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Hello everyone! I am Aquarii, your resident element of chaos trying to learn how to become an element of controlled chaos 😂 For those of you who don't know me, hello! I love seeing new faces around here. For those of you who already know me, I am sorry. Jk. Welcome back, my wonderful friends. The last couple months have been pretty crazy. At the start of the last challenge, I left my job due to the environment spiraling into something very toxic. I have yet to find a new job, but I do have an interview coming up in a few days, and it happens to be for a place I would really love to work with, so fingers crossed there. Earlier this year, I was diagnosed with bipolar II (probably, the jury is still partially out on that one) and have been on a journey to better understand and manage it. Last week, my apartment management decided to inform me that they are raising my rent by about 15%, which serves to motivate me that much more to get a new job position and get out of this place. Anyway, on to the reason for the title of this challenge. Over the last year, the style of fitness that I choose to do has been changing. Avoiding gyms for Covid forced me to focus a lot more on bodyweight workouts with very minimal weight, and I have found that I much prefer working with bodyweight, calisthenics, and bands instead of iron and heavy weights. It just fits a lot better with my interest in functional fitness. Once I am back in a position with a little more disposable income, I would like to start taking a few dance classes again. And, my partner and I have decided that we want to get into martial arts as a couples' activity. He has always had an interest in martial arts, having done some as a kid, and I have always wanted to learn a martial art. So, it seems like a perfect way to increase our fitness while learning something fun together. I don't know if we will be able to join the dojo or if I will be able to get into a dance class this challenge, but at the very least, I want to focus my training around preparation for it. Improving joint stability, range of motion, and muscle/cardio endurance are all going to be a big part of my training this challenge. Because my fitness is going to be heavily centered around bodyweight training and martial arts prep, it seemed like a perfect time to multiclass outside of my little corner of the forums. If you all have any recommendations or tips, I am always open to your advice and ideas. I only have a minimal idea of what I am doing, so I will take all the help I can get. Anyway, challenge goals: Bladesinger - Martial Arts, Dance, and Bodyweight Training - (STR) Strength and Agility: Bodyweight workouts 3x/week with focus on joint stability and muscle endurance - (DEX) Balance and Coordination: Yoga and/or stretching 3x/week with focus on flexibility and range of motion - (CON) Stamina: 20min+ walks/jogs 3x/week with focus on improving cardiorespiratory endurance Bladesinger - Mental, Intellectual, and Passion Training - (INT) Intelligence: Read 6 books - (INT) Intelligence: Complete 6 modules of Health Coach certification course and study for Nov. Personal Training exam - (CHA) Charisma: Choose one performance-based activity (music, dance, or acting) to practice at least once per week - (WIS) Generativity and Legacy: Watch a documentary each week on a topic related to minimalism, protecting the environment, society/activism, etc *Note: If you are interested in learning more about my leveling system above, check out the full leveling map in my Battle Log.

