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Hi! 0gravity here to start a battle log. This log will be filled with lots of bouldering and bodyweight training. It will also be filled with detailed food logs. Also with an account of poisons imbibed, as one of my main goals is to free myself of habitual substance use. So I'll start with yesterday because I haven't posted it here yet. Daily weigh in 195 lbs Starting measurements: height 74" neck 15.5" chest 42.5" waist 32.5" hips 38.5" thighs 22.25" calves 15.75" arms 15.5" forearms 13" body fat 12% according to US navy calculator Here is a before picture, taken with no flex or pump in not the most flattering light, will have to find a better spot for progress photos EXERCISE Ran two miles with the dogs Had a bodyweight workout - started with the lowest progressions from CC and Start Bodyweight, and a little from GMB handstand tutorial, for pushing and legs only. They were pretty easy so I went through the second level as well Wall pushups 5 sets x 8 reps Shoulderstand squat 5x8 Knnes bent low dips (on paralettes) 5x8 Kneeling plank 5x15s Kneeling side plank 5x15s each side Kneeling elbow plank 5x15s Kneeling elbow side plank 5x15s each Knees bent hollow hold 15s, 15s, 30s, 60s Short bridge 5x15s Standing calf raise 5x15 Standing reverse calf raise 5x15 Incline pushups 5x8 Jacknife squat 5x8 Straight leg low dips 5x8 Kneeling plank 5x30s Kneeling side plank 5x30s each Kneeling elbow plank 5x30s Kneeling elbow side plank 5x30s each Straight leg hollow hold 60s, 60s Straight bridge 5x15s Standing calf raise 5x15 Standing reverse calf raise 5x15 ~15 minutes of stretching including standing pike, sitting pike, active pike, standing straddle, sitting straddle, active straddle (hard), half straddle, forward lunge, forward split (working towards), wrist series, standing lat stretch Volume = high, intensity = low FOOD Breakfast 1030 (resting): Two slice bacon 3 eggs 200 g chicken 25 g cheese assorted vegetables P=92, F=38, C=low Dinner 1830 (PWO) 275g chicken 9 oz beans 5 tortillas vegetables a couple spoonfuls chocolate mousse P=111, C=108, F=16 POISON caffeine 960 mg (I'm serious) Nictoine 18 mg (again, I'm serious) Alcohol 0g Benadryl 50mg

Hi. I'm 0gravity. I am learning to Fly. The Demon of Gravity follows me wherever I go. He casts spells to create Illusions to trick me, to get me to bend to his will. My quest is to learn to break free from this Demon and his Illusions, so that I can Fly. His illusions come in three flavors, which I have learned to recognize. The Illusion of Slothfulness Often this Illusion manifests as the feeling that I cannot possibly motivate to exercise, I am too tired. Usually this occurs when I arrive home at work, and I find myself lying on the couch staring at the ceiling when I had every intention of exercising. Granted, my work is stressful. I am an RN by trade, Emergency and Critical Care by specialty. My hours are long. I start work at 0300 and get off at 1530. Nonetheless, my exhaustion is an illusion. This has been my experience. If I can just motivate to get off of my ass and get started, usually I have a great workout. So this is my goal: Practice flight every day I know a lot of people will insist that rest days are desirable or necessary for progress, but for me I find that I feel the best when I exercise every day. I do not do the same thing every day, and I do not go to maximum intensity every day, but that is my goal, to perform some amount of some exercise every single day. The Illusion of Endless Hunger I like to eat all of the things. I admit it. My hunger is endless. If not for my work defeating the first of the three illusions, the second would have certainly made me morbidly obese and hopelessly captive to gravity by now. Nonetheless, I see that I only feed the demon by devouring cinnamon rolls, cookies, pies, cheesecakes, ice cream, and candy. I can easily pound 5,000 KCal of sugar in a day. My weight fluctuates wildly: When I clean up my diet I drop to 188 pounds in a matter of days, a few days of gorging later and I hit 200, and the cycle repeats. Some foods are fuel for flight, and some only increase the hold which gravity has over us. So comes my second goal Eat enough to fuel flight, and no more For me this is quantifiable. For much of my adult life I was ~185 pounds. In the last few years I have become stronger, but also heavier. Today I am 195. My goal specifically is to eat cutting macros to get back to 185 and then reassess. I am a strong proponent of the leangains system. When I have stuck to the plan, the results have been dramatic. I modify slightly as I don't train with weights and I like to train every day instead of three days per week. So for me it goes like this: Fast 16 hours, eat resting macros around 1100, train in the afternoon, and eat post-workout macros by 1900. Log everything here. For now resting macros are protein:100g fat:30g carbs<20g. PWO macros protein:100g, carbs:190g, fat<20g So really the goal has three parts -Eat only between 11am and 7 pm -Eat a meal ~1100 with ~100gP,~30gF, <20gC -Eat a meal ~1830 with ~100gP, ~190gC, <20gF The Illusion that Poison is the Cure This one is the kicker for me. For the last ten years, I have been a smoker. This is the worst but not the only vice which goes along with this illusion. When I am stressed, I reach for tobacco. The illusion is queer because I know that it isn't true and I fall for it anyway. The illusion is that the cigarette relieves stress, when I know the reality is that the need to feed the addiction is CAUSING the stress. The illusion is that life will not be as good without a cigarette, when I know that it will actually be BETTER once I don't need the cigarette to make it feel complete. Tobacco weakens my bones and muscles and saps my energy. I know that in order to fly, I must let it go. Alcohol is another vice of mine. Some nights I don't drink at all, some nights I have three or four without even realizing it. I know it is making me heavier. I know it is sapping my energy. I know I need to let it go. Caffeine is yet another vice. Waking up at 0230 is really hard. It is way too easy to pound energy drinks and coffee in order to make up for lost sleep. But then I find myself awake later on when I should be asleep, frustrated and agitated when I should be peacefully snoozing. I turn to OTC or prescription sleeping pills or alcohol or all three in order to counteract the effects of the caffeine. Then I am groggy and lethargic the next morning and reach for the coffee and energy drinks and the cycle repeats. So here is my goal Let go of All of the Poisons It is easliy quantifiable. Either I refrain from the poison, or I imbibe them. How to grade myself on this goal though I am not sure. This is a thought which is still in progress. That is enough for now. I do not suffer from the illusion that this will be easy.

This PVP (PVS? player vs. self?) challenge will continue indefinitely, and the goal is to continue improving your climbing skills while helping all of your fellow climbers by sharing videos, tips, techniques, advice for relevant exercises, and more. It's also a great place to just talk about climbing, vent when you're frustrated, or have the rest of us cheer you on when you finally get that route you've been projecting. There are no real rules for this PVP. Just set some climbing goals for yourself, hang out here, talk about climbing, and occasionally update on how you're progressing with your goals.

