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Heya I'm new to Nerd Fitness and am looking to get involved in the community... I'm a boxer (just starting out again--and struggling to do so--after a very long absence), so I'd love to meet some other NF folks who are into that, but if you're not, that's Okay, too. I have a lot of great friends IRL, but not a lot of friends who are interested in fitness, unfortunately, so I'm reaching out here to see who I can find. Excited to meet you!

Here is a short video on the origin of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a Brazilian martial art that can trace its roots back to Japanese Judo. It is predominantly a grappling martial art. Supposedly self-defense Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu includes striking and disarms, but I've only practiced what would be considered sport bjj. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was popularized by the Gracie family and most people often think of all BJJ practitioners to tracing their lineage back to the Gracies, but this is untrue. Another influential line would be the Luiz Franca line, whose standout student was Oswaldo Fadda. BJJ reached world wide recognition when Royce Gracie won the first Ultimate Fighting Championship defeating larger opponents. It has since become pretty much a pre-requisite for those looking to compete in Mixed Martial Arts.

Are you thinking.... MMA beginners need to change their workout routine?

I sandbagged last quest, so I'm carrying stats over onto this one. Goal this quest: showing up to training and doing what my trainer wants me to do. Create solid habits, No over thinking. Q17.01 Combatives: 4 Q17.02 Cross Training: 2 Q17.03 Mixed Movement Arts: 3 Q17.04 Adulting: 5

Hi friends, It's basically been two years since I've been on the forums... kind of fell off the wagon (not with fitness quite as much as with posting, but there's been some of both) what with college graduation, moving to a new city, starting an Adult Job (sort of), commuting, and trying to find a new routine... But anyway, after being in New York for just over a year now, I finally feel like I'm getting back into the swing of things. Unfortunately, I had to choose between my rock climbing gym that I loved and the boxing/mma gym I joined a few months ago because of cost (I chose boxing), but since the boxing gym is much closer to my apartment, I've been able to go 2-3 times a week consistently, which has meant that I've more consistently been in a better mood since I get incredibly cranky when I don't exercise. I also finally feel like I'm starting to get to know some of my fellow gym-mates (idk what else to call them really) and trainers, which makes me more motivated to go. Some trouble I have been having is with cooking. Mainly that I don't make a ton of time for it, especially since I'm most often cooking for just me. Breakfasts are pretty easy, but for some lunches I've just been doing Soylent, and for dinners I often lean probably too heavily on Trader Joe's frozen Indian dinners. I'm hoping to get some meal prep containers in the near future to convince myself to cook healthy meals for the week in advance, so we'll see if that helps. It'll also save me some money if I manage to do it consistently, which would be great. Other than that, I've been playing lots of Overwatch, Stardew Valley, and Crypt of the Necrodancer! Hoping to post in this thread fairly regularly - see you all around!

So, got laid off for a couple of weeks last round, used the opportunity to build a movement park at my house. Also did a bunch of Adulting. back to work (at the same place), but my new work schedule means a little less time for cross training at work. But I still get to roll/spar on occasion. Combatives: MACP/BJJ/MMA Striking 3 times a week at work (hopefully), Sunday Fight Club (Gracie Combatives/Krav Maga Worldwide) at home once a week. KMW Daily Curriculum on any days missed. Front Site Post eye training 2-5 minutes with bed time routine (not graded). Cross Training: (Tactical Strength and Conditioning (TASC), MovNat Strength and Conditioning) Tactical Strength and Conditioning program at work will probably be only 2 days a week. MovNat Strength and Conditioning at home to make up the difference. Mixed Movement: (running, walking, hiking, balancing, jumping, crawling, climbing, swimming, Parkour, dancing, Capoeira, physical labor, informal training, throwing, catching) Environmental Movement (Parkour/MovNat) integrated into cross training as much as possible. Swimming, Hiking, Working, etc.. movements integrated. Also includes recovery. Adulting: Always struggled with being a grownup. Heroes should do grown up stuff. Q16.01 Combatives: 0 Q16.02 Cross Training: 0 Q16.03 Mixed Movement Arts: 0 Q16.04 Adulting: 0

I'm kinda interested in picking up a martial art to do during the weekend on my off day. Some info about me: I recently started working out. (About two weeks ago) I am a student. Female 5"0' ~43kg What martial arts would you guys recommend? I've never done any sort of martial art before. Thanks for reading!

