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I know I'm late to the party here, but I ate almost an entire bag of fun sized kit kats today and realized that I have a problem again. Life has been very busy the past few months but that should not be an excuse. Life is not more busy today than it was a month ago, and I was still eating healthy a month ago (but on sale Halloween candy was not overwhelming me a month ago!) Everyone has priorities in life, and fitness and health needs to be one of mine. I'm going to basically regurgitate some old goals here, ones that worked, so that I can bring myself back up to speed on the healthy life bandwagon. Goal 1: Eat no more than 2 bites of sweets per day, at least 6 days a week. Sugar is bad for me and creates a never-ending loop of unhealthy. Goal 2: Work out at least 4 times per week, at least 10 minutes per work out, at least one workout must be HIIT of some sort, and at least one must be strength. Goal 3: Sleep an average of 7 hours every night. Life quest: Spend at least 10 minutes at least 4 days per week writing music.

I have been out of contact with these forums for a while, but I need to get back into a good routine. Mission: Run with my wife in the Scenic City Half Marathon in February 2016. Goals: 1. Run three times per week. Building up mileage since I haven't really trained for a race since I ran my first half marathon September 2014. Plan to run early in the morning (what had been my usual routine during earlier race training). Maybe some in the evening if I need to do so. 2. Cross-train three times per week. Body-weight HIIT, strength training, sword training, maybe some sledgehammer HIIT work. 3. Walk for no less than 30 minutes every day. Parking in the back of parking lots helps. Remembering to take a break or two at work and walk around then. Walking around the block in the evening or early mornings that I don't run. Eventually I plan to get a better food plan in as well, but right now I want to get a better movement habit going. Let's see if I can make Cheetara proud.

Hi everyone! I have always been curvaceous and at the peak of my health when I was a sprinter in high school I took my flat tummy and big butt for granted. In fact I did not like my body I longed for the "runway model" look. Now that I'm older I have embraced my shape. Also an infamous reality star who shall not be named has made the big bottomed look mainstream. Unfortunately for me I have gained lots of weight in my midsection and no longer have the same hourglass figure. Last year I lost about 45 pounds doing non strict paleo and daily workouts. I still have about 40 more pounds to go. I stopped exercising but restarted again last month I restarted without much movement on my scale. Wishful thinking says that it is because my body is recompositioning and not because of my little cheats here and there. I know that it takes time but I hope this challenge can keep me accountable. Stats Age: 26 Gender: Female Height: 5'7.5" Weight: 196 Future Class: Ranger/ Druid hybrid Main Quest Lose 40 lbs and eventually make fitness a lifestyle. I have learned so much about fitness and nutrition on this journey I think I would love to get NASM certified once I hit my goal weight a transform the lives of others as a side job. Smart Quest 1: burn 1000 calories a day in exercise I just got a Fitbit Charge HR 3 days ago and I realized that I am not burning as many calories during my exercise as MyFitnessPal was telling me. Now that I have a more accurate indicator I would like to make a goal of burning 1,000 calories a day. I currently workout about 90 minutes a day doing everything from HIIT, yoga, and dance. I will add 30 more minutes a day and increase my intensity. I used to avoid very high impact exercise because I have exercise induced asthma but I haven't had to use my rescue inhaler in 3 months so I'm likely fitter and can push myself harder. I will just test myself and keep my albuterol within reach as needed. This also ensures that I will lose at minimum 2 pounds a week if I keep my nutrition in check I love to dance I always feel full of life and sexy when I finish a dance class or Zumba. I also love the YouTube channels of Fitness Marshall and Dance Fitness with Jessica. My goal is to spend at least 30 minutes in the morning dancing before work to get my mojo and energy up so I can start the day with positivity and light. By the end of the 6 weeks I want to choreograph a dance of my own and post it to YouTube! Smart Quest 2: Keep in touch I have a hard time maintaining regular contact with friends and relatives that are not nearby or that I do not see often. Having a strong support system is very important to optimal health. I just moved back to the Bay Area after being gone since high school and I can definitely feel the discomfort of not having a strong social circle yet. My goal it to call or text 20 different people week, that comes out to about 3 texts/calls a day which is very doable. I must invite at least one of them to do something social like dinner, festival, local event- that way I can strengthen a friendship and also explore the area more. Smart Quest 3: Track my progress on social media I am tracking my journey on instagram @savoirchic (follow me!) and also on my blog www.savoirchic.com and I want to make sure to make at least 3 posts a week. I have had my blog for years but I do not post consistently and I regret it. Posting makes me take time out of my day to evaluate my process and progress, connect with other people in similar situations, and keep myself publicly accountable. Also post on Nerdfitness and finish all the mini-challenges. Motivation/Life Quest I am single and part of it is because I can be very shy around men. I know that losing weight will give me more confidence to be flirty and find my feminine wiles and also make me more attractive to a wider range of men

