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It's been slightly over a year since my last challenge. The time since then has been difficult, so say the least. I've been lurking a bit lately but wasn't quite ready to jump in at the proper start of the challenge. But I'm nothing if not a rebel, so I'm posting this now instead. The pandemic has been hard on my mental health (which wasn't great to start with), but I've been doing a bit better lately. It feels pretty fragile, though, and I've been trying to find a way to push myself but not so much that I crumble. So, for the last half of this challenge, I'm focusing on the following: Exercise - right now I'm running 2x/week and doing an at-home prehab/rehab type workout 2x/week. The gym is a no-go right now (they're open here but I'm not convinced it's currently a good idea to be in one), so this is all I've got. By the end of the challenge I'd like to move to running 3x/week, with the other stuff staying the same for now, and purchase a 45lb Olympic bar for messing around with (I don't have the space or the money for a real home gym, but I've been playing around with some front squat and overhead squat mobility stuff, and I think a bit of weight might be helpful). I'd also like to think about a more serious home workout plan. I don't necessarily want to be doing it regularly by the end of the challenge, but I'd like to have something written down to maybe focus on in the next one. Nutirtion - my eating habits have gone to shit over the last year. For a while there I was subsisting on chips, mini eggs and cheese on toast, and not much else. I've gotten a bit better than that, but I know I need to eat better if I want to try to progress at my exercise, and especially if I ever get back to the gym. For right now I want to focus on getting a decent amount of protein in, most of the easy foods I've been eating lately are rather lacking in that department. By the end of the challenge I'd like to be eating about 120g of protein/day. This means I need to focus on meal prep, so I have easy stuff to microwave when I don't feel like making things and on my lunch breaks. This being said, my appetite has really waned over the last while, and I don't want to force myself to eat when I'm not feeling hungry. I won't be fussed if I miss the 120g target as long as I've eaten good food for my meals and snacks and not fallen back to the chips and mini eggs diet. Life Stuff - I've been trying to read more and I'd like to keep this up. I'm part way through book one of the Mistborn series (it's only ok so far, I've committed to finishing the first book but I don't know if I'll continue. Probably I will because I'm incurably curious and I'll want to know how it ends, but it's only moderately engaging so far), so I'd like to get this done by the end of the challenge (very likely to happen). And I want to apply for a job by the end of the challenge too (the official deadline is March 26, so that's just about perfect timing).

Hello Everybody, I'm back, and ready to move forward again. To reboot is humbling, but that's where I'm at. My challenge is intended to be simple: Morning Workouts: Walking (start at 10min, increase each week) - outside if possible, treadmill if not - 6x a week Bodyweight exercises - push-ups, squats, lunges - 3x a week, building up NFA stretches - cooldown - 6x a week 10 minutes of meditation - 6x a week High Protein Breakfasts - 6x a week Lunchtime Read NF Forums - 15min - 5x a week Evening Mobility work - start with Daily Movement Manifesto - 6x a week Post to NF daily - 7x a week NF Food Plans - with my wife, cook our weekly food plans - 5x a week Bonus Activities - 3x a week - these are a grab bag, including Swimming laps at my gym "Adulting 101" tasks at my house De-cluttering our apartment, and selling book and gaming stuff Doing much neglected doctor's appointments Doing ranger mini-challenges Doing the NF Flexibilty test Doing some NF Yoga or other online Yoga Doing enough walking to ensure 10,000 steps daily That's it. Kind of boring with no theme, but at least it is here... Only a dead legionary gives up.

Hey everybody! In case you´re wondering, I took a while off and used week zero to think about life, lifting and love. Which takes me to my challenge: You´re used to me filling my threads with tons of gifs and pics (because more gifs is more gainz u know), you´ll be surprised. No funny gif themed stuff, I´ll keep it simple this time: BarbarianBassBro starts success simply living, lifting, loving - short BBBSSSLLL Quest 1) Lift 3 times a week and don´t forget the accessorys Quest 2) Eat selfcooked meals and drink at least 2 liter water, avoid fast food and such. Ah and stop drinking soda! Quest 3) Get at least 8 hours of sleep, before early shift at least 6 hours Quest 4) Meditate daily for 15mins Bonus Quests as needed I´ll try to get up to date with your challenges and update mine daily if possible. Now I need something to blow my headache away...

Hi guys! I'm keeping this challenge super simple! I have a history of failed challenges... But I always have great intentions when I start! Fitness Goals: Train 1-2 times per week with others I have my garage gym set up, which is awesome, but I miss training with others sometimes. When I need to get out of the house to train, I usually go to a crossfit place that my friend coaches at and lift with his people. It's nice to get input from him and to have the camaraderie of other lifters. Do the finisher mini-challenges I should be doing some cardio-ish stuff, so this works out well for me. Wear my tracker every day I got a jawbone fitness tracker and so far I like it. If nothing else, it's a great reminder to get up and move throughout the day. I also like the sleep tracker and have been using the food log. I went with a model that isn't super big and bulky, so I actually like wearing it too! Life Goal: Unfuck school Welp, I managed to fuck up a whole semester of school... Only finished 1/4 classes. UGH UGH UGH. So, now I just need to do what I can with the tiny bit of time I have left this term and move forward. I just need to not let this get to my head. I have to finish this shit! I know this sounds like a vague goal, but just doing some school work will be enough for me at this point.

As I write this opening post it is June 28th of 2015. I'm 35 years old and I've been training in the gym for a little less than half of that. It hasn't all been straight through, I took a couple regrettable breaks, and it most certainly hasn't all been correct. Even today, with something like a decade and half under my belt, it's not all correct or good. What it is though is the long road to success in the gym. In the last twelve months I set out to earn my Candidate Master of Sport in the Long Cycle. I knew when I set out that it wasn't a given that I would succeed but it was possible. I did the workouts to the best of by ability but sometime last winter things just kind of ran out of steam. I kept doing the work but stopped progressing. As a result when this season rolled around not only was I not on track to hit my goal but I was burnt out for months of doing the lifts but never having that little bubble of euphoria that comes with each PR. This battle log is a recommitment to my goal and also a resetting of methods. I didn't make my CMS this year but I'm not done. I'm still on the road to it and will hit it in 2016. To get there I'm going to ask for help though. Specifically, late this summer I'm planning on taking on an online coach, John Lesko. I don't know that he'll have any secret methodologies or anything but I think it's time I asked someone else to help manage my training for a bit since last year didn't go quite as planned. Beyond that it will be business as usual for me and I'm fine with that.