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Hi Nurds. Since we have an all-guild mashup, I'm going to go ahead a re-re-introduce myself. I'm Chris Tarly. Up until the beginning of last challenge, I was known as Curl Brogo (among other names, check my sig). I joined NF 6 friggin years ago as an overweight grad student. Over those six years there have been many trials and tribulations over weight loss, becoming a massive beefcake, then anxiety and depression, and getting through days with jobs I hate and family members who annoy me (I did the move back home thing a few years ago, it was not fun). I've spent a lot of my time with the warriors, but now I challenge mostly with the adventurers. Now I work as a machinist and I'm writing a Fantasy novel, while trying to not turn into some kind of obese potato shaped slug. Onto the challenge. Here's the big deal... I'm switching to night shift! On day shift, which is scheduled (loosely) for 5 am to 5 pm, I tried to get extra hours by going in early, then burning out because I'm not a morning person at all. And right now I need 45 hours just to make ends meet. I'd prefer to be getting 50+ so I can have a savings again. Now I'll be scheduled to come in at 3pm. I have to get 10 hours normally, but I'll have Fri, Sat, Sun evening off unless I want overtime on Friday. I'm optimistic. I used my long weekend to push my sleep schedule back. I like it. I might never again need an alarm clock. But this is a time to build awesome new habits. Goal 1: Exercise 3 days a week -- kettlebell and barbell complexes Weather permitting: go on coffee walks around the neighborhood. 1 pt. per workout +1/2 bonus point for coffee walking 15 total points. Goal 2: Stick to macros 2376 calories, 201 g Protein, 60 g Fat, 258 g Carbs Always bring a lunch (dinner haha) to work. 1 point days on target (within error of +/- 200 calories, 20g for Pro/CHO, 10g for Fat) 1 point for bringing dinner to work. 33-36 total points. (depends on how many days I actually work) Goal 3: Keep Writing I stepped up and tried NaNoWriMo this year. I kept at it but didn't make it to 50,000 words. But I started a fantasy novel that I'm keen to see through to the end at my own pace. I don't see myself getting to the end of this book until I hit nearly 150,000. Add 300 words minimum to word count everyday... no matter what* Add 6300 words minimum to pass (2100 / week) Add 12600 words -- awesome! (casual congratulatory) Add 18900 words -- excellence! Reach double the current word count [78,194] -- awesome! (formal literary) Word Count: 39,097 excludes plagues, family emergencies, and apocalyptic phenomena I feel like I should have one more goal, but I think that's because I usually have a sleep goal, and now I don't need one. Ha ha!

I got nothing, so you get a pic I found. I’m trying to stay on a strength-building kettlebell program (Dry Fighting Weight) without wandering off. I’m hoping to ride my bike some. If all goes well I won’t eat like a dumb ass.

Title blatantly stolen from an over-the-top Dragon Door (RKC) article. While this sounds like a Ranger challenge, sexier is faster. That’s the real reason why cyclists shave their legs. Also fast is sexy. It’s a whole positive feedback loop.

So what's going on now. I just got back from a monk challenge and the bottom dropped out of that. I did however learn that if we call it 'roadwork' instead of 'running' or 'jogging' it makes it permissible to do cardio once in a while. This summer, I had/have been looking for jobs in data analysis, and relearning some programming, and thinking about getting back into biology. I applied and interviewed for a job recently as a data analyst for a nonprofit that does clinical trial research... but didn't get it. That got me down a little bit, and I started thinking about things. 1) The main reason I want(ed) to switch back to this type of work is the money. Really. That's it. Granted I like the work of programming and analysis, and there's some value in the biological research (if it went that way) but I'd do (almost) anything else in a heartbeat. 2) Why do I want more money? Simply to pay down/off my debts and buy a home. And to make ends meet where I live. 3) If I do buy a home, no matter where it is I'd be doing the homestead thing, urban or rural. Then earlier this week I found out about USDA rural home loans. This might start sounding like an ad. They are no money down, they give them to people with bad to mediocre credit, and they are insured by the government (this, I believe, negates the need to purchase mortgage insurance. The only catch is you can't use them for city properties... though many single family homes (even within city limits) qualify... in case you're interested. Those of you who have been following the Brogo saga for a while might remember a few years ago I had this idea of starting a farm/homestead kind of thing. I was raised out in the country. I like being outdoors. I like gardening. I like building things with my hands. I'd like to get a piece of land (5-10 acres) and just live off of it as much as possible (gardening, hunting/fishing, farming etc), take care of it, and do it all off the grid with as few external inputs and leave as small a footprint as possible. Basically, having some land will give me resources to take control of my environment and rebuild my life. Right now, the way I live is the exact opposite. I'm in the city, surrounded by man made noise, and I'm completely dependent on my ability to make money to buy stuff or services. And I'm flushing my money down the toilet with each months rent. I'm lazing around staring at screens. Blah, yadda, etc. These USDA loans might make it possible to change all this. Here's how: A little ways south of here (Indy) are some really pretty farm and country lands. I've been looking and I can find 5-10 acre properties that are cheap... mostly wooded lots etc. I can get a mortgage for one and since I'm willing to rough it for a while and build, I can live on it either in a tiny house, or possibly a yurt (google it)... for a start at least. I'd either expand or just save up and plan out building a more permanent structure. The mortgage would probably be less than the rent I'm paying now. With no utilities comes no bills. If I can grow my own food I save on groceries (one of my biggest monthly expenses). So the move should cut down on my living costs. Anyway. I need to get to sleep. My challenge will be focused figuring this out, and researching and preparing myself for a home brosteading lifestyle. Goals: Work Exercise Cooking Camping Finance/Research

