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What's everyone's take on maintaining an intermittent fasting regimen whilst also maintaining performance in an endurance event? I'm currently doing 16/8 intermittent fasting (nothing to eat between 8pm and 12pm the next day), but have a couple of events on the horizon that would require me to perform in a fasted state for a few extra hours - a karate grading that would be at about 1pm that I won't have the chance to eat prior to, and a 50km (31mi) mountain bike race that begins at 11am. I'll have home made energy gel (honey, rice malt syrup, molasses) on me for the MTB race, but will that be enough? This IF thing is working for me, so I'm sticking with it, but I'm concerned that I'll have an energy crash if I take on these 2 events fasted. What's everyone else's experience and recommendations? I'm really interested to hear.

This is my first challenge thread. My challenges may be hobbit-sized because I got off to a late start this month. But I can talk your ears off about them anyways. Diet challenge: Planning and cooking ahead of time. My weakness food-wise is the tendency to think "I can last without food until I get home" when I had lunch at 12:30 between classes and then have to go to work until 7. What invariably happens is my brain hits a wall halfway through the afternoon and I end up buying a giant cookie or some nasty cafeteria food to keep me going. Or I stop on the way home after work and buy junk food and then pig out once I get home because I let myself get too hungry. The plan is to find recipes that will keep me ticking over throughout the day, make them ahead of time, and remember to bring them. Breakfast: this is easy. Something carby, and some protein. Usually a hash brown patty and an egg, or herring and cream cheese on toast. Lunch: something that doesn't need to be refrigerated or microwaved, since I'll be eating it outside my locker between classes. Going to scout out some recipes for salads with things like root & green vegetables with a bit of protein. On Sunday I cooked up a big batch of noodle salad with buckwheat soba, peppers, snow peas, and zucchini ribbons, and a bit of ginger-soy dressing. (Note: who needs a spiralizer when you have a good potato peeler?) Not bad except I overcooked the noodles. But lunch is covered for this week because I made that. Snack: carbs are needed to keep the brain at full steam. This is only a problem on Tues/Thurs when I have work until early evening. I'm either going to portion out some nuts and dried fruit into little boxes to take with me, or make some muffins (if I can find the recipe, I have one for muffins with frozen fruit and a little dark chocolate, and no other added sugar). Dinner: if I had a snack in the afternoon and I'm not starving when I get home, I can take the time to make a decent dinner that isn't based on a box of mac & cheese or a can of soup. If all this works out... I still like my takeout food and my chips once in a while, but I won't be tempted to buy them several times a week because I forgot to bring a meal and got hungry sooner than I thought I would. I can plan when I want to have this stuff and not overeat it. I will also probably end up drinking less coffee because I won't be having glucose crashes and mistaking it for needing caffeine. Fitness challenges: 1) Figure out the school pool schedule so that I can get in at least one and preferably two endurance type workouts per week, until there's enough daylight and warmth to bike on the park trails. Depending on how long I can swim they could be after work on Tuesdays and Thursdays, or I might just have to make the extra drive and do them in the mornings on two other days. I suspect the latter. I hate this bus-free bike-unfriendly city sometimes. (Fitness gear goal for the summer: install Ben-Hur-style spikes on my bike hubs for the cars that get too close.) 2) Do home workouts with body weight or dumbbells on the other days. I'll make a point of having two rest days during the week. Or do I need a rest day after every workout day? Anyways, the home workouts are easy to schedule at this point. I've been doing 3x3x10 with the dumbbells (standing overhead presses, bent-over rows, and ... what do you call that thing where you hold the weight in front of you with your arms straight and then lift it to chest level? Those things.) Life challenges: 1) Get a new doctor at a clinic that takes my insurance. The guy at the insurance-free clinic is a weird old quack and I can't really talk to him. If I have insurance now I'm going to make the most of it. 2) Finish up the stuff for the little wee book I'm writing. I have to write the introduction and acknowledgements and source some photography. That's IT. Geez. Why is the last bit so hard.

I'm a newbie, so let's see how my first challenge goes: Endurance Goal: Run 3k without stopping. I am using a couch to 5k-esque running program, and am currently running 5 minutes on, 1 minute off. Strength Goal: Hold a plank for 2 minutes. I can currently go for 30-45 seconds. ​Diet Goal: ​Have one serving of veggies at lunch and dinner. Life Goal: Practice my oboe 3x a week. If I'm doing anything wrong forum-wise, please let me know; I don't really know how this works Let's do this!

My journey to becoming a curvy, strong, and flexable badass. I am currently working on : Flexibility- a full Herron with leg straight Endurance- run two miles without walking Strength- Squat: 3x10 with 75 lbs Dead lift:3x10 with 90 lbs

