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Hi All, First time posting here. So I have found myself in a bit of a dilemma. I am almost 23 years old, currently weigh 86.1KG or 190LB for some of you and I am around 178CM or 5'10'' probably at 18 - 20% Body fat now. My relationship with the gym has been very complicated I have been on and off with it since I was 17, I would stop going to gym when I was happy with how I looked in the mirror and this has been going on for the last 5 - 6 years. So, I kind of know my ins and outs with it. I have had a good physique before around 10-12% bodyfat, but I recently let myself go for over 9 months now. I am looking for a quick fix to get my old physique back of which I had lost most of my strength and gained subsiquent amount of fat around my torso and legs. I just recently took up playing football/soccer 2 - 3 times a week and just got a gym membership again. What is the most efficient way to lose fat and build muscle simultaneously, I have done it plenty of times where I let myself go and I have this thing called beginners luck or what some people may refer it to as muscles memory. What sort of program should I follow, as in strength (3 - 6 reps) or hypertrophy (6 - 12 reps) or (endurance 12 - 15 reps), I used to just mix them up or have phases where I implement hypertrophy for the first 6 weeks and then do a lower rep hypertrophy around 6 reps to maintain my strength or muscle. Please kindly recommend what you think would be the most efficient way to reach my goals which is to get back down to 80KG and be around 10% Bodyfat. On a side note, I am a hard gainer for my chest it seems to grow really slow in comparision to other body parts of mine what would you recommend for this case. Also, would it be okay if I skip some leg days considering I play football 2 - 3 times a week and would like to have lean legs. PS - My body type is 63% Endomorph and 37% Mesomorph, so I tend to gain muscle easier than losing fat. Thank you and have a nice day. Many Thanks, Curiousconner

Everyone looking for a great way to lose weight, or the newest quickest way to burn fat. Tricks, tips etc. Well this works. GUARANTEED. Its all about intensity and progression. Its not about the time you are in the gym, on the bike, at the track, its the effort you put in. Thats why this workout REALLY WORKS. Instead of short bursts of intensity, followed by long bouts of rest, its the opposite. You are, or at least should be, always going about 90% whatever your ninety percent is. You also can never really out grow this workout because as you progress physically you simply go faster, push yourself harder, get in more repetitions and burn more. I gave this a shot because I dont like boring steady state cardio, and even as I had not changed my diet or really tried to lose weight, I lost 9lbs in about 2 weeks. Note: You want to seriously do the warm up and stretching properly and make sure you make any necessary adjustments to the exercises if you have any nagging injuries. Have padded shoes, towel and water. ITS GO TIME! You can stream Insanity on Demand here: https://club.teambeachbody.com/sign-up/?upgrade=true&redirect=%2F

Introduction: I joined NF a week before the April 6WC started. At that point, I was five weeks into a new workout routine, and nine weeks into attempting to eat better. There are links to my introduction/origin story and my first three challenges in my sig below. Feel free to go rummage around in there. I’ve gone from 255 lbs at the end of January, to 232 at the start of my first 6WC, 223 at the start of my second, 211 by the third, and 203 as of right now. It’s a work in progress. There's no specific weight number in mind (yet - this might change as the challenges go on), but I suspect it might be somewhere around the 170-180 range. Life Quest: I'll lift this straight from challenge 1, it still hasn't changed. Dress like a proper grown-up adult man, in clothes which actually look good on me, and make my wife proud to be seen with me when I take her out. The general aim is to overhaul my entire wardrobe by the end of 2015, getting rid of anything which falls into one of the following categories: baggy, sagging or ragged. My specific aim is to get properly fitted for one good quality, tailored, (possibly three-piece) suit, and get a good photograph taken wearing it. I'm sick of being disgusted when I look in the mirror or see a photo of myself. The wardrobe goal is progressing nicely. There’s been two mass culls already. Okay, down to business. My fourth challenge, and my first attempt at a “themed†challenge. It’s my variation on the Walk to Mordor, adapted for one of my favourite books. I read it for the first time in 1988, when I was 15, and I’ve probably re-read it every 2-3 years since then. It speaks to everything I believe about determination and mental strength, and inspires me every time. It’s really just a loose wrap-around theme for my latest set of exercise goals, but hopefully it’ll help keep me inspired and focused when things get tough. I won’t spoil the plot, unless you open this: In the book, the Walk starts at the Canadian border in northern Maine and works south towards Boston, covering a distance of over 400 miles. I’m nerdy and obsessive enough that I’ve plotted out an approximate route using some of the landmarks mentioned in the book, and I’ll use that as a mapping to the