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This is my first challenge ever, and I'm really excited to see how this goes. So, let's get down to business: The ultimate goal: Lose inches I've spent a lot of time worrying about the number on the scale, which I've realized recently just makes me crazy. I want to start lifting weights more to try to build up some strength, but I don't want to get too bulky (I'm female). How is this going to happen?! - Go to boxing class at least 3 days a week - Go to the gym and do a minimum of 25 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of lifting on days when I do not attend class - Eat a clean diet Life Quest: Stop beating myself up for failures and attempt to turn them into learning experiences. The motivation: My family has never had a healthy lifestyle, which has made it extremely difficult for me to commit to being healthy. Out of my immediate family, I am the only one who has never been considered obese or had an eating disorder. I want to show everybody that it is possible to commit to being healthy and enjoy the benefits more than the "sacrifices." I also really want my clothes to fit better. I have all of these really pretty outfits that I can't wear anymore and I'd love to be able to wear them again. Plus, I want to be confident when I go to buy clothes. I never buy clothes because I have to work towards drawing attention away from certain parts, like my arms and my stomach. I want to feel confident wearing a tank top! Woot. Here I go. I will post measurements and such later.

Hi there! I know that on the site there's a lot of articles around strength training and lifting big weights however I came across an issue recently. I've been lifting big weights and seeing great gains, however, I was helping a mate with some redecorating and found that I could lift the big stuff but couldn't sustain things such as painting, sawing or holding something in a position for a while, as a result I've been trying to include endurance training into my workouts, mainly by lifting lighter weights and going to 12-15 reps to improve and researching on the web. All this got me thinking, being strong is very helpful but I feel that to be stronger heroes then we need to be stronger but also to be able to use that strength for longer. What does everyone else think?

Well, Hello to all you Fabulous warriors! I am new to this forum and am looking forward to getting to know some new peeps and, of course, saying hello to some old peeps! MAIN GOAL: Challenge myself; Get stronger, look better, feel better, increase stamina, and work to become an overall fit, dragon slaying, bad(girl)!!! And compete in the ToughMudder ALWAYs wanted to do it! Then there is a little of finding a position/job/business that more in line with my purpose and what I want to be doing. Either starting my own thing or just getting a new, more rewarding job. Goal 1: Gym time. I am working on getting in shape for myself and the ToughMudderm (maybe a competition, we will see if I can get my butt in gear). 4 weight workouts per week and then logged on NF on my battle log for accountability. (STR 2 STA 2) 4 per week: A 3 per week: B 2 per week: C 1 per week: D Goal 2: Since running is quickly becoming my down fall, I love to run but I injured my back a few years ago and pain has kept me from this passion, I have decided that I should add more cardio to my routine. This goal is one cardio session of at least 30 mintues per week. Whether it is hiking, running, Kinect, aerobics, dancing or anything else that gets my heart rate up.(STR 1 STA 1 DEX 2) 1 + per week: A 1 per week: B anything else is F Goal 3: Calories, calories......I have noticed that I amnot eating enough clean calories and I have a serious sweet tooth and its time to cut it down or pull it out. This goal is to basically increase clean calories to at least 2000 per day to cover my activity level and cut sweets from 90% of my diet. This time of year is hard and with Halloween coming....I'm in trouble. (CON 2) 90% overall: A 80% : B 70% : C 60% : D Goal 4: Working on me and what I want to do. This is a roll over from the last challenge. I aim to journal every night to figure out what I want to do for a living and how I want to do it. Start making a plan and start to get the wheels turning on it. (WIS 3 CHA 2) 7 days + action: A 6 days + action: B 5 days : C 4 days : D

1) SIGN UP - DONE 2) YOUR MAIN QUEST Pick your Main Quest - where do you want to be in a few months? Lose fat, build muscle. Go from 193 pounds to 180, from size 10 to a size 8. Pick three incredibly specific goals (diet and fitness related) that will help you achieve your Main Quest Continue doing the Academy Barbell workout! One week to level 2 baby. Get back to eating Paleo/Primal 90% of the time. I hate to admit that I've really let that slide lately, but there it is. Let's get back to giving our bodies what they need! Go XC skiing at LEAST once a week. 3) PICK YOUR SIDE QUESTS Life Side Quest: A quest not related to diet and fitness that will help level up your life Start working on my thesis for my master's degree again. Reread thesis proposal and Clockwork Muse. Fitness Side Quest: If you have already successfully completed two challenges, you can pick a small side quest that does not detract from your main quest Well this is my first challenge, BUT I would like to get my body fat % down from 30% to 25% Mini Quests: will be posted by guild leaders (for everyone except for first timers) throughout the challenge. Watch out for these as they pop up over the next six weeks. N/A 4) DECLARE YOUR MOTIVATION Write on a piece of paper why you're doing this challenge and why you want to level up your life. Hang it up somewhere that you see it every day, and take a photo of it and upload it to your challenge thread. If you can't take a photo, writing it out will be fine. - I've got this on my phone's background. The most important one, though, is because I deserve this. 5) POST A THREAD: If you are a first time challenger, post your thread here - Done If you are a veteren challenger, post your thread in your guild subform, here. - N/A 6) ASSEMBLE YOUR TEAM: If you want one. Sign up here. You can create your own as well. More info on the best way to use a team can be found here -Anyone interested, PM me. I'll do some looking as well! 7) COMPLETE IN/PARTICIPATE IN CHALLENGE: Update your thread as much or as little as you want discussing your successes and troubles. - More to come! Encourage and participate with others! -Will do! 8) FINISH CHALLENGE: At the end grade yourself with how you think you did on a level of A-F, and write a summary on how you did. The more measurable your starting goals, the more accurate your grade can be. Post your grade and challenge summary in the thread your guild leader puts up for you.