Stagnation is Death Annals of a Bladesinger A haunting melody weaves its way through the quiet forest. An alien in her homeland with a mind touched by the hand of darkness, the elven wizard hones her dangerous dance, ever vigilant, ever mindful. She practices her art not just for the protection of her people, but to soothe her tormented soul with the meditative, otherworldly whistle of bladesong. Journey to Bladesinger Master 2020 Stats: STR 10 || DEX 11 || CON 11 || INT 15 || WIS 16 || CHA 12 2020 Level: Bladesinger Apprentice Goal Stats: STR 14 || DEX 17+ || CON 14 || INT 18+ || WIS 18+ || CHA 14 Goal Level: Bladesinger Master Bladesinger Apprentice - Trains under a Master. Must demonstrate above-average intelligence, and wisdom to be accepted into training for a wizard, must show some promise in dexterity to be accepted by a bladesinger master. STR 8 || DEX 10 || CON 8 || INT 14 || WIS 14 || CHA 8 Bladesinger Knight - Able to train and fight independently. Must demonstrate above-average mastery of dexterity, and very high intelligence, and wisdom. Strength, constitution, and charisma must be high enough as to not impede progress. STR 12 || DEX 14 || CON 12 || INT 16 || WIS 16 || CHA 11 Bladesinger Master - Can train an Apprentice. Demonstrates exceptional abilities in dexterity, intelligence, and wisdom. Above-average abilities in strength, constitution, and charisma are required to perform at this level. Goal Stats: STR 14 || DEX 17+ || CON 14 || INT 18+ || WIS 18+ || CHA 14 Bladesinger Leader - Can serve as leader to other Master roles. Demonstrates all the abilities of a Bladesinger Master, with higher charisma for leadership qualities. Goal Stats: STR 14 || DEX 17+ || CON 14 || INT 18+ || WIS 18+ || CHA 17 How to Level Scores based on max 20 system, current list only filled to requirements for mastery from current stats, does not include information prior to or past current and master stats Strength (STR) - Calisthenics and Iron STR 11: Plank 1min, 4x13 Pushups, 4x25 Crunches, 30/20 bodyweight squats, 2x20 tricep dips, 2x30 one-leg calf-raises STR 12: Plank 2min, 3x15 Pushups, 3x30 Crunches, 2x40 15lbs one-leg calf-raises, DB Bench 30lbs, DB Squat 50lbs, Deadlift 40lbs STR 13: Plank 3min, 3x20 Pushups, DB Bench 40, DB Squat 60lbs , Plank 3min, DB Deadlift 60 STR 14: DB Bench 60, DB Squat 75lbs , Plank 4min, DB Deadlift 80 STR 15: DB Bench 90lbs, DB Squat 100lbs, Plank 5min, DB Deadlift 100 Dexterity (DEX) - Flexibility, Agility, Balance, Coordination DEX 12: Eagle pose, Warrior III, Hands flat on floor in waist bend, Baby Crow pose DEX 13: Front and side splits, Crow pose, complete NF Yoga DEX 14: Crane pose, Wall handstand (1min), start martial art or agility training DEX: 15: Flying crow pose, 8-angle pose, dragonfly pose, unassisted handstand (1min+), 1 year of martial arts training DEX 16: Level 5: Dophin Push Up Challenge DEX 17: Black belt in a martial art DEX 18: 3rd degree black belt in martial art AND first degree black belt is second martial art Constitution (CON) - Stamina, Endurance CON 12: Complete a 5k in under 45 min CON 13: Complete a 5k in under 35 min CON 14: Complete a 5 mile run in under 60 min CON 15: Complete a 10k run in under 60 min Intelligence (INT) - Academia and Language INT 16: Personal Trainer Cert AND Health Coach Cert INT 17: Complete a Master's Degree program AND reading intermediate reading level for 2 forgeign languages INT 18: Complete a PhD INT 19: Research published in 5+ academic journals INT 20: Research published in textbooks and taught in classrooms Wisdom (WIS) - Generativity, Activism, Social/Environmental Awareness +Be a founding member or leader in a non-profit organization +1 Teach a skill to at least 10 people (OR) mentor at least 10 people +Teach a college course +Create a college or arts scholarship fund +Convert >90% of Beauty, Cleaning, and Meal Prep products to reusable/recycleable/eco-friendly Charisma (CHA) - Leadership, Social, Performance, Confidence CHA 13: Perform a leading role in a community/unpaid show (OR) 1k sub on social (OR) Manager 1+ employees (OR) Promote to SR/Lead position CHA 14: Perform as a supporting role in a paid performance (OR) direct a community show (OR) Manage 10+ employee team CHA 15: Perform as a leading role in a paid performance (OR) release a music album (OR) 10k subs on social (OR) Manage 50+ employee team CHA 16: Publish best-seller (OR) 10k subs to a blog (OR) 100k subs to social (OR) Run a business of 100+ employees CHA 17: Performance award (OR) 100k subs to personal blog (OR) 1mil subs to social (OR) CEO of 1,000+ employee business

I'm trying to figure out what race I am, but I don't know many races, where can I learn about them? Is there an article on NF? Or some link to an RPG page? I'm not that familiar with RPGs, so any help would be appreciated.