Lilith Level 3 assassin kitten (not yet a Cat, Tiger, or...) After the scary dog was gone, sadly not defeated by Lilith but by the humans (something something dog ate the birthday cake), Lilith felt a little bit fed up with adventures. They are fun, sure, but only when they are crushed by her lovely fluffy kitten paws. This kitty didn't like being defeated, and thus thought she'd spend some quality kitten time purring, and testing out the best places to nap. An important conclusion she reached: anywhere is fine. Napping is the best! As the weather outside got better, the humans left the portal (through which the dog had one day entered) open more often. Her mum also went through the portal - and back (which was sort of reassuring). So one day little Lilith decided to go through the portal, to a world of new scents and sounds and tastes. The grass felt nice beneath her paws, the sunlight warmed her in a way that made her a little bit sleepy.... Who was that?! A cat, definitely not a kitten. Definitely someone she had NEVER seen before. "Meowmeow! I startled you, didn't I?" Lilith tried to shrug it off, which was hard because her tail looked like it had recently exploded. "Prrrrr don't be afraid! I heard rumors of a promising litter here... Maybe you have what it takes! " Lilith was confused, she was sure she had everything it takes but the question was more... what for? So she asked. "It's so mysterious and secret I can't tell you before I find you worthy... Here is what you need to do...." ..... Lilith was back through the portal, to the warm fuzzy inside. The encounter had done one thing for sure: she didn't feel like napping anymore! Instead, she wanted to prove her worth! So she would have to get right on her kitten skills and flexibility training! Main goal: get fit, flexible, and awesome! (and impress the mysterious cat) Goal 1: Flexibility I want to work on my flexibility, mobility, whatever, stuff like that! I will specifically work on improving those three poses: - Front split - Side split - Bridge All yoga and mobility work I do will count towards this goal, because I find that every possible stretch I can do will have a positive effect on at least one of those poses! So I'm all set and ready to go! Oh yes wait, grading. I will grade this based on a subjective grade per week (average of all 6 weeks counts) on my effort towards this goal. No 'x times per week requirement' I want to fuel this with my own motivation, not with 'obligations'. The second part of the grading will be done by you! I have before photos and a video in the spoiler tag, I will do it again at the end. Fun, yay! Goal 2: Workout 3-5 times a week! Most often bodyweight based workouts, but also climbing and the occasional weight thrown in. Might also go running or race cycling. Anyway, you will just have to wait and see! Grading: within the range is A, 2 times a week is C, 1 time a week is F. Goal 3: Handstand practice (at least 2 times a week)! At least 2 sessions of 5 minutes a week. (This is an A) I know, it's not much, I actually want to do more, but I'm lowballing this challenge because consistency is more important than really impressive goals I think! I am now at: wall handstand, hands about one meter from the wall, being able to hold for about 5 breaths. Next level: wall handstand 30 cm from wall, being able to hold for at least a minute Bonus goal! Record any other activity I do. Like hiking, slacklining, all the fun stuff that isn't part of the challenge, won't be graded, but I'm GOING to have bragging rights for it. Btw any feedback or help on achieving any of those goals (most notably the flexibility one on how to improve my poses) are very welcome!

Before I found the rebellion I had already known real battle, put a few notches on my axe and dented my armor almost beyond recognition. Cleaning out on the home front had been tough on this dwarf. The halls under the mountain where I made my home had had its share off monsters, traps and pitfalls but I had plowed through a lot off that. Sure, the halls are not pristine yet, but they are habitable enough. The time has come for a new adventure, for finding other monsters to encounter, other tunnels to explore and new cool skills and feats to use. I have slayed a Hydra and faced the emptiness that comes after such an accomplishment. I have cleared all the arrow traps only to start getting caught in the snares instead. It is time for me to find the next big hitter and to steadily progress on the hard road to that encounter. The Illithid Archmage Confidence(Main quest): In tunnels very close to where I rest and feel relaxed, laugh with friends and practice to hone my skills there lives a very powerful foe. A mind flayer stronger than any I have ever come across in my adventures so far. It calls itself Confidence and it must be conquered at any costs. As any off its kind, it prods, pries and peels at the mind to find its victims biggest fears, biggest faults and worst nightmares to prepare devastating attacks until it can devour the mind entirely. With every trick in the book at its arsenal, it is indeed a devious foe and one that is not easily dispatched. During the course off many moons we have circled each other in the halls but the time to go to war has finally come. I do not face this challenge eagerly but still I crave it more than I have craved any battle in the past. Many skirmishes might be fought before this foe is felled but I can no longer ignore Confidence trespassing on my territory. The game face is on, the gear is on, the war is on! How life in the halls will be when Confidence has fallen(Main quest goals): I want to be able to stand tall(figuratively speaking) with my chin up and feel great about myself. Regardless off my history or my ambitions I must take pride in my self and feel confident! I want a sound self esteem based on me being true to myself and living up to my own ambition instead of one based on what, I believe or know that, others think off me. I want to know, truly know, that even though there are many paths from where I am right now that lead to bigger and better things I am still totally acceptable as is! And also, I deserve to go down those roads and find adventures and treasures I can barley imagine. War against Confidence for two consecutive tough challenges, when this is done I will use this as a basis for my straight back and proud chest. I did that, I deserve this, I am more than good enough, I am actually pretty awesome! Use goals in these two challenges that reflect the changes I want to make in how I view myself and that also leads me to a stronger, leaner and even more awesome version off myself How the war will start(goals for this challenge): #1: Dwarven physique 1: Hammering away on my master piece body(training and training goals) Keep on to my regular schedule of two days in the gym and two days climbing at the bouldering gym. Go trail running at least 5k at least three times during the challenge(I would say once a week, but I have a lot of things occupying my week ends as I am getting married on June 7th) Weigh myself at least once each week and report the result to keep track on how I am doing. I want my weight to stay basically the same during this challenge though a small drop is acceptable. #2: Path of the Explorer 1: Clear a path to Confidence(skills to practice, things to accomplish) Set a new PR in the three big lifts, also set a PR in concurrent pull ups in one set and concurrent dips in one set. Set a time to beat on the “mountain bike trailâ€, a trail close to where I live where I usually go trail running, about 5.5 km long and very hilly. Get the food status “Hey, I did good today†5/7 days a week. This will be graded based on my gut feeling, pun intended. I am also in a agreement with a friend stating that until June we are off all kinds off candy, snacks, ice cream and cookies. We are allowed three cheat days and so far I have had one. Keeping on this plan is also part of my goal. #3: Dwarven attitude 1: witty title Mediation/reflection on my views on what it is to be confident, how to get there and what, if anything, blocks my path. Ideally I would do this for at least 15 minutes, at least 3 times each week and write down any and all thoughts and ideas that come up. Do a mindless head rush at least three times a week.This can and include anything from taking an ice cold shower to parachuting. Step outside of the comfort zone and find shiny new toys. Have a “push through it†attitude during the entire challenge, I guess the only way to measure this is to ask my self after each work out: did I do everything I could do today? Grading my self on the percentage off times the answer is: “Aye lad, you sure did!â€. Life Quest: Finish all preparations for my upcoming wedding in June and manage this without stealing (too much) time from working out and without going insane. Find and buy a kick ass suit. Why should I keep swinging my axe(My motivation): I do this for me, I owe myself the best version of me! I do this for my loved ones, my future wife and my family. I want to be good example for my future children and a fun and exiting person to hangout with for my friends. I also want to be really hot for the misses! =) Being fitter is being a lot more fun to be! Give yourself the best opportunity for an awesome today and an even better tomorrow! And oh, I do like to work out, so there's that for motivation as well. Character sheet(Measurements) 2014-04-10 Cm/KGs Inches/pounds Height 174cm 5 ft 8.5 inches Weight 81.4 179.5 lbs Waist 99 cm 39 in Upper legs, flexed 61 cm 24 in Upper arms, flexed 35 cm 14 in I am unsure about the waist measurement since I wear 33-34 size jeans comfortably, at least if I measure the same time I will see the trend. Way before picture(2007): Challenge start pictures: Grading chart: Dwarven physique 1: Grading here will be split into two parts and my end grade will be the mean between those two grades. Part 1: training, I have comited to 27 work out sessions( 6x4 + 3 ) And will award myself grades according to: 27 or more = A, 24 = B, 21 = C, 18 = D, 15 = E. Part 2: weigh ins, This is just A for every week or F for anything else. Path of the Explorer 1: The same split grading as above for totals over six weeks. Part 1: PRs, I comit to 6 PRs and grade according to: 6 = A, 5 = B, 4 = C, 3 = D, 2 = E. Part 2: food, I have committed to 30 good day and grade according to: 30 or more = A, 27 = B, 24 = C, 21 = D, 18 = E. Dwarven attitude 1: I will split this one into three parts and use the mean grade. part 1: meditaion. I have comitted to 18 sessions and grade according to: 18 = A, 16 =B, 14 = C, 12 = D 10 = E. part 2: Head rush. 18 of those as well and grade according to: 18 = A, 16 =B, 14 = C, 12 = D 10 = E. Part 3: This goes back to the same number as my number off workouts and will be graded the same: 27 or more = A, 24 = B, 21 = C, 18 = D, 15 = E. Life Quest: Is all about the suit and simple pass fail =) The iron is ready, the fires are stoked, the working gloves are on and it is time to get the job done! Keep listening, and you will hear the hammer ring against the steel!