Very creative title yes? I figured I'd spend this challenge with the rebels because I won't be feeling very assassiny for the foreseeable future. This challenge will mostly be about setting myself up for a healthy pregnancy (and hopefully subsequent fast recovery), without losing sight of my other non-mom-related goals. Brief introduction for those that don't know me; Ok challenge goals! 1. Training; keep up the volume - at least 3 strength sessions per week, but be flexible in what they look like unbreakable hips program at least 2x a week, hip upkeep at least 6 days a week snatch at least once a week, bonus points for any extra 2. Eating for two; take vitamins daily eat fat fish at least once a week, bonus points for twice something green at least 4x a week, at least one of those be leafy. (I eat plenty of veggies, but I prefer them to not be green) seriously don't literally eat for two- try to maintain current weight for now 3. Adulting; walk the dog at least 5x a week while I still can do a load of laundry at least 5 days a week clean kitchen counters and sweep the floor every day before bed 10 minutes of cleaning at the gym when I come in and before I go home keep track of all of the above in my bullet journal To do list; figure out wether to go to the European championship or not (pro/con list perhaps) research business owner maternity leave options get the august gym action up and running get the september gym action up and running organise/plan team meetings for top dutch lifters communicate level 2 exam requirements setup and communicate the new points system promote the next level 1 and 2 courses get two thirds through the p&ppa course make a photo album, or at least make progress That's a lot. Oops. Let's just see how it goes. Everything on that to do list has been hovering over me for a while (except 1 and 2, those are obviously more recent) and I'm hoping the accountability from here will help.

Ok, ya'll! I'm back and I'm READY TO GO! My last challenge was not as successful goal-wise as I would have liked, but it was successful "learning things"-wise. The scale made a little progress in the right direction, and my lifting made a LOT of progress. I was off all last week, because of the graduation festivities, and by Friday, I was really feeling the effects of eating out and not exercising. Ugh! For this challenge, I am keeping it simple and emphasizing the Four Pillars of Health: Nutrition, Exercise, Sleep, and Stress. Stay within my calorie range and try to hit my macros every day Complete weeks 2-5 of the Thinner Leaner Strong Phase 1 lifting plan Hot yoga once a week Lights out every week night at 9:00 De-stress daily: meditation, crafting, bubble bath, something relaxing To put the "Whaaa?" in witch, I am trying to learn my tarot cards, so I will be pulling a card once or twice a day. I have been doing this for a few days now, and have pulled the Queen of Pentacles 5 out of 13 times. Hmmm. The card set that I have gives me a great way to spend a little time reflecting on myself and my life, things I need to work, things that are going well, etc. For example, the Queen of Pentacles is about recognizing the abundance that is already around you. Of course, I forgot my lunch today (doh!)!

Hello, long time lurker here. I could write an essay on everything I've done and not done for health and fitness up to this point but this will be the time when I get it right and stick to a plan - no more flip-flopping. Goal wise in my head I may see myself becoming a Peak Human, but in reality I will settle for a functional strength that will allow me to handle any situation that comes along and keeps me healthy enough to keep up with my growing kids. My weight isn't too bad now - I've got 5 stubborn inches around my waist that I haven't been able to shift in years, but I've managed to clean up my diet pretty well and I've been steadily losing 0.5-1lb a week over the last month; comfortable, sustainable baby steps. It's my strength and conditioning that remain a problem. I am very weak, have no stamina, and I've struggled to find a program that I can get on with and that fits with my (extremely) busy life. I was recently working on Starting Strength - I have good form with the lifts and even though I'm on slightly restricted calories was hoping to exploit "noob gains". That didn't work. I stalled pretty easily at below-novice loads and found once again that the gym environment just doesn't work for me. Then on this forum I saw a mention of Pavel's "Simple & Sinister". A kettlebell program that can be done at home, is scalable and works around hectic schedules. After a tonne of research and reading the book twice I feel positive about it and I've just bought some kettlebells (8KG for my wife who will be joining me, 12KG for my getups and 16KG for my swings). Whilst this should improve my general conditioning, mobility and strength I'm aware it won't necessarily work miracles by itself, so onto my question for you, fellow rebels: I have signed up for a 10KM Rough Runner (obstacle course) next April and I want to be in the best shape I can be by then. Aside from running, do you think this routine will be enough to get me there or will I need to do more as I go? If I had the time I would concentrate on achieving Program Minimum (32KG one-arm swings and getups) before introducing other exercises but that could easily take me the whole 8 months to the event. I will focus on it exclusively for the first month or two but feel I need to add more before then; specifically some pushing and pulling strength (I'd love to be able to do a pull-up again). Any suggestions here? Running in itself will be a big hurdle. The last time I did any serious running I did a number on my knee which even after surgery and a year of physio was never completely pain free until recently (squats ftw). Based on last year's course the longest stretch between any two obstacles will be about 3.5KM, so while I may need some endurance I won't need to be in form for a continuous 10KM. I will be starting some gentle training on a nearby field 2x a week for a few months to test my knee out, and I'll be getting a gait analysis done this week to see if I have any foot issues. Do you think this plan will work? Did anyone try S&S from a similar state of unfitness and get good results? Thanks in advance!