Name: NikaNika Level: 3 Note: Nearly a year later, I’m back and remaining amongst my fellow druids. I broke my five-point elemental system down into a sub-three point Body-Mind-Spirit system to help focus intentions in my return challenge. There’s a possibility I’ll be starting a new job in the next few weeks, so some things might change around if that happens… but they might not too; will see when/if it happens. Main Quest ☽☥☾ Strengthen Body-Spirit-Mind Connection. Body Realm of Earth Commit to Daily Fitness Habits with intention to lose excess fat and strengthen muscles. Spirit Realm of Akasha, Water Accept Self in a Loving Present-Frame with intention to increase confidence and expand heart. Mind Realm of Fire, Air Allow for Strength and Progress with intention to ground purpose and channel passion. Challenge Quest Breakdown Earth Mind: Devote at least 30 minutes every day to Physical Fitness Body: (weekly based) Total of Eight Sessions per week. + Three Sessions of HIIT (15-30min each)+ One Session of Total Body Strength+ One Session of Upper Body Strength+ One Session of Lower Body Strength+ Two Sessions of Flexibility (most likely Yoga).Spirit: Intention set to lose excess fat, shape body to desired proportions, strengthen muscles. Water Mind: Wake during Morning Hours to connect with the energy to Clean House. Body: Practice Head-to-Toe Hygiene Ritual 4 days a week, cleaning all bodies. Spirit: Invite Love and Appreciation in Self-view of Body Image. Air Mind: Check in with Recovery Record app every day for all meals. Body: Cook/Prepare at least three plant-based recipes weekly. Spirit: Eat with Love, Acceptance and Forgiveness as set intentions. Fire Mind: Commit at least 10 hours every week to writing, rewriting and editing. Upon week six, publish novella. Spirit: Trust in my creative choices and when something feels complete, let it be. Body: Take 3 minute breaks every 27 minutes of writing to stretch, move, and hydrate. Akasha Mind: Meditate upon the Tarot and my resonance to the Fool’s Journey. Body: Sit/Lay/Stand in Stillness for 5 minutes upon Entering Space, Move as Feels Natural and Needed During, Sit/Lay/Stand in Peace for at least 10 minutes upon Exiting Space. Spirit: Create Space for Connection with Source and Patron Energies. Bonus Challenge: Spend 10 minutes daily to play with the cats. Motivation The Dreams are Endless, This Life is Real, Body, Mind, Spirit seals the Soul, Allow Rhythm to Lead, Trust in What Exists, Create that Which Will. STATS Age: 25, Height: 5’ 5†Starting Weight: 180 lbs Current Weight: 180 lbs. Prospective Weight: 140 lbs. Starting Race: Wood Elf Prospective Race: Valkyrie Attribute Points STR: 4 DEX: 2 STA: 5 CON: 6 WIS: 7 CHA: 8 Grading Rubric Earth Mission A – At least 8 sessions per week / 30 minutes per day. B – 6 to 7 sessions per week / 30 minutes per day. C – 3 to 5 sessions per week / < 30 minutes per day. D – 1 to 2 sessions per week / < 30 minutes per day F – No time devoted to Physical Fitness at all. Water Mission A – 4 Hygiene Rituals per week / Morning Wake B – 3 Hygiene Rituals per week / Morning Wake C – 2 Hygiene Rituals per week / Morning-Afternoon Wake D – 1 Hygiene Ritual per week / Afternoon-Night Wake F – 0 Hygiene Rituals / Night Wake Air Mission A – 3 plant-based meals prepared / Daily RR Check-in B – 2 plant-based meals prepared / Daily RR Check-in C – 1 plant-based meals prepared / Daily RR Check-in D – 0 plant-based meals prepared / <Daily RR Check-in F – 0 plant-based meals prepared / No RR Check-in / No Loving Awareness Fire Mission A – 10 hours per week with movement/hydration breaks every 27 minutes. B – 6 to 9 hours per week. C – 5 hours per week. D – 1 to 4 hours per week. F – 0 hours per week. Akasha Mission A – Belief in connection, space and stillness. B – Openness to connection, space and stillness. C – Cynicism of connection, space, or stillness. D – No stillness or connection. F – No connection or space.

Are you afraid of me hmmmm? Think I am going to eat you? Hee hee. I am probably not going to eat you. I try my hardest to only eat locally sourced vegetarian fed free range people. And besides the above is just a quote from the Dark Crystal. I figured to make my BIG GIANT CHALLENGE NUMBER TWO *picture confetti and fireworks and glitter all around those words* more fun for myself that I would pick a super cool 80's movie theme. And well, I just happen to be wearing a Dark Crystal tee shirt right now too. I'm not very creative. Or very Nerd Fitness forum advanced either because I can't figure out how to picture up my post with all of the fun visuals that I could have added from the movie. The hamster turning the wheel only goes so fast apparently. NONE THE LESS HERE I AM AT THE RANGER'S GUILD. I am so excited! I thought I would be all druidy but since I've been lifting and running just as much as practicing yoga regularly it's kind of an all around sort of vibe that I've been feeling and the Rangers seem to fit that mold. Hooray! TRIAL BY STONE! TRIAL BY STONE! Previously I've been guilty of not watching what I've been consuming and not doing a whole lot of moving around unless it had to do with me going to make another rum and diet. For my first challenge I cut out alcohol, went paleo, developed daily gym and yoga habits, and lost about 15 pounds. Starting the 8th I want to change my goals to focus on my measurements (like the NF blog post about tracking recommends) and on becoming all around more athletically inclined. MAIN QUEST To wear a size 7 again. This hasn't changed. It isn't exactly gelfling size and it isn't exactly a measurement but it's the size that I've always felt best in. QUEST ONE To my strength training add a glutes day once a week. This, in theory, will help to cure the horrible long standing sickness I've been carrying around known as "Nobuttatall". I test ran my first potential round of questionable buttasstic movements at the gym today (probably to everyone there's secret humorous delight) and it consisted of more squats, cable kickbacks, weighted hip thrusts, kettlebell swings. If anyone has super fantastical bum transformative moves I will take suggestions all day long. QUEST TWO To my endurance training I want to add the milestone of reaching a 10 minute mile. This doesn't has to happen multiple times, only once before this challenge is over. My training on the Zombies Run 5k app is almost over and I want to finish it then focus on making this happen. The runners forums and such say that the 10 minute mile is a positive goal to reach for and it sounds kind of bad ass. I mean, bad ass for me. XD REMIXXXXXX: HIIT Training 3x a week. QUEST THREE To my yoga training I want to add a home practice to my routine twice a week to help strengthen myself for inversion poses. I mostly have to get over being scared because falling down/over is not really something I am fond of doing. The more stable I feel in more challenging weight bearing poses the safer I'll feel about not busting my face into pieces. I have a few things archived and saved here and there to start my home practices but if anyone has advice on this too here I am, ready to sponge up your knowledge and education. LIFE QUEST Previously this was moving to Portland because Florida is a blazing inferno of death. This may or may not ever happen because plethora of reasons. My husband and I decided that if he does not secure this last job that he interviewed for that we would focus on making the most of this terrible awful swamp of old peopleness by purchasing a home here and making it our own. Beyond those two things I think that my life goal will change from moving to Portland to figuring what I might be good at doing for the rest of my life as soon as possible if he doesn't land the position. Like, my big girl job and stuff. I'll keep you posted on what happens. So what now? We follow or don't follow the prophecies, play little pan flutes, listen to the mystics, steal each other's life essences, whatever. All of this stuff will be additional to what I've already built in the previous challenge. I made a schedule and a chart and everything. It's all very fancy and important and very boring to other people so I'll leave this up here until I start sporadically posting the insanity that starts once I am challenging. My grading will be based off of doing the things and won't be very mathematical. I haven't decided whether or not I'll be posting my experiments with natural healthy earth loving products like I did before. I have a few new thingies that I've tried but I don't know how much jennilovesryan obnoxiousness that the Rangers will want put up with. XD Looking forward to reading everyone else's challenges. LOVE YOURSELF RADICALLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY

My name is Raxie Coricofallapatorius. Prepare to d.... uhhh... I mean. Hi. Soooo I figured it's time to start a battle log of my very own. I've been kind of using my challenge threads as that, but I hate clogging them all with all the specifics. My next challenge is going to be very work out centric so especially for that I'd like to just put all that here. I'll probably also put all my cleaning tasks here, since now that they're a habit I won't be incorporating them into my challenges any more... but I still want to track it somewhere so I can look back at my progress. That's about it

Thus far I have managed to have 2 very successful challenges. I know that this system works for me so maybe it's time to start pushing myself a little harder and kick some serious ass. For this reason, I am making this challenge Buffy themed (and because everything is better if it's Buffy themed!) Main quest - to set a great example to my children This hasn't changed and it probably never will because it is perfect for me. My boys are wonderful but being a parent is hard work. Being a healthy parent is even harder but it's so important to be a good role model to children. They are my motivation. Goal 1 - Kick ass workouts 3 times a week (+3 STA, +2DEX) I discovered last challenge that I need variety in my workouts. Doing the same old stuff 3 times a week meant I seriously lacked motivation. I also discovered that I love to get my sweat on and work hard (contrary to what I would've believed) so that is my focus for this challenge. I'm going to be following the fighter's codex program on darebee.com. This is varied, focused on kicking ass and should get me nice and sweaty. Reward - being fitter Goal 2 - Stop binge eating (+3CON) I know I'm good at succeeding in challenges but I'm also very good at finding the loopholes to allow myself to be naughty. Initially I allowed myself a cheat day from my healthy eating plan but then I became a little ridiculous on that day. My focus for this goal is going to be on maintaining my current weight (10 stone 8). I will continue to count calories and I hope that now I'm allowed 2000 daily I won't feel the desire to binge and go way over. Reward - not being bloated Goal 3 - Complete 20 good form push ups (+4STR, +1STA) (I couldn't find a gif of Buffy doing push ups...wtf?!) This is an insane goal as I can currently only manage about 5 but as I said earlier, I've had great success in past challenges so why not push hard and see what can be achieved?! My plan is to work on them during my sweaty workout sessions but also try 1 day a week (probably Mondays) to do some on the hour, every hour and see where that gets me. Then on a Sunday I will do as many as possible to measure progress. Could be interesting. Reward - total bragging rights Life Side Quest - Have a kick ass wardrobe (+2CHA) With my recent weight loss, I treated myself to some new clothes but I still find myself wearing the same old hoodies every day. The sun is starting to shine (as much as it ever does in England) so I want to sort my wardrobe out and start wearing nicer clothes. The first step is to sort out which clothes are bloody awful (why do I even have these?) and get rid of them. Once that is done, I want to weed out the clothes that don't fit well and then I'll have easier access to all the nice things. Reward - Looking great Unfortunately I'm on holiday for the first week of the challenge so I'm intending to complete it in 5 weeks however I'm prepared to give myself an extra week to work on the push ups if needed.

Hello. Well, yes, I am a beginner. I'm not very active. I used to be, but that was years ago (8 years to be exact). So I wanna go back to being active and healthy and fit once again. Since last week, I've been following the Beginner Bodyweight Workout program and only doing it MWF and nothing on the days in between and in the weekends. Which leaves me hanging from the rush (not to mention the aches) I feel when doing these exercises. I'm getting hooked, actually! But I do bike my way to work for about 10 minutes each to and fro everyday (and I'm rushing my way, I'm always almost late). So I decided to do something on the in-between days TTh. I'm thinking of doing HIIT but I'm quite worried that it may be too much for a beginner. Cardio is an option for me, as well, but I'll probably do running only. This would be my plan A: MWF: Strength Training TTh: HIIT Training SatSun: Rest/Light jogs/Walking around the block And my plan B: MWF: Strength Training TTh: Cardio/Jogging/Running (maybe even dancing) or Yoga SatSun: Rest/Light jogs/Biking Which plan would be better for a beginner: A or B? I wanna try doing HIIT but my body isn't probably ready for it, yet. Should I go with B first until my body is strong enough to go with A? BTW: I'm 5'3", currently 127 lbs. I probably have around 25%-30% bf but I never really checked properly. Aiming to lose at least 5 kgs and be on the 18-23% bf range. And I wanna show off to my parents that I can get fit and healthy so that they may be pushed to do so as well.

Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1300 More This challenge cycle is all about building on the momentum I recovered during last challenge to prep for this year’s race season. On the calendar so far: March US Road Running Pirate Virtual 5kLadies First 5kApril Spaceballs Virtual 5kECU Color Run 5kMay North Face Endurance Race 5kSpartan SprintJune Savage RaceJuly Rugged ManiacAugust NoneSeptember NoneOctober NoneNovember Tough MudderDecember NoneThere are quite a few races I’m keeping an eye on for official date announcements, and I want to find 1 more OCR to do. The goal is to do 5 OCRs + at least 1 5k per month. Maybe a 10k if the Oakley Women’s Only happens again this year. On months with no OCRs, I need to up my strength training and complete more races. Goal 1: Fitness I feel like I need to continue with strength training/maybe focus on it more, but I really like bodyweight work. So, I think I’ll continue on with the HIIT/tabata style workouts I did last challenge through my PopSugar challenge + continue to work in cardio sessions on the treadmill. Those hill days are killer, but I know they’re doing me some good. I also need to buckle down and focus on getting that damn pull-up before my 1st OCR of the year. Goal 2: Metrics Metrics make me happy and they work for me, so I'm sticking with them. As a refresher, my metrics are: 100 grams or under of carbs, 70 grams or over of protein, under 100 grams of fat and around 1500 calories. Water is the recommended 64 ounces. I track food with My Fitness Pal and need to find a good balance with apps to track sleep/water/exercise. Last year I had a Fitbit - since it decided to jump off my wrist, I’ve replaced it with a Misfit Flash, but am currently having issues getting the new majigger to play nice with all the apps it needs to be able to talk to. Weight and BF are still being tracked with my FitBit Aria scale. I also use a combo of FitBit + Zombies, Run! To track my quickly moving through space workouts if they're in the wide world. If I venture into the wide world, that is. Goal 3: Get Stuff Done I have so many little tasks I want to complete. On the top of the list: finish getting my old family pictures, etc. boxed up and sent off for digitization, finishing my ombre scarf knitting project, continue to weed out possessions I really don’t care about but feel pressured to keep. Also, I need to work to plug all my clothing into the Stylebook app, so I can get some good metrics/help realize my minimalist goals. Goal 4: Get Out Of My Comfort Zone I’ve been doing really well with this over the past few challenges, and I need to be mindful of continuing down this track. The goal is to do 1 thing that forces me out of my schedule/hermit lifestyle a week. Meetups, book clubs, Facebook group meets, workout classes, or sportsy outings in places that aren’t my house are good, as is going out and exploring things on my own when the hubbs isn’t home on weekends. Lunch by myself out - very uncomfortable, especially when not submerged in my phone, but good for me.