Challenge 1: Cop Conditioning INTRO: Hi, I’m Sythez. I used to be on quite a bit. This is not my first challenge, but it’s been over a year. I’m starting again from the ground up. For my year out of the loop, I had an emotional breakup which threw me off track of life for a few months. I’ve leveled up my mental life 3 fold since then. I have a tight group of friends, I track my food, I work out three times a week, and I prioritize university. I also have a part time job arresting people (Loss prevention). All in all, I’ve found quite a bit of success. It’s time to continue that trend with fitness. Wish me luck, it’s time to kill it. Dragon slaying time! SHORT SUMMARY: After 6 weeks 1: Run 10 minutes straight. 2: Do a pull up and chin up 3: Make my year progression plan with my physical trainer 4: Do 30 pushups, Plank 2 minutes, 5: Batch cook for at least one meal a day through the week DEBRIEFING: In about a year, I plan on tackling the physical test for the Edmonton Police Service. In Canada, the police are held to a very high standard. Many have degrees or diplomas, It is expected that you are in incredible physical shape, and have excellent control over your life. You also must have a high level of life experience prior to joining. Over this previous year, I’ve been working on my degree and gaining some experience in the security industry. I work with drug addicts, homeless people, and people suffering from mental illness every day. I’m usually the last person they want to see, as I’m usually either asking them to leave, arresting them, or providing emergency first aid assistance. This isn’t to say I don’t have positive interactions with these people. Respect is ironclad rule in this profession. What I need now is to increase my physical level to the point where I am hirable as an officer. I need to nerd out with heavy things and running tracks. I’ve listed some of the basic requirements below. Let’s look at the minimum requirements; I’m 25 seconds off from the plank, can’t do a pull up, and since I can’t sustain a run for longer than about 3 minutes, failing the beep test. Which is fine. I want to be in the Gold range in a year’s time. I think this is do-able. Further details of the requirements can be found here: http://www.joineps.ca/ApplicationProcess/NewApplicants/Stage3.aspx ACTION PLANS: Over the past month, I’ve slowly changed my habits to change a few key habits. I go to the gym 3 times a week I track and log all my food intake I count the calories I eat. I aim for 1800, but am flexible depending on needs. Current goal is lowering BF % I plan on continuing these habits. The progression towards achieving the goals for this week will be as follows: (may change depending on progress to Nov 2nd) Week 1: Batch cooked healthy food for week (One meal/day) 1 minute 10 seconds plank 22 pushups Week 2 of running program app Negatives Pull/Chin-up, back muscle training priority Week 2: Batch cooked healthy food for week (one meal/day) 1 minute 20 seconds plank 24 pushups Week 3 of running program app Negatives Pull/Chin-up, back muscle training priority Week 3: Batch cooked healthy food for week (one meal/day) 1 minute 30 seconds plank 26 pushups Week 4 of running program app Negatives Pull/Chin-up, back muscle training priority Body Fat percentage measurement Week 4: Batch cooked healthy food for week (one meal/day) 1 minute 40 seconds plank 28 pushups Week 5 of running program app Negatives - Assisted pullups, chinups You’re awesome award - One month celebration with friends Week 5: Batch cooked healthy food for week (one meal/day) 1 minute 50 seconds plank 30 pushups Week 6 of running program app Negatives/Pull up, chin up Week 6: Super challenge: Paleo food for week Batch cook paleo 2 minutes plank 32 pushups week 7 of running program app PULL UP/ CHIN UP Beep Test SCORING: Every week is marked out of 5. Ideally, 5 checkmarks a week. If I get above 25 marks for the challenge, I am rewarding myself with a new diesel watch. Regardless, I will be rewarding myself with new clothes. As my body composition changes, I’ll need to. FINAL NOTES: This is a heavy challenge. However, I have good friends to support me. One of my friends is a spin class instructor, and is incredibly supportive. The other is a salsa dancer who is also tackling problems with body fat composition. I know where I want to be in a year. I know getting the results I want will take time. But I’m going to kick some ass for a year from now. RAHHHH! Thanks for reading. Let’s kick some arse.

My name is Valerie and this is my 2nd 6 week challenge, and my first as a scout. I've been a member of the Nerd Fitness Academy for a little over 2 months, and I'm really enjoying it. I'm getting SO much out of this experience, and I'm feeling amazing about myself and my performance. I am a PhD candidate in my last year of school, and I'm working hard to keep both my mind and body in shape. I was born a runner, but I lost a lot of my fitness abilities when I dove headfirst into school. I want to take that power back and be proud of my strength, my body, and what I can accomplish. Over the last couple of years, I have moved from barely able to run a mile, to completing 5 1/2 marathons in good time, but I'm still trying to break that 2 hour barrier: PR 2:00:08 (seriously.) In order to accomplish my main goal (below), I must get stronger and faster. My first 6 week challenge was interesting, and you can read it here: Smarter, Stronger, Faster Main Quest: Run my first full marathon in as close to 4 hours as I can in January 2016 at the Arizona Rock n Roll Marathon (my family will be there to cheer me on W00T!) Quest 1: Be able to do a pull up like it's not that big of a deal. As I get stronger, I get faster and I am convinced that this kind of strength will really help with my endurance Measurement: A = Pull ups are kind of easy B = I can do the pullup, but I sort of want to die C = I am so close to a pullup, I can taste it. Reward: A = +5 STR ; B = +4 STR; C = +2STR Quest 2: Drink Less Alcohol - this is the main source of my bad calories. I am SUPER social, and a social drinker. Measurement: # of drinks per week total - A = 7 or less B = 9 or less C = 11 or less Reward: A = +3 WIS/ +1CON ; B = +2 WIS/ +1 CON ; C = +1 CON Life Quest: In order to become as competitive as possible for the market, which just opened, I MUST get my digital portfolio in order. I have had a pretty beautiful one open for over a year, but it's never been finished. Potential employers will be looking at it as soon as I get my first application submitted. This challenge, I will have my portfolio finished, polished, and market ready. Measurement: A = Finished and Polished; B = Finished but not yet polished; C = Almost finished! So close! Reward: A = +2 WIS/ +2 CHA ; B = +1 WIS/+1CHA ; C = +1 WIS Motivation: Feeling good about my own accomplishments makes me proud of myself, and the direct result is confidence. I need to be confident and academically in a great place when I start interviewing late fall/winter. The more confidence, the more jobs I'll likely score. It only takes one - but I want the right one.