Because there is never too much kettlebell awesomeness, I am starting up this group again. Nothing formal, just for people who like to play with kettlebells, or want to learn more. Share what you do, accomplishments, or questions. Several people are working on Simple and Sinister right now, while others have their own workouts, and some are competing. Since I started the group, I'll share what I am doing. I hadn't done anything strength training related until about 4 years ago, when I joined NF. I did some bodyweight stuff, then added in some sledgehammer training, and then started with kettlebells. Right now I am working on Pavel's program Simple and Sinister. It consists of two exercises, swings and Turkish get-ups. The Simple goal for a woman is to be able to do `100 55 lb. swings in under 5 minutes, and 10 35 lb. TGUs in 10 minutes. My personal goal is 44 lb swings and 35 lb TGU. After I hit that goal, I'll most likely switch programs for a bit, but I would like to eventually be able to do 100 55 lb swings. So this challenge I will work at building up to be able to do 5 (each side) complete TGUs with the 35 lb and decreasing the swing time with my 35 lb. The swings I had to step back, even though I had already hit the 5 minute time, I was really unhappy with my form. So, I worked on my form and am now working on the goal, while still maintaining my form. That's my story. Share what you are doing and your goals.

Video not safe for work. (after listening to this a couple of times I'm beginning to think they aren't actually singing about bicycles.) C'Mon Let Me Ride Your Bicycle - yep, gotta do it if I want to race. I should have started months ago. Other Stuff - A little yoga and the occasional kettlebell wouldn't hurt any. Other, other stuff - Maybe don't eat like an asshole, perhaps drink something besides beer and coffee.

I am READY for a new 4-week challenge! I took last week as a bit of a rest week, so that I can dive in today! Last month was my first challenge and I learned some great lessons. Here are my goals for the next four weeks: weight train 4x a week hot yoga once a week 100 oz of water a day at least 5 days a week 8,000 steps a day on work days meditate at least 15 minutes 4 times a week journal 3 times a week read Thinner, Leaner, Stronger by Michael Matthews

I am going to manifest the fitness and health transformation that I want, and rid myself of chronic pain, exhaustion, and depression. March 15: 12,295 steps 35 minute walk Kettlebells: 3 x 15 goblet squats - 20 lbs 2 x 10 deadlifts - 20 lbs 2 x 15 swings - 20 lbs 2 x 5 one-arm rows, each side - 20 lbs

I used all my creativity powers on the 12 week accountability challenge, so this is just a simple goal challenge: Goal 1: Maintain my weight I don't really have a strict SMART goal for this. Mainly just do the things I know work: Eat veggies and meat and enough good carbs, drink water, eat to satiety, eat slowly, track on MFP part of the time. But I don't need to be super strict on this , it's really just a most of the time thing. Over the holiday I ate a bit more than I needed and started letting some old habits slip in, so last month and this month I'm just gently reminding myself of what works. I don't need a strict goal, but I would like to post it here for a bit of accountability. Goal 2 : Keep up with my 12 week goals; https://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/112867-longterm-goals-find-the-fantastic-beasts/ Konmari tidy our house, and finish my California scrapbook Goal 3: Meal plan on Friday I've been meal planning, but doing it on Monday. But on Monday I want to devote to house decluttering. Friday works better anyway. If for some reason it doesn't happen Friday, it needs to happen Saturday Back story: I joined NF back almost in the beginning, 7 years ago. I was a fluffy 47 year old who never did any strength training, who was finding groceries too heavy too carry. I found NF and discovered all the cool things I could do, and found a love for just seeing how strong and flexible I could get. I've done bodyweight, kettlebells, rings, and now I'm doing paralettes. I'm set to finish my paralettes program this challenge, and think I will do kettlebells for a bit after that is done.