Current Main Quest Discover a Capable Me AKA Get to the point where I can do a pull-up This set of missions is basically a continuation of last challenge, but with being sick for two weeks last time, I need to keep pressing on. Don't fix what works. Also, at the encouragement of your illustrious guild leader, I've come to spend time with the monks. Mission Log Mission 1: Calorie Counting Track all fuel consumed using MyFitnessPalStay within allotted daily ranges 6 of 7 days per weekMission 2: Conditioning Use Kettlebells and body weight exercises to get in shape, but be flexible as life demandsExtending rest for the first week due to injury recovery (right arm/shoulder)Weeks 2-6: Workout 3x weekSave up for one-on-one session with a KB instructor to asses form and functionMission 3: Cardio Walking 3x WeekWith Missions 2 & 3, continue making it a point to invite family to join in on the fun. Encourage them along the way as I go through my own journey. Life Quest Career Change Continue looking for job opportunities and following-up with previously submitted applicationsI can't really be specific on measuring this goal, considering "apply for x jobs per week" isn't viable, but I am shooting for 5 a week as a mindset for the proper jobs.Continue to update NF rebels on progress to stay motivated.Motivation Howdy y'all, it's BC again. It’s difficult to sum up my motivation in a few words, but I’ll do my best. Why do I do what I do? To be a positive godly influence on my family and friends in all areas of life.Physically - To become healthy, so I can be around for my family.Mentally - To encourage and talk with my friends and family about why we should make healthy informed choices.Spiritually - To be the spiritual leader and house-band that God has called me to be. It is a blessing to serve and protect my family.

Edit: Added my name to the title because I derped that rule. Whoops! It's my first time out and I'm really looking forward to stomping this challenge. Main Quest Get comfortably into my jeans the next size down. Specific goals: Continue strength program three days per week. Transition from rack pulls to full deadlifts. Ride 60 bike miles (total on cardio days across the six weeks). Life Quest Post to my blog at least once per week. Motivation I’m doing this to keep improving my life balance. The healthier I get, the more I accomplish and the happier I become. Plus, to be honest, I want to look like a badass. Grading Blog Post—1 or more = A. None = F. Strength Training—3 days = A. 2 days = B. 1 day = D. 0 days = F. Bike Rides—10 or more miles = A. 7-8 miles = B. 5-7 miles = C. 3-5 miles = D. 3 or less miles = F. Deadlifts—1 day Research, Attempts, or Successes = A. 0 days = F. (Edited in the grading and re-uploaded my motivation picture on 29 September.)

Hola Scouts! This is my 3rd challenge. My first was ok but I dropped the ball weeks 3,4,5. My second was good but I dropped the ball early on in terms of exercise but came home strong. My overriding goal is to lose weight. I want to get to 80kg, I am currently at 96.5kg, I was 103kg mid 2012. I don't expect to get to 80kg this challenge or next, probably more a 12-24 month type plan but in order to get there I need to start building healthier habits. I will exercise, I will, I will, will I? I have recently gotten back on my bike and have been really enjoying it so that is my go to cardio platform. I did a 30km ride on Sunday and was sore Monday but a good sore rather than a bad sore so I know that endurance rather than speed is what I need to aim at. I have put together a very basic cycling program which runs out this week so I need to sit down and plan the next 4 weeks in the next few days. 1a. I will complete 150 minutes of cardio per week 1b. I will do at least 1 50km ride within the next 6 weeks I will watch what I eat, not just watch but plan and track. I use myfitnesspal to track my food and amongst those who I am friends with on there I am known as #5 because my attention span doesn't seem to extend to 10 days and I am constantly showing up ion peoples feeds as having logged on for 5 days. I am sure that message has been sent out at least 20 times from my account. I also need to be aware of what I am planning on eating and not just recording mountains and mountains of garbage. 2a. I will record all of my food each day for the duration of the challenge 2b. I will limit my chocolate intake to under 60 grams per week 2c. I will not drink sugared soft drinks/soda/pop for the next 6 weeks I will find my strength and do some strength training. I have been avoiding strength training for some time now. I don't hate it but I don't love it. I need to pick something simple and easy because this has been an abject failure on my last 2 challenges. 3a. I will be able to do 30 pushups consecutively by the end of the challenge. 3b. I will pick one body weight work out from NF and complete it at least once during this challenge. I will work more betterer I am a procrastinator and it surfaces at work all too often. I will work through almost all of what I have to do but something in me wont allow me to clear everything off my desk. I always have at least one quote to attend to that will only get done once something else comes to me to replace it. It makes no sense and does frustrate me. 4. All quotes done within 60 hours --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I know that challenge 2 looks like a lot but I am already tracking food and exercise on MFP so it is more about consistently doing it rather than having to start from the start. It's the same with the soft drink. I am currently 22 days without Coke so I want to keep that up for the duration of the challenge. This challenge is as much about maintaining what I have begun over the past 2 challenges as well as adding in more concrete goals to aim for. Thanks for taking the time to read this, Matt_72

