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Hi, everyone. I'm a couple of days late, but hoping to join in this challenge as a sort of first timer. I've been lurking on NFR for a while and have tried creating forums and participating, but...life issues always seem to get in the way, and I can't seem to make progress on my fitness. I want to change that. I don't want to dwell on all the problems, but I have a lot of family stuff that takes up time, a hostile workplace that I can't leave just yet, a really horrible battle with depression, and a habit of letting go of self-care when I am depressed, anxious, stressed, or overwhelmed. I am the heaviest I have ever been, and so uncomfortable in my own skin that I just want to escape myself most days, but I haven't given up. None of those things are good reasons for being in this shape. So, here I am, hoping to respawn, reboot, re-commit, and do it right this time! I don't think I've ever really completed a challenge that I have tried, not properly, not in a meaningful way. So, that's my main quest, here: getting into a fitness routine and seeing it through to the end of the challenge period. Another day, another page of the diary, right? Quest: Complete the Challenge without giving up after a week or two of effort! Goal 1: Exercise for at least 30 minutes each day. Goal 2: Prepare my own meals instead of eating fast food. Goal 3: Spend at least 30 minutes a day on managing my stress/wellness. I'm going to track these with a simple binary: 1 point if I do it, and 0 if I don't. That means I can earn 78 points, if I start today. I don't really have much in the way of a character, but if I can survive the first challenge, I will develop mine further for the next one! Also, I am not sure if I'm navigating this forum correctly, and would be grateful for some pointers, if anything seems wrong or weird.

Hello fellow rebels! I'm a bit new around here, been lurking for a little bit, and wanted to go ahead and make a place for my first 4 week Challenge. I recently had a bit of a wake-up call in my life, and am ready to lose weight and get fit. I want to get There (healthy), and never come back to the way I have been living my life. I have always been kinda overweight, but I am currently the heaviest I've ever been (well within obese) and I'm ready to change. I've made some half-assed attempts at weight loss in the past, but I intend to stick with this. This is for the rest of my life, not just til I lose some weight. I am still doing a little underpants collecting before the actual challenge starts, but this is what I am thinking for my challenges, they may change a little until it actually begins. I am thinking of having 1 diet challenge, 1 exercise challenge, 1 mental challenge, and 1 wild card. Quit Fast Food and Soda: I've been eating absolute garbage for the last couple years and I'm going back to eating good food, not just something greasy and salty that I put in my mouth because I'm bored. That said if a Jimmy Johns unwich is my lunch I'm not going to throw a fit. I'm just going to my every effort to eat the healthiest thing on the menu. As far as soda, I've been drinking way too many. It was not uncommon to drink 3-5 sodas a day. I am currently on 1 a day until I finish off this 2-Liter of Mtn Dew. I get migraines occasionally and I have had caffeine headaches trigger migraines in the past so the 2-liter is at attempt to ween myself off caffeine a little more gently. That is the only reason I'm not cold turkey quitting pop. OK so I'm cheating a little with 2 parts but here they are anyway Go for a 15 minute walk, at least 4 times a week: I recently moved to MT from AR but have been unable to enjoy it much because of my weight. The altitude has taken some getting used to as well. By walking more often (I also live on a mountain so my usual walk if 1/2 mile down, 1/2 mile back up) I'm hoping to better acclimate and just get in the habit of moving more. For most of the last 5 years or so I have led a very sedentary lifestyle. I want to break the inertia and become a body in motion, and I'm sure that my dog won't mind the extra walks either lol. Exercise minimum 3x a week (in addition to walks) and track results: This is just another case of hijacking the accountability of the challenge to help build a new habit. I am going to be doing the beginner body weight workout and I'll see how that goes. Meditate daily, minimum 3 minutes: I want to expand my knowledge and practice when it comes to meditation. I have only done a small amount of meditation in the past but have recently rediscovered it and found it to be a very helpful and powerful tool. I will also research better meditation techniques and attempt to implement them. I am focusing mostly on mindfulness meditation right now, but I plan to expand in the coming weeks, months and beyond. Brushing/Flossing Etc: I have had some problems with my dental hygiene in the past and I want to improve that. I am ashamed to say that I only brush my teeth about once a day right now. I want to make it a habit to brush 2x a day and to floss at least every other day, so i thought that this would be a good means of enforcing the habit until it becomes routine. Here is the slightly modified list for the official 4 week challenge: I welcome any feedback and am looking forward to the official challenge starting. I've already started all the above and have been including them for a few days now. I am eager to start my journey to a healthier me and I don't want to wait another day. There is a part of me that says to wait until the challenge starts, but the way I see it that is one week healthier I can be. I think I will start my data collection 7/1/2017 so I have a nice and easy 6-month time frame for measurement comparisons. Wish me luck and I wish all the other rebels out there good luck with their challenge! Thanks Bilbo, but I think I do need to get going out my door. Staying here hasn't been good for me. I Need to step out on that road, lose my feet, and just see where I might be swept off too. It's time to start MY adventure.