Oh heeeeyyy guys! Only been, like, FOREVER since the last time I showed my face around here. A year and a half if I remember correctly. I'll catch you guys up a little bit before getting to my respawn challenge. 2018 was a fucking year - there was a lot of growing up and self acceptance. Certain events earlier in the year forced me to do some serious introspection: figuring out who the fuck I am, who I want to be, what I’m willing to accept in my life, what I absolutely will not put up with, and where I want to go from here. For the most part I think I’ve figured it out, and things have been a lot better since doing so. Summer and fall went smoothly and everything was going well, but as we all know, life likes to take us by surprise. In November I got laid off, but thankfully I was only unemployed for a month and a half. I love my new job - it’s definitely one of the better ones that I’ve had, even if I had to accept a bit of a pay cut. It’s also way closer to me. I had an 80mi round trip commute at my last job, and this one is only 12mi. Literally the next town over from where I live. It’s super convenient. As far as fitness goes, when I left you at the end of 2017 I was at my heaviest - almost 180lb. I put myself on an intermittent fasting plan, and over the the course of 6-8mo I lost ~30lb. I did gain back a few pounds over this past holiday season (so much delicious, delicious food), but it doesn’t bother me. When I started my journey with NF in Oct 2014, I was 152lb. I was miserable about it and the goal was to get back to my high school weight (139lb). While getting back to that weight would be pretty cool, it's definitely not my goal any more and I can honestly say that I have no problem being in the low 150s. In fact, I’m pretty fuckin comfortable in/with my body right now. Seeing how my mindset and views have changed over the last 4.5yrs is mind blowing; I never thought I’d get to the point where I actually kind of love myself and my body. That just about catches you all up on my absence, so on to my respawn challenge! Usually I like to have a theme or something, but I’m going to be keeping it pretty simple so I don’t get distracted.. 2018 involved a lot of mental growth, so I'm dedicating 2019 to physical growth - fitness, hard skills, and putting plans into place. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Self care: Journaling There were a lot of anxiety attacks and depressive episodes over the course of last year. I get overwhelmed with my own thoughts very easily, and it consumes me. I used to journal regularly back in the day, and that’s something I want to make a habit again. Getting stuff out on paper just makes everything that much more manageable for me. Frees my mind up a little bit. Usually I find a blank sheet in one of the many random journals I have, but I bought myself a new notebook so that I can start this habit fresh. *Goal: Write in journal at least 4x/wk. Can be anything from a few words to a few pages and everything in between. I just need to get something out in order to manage my stress level. Diet: Water No soda I’ve managed to cut down my energy drink intake a lot (oh Redbull, how I miss you), and some of my soda intake. Now I need to work on increasing my water intake. I joke that I’m a cactus and don’t need much water, but I know I really should be better about it. Now I need to cut out that soda habit completely - end of story. *Goal: Drink 60oz of water 3x/wk (Mon, Wed, Fri) *Goal: Stop. Drinking. Soda. C'mon Ruth, it's not that fuckin hard. Use that stubbornness for something good for you. Fitness: Routine While I spent a lot of time reigning in my diet and getting the weight off, I never got back to working out. Other than urban exploring (which, to be fair, does involve a lot of walking, stairs, and climbing of stuff), I haven’t done shit. I’ve been feeling really weak and easily winded lately and it’s driving me nuts, so fitness is going to be a big focus. *Goal: Full body routine 3x/wk (Beginner bodyweight or NF kettlebell) Skills: Photography Since getting back into the afore mentioned urban exploring a few years ago, I have taken up photography a fair bit as well. They kind of go hand in hand. Christmas 2017 I was gifted a lightly used Nikon D3300 and kit lens so that I could take my photos up a notch (I had been using my phone). I bought a guidebook so that I could learn to use it, and eventually learn to use the manual settings. While I did figure out how to use the camera in auto mode, I never got around to learning manual. For the last few months I haven’t even touched the camera, if I’m totally honest. I just haven’t been out and about, but I want to get back to using it and picking up the skills to use it properly even when not exploring. *Goal: Each week learn a new step/skill and perform 3 practice sessions (at least). At end of 4 weeks, review each skill/technique. (Zero week will be used to break down the guidebook into weekly skills/techniques.) Week 1, Chapters 1&2 - A.) Back to basics: reset camera to factory settings, then update to book recommended settings. B.) Back to Basics 2: Get a feel for the camera in it's 'out of the box' form to use as a control. Can compare photos down the road as I learn more. Week 2, Chapter 3 - Auto Modes: take some time to try out the auto modes available on the camera. Week 3, Chapter 4 - Professional Modes A: begin practicing using the manual settings and adjustments Week 4, Chapter 4 - Professional Modes B: continue practicing using the manual settings and adjustments Zero Week - Review Other: Updates Keeping up with my challenges in the past has always been difficult for me for whatever reason. So, I’m going to try and correct that by setting aside specific times each week that I will use to update. You may or may not see me update outside of these times, I can’t promise anything. In addition, I’m going to set aside tentative times during the week to try to catch up with everyone else. *Goal: Challenge updates on Mondays and Thursdays @ 7pm (I will start typing up my updates at 7, so expect posts after 7:30pm) *Soft goal: Catch up with others on Sundays and Wednesdays xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx I still have a bit of finalizing to do on the side, so I will not be counting zero week towards the challenge. Anything that I do end up doing this week is a bonus. Down the road I would like to count zero weeks as part of the challenge, but I find that it's a good time for me to do planning. I try to start while the current challenge is going on, but then I get distracted/excited and Ranger BrainTM kicks in. So, at least for the first few challenges that I'm back for, zero week will be a planning week and continuation of the last challenge.

Time to get back on track. 1. Post daily - good or bad. I need accountability. 2. Simple & Sinister - do the S&S program a minimum of four times a week. The complex, changes daily, sport-specific program isn’t getting done. 3. Ride the trainer - zone 2. Build the base and condition the butt. 4. Stop eating after dinner. Pseudo IF to cut out unneeded snackage.

In my last challenge I realized my legalism about sticking to barbell workouts was holding me back. With my current work schedule the way it is I don't feel like I have time to lift (I could make the time, but it would take more willpower than I'm willing to expend) and lately I haven't been. By letting go of powerlifting for the time being, I can give myself permission to do other kinds of strength training. That way they are the goal and not a concession. I'm going to do a mix of bodyweight and kettlebell workouts. Yoga is still going to be around because I feel better when I'm flexible. Intuitive eating is still going to be a thing. I'm also bringing back Goal tracking and signature line check lists. I'm also going to be tracking this during zero week. Goals: Body Weight Workouts: Get 8 done during the challenge Kettle Bell Workouts: Get 4 done during the challenge NF Yoga Workouts: Get 4 done during the challenge Walks: Get 4 2 mile minimum walks in during the Challenge Intuitive Eating: Do it, but don't track it, because that defeats the purpose of intuitive eating. Also make sure I keep cooking. That's pretty short, so here are some gifs.