mileage I cover in Quest 2 of this challenge and reflect it in my daily/whateverly updates. Really, it’s all just an elaborate excuse to allow me to roleplay and play make-pretend for a few weeks. So, the Quests… Quest 1: “Picking Them Up and Putting Them Down…†As with my first three challenges, the metric used will be Calories Burned in exercise. No daily targets as such, just achieve a minimum of 20000 over the 42 days. To achieve this, I can use the elliptical, exercise bikes, steppers, treadmills or go outside and walk/run, using my phone app to track. Achievable Points on offer: +2 STA, +1 STR, +1 DEX The Prize: A - 20000+ (Points x 1) - Completed Oct 20! Warning 1: B - 18000-20000 (Points x 0.75) Warning 2: C - 16000-18000 (Points x 0.5) Warning 3: D - 14000-16000 (Points x 0.25) Ticket: F - < 14000 (Fail. 0 Points.) Quest 2: “I’m the Rabbit.†Tied into the exercise I do in Quest 1, I’ll also be tracking the distance I cover in miles. I’m splitting this out because it’ll force me to vary my exercise in order to hit the mileage targets. The elliptical burn I generally use in Quest 1, although great for racking up the calorie count (I do it at a high resistance level), oddly generates a comparatively small amount of mileage. If I want to hit targets for Q1 AND Q2, I’m going to have to up my game and do other things as well. There’s also a little formula in place for “outlasting†other competitors – every complete mile over 10 miles I cover each day will cause one Walker to drop out of the race, as will days with a burn of over 500 calories, and days with a deficit of over 500. That part isn’t scored, it’s just a fun little addition to my spreadsheet below. These are all just motivational tools to keep me going. Editing to add: I mentioned this during my last challenge, but the mileage count won't just be limited to walking, despite the theme. 400+ miles walking over one challenge won't be do-able for me, so I'm allowing myself cycling miles as well. Driving isn't allowed, though. Achievable Points on offer: +2 STA, +1 DEX The Prize: A - 400+ (Points x 1) - Current Progress Warning 1: B - 350-400 (Points x 0.75) Warning 2: C - 300-350 (Points x 0.5) Warning 3: D - 250-300 (Points x 0.25) Ticket: F - < 250 (Fail. 0 Points.) Quest 3: “I’ll Dance on Your Grave, Scarface!†I will do 1000 bastardos within the 42 days of the challenge. No daily targets, just get the 1000 done Achievable Points on offer: +2 STR, +2 DEX The Prize: A - 1000+ (Points x 1) - Current Progress Warning 1: B - 870-1000 (Points x 0.75) Warning 2: C - 750-870 (Points x 0.5) Warning 3: D - 630-750 (Points x 0.25) Ticket: F - < 630 (Fail. 0 Points.) Quest 4: “Dom L’Antio Loves You All!†A repeat of last time. Let's stay mindful of CI-CO, get a consistent deficit happening, and keep getting the body fat down. Ideally looking to have an average daily deficit of 500 or more by Day 42. The official metric here will be Days in Deficit, and tools used will be my assorted phone apps (for tracking my calorie intake and daily walking), the displays on the gym equipment, and my Mifflin-St.Jeor magic number. Achievable Points on offer: +2 CON The Prize: A - 40-42 Days in Deficit (Points x 1) - Current Progress Warning 1: B - 39 Days (Points x 0.75) Warning 2: C - 38 Days (Points x 0.5) Warning 3: D - 37 Days (Points x 0.25) Ticket: F - <37 Days (Fail. 0 Points.) Quest 5: “God’s Garden… is Full… of Weeds…†Continuing the effort to spend less time on pointless nonsense and become a better person, I will complete four books during this challenge. 1. "The Road Less Travelled" - M. Scott Peck - Completed Oct 13 2. "You're Not Doing It Right" - Michael Ian Black. - Completed Oct 3 3. "The Avengers and Philosophy: Earth's Mightiest Thinkers" - Mark D. White - Completed Oct 19 4. "Lost In My Own Backyard" - Tim Cahill. - Completed Sept 17 Achievable Points on Offer: +1 WIS, +1 CHA The Prize: A - Completed 4 books (Points x 1) - Completed Oct 19! Warning 1: B - Completed 3 books (Points x 0.75) Warning 2: C - Completed 2 book (Points x 0.5) Warning 3: D - Completed 1 book (Points x 0.25) Ticket: F - Complete none (Fail. 0 Points.) Minis: #1: Two Truths, One Lie - Done! +1 CHA #2: To Do? TA DA! - Done! +1 WIS #3: Climb That Mountain - Done! +1 STR #4: Fall Comfort Foods - Done! +1 CON #5: Brave Up! - Done! +1 CON #6: Push It! - Done! +1 CON Motivation: The Suit is now in sight. I started this year as a 42" waist on my work trousers, a 19" collar shirt, and all of my t-shirts were XXL and even those felt snug. During the last challenge, I got into a pair of 34†jeans for the first time in almost 5 years. I’d said before that I would be happy with 34 or less for the suit, so at the end of September, I’ll head to the tailor and get measured up for it. Beyond that, the goal will be to continue refreshing the wardrobe. The suit will mark the end of the first chapter of this adventure in a way. I’ve already started thinking about what the next level will be for me. When I reach a goal weight, or a number I’m comfortable with at least, I’ll set out some plans. You will notice from the Spreadsheet of Infinite Justice below, I'm running this challenge Saturday - Friday, rather than the standard Monday - Sunday. I have a family wedding to attend on October 24th, so pulling this forward by 48 hours means I'll finish right before the wedding. Because, you know, cake and beer. Don't you judge me!