I have my first outdoor bouldering weekend planned in August and I want to train for that while also maintaining some strength (and also because, well, I like it). So I'll need to come up with a program, and I'm looking for resources. So far my plan is to:- Switching gym from x3/week to x2/week, and also up bouldering to x2/week (from x1/week or whenever I managed it)While in the gym focus more on grip strength, upper body and single-leg work - actual program TBC.Which is where you guys come in! Any other climbers/boulderers and lifters out there - what do you do and what sites did you find useful? My signature has a summary of where I'm currently at strength-wise if that's helpful. Thanks!

Lilith the Chubby Kitten - The Battle Against Fear Level 3 Kitten (definitely not yet a Cat, or Tiger, or...) After having won the battle of heights from Ravi, things were happy and fuzzy and cuddly and nice. Lilith and Ravi had decided they were both the absolute best at everything kitty related, and were therefore partners now, instead of rivals. Lilith was growing up to be a much bigger kitten now, and became much more aware of the surroundings. The human servants especially deserved much more attention! There were two gigantic humans who could reach the shelves with food easily. The trick with those was to look adorable and a little bit sad, that way you could get extra treats! *nomnomNOMnom* But Lilith's favourite human was a small one, a kitten like her. They could play for HOURS (*cough* minutes *cough*) hyperactively, before Lilith would cuddle up to the kitten human and fall asleep. "ZZzzzZzzzzzzz purrrrrrrrr purrrrrrrrr....." * Happy kitty dreams about outdoor adventures, capturing the flying noise machines! * A sudden earthquake woke Lilith up. What's that? Oh.. Her kitten human had run away to the outdoors portal (the one that was very strictly forbidden for kittens and not for mommy cats). Oh well... Lilith went on her drowsy way to a softer spot to sleep. WOOOOOF. *growls* Only to be waken up again by the monster of monsters. Smelly, bad teeth, gnarling.. And intently looking at her. NEVER TRUST THE OUTDOOR PORTAL! WHAT SORCERY, WHAT EVIL ENTERED LILITH'S SAFE WARM CUDDLY SPACE?! The adrenaline kicked in Lilith's veins. She was cornered, alone. She was the absolute best at sneaking past threats, but she never had to sneak past a threat that was looking directly at her, and very menacingly at that. One paw in front of the other. Stay low, you're invisible. Two steps later the dog barked again, jumping towards her.* RETREAT!* Back on top of the couch it was. Now what to do? She thought about Ravi, but couldn't call him for help. But she did remember how they both wanted to become the best sneaky kitty assassins ever. What would an assassin do? Lilith, scared as she was, realised she had to face her fears. Show the dog who's boss. "The key is not to look scared, don't look scared, maybe don't look at all.. Oh no, no I can't not look that's even scarier. " One, two, three....! That would teach him! Lilith felt strong, fierce, like a cat, like a lion! Raaaaaaawr! .... Okay doggie is gone run for the hiiiiilllllsss! O_o * Lilith is now hidden among the shadows, until further notice (notice being dog left the building)* Epic quest: From 73kg to 54kg. This goal will stay the same for a long time, which is why it's an epic quest. This challenge will be great for making progress in the epic quest, I'm sure! Especially because I'm going to try to focus on food again! I will grade myself for the epic quest too this challenge! Main quest: Kitteh is brave, kitteh is strong, kitteh is FEARLESS! Sadly, I am not as fearless as my kitten alter ego. Which is what I'm working on this challenge! BONUS goal 1: Workout 5 times a week. I will mostly be doing Insanity, ZWOWs, other bodyweight circuit training, toprope climbing, bouldering, and pilates. Maybe I will add in some running too, depends on the weather really. Anyway, point is, I don't follow a specific schedule. It works for me to do what I want (do I want to die? Insanity it is! Do I want something challenging but not too exhausting? Pilates it is) I do keep track of which Insanity workouts I do so I do those evenly spread out (they have different body focuses) The fitter and stronger you are, the less you'll have to fear! I'll be able to crush my enemies! Grading: No workouts missed is an A. For every two workouts missed during the entire challenge I lose one grade. BONUS goal 2: Skill practice 5 times a week. Again, this is the same as last time. So climbing practice that can include grip strenght, balance etc. Yoga also counts towards skill practice. But I'm making it broader, to make skill practice really 'having fun play time and seeing what my body can do' so it could also be walking, handstand practice, maybe I'll dare practice some safety rolls to prepare for parkour... Well you get the idea! You will soon find I'm very enthusiastic and basically want to do and try everything! How does this relate to fear? Well if I would do handstands and parkour stuff, those are things I'm scared of but would love to not be scared of anymore! Safety roll bitches! Grading: No skill practice missed is an A. For every two workouts missed during the entire challenge I lose one grade. Goal 3: BodieBoost. You guys won't know this, but it's a diet/lifestyle method (NOT a crash diet). It's not about eating perfect, nor is it about counting calories. I've been doing this for the duration of last challenge too, and it works for me so far. It keeps me from binging, it MAKES me eat two treats a week (no more, no less) and I feel happy and not obsessed with food when I follow it. I tried eating sensibly without structure, it doesn't work. I tried being perfect with food and counting calories, it didn't work. I'm going to try keeping to this because I notice I am losing weight and more importantly feel so much better in my skin! Anyway, this goal is definitely fear related, because I'm scared I'll binge again but I really want and need to tackle my food problem if I want to lose weight. Grading: A for a perfect day, B for a good day (where I eat one portion of food too much or eat one treat extra in a week). D for a bad day, where I didn't keep to BodieBoost. F for a binge. I'll have a grade for every day and I'll take the average for the final challenge grade. Lifegoal: Getting my life back on track. One of my biggest sources of anxiety is all the stuff I need to do for uni, like studying and finding an internship. Equally scary I find all the insurance declarations I still need to do and just that random official important LIFE stuff that I would love to hide from. And ALSO just doing house chores like tidying and cleaning and fixing flat tires etc... So I want to face those fears. It's unbelievably hard for me but I really NEED to because those things have a thing of getting worse the longer you ignore them... Grading: A if I had a very, very productive day, perfect, super awesome! B if I had a good day where I did useful stuff. C if I did one thing, which is not enough, but better than nothing. F if I didn't do anything. Tracker Measurements before challenge 23Feb14: Waist 85cm, Upper Leg 60cm, Chest (under breast) 88cm, Upper Arm (relaxed) 31cm 24Feb14: 70.3kg Assassins Guild 6 week Bridge Challenge - participating! Starting point, unable to do a bridge. (Cannot support my weight on my arms/hands/wrists and cannot push up high enough) Week 1 Workouts 5/5 Skill Practices 7/5 BodieBoost: AAAAADD Lifegoal: ACBBABB Mini Challenge #1: Monday: pigeon pose galore! Tuesday: Pigeon Pose, Deep Lunges, Cobra, Bridge (trying). Wednesday: cobra, pigeon, shoulder dislocations. Week 2 Workouts 1/5 Skill practice 1/5 BodieBoost: DDA Life Goal: CFB DID NOT TRACK ALL Week 3 Bodieboost: A B A A A B C Life goal:A B A C C B B Workouts: 3 Skill practices: 1 Week 4 BodieBoost: ABAAABA Life goal: BBBCAFA Workouts:2 Skill practices: 3