My name is Atylanta. I am sort of new to the rebellion-I have followed it for years but haven't been able to enlist because of my young age until now. (I am still struggling to understand the formatting of the forums; please tell me if I'm doing anything wrong) I am thrilled to be joining the Rangers, a guild I have wanted to be with for years. I am young (eighteen), 5' 7" and 125 pounds-slim, fine boned, varying downright skinny and leanly muscular. If I were to choose a race I would probably be an elf because I am tallish and thin. I enjoy a lot of physical activities, but my specialty is swimming. I have swam (swum? You'd think I'd know the past tense of swim by now) for several years and competed in distance and sprint races. I am happy to talk to literally anybody about swimming because my friends are tired of hearing about it. I also enjoy running, weight training, and taking stress naps. I am starting at a university this fall, majoring in epidemiology. I love animals, music, writing, nature, and LOTR. I have a few overarching goals: diversify and expand my workout patterns, increase endurance, and improve agility and flexibility. I am comfortable with intense cardio and moderate strength training but more never hurt. I am also looking for community support-exercise isn't always easy do to some fairly severe chronic respiratory problems and I sometimes get discouraged-perhaps enlisting in the rebellion will help me meet others who have similar problems that they have overcome or managed. I am so excited to finally be part of this community! Thanks for being awesome.

Hi! I'm Laisa, almost 22 years old, from Italy. Before I start, I want you to know that my English could be faulty, so please don't bother my errors too much! I knew Nerd Fitness last year thanks to 9Gag and I found it awesome, BUT I started some exercises twice and gave up after 2 weeks everytime. That's my problem, I don't know what Perseverance is. The same applies to study (I'm a university student) and I absolutely hate it. I'm lazy and I know where to start, but not how to keep on. Sooo... THIS TIME I joined the Rebellion, hoping here I'll find some more motivation, maybe that's all I need? I don't like to say people I know that I want to lose weight because they wouldn't take me seriously, they know my attitude. This time I want to surprise them, I want to make it. I hope you guys help me. I weight 63 kg (about 138 lbs I think). Maybe I'm not SO overweight but I know I can reach at least 53 kg, that would probably be perfect for my body composition. It means a lot to me just because I mentally tend to give up easily. My problem is not dieting. The fact is that I always HATED sports. I've never found something good for me, I tried many things but not for long, again for the same problem. So I need to find a motivation strong enough to make me exercise. I want to HAVE FUN doing it (maybe not at the very beginning, I know it'll be hard). So, I want to change my body, the way I see myself in the mirror, the way I behave and take care about me. I want to grow up and this time I hope I can finally make it. ps: I'm a "occasional nerd". I love the fantasy world, Rpgs, manga & anime. The perfect evening for me and my bf is laying together on the couch playing videogames. I also adore singing and I want to look better on the stage, that's another point. I've always wanted to be an elf or a badass werewolf. I love nature and I study "Animal Welfare and Breeding" at University (I don't know if it could be translated like this LOL) and I've always dreamt of running wild in the forest. I think it'll be my super final goal. Thanks for your attention!

Good people of the Rebellion, I humbly introduce myself, request your wisdom and give you all access permission to kick my ass if I do not follow along. Because I truly think I need a good ass kicking into gear. My name is Chris Brooks and I am all the way from sunny and beautiful South Africa. Why do I need an ass kicking? I've been following along with Nerd Fitness for such a long time and haven't even posted one post. I KNOW and WANT to change into this amazing testimony of health and wellness turnaround, but I struggle.... I procrastinate like nobody's business. (I actually think I could've been to Mars by now if I didn't screw around so much) I'm 1,92m tall and weight 85kg. Tall and skinny - for some part - smallish beer belly and signs of man boobs. I play Action Netball every week and amazed at my fitness and endurance. Spend most part of my day sitting in front of a PC. I recently decided to make a list of things in various aspects of my life that I want to change. Not because I have to, but because I want to. But my knowledge hungry mind had me collecting tonnes of information and absolutely no action. Therefore, I turn to you, Rebels... Show me the way... Please... What I figured out so far: I'm most definitely Assasin (with a hint of Monk) - I hate dumbbells, barbels and weight machines like the plague. I prefer Bodyweight, Pilates, Yoga, Kettlebells (oddly I like kettlebells) I do not want to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger - I prefer the defined athlete look. I need to stop smoking I should eat more - I only eat dinner. I should drink more water I need to get an exercise plan and stick to it. I like the 4HB Slow Carb Diet idea. (Someone on the forum mentioned that Slow Carb = Paleo + Beans) Rebels, over to you, where to next? (PS: I keep seeing that I should create a thread listing my personal challenge, where do I create this thread?)