Finally healed up. So it's time to ease back into awesome. I was watching Captain America: Civil War last week. I noticed that I could name or understand so many of the moves in the movie, it just ratified my quest. While some of my knowledge is from the academic study of things like professional wrestling, free running, or other demonstration/tricking arts, some of the other things are from real experiences or useful training I've had in my life. Clearly I'm not a real super hero/stuntman, etc. I can't do a dash vault or a cong, I can't do a muscle up. I turn 49 in October, here is what I can do that I couldn't do at 47: -I can get over a 10' brick wall quickly but medium efficiency (still requires effort) and down with minimum impact (drop to cat hang) -I can pass a 5' wall/elevation change efficiently with little effort, and minimum impact (drop to cat/gargoyle get down) -I can pass a 3' foot wall one handed in any direction (speed, lazy, turn, etc) with almost no effort. -I can survive a ground and pound from most untrained opponents: I haven't been manhandled by an untrained student in over a year (including ones that are significantly stronger/more athletic than I am). -I can do a cartwheel (standing or from squat). I can do basic Capoeira. -I can break fall or roll out on any surface in any direction with no significant injury. Roll on cement without a scratch, yes. Break fall in grass, yes. Break fall on Cement. Hope to never find out. -I can do a full squat comfortably with about a 1/2" heel raise. May take another year or two to get a$$ to grass flat footed. I can "sit in seiza" for a few minutes without extreme pain, (I can do all the beginning MOVNAT ground positions) -I can block about 80% of strikes from untrained/lightly trained strikers, or even moderately trained strikers at long range (close range boxing range with no takedowns still screws me up). -I'm about as functionally strong as I have ever been: I can safely deadlift/squat/bench my body weight (250) and could probably get 300+ in an emergency. -My practical shooting is maintaining: While better than two years ago, it's no where near my peak. Point shooting is OK (10 yard reflex shoot is still on target). It can still takes me up to two seconds to get a well aimed shot off at 25 yards with conventional iron sites. This Challenge: Combatives: MACP/BJJ/MMA Striking 3 times a week at work (hopefully), Sunday Fight Club (Gracie Combatives/Krav Maga Worldwide) at home once a week. KMW Daily Curriculum on any days missed. Front Site Post eye training 2-5 minutes with bed time routine (not graded). Cross Training: (Tactical Strength and Conditioning (TASC), MovNat Strength and Conditioning) Tactical Strength and Conditioning program at work 4 days a week. MovNat Strength and Conditioning if I miss one at work. Mixed Movement: (running, walking, hiking, balancing, jumping, crawling, climbing, swimming, Parkour, dancing, Capoeira, physical labor, informal training, throwing, catching) Environmental Movement (Parkour/MovNat) integrated into cross training as much as possible. Swimming, Hiking, Working, etc.. movements integrated. Also includes recovery. Adulting: Always struggled with being a grownup. Heroes should do grown up stuff. So, Starting Quest 15.. Q15.01 Combatives: 0 Q15.02 Cross Training: 0 Q15.03 Mixed Movement Arts: 0 Q15.04 Adulting: 0

OK, I did a little better than that, but I still didn't really live up to my own expectations. Howdy, I'm Thrillho. I think I was here last year sometime, maybe the year before, but I am generally over in the Monks' Dojo. I enjoy boxing and MMA, and I've been more focused in slowly reducing my excess weight (down to 255 from 268 so far this year, 238 at my lowest last year and 288 at my highest last year, so... it's a struggle). For this particular challenge, I need to focus more on the strength that my body is lacking. I'm still heavy, but I need to worry less about my weight and more about what my weight is composed of, namely muscle. My lower body is strong and flexible, but my knees are a problem area, particularly with range of motion. I can slowly squat press pretty much the entire stack, and with my legs wide I can squat press the next biggest guy on my gym thrown over my shoulders... but what I CAN'T do is a simple jumping split squat. The speed and co-ordination just isn't there, and if I manage to do it fast enough and high enough my legs give out. My strength is very uneven. I need to fix that. Worse than that, my upper body is quite weak, which is kind of something that a big guy should never be saying. I've been working towards a pullup for the last four years and I keep getting closer but I am still a ways off. I'm not shooting for it THIS challenge (I will be doing it this summer, though). THIS challenge, I am focusing on the shoulders, biceps and triceps, mainly developed through pushups (which I can't do a lot of) and kettlebells (which I keep forgetting I own). So... let's break this down! Challenge #1 - Sproing Not just squats, but jumping squats. Full depth down, full extension up, and knees to my chest while in the air (if possible). Sets and reps to be determined this week, but I already know I can't do A LOT of these in a row. I have good cardio but these will gas me out like nothing else. Challenge #2 - Push'em Ups I think someone from Fedor's camp might have edited that... anyways! Arm strength, as well as the associated shoulder, back and chest strength. The best way to do this for me, at home, without extra equipment? Pushups! Bodyweight. I have no shortage of bodyweight (thank you, belly jiggle). Reps and sets also to be determined this week, but I THINK I can do twelve in a row. Not sure how many I could do for my second set or third. I might just do "as many as I can", and keep track that way. To be updated. Challenge #3 - Pick'em Ups And what is in between those two areas? My core! Specifically my lower back. I'm a big, heavy guy and I spend all day sitting so this is a problem area for me, and when it comes to training and striking that's also a weak spot... the core is the anchor for all head movement and stance switching, and especially for stuffing takedown attempts. The pushups and the jumping squats will help with this somehow, but I will also be incorporating in kettlebell spins and good-mornings, to strengthen that whole area. Spins for time duration (at least five minutes, twice a day, to be determined) and quantity of good mornings to be determined. I don't know what's going on here, but it won't stop me.

Okay, so UFC 196 is over. We saw Miesha Tate finally win the UFC Women's Bantamweight Title. Dana White strongly hinted that the next title shot would go to Ronda Rousey. What do you think? Do you think Rousey should get the next shot, or someone else? I listed the Top 5 Female Bantamweights according to the UFC's site (which still shows Holm as the champ). Ronda Rousey I'd actually prefer to see someone new. I'd also like to see Ronda Rousey in a non-title match. There was also talk of a rematch with Holm. I'd still like to see that fight, but I doubt Rousey wants the rematch as bad as she did when it was for the belt. Holly Holm I'm tired of seeing immediate rematches. At the same time, I don't think it was fair that they were going to give Rousey an immediate rematch after Holm beat her prior to eventually giving the shot to Tate. I want to see champions climb back up and earn their shots. Cat Zingano I like Zingano a lot, but she hasn't fought since she lost to Rousey. I think if you're going to fight for a title you need to be a little more active. Maybe she'll fight Holm or Rousey for the next shot. I know that Rousey beat Zingano in less than a minute, but that could also be nerves and a poor gameplan. I'm down to see them fight, maybe Zingano/Holm would be a nice fight to see. Amanda Nunes I think most people want to see Nunes fight for the belt. She's active, I mean she just fought the same night as Holm and Tate. She beat Sara McMann earlier. So, why not? Julianna Pena She's awaiting a court date last I heard. So I think that this match would be unlikely. Others I also like Jessica Eye. She's decent everywhere and always comes to fight. She's currently ranked #7 and we've seen jumps like that before so it's not far fetched. The only thing that's kind of troublesome is that her record is still not that great.

