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This is an open Bodyweight loss challenge: The Winner is the Person for whom (BF_{beginning}-BF_{current}) /BF_{beginning} is the smallest biggest number The attendents need to give their BF calculated by http://fitness.bizcalcs.com/Calculator.asp?Calc=Body-Fat-Navy when joining in. There is no chance of leaving once you have begun. The Penalty is (rank-1)/(#attendees-1) * 1000 burpees in 48h Spreadsheet ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rules by Br0din: 1. lose fat 2. must sign up and enter by Jan 5th. Final measurements will happen on March 1st. If you don't record your results on 3/1. you lose. 3. if you enter... you will do the punishment, even if you quit 4. Trash talking will happen. 5. don't quit ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anti CHEAT rules: 1.no professional surgery 2.you have to survive homemade surgery 3.If you think of silently attending and seeing if you would win, you will be cursed

Tweaking goals ever so slightly this month, as I enjoyed the simplicity of the last challenge. Just working on some weak points. Goal #1: Do Stronglifts 5x5 three times a week If I'm honest with myself I'm getting a little concerned. Failed squats, OH press and deadlifts during Monday's session (failed squats and deadlifts for the first time too) and workouts are getting LONG. Add to that douchebros who (again) like standing in my personal space in an empty gym while I fail, and a period that won't start, and it's all feeding the anxiety. I agree with the trainer who watched me struggle on bench press last time: my triceps are weak as. Have added some tri dips on a bench at the end of each workout (the assisted machine fucked me up for two weeks last time) and hope that does something. Hopefully the app will switch me to 3x5 and put me out of my misery. Goal #2: Support 5x5 appropriately In my case, this means foam rolling prior to the workout, performing the suggested accessory exercises on the Stronglifts 5x5 app after the compound lifts, and doing some sort of restorative yoga on rest days. I like Grokker and Do Yoga With Me for sheer variety. Barely did yoga last month as I didn't get any DOMS and kind of forgot on the off days... Goal #3 Eat properly, eat MOAR More of the former than the latter. Am setting myself the challenge of eating something green every day. Yes, this is a challenge for me. Today I had half an avocado. WIN!!!! Goal #4: Track everything Especially after Week 0. Haven't tracked shit. Will post measurements soon! Looking forward to following and growing (muscle) together!

snapshot of progress over the past couple months: height: 5’6.5” weight: 2/6/16 – 164.4lbs 3/4/16 – 163.3lbs 4/2/16 – 162.4lbs so something’s *working* I guess. but not fast enough my friends. I was 154.change in October 2015. so what the hell? making food/nutrition quest 1 this go-round. Quest 1 *no crap food from work. eat only what I bring in. this includes hot chocolate packets which I made an exception for last challenge… wut? *keep weekly calorie intake within 300 calories of 12,200 for the third and fourth weeks and within 10,450 for the first and second weeks (6 days each*). 4/16/16 will not be counted in my weekly total as it’s the day we’ll be celebrating the SO’s birthday. I’ll still track food and be smart but I wanted to give myself that day for my sanity and so that the SO doesn’t get bummed by me saying “no I can’t have any of those things you want.” also, I realize this challenge started yesterday but I am starting today. *cook all breakfasts and at least one lunch or dinner meal at home each weekend. I already do breakfast at home well on the weekends so I’ll just be tracking the lunch/dinner meal. *take measurements and progress photos for challenge end Quest 2 *complete 5 lifting sessions per week lifting 5x/week and three of those times will be front squats Quest 3 *complete 30 minutes of foam rolling or mobility per week *complete four yoga sessions throughout the challenge *complete 2 cardio sessions throughout the challenge i would like to be in a comfortable place before my trip to FL the first weekend of May!

QUEST1: Get that Viking moving! On 5 days of the week one or more of the following: LiftingA combination of:RopeskippingSledgehammerBodyweight exercisesEllipticalRunningGrouplesson KickfunGrouplesson Circuit training QUEST2: Grow a big healthy Viking! Mindful: Eat as healthy as possible, no snacking Moderation: Do not binge on food or alcohol Slight deficit: Try to keep a slight deficit so i won't be gaining, but will (hopefully) lose some BF. QUEST3: A rested viking is a healthy Viking! Sunday to Wednesday, go to bed no later than 23:00 (sleep till 06:00) 7 hours of sleep A total of 50 hours sleep per week 1 resting day during the week, 1 resting day during the weekend. Sidenote: A resting day CAN be exchanged for a workout day, if the following is met: I can go to bed early that eveningNo outstanding "Domestic Rangering"TM tasksThere has been (or will be) enough Family-Time that week LIFEQUEST: Educate the Viking Weighttracking / MFP Tracking Spreadsheet building and tracking 1 spreadsheet per week which will help me out in my quests in one way or the other

hi, my name is fearless and im a former scout. im injured ( chronically inflamed achilles tendons) and can't run. also i have a barbell i really want to learn to use. in this challenge i want to develop a couple of new habits. i will add something new every week to complete my goals and change things slowly. i don't have a clue about lifting and am scared shitless of eating primal. still, i have a name to live up to! goals: main quest: lardbusting. eat primal six out of seven days a week by the end of this challenge lose 5% body fat and get down to 38%learn to do a beginner lifting routine ( based on the book "new rules of lifting for women") and install the habit of doing this 3x/week. track every workout.work on my book project for 12 hours a week. week 0 will be moving flat on thursday therefore have to improvise a bit. get as much knowledge as you can about primal eating and lifting go shopping and fill fridge in new flat with real food eat 5 primal meals this week no more sugar make a before photo, measure yourself and get your body fat measured at a drugstore post food diary every day will add more later...