I live in a world full of uncertainties. People are unpredictable. Privacy is becoming theoretical. And my king has fallen. My name is Durak the Determined. I am an Orc living in the nation of Miralda. There was recently an uprising against our benevolent, Dwarven ruler, King Rorek of Reihorn. Now, the Elves, a race that has always coveted the highest of powers, sit on Miralda’s thrones as conquerors. They have sent out the order to hunt down and slaughter every human they can find, in an effort to eradicate the Dwarves strongest supporters. I always feared what would become of an Orc living peacefully with civilization. Now, civilization has given way to conquest - making this land feel more like the Orc stronghold I fled. Times are uncertain. Will my nation's history lead to more war? Will I be able to protect the ones I call family? My Orc brothers have called me soft for living a life of peace. But I believe that a wise man must never seek out war. But I swear on my sideburns, I will be prepared for it. Welcome to my third consecutive challenge! The paragraph you just read holds significant meaning to this challenge, and I’ll explain why in a moment. First off, let me catch you up on where I started, and how far I have come in the last two challenges. I started off fat, lazy, and fat. Yes, I said fat twice. That’s just for emphasis. But over the last two challenges, I’ve come so far. I have an idea of what I need to be doing now. I know what foods to cut down on, and what to start eating. I have a workout plan that I know I can stick to. I have determination! And that’s what’s going to win me this battle. I may still be fat (and fat.) But laziness is no longer a significant trait of mine. And I am thrilled to be able to say so. The last two challenges have been all about gaining both momentum and perception. And I believe I can start working for physical results. So without further ado… MAIN QUEST: I have tasked myself to become one who is worthy of the Assassin’s guild. The Objectives this time around are going to be a little more specific than the loose goals I have had in the past. They’re going to be stricter and a little harder. After all, this is level three! This ain’t World 1-1 anymore. OBJECTIVES: 1. Six days a week, I will exercise with my brand new eight-pound medicine ball. But I am going to eventually start looking for fun ways to mix up working out with this ball. 2. Beginning on April 29th, I will start a membership at the local rock-climbing gym, and conquer the wall I failed to conquer last challenge. Only this time, I’m going to seek to conquer it within two weeks. 3. Drinking water is not something I have ever liked doing. However, I am going to start drinking 3 glasses of water a day, and aim to reach 6 glasses by the end of the challenge. Bonus points if I make it to 9! Now, I’m sure that you’re wondering about that paragraph at the top of this thread. Well, if you’ve followed my past threads, you probably know that I want to make a comic. I’ve been working on a storyline for a good year now. The introductory paragraph describes an Orc living in the times that the immediately precedes my comic. I thought I would give you a taste of it. That said, my life goal is the same as it was before. LIFE GOAL: Complete the planning stage, and begin work on the production stage of the comic. I look forward to these next six-weeks. Let’s see what happens!

Hello Rebels and Superheroes! November of this year marks my Saturn return, which in astrology is when Saturn has made a full orbit around the sun and returned to the point in the sky it was at when you were born (usually when you turn 28-29). This is a great time to let go of old patterns and ways of being that don't serve us anymore--and basically get your ass into gear. So here I am, doing my best to make that happen! I'm a mental health therapist that works at a couple elementary schools, and I too often have let myself believe the story that I'm too stressed and/or too exhausted to take good care of myself. But the older I get, the more I realize how true it is that you have to take good care of yourself before you can really take truly good care of another person. I just started doing wellness coaching, started a MWF 6:30-7:30am boot camp that incorportes mindfulness and spirituality (tomorrow is week 2 of 6)..... AND!... I just started the 6-week Nerd Fitness Challenge! I'm super pumped about finally making some life changes that stick. I have years of yo-yoing, getting super hardcore about a plan, burning out fiercely and then sputtering out into discouragement and lack of motivation. I'm going for consistency more than anything else this time around. Slow and steady wins the race... Which is where community comes in, in where I really need my fellow nerds' support. In the past, I've always been the type of person to deny my own needs and never ask for help, but this is HARD to do without other people supporting your goals--people with similar visions who can encourage you and maybe jab you in the ribs when you get lazy. I'm really hoping to make some awesome allies on this website, so please check out my challenge: http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/39706-ashcension’s-rise-to-awesomeness/ and I will be sure to do the same. More about me: Things I love: Astrology, cats, chocolate, philosophy, yoga, zumba, beer and wine (sigh), reading fantasy novels (Sword of Truth series is my favorite), mythology, writing, studying psychology, learning about different cultures, languages (I speak Spanish and want to learn German next... next life quest!), personality typing systems (Myer-Briggs, Enneagram), old-school video games (especially RPG and adventure games), table-top RPGs, magic, faeries, dressing up and costumery, Renaissance faires, music, festivals (Burning Man!), frolicking, snuggling, and sleeping. What I want support with: Consistency, Paleo (tips, tricks, and recipes), self-love and self-care, and ideas for working out smarter (instead of harder). Good luck to everyone beginning their challenge tomorrow!!!