Hi there! So this is my first challenge and I have no idea what I'm doing. I guess I should share a little about myself, I am a 22 your old who has frankly no idea what to do with my life. Currently I am a receptionist at a vet clinic but that may change in the near future. I have two dogs, an 8 month old German Shepherd and an almost 2 year old Lab mix. Between work, dogs and my relationship, I have almost no time to do much besides eat and sleep. My boyfriend is also on here somewhere and absolutely loves it, so he keeps trying to convince me to post a challenge. Here goes nothing. Here are some new goals for the next few weeks. Goals: 1. Stay on my diet and keep to my calorie budget I've been using the Lose It app and it seems to be working pretty well when I actually follow the budget it gives me 2. Exercise 2-3 times a week. I've started Pole Fitness and it is AMAZING! I go twice a week. Also need to run and work on my 5k training at least once a week. 3. Take my dogs hiking or to the park at least once a week I have high energy dogs and they DEFINITELY need to get out more than they do 4. Find time for myself. Work on my puzzle, be girly and treat myself, maybe play some skyrim (hint hint to the bf ) If anybody has some helpful tips to this newbie, then feel free to share! Also: Had to share the cuteness that is my pups:

Diet only drink coffee from 0930-1130 and 1500-1600 no grain and not dairy for a week (one of those is giving me cramps and I don't know which) Fitness finish learning the cricket yoga flow beginner level and learn one other flow Life each day, reflect on how I did regarding "Hell yeah" or "No, thank you", especially "Did I say yes when I wanted to say No?" play bass at least 5 minutes a day

Hi Everyone, I have named this the Deadpool (Or Skull Poo L - hopefully you get this reference) challenge as my aim is to get back to how I used to look, fight some enemies and have a great time getting there. Hopefully at the end I will of gained a lot more skills and abilities and be better than where I used to be. (Would also be great to look like Ryan Reynolds) To be able to get there I will do what I love but also do some things I dislike to reach my goal. As we all know we only have a certain amount of willpower so will be aiming to minimise times when I will have to use this. Overall my aim is to move to either the Warrior or Assassin class. I am still recovering from tearing two ligaments in my ankle and am 10 months into an 18 month recovery so believe I will end up moving to the Warrior class. Main Quest: Weight down to 85kg - heaviest at Jan 1 was 110 kg - Current is 97.3 Body Fat to 12% - Current is 20% This is mostly my yearly challenge which is suspect to change depending on peformance. Rebel Challenge Level 1 Diet Meal Prep at least 5 meals per week (aim for every lunch time or 4 lunches and 1 dinner) So far have been going surprisingly well but this is the main aim Fitness 80kg Front squat and 120kg Deadlift Current front squat 60kg - Increase is fairly big however only stared front squats last week so big chance of increase Deadlift 100kg Practice Handstands at least 3 times per week https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2013/10/24/how-to-handstand-better-than-luke-skywalker/ - aiming to follow this Life Meditate at least 4 times per week In bed before 10pm 4 times per week Weight Current weight is 97.3 - Would like to get to 95 but if other goals are met weight is not as important This is less of a goal but more acknowledging that what I am doing is having an impact Still Deciding on how I will distribute my attribute points but would love some ideas. Strength (STR) - physical strength Dexterity (DEX) - agility and speed Stamina (STA) - Endurance and Energy Constitution (CON) - ability to resist damage and disease Wisdom (WIS) - intuition and sense of things around himself Charisma (CHA) - force of personality and physical attractiveness I believe I will be aiming to improve strength, stamina and constitution but would love some recommendations. Also being Australian I believe this photo works wonders.