The MAIN QUEST: I've established the foundation for a life nearly worthy of being called a [barbarian Ranger], but the road is a long and winding one, with many adventures yet to partake of. Queue the added dramatic flair and inspiration of the Warrior Skald. In Dungeons & Dragons, the Skald is what happens when you marry the Barbarian to the Bard while blasting heavy metal music over the mountaintops. Reciting epic verses, chanting magnificent lines, and howling the battle cries of legendary warriors, the Skald is what the Barbarian would be if he carried a banner, electric guitar, and a battle axe as well. He is a Lord of War, and his game is the inspiring of himself and others, such as mine is. Starting weight baseline: 185 lbs. Maximum pull-ups: 12 strict. Next goal: 15. Double-unders Combo: 22 consecutive. * * * TRAIN IN THE GLADIATOR’S SANCTUM (+2 DEX, +2 STA) “I never saw a man fight as Conan fought. He put his back to the courtyard wall, and before they overpowered him the dead men were strewn in heaps thigh-deep about him. But at last they dragged him down, a hundred against one.” – A Witch Shall Be Born, 1934. Goal: Mess with the best, die like the rest. Attend one martial arts class per week; Krav Maga, MMA or other.Bonus Adventure: Hone those Barbarian combat skills through a Darebee martial arts/weaponry workout. UNLOCK THE SECRETS OF THE SPIRIT LODGE (+2 DEX, +2 STR) “In so narrow a cleft, his foes could come at him only one or two at a time – provided they did not scale the cliff to attack him from above, or to get behind him, and provided they had no bows and arrows. Conan was wearing no armor, and he knew that not even his panther-like agility would enable him to dodge arrows loosed at close range.” – Conan and the Spider God, 1980. Goal: Train that panther-like agility and loosen up my overworked bulk by completing one Yoga session per week, plus additional Barbarian Ranger accessory work (double-unders, ring dips, muscle-ups, pull-ups)Bonus Adventure: Despite the winter chill, get some fresh air while enjoying a session of Ranger Yoga in the wilds. VISIT ‘THE FILTHY ANIMAL’ (+1 CON, +1 WIS, +1 CHA) “He was concerned only with the naked fundamentals of life. The warm intimacies of small, kindly things, the sentiments and delicious trivialities that make up so much of civilized men's lives were meaningless to him. A wolf was no less a wolf because a whim of chance caused him to run with the watch-dogs. Bloodshed and violence and savagery were the natural elements of the life Conan knew; he could not, and would never, understand the little things that are so dear to civilized men and women.” – Beyond The Black River, 1935. Goal: It's time to eat like a Barbarian. I will track and report Eat To Perform macros and calories for accountability. Attempt one new exotic recipe per week.Bonus Adventure: Warm-up that Wilderness Lore trait to conduct a wilderness survival scenario. AT DAY’S END :: THE DAILY QUESTS (+2 WIS, + 2 CHA) “Let me live deep while I live; let me know the rich juices of red meat and stinging wine on my palate, the hot embrace of white arms, the mad exultation of battle when the blue blades flame and crimson, and I am content. Let teachers and priests and philosophers brood over questions of reality and illusion. I know this: if life is illusion, then I am no less an illusion, and being thus, the illusion is real to me. I live, I burn with life, I love, I slay, and am content." - Queen of the Black Coast, 1934. Goal: After a long day of harrowing adventure, I share the exploits of my daily activities, including any Domestic Rangering, and track my Daily Quests / To Do List. * * * CHALLENGE INSPIRATION: This long-ranging Barbarian now stalks the wilds of Azeroth. Pairing the woodsy, earthen scents of cedar wood, birch bark, and smoldering tobacco from the highlands of World of Warcraft aside an exotic mélange of heady urban musk, notes of amber, bourbon vanilla, and roughly cured leather from Conan the Barbarian, you’ll have a unrestrained, fierce palate prepared for any quest. With just a hint of Spartacus upon the finish, this challenge will leave you with a profound feeling of satisfaction and a driving thirst for adventure! In keeping with the Golden Age of the Barbarian, my overarching theme for 2016, we’ll be keeping the momentum rolling with another savage challenge. I will overcome the bleak midwinter doldrums with BLOOD & THUNDER! Inspiration is everything, and I aim to become a BAMF the likes of which the world has never seen before. Let's do this.