Hi Assassins! So I'm new here. I completed my first challenge successfully, and I'm now ready to become an Assassin. Here is a link to my first (previous) challenge if you're interested what I did. My body stats at the moment (6/4-2015): 20 years old182cm (6") 78kg/172lbs (Morning weight)7.9% body-fat My Main Quest: "To Free My Body" Everything society and our environment tells us is making us less free, we are slaves, and it's getting worse every single second you're not actively doing something to prevent it. If you just go along like everyone else, work 9-5, get wife, achieve kids, buy what society tells you to buy, watch what you're told to watch, YOU ARE A SLAVE. You need to break free. This is my quest, and it's not something you ever reach, because the moment you think you achieved it and consider yourself "done" or "content", you are by definition a slave again. It's a process and the closest you can ever come towards the goal is to keep pursuing. Free your body. The practical application and pursuit of this is to improve myself every day, in every aspect. To do something that takes me towards my goal, and be done with it, then wake up the next day without any worry about yesterday, and do something that moves me towards my goal, and be done with it. A necessity for this is to be open-minded, there is NO progress or improvement if you're not open-minded. It's so easy to get stuck in comfort, in a routine, a lifestyle etc. If you ever find yourself doing the same thing every day, CHANGE IT COMPLETELY. There is nothing worse than being stagnant. Right now, I aim towards becoming an Assassin, and I do so whole heartedly, but the moment I find myself saying "I'm an Assassin" it's time for me to move onto another class, another goal. That's how you grow, that's how you prevent getting stuck. So why Assassin for this challenge? Easy. Because I'm starting to become stagnant as a Warrior. I love lifting weights, and I will never stop lifting, but a couple of months ago I found myself mindlessly waking up, going to the gym, pushing down 6-7 meals/day, going to sleep and repeating. I woke up and broke free from this, I started incorporating flexibility training, a more flexible diet and started researching on bodyweight/calisthenics and became truly inspired. Truth is, I'm not a natural warrior, there is nothing about my body-type that corresponds with lifting heavy weight, but I'm also truly happy that I did start lifting, since it was a real weakness and fear of mine. I was WEAK when I began, not the average person weak, but WEAK. Now I'm STRONG, last time I tested my strength (late January) my lifts were: Squat: 160kg (353lbs), Deadlift: 190kg (420lbs), and Bench: 102kg (225lbs), and I've progressed some since, even if I've focused on leaning out the previous months. My lifts are not super impressive, but I'm just barely one year into lifting. Anyway, It's time for me to transition more into bodyweight movements. I've always admired truly explosive power and speed, so this will be my main focus this challenge, explosiveness and speed. Goal 1 - Muscle-Up (2 dex, 2 str) Yep. It's a huge dream of mine. I never focused or trained for it, probably out of fear. I've been doing Pull-Ups and Chin-Ups weekly since I began exercising, and my back is one of my stronger body-parts, but this one is a mixture of insane strength, skill and explosiveness. I will achieve a strict Muscle-Up this challenge, I'm not gonna be flapping like a fish outa water (of course I'll have to start there), it will be strict, it will be beautiful, and it most likely won't be "Muscle-Up", but "Muscle-Ups". I have the base strength, but lack the skill, meaning that consistent training is required. Components I'll utilize to achieve the Muscle-Up: Baby Muscle-Ups: Muscle-Ups on a low bar, using my legs as needed to learn the proper movement. Clap/Explosive Pull-Ups: I can already do Clap Pull-Ups, so I'll be progressing towards more claps, Chest Pull-Ups, Hip Pull-Ups etc. False Grip Hangs: To get used to the false grip needed for a strict Muscle-Up. Goal 2 - Supermans (2 dex, 2 str, 1 cha) The true mastery of upper-body explosiveness. For those of you that don't know what it is, it's the closest a human will ever get to flying. You start in a Push-Up position, EXPLODE UP with both your legs and upper body (pushing thorough your arms and legs), giving you enough height to completely extend both arms forward (like Super-Man) before catching yourself in a Push-Up and repeating the motion. Why do I get 1 point cha for this? Are you kidding me, I'll literally be flying like superman, now that's sexy . This one required mad explosive power, which is exactly what I'm after. In the book "Explosive Calisthenics" by Paul Wade, this is one mastery of "The Explosive Six" (the Muscle-Up is another). Paul Wade gives 10 progression steps for every of the six explosive moves, so I'll be progression according to the steps in this book. I'm currently at step 4 (of 10), which is Clap Push-Ups. So the components I'll utilize to achieve this will be: Clap Push-ups Chest-Strike Push-Ups Hip-Strike Push-Ups Convict Push-Ups: Clap behind back Half Superman: Extending arms but not legs Full body Pop up: Superman but not extending both arms Goal 3 - Suicide Jumps (3 dex, 1 wis) Another mastery step of "The Explosive six". This one is all legs. You hold a stick in your hands, you jump HIGH, tuck your knees to your chest as you bring the stick under yourself, so the stick ends up behind you, then what? You guessed it, you immediately jump again, bringing the stick back. You need to be able to jump high enough, and be agile enough to bring the stick below you, it's not an easy task to say the least. Once again, I'll be utilizing Wade's ten progression steps, for this one I'm at Step 7, which is a Tuck Jump (jumping as high as possible while bringing your knees as high as possible). The next steps are: Catch Tuck Jump: Same as Tuck Jump, but you catch your legs and push them towards your chest before you land Thread Jump: You hold one leg infront of you while you jump over it using the other leg, to work on the agility and coordination needed for the Suicide Jump Goal 4 - Dragon-Flags (2 str, 2 cha) Yes, I love Bruce Lee. I'm pretty sure this is one of the coolest moves you can do, and it's also one of the best abdominal exercises, which is a nice bonus for them summer abs . Progressions to achieve the dragon-flag: Negative Dragon-Flags: Kicking myself up and lowering myself as slowly as possible Negative Dragon-Flags with static hold: Same, but with a pause at very bottom. Goal 5 - Sprints (2 sta, 2 dex, 1 con) Once again, I wanna be FAST, LIGHTENING FAST. My strong, long legs makes my top speed good, but my acceleration is not great. I will be sprinting 4 times/week for this challenge, focusing on different distances, but mostly on short distances like 30-50m (about 30-50 yards) to work on acceleration. Goal 6 - Staying below 8% body-fat (2 con, 2 cha) My previous challenge was to get below 9% body-fat, I ended up at 7.9%. I'm happy with this, and I want to maintain it. I'm currently carefully reversing out of my deficit by increasing my calories slowly each week. I will keep tracking my weight and body-fat to ensure I don't get above 8%. Also, please don't take the exact number to seriously, I measure on myself with a skin-fold caliper, so the accuracy is debatable, but since I measure the same way every time, it's an accurate way to measure progress. I'd guesstimate that I'm around 8-9% body-fat though. I'll probably drop down to around 7% for summer, but for this challenge I need more calories to reach my goals, so maintaining my percentage is the goal. Goal 7 - Full Bridge (3 con) Yep. The challenge would not be complete without a flexibility goal. I'll be able to do a Full Bridge after this challenge. I'm already stretching at least 30min daily, and I'll be utilizing stretches that directly target areas needed for the bridge. I'm very competitive and put extreme demands on myself, it's hard on the mind, sometimes unhealthy. I've learned to handle it though, much thanks to meditation. I said in my previous challenge that I'll be setting very high goals this challenge, and I believe I have. I do not want easy. If you aim low, you'll achieve low. In the past, I've always set high/extreme goals, and I have this weird tendency to completely SMASH that extreme goal There is no doubt in my mind I will achieve all 7 goals. To complete the challenge I will have to upload a video of myself demonstrating (all of) the moves before May 25th. I'll be active on here and give updates on my progress and training, I'd be very happy if you choose to follow my progress, and I'm very grateful for any help or tips I can get! See ya around, Assassins Godnattish.

I had a pretty good year in 2014 and am starting 2015 with the aim of building on last year's successes and surpassing them. Heck, I'd like to sink the battleship with how well I'm going to blow my goals out of the water in 2015!! This first challenge of 2015 is aimed at locking in on what worked so that I can do more of it .... and gathering up tools that will support my progress toward attaining at "normal" weight of 149 lbs by the end of the year. And about 30% body fat .... which should be a very nice, feasible goal that I hope to sweep past long before we're thinking about egg nog again. 1) Major goals for this first challenge to lose weight & body fat to get down to 164 lbs and 33.4% BF by:keeping to my macros (from IIFYM.com) and calorie goals as reported on loseit.com (link in signature)Maintaining my running plan - doing some cardio at least 6 times each week, but usually working on components from 5K training plans - I'm an experienced runner; so 6 days a week is feasible, and I know when to let the body have a break.Strength training 3 times per week … doing a mix of bw, free weights, and oddball things in preparation for obstacle course races. Check out my plans at Fitocracy.com (see link in my signature)At stake: 1 WIS, 1 CON, 1 STA, 1 STR, 1 DEXScoring: a percentage based on how close I come to meeting the weight and bf% goals. No score for effort - gotta achieve the endpoint!! Other goals in support of the major goal 2) Do something fun & adventurous each week. I need to get out of the house, challenge myself to meet people, and do things to get out of my cocoon. Keep in mind that my life is pretty tame. If I got out to geocache or do some wall climbing, that's an adventure.At stake: 2 CHAScoring: percentage of how many times I get out for an adventure out of the goal of 6. 3) Wear my contacts!!!! I'm going to try daily wear contacts since I really don't want to do obstacle courses (or karate class) wearing glasses. I need to pick up the new prescription, but I can slip in my old monthly pairs until I get to the eye doctor's clinic.At stake: 2 DEXScoring: percentage of the number of days I at least wear them at least some of the day. 4) Expand the garrison!! Get/make stuff I need in order to do the rest. I've already started!!!Pullup bar installedLoseIt! premium membership750words.comClean out and organize the kitchen - then use it!Basement workout areaMake a sandbagAt stake: 2 WIS, 1 CHAScoring: percentage completion 5) Write 750 words per day. One big theme is how to get my mojo back, but I may wander anywhere I like with those 750 words. I might even start to write on my research again!!At stake: 3 WIS