I have been doing bouldering for a few months now, using a couple of misproduced cheapies that i picked up for about 30$. However, I happen to be 15 years old, and still growing, so last week they turned out to have gotten so small, that my feet began to hurt while i climbed. What i'm looking for here, is some basic knowledge about brands, features, quality etc, so that I know what to look for, and what to stay away from, as i'm planning to get a new couple as soon as possible. -lm3755

I'm un-challenging this time, because I feel like I'm in a good place with my current routine and don't want to disturb my rhythm. I'm also at a point where I don't need grades to feel motivated, and instead they tend to make my workouts feel more rigid and confined. So, no grades. This time, it's more of a daily battle log with a few areas of extra care. 1. Stay the course with my program Climbing 2-3 times/week + some finishing leg and push exercises. Strength 0-1 time/week (so climbing + strength = 3 times/week), concentrating on pull-ups, flex hangs, lock-offs, hanging leg raises, toes-to-bar, pistol squats, and Cossack squats. Balance based Yoga 2 times/week, focusing on slow, controlled motions and precise foot placement. I programmed a lot of my handbalances into my balance programs, so they aren't going anywhere. HIIT once per week. Clearly, I'm losing my mind, as I've started kind of enjoying burpees. No full rest days. I at least do some light yoga if I don't feel up to much. Whatever I feel like doing with the rest of my time. I often do more yoga, GTG pull-ups, playground workouts, and more. 2. Diet - Don't really care this time, as long as I don't have horrible holiday binging. If I gain, I'm doing enough strength that it'll probably be muscle. That's fine. If I lose, it'll probably be fat. That's fine. If I maintain, that's fine. I'm large framed and muscular, so at 5'6.5", my ideal/absolute goal weight is around 140-145. I'm about 147. At some point, I'll want to cut a little more, but it can wait until after the holidays. 3. Mental post-it notes (the things I want frequent reminders to do): 3a: Extra stretching and mobility work. Winter is coming, which means my body will be more stiff and susceptible to injury. The plan is to spend a few minutes doing some dynamic, full ROM warmups before hitting the harder exercises. When climbing, it means I should do some arm circles, leg swings, huggers, and such before simply jumping on the wall. I normally had been warming up by just doing V0s. Also, my shoulders have been touchy lately, so I'll spend more time doing shoulder and neck stretches, as well as some mobilitywods for these. 3b. Eliminate the clutter. It's a great time of year to fill donation bags with toys the kids no longer play with, clothes that no longer fit (or that we just don't wear), and other household items that aren't used enough to justify keeping them. 3c. Don't be a SAD assassin. I tend to get the winter blues. So, I need to remind myself to take Vitamin D supplements, go outdoors, even when it's cold and I don't feel like it, and find fun, exciting things to keep myself happy and productive. 3d. Exercise more with the kids. I played with this a few challenges ago with the Mario jump-a-thon thing, but I hate either dumping the kids in the gym daycare all of the time (I already use it on climbing days) or always using my son's naptime for my workouts. So, I'm compiling a list of exercises I can do while playing with the kids. So far, I have parkour tag at the playground, jumping & gymnastics stuff (kids will do a follow-the-leader thing with me), burpees (my son loves counting every time mommy jumps), and climbing on me while I do flex hangs, push-ups, squats, planks, or bridges. My son does not like having me do yoga, especially since I need to stay focused on it and not him for at least 30 minutes. So, I'll be saving yoga for naptime. 4. Jedi mind tricks (the ways I'm going to trick myself into making better choices). 4a. Avoid holiday binging. We're now in the season of halloween candy, thanksgiving pies, birthday cake for my daughter, Christmas cookies and candy, and any number of other unhealthy choices. If it's in the house, I will want to eat it. So, my aim is to mitigate the damage somewhat by making slightly healthier sweets, like chia pudding, sweet potato brownies, almond butter+ protein powder rum balls, etc., whenever there's a really unhealthy one in the house. The hope is that if I'm craving a cookie, pie, or candy, I can sate that craving with a healthier sweet. 4b. Less computer time. Restricting time of day or available websites hasn't helped with my time-wasting. Instead, I'm going to list a bunch of activities on post it notes that are more productive uses of my time, and then stick those notes on my computers. I'm hoping that will inspire me to do one of those productive things rather than waste time on the internet. So far, my list is: study for my MFE exam, read a book, read to the kids, play a game with the kids, house cleaning, decluttering, yoga, play the piano, look at recipes, work on photo album, and cross stitch. I'm sure I'll add to the list. Mostly, I'll use this thread to log my workouts and report on how well the reminders and Jedi mind tricks are working for me. If I fall way off track with the unchallenge, at least I'll know next time around to go back to rigid goals.