So for any of you who haven't been following along with the sad saga of Fonzico, I'll recap. I'm stressed AF. My job is a gong show. I am on a year long temporary contract in a position that I really thought I wanted... until I found out that my boss was awful (just constant belittling and microaggression, but never to the point that it sounded like anything if you were to try to bring a complaint forward.) And then the forces that be laid her off... which was good in the sense that I don't cry about work anymore. But bad in the sense that as much as she was a terrible boss, she did actually get work done, and in no way has that man power been replaced. There's a number of other issues with the changes that have been made in my department, but the primary concern is too much work and not enough staff. Also a boss who was saddled with us, who has no idea what we do. Then my contract got extended, so now I'm in this boat until December. Instead of slightly less that 2 weeks from now. When it's up, I get to go back to my old job, which has its pro and cons versus this one, but ultimately will be WAY less stressful and most importantly, can be left at work. Also, my coworker quit, so I also have to train someone new and do all of the work she was doing. Which isn't really possible, so I'll inevitably feel inadequate in the interim. Anyways. That's my major angst right now. It's taking a toll on my mental well-being, so this challenge is all about staying sane. I'll just have 2 weeks left to go by the time this challenge is over! Goal number one: Keep up on the domestic rangering. I absolutely feel the most calm at home when it's tidy. I admit, I'm still trying to fully formulate this goal, but the crux is that if I can keep on top of the kitchen, the living room and the laundry, I will be so much less stressed, and actually able to relax. Neither my hubby nor I are naturally tidy people. We've been living together for roughly 14 years and I AM very proud of how far we've come in our baseline level of cleanliness. So really, the extra steps necessary to keep it just a little bit better are really not that much to ask. For this week, I'm going to try to at least work on one of the three areas each evening, and we'll see how that goes. Goal number two: Workout. Yeah. Get those endorphins going! Minimum goal is 1x per week - I'm back in kettlebell classes, so that's doable. I'm still travelling a lot for work, so it's not really reasonable to demand more than that, but bonus point if I can make a 2nd class in a week, and another bonus point if I do some other kind of workout. Goal number three: Take your damn vitamins. Especially with the early winter we've gotten here, I NEED to be taking vitamin d, and I also try to take magnesium. No excuses for not doing this daily. Come on. Goal number four: Mental Health Goal of the Week. Every week I'm going to set a new goal for this, try it out, see if I like it, see what sticks. I have a list of possible ideas. Bonus efforts: Anything else that I do that contributes to my mental wellbeing gets a bonus point. I have another list for this (which has some cross over with the previous list), but I just want to reward myself for any small steps. In addition to all of the above, I'm still trying to follow a keto diet plan, and lose some weight. My primary focus is on mental health though. MENTAL HEALTH GOAL OF THE WEEK #1: Try to follow an evening routine. I'm less concerned with this being the same thing every day, and more so with trying to make a conscious effort to end my day mindfully and in a way that promotes good sleep. My thoughts to start are: tea and BuJo, mediate, and then read (from an actual book - I usually read books on my phone before bed, which I KNOW is a deplorable habit.). We'll see how it goes and adjust as needed.

In an attempt to learn from last year, where I "failed" (aka dropped out of) challenge after challenge, and proceeded to put ON weight over the summer, I am changing my approach! While it's not summer yet, the busyness is already starting for me, and I find trying to build 4 week challenges that work around all the stuff I have going on is a recipe for failure. Instead, I will be making some longer term goals, trying to check in here fairly regularly, and work more on my over-arching plan! I'm going to go with a 12-week goal format for now. I'll be formally tracking these from April 9th until July 1st, but I'm working on them all now anyways. Goal #1: Stay Keto. This way of eating is REALLY working for me, but I know my biggest struggle will be keeping it up while we're disc golfing/camping most weekends over the summer. I'm going to allow some flexibility while I'm in Mexico (we leave in 9 days!), but after that, it's aiming for <20g of carbs per day, with one higher carb (<30g) day allowed per week. I do have targets for other macros, but in a effort to keep things simple, I'm just going to report my averages each week, reflect on it, and decide what, if any, changes need to be made. Goal#2: Kettlebells I'm hoping to average 2x classes per week. I'm mostly making 3 right now, but it's unsustainable over the summer. With disc golf league night once a week, and the fact that we're going to be gone about 1/2 of the Fridays, I'm down to 1 free evening per week, on a good week. Trying not to make myself crazy. Goal #3: Practice disc golf! My competitive spirit really wants to get better at this... but I can't expect that to happen without putting in the work! Goal is to attend league night (1x week), do field work at least 1x week, and get in 3 additional practice rounds in on non-tournament weeks, 2 on tournament weeks (including the usual Friday night practice on the tourney course) Goal #4: Nourish my marriage I don't want to lose sight of the most important person in my life in the midst of all this self-improvement! I'm going to pick on thing to focus on each week, work on it, and reflect. I have some ideas in the back of my mind, but open to suggestion! Goal #5: Grow our business. With the focus being on the disc golf apparel side of things. This is kind of a monster goal. It involves some one-time things that need to happen, some habits we need to get in to, and some long term goals to achieve... I'm going to make a spreadsheet, and I'll post that when I'm done. I think between all of this, I've got a pretty holistic grasp on the important aspects of my life. The only thing not addressed at this point is the bike commuting that I intend to take up starting in May... I'm going to see how that goes, and maybe add it as a goal later on. I'm also okay with the fact that these are going to ebb and flow as my schedule shifts and changes and fills... and I'm okay with that! The important part is ensuring that I keep my priorities at the forefront, and don't fall back into bad habits. I'm not grading myself, per se, on any of this, but I want to make sure I'm thinking about it, reporting/recording it, and using that data to make decisions about how I spend my time and energy.

