stress That's pretty much it. I'm bummed about the fact that I probably won't get to move heavy weights, but this whole challenge is focused on keeping recovery first. Someday I'll be able to go back to heavier weights, and being healthy is most important, so why stress about everything else? On any journey to better health I'm bound to hit a few bumps in the road, and the key here is to not let myself get completely derailed. The Bane of my back problems will get conquered as long as I work consistently at it.

Time to Take on Two-Face!!! For those of you just tuning in I'm AverageJoe and I'm on a grand journey to go from Fatman to Batman. Last challenge I battled my way out of the pit (barely ). I ended the last challenge at 204lbs and 21% body fat, the lowest I've been in a LOOOONNNNGGG time! But that sub 200lbs/20% mark is still being elusive. I also used the FBI Fitness test to evaluate my progress, which gives you a grade based on performance in various exercises. I want to take a similar approach and take on some of Gotham's greatest Villains. First up TWO FACE!! TWO-FACE - GOAL #1 Break the 2 barrier! Get below (and stay below) 200lbs and 20% body fat!! I'm sooo close I can taste it. I'm sure I've gained back a little since the end of the last challenge (battling a cold = no exercise and poor food choices) but I CAN and WILL reach this goal. This is a straight Pass/Fail scenario: Pass = Cha +3 Wis + 2 TWO-FACE - GOAL #2: Gain 2 points each for my pushups, pull ups and situps (per FBI test) This means... 45 situps in 1 minute (currently 41, so should be doable) 44 consecutive pushups (currently at 35) 14 consecutive Pull ups (currently at 11) All three exercises achieved = Str +3, Dex +2 TWO-FACE - GOAL #3: Spend 2 date nights/week. One with my wife and one with my daughter. The end of last challenge I really pushed myself and didn't spend as much family time as I would have liked. 6 weeks = Wis +3, Con +2 First step for this challenge will be to get healthy and beat this cold. Then the training begins!!!

For those of you just tuning in I’m AverageJoe. This is my 5th NF challenge (first as a Ranger!) and I am on a grand adventure to go from Fatman to Batman! I nearly defeated the Fatman last challenge but he has been refueled and his bad habits strengthened by the holidays (Damn Cookies!!!). So like Bruce Wayne in Dark Knight Rises I have been dispatched to the bottom of a pit of dispair created by holiday cookies, wine and snowstorms! But like Bruce I can see the light and I have hope! In the true spirit of a Pit-based challenge I will be minimizing the necessary exercise equipment and forgoing runs (sorry to disappoint I’m not that hardcore yet, it’s too freakin’ cold outside for a run). My workouts will consist of bodyweight exercises (primarily pushups, pull ups, and squats) and cardio in the form of jump rope and boxing. Also if I’m going to make the leap to freedom and become Bat I need to push myself as hard as possible. So I’ve designed my challenge to (hopefully) do just that. I will be starting with a moderate workout schedule and minimal diet goals. Each week I will be increasing the workout frequency (and hopefully intensity) as well as increasing dietary restrictions. How will I measure success? Glad you asked. I plan on using the FBI fitness test to evaluate my fitness before (will post beginning stats soon) and after the challenge. I will also be tracking weight, body measurements and BF% on a regular basis throughout the challenge. In summary: Goal #1(Str +3, Dex +2): Get Strong!! Follow my incremental workout schedule culminating with 6 days of double (AM/PM) WOs for week 6. [# of successful weeks: 6 = A, 5 = B, 4 = C, etc.] Goal #2 (Con +2, Cha +3): Get Lean and Mean!! Follow my incremental diet plan [# of successful weeks: 6 = A, 5 = B, 4 = C, etc.] Goal #3(Str +2, Dex +2, Wis +1): Escape the Pit! Based on results of fitness test. [score improvement +15 = A, +10 = B,+5 = C, <+5 = D,+0 = F] I'm excited and nervous about kicking off 2014 with such lofty goals (at least for me) and starting a new guild. Here's to rising from the ashes a better man!