Hey there, fellow assassins! Having taken a pretty casual approach to challenges for the last few rounds, I decided that's not actually working so well for me, so I'm trying the opposite technique - 4 tough goals that will take some serious work to achieve. My main quest is general AWESOMENESS. I want to be able to do anything I decide I want to do. I want to be strong, and flexible, and try new things with confidence. And all of that? Means I'm going to fail. I'm going to fall on my head while learning to do new things. I'm going to drop juggling props constantly. I'm going to fall off the climbing wall in new and different ways every week. I'm going to fail, and keep failing, until I succeed. Goals: 1. Backbend! Not something I've worked on before, but my flexibility will only increase if I push it. Right now I can hold it for about 2 seconds. I want to get a full minute by the end of this, and improve my form. 2. Pull-ups. I want to do 5 in a set. So far my best ever is 2, and that's on a good day - a not-good day means I can't do any. This requires a 3x a week pull workout, starting by using the 20 pull-up plan. 3. Climbing! There's a particular route at my gym that I really want to defeat - I can only go climbing once a week, so it may take me all six weeks (or longer!) to get there, but I'm going to do it. 4. Juggle 5 clubs. This is a long-term goal, but it starts here. I started doing four clubs last fall (during my second challenge here), and now that it's vaguely stable, it's time to work on five. These practices will likely involve more time picking up clubs than actually throwing them, but just getting the five in the air is a start. I'm still swimming regularly, doing a full bodyweight workout 3x a week, limiting non-water drinks to 3 a week, and eating for a very slow bulk. Looking forward to the next 6 weeks!

Assassins, hear my rallying cry. My older sister, IrishAmazon, is rejoining the online Nerdfitness community for this challenge, which is great. But she is doing it to test me, to push the boundaries of my badassitude and to claim renown as Swolest of Them All. As her nemesis, Viper Pilot Extrordanaire, Boulder Monkey, High Inquistor of Cats, Pharoah of Phunk, and Captain of Team Me, I cannot allow this arrogance to grow unhindered and unchallenged. Worst of all, she's not even an assassin. Pfft! The winner of this challenge is awarded a prize, in the form of foam roller or lifting straps. Needless to say, I cannot wait for my new foam roller. On to my goals. The first fun new element for me this challenge is that I have started lifting. I will most likely be lurking on the Warriors forum for tips etc but because I am an assassin first and foremost, here is where I stay. Also because to balance out my lifting I will continue to utilize rad and balance intensive BW moves as well bouldering the crap out of everything I can boulder. I also learned how to jumprope (!) for the first time ever and I am developing a pretty cool dynamic warm-up that involves jump-roping, jump-squatting with weight, push-ups, and so on. Main Quest: Raise It All Up I want more upper body strength. A lot more. It will help my climbing exponentially and with the combined power of my already Super Glutes, make me nigh unstoppable; help me get closer to real pull ups, and also, super developed shoulders are hot, and I am super vain. So there. 3 Goals: 1) GAINS: Eating. According to IIFYM, I need to be eating between 2155-2371 calories a day. I know I'm not right now, so that has to change. I will reach this goal by continuing to meal prep for work, and starting planning dinners ahead of time (I rarely eat enough dinner). I am reinforcing this by only allowing myself to buy food while I'm out at work once a week (coffee doesn't count). 2) Workout 3 x Week: Pretty straight forward lifting programming; press/squat day, deadlift/bench day, bodyweight circuit day. Stick to this programming, don't miss a workout. I will add my workout stats at the end of every week (to prove I did them!). 3) Climb 2 x a week. I haven't been making as much time for climbing, so this is a priority. If I miss a day one week, I make it up the next. Will record my climbs as frequently as possible. Side Quest: Save up $250 for passport. I have been putting that off for ages and I HAVE to get it soon, because there is a small chance I will be somewhere in Europe next summer. Should not be too hard, I just have to do it. And I realize this is a week late, but I wanted to give IrishAmazon a head start, seeing as she has been out of the game so long. Muahahah. Which reminds me, we haven't come up with a concrete scoring system yet, which we should do, eh? Ready, set, go! Starbuck