* * * Challenge Post updated based up people's helpful comments * * * I know the next 6 wk challenge hasn't started yet, but I wanted to get everything ready. I'm treating this week as a kind of warmup week. So, here is my challenge.... Main Quest. Is to fit into my old suit for my cousin's wedding at the end of August. This will obviously involve loosing inches from my waistline, but I want do do it by getting strong instead. (And eating better.) I'm working towards being able to start lifting heavy by getting the basic bodyweight workout sorted first. Current Waist size is 48in. Current Hip 45 (Where I actually wear my trousers). Target for end of August 38in. SMART quests i) To eat only breakfast and dinner for at least 5 days every week (Intermittent Fast), and for those meals to protein and vegetably with less junk. I've started using MyFitnessPal to track what I'm eating so that next time I can be EVEN MORE specific about those changes. 100% = Five days per week for all 6 weeks. 75% = Five days per week, but with up to 3 snacks on IF days per week. 50% = Less than five days all six weeks or more than 3 snacks on IF days in a week. ii) I'll be exercising three days each week. I've started doing two circuits of the basic bodyweight workout instead of one. I can't complete a whole circuit still. I struggle to always finish the walking lunges and can currently only do 5 pressups per set. By the end of six weeks I want to be doing two full circuits with full reps. (The start of the warm up week it was 4 and 3) 100% = 2 full circuits 3 times per week by end of challenge. 75% = BBW 3 days per week but not managing 2 full circuits. 50% = not doing the BBW three days per week for the whole 6 weeks. iii) Do a full stretch routine after exercising to reduce DOMS and increase flexibility. 100% = Full stretch routine after exercise routine 3 days per week. 75% = Full routine every time I exercise but not exercising 3 times every week. 50% = Any incomplete stretch routine Motivation. To be happier and healthier, to be more able and to fit into the clothes that shrank when I wasn't paying attention. Lets see how we do : D

Hello, my name is Simon, and I am following NF for nearly two years. Until now I haven't found the courage to join the forums or in any way activelly participate on the Rebellion. This changes right now. I have decided to start a six-week challenge in order to get back to shape, which I consider the first step in turning my life around. Some information about me: I am 21 years old and I come from a beautiful small land in Europe called Slovakia. Currently, I weigh 106 kg and stand 197 cm tall. Last year I have finished my bachelor degree in Civil Engineering, and after a nice summer I have moved to Denmark to study towards my master's degree. Before I left I used to workout 3-4 times a week, with cardio on my off days. Being overwhelmed with the new school, new friends, new culture and basically new everything I started to skip workouts, morning runs and stopped stretching at all. Now it is the time to change it. My main Quest: Get back into my previous shape. This doesn't sound very specific, but a year ago I was able to run 8 km, do 100 push-ups, 10 pull-ups, swim across a lake and touch my knees with my head, with my legs straight. Now I can barely run 4 km or do 1 pull-up, not even talking about the swimming, because that is just terrible. My three goals: 1. Strength training 3 times a week for atleast 1 hour + Stretching. In order to get them pull-ups back. 2. Keeping track of my calories. 2500/day that is it. For me this means mostly giving up the bad habit of soda drinking. 3. Doing cardio on my off days. It is either swimming, running or bike. Hopefully, this first six-week challenge will help me build the momentum I need to stick with the training even after I go back to Denmark after the holidays. To keep me accountable I have created an excel sheet where I keep track of my workouts and calories, which I will post weekly. My side quest: I am starting to work on a small project, which will basically be a board with the map of the world and the places I've been to. Then I will pin photos of me and my friends in those places in order to create something like a memorable board. The point is, that when I look at it I will just have to smile I will post weekly updates on this. I want to thank everyone for their support and advice, and I am looking forward to working with such a great community as NF is. P.S. I am sorry for my bad english, but it is not my first language, so please forgive me the mistakes.

Hello, fellow fitness enthusiasts! My name is Mackenzie, and I am very excited to begin my first Nerd Fitness 6 Week Challenge! (Well, closer to 4 weeks by now…) To give you a little background and context for my goal, here’s my health/fitness history in a rather over-sized nutshell. The daughter of a modern dance teacher, I grew up living at dance studios and in front of mirrors. In dance I found community, as sense of pride, and flow--but also a somewhat distorted view of my own body and a limited definition of beauty. I have always been slender and petite (5’4 and never more than 115 lbs), but by high school I was trying one diet after the other--south beach & weight watchers primarily--to try to eradicate any of my self-perceived and self-inflicted flaws. I never let myself resort to an eating disorder, but I remember how disgusted I was with myself, how invisible I felt, and how hopeless and far away that idealized version of myself (aka. the epic Buffy Summers) seemed. Thankfully, with aging came perspective. By the end of college I had a much better sense of who I wanted to be and learned to be kinder to myself. Then after college I found running and--after a hump of demoralizing pain--completely fell in love. Seeing myself go farther, run faster, and breath more easily with each run gave me confidence in a way I had never experienced before. I loved being able to tangibly see myself grow stronger. I loved that feeling of pushing myself farther than I ever thought was possible. Because of that I became a distance runner and have just completed my second marathon in April. You could also find me dancing with my mother and sister in small modern dance company, giddly flying around the floor at ballroom competitions or social dances, or hiking in the woods and taking in the outdoors (one of my favorite things in the world). Even so, I have found myself in a kind of fitness plateau. I am active, but I don’t really feel like I am getting stronger. I came to Nerd Fitness for starters because it just seemed all around AWESOME and inspiring, but also because I’ve been craving some extra motivation, accountability and guidance in how to reach the next level of strength. Which brings me to my Main Quest. Main Quest: To continually grow in strength and confidence, and to build/ingrain the healthy habits that will lead me there. More specifically, I would like to focus on circuit and interval training. Three steps: 1. Schedule and complete 3 circuit/interval training sessions per week (increasing weight appropriately). 2. Schedule and complete at least one yoga and two meditation sessions per week. 3. Incorporate paleo elements into my diet: decrease carb consumption, increase veggies and protein, and drink at least one liter of water a day. Side Quest(s): - Set aside 45 minutes/week to write - Read at least 2 hours a week (non-audiobooks)

