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Hi folks, I have been in and out of the NF community for several years. Most recently, I hopped in to a challenge to shake me out of my lethargic state of self-loathing (see below), so if you want more details of how I reached this state of being and some of my ongoing battles, then feel free to check out my last challenge link. It was difficult, but it definitely did the trick and I'm ready to move forward in my journey back toward being a full-fledged demon monkey. Swinging through the trees with the greatest of ease is where I belong and where I am most happy, but winter weather in the UK means that there's only about half of the year that is suitable for climbing. I'm also soft and cuddly at the moment, so I'm not in a fit state to be more than a few feet off the ground. But, all journeys start with the first step, and with the cobwebs dusted off I'm ready to move forward. I've chosen to start a daily battle log rather than keep up with the challenges as I find them a bit more stressful than is entirely healthy for me. I want this to be more of a journal and reflection point for my progress, and if other folk want to follow along and contribute then Welcome!

Hello fellow Nerds!! My name is Ben, I'm new to Nerd Fitness. I just wanted to extend the olive branch to any other kettlebell enthusiasts. Kettlebells are my favorite.... I am a StrongFirst II Kettlebell Instructor and have been coaching kettlebells for over 7 years. I'm currently a physical preparation coach in Kentucky. I'm open to any discussions on training with kettlebells. Post any questions, topics, programs, etc. I'm currently on a hypertrophy program, but will begin training for the Tactical Strength Challenge in th new year. Is anyone else going to compete a the TSC or have any interest in preparing together?

A new challenge! I haven’t been this excited about a challenge since last challenge when I stupidly decided not to participate. You know what else gets me super excited and it’s also coming back? That’s right. Dragon Ball Super! And to celebrate this comeback I decided that Dragonball is the theme of this challenge. Brace Yourselves: The Saiyans are coming! Whatdoyoumean Wrong Series? INTO THE HYPERBOLIC TIME CHAMBER! Goal One: I will head to The Hyperbolic Time Chamber three times a week. I will meet Mr. Piccolo twice a week. In my non-RPG, non-Nerd, boring life, The Hyperbolic Time Chamber used to be known before the DBZ excitement as The Danger Room. But, I'm more passionate about DBZ than the X-Men (Thanks, Fox), so I re-baptized the Functional Training Room I've got in my work. I have arranged my schedule to be able to attend three times per week. (Mon-Wed-Fri) even forcing me to stay until late on Tuesdays and Thursdays for my freelance tuition gigs. I need to make it worth the trouble; being the only one: It couldn't be closer to my job, it’s free, it’s got a trainer, and the other people besides me are a dozen of beautiful women whom I see every day and keep me accountable. Very hard to miss... But I still manage to do it from time to time. As some of you RisenPhoenix know, I decided to freeze my BBT Training. Why? Let's just say I didn't feel quite yet as a black belt and with Operation Save The Shogun going on I needed to focus my attention on more pressing matters (and spend way less money). But I am a Monk. I fight. That’s what a Monk does. Martial Arts are one of the things that define me. I need them or I will explode! That happens to me sometimes. So, I made a few calls and decided to retake my Wing Tzun Kung Fu lessons. This time, it will be only the instructor and me. This way it’s way cheaper, way closer and it won't distract me from my other noble pursuits. My goal is here is consistency, to make all the troubles and difficulties I have taken upon myself in order to have these benefits and never miss a day. This isn't even my final form! Goal Two: I will change my measurements for the better. A key element in the Dragon Ball Z series is the power of transformation. Almost every important character progressively transform themselves into something better. And what is the best way to transform in real life? Nutrition. I’m taking back control over my nutrition, planning my meals, hitting the farmer markets, prepping my bento boxes and making healthy choices. But that’s only a habit and a life style I need to constantly pursue. My goal here is to change my measurements for something I'll feel more satisfied and glad, no matter how small the change. That is the concession I make to myself. My measurements: WAIT FOR IT! And now that I mention numbers... My power levels are over 9000! Goal Three: I will learn to count my macros and apply that knowledge to my life. At the beginning of the series, Saiyan had this hipster Google Glass thingy with feed them with continuous feedback about everyone they encountered. I've been counting calories from time to time, keeping a food journal. And yes, while I can drop weight by counting calories and fasting, I’m not just interested in dropping weight. I want a good looking, athletic, healthy Saiyan body. Forget World Peace! Gohan needs to study Goal Four: I will focus on my professional pursuits at least one hour daily. I've been lazy regarding my studies. I constantly say myself I'm too tired to sit down to study but you can see me a few minutes later playing Clash of Clans or something similar. Also, I got a new and very important gig with two small international airline. I'll be in charge of the English section of their online training platform. It’s good money, good hours and I can work from home, during the hours almost no one use the servers. But, the gig requires me to work on the project at least one hour daily. I need to make the time for this, get all the Chichi’s attitude and say no to the rest of the world for at least one hour daily. The beginning of a very ambitious challenge and I can't wait to start. Let’s do this.