Main quest: Climbing, climbing, and more climbing. My main exercise for the last year has been bouldering, and I honestly do view everything else as filler to help myself get stronger, more flexible, or more in shape for climbing. Despite that, I've spent the last two challenges chasing shiny things and doing "side adventures" only tangentially connected to my main goal of climbing. About 2 months ago, I successfully climbed my first V3. Since then, I've reached a point where I can generally complete the V2s, and I completed another couple of V3s (all balance based routes with crimpy holds. None had any major power moves). I'd like to reach a point where I can generally get the V3s and maybe a V4 or so. I don't intend to push myself too hard with chasing grades, as that tends to lead to injuries or disgruntlement. Instead, I'd like to focus on the background exercises and diet that will generally help with improving my climbing. Since between kids and scheduling, I can only make it to the climbing gym 2 (occasionally 3) times each week for about 90 minutes each time, I have a lot of room for extra exercises. Goals: 1. Get Stronger - obviously, improving my strength will help with power moves in climbing. My ideas to achieve this are to 1a.) select exercises that are more directly applicable to climbing or are needed to balance out my muscle groups, and take a break from the other stuff. This means tons of dead hang pull-ups, tons of core work, and high step-ups where I alternate pushing from the heel and pushing from the ball of the foot. Push-ups and posterior chain stuff will be added just for balancing out muscle group exertions. Take a break from exercises that are only marginally helpful, even if they seem cool and appealing (like handbalancing or prasara). Stop chasing the shiny objects. 1b.) GTG pull-ups and pull-up variations. I need tons more volume. 1c.) be smarter with reps. For some odd reason, I've been stuck on wanting about 10 reps for set. But, I really want strength and power, as that will help the most with my climbing. I don't really want size. So, I should start increasing my weight or exercise difficulty so I'm doing 3 sets of 5 or fewer reps, rather than 3 sets of 10+. Target: 24 points for 4 climbing based strength days/week, where to get a point, I either have to climb, or do a day with GTG pull-ups, climbing based exercises before getting distracted with shiny objects, and increasing difficulty rather than reps. 2. Get Leaner - if I weigh less, there will be less of me to haul up the climbing wall, which should improve my climbing. Also, I want to do a slight bulk (maybe 0.5 lb/week) at some future point, but I don't know that I can bring myself to do that without losing a little, first. This one will be a little bit odd for me, since (aside from pregnancy and the period right after), I haven't weighed less than 150 or more than 162 over the last 15 years (I'm 5' 6.5"). My body will recomp quite a bit in that weight range, but otherwise, I guess my body rocks at maintenance and is awful with everything else. I'm at 152 lbs and not too flabby now, so I'm close to the limits of my body's ability to lose weight or recomp without trying something new. To shake things up, the plan is to: 2a.) eat moderately low carbs (tough, since I'm a vegetarian) and on a deficit during my 3 yoga/stretching days. Eat normally on the strength or climbing days, but at most one serving of refined carbs. Avoid social event binging. 2b.) Alcohol only on my "cheat day". The rest of the time, no beer, wine, etc. 2c.) Come up with healthy alternatives to handle my early afternoon energy crash. I've typically grabbed either a not-so-healthy snack or juice to give me a little energy boost. Yeah, it's a bit experimental, but I have to try a bunch of things to see what will work for me. Target: 36 points for 6 days/week of following this protocol 3. Adjust my attitude 3a.) Climb all of the V0s and V1s. I need to stop either feeling like easier routes are "beneath me" or hold myself back out of a fear of failing at something that I think I should be able to do. Even the "easy" routes can hit an individual weakness, and I should learn from them what I can before focusing almost exclusively on the "hard" routes. 3b.) Stop whining about height bias in climbing. Yes, many routes have moves that are challenging and reachy for me, but are trivial for my 6'2" husband. I need to get over it and stop whining or commenting about the height bias, and instead focus on improving my own skills. I'm sure the whining makes me a pain-in-the-ass for my husband to be around. 3c.) If I'm having a bad climbing day (and those do crop up), move to the easier routes or traverses and work on endurance, rather than getting grumpy. I need to salvage what I can out of the session, rather than make the day a complete waste. Target: 100% compliance with these protocols on climbing days. Side quests: 1 Finish constructing our indoor climbing structure (damn it, I want my holds to arrive). Come up with an exercise circuit utilizing the structure. I'm pretty excited to to this and was planning on it anyway, so it's kind of lame as a side quest. Fitness side quest: Yoga or mobility for 30 minutes on every non climbing or lifting day. I've been pretty good about the yoga, but I really need to commit to the time. Plus, there's no reason for me to have a "do nothing" type of rest day. Target: 100% compliance with this on non-strength days. Life power up side quest: Fly with the flylady. Thanks to Bekah, KBGirl, and Elastigirl, I'm going to jump in on the Flylady PVP after all. I'm hoping that their energy will motivate me to clean my house more often. My house is a disaster, and flylady seems to be a great way to break the cleaning down into manageable portions. Plus, my daughter is becoming a slob, and I know I'm setting a poor example. Target: the PVP has 7 pts/week for a total of 42 points. Obtain all of these points.

Goodness gracious, guys. It has been almost exactly a year since I joined the NF forums and participated in my first 6WC. I really haven't felt great about my fitness regime since 2012, though. I haven't been sticking to the routines I create, and I have really been struggling with both professional and personal aspects of my life. Starting in March, it seemed like everything in my life went wrong. Shitty job, which I quit, followed by a stretch of unemployment that drained all my savings. On top of that, my depression, which I've talked about before (recently watched this video, which I highly recommend), kicked in, and kicked in hard. I was nonfunctional. It was really bad. But I got some help, and I'm better. But this year has not been going according to plan. So where does that leave me now? Well, it's hard to say. I have great days, and I have shitty days. My job situation is still weird (working part-time at two bars, and looking for other work) But I'm still here. I'm still creating. I read over my first 6WC, and remembered how important it was at that time to feel in control of my life, to assert mastery over my domain. Which I was very successful in doing, in some ways. What I have realized since then is that in order to really have control, you also have to know when to let go. In order to expand, you have to contract a bit. I can't control everything in my life. And I cannot control myself, all the time, to the degree that I expect of myself. And that's okay. This Challenge: I want my body to look and most importantly, FEEL, as tough as I know I am. For some reason I have been thinking a lot about Lara Croft recently. The reboot game was apparently awesome, I have not gamed in years though, so I can't speak to that. But I remember how when I was a kid, I would play Tomb-Raider....but only the intro levels. The game terrified me. So I would run around the intro and demo level, exploring and jumping off things, but never really putting myself at risk. I was afraid. That I would fail. Well, that approach does not cut it anymore. If I want to be capable of the things I want to do both personally as an athlete and professionally as an actor(and stunt-person? Thinking about it...), I need to be stronger and faster, but most importantly, I need discipline, so that I can work through the fear. I need routine. I bet she has some pretty mean spreadsheets. So, my Main Goal for this challenge, is to create a long-term fitness plan that will push me and challenge me, that I will stick to, and that will help me finally build the muscle and the endurance that I have always desired. It needs to be flexible and well-rounded; so that I can adjust it depending on my smaller goals. My currently workout schedule looks like this, and I've been doing it for about two weeks. I'm going to keep this really simple. CURRENT WORKOUT SCHEDULE: This is roughly what I've been doing; sometimes switching which days I do what on, depending on my mood/soreness. I want to switch the order that I do things every week or so, so I don't get bored. Monday: Run Tuesday: Bodyweight Circuit (upper body focus) Wednesday: Climb Thorsday: Bodyweight (lower body focus) Circuit Friday: Climb Saturday: Run Sunday: Climb/Full Body Bodyweight Circuit There's no rest day on there; will probably alternate running and rest days, or sometimes combine run and climb days. GOALS: MISSION GOAL: Create sustainable and flexible fitness routine with a focus on upper-body strength building. 1)Do every workout. Simple. Schedule workouts on Sunday or Monday. Do them. The only ones I have flexibility on are climbing; because I can't always get to the gym. If I miss a climbing trip though, I still do the bodyweight workout or run. RECORD EVERY WORKOUT in spreadsheet / challenge thread. This is crucial. Sub-goal: Reduce 5k time to 33 minutes; I have to figure out what my current time is on flat surface(I've been running in the park which is a lot of up hill and un-even terrain); if I beat this time inside the 6 weeks, reduce to 31 mins. Sub-goal: Continue to work on v1/v2 problems, attempt some v3s. 2) Do 1 Glorious Shiny Pull Up I've done some really sloppy half assed ones. Work on form; if I accomplish this inside the 6 weeks, I will increase my goal to 2. 3) EAT EAT EAT Make sure I get my caloric intake for muscle building; rough Paleo (exceptions: rice, potatos, some dairy). Trying to find consistency in my diet; recently I upped my caloric intake and I can feel the difference. Basically, eat when I'm hungry and eat frequently. Prepare snacks for work.Going to edit this goal this week once I figure out a more structured eating plan. STATS: I'm also going to update this thread later with points; realized I tracked points in my first challenge, but not since. I think it will help me stay on track. It's funny, at the start of past challenges, I have felt all fired up, filled with optimism and motivation that is usually short-lived. I burn out. This time around I am less wide-eyed idealism and more grim determination, but I have a few things helping me out. -My roommate! Check out his first ever challenge thread and show him some love. Great dude, great athlete, and is super positive and gives me tons of support. -The fact that it's been a year since I committed to living healthier. I owe it to myself to make these changes stick. -My life goals demand that I do this. If I can't commit to these habits, I might as well throw in the towel and be content with mediocrity. Screw that. I've also flaked on so many challenges that I feel embarrassed starting another, so much so that if I don't finish this one it will make it that much harder to start the next. Not gonna do that to myself. -My progress. I'm bouldering v2s now. What I love about bouldering is that it is so easy to track your progress. Feeling the difference when you climb week to week is exhilarating. -And my challenge theme song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HX74UhgMFA Good to be back. -Starbuck