25yo girl khajiit seeks leanness... 1/2 marathon in Sept '15, swimming once a week and strength training with a PT 2x a week. BUT I've been seriously slacking on my nutrition, not tracking macros and hence no results yet! SO I'm determined to join the Rebellion and get serious about my new 6 week challenge... 1) MAIN CHALLENGE: I will track EVERY calorie - every gram or butter, yoghurt or ml of milk. No more lazy 'guestimating' for the full 6 weeks (30 days) 2) I will stretch every morning, switching up the routine as required, for at least ten mins. (To improve squat, deadlift performance and build an arch in my feet) 3) I will weigh in a measure twice weekly, to show my PT my progress. Side quests: - Get my 5k time down to less than 32:30 (10 and a half min mile pace). - Stay Facebook-free for 6 whole weeks Looking forward to adventuring with you all. Any guilds with females just starting their 6 week challenge too plz gimmie a shout!

Hi, I'm totally new. Going to join in the six week challenge. I'm pretty sure I want to be an Assassin. I like the 'functional' part. I like to run and my longest was a half marathon (2 hrs 50) although I'm very out of practice. I want to get back running, but I want to be stronger too. I don't care about my weight, as in the number on the scales, but I would like my clothes to fit better. Also, I'm not entirely sure what my race is. I'm still figuring that out. So far I'm thinking Werewolf. Because I'm quite hairy. Anyway. I know I'm joining in half way through a challenge time, but.... Nevermind. My challenge is to do the NF bodyweight workout 3 days each week, and by the end of the challenge I want to be doing at least one full circuit, completing the recommended number of reps each time. I'm also looking at the diet side... I like the idea of the intermittent fasting and I want to try fasting breakfast and lunch two days per week starting this coming week. Wondering whether the fasting days should be on days I'll do a bodyweight workout or not? I do the workouts in the morning before going to work. Thanks all. James

Hi, my name's Quell, and I'm a long time NF blog reader, first time forum goer. I'm a graphic designer and artist who lurks at computers for too many hours a day. This morning I looked and the mirror saying "I need to do something." to myself. The universe, well Steve really, sent an email announcing this challenge. Coincidence? I think not. 1) I struggle with my weight, so weight loss is my main goal. I previously lost a bit of weight obsessively using MyFitnessPal and a low calorie count, but it wasn't sustainable and it's alll come back. I need to do some form of exercise 5 days a week, primarily walking at this point, and making sure as the weather packs up I don't give up with it. 2) I struggle with stress. It wrecks the movement in my back, wrecks my mood, wrecks my diet cravings etc etc. I've enjoyed the 21 day meditation challenges in the past, but now I need to set aside the time to meditate for at least 10 minutes a day, for my stress levels and the sanity of those around me (and for the sake of my purse, paying the osteopath all the time!). 3) I struggle with gluten. While not diagnosed with anything, the doctors said if you feel better not eating it, then don't. A couple pieces of wholegrain Vogels once every couple days is cool; bread or cake or w/e with every meal is destroying me. I aim to reduce the gluten in my diet once more, to one meal with gluten a couple times a week (and not in the same day!) 4) I don't struggle with art. Art's my hobby, and for my sideline life leveling up I want to start taking commissions through deviantArt. I've done some basic sales through there, but actual commissions is a big step. Heck, even putting myself out there to see if people want to pay me to draw things! Can anyone tell I type a lot when I'm nervous/excited as?! Let's do this!