I feel like I've found my people! This is my first post at NF and my first challenge - of hopefully many. Backstory I used to be a fit guy but for the last few years, I've struggled to find that fire. I'm plumper and softer than I've ever been. And depressed. So I signed up for a year-long coaching program to help motivate me. This coaching program has some great things to it, but I feel like I need an online community to keep me accountable or to just share my struggles and completed levels. My First Challenge 1. Lift weights at least 2 times a week. My coach has written up an awesome workout for me, but it's six days a week. I just don't have that much mojo yet, so I'm making a compromise. 2 days is a good start. 2. Outdoor endurance activity/HIIT workouts at least 2 times a week The weather is starting to get beautiful in Utah, so I'll be doing more hiking and biking. I'm also loving Insanity:Max 30 workouts, as well as George St. Pierre's Rushfit, so I'll do these workouts when I don't have time to get outside. 3. Follow the habits outlined by my coach This involves all sorts of things, but I have to check in every day on a web site and record if I followed my habit or not. The first few habits, I nailed 100%. This last habit, to eat lean protein with every meal, I'm at 50%. This will soon be near 100%. 4. Continue visiting Shaman to help boost WIS I'm late, but I can run! One Newbie Question: Is this there a difference between this and a Battle Log?

Nerds! I feel like I've found my people. This is my first post and my first challenge - of hopefully many. Backstory I used to be a fit guy but for the last few years, I've struggled to find that fire. I'm plumper and softer than I've ever been. And depressed. So I signed up for a year-long coaching program to help motivate me. This coaching program has some great things to it, but I feel like I need an online community to keep me accountable or to just share my struggles and completed levels. My First Challenge 1. Lift weights at least 2 times a week. My coach has written up an awesome workout for me, but it's six days a week. I just don't have that much mojo yet, so I'm making a compromise. 2 days is a good start. 2. Outdoor endurance activity/HIIT workouts at least 2 times a week The weather is starting to get beautiful in Utah, so I'll be doing more hiking and biking. I'm also loving Insanity:Max 30 workouts, as well as George St. Pierre's Rushfit, so I'll do these workouts when I don't have time to get outside. 3. Follow the habits outlined by my coach This involves all sorts of things, but I have to check in every day on a web site and record if I followed my habit or not. The first few habits, I nailed 100%. This last habit, to eat lean protein with every meal, I'm at 50%. This will soon be near 100%. 4. Continue visiting Shaman to help boost WIS I'm late, but I can run! One Newbie Question: Is this where I log everything? Or do I start a separate Battle Log and just update this occasionally?

Hi. I'm Nymeria, and I'm accepting my path as one of the shiny object chasing, Jack-of-all-trades, do-all-of-the-fun-things types of assassins. I climb multiple times/week. I also love power yoga/handbalancing, martial arts, playground parkour, hooping, rings, and other random fitness stuff I also NEED my soundtracks to operate in life. Whether I'm exercising, cleaning, taking a relaxing bath, or whatever, I need music to get into my groove. It's at times been a bit of a hinderance to me, since I can't handle a lot of exercise videos or classes where I have to endure crappy music and a teacher yammering on and on. (yoga stuff and hooping at 4x and 2x speed, because it's kind of boring otherwise. All of the indoor clips were filmed in the last week, and the outdoor stuff was from the autumn. It feels great to get back into the groove of posting training videos!) 2014 was a really rough year for me, both personally and fitness-wise. Very late in 2013, I had a catastrophic fall while climbing, tore my ACL, MCL, and broke 2 bones in my knee. Then I had surgery and spent the better part of 2014 dealing with physical therapy and rehab. I'm ready for 2015 to be an injury-free year, so I can focus on being awesome and not on just regaining ground. For my part, the "Awesome mix" isn't making a great playlist (although I'm always open to music suggestions. I gravitate most toward progressive metal stuff). Instead, it's the formula of eating habits, exercise stuff, and daily routines that help me achieve the things I most want. In this challenge, I'll focus a lot more on eating habits, since they got a bit out of hand over the holiday season. I also have gained about 5 lbs of flab over the last few months, and I really need to lose it. Goal 1: Awesome eating for an awesome life (diet). I don't do tracking, so instead, I'm using a point system to encourage healthier choices and discourage destructive ones. Goal edited, to make things simpler. I eat 3 meals/day, so... +1 point for any meal that is filled with wholesome food, veggies, proteins, etc. and only a very modest/minimal portion of carbs/starches. +1 point for drinking only water or tea in a day +1 point for choosing healthy evening snacks, like carrots and hummus, celery+peanut butter, or other veggies in the evening. I will permit myself to have a modest snack in each day and a small portion of a sweetened drink (like 4 oz of orange juice or lemonade). I'll also permit myself to have a beer on football gamedays for no penalty. -1 point for anything beyond a modest snack -1 point for caloric drinks beyond what was set forth ^^^ -1 point for unhealthy meals. Goal: 21 points/week. If that becomes too easy by week 3, I'll increase the goal. Goal 2: Batch cooking (diet) For me, bad choices are often made because I either let myself become so hungry that I want to eat NOW, or because I'm just feeling too lazy to cook. The solution for me is to batch cook something healthy, so I have plenty of leftovers to reheat. Goal: 6 batch cooked meals during the challenge (nominally 1/week). Goal 3: Shore up some climbing weaknesses (fitness - climbing) - I'm pretty comfortable with my workout routine, but there are a few tweaks that should help me progress faster. My raw strength is great, but my muscular endurance is fairly poor. This is a huge problem with climbing, where I'll climb beautifully for 2/3 of the route, and then I'm out of gas for the end. To fix this, I'm going to do some high rep, low weight work with DB rows, bodyweight inverted rows, grip training (focus on hanging loooong periods of time on some very easy grips, rather than short holds on really small ones). Goal: 2 sessions/week of the endurance stuff. Goal 4: Keep things fresh and exciting (fitness - yoga) This is a 2 parter. The first I'm shamelessly stealing from starsapart. 1x per week, I'll try a new pose from the Yoga Journal advanced poses blog. I would hate for yoga to become stale for me. The second part is that I'm toying with the idea of becoming a certified yoga teacher at some point. The problem is that I'm 99% a home practitioner, largely because I enjoy playing my own music and because I'm afraid that most yoga classes would be kind of boring for me. But, I need to suck it up and at least try out some classes for informational purposes, if nothing else. Before the end of the challenge, I want to attend at least 4 formal yoga classes at my gym. Goal: 1 new yoga pose/week. 4 formal yoga sessions/challenge. Goal 5: The boring, dreaded cardio (fitness - general) This one is simple: 60 minutes of pure cardio action. Whether it's HIIT style, cycling, jogging, elliptical, I need to keep my heart rate up there. I generally find cardio to be boring, but getting back into some cardio action would help me lose some flab, improve my stamina, put the finishing touches on my knee rehab, and would probably be good for me. So, I just have to suck it up and do it. I'm not counting lower heart rate cardio stuff for this goal, so no credit for hooping, walking, etc. Goal: 60 minutes/week. Yeah, this challenge isn't necessarily going to be fun, but at the moment I'm filled with ambition and resolve. I'd rather push myself and come up short than just do another space filler, coasting type of challenge.