... so this last year didn't exactly end on a high note. Dammit, Thrillho, we talked about this... It wasn't all bad! I got to spend a lot of time with my kids, we got to go sledding quite often and we played a lot of board games, and we had a pretty awesome and quiet Christmas at home, without any ridiculous northern Canadian mid-winter travelling (except when we got snowed in at my sister's during a freak storm for two days... which was actually still kind of awesome.) That said, I was sick almost literally from the first day of vacation until... yesterday. I exercised almost less than zero times. I ate like someone was going to take it away from me (they might have! No point taking any chances, right?) I really enjoyed my whisky, and all of the cheese I was consuming helped to soak up any negative effects from the hangovers. So I'm basically starting 2016 about as fat as I've been since BEFORE 2015. Not an auspicious start. So listen up, fruit cup! I ain't saying this twice! I've got eleven weeks from today until the Tiger Balms. That's about, what, two and a half challenges under the new system? That sounds pretty good to me. I think this is going to be a bit of a 'warmup' challenge anyways, while I turn myself around and try to develop some new habits. Some of those habits have already started... I made hummus and guacamole today so I can actually have a snack that's kind of sort of healthy, and they're both great additions to my wraps. I've got a turkey vegetable crock pot thing going to keep me in meals all this week. Back at the gym tomorrow morning, and MMA tomorrow night. And perhaps most excitingly, my Creative Writing course at the university starts Wednesday evening. Creative Writing? You're paying someone to tell you why the curtains were blue? Shut up, Titus. All of those inspirational memes with bullshit platitudes posted over blurry landscape photography that tell you to follow your dreams now and that things will always be difficult? They're kinda right, in a way. So this is my way of actually lighting a fire underneath myself to try and follow my dreams This course is the Tiger Balms of my artistic creativity. Even if I crash and burn and fail (which I may very well do at the Tiger Balms), it will still be something that I chose to do, and that I attempted. If I didn't do something just because there was a chance I would fail, then I would never do anything. Correction: I would CONTINUE never doing anything. So we're turning that around in 2016. On with the challenges! Thrillho's Neverlution Challenge #1 - Working Out Alone I have a punching bag and stand in my basement. I have weights, I have kettlebells, I have pads and wraps and gloves and pretty much everything else any decently motivated individual needs to turn themselves into a beast. That said, I also have a couch with blankets and I have three televisions with functioning remote controls, so those weights and kettlebells and things hardly ever get used. I work out at MMA because I'm in a class full of people, I work out at the gym because I have to take my son for his physio, and I work out when my wife's friend comes over to work out because they need someone there to keep them on track. But I don't work out when I'm alone, even when I have free time and nothing to do. I find reasons and excuses and distractions, and while nearly all of them are things that I CAN do and some even NEED to be done, they don't need to be done RIGHT THAT SECOND. I can be honest enough with myself that there are enough slack minutes in my home life that I can work out. Quite a lot. And I need to start doing that. (I think my last challenge had this, and I failed miserably.) Work out at home 3x a week (morning or night, doesn't matter)Work out for at least 30 minutesWork up a decent sweat Seems pretty easy when you spell it out like that, huh? Dumbass. Thrillho's Neverlution Challenge #2 - Proper Diet And Supplements Eleven weeks isn't a lot of time, but I can do a lot. I lost 20 lbs in only six weeks for Ellismania, and that wasn't really REALLY trying too hard. Salad wraps and blue cheese and eggs and laying off the carbs, and switching to green and black teas... it's amazing what you can do. But I need more than just weight loss for this challenge (since the weight classes are very accomodating), I also need muscle building. Protein after workouts is important. Creatine for recovery is important. I splurged a little bit and got some of the Onnit supplements recommended by pretty much everyone I know, and I'll be test-driving those all through the month of January (T+ and Shroomtech). Not nearly as concerned about weight as I am concerned about proper fitness, energy levels and a well-functioning system of mighty organs. Take my T+ and Shroomtech before every workoutTake my protein and creatine after every workout, and protein after MMANo empty breakfast carbsNo more work lattes (tea with one sugar cube is acceptable)No more tasty, tasty dessertsSmall dinners Ask your doctor if Getoffyourassadone is right for you! Thrillho's Neverlution Challenge #3 - Stretching and Flexibility One thing I don't do nearly enough of is stretching. In December, while I was at MMA before my body and life went to hell, I would start every class with inverted wall splits, back arches and wall-assisted handstands. I noticed improvements almost immediately, especially regarding balance, footwork and hip flexibility. Naturally these all stopped when I was no longer attending classes, even though I have more than enough room in my basement to pull this off. Heck, I have a huge wall next to my bed. I could do all of these when I get up and when I go to sleep. And it's about time I started. Stretching in the mornings, especially before workout days. EVERY DAY.Stretching in the evenings, especially after MMA nights. EVERY DAY.Attempted wall-assist handstands every day. 10 times or 10 minutes. Are a man's hips supposed to do that, Thrillho? Thrillho's Neverlution Lifestyle Challenge - Writing Always the biggest one, and yet the smallest one. I have a desktop. I have a laptop. I have a tablet. I have a phone. And yet, most of the writing I do is in my little notebooks when I;m at gymnastics with the girls or when I'm waiting to pick my son up from HIS MMA classes. Because any time I settle down to do some writing, there's always more things that need to be done on my computer... like idlegames. And organizing my music. And posting on NF. Or heck, maybe just watching something dumb on YouTube. There's always something to distract me. Which is a cruel irony, since the only thing I want to do when I'm working, or driving, or cleaning, or otherwise occupied, is write! I have all these great ideas when I'm in bed or when I'm in the shower or when I'm shovelling the driveway (Canada, hello), but at best I jot down a few core concepts and then goof off. When I do write, it's never anything 'serious', for various definitions of that loaded word, but just something silly to amuse me. But I've got a writing course coming up, and I'm assuming I'm going to need to write something for it. I know how much I can write when I put my mind to it, so it's about time I fill up the remainder of my silly free minutes with words, words, words. Attend every writing class, even if you're really sleepy and can make it up with the online webinarWrite at least 500 words per day (1000 always seems daunting, while 500 always seems super easy... but 500 might get done)Try to read what OTHER people are writingDownload and listen to "The Next Chapter" podcasts, at least once per day (CBC, amazing show all about writing)The podcast one might seem strange, but it's super inspiring to actually hear other writers talk about their craft. I want to be like that. Stretching, supplements and words? Oh yeah. Your life is real hard, buddy. It might not be that hard, but that doesn't mean it's easy. The easy road is always the road of sitting and letting life pass you by. Maybe you move your lawn chair so an overpass shields you from the sun by the freeway of life, but that's just putting in the bare minimum of effort to make your laziness that much more bearable. I'm 35 and I'm pretty sick of saying that I'll have time when I'm older. When the bills are paid off. When the kids move out. When I get into shape. When I finally have free time. Because it's been thirteen years and I'm still saying it. Teenaged me would dickpunch current me without a second thought. And he'd be right. Viva la revolucion.