Hi everyone (again), I'm Daxonichely, and this is my second 'first challenge'... I'm sorry last time I didn't make it, but past is gone, so this time will be my last 'first'; I don't swear, I just will. So, I'm 26 now, I moved back to my parents town for a new job. The problem is that I lost all the excercise habits I ever had... Weight: 90kg (about 200lbs) Height: 180cm (almost 6ft tall) Main quest: This time is all about re-building healthy habits. I must score an average over 95% per week of each of my 3 missions (3 healthy habits) Missions: Mission 1: Fuel. This mission is all about eating better. Let's start by cutting sweet bread out of mornings and nights. This means switching breakfast and dinner from "milk and a piece of sugary bread" to something more interesting. I like to cook, so It's time to get on it. Evaluation: On a spreadsheet I will mark each meal, whether I did it or not, I should note it. If I cooked, I should write down what I cooked. Bonus experience points if I try something new!Mission 2: Gear. This mission is all about building the gears. I like runing, and even if I don't love it, I must do strength training... but this is habit building, so I'll focus on discipline.Last time I tried the If you want to know how it works, click [http://danielsalcedo.com.mx/images/arts/blog/Notonalli/6weekch/reloaded/ohmightyspreadsheet.png'>here]

I don't have any fixed goal. My goal is my own happiness and well-being. So I'm pretty fluid with my goals - sometimes a bit too fluid, in all likelihood. But I also see it as a strength, and a part of my nature. Because I am an airbender 8D PRESENT GOAL: TO DEVELOP A HEALTHIER EATING PATTERN/ATTITUDE No refined carbs until March 3rd, and no refined sugar until March 10th. I may extend the refined carbs thing, or make a system of limited refined carbs (i.e., 1 allowed per day). Also, this is a six-week challenge, so I guess I'll plan the following parts based on what happens here. There are a lot of reasons why I'm doing this: I'm interested in the qualitative experience of not eating sugar. I'm looking forward to experiencing the changes in the flavours of food as the sugar numbness subsides.I have a tendency towards escapism, and my major poisons are the internet and sugar/carby/chocolate snacks. Because I'm not allowing myself sugar, I am more aware when a craving arises. This allows me to understand when and why the craving is there.This dietary choice is forcing me to learn to feed myself properly. Cook dinners instead of eating popcorn and toast and chocolate!I like to challenge myself. Best channel my masochistic tendencies into something productive, no? x.xI've never done it before and it's kind of fun.I developed an odd attitude towards food after going through a difficult period in my life. Even though I never became unhealthy because of it, I found myself eating almost exclusively for emotional reasons, but not eating when/because I felt genuinely hungry.Hoping to lose the 5 lbs I gained working in a bakery haha :/Want to see if I'll have better energy!Yep! PLANS FOR SUCCESS: Break the habit of eating sweets/bread at night by replacing it with the habit of drawing at night.Plan meals ahead.Ensure the people in my environment know I am doing this.Recognize that failures are a part of the path to success. That I am taking steps to improve my wellbeing, and I'm not going to get it perfect right off the bat.

BelleRose’s First Challenge I used to swim a lot but over the years it’s become less frequent. I want to get back into it because it always made me feel happy as well as healthy. Main Quest By the last end of this challenge I will consistently swim at least 3 kilometres over a week Goal 1. Diet – lay the ground work of eating healthier. Over the last few years my diet has been terrible so I want to bring it back to being more balanced. During this challenge I will aim to eat 2 pieces of fruit a day and to eat healthy home cooked meals 5 out of 7 days. Goal 2. Daily exercise – increase the amount of daily physical activity. Being a master’s student, I spend a lot of my time sitting down studying. I want to increase by daily activity in small increments to help build up the strength and stamina I’ll need to achieve my main quest. For this challenge I will do 30 minutes of dedicated physical exercise such as walking, swimming or beginners core work. Goal 3. Will Power – pick a small task that easily gets over looked and stick to it. I feel that in order to really benefit from this challenge I needed to add in something related but not directly linked to my exercise and diet gaols. For this challenge I’ll wipe down my kitchen every night before I go to bed. It’s something quick and easy but often difficult to do it consistently.

Introduction: Hi everyone, I'm Daxonichely (or simply daxon), I'm a 25 yr. old home programmer from Queretaro, Mexico, I weight 90kg (about 200lbs) and measure 180 cm (little bit under 6ft tall). I used to do sport when I was younger, but school over the years kept me out of it for so long now. Nevertheless, I run 10k's in about 1hr but I feel a little less than agile, so I would like to get my life back on the track. Main quest: Run a 10k under 53min and loose at least 5k Missions: Mission 1: Do a 4 days a week workout both running and strength. The running workout should led me to run the October 5th Queretaro's 10k under 54min (Running schedule by gipis [here] and the Begginer strength workout from NF) Evaluation: Percentage of workouts from the schedule. Strength evaluated by how many reps of the workout I do by the end (no heroes here. Should report progressive results) (4 full and well reps for A, 3 full reps for B, less than 3 well executed reps for C) Mission 2: Sleep everyday from 7-8 hours. This meaning Sleeping by 6:30 to go exercise by 7, and work from 10:00 to 20:00 tops so I sleep by 23:00 tops. Evaluation: Average time slept (AvgTS) > 7 hrs = A; AvgTS > 6 hrs = B; AvgTS < 6 hrs = C. Mission 3: Learn good working habits. This means working in non-stop, no distraction 2hrs blocs a total of 8 hrs daily taking a 2hrs time to eat. Evaluation: Average hours and daily report. Bonus points: Going to work at the library instead of the house (bike ride opportunity!).Life quest: I love photography, so I got a quite nice DSLR last Christmas. I would like to take it once a week and wander for a while looking for some good pics. I would like to have a nice personalized calendar to begin 2015. Motivation: I'm tired of my boring life. Sure I like my job, but I want to be able to answer when someone asks "What have you been doing?" something more interesting than "Just the usual...", but in order to do so, I must be prepared, physically and mentally, so this challenge is just the beginning. Getting healthier and easier at job would give me time to do other stuff too.