Good Morning Beautiful People... I'm back for another tasty challenge and I'm hungry for success! Last challenge was the first decent challenge I've done since 2018 started. I actually kept track of my goals and earned me a level-up to good ole #2 . My mental/spiritual game is strong but my physical game is like little kid tee-ball....it's just not fun to watch. As I continue my "Savage Streaks" on my YouVersion Bible app (I'm up to 79-days in a row with 11 perfect weeks), I want to fortify my "skinny" frame into something on the scale of adamantine. I'm going to manage my time better for starters. My AM workouts are limited because of when I need to be at work, so, I'm going to be moving most of my WOD's to the comforts of my home/living room. That way, I don't have to account for drive time to and from the gym. That means, that'll use the equipment that I have; KB's, battle mace, Indian Clubs and my own sexy bod. Calisthenics and functional training will play a major role this challenge. ALSO... I'm teaming up with the uber talented and sexy Aussie, @Yasha92 to help keep me accountable...because Lord knows I need it. AND... AND...My lovely and jaw droppingly beautiful wife @PrincessMononoke will be coming back to the boards to get her foruming on! We'll both be keeping each other in line as I work to keep her motivated to work on her grind. She's fired up and ready to go! I'm excited about the potential of this challenge, so, won't you join me for a deliciously good time?? Goal 1: Farmer (Walks) in the Dell One of the most torturous, grip draining, core-blasting moves known in the world of fitness. Grab 2 heavy DB's and walk 100 feet and you have yourself a killer workout finisher! I'm making farmer walks an integral part of my challenge and will commit to adding this "fun" exercise at least 1x each week as a WOD finisher. Possible earned points: +3 STR, +1 END Goal 2: No More Cookies! I've been obsessed with these chocolate chip almond cookies we've been making the last 2 months. I've eaten more of these than I have vegetables, and that's not exaggerating lol. Granted, they are a healthier alternative to other cookies, I want to cut these out for this challenge. This is a simple "pass or fail" goal. Possible earned points: +4 CON Goal 3: Strum thy Chords So, Heather bought me a nice acoustic guitar a couple weeks ago...and I've yet to really mess with it. I want to put in some serious practice time learning some of the basic chords and "get gud" over the course of the challenge. Heather says 30 min a day would be a great start so I'll shoot for 30 min a day, 3-4 times a week. We have stuff come up randomly all the time and I think getting in a minimum of 3 days is a solid start. Who knows, I could end up 7-days a week over the course of the entire challenge. That would be the most ideal but I'm gonna give myself some grace. I'm also going to try and record a short video of what I've learned at the end of the challenge to share with you all . Possible earned points: +3 DEX, +1 CHA Goal 4: Dealing with Abibliophobia I don't have a fear of running out of things to read aka abibliophobia, but I do have a crap ton of things TO read right now. Priority #1 is Reading through the "The IVP Intro to the Bible" and dissecting the Good Book through the eyes of a n00b and discussing things with my good pal, @Tanktimus the Encourager. Priority #2 is finishing Sun Stand Still. I'm over halfway done with SSS and will move onto another Steven Furtick book after that. Possible earned points: +3 WIS NOICE! I'm excited about my goals this challenge Hopefully I can fulfill my ambassadorial duties better too. I've truly stunk it up in that department. I end this post with a quote: "Perception is your ultimate reality; even if it's not the ultimate truth. Your reality dictates your actions"- Mike Todd, Senior Pastor at Transformation Church in Tulsa, OK Wolf

I've always both identified with and cringed at Robert Downey Junior's portrayal of Iron Man. The guy obviously has issues with his parents, foods, and alcohol ... issues that he hasn't dealt with because he generally doesn't need to do so most of the time -- but that come back to bite him in the ass repeatedly during the Iron Man and Avengers series. I can relate. For years, I was able to ignore the poor food choice messages and habits I'd gotten from my family of origin, but I recently realized that the past has been dragging me down slowly and inexorably for the past 15 years. I've gone from thinking I'm really in charge of my life and on top of the world... ... to realizing that I need to dial up some major changes and address issues directly before I can make real progress. In my life, the missile has the name of my family of origin on it too. So, this challenge, I'm following the lead of Tony Stark and making some major direction changes in how I approach fitness. First off - I'm going to really focus on changing my eating habits from the ground up. I've been putting bandaids on with minor tweaks. Time to rip off the bandaids and dig into why and when I over eat. I'm going to read Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole M.S. R.D. and dig into why I eat the way I do .... and make changes. But these changes will be different. No restrictions on what, how much, or when I eat. Just paying attention to the hunger signals .... and the ton of "messages" that play in my head from my parents and society about food. I'll try to approach this with the famous Iron Man sense of humor. Second, I'm going to keep an anti-log log about what, when, and why I eat. And how I feel. And what I think about food choices. Yea, I know, logging when I'm doing intuitive eating is kinda breaking the rules. But that's so very like Stark .... And for something really different, I will spend a challenge NOT RUNNING. Seriously, can you imagine Tony Stark running??? In truth, after I get done with the Zombies, Run! virtual race, I need to take a break. Plantar fasciitis is flaring up, and I'm in a mental place where I'm not enjoying running, especially on a treadmill. It's been a long, wet, icy winter, and I'm just ready to do other things, like biking or PiYo or whatever looks fun. 6 days per week. And then, don't faint, I'm increasing strength training to 4 times per week. I've got my kettlebells in the basement and a workout plan for them. And if I want to go to the YMCA, I have two different workouts I can do there. The idea is that I can increase muscle mass while I unscrew my head. If I'm eating a bit more, it has a purpose in a dirty gain. Finally, it is time to SUIT UP!! I've been drifting, work-wise, for a few years, and my wardrobe is ...... patchy. I have come up with a list of items to fill in gaps so that I am professorial on the days that I am in the classroom (MWF) and business casual (jeans) during office days. And .... I'm only sorta keeping score this time. I have a checklist just because it is a way to remember what I planned to do for self-care. But if I am still typing and logging as of the last day of the challenge, I get a new tech toy. Sorry, Pepper. I will get an Aria 2 scale - mostly because I do want to record progress but I am terrible about remembering to log the numbers before I've had my first two cups of coffee. For week 0 Objectives: purchase Intuitive Eating & prepare new affirmations. I requested the book from the library, in the spirit of not buying more things that I need to store or move, but it looks like it is popular and will probably not arrive. So, I'm a gonna order one this week.