Aminarra, level 0 Ranger, Main Quest: Lose 65 pounds Challenge 1 Goal: Lose 6 pounds Mini Quests: 1. Pack a paleo lunch and eat it 5/7 days (in progress, 1/7 accomplished) [x][_][_][_][_][_][_] 2. Complete physical therapy regimen 5/7 days [_][_][_][_][_][_][_] 3. Go for a walk >15 minutes 5/7 days [_][_][_][_][_][_][_] Side Quests Life Quest: Get out of debt 1. Track expenses in YNAB 5/7 days [_][_][_][_][_][_][_] 2. Balance YNAB 1x/week [_] 3. Pay bills on time 1x/month [_] Motivation: I'm tired of being ashamed of my body, and more-so, I'm tired of being in pain daily. Losing weight will help with both of these. ---------- Starting Weights (in pounds) and Measures (in inches, non-flexed): Weight: 243.8lbs Neck: 14 1/2Bust: 44 7/8Band: 39 1/2Natural Waist: 40 3/8Stomach: 44 1/2Bum (hips): 51® Thigh: 31® Knee: 17® Calf: 18 1/4® Bicep: 16 1/4® Forearm: 11 3/4

These challenges have been awesome for me and I think this is going to be my sixth challenge so far. I have found that I start out really strong but somewhere near the fifth week, something comes along to slow me down. That fifth week has been riddled with injury, illness, job loss or some other excuse to keep me from finishing as strong as I want. Because of that, I am going to consider each and every day a new beginning and a new end. Instead of working up to a six week peak, I am going to live in the moment and enjoy every workout that I do. I don't need to peak and reach the end, instead I want to enjoy each and every workout for what it is. That way each workout becomes a stop along the way and what I did the day before or will do the next day doesn't matter. 1- Six weeks of intense HFS.: Knowing how much the Hip Flexibility System helped my kicks since I started doing it, this time I want it to be the main focus of this challenge. I am able to kick higher and better than ever before and now I want to raise the bar so that I can increase the height of my kicks. I know that doing HFS at least four times a week would really help but I am going to do what I can and not set a fixed goal. This will include the other parts of the program that include the core workout and SMR work. I will also work on any movements that contribute to my kicking success but again with no fixed plan. 2 - Add an additional Martial Arts training day each week: Even though I had a dedicated kata training day each week, I need to dig down and find the answer to training, for real, outside of the dojo. I am going to declutter my home dojo and hang up the pictures of my Sensei's to motivate me. At least one extra hour of training at home is what I want to do this time. It's only six extra hours over six weeks, right? 3 - Write a book: Even though I wrote a lot of blog posts last time, I need to get a book published. Getting my first published book will give me the momentum to publish more books, including my kata books. I have no excuses this time and if I don't get that first book finished in six week I expect a public brow beating from all of you.