Hiya Everyone! I can't begin to tell you how excited that I am to be here. I stumbled on some articles and got to reading and then discovered a forum! I couldn't stay away! Being able to get healthier with like minded people sounds amazing! I am recovering from a ankle fracture and 6 weeks ago was living an active life of a rookie roller derby skater. I have been skating for 13 months and I learned to do some pretty awesome physical feats with my body. The level of endurance I had achieved left me in awe. I would sweat for 2 hours, busting my a** like I have never done before, and I felt like a superhero when I was done (stinky and gross but hero none the less). I was ready to bump up my workouts off skates to get even better, and I fracture my fibula, at the end of an amazing practice, 2 weeks before our last bout of our rookie season. Talk about crushed. Ugh, the heart ache, but I know it is temporary, and I know how essential healing and patience is to a full recovery. Tuesday, this Tuesday, I go back to hear if I get my aircast off and I can return to *some* sort of working out. I need to get my stuff together asap b/c we have test outs in December and our new season starts in February. I don't believe I will be back to contact ready by December but need to have it together by February!!! Glad to be here! I am ready to get back to the grind! Whindy

MAIN QUEST: Complete all obstacles and make it to then end in the Tough Mudder Mid-Atlantic on Sunday, October 20, 2013. Main Quest Missions/Goals: Lose 10 lbs by eating clean and working out. Complete each of the following weekly: Trail Run (at least one preferably 2) Long Cardio Workout Hills/Stairs Cardio Training 3 Strength Training Days Get 7-8 hours of sleep per night. LIFE QUEST: Bein plan to pay off debt. Life Quest Missions/Goals: Stop using Credit Cards. Use $100/paycheck to pay off debt. Cut expenses by packing lunch daily STARTING STATS: Height: 5' 7" Weignt: 146 Body Fat %: 22-23% (estimated from pictures) Any training suggestions and tips for Tough Mudder are greatly appreciated! Laura

I've been looking forward to this for a while. I joined NF about two weeks ago, and I've been doing my prep work for the challenge. A bit about myself, I'm scrawny, weak, and miserable. I started working out using the UFC Trainer for the XBOX Kinect, and have seen some noticeable differences over the past month. I've actually enjoyed pushing it, working out, getting better, and I keep at it as often as I can. Nerd Fitness gave me a new perspective; a way to plan out how my workouts will go, and what goal I can achieve at the end of them. Since we have some challenges here, I'm going to list each one and how to go about doing it. My Main Quest: After finishing up the last five days of my endurance training, I want to do the thirty day STR training for the UFC Trainer. I missed some days of my endurance training due to laziness, so my main goal for the STR training regimen is two-fold; not miss a single scheduled day, and to complete every single exercise. I'm not entirely sure how well my physical results are going to build up, or how much of a change I can predict, so I feel more comfortable with setting this minimal of a goal before jumping out and saying something naive like "I want to double my weight in a year in sheer muscle mass". So end game: Complete STR training Regimen for the UFC Trainer. Move on to the Advanced Endurance training if time permits. The three ways I plan to accomplish this are: Wake up early, cut out being lazy, and do the blasted work. My Life Side Quest: This is a basic and simple one; to finish my collegiate degree. I've made some mistakes, and am currently attending a community college with a minimal course load, working towards an A.A. My Motivation: Sturm Brightblade from Dragonlance; A Knight in Words and Deeds. So this is Day 1 of the challenge. Thus far, I'm a bit off-track; I woke up late, and instead of getting to breakfast/workout regimen, I'm procrastinating my workout by posting this.