I AM OPTIMUS PRIME After a so-so second challenge, it is time to devise a plan that will - hopefully - keep me motivated. Third time is a charm they say. Some of you know already know where I come from, but it doesn't hurt to sum up the story: I went from pre-diabetic and obese (for about four years) just 16 months ago, to moderately healthy and relatively thin now. The goal now is to keep the efforts up so I can get rid of my anti-diabetic medication (close to it), and build myself the functional body I was robbed of by PCOS and my own ignorance. So I thought, what's more fitting than giant robots, Evas and Transformers for a challenge that will focus on maximizing my power and efficacy? I've been obsessed by anything mechanical and powerful since I've been a little girl. It's time to make use of that! I'll also try to keep posting the workout music of the day, metal (especially grind) just goes great with a giant robot theme. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- QUEST 1 - DESTROY EVERYTHING The idea is simple. Stay active, and enough to keep losing the little of body fat that make my progress on some movements difficult. I am currently around 24% bodyfat, provided I maintain lean mass, I need to lose about 2.5 kgs to drop 1%. So this quest has a dual goal: 1 - DESTROY FAT - lose 2.5 kilos (starting at 57.7 kg on Monday, July the 20th) A = 2.5 kg or more = 1.5 CON + 1 CHA B = 2 kg - 2.4 kg = 1.5 CON + 0.5 CHA C = 1.5 kg - 1.9 kg = 1.5 CON D = 1 kg - 1.4 kg = 1 CON E = 0.5 - 0.9 kg = 0.5 CON 2 - DESTROY METAL - keep a routine of at least 2 strength training sessions per week + 1 HIIT session per week - I learned my lesson, last challenge 3 strength sessions + 1 HIIT was too much I am counting the bye week. So that's 2x7 + 1x7 A = 14/14 + 7/7 or more = 2.5 STR + 0.5 DEX B = 12/14 + 6/7 = 2 STR + 0.5 DEX C = 10/14 + 5/7 = 1.5 STR + 0.5 DEX D = 8/14 + 4/7 = 1 STR Any less = F ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- QUEST 2 - KEEP GOING KEEP RUNNING - I have always neglected endurance running because I was bad at it for a gazillion of reasons. Too heavy, too hard on my feet that had suffered from several stress fractures, painful shin splints. Now that everything is better, and that I am fitter, I find running at a lower pace for a longer time less painful than before, and I run for longer periods of time (without pause) for my warm ups. For now I just suck at it so hard I'm ashamed of saying that the longest I can run for is 11 mins. I want to train endurance just enough, just so I can't be ashamed of my performance. The plan is simple, start from a place of comfort (= 7.5 mins at a slow pace = the amount of time I can run for without feeling like I'm going to die) and add +30 sec to it whenever I feel I can do it. At the end, I want to run those 11 mins comfortably at least, and will award myself more points if I went further than that. Bonus = run more than 11 mins comfortably = +1 STA A = 11 mins = 3.5 STA + 0.5 DEX B = 10 mins = 3 STA C = 9 mins = 2.5 STA D = 8 mins = 1.5 STA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- QUEST 3 - UNLOCK FULL POTENTIAL Unlock full upper body and back potential, that is. I'm really eager to be able to do a pull-up. So I looked up things and gathered millions of underpants to help me build a routine that's going to help me achieve pull-ups. The specific movements will be performed on one (at least) of the two strength sessions I do per week. If I happen to be lifting a third time during that week, I'll train for the pull-ups again. 1 - UNLOCK MOTIVATION - It is hard to come up with a point system that measure performance for this goal. I will first reward myself for the number of times I actually stuck to the program, because it's going to be hard, and I know the DOMS will be crippling as well: Bonus if more than 7/7 = + 0.5 STA A = 7/7 pull-up trainings = 0.5 CHA + 0.5 STA B = 6/7 pull-up trainings = 0.5 CHA C = 5/7 pull-up trainings = 0.25 CHA 2 - UNLOCK POWER - I know I won't be able to get to the pull-up after just seven weeks. It'll take months. So I'll post compare my first performance on those movements with the one at the end of the challenge. If I feel as if I performed well enough, I'll add +3 to STR and +0.5 to DEX. On Thursday, July the 23rd: - Australian pull-up on pull-up bar at waist height: 4x3 - BO dumbbell rows: 6x3 at 14.1 kg - Max bar hang: counted until 31 - Bat wings: 6x3 at 8.1 kg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LIFE QUEST I have a ton of things to take care of this summer that are piling up on top of work. I'll make a list of them, and count how many I managed to complete at the end of the challenge. For each task completed, I'll get a point. If I managed to clear more than 20, I'll award myself +2 WIS: - Post an update for each challenge day (multiple updates posted at once are okay): week 1 - week 2 - week 3 - week 4 - week 5 - week 6 - week 7 - Post in challenge threads by people I haven't interacted with yet 3/week : week 1 - week 2 - week 3 - week 4 - week 5 - week 6 - week 7 - Encourage fellow Rangers by posting on their threads, at least 5/week : week 1 - week 2 - week 3 - week 4 - week 5 - week 6 - week 7 - Get an appointment at the dermatologist - completed 31/07 - Go to the dermatologist - completed 04/08 - Make a to-do-list on the whiteboard - completed 05/08 - Sort, go through, and try on all my winter clothes - completed 03/08 - Sort, go through, and try on all my summer clothes - completed 02/09 - Do the alterations on the clothes that are too big for me now but still want to wear - Get an appointment at the dentist - Go to the dentist - Get an appointment at the vet - completed 08/08 - Go to the vet - completed 08/08 - Get an appointment at the ophthalmologist - completed 02/09 - Go to the ophthalmologist - completed 02/09 - Renew my glasses - completed 02/09 - Get an appointment at the gynaecologist - completed 05/08 - Go to the gynaecologist - completed 06/08 - Go get my blood work done - completed 07/08 ​- Go back to the gynaecologist with the blood work completed 12/08 - Go give the insurance company that paper they asked for - completed 06/08 - Work on Max's project - completed 08/08 - Go back to the insurance company - completed 26/08 - Get the templates I need to finish Max's project - Catch up with e-mails: Sarah - Mahdi - Max - Trevor - Write the review for the new Nile - completed 24/08 - Write the review for the new Enabler - Write the review for the new Krisiun - Write the review for the new All Out War - Write the review for the new Harm's Way - Write the review for the new Implore - Write one mini-review #1 - completed 21/07 - Write one mini-review #2 - completed 21/07 - Write one mini-review #3 - Write one mini-review #4 - Write one mini-review #5 - Write one mini-review #6 - Tighten the screws to my treadmill - Glue my two favourite mugs that have been broken for years - completed 28/08 - Complete the matrix for my updated portfolio - Work three hours/week on the actual portfolio: week 1 - week 2 - week 3 - week 4 - week 5 - week 6 - week 7 - Gather information on immigration process - completed 31/07 - Gather information on accommodation in Toronto - completed 19/08 - Get my printer to work - completed 21/08 - Book accommodation - completed 24/08 - Gather information on transports in Toronto and learn the map - completed 19/08 - Gather information on what to see in Toronto - Get plane tickets - completed on 04/08 - Get new workout clothes (the store is far, otherwise I wouldn't put it in the list) - completed 26/07