*Middle Aged Man in Lycra It’s time to get some miles in. I’ll also be doing this kettlebell endurance program in a last ditch effort to be prepared for the racing season.

February is my least favourite month. I'm usually pretty SAD from the lack of sunlight, the end of Winter in the great white North is no where in sight, and I'm packing on the Winter pudge. WELL NOT THIS YEAR, WINTER! This year, I am stronger and smarter than Winter. This year, I fuel my body, I build muscle and I supplement. This year, I come out of Winter fitter, leaner and wiser than I went in to it. THIS is my year. Keep Calm, Keto On. January's adventures in ketosis were very successful, and I'm not changing much here. I finally found something that works for me, isn't torture-some to keep up, and makes me feel energetic! GOAL ONE: Calories around 1350. Carbs less than 20g Protein between 60-100g Fats less than 120g One point per day per macro hit. A : 105pts B : 95 pts C : 85pts D : 75pts F : 74 pts or less GOAL TWO: Go to kettlebell class. My general goal is 3x per week, but that's lofty. They are very high intensity classes, and if I average around 2.5 classes per week, I'm pretty okay with that. In pursuit of that, I'm going to give myself both a realistic goal and a stretch goal. A+SUPERSTAR: 14 classes A : 12 classes B : 10 classes C : 8 classes D : 6 classes F : 5 or fewer * Prize for A+SUPERSTAR status = fancy-ass dinner (I'm thinking Ribeye neptune, asparagus, wine) and date night in with the hubs. GOAL THREE: Learn some Spanish! We're going to Mexico at the end of March, and I'm trying to brush up on my Spanish using duolingo. I took a year of college Spanish many many moons ago, so I have a but of a foundation. Goal is to earn 30 points in Duolingo every single day. I'm also giving myself a stretch goal on this one. A+SUPERSTAR: 1750pts A : 35 days of 30+pts B : 30 days of 30+pts C : 25 days of 30+pts D : 20 days of 30+pts F : 19 days or fewer * Prize for A+SUPERSTAR status = feeling confident enough to actually try to SPEAK Spanish in Mexico. Maybe some tangible prize TBD. BONUS GOAL: Take your vitamins! I supplement Vit D and Magnesium, and it has made a HUGE difference in my mood! But I forget often. Pretty straightforward. A : 35pts B : 30pts C : 25pts D : 20pts F : 19 pts or less