BATWOMAN: ZERO YEAR Welcome back my pretties. So... last challenge... last challenge was a challenge. I did not do as well as I might have liked. I was prepared to battle Mr. Freeze, but unfortunately it was Calendar Man that really did me in. Well, you will not get me next time Calendar Sch-man, because 2013 was my time to learn of your cruel ways and 2014 is when I will slap you in your smug face. So watch out... I'm coming. I spent a lot of time at the end of the year and during my time off reflecting on myself and what this year has been for me. I spend a lot of time looking forward and what I need to do and I don't really ever take a lot of time to feel good about what I've done. I felt like a complete slob around the holiday because I wasn't keeping on diet, but then I got a load of compliments from family that I am looking the best that they have ever seen me. I've also inspired my close family into changing their diets to become healthier. While yes it feels good to be told that you look good. It is more important to me to inspire my family to live longer and healthy lives. At the beginning of 2013 I did not write down any resolutions, but I remember the two biggest things that I wanted to accomplish were 1. losing weight and 2. leaving my miserable job for a better and higher paying job. I accomplished both of those things. At the start of 2013 I probably weighed around 210 and the last time I checked the scale I was at 185-ish. I don't dread going to work anymore and hey I can actually cover all of my bills and save money... w00t! Right there that would be enough to call 2013 a success, but then on top of that I got a motorcycle license that I had always talked about getting and I started playing ice hockey. I started 2 blogs. I continued a podcast here and there. 2013 was the year that I think I'm finally realizing that I don't need to chase approval from anyone but myself. I can only control what I do. I can only love those who want to be open to receive it and give it back. Having perspective and knowing that makes life a lot simpler and me a lot happier. That all being said (and I went on quite a tangent), I feel like 2014 is my jumping off point. This is the year that I shed everyone's expectations and stop chasing what I should do, and start becoming who I am. Alright enough of this cliche start of the year sense of rejuvenation and get on to the challenge... shall we? MAIN GOAL Alright... I'm going to say that I have a problem with just main goal. I have many goals and they range from short-term to long-term. I need to have something to look forward to and aspire to get to, the long-term. I also need something to focus and accomplish every day, the short term. So I'm going to be a rebel and break down my main goal. Day-to-Day: Be as proficient as possible with the time I am allotted in a day. Do not waste time on not getting better or accomplishing. Challenge: Lose 5 lbs. Year 2014: There is a better, leaner, smarter, wiser me at the end of this year. I have a hokey analogy that I've been thinking of at the beginning of 2014 and here it is: each year is like a mountain and you can either spend each day sitting on your butt at the bottom or you can spend each day slowly scaling the mountain. Then at the end of the year you're either looking up at where you could be or you are at the top looking at where you were. I want to look back at where I was. FITNESS Walking 4 hours per week (5 STA) I'm going back to basics this challenge. If you check out the Primal Fitness Blueprint the base of the "fitness pyramid" is to move frequently at a slow pace. This also goes conveniently hand in hand with NAG 42s trek to Mordor, so I could not pass up on this fitness goal. I'm also looking to do less impact stuff because a large part of this time of year is going to be spent towards being a good housewife, but that comes later 20 push-ups in a row Lifting heavy things is the next element of the fitness pyramid, but I will not have time to devote towards full scale work outs. I'm going to look towards building strength through push-ups with the end goal being 20 in a row. I had a PVP with MDowning that kind of got forgotten about unfortunately, stupid calendar man. I think it will be best for me to work on form and try to get stronger with push-ups from week to week. I'm not putting points towards this because it is not my main fitness goal. Stretching Needs to happen. Self explanatory. Not a main goal, but important for recovery and keeping sane during tax season. DIET 100% Paleo (5 CON) Maybe this is crazy, but I don't care. The fact is that when I eat gluten or I eat processed foods I feel like poo. No more holidays to worry about, so no excuse. Then the sub challenge to this challenge is devoting a large portion of my weekend to batch cooking and keeping Jenn fed at all times. I don't have to be there to feed Jenn, but I have to make sure there is food in the fridge that she can just pop in the microwave to eat when she gets home from a long day of work. If not, I am gambling with keeping my face on my face. I want her to eat well and not have to rely on fast food to fill her belly. LIFE Releasing my inner Alfred (WIS 3, CHA 2) January to April 15th when you live with an accountant that works in a small firm is to put it lightly... a challenge. My lovely would be wife works 10 - 12 hour days 7 days a week. She busts her butt and I know that it is my responsibility to work as hard at home so she has no stresses when she walks through our front door. So I am harnessing my Alfred skills... not like Michael Cain Alfred.. while great in his own way he is not badass. I'll be like Earth One Alfred; ex-British-Intelligence secret hero that puts everything into assisting the superhero. Batman could not be Batman without Alfred. It's fact. I still need to make a cleaning schedule, but I see myself coming home from work and spending a few hours either cleaning or cooking or whatever until Jenn gets home. The overall goal is to keep the house clean, clothes washed, dishes done, and food made. Drawing I've already made a goal for the year to draw every day. I started a "don't break the chain" calendar. Four days in and the chain is still going, so we will keep it going but I will not tie any points to this goal. It is just something I need to do to become a better artist. Savings Ok. I don't tend to waste a whole lot of money, but ya know... comics... video games. I really need to save money for certain things. The first being a flight to Portland in September. The second being a new PC. I've already started saving $50 per paycheck and putting it into a savings account. I also have not spent any of my Christmas money. So I just need to keep this trend going and buy my plane ticket by the end of this challenge. MOTIVATION If it was easy then everyone would do it. It's the hard that makes it worth while. reward: wacom tablet for digital painting/drawing.