I believe in naming my challenges! It feels like a chapter in a book, making it seem much more significant to the book that is my life 1. Improve my leg strength on a horse (riding and weight training) 2. Learn how to mediate and center 3. Give up all soda 4. Balance my finances better What does that break down to? BUILD: (STR, DEX) Increase leg strength while riding -Ride at least 4 times a week. Finishing each session up to eventually go without a bridle on my horse, steering and balancing with leg strength alone. RENEW: (STA) Learn Meditation -Spend at least ten minutes a day learning and practicing meditation. ELIMINATE: (CON) Remove all carbonated beverages from diet -Quit soda cold turkey. No exceptions. Not even mixed with alcohol. Nope. Nada. Zilch! DISCOVER: (WIS) Improve Financial steering -Taking a class on budgeting at the end of the week. Look ahead at least two weeks and plan out finances! Think I can do it? My goal is to combine my love of archery with riding, like a Katniss Everdeen on a horse.. but centered and calm, like a true elf. And of course resourceful in the midst of limited resources - like any good Ranger should be!

I'm quite psyched (as far as that goes for us elves) to have stumbled upon this challenge right on the day that I start following my marathon training schedule! Actually it's already Tuesday 2 a.m. here in Germany, but if I hadn't signed up right now, I know that my motivation to join this ever would have been really reaaally low, so I grabbed the chance by it's neck before it knew what hit it! I had set my "goal" to run a marathon for the last two years already, but got quickly discouraged after some time training. NOW however that I actually have the chance to level up (and having bet 100€ on a certain package of goals, which include the marathon..) I will go through with it and finally run that marathon! I mean, I am Elf now, so I'm swift and have a strong mind which is basically all I need to succeed! So, here are my stats: Level: 1 STR: 1 DEX: 3 STA: 4 (Having run 10km on sunday and also taken part in a 10km run in last Octobre, I think 4 is alright) CON: 4 (I'm quite resistant to diseases somehow, magic elf-thing I guess) WIS: 1 (Good at giving advice, bad at following through myself!) CHA: 2 Primary Quest: Building momentum (need a better name! ) I will follow through with my 10km training schedule which will give me the basic stamina to be able to switch to the real marathon training. The detailed plan is part of a book which is sitting on my desktop at this very moment, so everything is very specific :-) (+5 STA upon finishing) Side Quest 1: Something about fruits I will eat two portions of fruits per day. Although I am an elf, I have hated vegetables until recently and never really gotten the hang of making fruits and vegetables (except cooked ones) part of my daily meals. However, this is going to change now. I will allow myself to exchange one portion of fruits with two portions of raw vegetables once per week. (+2 CON for health, + 1 CHA for being strong and changing my life for the better where I have failed before) Side Quest 2: Powerful Knowledge If I were a university student, I'd have my exams coming up next month. Also: Knowledge is power (does that saying exist in English?), so, being the clever Elf I am, I want to be well prepared for what I might encounter on my long journeys through the woods. Therefore I will sit down and focus on gaining new knowledge or consolidating old knowledge for 30 minutes every day. While that might not sound like much, it will be a challenge to do it every day. (+2 WIS) I'm sure I haven't forgotten anything, as my elfish memory is supreme. If there is however something that might be worth adding, please tell me ;D