Following on from my self-imposed exile from the Assassins after my last failed challenge, I'm siging up with the Adventurers (if they'll accept me) as this guilds feels like the most appropriate place for me whilst I rediscover who I am and what I'm doing. Also, there is no Templars guild. This time last year I did set out some long-term goals which I made some success with (although nothing worth mentioning) so, as part of my gritty re-boot, I'm going to set myself some new year-long targets and base my goals for this challenge around them. Goal 1: Lose the excess xmas weight! Last year, the goal I stuck with longest was reducing my percentage bodyfat down to 15% which I did finally achieve in November. However, since then the holiday season has sort of upset things and I'm back up to 17% again! My first goal for this challenge is to get back down to 15% again with my year aim to be 12% or lower. This I'll hopefully achieve by being strict with my eating so that means no sweet things, no alcohol, only water and green tea for drinks and by sticking to high fat meals on non-workout days and higher carb and lower fat meals on work out days. This has worked well for me in the past so really it's just a matter of me sticking to it. Goal 2: Lose the excess limb! My other year-long goal is to master at least one, but hopefully all of the following single-limbed exercises: one-armed push-ups, pistol squats, one-armed pull-ups. I've been using Convict Conditioning, as well as various other online resources, to venture down this path so for this challenge I shall be cocentrating my efforts on getting close to, if not actually achieveing the next progression level of those exercises: Uneven Push-ups 1/2 one-leg squats Uneven pull-ups Goal 3: London Bridge ain't falling down! I've worked on it in the past but never stuck with it to the point where I could properly hold one so for this challenge I'm going to try to 5 minutes work every day either on flexibility or strength exercises that'll get me moving down this path. A few challenges ago the Assassins did bridging as they're mini-challenge and then put it all together in a pdf at the end so I'm going to try to work through it again, week by week and see where this gets me. Goal 4: Get creative! I've been toying with the idea of doing something creative with myself for a while so I think, in the spirit of re-booting, I'm going to start a blog (I've been led to believe that the internet is currently lacking people writing down stuff and publishing online just any random crap that pops into their head, so I'm looking to take advantage of this apparently overlooked market!) The Minimalists just put up a new article about resolving to write more this year so I'm going to use that as my leaping off point and hopefully create an outlet for the noise inside my head. I'm not sure where this will lead me but anywhere is better than nowhere. I'll also try to update my profile description at some point so it'll actually say something about me rather than being a bunch of out of date links.

Hey nfers, Backstory I started my nerd fitness quest back in August. For my first quest I rejoined the fitness world, focusing on becoming functionally fit and establishing good habits for diet and exercise. My regimen consisted of waking up at 6:30, hitting the gym, and eating pretty clean paleo. My goal is functional fitness, so I measured waist loss and pullups. The results were awesome. I dropped about 12lbs, several inches off my waist, and went from doing maybe one pullup to 6. I liked the results so much that for my 2nd nerd fitness quest (conveniently timed as I was starting a new job and traveling) I decided to double down. I spent 6 more weeks focusing on the same goals, waist loss and pullups. I decided to add in a goal of completing my first ever half marathon. I had ups and downs, but at the end of the 6 weeks I was down a few more inches on my waist, up a few pullups, and had completed a half marathon with no real pain! At this point I'm in the best shape of my life. My waist size is about 31.5, my pullup count is 9, and my diet has been consistently getting better (if you want some of the boring details check out my battle log). That means this challenge I get to break through into new fitness territory, and since tripling down isn't really a thing I'm going to need some new goals. I think alot about what makes a good goal. Creating the right goal creates the right incentives. Waist size was a much more interesting goal than weight because it allowed my to work on gaining strength and becoming functionally fit. Losing weight along might not have really made me any fitter. At this point I'm dropping waist size because I'm not sure if making my waist under 31 inches will really improve my fitness. What I really want is to nail down a habit of fitness, and I want to that habit to involve daily exercise. So here are my goals: Drop bodyfat 5 % A drop of 5% bodyfat should get me much closer to having abs. (Yes this is a vain goal, but it's also motivating and rewarding) 5% is 8lbs of fat, which works out to a weekly weight loss of 8/6 or 1.3 lbs per week, which should be achievable while staying healthy. It also requires a calorie deficit of 650 calories per day, which I plan to achieve with a combination of diet and exercise. Core workout 6/7 days This goal was given to me by my personal trainer. It also requires me to focus on consistency and maintaining a workout habit. Working at this goal is what will give me the results for my first goal. At a minimum I need to do 3 core exercises with 3 sets of 20 and 15 minutes of cardio. I plan on working out more at the gym, but this is something I'll do rain or shine, even while traveling. Weather permitting, I do consider mountain biking, snowboarding, or a personal trainer session to count. 100 pushups/day 6/7 days In keeping with being a ranger I want to have a strength related goal in here, and I've spent the last 12 weeks focusing on pullups. A friend on facebook challenged me to this one. They can be spread across the whole day, but they need to be done. Diet Diet isn't exactly a goal, but I'll have to address it to achieve my fat loss goal. I stick to a mostly paleo diet. I've thought about making goals around strict paleo, but sometimes I'm going to need to eat out with family or for work and not feel guilty about it. However, I'm starting to crave natural foods more and more. This weekend I made my own paleo nut bars from raw almonds and coconuts. My current diet (which I need to trim a couple hundred calories off of) is basically: Protein shake for breakfast (unsweetened almond milk and 2 scoops of protein powder)Some snacking on nutsSpinach salad for lunch, with a bit of cheese and pepperoniSome snacking. On good days just nuts, on bad days I'll have some coconut gelato (sounds super pretentious but it's so good)For dinner it's something like (broccoli and chicken|chicken lettuce wraps|homemade turkey chili|steve's pan seared pork chops), sometimes little ceasars. It's the only meal I have to eat with someone else so I have to be a little more flexible.I'm going to shave off some calories on dinner mostly, and making sure my snacking is controlled and measured. Caveats You'll notice these goals aren't very gym heavy. I'll still go into the gym and work on overall strength (squats, deadlifts, etc). I just don't have any concrete goals. This challenge is really about putting in the work and having consistency. So... that's the story, that's the challenge. I used the phrase becoming Dedicated because my goals all require dedication and because in WoT (Wheel of Time) an Asha'man's first promotion is to Dedicated. The Asha'man, as part of their training, are forced to do all their chores using the One Power. In other words they are forced to exercise the One Power in everything. For me, the One Power I'm trying to learn is actually sticking to good habits. And now, the challenge has started. Time to roll the dice!

Ok, this challenge is going to be simple and straightforward. I probably will not do anything with the run-on story. And I will be online less than I have been for the previous 9 months. We moved. I am really enjoying being back in my home town in Minnesota. I love the new house. Life is good, but it is also really busy with unpacking and decorating, new jobs, and tons of fun things to do. I don't think I really fully grasped how limited my life (especially social) had become. I have already auditioned for (and made it into) the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra's Chorale!! It's a complete change in my life!!! And I hope that this will curtail emotional eating and drinking and make it easier to get out to exercise and just MOVE more. Moving to the city where I wanted to live marks also a new direction/philosophy in my life. I'm not waiting to be rescued anymore. Last challenge, I got a wake up call and realized that I'd become very passive. I was always waiting to be noticed and asked to take on roles and activities that I wanted. That shit is DONE. Auditioning for the chorale was another step in saving myself. Boom! I'm on a roll. So, here's heading for 33% body fat by the end of the challenge as my main, overarching goal. How?? 1) Strength Training. I have a set of free-weight and body weight workouts for 3+ days per week. That's process stuff. The GOAL for the end of the challenge is to do a pull up/chin up with only 25 pounds of assistance. Having shifted gyms (along with cities), I am looking at options and may have to ask one of the trainers for help. There is an assisted chin up machine at the location I visited yesterday, but it's different than the one I was using. (+3 STR) 2) Running 5Ks. I like running and am working through the C25K, ZR5K, and ZR apps to keep building up stamina and speed. I'm planning on the Harvest Run for October 11th but won't sign up until after I find out how my mom's surgery (back) goes on October 6th. (+2 STA, +1 DEX) 3) Cleaning up diet using the Anti-Aging Diet (Elizabeth Somer) guidelines. Eating fruits and veggies and whole grains and low-fat calcium sources and protein. Not counting calories this time - just working on eating cleaner and avoiding sweets and alcohol. I do have a way to track 6 objectives per day and will report on those daily. (+2 CON, +1 WIS) 4) Sign up for and go to TKD classes. I have a studio in mind and have to go see Master Chris about joining. I never have a weight problem when I'm doing martial arts a couple times per week. (+1 WIS, +2 DEX) 5) Do a chapter (plus exercises) in the Staging Your Comeback book (Christopher Hopkins). I would like to look very stylish for my daughter's wedding ... tentatively slated for next fall (?). But I think I also need to start looking like an adult now that I'm out of grad school and am teaching. (+3 CHA) Short and sweet!