Hello all! I've lurked around the site for a few months now and i've finally got the time hit the gym more often. Background: I'm a 5'6ft 22 year-old female college student who currently weighs 261.8 lbs and after watching my weight slowly rise this past semester I've decided enough was enough. Main Quest: To lose weight and to be fit for a summer horticulture internship job that starts around May 20th 2013 Side Missions: Beginner Body Weight (3x)Cardio at the Gym (3x)Drink more waterMake my own meals for school instead of takeoutMy Gym has this thing where you can have two free sessions with a trainer and if you wish to continue then you'll discuss a payment option. I did my two session last thursday and Friday and although i don't have the money to afford the lessons (I get paid once a month via my school job), i'm glad that the trainer wrote a list of things that I could work on. I told her I wanted to lose weight and so she recommended that I do following when I go to the gym: 5-10 minute warm-up Weight Lift Cardio 30-45 minutesShe broke down weight lifting to three days and it goes like this: Day 1 Upper: Bicep CurlsTricep extensionLateral raisesPec. fly/ChestpressRear Delt machine RowLat. or fixed pulldownDay 2 Mid: Low Back/Back extensionTorso rotationAbdominalAb crunchLeg LiftsPlanks (Bent Knees hold for 20 seconds or less) Day 3 Lower: Hip AdductionGluteSeated LegLeg pressLeg extensionCalfCardio: 30-60 minutes1 hour classBuild intensity with intervals During our sessions we would mix different sections from different days so wasn't all just middle or upper arms. But a majority of these are based on machine and I was wondering if this was a good start. Thanks for reading and I can't to see what happens at the end of this challenge!

Heyo! Sammy Shark here. This is my first ever challenge and I'm really excited to get started. I'll just layout my main quest and goals and life quest today. Plans of (shark) attack to come. Main Quest: Be comfortable in my own skin. Goal 1: Run 4 times per week to train for 5K race (Jan 12) Goal 2: Complete the beginners body weight workout 3x per week Goal 3: Eat 80/20 paleo 6 days per week Life quest: Go to two OA meetings per week. A little about my motivation: In the last year, I've put on about 20lbs. Most of it (actually all of it) was during a two month period over the summer, right after my dad passed away, and while I was studying for and preparing to take the bar exam. I was already about 20lbs over weight before that, so I'm kind of super uncomfortable with my body these days. Not surprisingly, most of my clothes don't fit. My main goal is just to be able to feel comfortable in my own skin. Like, literally, while I'm sitting here typing this up, I am not comfortable in my clothes or my body. It prevents me from enjoying my life and getting out there and doing things. I don't want to have to go out and buy a new wardrobe because of all of this. I know I use food as a crutch, as a coping mechanism, and as an anesthetic. This is why I want to try out going to OA meetings during the challenge. I think I need to get a grip on some shit, and I recently saw some interesting articles about OA and I figure - why not? I can't lose anything by going. It's kind of big deal for me to publicly admit these things. I don't know anyone here, so hopefully no one will judge me based on how messed up I am... :-/ Cheers, Sammy [Edit]: How could I forget to tell you all my nerd pleasures?! I'm a huge Doctor Who fan, I love Stargate SG-1, and I also love Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and Futurama. I'm mainly a sci-fi/fantasy type of nerd. Oh, and I relgiously follow xkcd and questionable content. I think that's a good starting point. xo.