ABOUT ME: Real quick. I'll turn 34 during this challenge. Last week I weighed in at 154.2 lbs. I'm 5'3. The 'nerd' in NF got me cause I like collecting underpants. I have a serious underpants problem. I do not walk my talk. I'm not a gamer. But I will kick your a** in Tertis, Mindsweeper and Tekkon 2. I'm neurotic to the point of paralysis. I'm super into anatomy, physiology and body mechanics. I'm a self professed music snob. I'm Italian. From Jersey. But now live in Phoenix. Where I'm a bartender. Have a home baking business. And am so close, but so far from being a yoga therapist, holistic nutritionist, permaculturist and herbalist. There are so many things I'd like to go and do and see and be. But most importantly...I'm tired of being a p*ssy. MY MAIN QUEST To lose weight. Tighten up. And dance around naked...in the light! (I know this isn't exactly measurable but the following is) 1. Meditate. Every Morning. Starting with 5 minutes. Increasing by 5 minutes a week. By the end of week six a will have a 30 minute meditation practice. 2. Sun Salutations. Following Meditation. Starting with 3 rounds. Increasing a round every week. At the end of the challenge I will be doing 8 rounds. 3. Yoga Everyday. Either classes. Or the Yoga Journal's 21 day Fitness Challenge Online. 4. Beginner Body Weight Workout. Every other day. 5. Strength Train at Gym MWF. I wrote out a routine after collecting underpants on this site. (Underpants - the story of my life!) I'll post my starting log. 6. Walk. Everyday. For an hour. I know how alot of people feel about this in regards to weight loss. But I just quit smoking. My goal by the end of this is to run for a 1/4 mile. I won't be exactly sure how I'll structure this until I get to the gym and start keeping track. I know right now I can barely run for a minute without feeling like I'm going to have a heart attack. 7. No Crap in My Body. This is a general statement I know. But I know what it means to me. I'm going to start juicing again. Clean eating again. Atleast a gallon of water a day. I'm going to keep a food journal and at the end of the night and look up the calories. I'm excited to experiment with this. I will do my dishes every night before bed as this always keeps me from cooking at home. I will not eat after 8pm. I will farmers market shop on Wednesday and Saturdays and CSA it up. 8. I will make a vision board. ( I know this seems like a lot. But I had to make it my own. I've been on a journey for a couple weeks now. Today I'm just announcing my intention. It feels good. Tonight I'm making a chart. Like one for a kid. My boyfriend bought me star stickers. I can't wait to show it to you! ) LIFE QUEST By the end of this year I will be certified as a yoga instructor. I started this training a while ago. But sh*t happened. Serious Sh*t. Its completion got really far away from me as a result. For this challenge I'd like to put it out on the interweb that I will take my exams on October 28th. I know this is the day after the challenge but I need that weekend.. FITNESS QUEST Aside from 10 full push ups and one pull up?! Havasu Falls. My boyfriend handed me a book on my birthday last year along with a bunch of camping gear. I never got in enough shape to hike this safely. We never went. This life changing experience. I couldn't do it. But by the end of this year I want to be comfortable enough to set a date. Its so important to me that I share this with him. Also, I'd like to learn how to swim. Yea, I don't know how to swim. Crazy. MOTIVATION/INTENTION Naked. Monkey. Panic. Naked. I've been given a pin-up frame. Its just not worthy of the lights. I'm the a** with shorts on at the beach cause I think I'm the only one in the world with cellulite. I never wear short skirts. I hate getting 'on-top'. Undressing infront of my boyfriend. Wearing lingerie. I exude sexuality. But when its time to use it, I'm ashamed. I want to dance around naked. Express myself. I just need to hard core tighten up. Monkey. I want to know that I could jump over this table. Climb a tree. Get into a handstand unassisted. I could go on about this one.. Panic. I had my first panic attack three years ago. I've never recovered. Refuse to medicate. Its holding me back. And impossible to explain how debilitating this has been without complaining. I'm even scared to go to the gym without a friend. I was never afraid. I know muscle builds confidence. I know that all the above will effect my mind, body and soul. I know that if I do this. And keep doing this. I will heal me. I think it would be fun to find some friends on here. Accountability would be awesome outside my star stickers. The idea of people following me will help me post more. I can get super geeked out on numbers and tracking. I'm really into holistic, alternative, natural, organic, local, airy fairy stuff. And I like sharing.