Hello All my nf peeps! After having a blast on my first level 1 rebels quest I'm officially embarking on quest #2. I'm typing this from the ipad in my hotel room (I'm in NYC for training for my new job) so forgive the lack of formatting. This quest is all about doubling down. In quest number 1 I formed a habit of exercise and worked on pullups and waist size. This quest I'm going to double down. That's right, at the end of 6 weeks I'm aiming for: 1. 20 pull-ups 2. -2 inches off waist (putting me at 32) Quest 3 is a half marathon. I can jog 6 miles without too much difficulty, so 13 seems like a reasonable goal. I'll be running the moab half marathon ( http://www.moabtrailmarathon.com ). This challenge involves some serious ranger awesomeness. It's all about functional fitness.

I started my weight loss and fitness adventure at 38% body fat after spending a couple years on the couch. Finally, after 14 months, I'm down to 24.5% and inching closer to my goal of 17%. Phew!

Summer B - Not my idea of a Caribbean Cruise! (BF 33%)Story: Following the clues up the river to the Burned City and dealing with an undisclosed BOSS at the endDiet - stick to <= 1550 net calories (adjust for exercise) and protein >= 66 grams 76 grams Do a chin up or pullup with <= 30 pounds of assistanceDeadlift 80 pounds Walk/run 10K Decipher the clues (i.e. plan the move)Or ..... this could be named the ........ Summer Challenge. My epic quest is to rediscover myself as the Mal Ravenne. It involves a LOT of attributes that are not measurable and really come down to those golden moments when you stop and realize that you're living an authentic life and are achieving your goals. Not all of my goals are fitness goals, thank the gods. Many are listed in the second post of this thread. My main quest (this year) is to get down to a normal BF% of < 32%. That's only 1.5% from where I am today. I can make this by the end of the year if I commit to my workouts and COOKING healthy food. That's about 12 pounds of weight loss, assuming I can maintain lean body mass where it is now. Subgoals (challenge starting June 28th) My goals this time are a mix of process goals and objective end-point goals. Process goals are not as strongly motivating for me as end goals 1 - keep calories down and make sure protein stays above 66 g per day. I'm using SparkPeople to track because I like their interface and recipe database (+5 CON) 2 - pullup or chinup using less than 30 pounds of assistance. I'm currently at 50 pounds of assistance; so this should be feasible .... and maybe I can surpass it by dropping the assistance 5 pounds each week. (+3 STR) 3 - deadlift 1/2 my bodyweight, which I hope will be 160 by the end of the challenge ..... hence, 80 pounds. I'm currently at 35 pounds, and it feels easy. (+2 STR) 4 - walk/run 10K. For no particular reason. I like cardio, and I love running along the Lakewalk in Duluth. I can easily do 3.5 miles now with a mix of running and walking. (+5 STA) 5 - Life quest: get moved ..... or at least get further along the process. Grading: 1 - Count the success days vs. goal days and grading will be by a percentage 2 - A = 30 pounds B = 35 pounds C = 40 pounds D = 45 pounds F >= 50 pounds 3 - A = 80 pounds B = 75 pounds C = 70 pounds D = 65 pounds F <= 60 pounds 4 - A = 6 miles on my long run of the week B = 5.5 miles C = 5 miles D = 4.5 miles F <= 3 miles 5 - LIfe goal is pass/fail and does not carry points. It is very unlikely that I'll actually move during this challenge, but I'd like to have the purchase offer in on a house that passes inspection this time!!! I am hoping to spend August packing and continuing to clean out stuff we don't need. Given the types of goals, I'm hanging with the Rangers this time and hope to complete the mini-challenges. My tracking spreadsheet is ready and waiting the starting gun!! And YES, I am doing more strength training than is represented in my goals - both free-weights (or dumb bells or kettlebells) and bodyweight training. I'll continue to work on refining a new class chooser program and maybe do one for races as well. If anyone has a fun PvP or accountability group that has room, let me know!!

MAIN QUEST: 25% BODY FAT BY 28.12.2014 Ok, time to get specific. I want to be at 25% body fat by my 25th birthday, exactly 5 months away. I've been a member of NF for a year and a half now. The same time period since I started on my fitness journey (cringe, cheesy!) I've learnt a lot in that time, and seen some great results and some frustrating plateaus. I'm on my annual month long break from work now, and I want to take advantage of the time off, and nail this challenge. My plan is threefold: FOOD SLEEP EXERCISE Record it. Log it. Do it. #1. Put it in the book. I now have a dedicated Ems book, where I can log all my foods and sleeps and exercisey shenanigans. All I'm going to ask of myself is that it makes it into the book, every damn day, and is as accurate as possible. If it makes it to MFP, then great, but not essential. 42 (days) - 37: A 36 - 31: B 30 - 25: C 20 or less: F #2. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail. Time off work means more time to prepare food. Preparation means planning, buying, cooking/assembling. I want to improve my batcave by having yummy Ems-friendly foodstuffs on hand all the time. I'll post on here as I go, and measure it by week: Eg. Week 1: What did I plan to eat/buy/cook etc. #3. Be a grown up. I've been thinking a lot lately about the future, and I have a good idea about things I'd like to do. I want to become qualified as a gym instructor, and maybe eventually a PT or a strength & conditioning coach. There's a course near me I would LOVE to do, but it will take some delicate work schedule negotiation. I also want to go on a proper holiday next year, snowboarding in Canada. I don't know why exactly, it just really appeals to me . So, time to get specific. Things to do (these will be ticked off when completed): Email my bosses and request a meeting. Done 20.08.2014 Have said meeting, and deal with the outcome. Done 30.08.2014 Make a new account/direct debit to save money for Canada. Side quest: Work through NF Academy. I'm going to pretty this up with gifs and all that malarkey over the next few days but that's the basic plan Can someone please tell me how to put a progress bar in please? I know where the progress bar button is, but have no idea how to make it say what I want (I want it to track my bodyfat). Thank you sexy nerds!