Sorry I'm late to the party. We just returned from vacation This challenge is dedicated to my Mario-obsessed 5 year-old, who, along with her younger brother, will be underfoot all summer. Since I didn't want to just stick them in the gym daycare every day or feel annoyed when they interfere with my workout, we're going to try a Mario-based, pretend play fitness adventure. 1. (fitness) Mario can jump, and so will we. We will pick our Mario characters (meaning, my daughter will decide that she's Princess Peach and will dictate to me and my 3 year-old what roles we're playing), and then we will leap chasms (broad jump), reach for high coins (high jump), land on small platforms (precision jump), and jump over piranha plants (obstacle jump) in our quest to defeat Bowser. They'll either try to do a follow-the-leader circuit with me or they'll just jump at the same time. Goal 1a - increase broad jump by 6" (I'm at 5'8", so goal is 6'2"). A = 6" increase, B= 5" increase, C = 4; F=anything less 1b - increase high jump from fingertips on ceiling to palms flat on the ceiling. A= palm flat; B= top of palm and the fingers flat, and so on 1c - be able to precisely jump from anywhere in about a 5' radius to a designated target spot This one will just have to be a judgement call on the grade. 1d - running jump completely over a folding chair. A=achievement of this; B = over an object 4" shorter than the chair; C= jumping over an object 8" shorter than the chair. 2. (fitness) Mario also does a lot of climbing, and unlike me, he can probably do so even when the footing is poor or not quite there. More and more bouldering routes around my level have campusing moves (basically climbing without using feet at all), and my lack of strength is holding me back. The plan: We have some ropes that attach to the ceiling, and our Mario group will "climb" the vines during our adventure. I can practice offset pullups, lock-offs, and arms only climbing on the rope, which will help me increase my strength for campusing. I also have rock rings suspended 12" below my pull-up bar, and while I can technically do campusing pull-ups, I find them hard and avoid them. I need to greatly increase my volume with these, using a resistance band support if I find that I don't have one in the tank. It's likely that the kids will want "their turns" too with the pull-up bar, but we'll just incorporate that into our adventure. Of course, I'll also work on the moves while bouldering. Goal 2: Be able to campus on the bouldering wall when the holds have a vertical separation of 18" (which foiled me on the last V3 I tried). A = campusing the 18". B = campusing 15"; C = campusing 12", F = less. 3. (diet) Mario keeps score - I've had huge problems with any sort of nutritional tracking, so I'm taking baby steps. It's summertime, it's hot, and dehydration will be a problem. So, I'll track my water intake and make sure I'm getting at least 10 glasses of water per day. I'll also track my liquid calories (excluding protein drinks), and determine whether I'm consuming more calories than I thought and whether some sort of action needs to be taken. For the kids, I'll keep a better eye on their fluid intake and encourage healthier choices, like water over juice. Goal 3: Track liquids at least 5 days of the week for myself and the kids. Grade: A = over 25 days of tracking; B = 23-25 days; C = 20-22 days; F = less than that. 4. (level up life) - Mario is always prepared with the right power ups for the right situation. He would feel pretty silly if he only had his frog suit on a sky level, or packed his propeller hat on a water world. The kids and I have had this tendency to just head outside, and then kind of decide where we're going. As a result, we will end up at the super sunny park with no sunscreen and hats, in the woods with no long pants or bug spray, or romping along the creek in our tennis shoes. As a result of this unpreparedness, I managed to get poison ivy twice over the course of the last 6 week challenge. The plan: We will make sure we have the right power ups in the right situation by deciding as a family where we are planning on playing before we've left the house, and then as a group figuring out what items we need to pack to be fully prepared for our outdoor adventure. This should be a great exercise for my 5 year old as well as me. Goal 4: always have our hats, sunscreen, water bottles, proper footwear, proper attire, etc. when we head out to play. Grade: A = 0-2 times caught unprepared. B = 3-5 times; C-6-9 times; F= 10+ times. Of course, I'll still be continuing with my playground workouts, bouldering 2-3 times/week, swimming with the kids, and some yoga when I can. The Mario adventure will also include Yoshi rides (i.e. weighted squats, weighted frog or squat jumps, and some weighted QM with both 35 lbs and 45 lbs of children on my back, but there isn't a way to fit this into a goal.)