My name is Valerie and this is my 2nd 6 week challenge, and my first as a scout. I've been a member of the Nerd Fitness Academy for a little over 2 months, and I'm really enjoying it. I'm getting SO much out of this experience, and I'm feeling amazing about myself and my performance. I am a PhD candidate in my last year of school, and I'm working hard to keep both my mind and body in shape. I was born a runner, but I lost a lot of my fitness abilities when I dove headfirst into school. I want to take that power back and be proud of my strength, my body, and what I can accomplish. Over the last couple of years, I have moved from barely able to run a mile, to completing 5 1/2 marathons in good time, but I'm still trying to break that 2 hour barrier: PR 2:00:08 (seriously.) In order to accomplish my main goal (below), I must get stronger and faster. My first 6 week challenge was interesting, and you can read it here: Smarter, Stronger, Faster Main Quest: Run my first full marathon in as close to 4 hours as I can in January 2016 at the Arizona Rock n Roll Marathon (my family will be there to cheer me on W00T!) Quest 1: Be able to do a pull up like it's not that big of a deal. As I get stronger, I get faster and I am convinced that this kind of strength will really help with my endurance Measurement: A = Pull ups are kind of easy B = I can do the pullup, but I sort of want to die C = I am so close to a pullup, I can taste it. Reward: A = +4 STR ; B = +3 STR; C = +2STR Quest 2: Drink Less Alcohol - this is the main source of my bad calories. I am SUPER social, and a social drinker. Measurement: # of drinks per week total - A = 7 or less B = 9 or less C = 11 or less Reward: A = +2 WIS/ +1CON ; B = +1 WIS/ +1 CON ; C = +1 CON Life Quest: In order to become as competitive as possible for the market, which just opened, I MUST get my digital portfolio in order. I have had a pretty beautiful one open for over a year, but it's never been finished. Potential employers will be looking at it as soon as I get my first application submitted. This challenge, I will have my portfolio finished, polished, and market ready. Measurement: A = Finished and Polished; B = Finished but not yet polished; C = Almost finished! So close! Reward: A = +2 WIS/ +1 CHA ; B = +1 WIS/+1CHA ; C = +1 WIS Motivation: Feeling good about my own accomplishments makes me proud of myself, and the direct result is confidence. I need to be confident and academically in a great place when I start interviewing late fall/winter. The more confidence, the more jobs I'll likely score. It only takes one - but I want the right one.

Hi all, new here, been lurking on and off for awhile. First the back story. I played soccer my whole life till 18 was always lean, stopped playing in college, became sedentary, gain a ton of fat over the following 10 years. Ended up hurting my back, had surgery, gained more weight out of fear of moving and hurting it again. In February of this year I was 186lbs and around 28% body fat. I am currently 33yo, and was disappointed with what I became. I decided to get back to who I am(coincidentally) this coincided with returning to school for my MBA. I have additional motivation in that I don't want my children to grow up with a dad that can't move with them. I started working out again in February, I am currently down to 158lbs and 14.57% body fat. My oldest son is going to be turning seven and he wants a membership to the local rock gym, and I'd love to go bouldering with him. I'm currently eyeing becoming an assassin. My current goals: Continue lifting on my current schedule, add an afternoon bodyweight session. Gain flexibility and endurance Dead hand for 20 seconds each arm Get to 3x 12 pullups currently 3x 8. Get up to 3x 15 chinups currently 3x 10. Begin running again(Dr gave the go ahead to run again, however must be conscious of the lower back). Maybe yoga? Finish four rungs on the salmon ladder(best to date is three). Long term goals: Weight 165lbs and 8% body fat Dead hang 20 seconds with 50 lb added weight. Get agile enough to do parkour. Improve dismounts on lachees. Add additional obsticles to home course. Finish MBA. Take the kids bouldering once a week for a year straight. There's a lot more, but think they'll be saved for another post. Anyways, cool site, look forward to tracking and gaining here.

Noor woke early under a warm snoring pile of cat and dog. She smiled to herself, amused by the predictability of animals, even wild ones, during a cold mountain night. She looked for Sovellis and saw his bedroll empty. Stretching and yawning, she slid out from under the sleeping pile and moved to the fire to rekindle the flame and finish the porridge she had left to cook overnight in the coals. She knew that now was a time for planning. She had to find a way out of her Stone Giant form and a way to hold the curse further at bay. As she cooked and thought, she hummed an old halfling song to herself. This felt somehow more manageable now that she was not alone. --,--'--@ Long Term Goal: As always, my goal is to lose 200 LBS. My long term goal is also one of my primary focuses this time because I have to see my parents at the end of this challenge and they are super judgemental about my body and fitness. As such, my goals are going to be designed to try and enhance weight loss and building endurance. Goal 1: Logging food I am going to track my food daily because I find that I lose weight much more consistently if I track. It helps me to be mindful of my food. +3 CON 38 or more days tracked +2 CON 28 days or more tracked +1 CON 14 days or more tracked Goal 2: Endurance Through Cardio: I have had no luck with adding in daily cardio, but I really miss being able to walk all over the place and being confident in my body. As such, I will walk for 10 minutes a day every day. Outside. Option to increase the time as the challenge goes. +3 STA 38 or more days +2 STA 28 or more days +1 STA 14 days or more Goal 3: Getting Strong and Flexible: When training I prefer to work strength and flexibility both, training flexibility on my rest days from strength training. I find that I am less sore overall when I use this method, and I can simply alternate between 2 programs in the same 30-minute block of time, making it easy for scheduling and consistency purposes. I will alternate the following two programs this challenge: STRENGTH: Angry Birds Workout +2 STR 19 or more days +1.5 STR 14 or more days +1 STR 7 or more days FLEXIBILITY: Yoga with Adrienne +2 DEX 19 or more days +1.5 DEX 14 or more days +1 DEX 7 or more days Lifestyle Goals: Self-Care: food, exercise, sleep. Creative outlets. Social support. I need all these things. Goal A: Sleep Schedule: I have to nail this because hospital job starts in August. The true goal is in bed by 10 pm, up at 6. life is complex though, so I m going to say bed between 10 and midnight, up between 6 and 8. On gaming nights, bed as soon as we are done, up 8 hours later. Gaming nights and social events don't like to bow to my schedule. +3 CON 38 days or more +2 CON 28 days or more +1 CON 14 days or more Goal B: Creative outlets: I used to be very creative in my life. I was always making things: sewing, weaving, drawing, crafting, and writing. I have lost all of this in my life through mental illness and graduate school scheduling limitations. I lost the motivation to create, and I feel the lack like a wound that never heals. As such, I am going to add a goal of creating one creative project a week. This can include writing, but for a poem to count it has to also have a dynamic visual component. +2 CHA 6 projects or more +1.5CHA 4 projects +1 CHA 2 projects My motivation, as always, is to shed the curse brought on me by mental illness, stress, trauma, and life. I want to get back to me. (one) (two) (three) (four) (five) (six)