I love the holidays, I really do. But my go-get-em attitude, 6 days/week workout schedule, and planned eating that was working great for me... and my fitness goals... well... BUT MACAULAY CULKIN! YOUR FAMILY IS IN FLORIDA? WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?! NO ONE CAN STOP YOU BUT YOURSELFFFF~!!! So hey, we're back, it's cool. I'm stepping in to be the adult in this situation and protect my house from intruders... er, I mean, my body from my own winter slothfulness. We're settling in for a nice phase of winter habit-building that doesn't involve hiding from the cold and playing Dragon Age: Inquisition during all my waking hours. This challenge's goals are all about compliance. These goals are familiar, but even if we've seen them before, doesn't mean I've aced them before and they are definitely not habit yet. I want some habits, yo. Habit me like a nun. This challenge presumes 3x/week gymnastics practice and continuing my slightly modified 5/3/1 plan, which I've rebooted to repeat last cycle. Goal 1: HIGH KNEES, HIGH KNEES, HIGH KNEES *HIIT cardio session 3x a week *Must do 4 full floor routines or dance-throughs ever week Why? Gotta build the cardio stamina to handle my gymnastics floor routines without wanting to die at the end and manage to keep up enough stamina so I don't fall on my damn final tumbling pass anymore. HIIT is most similar to a floor routine in terms of varying levels of intensity Goal 2: FROLICKING *Practice leaps and jumps on beam and floor each gymnastics practice, 3x a week *Bonus points: film progression video Why? These are big weak points for me in my routines -- they look sloppy and uncontrolled. A TON of potential bonus value can be found in leaps and jumps to bump up my routine difficulty, so it only benefits me in the long run. I avoid them because they make me feel silly and I am not always sure what I am doing. Goal 3: SHUT UP, DONNA. I DON'T NEED TO TREAT MYSELF *Comply within ~200 of calorie goals for the day *Comply within ~600 of calorie goals for the week Why? I did not maintain as well as I meant to after my previous cut, so I have a higher starting weight for this cut phase than I initially wanted. First competition is Feb. 21 and I want to feel good in our brand new competition leos. Plus, I'm doing a lot more bars work these days and boy golly, is that easier when you have less dead weight. Goal 4: WARDROBE REBIRTH *By end of Week 1: Throw away garbage clothes (holes, elastic tearing, irreversibly stained) *By end of Week 3: Donate or store clothes I don't wear *By end of Week 5: Second round of clothes I don't wear, plus store summer/warm clothes *By end of Week 6: Make list of holes I need to fill, can start buying new nice clothes when all previous Goal 4 steps are met. Why? Cause I NEED to. HEY, NEW YEAR. LET'S BE FRIENDS.

