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12 Week Hypertrophy Quest Quest Goals: 1) Increase Muscle Mass 2) Decrease BF% 3) Increase Strength In All Lifts Overview/Details Each working set should be performed to near failure with 12 being the most reps you should perform and 6 being the lowest. This workout utilizes supersets.Take a 1 minute break between each superset. Supersets are grouped by letter before them. See Quest Objectives for context. Increase weight on each set by at least 5lbs. Increase weight from week to week as well. By the end of the 12 weeks, you should be 10lbs+ stronger in many lifts. This program can be repeated with endless variation. If you begin to plateau, seek ways of making the workouts harder. An example could be adding some dropsets. SPLIT CHEST/BACK SHOULDERS/ARMS LEGS Quest Objectives: Day 1: Chest/Back | Warm-up 5 minutes of cardio A1) Bench Press 2x6 warm-up, 3x12 working A2) DB Row 2x6 warm-up, 3x12 working 1 - 2 minute rest B1) Hammerstrength incline Chest Press 3x12 working B2) Hammerstrength lat pulldown 3x12 working 1 - 2 minute rest C1) Cable Crossovers 5-7x12 working C2) Reverse Flye 5-7x12 working Day 2: Active Rest | Start with 5 minutes of cardio if you normally don't do cardio, and add 5 minutes to your average time of the cardio you do regularly. Increase total time by 5 minutes every other week. By Week 12 you should be doing 30 extra minutes of cardio. For the sake of this program, cardio is considered 150bpm+ for the whole session. Day 3: Shoulders/Arms | Warm-up 5 minutes of cardio A1) DB Shoulder Press 2x6 warm-up, 3x12 working A2) Standing DB Curl 2x6 warm-up, 3x12 working 1 - 2 minute rest B1) DB Front Raise 2x6 warm-up, 3x12 working B2) Tricep Extension 2x6 warm-up, 3x12 working 1 - 2 minute rest C1) Reverse Flye Machine 2x6 warm-up, 3x12 working C2) Barbell Curl 2x6 warm-up, 3x12 working 1 minute rest D) Skull Crusher 2x6 warm-up, 3x12 working Day 4: Active Rest | Do the same amount of cardio as you did on your first active rest day this week. Day 5: Legs | Warm-up 5 minutes of cardio A1) Squat 2x6 warm-up, 3x12 working A2) Leg Curl 1x6 warmup , 3x12 working 2 - 3 minute rest between A and B B1) Leg Extensions 3x12 working B2) Standing Calf Raises 3x12 working 2 - 3 minute rest between B and C C1) Weighted Walking Lunge 3x12 working C2) Lower Back Extensions 3x12 failure Day 6: REST Day 7: REST Let me know what you think below!

Continuing on with the momentum from the last challenge, this one is going to be similar. Setting goals for the entire challenge is working better for me than setting weekly goals. Karate training: Kata and stances - 12 times The kicking training has been working well and I am going to try and apply it to my kata and stance work. For these to count, I have to do at least five katas that day or 10 minutes of focused stance training. Kettlebells and kicks: 700 swings / 200 side thrust kicks The kettlebell swing has become a staple in my training and the swings with side thrust kicks in between seems to be working better than what I have done before. Potluck workout: 12 times This part of the challenge gives me some room to explore some other workouts. I really want to start playing with the trap bar more and even get in some focused upper body and maybe even some band work. Extra credit: Publish four blog posts Writing has been hard lately but I am going to make myself do it this time around. I know that I don't have to write a novel each time but it still has to be useful to count.

Hiya there, I've been browsing this forum for some time now and am amazed to find so many fellow nerds like me, and, I finally feel ready to tell you about my goals. I wish to gain muscle weight, abs and be strong in general. I also wish to increase my stamina. Right now, I can hardly run for a kilometre at a stretch. As a student, I don't get much time to hit the gym or a good diet (the college provided food is really, REALLY BAD). I have put on belly weight though, to shed which, I've taken to running for the past 4 weeks (daily 1.5 km). What can be a good plan to gain muscle weight without resorting to supplements/protein powder and with my hectic life as an MBA student? Are there challenges for the same? ABOUT ME I am 24 and an MBA student in India I am an eggetarian I like Superheroes, especially DC Comics superheroes (Batman's my favourite!!) I am also into Tennis & Star Wars BASIC STATS Current weight is 176 lbs. BMI is 24.69 Not much junk food, but not able to have a balanced diet either (more into rice, less into veggies) Thanks in advance. I hope to meet some amazing people here on NF and be much more interactive from now on. LET IT BEGIN!!

OMG I just attempted the Beginner Body Weight Workout for the first time!! and can I just say... It kind of kicked my ass!! But this is definitely woot worthy for me because I was sitting here on the sofa just checking some emails and suddenly a nerd fitness email popped up that said : YOUR FIRST QUEST: Complete your first strength training workout! And, tbh, I wasn't really feeling it. . . Buuuuut then I did it anyway! I only completed one circuit (I couldn't do it three times) but I am still going to congratulate myself on giving it a try and pushing myself. Yes, I had to pause for multiple seconds between each push up (even though I had to do the alternative one on my knees it was still SO hard) but I did ten of them! Yes, it might have taken 8 minutes or so to do those ten, but I still put in the effort and got em done! By the end of the workout I was panting, sweating, and feeling a little dizzy, so I decided to cool off and stretch. In the past I would have forced myself to do the workout three times, I would have felt like a failure, I would have felt guilty, but this time I remembered what nerd fitness is all about. That its about small changes and maintainable effort. It isn't about killing yourself or pushing to the point of pain. And because I didn't push myself to the point of pain or "this isn't fun i hate it", I'm actually looking forward to doing it again this weekend!!!! So woot woot!