Hello Everyone, I fell off completely last time I did a 6WC-just got busy with the new job, the new addition to the family and everything else life has to offer, but as always, I miss being on NF and kickin ass in the Assassins forum. So, I'm back to support my fellow ninjas and hopefully gain some insight as well. - this was from Thanksgiving so Orin is a lot bigger now I've been motivated by a dude named Hunter McIntyre. He's currently considered #1 in Obstacle Course Racing and is a sponsored athlete for Reebok and Spartan. This guys a stud among studs. We actually kinda look alike (pics coming later) and have a very similar physique. Well, seeing his success and his training has made me want to push my own training... go figure huh? -I want to meet this dude in a Race someday. He goes by the nickname, The Sheriff. All I can see is headlines for "The Sheriff vs The Wolf". Gets me all excited and such! -This is my excited face I've wanted for the longest time to compete in American Ninja Warrior-but have sense turned my sights on running some OCR/Mud Runs. My goal for the remainder of the year is work my ass off with my training and immerse myself into the world of obstacle course racing. I have a Spartan Sprint that I'm volunteering for on June 20th. I'm doing this to see how these things/races look up close. I won't actually be running that particular race because I'll get a free pass to use later on-which I want to do for the Spartan Beast on Halloween weekend. That's the 13.5 mile race!! Now, by no means am I an endurance athlete. And in fact I really don't like running, but it's because of these things that drives me the most. I suck at running for the most part, so I'm researching EVERYTHING, since that's what I do, and watching video after video of how to correctly run and skill drills to do daily to help. Brian Mckenzie of Crossfit Endurance is a genius when it comes to running form and the likes so I have most of his videos on repeat...plus he is the same guy that helped train Hunter McIntyre. Am I an elite athlete? No, not at the moment. Can I become an elite athlete? Of course I can. And that's really the ultimate goal. Dreams can become realities so long as you speak into Faith and BELIEVE! I would love to eventually run the elite races at these mud runs and begin to take home some prize money, which would in turn get my name out there and then get sponsored. These may seem like long shots but I don't care. I'm going for it anyways! The next challenge begins on the 8th; I start my 15-week Spartan beast training that same day! I'm so freakin pumped about it and can't wait to break the cycle of saying I'll do something and not following through with it. I'm HIGHLY annoyed with myself. Goal #1: The Breakdown of the Body The new programs from Obstacle Dominator, Crossfit Endurance, and Train to Hunt will be taxing, I have no doubt, but I will fit it into my schedule. This means following the programs as Rx'd as I can. There will be a lot of running involved, and this is something I'm counting on and preparing for. I want SUPER lungs and heart by the end of this! I must follow the program for the prescribed days-adjusting sets/reps as needed. I'm pretty sure the program will call for 5 days a week, which is fine, I just need to time management like a pro. Embrace the hybrid workouts and maximize your potential! Another thing I want to add into this goal is stair running, daily [emoji106]ðŸ»[emoji123]ðŸ». I work on the 6th floor of my building and when I decided a month ago that I wanted to start running OCR's I also decided that I MUST take the stairs every day. And at least once a day I will sprint the stairs. I've videoed myself on two separate occasions, the first being 27 seconds and then a week or so later it was 23 seconds. I'm also in dress clothes lol so it does impede my speed, however, I'm breathing pretty good after and that's when I try to do some box breathing... And that's tough as crap! So I want to add in a combination of both stair running and box breathing into this aspect of the challenge. I must sprint one ascent of the 6 flights of stairs and immediately begin my practice of box breathing. But also practice box breathing when it's more of a meditation instead of a fight or flight type situation. Possible Points: +1 STR, +4 STA https://vimeo.com/129040737 Goal #2: Harden Yourself for Battle With lots of running can come lots of injury. Well, with any kind of elite training, my recovery days are just as IF NOT MORE important than my training days. I just bought a nice foam roller and plan to mobilize and foam roll till I become a pro. So the goal would be to foam roll EVERY day and make the most out of my recovery days. I must spend at least 30-45 min a day on foam rolling and mobility. Focus areas will be my low back, upper shoulders, hamstrings, hip mobility, ankles, and knees. Possible points: +3 CON Goal #3: Time to be Transparent I've seen tons of people log their day with what they ate and how the felt after eating and whatnot and think it's time to be transparent, even if that means letting you ALL know that I ate a whole bag of Brookshire's Dark Chocolate Covered Blueberries..and yes, that's happened before. No, not the big, industrial Costco sized bag, but still! One serving of those equals 28 g of sugar...YIKES. DAMN YOU SWEET TOOTH!! So the goal is to log my food intake throughout the day, every day. Ya dig? I'll do my best to add macros as well. Possible Points: +1 WIS, +1 CON Goal #4: Just kinda...you know? Right?? So I want to be more active on the forums and a couple weeks ago I started a Warhammer RP who is managed by the infamous DarK_Raider. I'm having a blast teaming up with all the other cats that are doing it with me; ItsDaniel, Shaarawy, kzacher, and cn3wton. So my 4th goal is kinda a "broad" goal. Part of the goal is keeping up with the RP. (I RP a pit fighter named Lanric...he's a total badass.) The other part of the goal is to manage my time better with this new training program. Everything for me is based off time. I workout in the early morning so it doesn't take away my TIME with Heather and the boys, I take a 30 min lunch instead of an hour to have more TIME on my check aka OVERTIME, BABY! TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE...and that's what this goal is about-managing it to the best of my abilities and still performing at a high lvl. This also means sacrificing playing The Witcher 3 or any games really and replacing that with sleep or more TIME with the wife and kids. Log time for important things-when you ate your meal, when you worked out, check to make sure you've posted in the RP, make notes for when you skip playing a game for sleep or quality time with the fam. LOG. IT. ALL. Possible Points: +2 CHA, +3 WIS Mentally and physically I will be drug through the mud, but I want to challenge myself unlike I've ever before! So, please, come join in on the insanity! Wolf