Hello everyone! Since this is my first challenge I am going to keep it simple. Main Quest: Run a mile without stopping. Goals Run 3x a week Eat 1200-1550 cal per day No caffeine after 2pmLife side quest Sign up for the GRE and Study Fitness Side Get to 155 pounds My motivation This quote I found on pinterest. It reminded me that in the majority of my life I have the opportunity to make choices that can help me succeed or fail. I am the one responsible to make sure I pursue my goals and that I do not make excuses. Thanks everyone! I hope your challenges go well

Hey Nerd Fitness community! I've been receiving Steve's blog posts for half a year now, and they've been really inspirational to me as a medical student, a video gamer, and most importantly, as a person who wants to stay healthy and love life. Thanks to this six-week challenge, I want to get involved and level up! I used to be a competitive swimmer until I quit over a decade ago. I coached a few summer leagues and gave private lessons to a lot of people who didn't know how to swim, but I quit after I started medical school. It's been almost three years now since I've hit the pool, and I want to get back into it. So... here it is: My goal: to become a swimmer (again) ---> Swim twice a week ---> Swim more than 2000 meters in one practice ---> Swim a 200 IM in under 3 minutes. Bonus: do the last two goals in less than a month. Bonus x2: do 100 meter butterfly without stopping. I'm joining a group that practices regularly this week, so wish me luck! P.S. My life quest: Do better in school.

Hello there, fellow nerds, after a couple of years of very (VERY) unhealthy living, I've decided that I can and will do better than before. My Main Quest is to clean up my eating habits (stress eating, anyone?) as well as get strong (not quite Iron Maiden material, yet, but you never know... ) But first I need to establish a healthy fitness routine I like and can keep up. My goals for my first challenge are: - start with 1 "sugar free" day in the first week, add one more for every week, so by the end of the challenge I should be sugar free 6 out of 7 days... :-o (a BIG step for a chocoholic like me!) - do bodyweight exercises 3x / week (following the program "Body by you" Mark Lauren) - go to yoga class at least once a week As a side quest I've decided to give Feldenkrais another chance. I tried to take group lessons last year, got frustrated and quit after a couple of weeks. So, I'll finally read my book on the Feldenkrais method (I've had it for some time now, but never finished it) and do the lessons. Since there are 6 lessons, I aim to do one lesson per week. My motivation? For the last couple of years I've been in a downward spiral: stressful job, stress eating (free candy at the office didn't help there, really), insane hours, financial troubles, relationship troubles... I was struggling with high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, weight gain, RSI, chronic back pain - the whole nine yards. I've decided to finally do something about that. ;-) I remember being fit and healthy (about 10 years ago... *sigh*), and how great it (I) felt! Guess what... I want that feeling back! :-) Edit: My starting stats: - 145 lbs at 5' 5" - bust: 35.4" - waist: 29.5" - hips: 40.2" - thigh: 23.5" - calf: 15.3" Those may not sound terrible, and I don't expect to make tremendous changes. I've always been built like a small tank with wide shoulders + ribcage and wide hips (even when I was skinny, way back when). But I'd rather be a solid, strong and healthy small tank than a flabby, weak and sick one. :-D Grading system: BW workouts: - A: 3 workouts / week - B: missed 1 - 2 workouts over the whole six weeks - C: missed 3 - 5 workouts - D: missed 6 - 8 workouts - F: missed more than 8 workouts Yoga classes: - A: 1 or 2 classes / week (I can compensate by taking 2 classes in one week if I skip one week) - B: 5 classes / 6 weeks - C: 4 classes / 6 weeks - D: 3 classes / 6 weeks - F: 2 or less classes / 6 weeks Eating habits (sugar free days): - A: at least meet each weekly goal - additional sugar free days are always welcome. :-) - B: 1 or 2 days less than planned (over the whole six weeks) - C: 3 or 4 days less than planned - D: 5 or 6 days less than planned - F: 7 or more days less than planned Life goal - A: read the whole book, did all 6 exercises over the course of 6 weeks - B: 5 exercises - C: 4 exercises - D: 3 exercises - F: 2 or less exercises

I am cutting my teeth here. First NF Challenge. Definitely going more towards life goals. This is where my life is right now. Perform 12 pullups in a row. (STR 4) Current: I'm at 7 now. Plan: work out using shorter version of Steve's Adv BW workout, increasing number of reps Grading: A - 12 or more, B - 11, C - 10, D - 9, F- 8 or fewer Continue workout routine: (STA 3) Perform Steve's Adv BW workout 3x / week, Tabata Jump Roping 2x / Week Log workouts in spreadsheetGrading: A: 0 - 2 missed; B: 3 - 4 missed; C: 5 - 6 missed; D: 7 - 8 missed; F: 9 or more missed; Memorize 1 Peter 2:15 - 3 (WIS 3) Plan: Using 3x5 note cards, memorize 1 verse per day during commute Grading: A: finished; B: missing up to 3 vss; C: missing up to 5 vss; D: missing up to 7 vss; F: missing more than 8 vss; Finish writing "memoir" of my dating/engagement/marriage to my wife (CHA 2) I have 5 more vignettes to write Grading: A: complete; C: missing 2; F: missing 4 or more Complete Project 2 in Competent Communicator booklet for Toastmasters (CHA 3) Plan: Write speech week of June 3; practice speech week of June 10; Scheduled to present on June 24 Grading: A: written, practiced and given per schedule; B: practiced late by 1 week; C: written and practiced late by 1 week; D: written and practiced during week prior COMPLETED: 6/24, received a D (written day before, no practice) Mini goals: Sign up at the Y and begin modified Strong Lifts; begin by July 1, 6AM workouts, 3x / week