We interrupt this previously scheduled program with an adventure on the high seas!! (Part A) Our summer challenge opens with our hero lying, soaken and shivering, on the wooden deck of a ship heading away from the realm of the recently-defeated Frostking. The lump on the back of her head and resulting head-ache leave her confused and disoriented. The rolling of the ship doesn't contribute positively to her general altertness or ability to engage in witty reparte either when the ship's captain notices her beginning to stir painfully. "Oh, good. I was beginning to think that we'd made a bad investment," a burled tenor carried to Chris' ears over the crash of waves against wooden planking and the screams of gulls overhead. "Investment?" Chris croaked, feeling the back of her head gingerly. It seemed more or less intact, although her hand came back covered with a mix of blood and salt water. "Aye, lass. We paid good coin for you based on your reputation." "Reputation?" Chris frowned, vexed at her inability to do anything more complex than echo the man's comments. The black-clad man at the wheel smiled at her a moment before concentrating back on a point on the horizon. "Aye. You're said to be a reasonably good fighter as well as a good cook, when you take the time to bother. As it happens, we have need of both since a recent .... encounter .... left us a hand short." Chris glanced at the man and suppressed an obvious response since the man was handling the wheel with one hand and a silver hook. She had no doubt he would not find her observations amusing, but she was glad to note that her own brain seemed to be resuming its irreverent, agile, and quirky line of thought. "What makes you think I'll do either for you?" Chris got carefully to her feet and quickly grabbed the railing next to her as the ship shifted beneath her. The captain's smile was indulgent as he responded, "Because if you don't give me your word that you'll do so, you will spend the next six weeks below decks, chained to the bulkhead." He looked her confidently in the eyes for a moment. "That's why." "I could give you my word and then break it." Chris responded, shivering. She was soaking wet, no doubt from having made the passage to the ship on the floor of a leaky dingy, and the air this far north was still very cold. "As I said ... you have a reputation." The man shrugged negligently. "Either way, you'll be going nowhere for a few weeks. And if you want to eat something other than hard tack, you'll have to cook it. No one else on this boat can manage anything other than grilled fish .... and they cook it like it was damned." Seeing Chris' frown of confusion he added, "burned .... to a crisp. So, unless you like charcoal, you'd best take up the chore until we make port." Looking wistfully at the quickly retreating shore, Chris ventured the important question, "And where IS port?" "None of your concern, miss. You'll find out when we get there. In the meanwhile, I suggest you spend the time convincing me that I didn't make a mistake in taking you on. If you prove useless, you'll be on the slave block when we arrive. I can't afford to carry cargo that doesn't help pay its way .... one way or the other. So ..... " he looked Chris-Tien over as she trying - unsuccessfully - to let go of the support to stand on her own. " .... today, get your sea legs and find something dry to wear. We have enough fresh food in stores to get us by for a day. Tomorrow, you can decide how you want to spend the rest of this voyage." Raising his voice, the captain called for his first mate, "Mr. Smeed!!! Get Miss Jinn here something suitable to wear and a hammock out of the way of the rest of the crew. And then show her where the galley is." Plans for my summer have been changed and then waylaid and then put through a blender. Unfortunately, I don't think they'll end up served over ice with a nice umbrella. I'll be filling in for an office manager at the university while hubby continues to job hunt. (He does have a nice opportunity, but I've learned not to get my hopes up.) Hence, the pirate theme. Plus it just sounded like so much fun. Turn lemons into lemonade .... or maybe a nice rum punch .... and enjoy having no idea where the trades will take us so long as there is promise of gold at the end!!! Ultimate main goal of the challenge: continue to reduce body fat % ... down to under 34% Contributing goals: 1) (Fitness) "You're more active than most of the women I know!" (2 STA, 1 STR) a - 10,000 steps per day - running or walking. Does not require being chased by anything. b - FitDeck workouts 3 x per week Grading: 1 point each per day. Ideal points per week = 10; per challenge = 60. 2) (Nutrition) Enjoy the fruits of the islands (3 CON) I will get points for protein sources, fruits, and veggies. Subtract points for sweets, alcohol, and refined carbs. (Corn counts as a vegetable during the summer!!!) I'm going to remain neutral on sauces to see how the summer stacks up this way. Grading: 1 point per serving, positive or negative. Let's call the ideal day = 10; week = 70; challenge = 420 3) "All hands on deck!!" (2 WIS, 1 CHA) Do at least one of the summer activities (see below)* AND enjoy the back deck daily. Grading: 1 point per activity and one point for deck time per day. Ideal per week =14; per challenge = 84. 4) "Were there monkeys? Some terrifying space monkeys maybe got loose?" (3 WIS) Spend an hour each day jettisoning excess cargo and organizing what's left. We may be packing and moving by August if hubby's tentative offer actually comes through. Grading = 1 point per hour. Ideal per week is 7; per challenge = 42. 5) "I was learning to fence, fight, anything anyone would teach me." (1 WIS, 1 DEX, 1 CHA) Spend an hour learning something or taking a class. Grading = 1 point per hour. Ideal per week is 7; per challenge = 42. Points allocation at the end will be based on the unofficial, extended stats points system: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AoRugFL8_cvBdF9DOWI3MGlaRTRSRDhsS0RsRDR6Z1E&usp=drive_web#gid=0 SHORE LEAVE There are days when summer should be savored, and I claim leave to enjoy days or situations: ⦠June 9 - driving back from having braces tightened. Ice cream may be the only thing I can eat. And rum. ⦠June 11 - 13 - conference with my daughter. No rum. Maybe strawberry magaritas. ⦠July 4th - a national holiday in the USA. I will enjoy it - hopefully with a pirate theme. Rum and a luau spring to mind. Perhaps something from this list appeals: http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2011/10/cocktail-101-five-essential-rum-cocktails-mojito-daiquiri-planters-punch-hurricane-mai-tai.html * Summer activities 1. Summer run playlist(s) 2. Finish a book 3. Geocache 4. Garden and landscaping 5. Kayak 6. Hike 7. Rock climbing (indoors) 8. Swim laps 9. Attend a major league baseball game (beer and hotdogs permitted) 10. Attend a minor league baseball game (ditto) 11. Eat sm'ores 12. Have a cookout 13. Have a picnic 14. Attend a parade 15. Rotary Gardens 16. Do a charity run/walk (June 28) 17. Do a 5K fun run 18. Camping 19. Fishing 20. Watch a drive-in movie 21. Watch a summer blockbuster 22. Manicure 23. Pedicure 24. Attend a festival, cookout, barbecue, fair, etc. 25. Watch the World Cup matches - beer and hot dogs .... or rum and hot dogs ....... permitted So .... if you followed all the way to the bottom, congrats. You should have the OCD checked, mate. But if you continue to hang out here, I hope you will have more story to read, more gifs and pirate movie references to savor, and plenty of motivation to encourage you to go out and seek your own fortune - for the greatest treasure in the world is good health. Oh, and family. And a nice MLT sandwich. And the spreadsheet for the summer challenges is at: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13-GqbbM6m8EROAeAkA7RJx-fDTyW5jRvrGHJJcPVBcU/edit#gid=858398765 Assassins Mini-Challenges: Week 1: +1 Dex Week 2: Forgot about it! Week 3:

Introduction: The young troll tailor Katastrophenkatzchen rummage around in her pattern collection."It has to be here... somewhere!", she muttered. Her plan was to sew this specific perfect pair of trousers and she knew exactly the right paatern for it. "Got ya!", she triumphed, while pulling out a little envelope. "okay, how much fabric do I need. Let's see---- WHAT?", the troll yelledc, compairing her meassurements with the chart." Noway!That can't be true. Nasty pattern! I can't be a size 18! Ridiculous!" She stormed out of the little cabin to release her anger. While she wandered though the town she saw strange things.... new watch towers, baracks, marching soldiers.... What was happening? Could it be.... the return of the scourge? Or wourse... the burning legion? I have been here for the previous challenge but stated too late, it was already 3 weeks done. So, I start this challenge as a level 0 and have a level up halfway throught (I'm looking forward to it and am not flexible enough in my mind yet to change it, will be working on it). As I think tackling all three burdens at once would be hard, I'll introduce 1 burden at a time/challenge. Last challenge I started yoga (and love it!), this time I bring running back to my routine and next challenge I'll add bodyweight workout to achieve a pullup someday. So this is the plan: Main quest: Be no burden in war/zombie apocalypse and be able to sew that pants . For being no burden I want to achieve 3 things: - Being able to run away from zombies - Pull myself up (for example up a fire ladder to escape that way) - be flexible and have a sane mind through yoga ( and keep it sane ) Quest 1: Do yoga 3 times a week (+DEX, +STR) A-3 times a week B- 2 times a week F- less than 2 times a week Quest 2: Do zombies, Run! C25K 3 times a week (+DEX,+STA) A-3 times a week B- 2 times a week F- less than 2 times a week Quest 3: Follow the happy herbivore meal plan, but stuck up to 1700 kcal (+500kcal) (+CON) (I like having these preplaned mealplans but the start at 1200kcal and you shall decide yourself if you stick to those 1200 or bulk up. I don't think it would be good too eat so low calories, because I'm large framen AND start running, so I'll add an extra smoothie before exercise and a small snack in the afternoon or so, adding up to 500 extra kcal. If I feel that's too low, I'll think about adding more and inform you about it.) A-7 days a week B- 1 take out or else F- more than 2 failed meals Quest 4: Resulting out of the above.... reduce bodyfat % from 33,4 % to 31,5 % = -2% (+CHA) win/fail Lifequest: Study 1,5 h daily ADDITIONALLY to classes. A-1,5 h+ 5 days a week B- 1 h 5 days a week or 1,5 h 4 days a week F- less than 1h 5 days a week or 1,5 h 4 days a week

Hello Challengers! This is my second challenge, and having learnt a lot from my last one, this time my goal is simpler, more concise and altogether less arbitrary. By the end of this 6 weeks, I want to have visible abs, and that means sub 15% body-fat. That's how I will judge my success or failure- can I see my abs? Yes or no answer. I think that's a lot easier to judge than wether I reached a bunch of random numbers I know It's a vein, self absorbed goal, but it's a goal nonetheless. My starting stats: Weight - 197 Height - 5.10" Body fat % - 16.5 As a side note, iv been using a formula to figure out my body fat %, i know for a fact it isn't entirely accurate but it is consistent. I may not be 16.5% but i have definitely lost at least 6 percent from where I was before. Best of luck everyone!