I have been doing challenges with the Adventurers, but it's time I embrace my true nature and continue my training there. A little background: I am not who I used to be. I used to be this guy: That guy sucks, and I sort of despise him. He was a weak, lazy bastard who could barely run to the end of the driveway without gasping for breath, and even when doing something as low-impact as mowing the lawn, would sweat like it was raining. In late 2011, I finally grabbed at an opportunity to change and started doing group fitness twice a week at work. That was a decent start, but I was still fat, and then in August 2012 I left the company and stopped working out. And I went nearly back to being that guy up there, who like I said I sort of despise. Just look at him with that smarmy food-coma, glazed-eye smile. I bet that's ranch dressing on that plate. In January of 2013, I joined a Boot Camp class and quickly started doing 2 classes per week.Since I was nearly back to where I had started, I wound up puking in the garbage can in the corner of the gym during my first class. But then, in a massive middle finger to that guy, I jumped right back into the class and finished it out. That was the beginning. Over the last two years, I consistently increased my activity, my strength, my stamina, and my moments of intermittent badassery, and am currently this guy: This guy, I like. First of all, this guy's beard is infinitely more awesome than that other guy, plus if I'm going to sweat like it's raining, I better at least be doing something awesome to earn it. Along the way, I learned some things about myself: I like working out with other people. Boot camp, small group workouts, even just running with a friend - all awesome, and having someone else to push you to keep working or to not blow off a workout is the best. I like lifting weights. Alone in the garage, in front of others at Boot Camp, in the living room with the kids; hell, I'm even not freaked out anymore to lift with the bros in the free weight section at the gym. I heart hypertrophy. Someone should make that into a tee shirt. I like running. I'm slow, and I'm still working my way up to a full 5k without stopping, but I run. I ran a bunch of 5k races this year and I enjoy pushing myself to try and hit my personal bests. Right now I'm working toward a personal best of under 34 minutes while still working on that whole run-without-walking part. I like eating clean. I've been logging my food while working with Jon, my trainer at the gym who started a Small Group thing (he calls it Focus Group). In 2013 I lost 35 pounds in three months between April and June letting him teach me to eat clean and eat whole, and when I am focused and actually am consistent with logging, I can shred off almost 2 inches around my middle in just over a month. I like me some Spartan Race. I did my first one (that money shot up there) in September of 2014 in Illinois. I am kicking myself for all the times I told myself "I can't" or "Not yet" or whatever the hell else all my excuses were. I loved that one race so much, I signed up for the Stadium Sprint in Milwaukee a month later, dragged my youngest kids out to do the Spartan Kids' Race, signed up for the Minneapolis Sprint for June of 2015 the day it was announced, and am already trying to figure where to fit a Beast into my schedule so I can complete at least one Trifecta this year. I'm going to quit talking about it now before I start going "Aroo!"Lifting and running. It's not just a Spartan thing; this sounds like a certain NF Class, and it's time to embrace this thing. Challenge Goals: I have been measuring myself in Burpees since the last weekend in September at the Illinois Spartan. That number was 90 - 30 each for the three obstacles I failed to successfully complete, the Spear Throw, the Traverse Wall and the Rope Climb. In November it dropped to 60 when that damned spear sagged but did not drop. Sadly enough, I was less than six feet total away from a Burpee-free run in Milwaukee, but cramped up badly on the Traverse Wall and fell off two steps from the bell, and couldn't make it up the last few feet of the rope climb. Close enough to taste it, but far enough that I was in Burpee purgatory. Suck. I am planning to do the Las Vegas Super Spartan in April, and it's time to get serious about training for it, because otherwise I'm going to be the king of Burpees at the end of that weekend. Quest 1: Grip it and Rip It. I know I can beat the Traverse. I've been working on my grip strength ever since, to make sure that the damn rope does not beat me again. Jon has me working on pull-ups and chin-ups to increase my grip strength and my pull-force. Right now I can do two pull-ups in a row consistently and sometimes three. I need to keep at it to build up. Goal: Do fifteen chin-ups or pull-ups every day. Grading: A: 100+ per week B: 85-99 per week C: 70-84 per week Anything less is a fail. Quest 2: You Go Long. If I'm actually serious about this whole Trifecta thing, it's time to push up my miles when I run. 5k isn't going to cut it if I'm really going to tackle the Super in April. Right now I am doing interval training on the treadmill and can do 4.5 miles in an hour. It's time to push it some more. I'm currently only doing one extended cardio session. Doing it more often will help me increase my long-term stamina and my distance. Goal: Run for at least one hour twice per week. Grading: A: Two days or more, one hour each. B: Two days or more, 90 minutes total C: One day, one hour Anything less is a fail. Quest 3: You Have Logs? For the most part, I am consistent about staying away from processed foods and eating clean, whole foods, but the last couple months, I've been pretty lax. It's time to get back on track. Goal: Log all my food, every day. Grading: A: Logged all food intake every day B: Logged every day but missed some entries C: At least four days per week logged Anything less is a fail. Life Quest: Do It The Write Way. I am happiest when I spend some time writing. During one challenge in 2014, I had writing as a goal, and while the challenge overall didn't quite go great, I did do some decent writing. I aim to get back to that. Goal: Produce one piece per week - fiction, non-fiction, or essay. Grading: A: Six total pieces. B: Four pieces total C: Three pieces total Anything less is an incomplete. Motivation: My kids. All five of them. They rock. And I want to still be going over the eight-foot wall when they're old enough to run it with me... and their kids, too. I want to be the 85-year-old man doing wall-sits and making the kids climb up my knee and onto my shoulder as I hoist them over the wall.

Do any of you run happy people do interval training? I'm looking for recommendations on interval timers to run on my android based phone. I've looked the play store but there does not seem to be a clear leader. I'm now starting to look through reviews through Google but, I thought ... what a better place to get a recommendation than from my fellow Nerds! Thanks.

I started my first version of this back in the middle of the last quest of 2014. I did well for about a week, but then the holidays happened and we went out of town, and the preparation for that got me completely off track. (Not to mention my husband's pay-schedule changed and we were scrambling to reschedule all our bill payments and still be able to afford groceries.) We were surviving mostly on rice, ground beef and Little Caesar's $5 pizza for a while, which made focus and motivation difficult. We're back on track financially now so it will be a lot easier to afford healthy food going forward. I've also simplified my workout process, as I realized by making it more complicated than it needed to be I was psyching myself out. Three SMART goals Workout, both strength training and High Intensity Interval Training, at least 5 times a week. This will involve: Strength Training at least 3 times a week HIIT at least 2 times a week Individual goals within this step: establish full-body strength training routine and be comfortable with it by the end of the challenge - this should include increasing weight, time and/or reps for each exercise every week; increase to 10 intervals at a time when doing my HIIT workout. Continue to wear my Fitbit daily (taking one night off a week to charge it) and track all exercise, food intake, and sleep each day. I have a food plan on my Fitbit account aimed for a 500 calorie deficit every day. The best way to measure whether I’m tracking accurately and being honest will be by my weight; my hope is to lose 1.5-2.5 pounds per week (weighing on Sunday mornings). Strive for a 40% protein, 40% fat, 20% carbohydrates balance, following Paleo guidelines as much as possible. Limit my eating out to three times a week, and avoid eating out at lunch as much as possible. It’s harder to find good food for lunch that meets my current dietary needs, while if I eat out for dinner with my husband we tend to eat healthier and be more careful. (This will also help financially.) Life Quest: Take steps to boost my confidence in three other ways by the end of the challenge: Complete application process to UIU so I can start working towards my bachelor degree again. Start tracking how much time I spend each week reading, watching TV, playing on the computer, writing and doing chores - this is so I can start making improvements on how much time I spend idle and how much time I spend productive. I’m an introvert, so some idle time is a necessity for me to recharge my batteries, but I know I spend too much time being idle right now. Start taking better care of my appearance so I appear more professional at work. I don’t want to become vain, but I do want to look like I take care of myself. This means occasionally ensuring I have the time to put on make-up and do more than brush my hair in the mornings. Ultimately, this comes down to getting enough sleep during the week so I can wake up in time to do a little “grooming†in the mornings. Motivation: I want to improve my health so I can start a family, sometime later this year is the goal. I want to build good habits before then so I can be the best person I can be for my kids and give them a good example. A more immediate Motivation: my cousin is getting married on February 7th. Even if I don’t look at that different by then, I want to FEEL different and more confident in myself by her wedding, knowing that I’m well on my way towards building good habits that can continue for the rest of my life. No Attribute points at this time for me, but I do want to outline how I want to measure each of my Quest steps at the end of the challenge. Workouts A = 10-12 Strength Training workouts, and 7-8 HIIT workouts completed by February 15th B = 8-9 Strength Training workouts, and 6 HIIT workouts completed by February 15th C = 7 Strength Training workouts, and 5 HIIT workouts completed by February 15th D = 6 Strength Training workouts, and 4 HIIT workouts completed by February 15th F = 5 or less Strength Training workouts, and 3 or less HIIT workouts completed by February 15th Fitbit and Weight A = 26-31 days tracked on my Fitbit, and 9 or more pounds lost by February 15th B = 21-25 days tracked on my Fitbit, and 7-8 pounds lost by February 15th C = 16-20 days tracked on my Fitbit, and 6-5 pounds lost by February 15th D = 12-15 days tracked on my Fitbit, and 4 pounds lost by February 15th F = 11 days or less tracked on my Fitbit, and 3 pounds or less lost by February 15th Eating Out A = Eating out 12 or less times B = Eating out 14 times C = Eating out 15 times D = Eating out 16 times F = Eating out 17 or more times Life Quests Completing UIU Application = Pass/Fail Tracking Idle and Productive Time A = Track all 4 weeks, and show at least 10% reduction in Idle time B = Track all 4 weeks, and show 5% or less reduction in Idle time C = Track 3 weeks or less D = Track 2 weeks or less F = Track 1 week or less Appearance/Grooming A = Get 8 hours of sleep 90% of the time, and do hair/makeup 8 or more times during the work week B = Get 8 hours of sleep 75% of the time and do hair/makeup 6-7 times during the work week C = Get 8 hours of sleep 60% of the time and do hair/makeup 4-5 times during the work week D = Get 8 hours of sleep 50% of the time and do hair/makeup 2-3 times during the work week F = Get 8 hours of sleep less than 50% of the time and do hair/makeup 1 or less times during the work week