So the last challenge fizzled and died like a wet firework. Trying to report it all in a fan-fic style was crazy ambitious and I regretted it after a couple of days. A shame really as I managed most of the things I set out to do, I sorted out my finances and now my savings are looking rather healthy, I eat breakfast everyday, I do my brain training and find time for myself during the day. But that doesn't matter now. That was then. Refreshed, renewed, restart button pressed And onwards to victory! The main reason I started all of this was to get better at roller derby. 2014 was an incredible year. I passed my min skills at the start of the year in time for my first bout in Windsor. I played in 5 games and at the end of year party won the Most Improved, Little Miss Sunshine and Triple A awards from my team. I was blown away by it. I'm determined this year will be better. I want to win a bout award and to do that I need to improve my game. To improve my game I need to improve my strength, endurance and concentration. To improve my strength, endurance and concentration I need to train, lift, run, eat well and sort out my life. And so! To support my main goal of being the best derbist I can be I will: 1) Do my endurance/resistance training 3 times a week. I do roller derby training twice a week so 3 sessions of other training will take me to a 5 session week with 2 days rest. The point of this is to make regular exercise a habit and treat it like a class rather than a hobby so I have to do three a week. Skipping a session one week and making it up with an extra one the next week won't do. My sessions includes either a 40min cycle or 5k/6k run (depending on which course I take) and a resistance workout. Resistance workout consists of: 3 x 10 crunches 3 x 10 press ups 3 x 20 deadlifts w/10kg dumbbells 3 x 10 flat press w/10kg dumbbells 3 x 10 overhead press w/10kg dumbbells This is a new routine after my build up routine last year. I worked it out with my bf in the car on the way home from visiting family over Christmas so I might have forgotten a thing but I'll add it later. With the new routine it might take a while to find the right weight for me to be using but I ended 2014 with 10kg so I'll start there. 2) DRINK MORE WATER! I managed this during my first Nerd Fitness challenge and felt pretty good but as soon as it stopped I slipped straight back into 6 cups of tea a day. Going back to max 4 cups, nothing caffeinated after I finish work and intersperse each cup with a glass of water. This is going to be tough, I love tea! 3) Yoga time! I enjoy yoga and it always makes me feel great when I've done it so why don't I put it into my routine? I have an app that leads me through 20-40 minute routines which I can do at any point when I get home. I don't have a great deal of time at home in the evenings so I won't be able to fit it into my workout days so let say 3 times a week. To improve my dexterity (which is pretty atrocious), prevent stiffness from my desk job and generally make me a slippery fish on the track Life Goal I'm going to keep a food log so I check what I'm eating and make sure it's enough to grow muscle. Also it'll help to keep me mindful of what I eat and not to sneak in a sly chocolate bar when I'm not paying attention. I want to build the best muscle I can. Last thing I want to leave you with is a blog post by Kamikaze Kitten. She is probably the best jammer in the UK and as of December 2014 officially retired from roller derby. This was the post she put up after the World Cup Final (her last game) in which she lays out some fabulous words on the journeys we take in sport and fitness. I think it applies to more than just roller derby and I urge you to read it. http://www.kamikazekitten.co.uk/?p=859 Right, it is done! I'm going to get those thighs pumping, get those wheels spinning and head on up that mountain.

Hey, So I am new to this neck of the woods. Usually sit in the Ranger category as I am trying to be a Warrior and Scout hybrid, but decided this round that I wanted to focus on getting stronger instead of trying to do everything at once! So here goes: Overall Goal: For those who have not seen me around in other parts. Here is the big scary monstrous goal. My reason for trekking to Mordor.. I want be a kick ass babe (Black Widow is my poster girl), strong and independent. but more so I want to be a police officer (or invisible superhero as I like to think of them). I have always had a passion for the justice system, loved what the police do for our communities and looked up to them as a kid. Well, I like my gourmet dinners and playing video games for hours, mixed with a disdain for running, so I bet some of you can guess what that means and translates to. A bunch of extra weight gathered around my mid section slowing me down. I have decided to get serious about my goal and the very first step I can do towards this is to get in shape. The physical tests are murder and I am not ready for them. This is my 4th(? I think) Challenge. I have been successful at 2 of them so far, the last one and the one prior I fell off the horse, so here I am, dusting myself off and getting back in the ring. Here's how: Mini Goal 1: Tracking my food every day! I am notoriously bad for not tracking my food and I need to, because I never eat enough in the day (except those wonderful dinners I love so much with all the wine I can drink), so here goes: Track every day: A Track 5 days: B Track 0-4 days: C Rewards: TBD Mini Goal 2: Stick to the Workout Schedule I have a wonderful trainer that I am working with and I need to do his sessions and some on my own, totaling 4 days a week. 4 days: A 3 Day:B 0-2 Days: C Rewards: STR 2 CON 1 Mini Goal 3: Water and Stretches Along with my laziness to work out, I am shamefully lazy about water and stretches (the stretches necessary so I do not hurt myself), this is a conundrum as I need these stretches everyday and especially before I workout. Here's to kicking Laziness in the butt! Stretches 3x a day + 8 glasses of water/day: A Stretches 2x a day + 6 glasses of water: B Stretches 0-1x a day + 0-4 glasses of water: C SIDE QUEST Since becoming overweight in my early teens, my self consciousness is brutal. And I am ashamed to say that I have found very little of what I do or am worthwhile. I have struggled with this concept for many many years and I think it's time to start feeling a little self love. I want to say one thing I like about myself every day. Write it down, say it out loud, anything. I feel if I can do this, then I will start to believe myself. ok.. here goes!