I was going to do a theme, but then I didn't. Might add one as this week progresses, might just work on one for next challenge. Anyways, the next couple months are going to be in a state of uncertainty. My gf is in the process of buying a house back where I grew up and as things are heading into deeper waters I am looking for a job back there with the intent of moving. With that I'm going to step out of the gym and use the challenge I created for the doodlies as an impetus to start training at home with the limited equipment I have. Back to the stone age. Unfortunately it is winter here in the Midwest so most of my training will be indoors forcing me to improvise. Goal 1: Strength train 3x/wk. Most of this will obviously be bodyweight training but will also do NF yoga to work on limbering myself back up as I let my flexibility fall way too far from back in my Martial Arts days. I'm also planing on starting with my combative training. Goal 2: Cardio 3x/wk. HIIT will be my mainstay here. I'm going to see if I can jump rope in my bedroom in the basement, if so that will also become a staple of my training. . Goal 3: Eat Primally 6x/wk. Chicken, fish, eggs, bacon, veggies, etc. I'm going to stay away from any processed food or drinks. Except black coffee and unsweetened tea. The two biggest speed bumps will be cheese (I'm not going to completely cut this out just cut way back) and bread. I'm usually good with bread but sometimes I will eat a loaf in 3-4 days with copious amounts of peanut butter.

I think I am finally ready to set myself some goals and stick to them. I want to feel strong and fierce, but after my most recent vacation and minor injury, I'm not where I want to be. That will change and it starts now. The only challenge I set myself here is that I endeavor to do a challenge in each camp on NF, even though I identify with Monks the most. At the end of all that, I should be ready for my ultimate goal: Spartan Sprint 2016. Here's what my standard workout schedule looks like: Monday: muay thai/combatives Tuesday: fitness kickboxing Wednesday: muay thai/combatives Thursday: fitness kickboxing/private training Friday: muay thai/combatives I sometimes will alternate, where instead of Friday I will do Saturday morning fitness kickboxing. Yes, I'm addicted to working out May the odds be ever in my favor! Ps. Don't expect daily updates. My life isn't exciting enough to do that

Hey everyone, My names Mike Caulo, pumped to be apart of the Rebellion... So I am 28 years old, a Health and Fitness business owner and Amateur Martial Artist looking to get back to fighting in 2016. I took 2015 off after struggling through 2013-2014 with 8 herniated discs that are fight related. I originally started seriously competing in Martial Arts when I was 12 years old in TKD but after a few years of competition and realizing the future as a martial artists as a sustainable career wasn't realistic I turned to athletics and school. As an athlete i have never been anything special but when I have a passion I will busy my A$$. I have always been chubby and overweight as a kid and teen, however when I turned 16 years old I was cut from my varsity baseball team and decided enough was enough. That year I went from 230lbs at around 25% body fat and 5'11'' to 155lbs 18% body fat. I ate relatively clean with a caloric intake of 2500 calories, ran everyday and lifted. I realized very quickly however I wasn't doing the right combination of habits to reach my goals or being strong, lean and athletic. Fast forward a couple years I am 19 years old about 180 lbs 16% and was going to Stony Brook Unviersity for Athletic Training. I discovered a local bjj club off campus and immediately fell in love with martial arts again. After a year or so of dedicated training I decided that I wanted to be a pro fighter and with the support of my coaches and teammates I packed up everything, left college in my junior year and moved to Las Vegas. I spent about a year out there and trained with some of the best in the world at Xtreme Coutures, Drysdale JJ, Mark Beecher Muay Thai and Gil Martinez Boxing Club. While out in Vegas I also started blogging about my life of a fighter and BOOM I indirectly started my company The Life of a Fighter Ltd, which is now a health and fitness website. Anyways I really started getting the ball rolling in the fight world, I got picked up by Prilosec OTC as a sponsor, moved back to NY and started taking fights. I know you maybe asking why did I leave Vegas, but for me as great as the training was the lifestyle outside the gym just wasn't cutting it for me. Most people living in Vegas don't really take care of themselves... plus I am an italian home body that missed my family and friends. Honestly I also saw that even though Vegas was great we had just as good if not better training in NY. So with more connections back home, more support and a little more of a financial stable situation I came back and worked the amateur circuit. From 2010 to 2014 I had 4 sanctioned MMA fights 2-2 and 2 sanctioned muay thai fights 2-0 with some boxing and kickboxing smokers mixed in, a few grappling superfits and about a dozen or so grappling tournaments. So I was competing, growing and staying busy. Throughout it all I was taking a lot of abuse from the constant training and competing. Eventually found out I had 8 herntiations and with a focus in 2015 of rehab and treatment have gotten that down to 2 herniations. That brings us to current day, I am a full time student finishing my bachelors degree from Stony Brook in Bio, Soc and Bus since i cam not fighting currently, plus running my business and working with a hand full of clients because I just love working with dedicated people. I am always looking to join great health communities for motivation, sharing knowledge and nerding out. If there is any fellow martial artists out there, hit me up and if you can recommend a good forum thread, I'd appreciate it.

Hi everyone. I haven't been training seriously for atleast 3 years now and it is starting to show. So I decided to get back to it, by going for a powerlifting program + some running with my SO. And I am stoked, since I haven't done a serious program with deadlifts in 5 years or more, something that sucks since deadlifts is by far my favourite. This is my status as we speak: Height: 170cm. Weight: 76Kg, - 1RM bench: 90kg. - 1RM squat: 110kg. - 1RM deadlift: +/- 150kg (Will update this one when I have brushed up on my technique. Haven't dared to go all out). Goals by summer: - 1RM bench: 110kg. - 1RM squat: 130kg. - 1RM deadlift: 180kg. - Healthier diet + less bodyfat. I might change my goals depending on how fast I progress. I'm considering to use a 3 split, since school/work takes a lot of my time. I just have to find the right one, I have one that I'm thinking about. I would post it here for feedback, but it is in norwegian so I might have to translate it first. If there is any questions just ask, Regards Stian Ps: I hope my english is understandable, it is not my native tongue.