Hello! I posted here Not Working- Need Help about some of my workout plan struggles, and asked at the end if anyone has tried Zuzka Light's programs? For me, I am looking to increase strength and definition, not weight loss. I am considering investing in her ZCUT-Power Strength, Abs, and Yoga DVDS, but am hesitant, as I do not need to perform so much cardio, and am afraid that doing HIIT/cardio everyday will prevent me from reaching my physical goals. Has anyone had success with Zuzka and her programs, specifically when it comes to muscle strength/tone? Thanks!

We all know how men train--they pick up some absurdly large weight, do 5-10 reps, then set it down and wait for a minute while they watch something on the gym TV. But if men get so muscular doing this, is it possible for women too? Or are women's bodies different? Is it that much more beneficial to do HIIT training or at the very least circuit training with short rest periods? To be honest, the former sounds more enjoyable. Any opinion is appreciated!

It's time for round four of nerdanigans. There's no time to waste! I didn't see much gains last challenge, but otoh I maintained a relatively healthy and active lifestyle during the dreaded holidays so... huzzah for me? Now I'm going to be spending most of February in New Zealand and Fiji and, let's be realistic, I'm not going to see too many gains while I'm there. I'll follow some of Steve's tips for staying healthy while on vacation. That just means I have to fit 6 weeks of training into January, no problem right? So without further ado, here's some quick goals. From past challenges I've learned that the most important thing for me is to eat consistently and get to the gym in the morning consistently. Goal 1: Hit the gym 5 days a week. That leaves 2 days for snowboarding. 2 of the 5 will be with my personal trainer, the other 3 will need to be at 7:00 am at my gym. For those who are curious I have a pretty varied training program. My workouts usually have some High Intensity Interval training. I also spend lots of time power lifting and olympic lifting. Basically compound movements that engage all my muscles because the science (and my experience) say that's what works. Goal 2: Eat healthy 6 days a week. I like to eat paleo because that seems to give me the best results as far as energy levels and losing weight while retaining muscle. Goal 3: Lose a 1 inch off my waist. My waist is currently at 32 which is nice, but I know it can be at 31.5 for sure, so I'm going to stretch for 31. That's it for now.

I've got a workout program pretty well set in stone right now: gymnastics 2-3x per week and my 5/3/1 lifting program 3x per week. I'm comfortable with this workout schedule and it will only become more important to stick with it over the coming months as gymnastics competition season starts to amp up in the beginning of next year. Last challenge, I dedicated myself to working on known weak spots for me: my lazy hips, my hatred of the C2 rower, my nasty eating habits, and my bad attitude. This format worked really well for me and I saw a lot of progress over the course of six weeks without stressing myself about incorporating these additional goals into my already busy schedule. I am going to stick with what works, but take a new approach on dealing with my weaknesses: Target #1: Lungs High intensity interval training 3x per week Low intensity cardio has never really been my thing. Trying to get myself to jog last challenge was a huge chore and instead of addressing that head on, I am going to force myself to take the even suckier route -- intervals. My interval training can take the form of plyometrics, jump rope, sprints, hill sprints, NP stadium stairs, burpees, etc. HIIT has been linked with pretty significant improvements in V02 max and endurance, so if I stick it out for at least the next 6 weeks, I should see some rewards when I start working on floor routine run-throughs. A floor routine is only 90 seconds long, but they are punishing and exhausting -- much like sprints. These HIIT sessions will be post lifting workouts (or Wednesday morning, as needed). Target #2: Mobility and Maintenance Foam roll and lax ball 3x per week -- MUST foam roll IT band, quads, and adductors before AND after squatting on SundaysYoga 1x per weekSome creaky spots have crept up on me over the past few weeks. While I preach the gospel of mobility work and foam rolling constantly, I have not been taking care of my own body. I stretch, yes, but I have not been foam rolling or doing nearly as much aggressive pre-treatment for tight areas -- which unsurprisingly includes my hips. Target #3: Fuel Gradually increase calories toward maintenance + hit within ~200 calories of goal each day per weekStay within 500 calories of target cals every weekNot a deviation from last challenge, but reporting back every day and every week really helped keep me honest here. While I'm not aiming to cut weight this challenge, honesty is still good and I do want to taper up gradually rather than just hurling myself up at what I think should be maintenance and hoping it turns out okay. Target #4: Style Begin the 10 Step Wardrobe Revamp:Be done with my wardrobe detox by Week 2Finish creating my list for my capsule wardrobe by the end of Week 6I cannot for the life of me remember whose challenge I saw this on originally, but I've had it bookmarked for months and months, waiting for a change of season. I am going to focus mostly on my fall - winter wardrobe and leave my spring - summer wardrobe to be dealt with when it is seasonally appropriate. Let's gooooo~