This is a story of Demonhart, once a formidable Barbarian/Lady Killer. Demonhart was a physical monster that let no challenge stand in his way. He sailed with the Kings Navy (or at-least the US NAVY) and conquered obstacles across the globe. Alas, there comes a day when every warrior decides to hang up the sword and settle down. 8 years later, now with a wife and child, Demonhart looks at himself and sees a shadow of his former glory. Now bested by the smallest challenges that he would have once laughed at. At this crossroads you are only faced with 2 choices, wallow in self pity and fall further and further into misery and disrepair....or pick your self up, dust off your sword and once again prepare for battle. The choice has been made, its time to Wake The Demon....oooRAH!!! Profile Name: CJ aka Demonhart Age: 30 Starting Stats: Weekly updated stats with pics here Weight: 210lbs Body Fat: 25.16% Measurements in inches Chest: 44.25 Waist: 43 Hips: 44.5 Left Bicep: 16 Right Bicep: 16.5 Left Thigh: 24.25 Right Thigh: 24.25 Left Calf: 17 Right Calf: 17.5 As you can see I'm a sloppy mess right now, but I hope all of that is now curving in the right direction. I made a bet with my wife that I could be to 10% body fat by Sept 17 (our daughters second birthday) or else I have to sell my Harley. So my challenges are going to be pushing toward that goal. When I enlisted in the Navy in 2003 I enlisted as a Air Rescue Swimmer. The minimum Physical requirements I had to pass are listed below. I figured a good "get back in basic shape" challenge would be to pass this test. This will be a pass/fail challenge and give 5pts to str, dex, sta, and con if i pass, 0 if I fail. Right now 10 push ups is hard, can barely do 1 pull up and I did one mile in 10:40 yesterday....Ive got work to do. Navy Special Ops Entry Requirements Sit ups - 50 Push Ups - 42 Pull Ups - 4 1.5 Mile Run - 12:00 Bonus - +2 to CHA if I get below NAVY max weight for my height (186lbs)

Main Quest: Complete the Coast to Coast Challenge! Goal #1: I am training for my first half marathon which will take place on September 6th at Disneyland. So I have decided to start running more frequently. STR +2, DEX +1 Mondays: 6:30AM for 4 Miles Tuesday: 5:30AM for 4 Miles Wednesday: 5:30AM for 4 Miles Thursday: 5:30AM for 4 Miles Friday: 5:30AM for 4 Miles Saturday: 5:30AM for 4 Miles A >32 B >29 C >25 D >22 F <16 Goal #2: Sunday is increasing my miles. I can run up to 6 miles but I have never pushed myself to go past that. So I must!!! STA +2, DEX +1 June 14 = 7 Miles June 21 = 7 Miles June 28 = 8 Miles July 5 = 8 Miles July 12 = 8 Miles July 19 = 9 Miles A >6 B >5 D >4 F <3 Goal #3: I've decided to stop drinking coffee and soda and begin drinking tea. Problem is that I really, really hate tea. But I figured I would give it a shot. This will have a cheat based system for this goal because I tend to fail when I don't have it. Now I don't have to drink tea if I don't want to. BUT if there is a day that I want a coffee or a soda I will be going for tea. CON +1 Grade Scale: Week 1: 3 cheats Week 2: 2 cheats Week 3: 2 cheats Week 4: 1 cheats Week 5: 1 cheats Week 6: 0 cheats A >33 B > 30 C > 27 D > 24 F <21 Life Goal: Since I will be running a lot I will need to care for my face and my feet. I don't want nasty feet or pimples. So for the next 42 days I will learn to care for my body. This means cleaning my face before bed, brushing my teeth, and putting crème and socks before bed. CON +2, CHA +2 A >38 B >34 C >30 D >26 F <25

[JBReclaim] IV: Living for The American Dream Thanks for stopping by, my name is Josh, AKA JBReclaim. This will be my fourth challenge on NF. I've been away quite awhile, but I'm prepared this time. I'm going to battle with the scale! I know the right guy to call when it's time to eat healthy. !IM READY! Current Weight: 463.6 Main Quest: Get to 427.6 {+1 WIS, +1 DEX, +2 CON, +1 CHA} Goal 1: Avg ~3+ miles/wk [20 Miles Completed Over Total Challenge] {+3 STA, +2 DEX} Goal 2: Become Aquaman [Complete Lvl 1 Workout 2x Weekly] {+1 STA, +1 STR, +1 CHA} Goal 3: Complete Summer 1 Writing Class [Course runs from 6/1-7/2] {+2 WIS, +1 CHA}

Hello ladies, so I recently noticed that when I do long runs (which for me are about 5 miles) I get "headlights" (perky nips!) which show through my sports bra AND shirt. When I discovered this during cool down stretches I was mortified. Any recommendations? Has anyone else experienced this? I'm kind of a shy person, so this makes me uncomfortable... :/

Hello everyone! My name is Meg. This is my first challenge as a Ranger. I almost didn't do a challenge this time around, but I decided I really do need the emotional support that only my fellow Nerdians can provide. Big changes are coming in the CoderGatherer household. My husband was recently accepted in to a master's degree through the University of Iceland. The semester starts in August. Long story short....we're totally going! While I couldn't be happier for my husband, I am getting a little overwhelmed with all that we have to do to prepare for our year long adventure. For starters we have to obtain residence visas, find a job that will let me work while I live in Iceland, reduce our possessions down to the bare minimum, find a safe home for our hound, and get physically fit enough to survive without a car. Needless to say, overwhelmed. But no matter! I've decided to take a step back and focus on what's important. At this point in time, I'm using my username as a guide. This means getting back in to coding (atleast 1 hour a day), eat atleast one paleo meal a day, and move more (5 bodyweight workouts a week). Working on coding 1 hour a day, +3 INT Eat one paleo meal a day, +3 CON 5 bodyweight workouts, +3 STR (what I feel like when I do push ups) Get all the paperwork together for Iceland, +1 WIS I look forward to meeting you all and cheering you on in this challenge! Good luck on your challenges!