Here I am for another rodeo. Yeeeehaaaw! *coughcough* Sorry, my bad. After a first time that didn't go so well I am back and ready to actually accomplish some goals. Without further ado: MAIN QUEST Two weeks ago I threw out my back and couldn't move for a week. Heck, I could barely sit in one place for longer than an hour. It meant that I couldn't work out the way I usually do. Then came a week-long vacation filled with deep-fried fish and chips intermitten with other delicious but unhealthy food. Work out? What work out? In the end I put on 5lbs and lost all definition in my muscles (arms and abs in particular). GOAL: Lose 10lbs (CHA +2) Current weight: as of this morning, I am at 185lbs (ugh, I almost cried when I saw that) Goal weight: 175lbs QUEST #1: The moment I loosened up my eating habits my body immediately started feeling worse. When I tried Paleo, I felt like a goddess. I endeavor to cleanse my body and get back on the wagon. GOAL: Keep Paleo diet for 6 weeks (CON +2 STA +2) Stipulation: It is impossible for me to do kickboxing/muay thai without some extra carbs (and I hate the sweet potato) so I will be eating one regular potato before a workout each day. I will allow myself one non-Paleo meal a week. 100%-76% full marks 75%-51% (CON+1 STA +1) less than 50% no marks QUEST #2 I live in Colorado where constant hydration is key. When I add the intensity with which I exercise, I really need a lot of water to replenish my reserves and stay properly hydrated. Sadly, I'm usually severely dehydrated. GOAL: Drink 128oz of water per day (CON +2 WIS +2) Current drinking habits: about 60oz a day First 3 weeks: consistently drink 90oz/day Last 3 weeks: consistently drink 128oz/day 100%-76% full marks 75%-51% (CON+1 WIS +1) less than 50% no marks QUEST #3 I signed up for a 5K run this October and I want to run it without having to stop. GOAL: Run 3 times a week (STA +5) I will be using Couch to 5K as a guideline for my training. Schedule - Sunday morning - Tuesday afternoon - Friday evening 3 days +5 2 days +3 1 day +1 End of week 2: I have to admit that I can't do the running challenge due to a minor injury to my ankle and a bunion flare-up in my right leg. That being said, I still want to do something that will help me improve my stamina. Enter Airdyne. Goal: Do 9 minutes of HIIT on Airdyne 2 days a week (+5 STA) 3 x 3 minute sets, one (1) minute rest in-between Set: 30 seconds @ 70 RPMs 30 seconds @ 35 RPMs Most probable days: Tuesday & Thursday 2 days: full marks 1 days: +2 STA 0 days: no marks Mini-quests: Week 1: SMART goals WIS +1 (COMPLETE) - see just below Week 2: Making friends CHA+1 (COMPLETE) Week 3: The Library CHA +1 (COMPLETE) Week 5: The Cafeteria CON+1 (COMPLETE)

Hi! I'm curious as to the pros and cons of the low guards ("forward" hand at waist level) that a lot of fighters use, what are the pros and cons of such a guard? Is the guard still viable in martial arts other than boxing? That allow for kicks? Take-downs? Thanks in advance for any answers! Pierre

Unraveling the secrets of others to find the self.... stats: Male Height: 6' Weight: 199 (this can change weekly) bf%: 14%(checked with calipers yesterday) 1.FLEX: not that type of flex. I’m not very flexible. Like, NOT AT ALL. And after following Shaarawy last challenge, found myself inspired by her “in the name of flexibilityâ€. My excuse for not stretching or something is that I’m very short on time. So, my goal this challenge is to find either an entry level yoga dvd, chart, something and do it at least 10-15mins of stretching at least 2 times a week. I don’t care if they’re on consecutive days, or separated by 4 days. Just gotta do at least 2 days. That’s’ literally like 30 mins a week. 2. Hulk up: I truly miss lifting weights. I do a ton of body weight stuff during the week for MMA training. It keeps me in shape. I’ve gotten much leaner doing this. But, I still miss picking stuff up. What I want to do for this is either at my current gym, or another, lift weights twice a week doing a 2 day split 5/3/1 program as suggested by the Warriors Q&A board (plus Darwin’s Demon seemed to enjoy it and saw some good progress), all the while still training in MMA. However, if I’m seriously training in MMA this may not be very feasible. So, after a few weeks i will re-evaluate this and see if i need to nix or change it…I just really don’t wanna. 3.H2O: I think most people THINK they drink enough water on a daily basis, but don’t. Admittedly, I did this last challenge. Also, I got the idea from Spark. And with the warmer months finally coming around, it’s kind of important. So I must drink ¾-1 full gallon of water every day. 4.Unleash the Beast (life quest): now that my band has played out, looking to book more shows soon, we need things to promote ourselves. And potentially make a profit. What better thing than our own music? Goal for this is probably the simplest, book a date in the studio to record 4 new tracks. Also, look into other types of merch to sell, as well as contact folks for help with artwork for T’s, EP covers, etc.