Ok, so I had a nice set of four goals, and bam! They changed the rules. So… My goals for this cycle are jacked-up. Building on last cycle's life-disturbances, the force continues to be disturbed. This cycle may see me unemployed for an indeterminate amount of time, or it may see me in an office position where I have to *gasp!* leave the house and interact with humans IRL. So. Shit might be getting real, or my schedule might be thrust into some crazy shenanigans. Either/or. With all that in mind, I'm trying to build alternate choose-your-own-adventure paths into my goal settings while sticking to the new framework. Main Quest My main quest for the next few months is to chip away at building the fitness I need to participate in a big challenge event like Tough Mudder or Mudderella. I am most likely looking at sometime late summer/early fall 2014 for Tough Mudder and spring 2014 for Mudderella. Support Goal 1: Yada Yada Fitness Related Track #1 - If I can swing it and my schedule doesn't get completely jacked up, complete the Warrior 90 Challenge from HasFit. 5-6 days of working out per week will get me an A and on my way toward my goal. Track #2 - If my world does get turned upside down and I am forced out into the bright, bright light of day I intend to join a gym near my new place of employment. Actual classes or training sessions with actual people might be good for me. I also found a cray-cray bodyweight circuit I'm eager to try and kill myself with eventually. If picking this route, gym 5 days a week - either pre-set mudder/mudderella training circuits, trainer-assisted workouts to achieve the same goal, or classes that I think will help build strength + endurance. Track #3 - If I'm unemployed, aside from picking up a Skyrim habit, I need to do the Warrior 90 Challenge + break out some of the yoga lessons I purchased before I knew things were going to go sideways if physical endurance allows. 5-6 days of working out + yoga on top of all of that. Or jogging. My DH (dearest husband) has been trying to get me to run for 7 years now. I absolutely, positively abhor running - so much so I wouldn't even do it as a kid. tl;dr - warrior challenge, warrior challenge + yoga or gym: pick your adventure. Support Goal 2: Something Food Related One of my good friends wants someone to commiserate with while jumping into a Whole 30 Challenge. I love messing with my food intake ratios, so I'm in. We will most likely do this in August - prime beer + corn on the cob + lactose-free ice cream season. Be prepared for whining. Aside from the crazybananas, keep with the metrics (under 100g of fat, 80g or under of carbs for weight loss/ 100-150 grams is a fine active range, 70g or over of protein, 60oz. or over of water). I'm to the point with metrics that I either need to 'nut up or shut up' and I really need to make a more concerted effort to hit those goals to see if they actually *do* anything to my body. I've been doing great with the fat and water, have had mixed results with the protein, and consistently hit at around 130 for carbs - but I want to see if the lower limit of carbs works). A revamp of the morning smoothie might (sadly) be happening. Meat. This will help me move toward Mudder/ella by fueling my body to the best of its ability. Peak performance from peak fuel. Support Goal 3: Cut The Stress Looming unemployment, the possibility of not having a job to do, and the searching for a new job/rejection that goes along with it + the stress of actually starting at a new place are all going to take their toll on my mind and my body during this challenge cycle and I need to combat that. Be it through meditation, relaxing with some light yoga stretches, or doing something creative; I need to do something to manage the stress and anxiety in order to continue moving forward on my main goal. Stress ball = workout injuries galore = no advancing on my Main Quest goal. Life Quest - Find a damn job. Or start a damn job. Possibly learn how to interact with people again. Blergh. You can't see it, but I'm totally making the 'I don't wanna' face right now. The goal here is to find someone that will trade services for cash - and it will probably happen at a place of business, since I'm waaaayyyy too lazy to hound the internets for steady freelancing gigs. This goal will be either accomplished or not - I'll be plugging away with the resume sending and (hopefully) interviewing in the meantime. Diet/Fitness Side Quest - Metrics on Steroids My big overarching goal is diet and fitness related, but I want to throw something extra into the mix: I want to learn more about Dave Asprey's ideas on biohacking and to see if any of that can apply to my life. I'm not big on supplements (and he's a supplement junkie), but I'd still like to carve out the research. Also, I want to explore hemp proteins and maybe krill oil in my morning smoothie. Challenge Start Measurements Neck at narrowest: 11 3/4" Bust under breast: 30.5" Waist at narrowest: 28" Hip at widest: 41" Thigh at thickest: 19" Arm at widest: 11" Weight at wakeup: 131.3 Height: 5ft. 2 3/4 inches (5'2" for measuring purposes) According to my FitBit scale, my BMI is: 24.03% (mid-normal). According to the Navy's metrics, my BMI is: 34% (obese). According to a random simple online BMI tracker, my BMI is 24.0% (upper end of normal). And there you have it. Goals, goals, goals and more goals. FTW! Here's my motivation:

My best effort (so far) to try and comply with the new rules of the rebellion: DA RULES Main Quest. Ironman Texas 2015 triathlon, that's 2.4 miles swimming, 112 mile bike and 26.2 miles running, all done someday in May, 2015, in under 17 hours. Specific (6 week goals) For the duration of this challenge I will: 1. Complete Xterra triathlon Tapalpa in under 2:30hrs, (MTB/trail sprint distance), august 4th. 2. Keep on training, increase my mileage to 15k continuous run, 60km bike, and swim 2000m in under 50 minutes. 3. Complete AT LEAST three brick workouts (either bike-run or swim-rum). Side Quest Get my tax situation fixed, I've been off the grid for a while and now my new job is, well, serious, I need to do a lot of things to get that done, but I should be able to issue receipts by the end of the challenge. Motivation Be the best version of myself I can be, to set up an example for the little monkeys, and to feel happier overall. Thread err, done? Team Not really a functional team, but "team quite good" is still as working just as good as it has ever been! Starting Stats: german, level 6 monkey scout Weight: 87 kg Longest run: 7.5k Fastest run: 5k in 30ish minutes Longest bike: 50k (road) 40k (MTB) Longest swim: 2000m, in 52 minutes Disclaimer: As opposed to 18ck, I am not ready yet to settle down a proper, structured set of goals, so please consider this a rough draft while I give it a little more thought.