(Note: I had a much better introduction but my first post was eaten by the inter-webs) Main Quest : Unassisted Pull Up Strength Goal: More pull-ups than week before. Test myself every Saturday. Starting with 3. .5 strength points for each week I have more band-assisted pull-ups.Can be:longer hang-timemore band-assisted pull upsmore negative pull-ups (let downs)3 strength pts Stamina Goal: longer workouts than the work beforeCan be total weekly mileage (runs)Total weekly mileage (bike)Total weekly distance rowed (metric)Total amount of time spent doing cardio3 stamina pts Constitution Goal: Hero's JourneyDo workout everydayTime spent can also count towards Stamina goal3 Dexterity pts Nutrition: Veggies / Fruit at every meal (tracked through Lose It! app)90g protein / day (tracked through Lose It! app)3 constitution pts Lifestyle Goal: Blog at least once a week (and resurrect my blog).3 Charisma pts

Main Quest- Move beyond the recommended routine found on /r/bodyweightfitness. Complete the recommended routine every other day. Limit sweets intake. (Pastrys, soda, candy.) Cardio three to four times a week. (Running, jump rope, boxing.) Life Side Quest- Write a story. Try to submit a page a week. While I am working on this challenge I will be writing a narrative day by day to go along with with my posts here. Something to try and grab your attention and keep your attention over this six week challenge. Links: Recommended routine - http://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/wiki/kb/recommended_routine Story - http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/62939-port-idles-an-assassins-birth-book-one-chapter-one/

11 months ago I hurt my shoulder whilst leaping up an ascending ladder of pull-up bars. That plus a dramatic schedule change resulted in very little training over the ensuing 3 months (though I was still playing a good bit of soccer and doing a little bit of biking). Then I finally started working out again...a month in I played in a 6-game 1-day soccer tournament. In the first game I separated the same shoulder I had previously injured. In the fourth game I injured my toe (which would remain undiagnosed). When I got home, after game 6, half of my foot was swollen. The next 3.5 months...zero training of any kind. I finally started working out again at the beginning of January. A month and a half later, I PR'd my squat, bench, and deadlift at my first ever powerlifting competition. Another month (and a mediocre CrossFit Open) later, and I'm feeling great. I still have occasional flare-ups in my toe and shoulder, but they're usually not so bad that I can't work through them. It's good to be back. Last night's workout: 5x1 deadlift 415# 430# 430# 430# 430# It was my first time doing heavy singles since the meet, and I'm still trying to get over a nasty cold I've had all week, but it went pretty well. I have officially used up every single plate in the house now, some I'm going to order a pair of 100s for deadlifting soon. I had to switch to mixed grip after the 3rd rep, which is unusual for me. I think it's because, now that I have a good belt, I'm not letting a little back rounding prevent me from going higher, so grip is becoming more of a limitation than it was previously. Final results: I took a lot of rest, since it was so close to my max. 415 felt easy, but 430 got rough after the first rep at that weight. I'm pleased with the workout though.

It has been a bit since I've been on NF. But I'm back in for the challenge! I will be dedicating this 6 week challenge to rounding out my fitness regimen to include areas that need additional work and practice. Currently I coach and train parkour 2-3 days a week. I also have been making an effort to train aerial rope basics 2 days a week. This free form training keeps me active and learning new things. Yet I want to see improvement in my flexibility and endurance, which are areas that my current activities do not address. To do so, I will follow this regiment for the 1st 3 weeks: Daily activities: Walk (as a warm up for stretching)Fascial release feet with lacrosse ballStretchWrist rehabSit cross leggedFull squat holds Stretching: Leg swingsBack mobilization using a foam rollerPlow poseCat and CowRag doll, straight back progressionDownward dog progressionsCalf StretchHamstring band stretch, using foam roller on lowbackQuad stretch on the ground Sprint training, 3x a week Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday jog or ride bikeleg curls 3x10, tighten posterior chainWall High knees 3x10~40m sprints x 10 Life Side Quest Daily: Rip 1 CD to my PC, I have to back them up.Watch one Ctrl Paint video

Well, I guess this is where I need to be. I'm starting a little late, but oh well. The semester just ended (woot woot!!) and I'm ready for summer. However, I did gain the freshman 15 last year--only add 5 to that. I'm thinking that I need to make some changes before this spirals out of control.... therefore, my May 24 goal is: Get set back into the PST (along with waking up early, and getting enough sleep) Establishing a 5k running plan (and see how far I can make it) Complete a thirty day strength training challenge (doubling most days) Let's see...main quest? Get strong, healthy, and fit Work as hard as I can, as much as I can, so that college bills will be easier Stay close to the people I love I know, pretty generic, but I think that's good for now

This is my first 6 week challenge and I am looking forward to the journey and the support/supporting of others in the guild. Mission - to lose 12 lbs, build up endurance and consistency - thereby setting the stage for the next 6 week challenge. SMART Quests - 1.) Develop and maintain healthy eating habits 2.) Complete body weight exercise circuit each day 3.) Walk at least 15 minutes a day LIFE Quest - 1.) Develop a new budget with my wife I know this is simple but that is what I need at this juncture in my life. I know what I am capable of but have just not care lately. Need to get back to being all in on life - in my work, ministry, marriage, fatherhood, fellowships...thanks for your time and I would appreciate your thoughts, prayers and encouraging words.