ABOUT ME Apparently I've finished my recruitment, so it's time to switch "teams" and see how you guys are doing! I'm brand new on NF. Successfully completed my first challenge and even tho I'm not close to fighting I've always have a weakness for martial arts. Personally I have a Judo background, but got intrigued by MMA a few years ago. Living in Holland (yes, that's in Europe), the options of getting MMA training is limited to just a few schools, but that's all something for the future. Despite me losing quite the weight and fat in my previous challenge (due to semi-heavy training + change in nutrition), I'm far off from my target body shape goal. I've approximately another 14% body fat I would like to burn (currently around 29% ish) and would like to drop some weight while doing that if I can. Therefor, this challenge I aim to get fitter, get stronger and increase my mobility, so I get in a better shape so eventually I can focus on joining an MMA gym to start training. Might be useful to add that I'm not planning to actually fight or perform MMA, I would just like to train for it, cause I like the workouts, the sport and the level of fitness it requires. THE CHALLENGE Guess this is where it all comes down to, isn't it? For the upcoming weeks I'm planning to increase my strength, improve my physique and improve my mobility. How? This is how! Main quest – Become the 'fit' in 'misfit' Ultimately this is my goal, to look awesome. It's work in progress, but ultimately this is where I want to "end". As said: Being fit isn't a goal, it's a way of life. Won't rate myself on this one as I do not expect to make this in the next few weeks. However, improving my measurements, weight and reducing body fat would surely motivate me a lot! Sub quest A – Improve Strength! (+5 STR) During the upcoming weeks I'll focus on improving my strength by following the 5x5 Stronglifts program. I have started by tasting the weightlifting exercises for a few times now, to get my form as decent as possible, but there's still work to be done here (especially on deadlifts). I'll bother you guys with formcheck-requests and to whine about whenever I weren't able to make my 5x5 reps. Rate: A - 100% - in case I perform the exact 5x5 routine 3 times a week during the entire challenge. B - 75% - in case I perform the exact 5x5 routine 2 times a week during the entire challenge. C - 50% - in case I perform the exact 5x5 routine 1 time a week during the entire challenge. D - 25% - in case I perform the exact 5x5 routine for only part of the duration of the entire challenge. F - 0% - in case I don't 'downgrade' weight when I'm supposed to in any part of the 5x5 Stronglifts during the challenge. Sub quest B – Improve Physique! (+3 CON / +2 CHA) Started all of this on February 1st, 2015. I've decided that enough was enough and I measured a body fat percentage of 34,70%. For some that might be a huge percentage, for others not so much. Well, for me, it's quite a lot. I'm sick of it and doing whatever I can to get fitter. I've changed up my diet, work out a couple times a week and I want to see that fat disappear. Rate: A - 100% - in case I lose 2,5% body fat during this challenge. B - 75% - in case I lose 2,0% body fat during this challenge. C - 50% - in case I lose 1,5% body fat during this challenge. D - 25% - in case I lose 1,0% body fat during this challenge. F - 0% - in case I lose less than 1,0% body fat during this challenge. Subquest C – Improve Mobility! (+2 DEX / +2 STA / +1 WIS) During the 6 weeks I will do something to improve my mobility at least 5 (!!) times a week. This might include (but is not limited to) attending yoga classes, doing mobility exercises post-workout, doing mobility exercises at home, reading up on mobility articles to increase my knowledge. Rate*: A - 100% - in case I work on my mobility 5 times a week. B - 75% - in case I work on my mobility 4 times a week. C - 50% - in case I work on my mobility 3 times a week. D - 25% - in case I work on my mobility 2 times a week. F - 0% - in case I work on my mobility zero or 1 times a week. * Rating will be awarded on a weekly base. In case I make it 5 times in week 1 and 4 times the other 5 weeks, I'll be awarded as: 100 + 75 + 75 + 75 + 75 + 75 = (475 / 6) = 79,1% = B. Rating / When am I succesful Ideally I can earn 100% x 3 subquests. If I make it an average of 75% I'll consider this challenge a success. If I make less than 75%, shame on me. MY STATS MY PERSONAL RECORDS To be announced after 1st challenge day (April 13th, 2015)

A common nubie issue in any practical kicking art is getting a result from the kick while still staying standing. learning what kicks you could execute in the real world TODAY and what kicks you cannot yet. So, as I work on my offensive mid kicks (like Machete and many others speak about), I still think one of my most important kicks are defensive push kicks (or Thips in Muay Thai). I took one Muay Thai class, and the teach had me lean back during a Thip. I got amazing power and I felt more balanced. I felt this was a nubee move I could use in the real world defensively. All instructors after that have told me to stay upright, traditional north Asian (K1) front snap kick set up. It seems to me that you kind of have to commit to a "push" kick, and in any martial art pushing rear and side kicks T the ground, so why wouldn't a front push kick? Here is a Krav Maga guy talking about the same concept. KM is a great community for working out what nubs can do vs what blackbelts/MMA fighters can do. Any thoughts from people who have done competitive kick boxing of some sort? (K1, Muay Thai, KM, etc..) Should I keep training with the lean back/hip thrust? P.S. I have only about 5 hours of Muay Thai/MMA style striking, probably combined 1 hour on kicking. It seemed like I was getting different advice on how to do a "Muay Thai" kick, and I was actually getting advice on how to do several different "Muay Thai" kicks. Perhaps this is what's happening.

And so it begins. It has been more than a year since a man has stepped inside the cage. I think it's about time I got face-punched again. THE QUEST 1. Science: Watch and study Demian Maia's Science of Jiu-Jitsu vol. 7-13. (+4 WIS) 2. Vertical: Train stand-up 3x a week. (+4 DEX) 3. Horizontal: Planche variation 4 minutes a week. (+2 STR, +2 DEX) SIDE QUEST Read The Tao of Jeet June Do by Bruce Lee (+3 WIS) THE MOTIVATION "Don't tell me how well you fight, or how great your teacher is, or brag about your style. Gongfu - two words: Horizontal. Vertical. Make a mistake - horizontal. Stay standing and you win."