Getting straight back into it, since the downtime is cut to one week this time around. Whoooo! Introduction: I joined NF a week before the April 6WC started. At that point, I was five weeks into a new workout routine, and nine weeks into attempting to eat better. There are links to my introduction/origin story and my first two challenges in my sig below. Feel free to go rummage around in there. Anyway, my first two challenges went well, and now I'm ready to push on. I’ve gone from 255lbs at the end of January, to 232 at the start of my first 6WC, 223 at the start of my second, and 211 as of right now. It’s a work in progress. There's no specific weight number in mind (yet - this might change as the challenges go on), but I suspect it might be somewhere around the 170-180 range. Life Quest: I'll lift this straight from challenge 1, it still hasn't changed. Dress like a proper grown-up adult man, in clothes which actually look good on me, and make my wife proud to be seen with me when I take her out. The general aim is to overhaul my entire wardrobe by the end of 2015, getting rid of anything which falls into one of the following categories: baggy, sagging or ragged. My specific aim is to get properly fitted for one good quality, tailored, (possibly three-piece) suit, and get a good photograph taken wearing it. I'm sick of being disgusted when I look in the mirror or see a photo of myself. The wardrobe goal has been progressing slowly. There’s been one mass cull already, and another one will follow. Quest 1: …the Trail of Sweat As with my first two challenges, the metric used will be Calories Burned in exercise, only this time with a slight modification. No daily targets as such, just achieve a minimum of 20000 over the 42 days (last challenge was 10000.) How I achieve this will also be a little more flexible than before. It won’t just be limited to the cross trainer in the gym. I can also use the exercise bikes, the steppers, treadmills or even go outside and walk/run, using my phone app to track. This will hopefully prevent cross trainer boredom, which has been a potential issue. Again, going with the Spezzy Sliding Scale, rather than straight pass/fail. Achievable Points on offer: +2 STA, +2 DEX A - 20000+ (Points x 1) - Completed Aug 31 B - 18000-20000 (Points x 0.75) C - 16000-18000 (Points x 0.5) D - 14000-16000 (Points x 0.25) F - < 14000 (Fail. 0 Points.) Quest 2: Let the Bodies Hit the Floor The body hitting the floor will be mine. I will do 1000 burpees within the 42 days of the challenge. No daily targets, just get the 1000 done. Find a way, not an excuse. Achievable Points on offer: +2 STR, +2 DEX, +1 STA A - 1000+ (Points x 1) - Completed Sep 4 B - 870-1000 (Points x 0.75) C - 750-870 (Points x 0.5) D - 630-750 (Points x 0.25) F - < 630 (Fail. 0 Points.) Quest 3: Get the Fork Outta Here A repeat of last time. Let's stay mindful of CI-CO, get a consistent deficit happening, and keep getting the body fat down. Ideally looking to have an average daily deficit of 500 or more by Day 42. The official metric here will be Days in Deficit, and tools used will be my assorted phone apps (for tracking my calorie intake and daily walking), the displays on the gym equipment, and my Mifflin-St.Jeor magic number. Achievable Points on offer: +2 CON, +2 CHA A - 40-42 Days in Deficit (Points x 1) - Final Grade B - 39 Days (Points x 0.75) C - 38 Days (Points x 0.5) D - 37 Days (Points x 0.25) F - <37 Days (Fail. 0 Points.) Quest 4: Read ‘Em and Weep Continuing the effort to spend less time on pointless nonsense and become a better person, I will complete the following FOUR books during this challenge: 1. The Road to Character - David Brooks - Completed Aug 12 2. More Than Ordinary - Doug Sherman - Completed Aug 7 3. Love as a Way of Life - Gary Chapman - Completed Sep 1 4. 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head - Dan Harris - Completed Aug 21 Achievable Points on Offer: +2 WIS. A - Completed 4 books (Points x 1) - Completed Sep 1 B - Completed 3 books (Points x 0.75) C - Completed 2 books (Points x 0.5) D - Completed 1 book (Points x 0.25) F - Complete none (Fail. 0 Points.) Untargeted Mystery Quest: The Rabbit No scoring against this, but I’m going to log all of the mileage I accumulate from walking/running/cycling/gym, for use as a baseline as part of “SomeGuyFromScotland IV: I’m the Rabbitâ€. Sssshh. It’s a secret. Minis: #1: Thinking Deep - Done! +1 CHA #2: Be Brave - Done! +1 CHA #3: Leapin' Lizards! - Done +1 STA #4: Morale Boost - Done +1 CHA #5: Dining Hall - Done +1 WIS #6: Finish Strong - Done +1 STR Motivation: As before, new clothes. I started this year as a 42" waist on my work trousers, a 19" collar shirt, and all of my t-shirts were XXL and even those could feel tight. Progress has been made, and slowly the fat clothes are being shed. If sufficient progress is made by the end of this challenge, I may head to the tailor and take the first step towards the main goal, by getting measured for my suit. If I'm still a little short of where I want to be in terms of measurements (probably looking to get to 34" waist, 15/16" shirt collar, 40/42" chest, around there somewhere) , I'll get some new jeans and shirts instead. Progress (Completed September 6): As always, feel free to tag along for the ride. Your supports will be gratefully received.