Elastigirl sat in her favorite chair, reading a good book, sipping tea, and enjoying some dark chocolate. She thought she heard a small noise, looking around and seeing nothing, she resumed reading. Then she felt a small breeze blow over her, startled she looked up from her book but still she saw nothing. Puzzled, she got up from her chair so she could investigate. That was when she heard a voice coming out of the shadows “Did you think your training was over? It has not even begun. There is much to learn.†. Elastigirl strained her eyes trying to see who was speaking, “who is this, and where are you?’ Hearing a noise behind her, she spun around “Here, “ said the voice She gulped as she saw who had been standing in the shadows, it was none other than Batman,the Dark Knight himself . Elastigirl stammered,†I am ready for more training, but uh, why did they send you? I usually get my missions delivered by bird†The Dark Knight stared silently at her for a moment then he said quietly, “And weren’t you just complaining how outdated that method was? Elastigirl decides the best answer is to say nothing and wait for further instructions. The Dark Knight continues, “I wanted to save Gotham, but I was powerless to do so, much as you are now†I was willing to undergo the training necessary to save my city. Do you have the will to act? If so follow me†Elastigirl nods, ready to do whatever necessary to train. She also secretly hopes that the training mission will involve at least one ride in the Batmobile. The Dark Knight steps out the door silently, and he and Elastigirl disappear into the night. Elastigirl’s Ninja Training: Goal # 1: Ninja- assassin Leanness They never show the food and diet control part in the montages, because, well let’s face it, that’s the boring part.* But really no training montage is successful without it. You can workout all you want, but if your eating is out of control you will never be assassin lean. If I want to be a true ninja-assassin I need to get my eating back under control, after some holiday laxness. *exception to this is the Rocky montage where Rocky awesomely slurps down raw eggs. 1) Week 1 30 grams net carbs/week 2 35-45 grams. /week 3- week 6 between 40 -60grams 2) Journal at end of day and how I feel (hungry full energetic…) 3) Once a week measure and record : weight, blood pressure, waist Points= 5 CON. There may be a couple evening where we eat at a friend’s house, and even if I am low carb during the day, I still may have to go over a bit, and that is fine. Ungraded from old challenge to continue working on -Keep walking 4 days a week-15 minutes Water-first thing in am,after exercise,tea and/or in afternoon, water while prepping dinner, herbal tea and/ or water in evening Goal #2 Patience and Agility: A Ninja understands that invisibility is a matter of patience and agility. 1)Deadhang: be able to hold a deadhang for 30 60 seconds consistently with effort level of 6 8 30 seconds with a 6 effort 2)Handstand: be able to hold a wall handstand for 60 seconds consistently with effort level of 6 POINTS= 2 STA,2 DEX Goal #3: Mind Your Surroundings 1) Mind Surroundings: Focus Do my workout quickly and with focus, no web surfing during workout POINTS = 4 CON Fitness plan to get there: Kettlebell Rite of Passage including deadhang practice Mon-Wed-Friday /daily handstand practice Mon-Friday /Tuesday and Thursday kettlebell TGU’s/ walking Life Goal: Theatricality and Deception are powerful agents: Unfortunately I do not have a supply of cool defense weapons discarded by the military at my disposal. As an Ninja trainee- I will practice with what I have- Mr. Incredible and I use to play computer games together frequently but we have neglected this lately. Neither one of us have played Portal, and the dark months of winter are a great time to renew our skills. No super specifics of how much time, once we start, I’m sure we will play plenty. This goal is just for fun. Had some serious goals in previous challenges, now we need to exercise our play muscles. POINTS= 2 CHA Side Goal: We are going to Disneyworld/Florida in spring, so I need to get busy planning it.