...You see what I did there? With the title? And the theme...? I think I deserve a pat on the back. Go ahead. Pat me. For this challenge, I return to the Rangers, simply because my focus isn’t solely on martial arts this go. I have a bit of variety planned, and the Rangers were who I started with, and where my heart belongs <3 MAIN QUEST Boost my personal confidence and build muscles while reducing my daily stress levels to encourage a healthy overall change to my health and mind. Goal 1 Complete 3 Les Mills COMBAT workouts a week. The hubs and I will workout together 3 days a week with COMBAT. I will focus on my form, particularly with my kicks, where I continue to struggle. Goal 2 Track daily for 6 weeks in My Fitness Pal. I will log in every day and log what I eat to the best of my ability, working toward increasing my protein intake and reducing my carb intake. Goal 3 Complete 3 Les Mills PUMP workouts a week. This is where it gets hard. I have to be a self-motivator again, as I will be doing PUMP on my own three days a week. It so much easier when the hubs comes home and says “LET’S DO THIS!†than when I come home and say “Oooh, yay!! Couch!†SIDE QUESTS Life I need to find things to keep my ass off the couch as winter approaches. Because… Winter Is Coming. I have a few tasks I want to complete as life goals in this quest – I want to go through my closet and remove what I don’t wear and donate it. I want to reorganize the kitchen cupboards. I want to do a basic cleaning of my house every Sunday. If those three things are accomplished in these six weeks, my life side quest will be complete. Fitness I’ve got PUMP and COMBAT covered, but I want to also work on Hoop Dance more than just the one day a week I attend class. My goal will be simple. To have ONE additional day a week that I take the time to practice what we learned in class each week. This might get hard, since I have low ceilings and it is getting cold outside, but I will do my best to at least practice turns and isolations. MOTIVATION My motivation… is me. It sounds odd, but I started losing my confidence in myself in the last month or two. It was going so well. I was losing weight, building muscle and I felt awesome! But it was important for me, I think, to realize that those things didn’t make me a better or worse person. Having gusto and determination and a good heart filled with positive energy do… and I build all of that up through working on my physical self to that I can vibrate that on a more – dare I say – spiritual level. My motivation is believing in myself. That I can, and I WILL, do what I put my mind to.

Hello There! So I took a stab at this once but had too many forums and apps to keep up with so this time its just here and small updates to my academy battle log. Main Quest: To lose fat, gain strength, and feel better about my body. I used to have a number in mind, and a size but I think for now I would like to focus on the process more than the end result. Missions: -Get 10k steps at least 4 days a week via my fitbit for tracking. (Graded weekly, A=4+, B=3, C=2, F=-2) -Get in 3 dedicated workouts per week (crossfit, dumbbell division/cross training at home, or a new exciting class at the gym). (Graded weekly, A=3+, B=2, C=1, F=-1) -Track all my meals via two grand, (Graded weekly, A=100-95%, B=95-76%, C=75-60%, F=-60%). This will also help me work towards the 80/20% healthy choices balance. Life Quest: To try out the MMA intro class as well as some martial arts classes at my gym. My Motivations: I've always been chubby, and was raised in a family where healthy choices were broccoli drenched in cheese. I want to have the knowledge to teach my one day kids how to be healthy and not have to struggle like I have. And I want to get my body to a state that I can be proud of. The Obstacles and Helpful Things: Obstacles will mainly come from my home/boyfriend. As much as I love the guy he has an insane metabolism and could eat pasta every day. I do not have that super power so I will need to find a happy medium and make sure I portion control well when we do eat heavy dinners. My work tends to have potlucks monthly, its always unhealthy food, and they tend to be mandatory. I will need to portion control, and look for the healthiest options available (aka. Say no to the Mac and cheese). Holidays are coming up which was always associated with stuffing myself full of food as a kid. I had a very bad sprain and am still recovering, I need to watch and listen to my body so that I don't reinjure myself or harm it more. The Helpful Things: I am already in the habit of cooking at home almost every day, and also can easily say no to lunches out with coworkers. I am taking part in a 3 month weight loss challenge at work where I weigh in weekly, this should help keep me on track with goals. I already love to work out, I just need to work on a set schedule and stick with it. I will be back tomorrow with my proper weight and measurements, didn't have time this morning before work. While I had to start this a day late due to traveling all day yesterday I am ready and excited!

Hi to all! I am signing up for my first NF Challenge! i'm pretty excited about this as i think it may help me over the next months, and maybe my whole life. I am a big LoTR fan and i love the concept of going on a Life Quest with you guys! I am a student in the last year of my bachelor's degree (Landscape Architecture) and well, it's tough, on the mind, on the body, and i find myself slipping, even as i can see the end of the tunnel... I have a busy schedule (like many of us, i know) but as a student i have to work on the side to earn "survival" money and i bring loads of work home with me in the evenings and week ends. Time off and vacation are something i have very little of in general. I am lucky enough to be a reasonably healthy person but i find i am not able to focus properly on my daily tasks. I procrastinate quite a bit when i should be working on an assignment. My mind keeps wandering to "unimportant" things... I struggle to keep up with everything... So you may say : this is a FITNESS challenge, not a motivational course... this is not the right place... adding extra work is not going to help... I thought so too, but i find that keeping in physical shape helps the mind focus, keeps the brain more efficient, and makes me keep a tighter schedule. If i don't have some form of physical activity, i just go insane... but i need DISCIPLINE So, i signed up recently for martial arts at Fight Move Academy near where i live. I really wanted to do MMA - the toughest thing there is. (i have done Nin jutsu and Kung fu, and rugby too) I tested a course and had to admit i don't have enough experience and chose to do Muay Thai to start with. I've been training for a few weeks now and i just - love -it! It's keeping me fit, and full of energy - i feel i can actually DO more stuff, even if i have less time! So now that you have some background, here are the objectives: MAIN QUEST: Forge overall discipline QUEST 1 : keep up the daily/weekly rituals i have already set up : morning workout and meditation. Muai Thai training twice a week minimum. QUEST 2 : spend minimum 2 serious hours each day on my course work. With NO procrastination. QUEST 3: minimum 6 hours sleep every night LIFE QUEST : Short term : Get my degree - Get good enough to train in MMA Long term : forge self discipline MOTIVATION : my motivation for this challenge is to discipline myself into keeping a healthy balance between my physical, mental and financial health. I need to get stuff done but i don't want to ruin myself doing it. Better discipline will help me optimize time and energy. I hope this challenge will help me get better! So cheers to all who are signing up for the challenge i hope we all get better at living a healthy and fulfilling life! V