Hello Everyone, I, like many others, have undergone a name change. I am no longer Wolflean...b/c I feel I have achieved "wolf-lean" status and now just maintaining the pelt, lol. I AM THE WOLF! (Too much?) Lol. A lot has happened in the last couple weeks thats gonna make the start of 2013 hard to deal with.... but thank God for my rebel friends and the drive to get better EVERY SINGLE DAY. This next 6-weeks challenge will be my toughest one yet. It's gonna involve a lot of bouldering and getting back into the swing of parkour. Coming up March 8th-10th, down in San Antonio, there's a place called Alpha Warrior. They are a badass onstacle course gym very similar to ANW (American Ninja Warrior) My goal is to travel down there and make a name for myself. They even have elite runs where the winner can cash out some major $$$$! Bouldering for those who don't know what it is, is this: Bouldering is a style of rock climbing undertaken without a rope and normally limited to very short climbs over a crash pad (called a bouldering mat) so that a fall will not result in serious injury. It is typically practiced on large natural boulders or artificial boulders in gyms and outdoor urban areas. However, it may also be practiced at the base of larger rock faces, or even on buildings or public architecture (see buildering). One of the major appeals of bouldering is its relatively scant equipment requirements. Nothing is actually required - beyond suitable comfortable and flexible clothing - and it is not uncommon to see people bouldering with just climbing shoes, a chalk bag, and a crash mat. Bouldering also has a grading system, and here's a quick breakdown: As in other types of climbing, bouldering has developed its own grading systems for comparing the difficulty of problems, mainly because bouldering problems can be much harder than traditional rock climbing routes. The most commonly used grading systems are the Fontainebleau system which ranges from 1 to 8c+, and the John Sherman V-grade system, beginning at V0 and increasing by integers to a current top grade of proposed V16 (Terranova by Adam Ondra and Gioa by Christian Core). Both scales are open-ended at the top, and thus the upper grade of these systems is always increasing as boulderers ascend more difficult problems. Swanky. And there we have our brief history/info on bouldering That way everyone knows what I'm talking about when I refer to sending a V3, lol I figured with the sick 1-2 combination of parkour and bouldering, Aplha Warrior may have met it's match! Bouldering is gonna train my upper body and grip strength to a maximum. Bouldering will also help shed off unwanted BF and give me a nice strength to weight ratio. On the other hand, parkour will do the same. Training parkour, or PK, will increase my overall conditioning and agility. Strength for this will come in various BW exercises and training for parkour in general. My body is gonna go threw some adaption because my training workload will be the most I've had since playing basketball back in Highscool. Which was at least 2x a day, for a total of 4-6 hours of training a DAY. I was younger then, but now, at 25, heading into my prime, I figured NOW would be the time! The Apha Warrior comp asks you to "Prove It". And I shall! Goal #1: Boulder 2x(+) a week averaging 2hrs a session +2 STR and +2 STA and +1 DEX So, the goal here, is to maintain this boulder training for the next 6-weeks. It's very similar to last 6-weeks goal, but with more emphasis on hitting the goal 100% this time. I can always exceed the goal but with the other types of training I'll be doing... I don't know if I'll have the extra energy for a 4th day, lol. Goal #2: Yoga 2x a week +2 CON This goal can be on the same day or seperate days as the bouldering days. Yoga will be SUPER beneficial to climbing and parkour. All the top athletes do it. 'Nuff said. Goal #3: Find time to train parkour at least 2x a week (+) BW routines +1 STR and +2 DEX Bouldering will take up some of my training time, but I gotta stay true to the urban ninja way. Between work and training other people, it's gonna be hard to fit this in with everything else, But I will make sure the weekend days hold true to me hitting this goal... at least while it's still getting dark at 5:30 Goal #4: Fix the Family/Spend as MUCH time with Race as you can +2 WIS and +2 CHA As anyone who followed my last challenge knows, things kinda fell apart for me with my family. So my goal is to do as much work as possible to make things better. If anything, spend as much time as I can with my son, Race. The CHA is added b/c I'm a different person when he's in my life. Especially on days where he stays with me. His little smile makes everything better for me! I left one point out for a reason, haha. It's going to be a bonus goal linked to Goal #1: Bonus Goal: Project at least a V2 consistently +1 STR I'm sending all but 1-2 V0's and around 5-7 V1's consistenly right now. My goal is to push my body into sending a V2 consistenly. If I can project V2's by the end of the 6-week, then I gain the +1 to STR. If not, then I lose my 15th point. Guess I better make it count!!! Finally, got all my goals and stuff ready to go! I know that the next 6-weeks doesn't start until Monday, but I'm getting a jump start I'm super excited about the challenge and can't wait to see where my progression takes me! Thanks for taking the time to read my thread, and good luck to all the other Assassins out there! Wolf

By mid-winter, snow covered most of the ground; the flat gleam of white crystals was only broken by the wide black rivers of black rock along which the metal beasts hunted during the day. Any hope of a feast of grain-based grub or sugar-laden mush had long ago diminished with the onset of the frozen season. For Lydieboo, the only hope was to hunt, and hunt well; to feed and strengthen herself against the inevitable attack by starving bears or, worse, the voracious yeti. Only through her prowess against her prey of small furry creatures vegetables, and by learning to escape up a snow-laden pine tree or icy rock face, could she survive until the warmth returned to her mountainous homeland... The Challenge: Lydieboo the Barbarian has gotten complaisant and chubby during her long lifetime of 33 years, but the winter has made her a prime target for carnivores and size-14 clothing. To survive in the competitive Rocky Mountain winter, she must lose the extra fat she has gained and learn to effectively escape from predators that will eat her alive (or make her look really awful in a rabbitskin bikini), as well as continue to feed herself and keep up her strength the most efficient way possible. The Tasks: 1. Sustenance. I will go Whole30 for the first 30 days of this challenge. No cheating. After that time, I will stay Paleo, but will allow a non-paleo treat occasionally (read as: no more than 1 time every 3 days). A perfect grade will get me +2 CON/+1 WIS; a "B" grade - 1 slip-up or less per week - will get me +1 CON/+0.5 Wis, anything else will result in no points. 2. Shed the Skin. I will do some form of cardio intervals 2+ times per week. This can be anything: running fartleks, sprints, stationary bike sprints...um...other things I can't think of. An average of 3 times a week (with no more allowed than 4 in a one-week period) will get me +2 DEX/+1 CHA, an average of 2 times a week (at least 1 every week, no more than 3 counting in any given week) will get me +1 DEX, anything less than that is no points. 3. Escape! I will climb and/or do strength training (ie. BBW 3 circuits minimum) 3+ times per week. There is no leeway on this one, it must be 3 times in a week or it doesn't count. Achieving this goal gets me +2 STR/+1 STA. No Partial Credit. 4. LIFE GOAL: Slay the Yeti: Pay total $2,000 combined on Emergency Fund and Sallie Mae over the course of 6 weeks. +1 WIS. No partial credit. (May have to reduce due to inconsistent bonus schedule, but if I can pay $1,781 it will still be a huge win for me.) Week 1 Update Strength: 3/3 Intervals: 2/2 Whole30: 99.9% (Stuck my finger in some honey last night after not eating any fruit for a day and a half. I'm still counting this as a solid win. Yes, my pants are looser this morning.) Yeti: $337.56. $120.64 pending...need to get to UPS to make a deposit. 10/10 so far.