Today when I woke up in my most recent hideout I found a bird carrying another mission for the Assassin's guild... Why we still used birds when we can travel to other dimensions still confuses me... ASSASSIN For your next assignment you will be sent to infiltrate Gotham City. We believe that there is much to be learned from Batman so for the next 6 weeks you need to study and learn as much about Batman as possible. Study his moves, explore his city and follow him on his patrols. This contract begins in 4 days. A chance to study Batman and learn from him! 4 days hmmm I better start planning... I looked at my calendar and laughed, Happy Birthday to me!

First and foremost, thank you in advance for all your help and support. I look forward to repaying you all with a little entertainment in the future (see Life Quest). Disclaimer: This may be a tad depressing, but it has a happy ending : ) Background Story: (The Beginning) When I was in high school I was a nationally competitive gymnast. Needless to say I was in fantastic shape. However, I lived in a home that had a healthy food regiment and didn't really eat out. Leaving for college, however, did a number on me. Junk food, soft drinks, and alcohol. It was a hard time balancing a small budget, having no car, and eating healthy, but I generally was physically active enough to retain most of my fitness. I had a great time, but towards the end things got very dark. (The Fall) Junior year my girlfriend at the time cheated on me with my best friend. To add insult to injury it was while I was in the same house, after I had bought them both dinner, when I had gone to bed early to get back to work early the next morning. Treason once I could handle, but twice? I was in a dark place for senior year of college. (Rock Bottom) My drinking became a problem as I numbed myself to the world around me. The numbness caused me to hurt others who did nothing but care for me. Then when I was sober enough to realize that, I felt even worse; I drank even more. I had met the woman I am currently with and, while I did not know at the time, plan to be with for as long as life allows. I nearly lost her to all my idiot actions that year. I knew that if I was ever going to be worthy of such an incredible person, I needed to change. (Hope) I decided on a sort of reinvention of myself. My first priority was academics and peace of mind. I decided to go to law school far away (in Michigan) from my college (in Florida), to eliminate anyone that could draw me back into that darkness. In short, it was a success: I got the grades; I got the girl (she's ended up coming to another [better] law school in Michigan); and I got the new life I wanted. (If you want to know more about what it takes to succeed in law school, feel free to PM me). (Start Loop) Yet, because fitness and health was not a priority, I was gaining weight and my shape was worsening. I didn't change my diet, nor did I stop drinking. Like a typical New Years resolutioner I bought an exercise system (Rip60) last year and finished it with pretty good results, but I was still The Fork Outrunner. Having run out of workout DVDs I fell off the workout boat and my bad eating/drinking habits caught up to me yet again. (Repeat) I've started and stopped 1) P90X, 2) Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and 3) Running since then... Main Quest: I want to break this cycle: Get fit, keep eating/drinking. Stop working out, keep eating/drinking. Get out of shape again/gain weight. Repeat. In short, I need discipline. I suppose this is my initiation into the Ranger's guild. 3 Specific Goals: 1) Eat better, drink less. My plan is to go paleo and booze-free weeks with weekends limited to a finite number of drinks/cheat meals. In order to accomplish this I will post proposed weekly food regiments and hold myself to them. Success or failure in this is going to be pretty dependent on accountability. Please help me construct reasonable meal plans and devise punishments for failure to adhere to them. 2) Improve Cardio. I'm constantly moving from one place to another so I never have a gym membership. Winter in Michigan is a runner's nightmare with black ice and below zero temperatures. I cannot afford to buy a treadmill and then proceed to move it everywhere I end up going. Therefore, jump rope. I'm doing the workouts in the Rebel Fitness Guide with jump rope as my cardio, and as my supplemental exercise on off days. I can barely do it for a minute straight, so my goal will be ten minutes of coninuous jump rope by the end of this challenge. I will post weekly bests along with my meal plan. 3) Improve Flexibility. While I'm quite happy with the warm up and cool down of the Rebel Workouts, I used to be a competitive gymnast. I'm frankly ashame of how inflexible I have become in relation to my past. Therefore, I will add my old gymnastics/martial arts flexibility regiment to my workout and off days. I will also post weekly bests on my splits in order to be held accountable. My belief is that each of these can be done regardless of my access to workout equipment, and will ensure that I can not fall off the boat. I will set alarms on my phone so that I can never forget. Side Quests: 1) Become a better cook with Paleo recipes. Try at least one new recipe each week. Report the results. 2) Game while standing. When I game I will try and remain standing to avoid sitting all day when I'm not exercising. Life Quest : I want to finally finish developing my magic routine and perform it from start to finish for an audience. I've been casually practicing magic, putting hundreds of dollars into it as a hobby, and never having more than a few isolated tricks to do. My goal is to develop, perfect, and perform a full 10 minute routine. I want to finish this by the end of this challenge and post a video for all of you to enjoy/critique. Motivation: I've always had a fascination with the jack of all trades (aka Batman). Being the best I can be at a variety of things has always brought me pride and pleasure. It is a point of pride then to be not just a Computer Engineer/Patent Lawyer/Archer/Magician but a fit Computer Engineer/Patent Lawyer/Archer/Magician. Being the best I can be, is being the happiest I can be.