“For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.†If there is one thing I've been good at in life it's starting over. This last challenge I started off with a bang, then several things went bust and all did not end as well as I'd hoped. I ended up undoing several good things I had going, gained weight, stopped getting up to work out, and giving in to sugar cravings. So this challenge is going to be about starting over. Work smarter, not harder...I will have 4 weeks left of school when this challenge starts, this is the last challenge I will need to make that part of my challenge!! 30 min a day, before doing anything else online +2 WIS Got to move it, move it...I got out of the habit of getting up and working out due to injuries and other things going on in my life, if I need to modify this I did but I plan on doing this series of workouts at least 5 days a week...I did one, and now I cannot move! Not sure what I was thinking but I need to 'work up' to that workout...going to go back to elliptical 3 days a week, and bodyweight or yoga workouts 2 days (I was good on elliptical before, bodyweight needs work) Elliptical A – All 18 workouts (+1 DEX, +2STA) B – Skipped 1-3 workouts (.75 DEX, +1.5 STA) C – Skipped 3-6 workouts (+.5 DEX, +1 STA) D – Skipped 7-9 workouts (+.25 DEX, +.5 STA) F – Skipped more than 10 workouts. Bodyweight or Yoga A – All 12 workouts (+2 STR, +1 DEX) B – Skipped 1-3 workouts (+1.5 STR, +.75 DEX) C – Skipped 4-5 workouts (+1 STR, +.5 DEX) D – Skipped 6-7 workouts (+.5 STR, +.25 DEX) F – Skipped more than 8 workouts. Come on inner peace, I don't have all day...there are a lot of things going on right now that I'm struggling with, I've been interested in doing meditation for a while now so I signed up with Meditation Experience (yes, the Oprah and Deepak thing) to encourage me to do it...pass or fail, +2 CHA if I do it, nothing if I don't... Sugar, paleo, etc...just do it, I know I feel better when I do and like crap when I don't...just take it, and everything else...one day at a time... Longish term goal...I want to RUN in a 5k, specifically the Race for the Cure on April 11th, for time...this gives me something to work towards...doing the elliptical will help build my endurance, and we're going to buy a treadmill soon to use until the weather gets warmer.

Main Quest Goals Build strength Increase cardio fitness Increase muscle mass Decrease visceral fat Maintain low levels of depressionMethods Stronglifts 5x5 covers #1 and #3 and a bit of #4 HIIT on non-weight lifting days covers #2 and #4 following 30 Days of HIIT from http://neilarey.com Cycle to work every workday covers #5 and a bit of #4 and #2 Side Quests Clean eating unprocessed foods reduced sugars Paint kitchenMotivation I went to my wife's diet/fitness place, had myself measured, listened to the trainer about what I need to improve on and decided to do something about it. I'm not far from my goal and that's what seems to make it somewhat elusive: losing the last 10lbs is harder than the first 10lbs (so I believe) and that is why it has been difficult for me to reach the final goal.

So I have been gone for a while. I no longer had access to the gym I was training in during my last challenge and due to pure life exhaustion I did not bother finding a replacement. I spent a couple months letting my physical conditioning deteriorate while I recuperated mentally and emotionally, all the while knowing I needed to do something to get back on track. I still love weight training, and I want to get back into that at some point, but for now the main goal is to be practical and incorporate fitness training into my life in a way that makes sense and is attainable for me. Chapter 2: I took a leap and invested in a piece of fitness equipment I felt would be useful to me so that I could meet some goals I've been really wanting to work towards in terms of cardio and endurance training. The goal here is not necessarily calorie defecits or weight loss (but those would be nice), but instead it is to improve my cardiovascular endurance and my general metabolism. Although I just started this thready today, I have been training on my new Assault AirBike (look them up, they're intense) since the start of November, doing almost daily HIIT workouts before I go to work in the morning. Before I got the bike, I lost 3 lbs of muscle mass, and since I have been training, I've gained one lb back. I can feel the strength returning in my legs and I am very happy about that. I set informal missions for myself over the past month that go something like this 1) HIIT workout on airbike 3-5 times per week (20 minutes/day) 2) Eat clean, wholesome food (follow some basic paleo principals, but I do incorporate quinoa and some other basic ancient graines occassionally) 3) Get adequate sleep every night (no less than 6 hours, ideally 8 hours) I have also informally set a life quest for myself as I have started knitting again, with the goal of creating small pieces for friends and family during the holiday season. I have completed 4-5 projects so far and currently have one on the go. I have been feeling guilty about slipping away from the NF community so I wanted to put the work I have been doing for the last month into a formal challenge thread to help keep me motivated to continue. My current HIIT workout regime is adapted from one that I found on a web page called 4 Brutal Fan Bike Workouts where they give a beginner HIIT workout that spans over 6 weeks. I have decided to convert the 6 weeks into 6 levels since cardio has never been my strong suit and I feel that I need more time to adapt to the difficulty levels before moving on to the next. This is how my training has progressed: Week 1/Level 0.5 - Had to build my way up to being able to sustain maximum output for 10 intervals of 10 seconds each. I started with 5 high intensity intervals, and used week 1 to build my way up to being able to do the full 10 intervals with 5 minutes warm up and 5 minutes cool down.Week 2/ Level 1 - 3 workouts were performed at level 1 with 10 full intervals of 10 seconds at high intensity, with 5 mins each of warm up and cool down. 2 other workouts were performed that week with less high intensity intervals.Week 3/ Level 2 - performed 5 workouts with 10 x 15 second high intensity intervals. These were at the maximum of my ability and left me ready to fall off the bike by the time I was done. I decided to repeat Level 2 into week 4Week 4/ Level 2 - performed 5 workouts with 10 x 15 second high intensity intervals. I am now currently on Week 5 of my training and I will be attempting to move up to level 3, where each of the 10 high intensity intervals will last for 20 seconds. Wish me luck!

I've been working with strength for some time and I now I want to incorporate HIIT to my training. I'm just acquiring the skills for running though, and I can't just go out & run because of a history of injuries (plantar facitis, tendonitis in my heels (both feet), stress fracture on the left knee and ligamentar injury on my lower back) and a lack of skill... That'd be like ASKING for a new injury. But I got to HIIT train, both for better conditioning as for losing weight (I'm overweight *sigh*). I have access to a pretty decent pool in my building, probably a dozen meters long. I'm used to swimming, and I can breaststroke, crawl and backstroke fairly well (butterfly is a challenge, I'm not sure I'm doimg the gesture riht). Can I do high intensity cardio there? HOW do you HIIT when swimming? Thanks for the insight.

Okay, I'm still writing up my challenge, but rest assured, I'm definitely in for this challenge!