I had been training in Muay Thai and was in very good shape before i focused on my final year of study in university and stopped training for 6 month. Main Quest: regain strength, endurance and self-discipline Goal 1: deadlift 1.75xbodyweight, squat 1.5xbodyweight, bench press 1xbodyweight, pullups 12 reps from dead hang Goal 2: run 2.4km within 10 mins Goal 3: train for 6 days per week Reward: Join back the Muay Thai class and continue the hardcore training!!! Plan: Just started on weight training and following stronglift 5x5, btw i am 60kg currently. On non weight day will be doing bag work and bodyweight HIIT to improve cardio. Limit gaming time to 1hr per day

Main Quest: Run a sub-three hour marathon at the 2013 Chicago Marathon (2013-10-13) ​Follow the Hanson's Marathon Method pacing guidelines religiously:​Recovery: 8:43 - 8:28Easy A: 8:10 - 7:56Easy B: 7:36 - 7:23Long Run: 7:17 - 7:05Tempo Workouts: 6:29 - 6:4010k pace: 6:07 - 5:575k pace: 5:52 - 5:42Speed Workouts:1600m Repeats: 5:501200m Repeats: 4:20800m Repeats: 2:55600m Repeats: 2:10 - 2:14400m Repeats: 1:25 - 1:30Strength Workouts:1 Mile Repeats: 6:20 - 6:301.5 Mile Repeats: 9:30 - 9:452 Mile Repeats: 12:40 - 13:003 Mile Repeats: 19:00 - 19:30Do 15 to 20 minutes of stretching, not including post run stretching, each dayDevelop and follow a core workout routineLife Quest: Become a USATF certified (Level 1) coach Attend level one training coursePass certification testMotivation: To push myself beyond all limits and inspire others by showing them what can be accomplished with some hard work.

Greetings and Salutations, About a month ago, I ran the Tough Mudder in Whistler for the first time with a group of guys. It was muddy, cold, long, and fun but I found the challenge aspect of it was somewhat lacking and our time reflected that. Going into it, I had no idea what to expect, and so I trained in a variety of ways with varying degrees of success. My goal for next year's competition is to run the Tough Mudder course in 2 hours. As for this 6 week challenge, my 3 goals are as follows: 1. Run 10k in 50 minutes * 12k in 45 minutes I found that most of the challenge was running, and that keeping up high cardio and endurance is really the only way to feasibly accomplish this goal. A: -45 Minutes B: 45-48 Minutes C: 48-51 Minutes D: 51-53 Minutes F: Over 53 Minutes *After setting this goal, I went for a run a day before the challenge started and beat it, so I'm ammending at the 11th hour. 2. Bench Press 225lbs (1RM) I enjoy weight training, but rather than putting down the laundry-list of weights I would like to achieve over the next 6 weeks, I decided to just pick one and maintain the rest in secret. Shhhh, don't tell. A: 225 B: 220 C: 215 D: 210 F: Less than 210 3. Eat Primal at home (protein powder exempt) This is really my biggest challenge as I love food. All of it. And I want all of that delicious carby goodness shoved in and around my face-hole. Alas, when I gorge on temporary pleasures, I find that training takes a backseat to Netflixing Firefly and Breaking Bad. It's not a bad use of time, just lacking productivity. A: Eat Primally at home for 6 weeks B: 1-3 slip ups C: 4-6 slip ups D: 6-10 slip ups F: 10+ slip ups So there we have it. I'll post as much as I can, but get easily lost on forums.

Hey everyone, I'm Joan. This is my first NF challenge, though I'm a longtime lurker. In awesome news, I just earned my first-degree black belt in tae kwon do on July 20. In some ways, I'm in better physical shape than I've been my whole life. In other ways... not so much. I've never been a clean eater. I've never been consistent about ANY kind of physical training outside of TKD. After working hard to lose almost 30 pounds in 2006-2007, I gained it all back and then some; I'm now at my all-time high weight of about 153 pounds at 5'4". If it was muscle, that'd be fine - I'm not super-upset at the number. But let's be clear; IT SURE ISN'T MUSCLE. At least, the tire in my midsection isn't. That's 100% hot dogs, french fries, diet soda and potato chips. ICK. I passed my black-belt test, but it didn't look like I wanted to look. The 150 pushups and 250 situps that started the test, in the words of my best friend, "Made you look like they were going to have to scrape you off the mat." Ick. Talk about a truth that hurts. I'm not in awful shape, or an awful weight. I'm just not happy, and mostly I'm not happy because I know what I'm capable of. It's time to start living like a black belt, not just inside the dojang but in life. I'm tired of feeling crummy and tired. I keep thinking that I should be in peak physical condition right now, and getting even better. The truth is, white-belt me might have been healthier. And it's time for a change. My main quest: Earn the right to wear this black belt proudly by eating more cleanly, training more consistently and pushing myself more diligently. My missions: 1. Compete in and train correctly for two martial-arts tournaments in August in the black belt division. (Placing would be great, but I'm not as concerned with that as I am that I'm putting in the time and effort to train correctly to do my own best.) 2. Drink no more than an average of 2 normal glasses of Diet Pepsi a day. (At my worst? Something like two 2-liters a day. For real. Ick.) 3. Practice pushups and situps at least 4 times a week, in class or outside. (Not as concerned about number of reps as the habit, though I'll track them as I can, mostly on Fitocracy.) And I'm going to keep up with the good habits I've already started. I'd already started the soda cutback; I have fruit smoothies almost every day, and I've given up all hot dogs except the organic beef ones with no nitrates. So I'll keep up with that! My life quest: By the end of this quest period, on Sept. 8, my mission is to have all the money we need saved up for our quarterly tax estimates due Sept. 16. Self-employment FTW... My stats: Today's weight: 151.0 Today's stomach measurement: 35" at the part I don't like Today's lower stomach/hips measurement: 38" at the part I don't like Today's look: (I can't believe I'm actually posting this!) My why:

I'm back into the fray after sitting out the last challenge. With my current challenge I'm looking to increase my strength, particularly upper bodywork. On top of that I'm back to trying to do one damn pull-up, I can do it this time. I also included completing a triathlon over the course of the 6 week period because otherwise that would be insane to try and do it in one day. Lastly I want to track the percentage of paleo vs. non-paleo foods I eat, and get an idea of where I'm at with calories and protein intake. Challenge One: Make Some Muscles My goal is to perform bodyweight exercises 3 days a week, to consist of push-ups, squats, planks, dips, etc. I'd like to mix it up a bit as I go on, and hopefully I can set myself up with a bar so I can do some bodyweight rows as well. Challenge Two: Run/Bike/Swim This goal will focus on performing the equivalent of a triathlon over the course of the 6 week challenge. I will do the following: run 10k, swim a total of 1500 meters (60 laps in the pool), and bike 25 miles. Challenge Three: Rastaban vs. the Pull-up Bar In my last challenge I wanted to do ONE STINKING PULL-UP. I did less than one. I'm back to try again and do one OR more pull-up/chin-up. Challenge Four: You Are What You Eat I would like to maintain a 90%+ paleo diet (being realistic here). I will log ALL of my meals for the 6 week period, noting which is paleo and which isn't and see if I can hit that 90% goal. On top of that I'm going to track my calories and protein intake in order to make sure that I'm getting enough of both.

Yikes, turns out I'm not old enough for the NF forums yet! Peace out guys, see you in a few months.

Hey all, This is my first NF challenge, so apologies if I'm not doing this correctly. Anyways, here are my goals: Run 10k Race without stopping (STA +5) Anyone else here use the Zombies, Run! app? Makes long runs so much more fun! I've been building up my running steadily over the last two years, but am finally making steps to longer races. 10k here I come! I'm grading this one on a pass/fail basis as I either successfully run the 10k I registered for on 7/4 or I don't. Strength train 2 x week (STR +3) I've got the cardio down, but would love to build up my strength as well. My goal is to get two good bodyweight workouts in each week in addition to my 10k training. A: 12-10 workouts B: 8-9 workouts C: 6-7 workouts D: less than six workouts.No eating after 9pm (CON +2 CHA +1) I do well with my diet overall, but fall off the wagon at night. There's no reason I need to eat that late, and it cuts out a lot of my junk carbs when I just say, "No, the kitchen is closed." A: 1- 3 cheat days B: 3-5 cheat days F: 5+ cheat daysWork out a budget for the summer time (WIS +4) Summer is the slow season in my work, and I've been a little too free with my finances lately. Time to get the big girl panties on and work that stuff out. This one is also pass/fail. I either do it or I don't. To keep myself accountable I'm keeping workout logs on evernote and with my little running widgets. I've got my support system in place and I'm ready to get things done!

Check it out: http://www.runnersworld.com/running-tips/runners-world-summer-run-streak-2013 A few times a year Runners World magazine has a Run Streak, there is one in the summer, and one around the winter holidays too. Its a good way to train through the low times in your run calendar, and motivate yourself to get out there everyday. I was wondering if any Nerd Fitness Rebels would want to join me? Basically the program is this: - Run at least 1 mile every day from May 27-July 4 (39days) - You can run more miles as you like/can tolerate, just be sure to stretch, recover, and not get injured. - See how many days you can run in a row. That's it! Come join me!

Hello everybody. As it turns out, I've been doing what I'm supposed to be doing here in my 6 week challenge thread. So naturally, I'm moving it. The link to my challenge is in my signature. So this week I've decided to do week 5 of the "Rugged Regimen." Its a bit different than what I have been doing (again see my challenge thread) but I've decided it'll be nice for a change of pace. So today, I ran for 4 minutes, then stopped and did ten reps of one of the following exercise Squats Push-ups Mountain climbers Lunges Plank to push-up Repeat until every exercise has been done. It was fun, and I did it bearfoot but the heat made it very difficult. If you want to see the full rugged regimen click here

Hey guys, Crunch here. Right now I'm training for a university wrestling team tryout in the Fall. I have no idea what kind of regime will best prepare me. A quick email to the coach told me to run a lot, and do endurance exercises. Currently I am 135 lbs, with fitness benchmarks roughly: 60 max consecutive push-ups 20 situps followed by 15 crunches 40 bicep curls with 20 lb free weights 2.1 km in ~12 min, but this is very rough, as I have never seriously trained for running, never properly timed it, and did not work to exhaustion on that occasion. Does anyone have experience wrestling or simply the know-how to suggest a routine? Diet would be interesting as well. Appreciate any and all comments, Crunch4Lunch