Hey sexy nerd peeps! This is my ninth challenge (where does the time go!) and after chilling with the Adventurers and roaming around with the Rangers its time for me to hang out with the mighty assassins. I feel like I've hit a bit of a plateau lately and I need to shake things up, refocus and shift my perspective (maybe to upside down in a free standing handstand one day, that would be awesome). I've danced my entire life and absolutely love it (a lot of ballet, a bucket load of contemporary/modern, and the odd bit of tap, breakdancing and hiphop thrown in for good measure) and now teach it professionally. I've been very focused on fitness over the past months which I can feel has benefited my dancing, and now I want to explore this more deeply and get back to the grooviness. That's where you guys come in MAIN QUEST: DROP FAT*. KEEP MUSCLE. * OBVIOUSLY NOT ALL OF IT, SINCE SOME IS REQUIRED TO, YOU KNOW, STAY ALIVE The fitness side of my life is really good. Exercise is built into my days, partly through my job, and partly through my personal trainer, my own dance training, and my fondness for rowing (ergo right now, back on water in the future). I love exercise, I genuinely enjoy it and it has become a rewarding habit that needs little willpower. This is not the case with nutrition. I know this is what needs to change in order to drop the fat. Right now I am at 32% body fat, but rather than giving myself a specific number to aim for as I've done in the past, I'm going to take a leaf out of The Beard's book, and just focus on the process of bringing it down. #1. Hey girl, eat to support, not to destroy. More than half the challenge days are days. My diet is much better than it used to be, not fully Paleo as I still eat dairy, but lots of veggies, protein and no carbs other than the odd cracker. I've also got into the habit of tracking my food, and a good day gets a smiley face This goal is simple - more smiley faces than not. All food will be tracked in my battle log, goal is 22 or more :)s. #2. Hey girl, no sugar on more than half the days this challenge. 22 days or more. This is a goal I share with Endor over in the Rangers. We are both getting in our own way with sugary nonsense, so are teaming up to kick some ass! Side quest. Hey girl, get your assassin on! I am really excited by the 6 week skills challenge, I think its a genius idea. I can do a pistol squat on both legs, only mastered it very recently and it felt amazing! I'd love to be able to get my reps up, and just have a play around with other things, work on my splits and handstands, yoga poses etc. The phonebook is a fantastic resource, so excited to level up and learn from you wonderful people. One more thing. Some of you may have noticed the hey girl tag or the pictures of Ryan Gosling littered throughout this thread. I am a big Gosling fan, partly because I think he is a truly talented actor, and partly because he's very easy on the eye He has been my challenge theme for a few now, and never ceases to be motivating. Please feel free to post any Ryan gems you may come across during this challenge. Here's to an assassiny 6 weeks!

This challenge, I'm switching to the Assassin's Guild after having been a Ranger for nearly two years. Being in NF and a member of the Ranger's Guild kept me more or less sane during some rough years. I didn't lose a lot of weight, but I never gave up. And once I started getting serious about bodyweight training, I've started making some major improvements! Some reading and soul-searching has prompted me to switch guilds. I'd initially started with bodyweight training with the idea that I'd start to lift free weights or dumbbells once I got a solid base in squats, pushups, and lunges. Then, looking over new free weight programs, I realized that I wanted to keep going with more challenging body weight routines!! I totally salute people who do CrossFit, but I don't want to join them right now. It looks like work and not fun. I need fun. When I accidentally found the old article on parkour (http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2010/08/12/the-definitive-guide-to-parkour-for-beginners/), I felt like I'd come home. As a kid, we used to pretend that the ground was lava, and you had to find a way to cross from one point to another without touching it. We did the same game with my daughter while she was small. Wow!! I'd been associating parkour with the flashy moves that you see in YouTube videos. To find out that there is much more to the sport - and the philosophy - was eye-opening. To this day, I practice flowing and efficiency. I'll walk through a crowd going the "wrong" way to see if I can do it without bumping anyone (and I usually can). I am constantly surprising people who don't see or hear me come into a room. Instead of viewing that as a problem with my lack of charisma and "presence" --- let's turn it into an example of why I really am good at going where ever I need or want to go - and why I often don't follow the beaten path - both literally and figuratively. So, here I am. My goal for the YEAR is to reduce body fat percentage down to the "normal" or "acceptable" range of 31%. I'd like to get it lower in subsequent years. But one step at a time .... I'm calling this the Quest for the Mal Ravenne. The golden lioness is the ideal me, something to be uncovered through dedication and search. For this challenge, my goals lead me further to this ultimate goal. This challenge is Equipping for the Journey. Fitness Goals 1) Deaddrop Drills (+1 STA, +1 DEX, +1 WIS) Spies often leave things for contacts ... or have to find drops from compatriots. I'm going to geocache! I introduced my brother and nephews to geocaching, and we had a gentle competition going to be the first to find 100 geocaches. My brother died before either one of us claimed the prize - so I'm going to finish it in his honor. That's only 13 caches left to find - so a couple per week is feasible. (My geocaching handle is grinningcollie if anyone wants to friend me.) 2) 35% Body Fat (+1 STA, +1 CON, +2 STR, +1 DEX) That's a drop of 1% this challenge, which should be very reasonable. To do it, I'm continuing with body weight workouts M, W, F and cleaning up my diet. I'm doing the Academy body weight workout 4 starting Sunday. That's challenging enough that, following progressions, I'll be hard pressed to do exercises well. And I'm using the assisted pull up and dips machine. My goal is to keep reducing the amount of assistance weight by 10 pounds per week. I'm currently at 95 pounds. By the end of the challenge, that would be down to 35 pounds!! I'm following the NF diet and am at stage 3: substituting freggies (fruits/vegetables) for processed carbs. I'd rather focus less on what I'm "giving up" and more on what I'm adding. So, I will increase daily freggie intake by one each week of the challenge. Currently, I do a very poor job in this and eat 1 freggie per day. So week 1 = 2 freggies, week 2 = 3 freggies, etc. 3) Be Perceptive (+2 WIS, +1 DEX) Rangers are never off their guard - neither are assassins. The two guilds are much alike in many ways. I will increase inner and outer perception by: wearing my contact lenses (increasing time 1 hour per week from starting point of 2 hours per day) so I have better peripheral vision and hence dexteritymeditating (increasing from 7 up to 20 minutes per day)Life Quest (+2 CHA) Hubby and I are - again - both job hunting. My goal is to get - or make - a job this challenge. If necessary, I will start a company again, taking a page from Arrow. The best way to avoid chair checking managers is to be the CEO. Fitness Side Quest (+2 DEX) Take a fitness class. I am thinking yoga or martial arts, depending upon the results of job searching. At the moment, there are NO martial arts studios closer than 40 minutes away - that's feasible in the summer but not the winter (small town - bad roads to everywhere). But there is a new yoga studio in town. If their class schedule works for me, I'd like to get in there and redevelop some body awareness. Assassins Mini-challenge - Pistol Squats Flexibility: +1 DEXBalance: +1 WISStrength: +1 STRPassed on week 4Practice: +1 CON

hi guys! i've got some questions that i'm hoping y'all can help me figure out. a little about me: female, 5 foot 2, 116-ish lbs. currently eating a caloric deficit of 1300-1400 calories a day, exercising 7-13 times per week. i started working out and eating healthily a little less than a year ago. it was really slow progress at first because, honestly, i didn't know shit. but i learned a lot and lost a bunch of weight, making significant progress towards my goal of 19% body fat. [i started at 30% and dropped down to 24-ish%, where i currently still am.] during that time, i became much stronger than ever before, and i feel that i can handle a pretty decent amount of physical activity. however, since that initial drop, i've leveled out and stopped progressing. i've gotten bored with my diet and my workout routine, and i'm looking to mix things up. which is where you come in! here's what i'm thinking: M/W/F - Viking workout in the morning [http://neilarey.com/workouts/vikings-workout.html], climber's workout OR a trip to the climbing gym in the evening, jogging program [http://neilarey.com/running/the-long-run.html] thrown in there where ever it'll fit. T/Th and Sat/Sun - jogging program, maybe with a few trips to the rock climbing gym or a day of swimming at the lake added to the mix on an irregular basis. the intermittent fasting would mean no food between noon and 9PM, and i would eat more on M/W/F than the rest of the week, as well having the macros broken up differently. [obviously more protein and carbs on heavy workout days, stuff like that.] what do you think? what kind of calorie count do you think i should take on? what would an ideal macro break-down look like? i'm not too worried about it being too much exercise, but i am worried about not hitting that food target just right. it seems that i'll be doing really well with eating my deficit, but then i'll go crazy eating sweets and pasta and stuff, and i think it might be because my body isn't getting enough of what it needs, so it rebells. thoughts?