I'm Brogo. I haven't done an intro in a while. I've been on NF for over 4 years, and if you've seen any of my previous challenges you know fondness for consonances in my titles. I still weigh about the same as I did when I started even though my main goal when I started and often throughout has been weight loss. I mostly try to lose weight by lifting weight. I was a warrior initially, but now I just kinda bounce around from guild to guild trying to maintain a balance of things. I'm a disgraced geneticist trying to fix my situation with underemployment. Right now, I work 30 hours a week in a warehouse, and I'm a full time (12 cr hours) student at a community/tech school (after a PhD's worth of time getting a Master's at one of the best Universities in the world) trying to learn about machining/metalwork and controlling CNC machines to make stuff. I'm also an artist and musician, and I'm trying to get back in shape. Right now, I'm dead set on losing weight. I'm at around 255 and dropping from a bloat at the moment. Pre-Christmas I reached 244, the lowest I've been since I joined NF. I'm going to shoot for a new weight loss PR, and get below 244 during this challenge. The rest is all based on terminal "o" asonances, my growing interest in learning Spanish which my main go to is Duolingo, a slightly older interest in learning to play Flamenco guitar, and my even older appreciation for great Spanish artists, such as: Picasso, El Greco, Joan Miro, etc. Goal 1, Cardio: Go to the gym at least once a week. I have to go at least once within 7 days for each week of the challenge. I can't make up for it, or make excuses on that. Twice a week would be good. Three would be great. Four means I'm probably slacking off on other things. Do at least 2 KB circuits. I've been doing circuits with kettle bells the last couple of workouts. They are kind of a beast, and I sweat and pant like hell. Today's workout was: 3 KB circuits; KB Swings, 2x12kg 10, 20, 20 KB Front Squat, 2x12 kg, 10, 15, 15 KB Press, 2x12kg, 10, 10, 10 Plank (breaths), 10, 15, 15 KB Rows: 2x15kg, 10, 10, 10 Russian twist: 4 kg ball, - -, 10, 10 Jump Rope: (17,20),(13, 20) (- -) No rest until I get through them all if I can help it. I'll continue doing the same or similar with slight variations. Goal 2, Paleo: Well not strict paleo. Here's my rule. I will only eat things I make from scratch, from whole foods and basic ingredients. With that, I can eat bread, but only if I make dough and bake it and shit. Rice and oats are easy to make from scratch, and I know from experience my body handles them well. More often, tho, if I want carbs I'll probably grab a banana. That said, this makes not eating paleo a pain in the ass. So long as I batch cook meat, and keep vegetables and fruits handy I'll be fine. Goal 3, No bebo vino: o cerveza. Alcohol is my perennial nemesis when it comes to weight loss. Extra calories, diminished inhibitions and planning. 1 drink usually becomes 4 or 5. I gotta stop for a bit. Plus I usually have a dry month every year just to prove to myself that I'm not an alcoholic. LUYL 1, Duolingo: Don't break my streak. I've been on Duolingo and done at least one exercise every day for the last 22 days. I want to see if I can maintain it till the end of the challenge. Read one chapter in my Spanish book each week: I also recently bought a set of books and CDs (Living Language, Spanish, Complete Edition) and I should be using that too. Duolingo is great for quick drills, but it doesn't present a whole lot of info or nuanced details of expression and grammar or variation in exercises. So, I need other stuff. Practice Spanish during my commute twice a week: The audio CDs are in my car, and the first one is in the stereo. Just gottta hit play once in a while. If I get bold, maybe I'll start an embarrasingly simple conversation with a Mexican coworker and count that here too. Write a new sentence in Spanish every day, post it here. Just some simple thing I did that day or whatever. I need to practice finding my own words more. LUYL 2, Flamenco: I ordered a new guitar and it is supposed to arrive Thursday. My first nylon string guitar, which is necessary to play flamenco properly. Daily: Fingernail maintenance: Flamenco players depend on long well maintained fingernails to play guitar well. They have to be the right shape to pick the strings, they must be clean with no rough edges, and they must be strong for playing golpe and making other percussive sounds and other fast strumming techniques. This will be done before practice. Daily flamenco practice: 15 min. a day. No excuses. This is really nothing. Once I get going there's a good chance I'll be losing sleep to guitar practice. But, I'm going to stay focused on learning flamenco. No more Metallica and Deep Purple covers. No more noodling around on the same old blues scales. Learn new shit, don't fuck around. Study a new technique every week. New strumming/picking technique, new chord, new scale. The technical stuff. Study a new palo and its compas every week. Flamenco music is made up of a collection of styles, palos, and each has its own compas, the rhythm, meter, and chord changes, that define the palo. LUYL 3, Picasso: There's a lot going on, I don't want to forget about my artwork. Finish one painting or 8 hours of painting (whichever comes first). Aye, Dios mio!

In my past challenges, I have focused on goals for each week or even days at a time. For example, 50 katas a week or 10 kicks a day for five days and it seems that I do good for a week or two or three and then it goes downhill. Seeing how those challenges have turned out, this time around I am going to focus on goals for the entire challenge instead of daily or weekly goals. Since I couldn't really find any gifs of JCVD that fit my goals, him kicking the bad guy from Timecop seems appropriate. 1 - Kettlebell with kicks workout - 14 times Since the kettlebell with kicks training is going well and I am seeing great benefits from it, the new plan is get in 14 kettlebell workouts in four weeks. I would like to do this workout every other day and if I see myself falling behind, I can always catch up. 2 - Karate stance training - 10 times One of the most important things in my Karate training is great stances and I know that they have to improve if I want to be competitive again. My stances are lower than they have ever been but moving forward without bobbing up and down and keeping my posture has eluded me. The plan it to do katas while focusing on the moves between the moves and time on the floor is the only way to improve them. 3 - Mobility or Flexibility - 10 times I feel a little more sore than usual with the cold weather lately and I know that some focused mobility and flexibility training will help counteract the problem. I have a lot of programs to choose from and getting them in before doing the stance training should help that too. Extra Credit - Write four blog posts I am still behind on my writing but the old flame is starting to flare again. Four blog posts isn't much but it will end up being more than I have published in the last six months.

Is anyone planning to participate in the Tactical Strength Challenge? Its a world wide competition that you go to a gym around you and submit your numbers. The events are: Deadlift; 3 attempts at a one rep max Pull ups; 1 attempt at max reps, strict KB Snatch; 5 min max reps each arm I'm planning to go to Victory Fitness in Greenwood, IN to compete.

I have doubts about whether I'm actually equipped to handle life as an adult. It just so happens that it's a start of a challenge. Me vs. Life I'll figure this one out eventually. But nothing to worry about, the only way now is up, so I'm looking to ride this out until I'm able to respawn. In the meantime I'll redirect my focus. DISTRACT ONESELF I have my next 4 weeks of kettlebell training planned out. 12 training sessions total; nothing too crazy. If I can afford it, I'll see how I do at the next NAGA in March. I haven't competed in a while. Plan 801A: 10/12 Because my schedule has opened up, I have time for Jiu-jitsu. I'm looking to get at least 12 BJJ training sessions in this challenge period. BJJ Training: 9/12 Some time ago I signed-up for the Online Trainer Academy. (I also started taking on a few trainees online--ones I didn't have to convince of my worth). It seems like a better choice than just collecting more certs that I wouldn't be able to use because my marketing skills, sales skills, and social skills are abysmal (the troubles of playing a low-charisma character). I have 16 chapters left on the texbook, then I'll start on the online modules. I realize I'm procrastinating, but I want to finish it first because I have no idea what I'm doing and a lot of it is still going over my head. OTA: 30/41