G'day from Perth Wetern Australia! My name is Malachy, this will be my first NF fitness challenge and I'm super excited to be a part of this fantastic movement! My 4 goals are as follows 1) Deadlift 160kg 3 or more reps (current ~120kg) (this is roughly twice my body weight, they say that 2xBW is a solid strength goal) 2) Dexa scan resulting in a 6% body fat or lower (current ~9-10% ) 3) Run 5km (~3 mile) in under 24 minutes (current best stands at 24:22) 4) Be completely confident, calm and competent on a motorcycle in any traffic situation. The Cattle Dog: I got the name the cattle dog from blokes i would compete against in my days as a semi-pro surf ironman. Surf Ironman is a sport generally geared towards a lean "elf" style athlete - 6'2 and up, long limbs and great endurance. I'm 5'11 and am no genetic war horse so i really had to flog myself to compete with these men. In my first season I came from the outside to win the State championship. I would always train with my dog Sid, a beautiful Aussie cattle dog (or blue heeler). Cattle dogs are renown for their tenacity, work ethic and never say die attitude. They're relatively small dogs but have very strong musculature and incredible endurance capabilities. What I idolise most about this animal is their resiliency (The art of manliness - resiliency ), the ability to take kicks to the body and face from 1000 pound bulls only to get straight back up and charge harder. It's this attitude that I adapted in order to achieve the results I did in competition. I hope to carry it with me in my pursuit of these goals and spread it further into the other aspects of my life and start levelling up. I retired two years ago and have had a moderately committed relationship with the gym since. The purpose of my goals is to get myself closer to my ideal "Ranger" physique. I love the Idea of being able to deadlight twice my body weight yet still be able to flog a 3 mile stretch in under 24 minutes (for myself, a considerable effort). My dexa scan and my goal of 6% is important as it ties in with the notion of the Ranger physique. If I pursue my strength and cardio goal effectively, it should result in a low bf% from the Dexa (diet will also be closely watched, avoiding any overly 'bad' foods). I hope to be able to ride a motorbike by the end of our challenges too. I intend to get my license but my real aim is to be a 100% competent rider by the end of the challenge with or without my license. I've recently been reading a great book called "The Practicing Mind" By Thomas M Sterner. A fantastic read for those looking to improve their focus/patience/discipline. Sterner talks about the notion of "process vs product" and how that in order to really excel in set goals one should learn to love perfecting and revising the process; rather than focusing so heavily on the product. This struck a chord with me, too many times i'm guilty of obsessing over a goal (physical or the like) without paying enough attention to the processes which i intend to get there with. In working toward these set goals I aim to enjoy the process, to relish the opportunity to revise my methods at any opportunity. To constantly and consistenly maintain, enjoy and improve the vehicle in the knowledge it will deliver me to my destination of sub 24 minute 3 mile's, 350lb+ deadlifts, ~6%BF and a Brando-esque motorcyclist circa "the wild one" swagger If you have any suggestions or corrections (any suggestions on good literature/blogs in a similar vein too) please don't hesitate to drop me a line, I'm all ears! Add me on facebook if you'd like to talk more, i've got a solid background in fitness and would love the opportunity to help if its needed I wil post more in depth on each goal's respective methodology tomorrow Glad to be a part of the rebellion

Intro This is my first 6 week challenge and I've already warmed up coming into it. My execising has been good but it has been rather aimless. I think its ironic how most of my goals meet up with the ranger group yet I really want to be an assassin, but I have things I want to do before I start training for parkour. Anyway I'm kind of a noob when it comes to exercise ,but I have a lot of energy when it comes to physical activities so I think i'll be fine. Also if anyone knows any kind of unorthodox exercises please let me know. I really enjoy doing things that are different from the norm like climbing trees for a strength building exercise. Goals GOAL # 1!!!! Run 3 miles in 30 minutes This will be a toughy. So far I can run 2 miles in 48 minutes, so I'm not exactly halfway there. Which is good because now I have something to aim for. I'm pretty sure if I keep running every other day and aim to run more than walk as well as pay attention to my diet then I should be fine on this one GOAL # 2!!!! Bench Press 110 lbs 15 times in 1 set (or 15 reps in 1 set for you particulars out there) Thus far I can bench 110 3 times. Not too shabby considering there was a time I couldn't do it at all. I'm going to focus on arm strength exercises particularly pushups, and handstand pushups. I'll try a few pull ups too because I can do a few of those (cough cough 3). GOAL # 3!!!! Stick firmly to the Paleo diet. I almost don't thing this should be a goal because I'm pretty sure many people on this site are already doing this, but this is a challenge for me because I can't choose what goes in and out of my refrigerator because I live with my parents and don't buy groceries. However, so far I've seen quite a few benefits of the paleo diet such as a huge increase in energy. Well thats me. If anybody has any questions, comments, or concerns don't be afraid to reply. Even if you have negative questions, comments, concerns or if I just pissed you off go ahead and reply.