WELL MAYBE NOT THAT BASIC RYAN... Hey sexy nerd peeps! So the last few months have been...challenging. I got injured in November and that derailed things for a long time. Christmas followed and my journey down the road of eat all the things has been a costly one. However, I have had my freak out pity party and it is time to move forward...by looking back. I've been rereading some of my previous successful challenges to see what made them successful. Those things are - keeping it simple, and tracking all the way through. MAIN QUEST: MORE MUSCLE. LESS FAT. I have seen and felt in myself the different body composition can make. Steve is right, diet really is 90% of the battle. With that in mind, the focus of this challenge is correct nutrition. My PT has put together a new meal plan (Paleo/Primal, very low carb, bit of dairy) for me which I've been following for the past 5 days, and I already feel so much better for it. I find it much easier to stick to something if I'm tracking it, so that will be part of this one goal. #1. Hey girl, eat clean, track everything. Follow the plan, and write it all down here (skip to end of thread for current posts). 42 days in the challenge so... A = 42-38, B = 37 - 33, C = 32-28, D = 27-24, F = 20 or fewer. Side quest - Hey girl, post all the way to the end. For the last couple of challenges my posting has been horrendous, starting off well and then drifting off towards the end, not being around for others, generally being a bit selfish and lazy. Part of this challenge will be to post regularly, grade appropriately and review weekly. I know its more important to do the things, than write about the things, but its much easier to track progress with consistent recording (duh!) A - 6 reviews, food log for every day, at least one post on another thread per day B - 4 reviews, food log for 30 days, four posts a week on other threads C - 3 reviews, food log for 20 days, three posts a week on other threads F - 2 reviews, food log for 10 days, two posts a week on other threads THANKS RYAN. That's all folks. Here's to a cracking six weeks with you lovely people. P.S. Please feel free to scatter this thread liberally with Ryan-y goodness. It makes everyone happy, especially Dom and Mitch

EMS 6.0. COMMITMENT. Time to be like the pig...in a sense MAIN QUEST: 20% BODY FAT 100% AWESOME Hey sexy fit nerds! It's new challenge time - yey! My last challenge was pretty good, but what held it back was my lack of commitment. Some weeks were amazing, some complete pants, and what was frustrating was that I could see that what I was doing in the amazing weeks was working, but still failed to keep it up! I know that a low carb Paleo-ish diet really works for me, my body fat levels drop, my muscle increases and my athletic performance is outstanding (I have the 500m row and deadlift PRs to prove it). So this time, the challenge is: commitment com-mit-ment [kuh-mit-muh nt] noun 1. staying loyal to what you said you were going to do long after the mood you said it in has left #1. I don't eat bread or sugar. These are my two biggest nutritional vices. It is time to tackle the big stuff. I've kicked the sugar monster before, not for as long, but I'm confident I can beat this. NB: I am allowing honey (yes I know its sugar!) but only with my Greek yoghurt and in my post training smoothies. I am also still eating fruit. Bread, as read on Nerd Fitness Academy, is calorically dense and nutritionally empty. Bye bye bread. My diet will be a combination of my PTs plan, and recipes from this site and the Academy. I might allow myself the odd cracker, but other than that it is no carbs (aside from veggies), lots of protein and dairy (I don't seem to have a problem with this, but might drop it next challenge and see what affect it has). This is a simple cold turkey approach, as I've found from past experiences that this works best for me; I can't do moderation. Moderation to me means, 'you've started now, quick, eat it all before someone steals it!' #2. Work, play, rest. In that order. I have become a lazy idiot lately and have got my priorities a bit muddled. Daily work to do lists. Food cooked and planned. Clothes/bag packed the night before. Then , and only then, can collapse on the sofa, in the smug haze of productiveness and efficiency #3. Sleep. Makes everything easier. Bed by 11pm on work nights (11:30pm on Tuesdays) A simple goal carried over from last challenge. It really works, but I need the accountability - its not yet a habit. SIDE QUEST: ATTENTION. RACE! Get on the erg. I have decided to enter my first indoor rowing race in Cardiff. It's just under a month away, 07.12.2013. I am rather scared. But, with Steve's motivational words ringing in my ears about spontaneity and the like, I've decided to go for it. It is a mainly a race against yourself, against the machine. Worst case scenario - I row worse than my current PR. Not really so terrible. I do need to do some serious training though, a minimum of twice a week. Ok, there we go. Time to make a decision. Reset my mind and body. Make a commitment, and stick to it. Here's to the journey NB: Grading to come.

EMS 5.0. MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE. MAIN QUEST: DROP MORE FAT. KEEP MUSCLE. Hey sexy fit nerd peeps! If you caught any of my last challenge, you may already notice some similarities in this thread. That's because last challenge was awesome for me; despite being away on various holidays for half the time, my body fat dropped by 3.1% while keeping and building more muscle (+1.7%). This was due to a combination of maintaining my current fitness programme and following the Paleo inspired meal plan my PT put together for me. NF and my PT, as well as the changes in my own body, have really shown me the power of body composition over body weight. I'm currently at 26.6% body fat and would like to get down to 20%, but only as long as my athletic performance doesn't suffer as a result. I don't know how my body will be at 20%, so rather than have that as a goal number, I just want to keep dropping it bit by bit and track how my body feels and performs. I don't seem to have any difficulty putting on and maintaining muscle (sorry boys!) but I'm going to track this as well as my weight to make sure the right stuff is being lost. Get your butt on that ergo. Now. You have half an hour before bed time. Go. You guys remember Ryan right? Well he is back for another challenge, to be a (sometimes stern) motivator and thread theme #1. Hey girl, keep following the food plan. This is a simple goal - follow the plan my PT designed. It's worked for me so far, and I'm interested to see how a longer period of clean eating will affect my body. I have sadly been banned from stir frying at home due to cooking smells so am going to have to have oven cooked proteins and steamed veggies instead, but I can deal with that (plus, I have no choice). I will do what I did last challenge and log all my food on here so there's no where to hide. I'm also going to do another star chart as that was a great visual aid last time. 42 days in the challenge... A = 42-38, B = 37 - 33, C = 32-28, D = 27-24, F = 20 or fewer. 5 CON #2. Hey girl, put the hours in... in the bedroom. (Bed by 11pm.) Sleep! I have now started working full time as a dance teacher, which is awesome, but it doesn't half kick my butt. In order to be able to do my best at work, get to the gym, follow the food plan, keep up with my own dance class schedule and work on my rowing I need some serious shut eye. I've joined an accountability group for this, and my goal is to be physically in my bed by 11pm every work night (Sun, Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs). I always read before bed, so even if I'm in bed by 11:30pm, I won't be going to actual sleep until at least 12am. This will not do! So I have to be actually in my bed, ready to read by 11pm, so I'm on my way to unconsciousness by 11:30pm. REM cycles FTW! 30 work nights in the challenge, so A = 30-26, B = 25-21, C = 20-16, F = 12 or fewer. 4 WIS 1 CHA I'm teaching 20 classes a week, plus I have a regular schedule of dance classes for my own development as well as PT sessions and the Learn to Row course (which I love!) at the moment. All these are things I love and require little to no motivation at all to do, so the fitness side of my main quest is solid. This brings me to my side quest... Thanks Ry, but they could be better... SIDE QUEST: CUT DOWN THE 2K Hey girl, 8:13? We can do better than that. As some of you may know, over the last few months I have fallen in love with rowing. It all started on the ergo (the rowing machine) and now has progressed onto actual boats on the water. I've been doing a Learn to Row course over the past few weeks and I absolutely adore it. As well as on water rowing the venue also do a lot of indoor rowing, and run a competition every year in December. Now I've never done a competition before, and to be honest I still haven't made up my mind whether I want to do this or not, but competition or no competition, it has got me thinking about my 2k time. I talked to my coach, and he said a good goal for me would be to try to get sub 8:00 for a 2k. Now this is no mean feat, 14 seconds off is no joke. Rather than go insane and try for this, all I want is to shave a few seconds off, baby steps, through a structured programme of varying distances and intervals, based on this plan. My schedule and physical activity is already very high, so I'm just going to start with completing 6 rowing sessions during the challenge. No weekly target. A = 6, B = 5, C = 4, D = 3, F = 2 or fewer. 3 STA 2 DEX MOTIVATION Simple. To maintain and improve. To go forwards, not back. I've been thinking about my future a lot lately, and I know that I want health and fitness to be a part of that, not just in my personal life but also in my career. To give myself the best shot, and the largest number of options, I need to be in damn good shape. I'm thinking of myself as an athlete and acting accordingly. Eat, sleep, train, repeat. There it is folks, here's to a cracking six weeks with you wonderful people! Emily x