Hi all! I'm excited to be here -- 35 yo female. All my life I've been one of the skinny hard-gainers. People just assume I'm in good shape b/c I'm thin, but I have terrible cardiovascular endurance, and I'm pretty weak and uncoordinated. My main goal here is to GET STRONG!!! Goals 1. Do beginner body-weight circuit 3x a week for the next 6 weeks. 2. Stop drinking beer on weeknights. 3. Stop grazing from the office candy bowl. :-) 4. Work on hand-eye coordination (not exactly sure how I'm going to achieve this, yet!) Level-up Use Self-Control app during work hours to avoid time suck and mindless web surfing for the next 6 weeks.

Hey folks! New to NF and fitness in general - trying my luck as a Ranger. Most of my goals for this challenge are fairly basic but I need to establish some sort of routine to stick to so I can kick-off my new healthy lifestyle. Starting small on my journey to greatness. Starting Stats: Race: Human (very skinny human with very little muscle mass) Weight: 52.6kg Height: 171.5cm (Roughly 5'8") Class: Lvl 1 Ranger STR 1 | DEX 1 | STA 2 | CON 5 | WIS 3 | CHA 3 Goals: Diet/Fitness Goals Goal 1: Increase strength by doing 'Beginner Body Weight Workout' 3 times a week (STR +5) Goal 2: Walk/Run at least 5k or do interval training - 3 times a week [off days] (STA +3) Goal 3: Go on a 100% Paleo Diet (CON +5) Life Goal Goal 4: Quit Smoking cold turkey (CON +2) Not sure if I'm on the right track with the goals and still figuring out how everything works so any advice, constructive criticism and/or encouragement would be greatly appreciated! Cheers, Jimmy.

Hello All!! I have been wanting to do the challenges for a while now and I finally feel ready. Below are my goals and later tonight I will update with my stats (weight and measurements.) STR: 3 DEX: 2 STA: 2 CON: 3 WIS: 4 CHA: 3 As far as the stats like these go.... I'm not familiar with them really, but I am assuming the scale is 1-10 so I based it off of that. Here are my Challenge Goals Fitness& Diet Goals 1. Work out for 30mins 5x weekly. STR: +1 STA: +2 DEX: +1 I have a current schedule of Strength Training 3x weekly and Running3x with one over-lapping day of both Running and Strength. Grading: A: 4-5x weekly for 5-6 weeks B: 3-4x weekly for 5-6 weeks C: 3-4x weekly for 4-5 weeks D: 3-4x weekly for 3-4 weeks F: Anything less 2. Make proper diet a priority. CON: +0.5 DEX: +0.5 I have not been able to maintain steady weight loss mostly through a lack of making proper diet a priority. I already pack a lunch that consists of Vegetables (Celery, carrots, Snap Peas, Scallions, etc.) and protein to avoid the cafeteria food. I will be having take-away dinners only once per week or not at all.Grading will be based on how many meals are homemade and healthy. the definition of healthy will be based on how much of the food is unprocessed. I eat mostly primal by avoiding processed bread and grains, but I really love to eat oatmeal with fresh fruit for breakfast, which I still consider healthy. Grading: A: 5-7x a week B: 3-4x a week C: Not applicable D: Not applicaple F: Anything less 3. Stretch for 15 min before bed EVERY night. CON: +0.5 DEX: 0.5 Stretching is really important to maintaining flexibility and combating muscle fatigue. Grading: A: 5-7x weekly B: 4-5x weekly C: Not Applicable D: 3-4x weekly F: Anything Less Level-Up Goal Learn to Speak and Read 100 Russian Words WIS: +0.5 CHA:+0.5 I have a Ukrainian ancestry and I really like the idea of being able to speak multiple languages. I plan to move on to Ukrainian after my mastery of Russian. In order to learn 100 words I will study from both ‘The Everything Learning Russain’ book I have and a website I think will work well, memrise.com, for at least 30 minutes every day. Grading: A: 5-7x weekly B: 4-5x weekly C: Not Applicable D: 3-4x weekly F: Anything Less I have also created a speadsheet that I will mark off each day for each activity.