Main Quest: Last challenge I started my path to go from Fatman to Batman. I struggled and definitely didn't get there, but Bruce Wayne didn't become the Bat in 6 weeks and neither can I! I need to continue on the hero’s path. I need to develop Strength, Endurance, Grit!! Also my motivation has been kicked into overdrive. My wife and I found out that we're expecting our second kid in April!!! So now I NEED to get my act together. Not only will I need all the strength and endurance I can muster to keep up with a newborn AND a four year old but I need the healthy habits cemented into me by then so I don't fall back to bad habits when things get stressful. That being said here's the plan... Goal 1: Strength - I LOVE feeling strong!! Picking up something heavy makes me happy!! So Lift I Must!! Minimum of 2 workouts/week, 3 lifts, 5x5 sets/reps (STR +5) WO #1: Sumo DL High pull, Barbell Row, Bench Press WO #2: Push Press, Deadlift, Front squat Goal 2: Endurance/Speed - I've always joked that I'm built for comfort NOT speed! That's just not going to fly anymore!! I'm getting ready for my 5K on Dec 14th (FYI I live in central NY so it will be FREAKIN' COLD) but if Batman can take on Mr. Freeze so can I. (DEX +2, STA +3) WO plan: 30 minute Fartlek style run, 5 minute warm up run (below race pace) followed by.. 2 min run (@ RP) 30 sec Speed (@ 90% max output) 90 sec cool down (below RP) repeat 5 X 5 minute cool down run Goal 3: Fuel for the fight - The Batman treats his body right and so should I. I've found that eating paleo works pretty well for me so I'm going to keep it up. My goal is ~90% paleo, only 2 “flex†meals per week (CON +3, WIS +2) I'm also going to be tracking bodyfat % along with my weight to get a better measure on how I'm doing. For the first few weeks (at least) I'm going to record my diet stats as well (calories, carbs, protien, etc.) to see where I am and the I can adjust accordingly. Here's to a great final challenge of 2013!!

For the last challenge, I signed up as a Ranger. However, my main goal (Strength + Size) is really more at home in the Warrior's guild... Main Quest: Size + Strength As you'll see from my prior challenge, I've always been a smaller guy. I'm finally starting to get bigger, and that's what I'm going to do during this challenge. Goal #1: Eat it Up: 3000 calories on rest days, 3500+ calories on work days STA +2, CON +2 I know the only way I'll really get bigger is to lift heavy and eat heavy. I think in the last challenge I did a good job on work out days, but not so great on my rest days. So, I'm going to bump it up this time around. Also, I'm going to track my protein macro this time around - ensure I get at least 180g of protein every single day. Goal #2: Push it Up: Bench 215, 5x5 STR +4 I've created my own lifting routine that I'm really looking forward to. It definitely follows the high weight/low rep philosophy (similar to SL 5x5, really). Last night I put up 185 for 5x5, so for this challenge I'll up it 30lbs. Goal #3: Push it Up, Part 2: Squat 270, 5x5 STR +4 At the end of the last challenge, I was able to squat 250x5 for a few sets (I think 3?). I think I'll be able to start out around 230 for 5x5, then I'll work my way up to 270! Life Quest: Find my happy place WIS +2, CHA +1 I used to attend yoga class at least once a week. I always enjoyed it, but recently I haven't been going. At all. I'm going to get back on track and attend one class per week! Doesn't matter what style or difficulty - just gotta get there!The biggest challenge I see so far is that I'll be traveling for work one week. This will make it VERY hard to get to a gym, yoga class, and to know exactly what I'm eating...anyone have any suggestions? I'll be in New York City - I'd love to hear your ideas!