Even the summer winds are chilly this far north. The lone figure trudging up the mountain path gave a brief shiver and pulled his cloak tighter about himself. The slow crunch of his feet on the path and the sigh of his breath was the only sound, the birds had all gone. He continued his way towards the base of the mountain, the great hulking shadow sending a cold chill down his spine. It wasn't until later that day that he reached the true foot of the mountain. He could tell because the pathway suddenly veered upwards, almost into a vertical climb. The figure paused as his eyes followed the slanting path, searching up for his destination. And there it was. The top of the mountain shimmered and almost seemed to shine, ignoring the closing darkness as the sun made its way below the horizon. The light from the mountain gave everything a mystical sheen, as though he had just stepped into a fairy tale. And the figure squinted as he looked up, trying to see the top of the mountain clearly. After a few moments he saw past the enchantment and with a sigh of relief saw what he was looking for. The top of the mountain wasn't the normal colour of rocks and mud, or even the pure white of untouched snow. The mountain peak shimmered like a multicoloured wave, and the rainbow that enveloped the peak shot off into the sky. His quest could finally begin in earnest. He had found it. The road to Asgard. This challenge I shall be performing a slight experiment, I'm going to try and have my next few challenges (at the moment I'm tentatively saying 5) shall be part of a larger story with each fitness challenge becoming more difficult as I reach the end of the larger quest. You might have guessed that this quest is going to be stealing Mjolnir, the hammer of Thor! I know thievery isn't strictly Assassin territory But I might push further with it and use Mjolnir to assassinate someone else. We shall see! But anyway, that's getting ahead of myself! On to this challenge! Main Quest My main quest is very faraway from completion but I want to finally start working towards it. Well there are a few so I'll just say a couple Basically it's a handstand. Ultimately I want to be able to do a one-armed handstand push up (DBZ reference for bonus points) and a 90 degree push up. So for now what I'm going to focus on is working towards a freestanding handstand that I can control my motion up/down. And by that I mean I don't have to kick to get up to a handstand and I don't just fall down on my way down. At the moment I'm still at wall headstand stage, hopefully I will be able to do some form of handstand (probably against a wall) by the end of the challenge. Fitness Goals 1: The Skillful Ascent Do at least 2 skill workouts per week (+3 DEX +1 STR) To do my best to try and get to a controlled handstand I am going to do 2 skill workouts a week doing about 20-30 minutes of practice with things like crow stands, headstands. I have some idea of what I'm going to work on but am by no means an expert! So any help on that front would be appreciated! At least 2 skill workouts a week to work on: Headstands Crow Stands L sits Grading: A = 2+ Skill Workouts every week B = 5 weeks with 2 Skill Workouts C = 4 Weeks with 2 Skill workouts D = 3 weeks with 2 skill workouts E = 2 weeks with 2 skill workouts F =1 week with 2 skill workouts, or complete failure 2: Strength To Match the Gods Do at least 2 Strength Circuits per week (+4 STR) For this goal I will do circuit training at least twice a week, to try and give me extra strength to help with the free handstands. At the moment it's a fairly standard circuit: push ups, dips, one legged squats, bicep curls, dumbbell shoulder press, and then pull ups/negatives to failure. Mini Goals: Make it to 10 pull ups Do a proper one legged squat (all the way down and back up again) Grading: A = 2+ Skill Workouts every week B = 5 weeks with 2 Skill Workouts C = 4 Weeks with 2 Skill workouts D = 3 weeks with 2 skill workouts E = 2 weeks with 2 skill workouts F =1 week with 2 skill workouts, or complete failure 3: The Build of the Aesir Lost 3% Bodyfat (+2 CON +2 STR) Current bodyfat: 18% Weight: 159lbs (Lean Bodymass: 130lbs) Plan: Sprint twice a week Eat at a deficit (2000 calories should mean lose 1lb a week) Eat as paleo as possible going for about 80/20 With this plan I hope to lose 2% of my bodyfat. I hope that's achievable but I somehow manage to confuse myself whenever I figure out how much bodyfat I will have lost for 6lbs of fat I'm pretty sure it would be around 3%, but not 100% sure but we'll go with it anyway! The plan is to keep up with weight training, eat clean and at about a 600 calorie deficit (which should still mean I retain muscle) and make sure I eat about 140 grams of protein per day. And just to really embassy/motivate myself a few pictures to mark the beginning of the challenge and hopefully there'll be a slight different by the end! So here are the pictures with all the appropriate stupid faces: Front, Front, Side Life Goal 4: Record Your Quest Write 1000 words a day. +3 WIS Based off the last challenge I'm also going to add in that if I write more than 1000 words that day I can take that off my total for the next day. So if I'm feeling particularly verbose I don't need to stop and if I have writer's block another day, I won't feel so bad. And this is also so that I can try and write up some blog posts before they're due and schedule their publication. Grading will be percentage based, depending on how well I achieve this goal, so a percentage of how many days I achieved this. A = 100% B = 80% C = 60% D = 40% E = 20% F = Total failure Side Quest Bonus Points for this one: Get a fitness blog up and running I've had the idea for a bit now to start a health and fitness blog, to help me along with my own progress in between the NF challenges and also see if I can help other people. I'm kicking around the idea of calling it "Saturday Morning Fitness" because I'll probably be using 80s/90s saturday morning cartoons as my main inspiration! (power rangers, teenage mutant ninja turtles, dragonball z etc) But if you have any name suggests I would love to hear them! That's it for now! Sorry for the wall of text! And I'll probably come along and edit/add in a couple of bits later! Good luck assassins!

Hi all, I need some advice on how I can drop a few body fat % points. I'm 29, 125 pounds and completely stuck at 21.5% bodyfat. No matter what, I can't seem to drop below this and I'd like to lean out more. I've been stuck here for 9 months at least. I crossfit around 4 times a week and also do strength training on those days as well. Walk 7000 steps+/ day. I eat 90-95% paleo. 50% fat/30% protein/20% carbs (carbs all from fruit, veg and sweet potato.) I try to keep my fruit consumption fairly low, sticking with green apples and berries when I do. Try very hard to avoid starchy fruits like bananas and grapes. Only sugar consumption is a few tablespoons of honey/ week. What can I do!?! Also, I just injured my wrist doing snatches about 1.5 weeks ago and am completely nervous because I'm not supposed to CF at all and can only do limited lower body training. I'm completely panicking about 1: becoming deconditioned and 2: putting on more weight/ fat!