I'm looking to add some lean muscle mass (hopefully replacing some fat in the process) and boosting size a little. I'm a fairly large guy –just under 6' and (currently) about 185#. What'd I'd like is a more defined, cut look along with a bit more size in the arms and chest. My question is how much of this can be achieved through bodyweight exercise? I have some dumbbells, and a pull-up bar. I do kickboxing fitness classes 3x week and have an 80# heavy bag at home for solo workouts too.

Help Wanted: I am attempting to build an exercise routine. ---It will be for building muscle and gaining the lean and firm body I desire ---I would also like it to be something to assist me in my mental recovery. My preferred exercises are Yoga, Pilates, Bodyweight Training, and Weight Lifting. My resources are all at home. I do not have a gym membership nor money for equipment. I desire a progressive workout routine that starts at the bottom and works its way up. I am building this workout Routine in Googe Spread Sheets. A link will be provided down below. Current Questions: What weight should I start at? (Dumbbell, Kettlebell, Etc.) Where should I begin on Bodyweight Training? (Exercises, etc) Past Questions and The Answers: How much protein should someone take in if trying to build muscle? "Protein requirements vary by person, but the general rule of thumb is 1-gram per pound of lean mass. You can calculate your percent body fat (BF%) with simple measurements (see this and this for explanations). Your lean mass is then total mass x (1 - BF%). You can also get a ballpark goal with less math by aiming for 0.8-gram of protein per pound of total mass." Resource List: DareBee Starting Strength StrongLifts BodyForLife YouTube Old "Workout Plan" Thread My Fitness Level So Far: I have been dong yoga 3-5 times a week for two weeks now. I am not very flexible. My balance is iffy. My 30 lb son is heavy to me. I do not have much in the way of endurance. My day is spent sitting or chasing after my son. The Workout Plan Thus Far: Click Here

This is going to be part 1 of a multi-part series of challenges as I seek to become Superdad! I am already a dad with a 7 year old daughter and 4 year old son. We also have another son on the way, due at the end of August. Whenever I talk to friends who are about to have their first kid, I tell the dad to get in the best shape of his life before the kid comes because afterwards, he will get no sleep and the better shape you're in, the less sleep you'll need. I have no idea if that's scientifically true or not, but it's a good motivator for me to get in the best shape of my life by the end of the summer! But becoming a Superdad is not just about being in shape. There are several aspects of my life that I'd like to hone on my way to becoming Superdad, so I'm going to focus on a few each challenge. A Superdad Is Big and Strong Goal 1: Eat for Muscle to get big Following the path laid out in 7 Weeks to 10 Pounds of Muscle and keeping the mindset Staci wrote about here, I'm going to plan out what I eat each day in order to gain 4-5 pounds and then stick to the plan. In Staci's post, she starts off by saying we plan our workouts, why wouldn't we plan our meals? I've long heard/known that diet is more important than exercise when it comes to making changes in my physique. So, I'm going to bust out a spreadsheet and plan my meals. I figure I can add up all the calories and macros ahead of time and then just eat what's on my list! My side goal for this is not to add any inches to my belly while I bulk up elsewhere. Edit to add starting measurements: Weight: 158# (7-day avg) Belly: 35" Average BF = 20% Body Fat = 31.6# Lean Body Mass = 126.4# Goal 2: Overhead Press to get strong I'm going to need big broad shoulders if I want to carry the weight of my family, right?!? I'm working on Clean-to-fist Sandbag Overhead Presses, but following the workout protocol in the 7 Weeks book. I can currently do 4x5x70# and plan to work up to 5x5x85# by the end of the challenge. A Superdad Is Calm, Cool, and Collected Goal 3: Spend x minutes each day praying/meditating/unwinding I'll admit that can have a bit of a short fuse with my kids and I need to learn to be more easy-going around them. Part of that will mean learning to control my reactions to their behavior, but also just remembering that they're kids and they don't think/act like I do. I've included unwinding in this because I definitely find that a stressful day at work can lead to a bad attitude at home. I'm not sure how long I want to shoot for each day, but I'll probably start with 2-5 minutes and see if I can build from there. A Superdad Loves His Wife and Kids Goal 4: Read Super Husband, Super Dad and put the tips within into practice. The "put the tips into practice" part of this goal is a little nebulous, but that's because I haven't read the book yet. I've read the first few chapters and skimmed the table of contents, so I'm confident there will be some concrete applications I can put into place. PS I was very excited to see the superpower themed mini challenge!

Greetings, Assassins! After 3 successful challenges as a visiting Ranger, I have decided to officially jump guilds and join you all here! I figured that if I want to fit in, have everyone like me, and always be happy, I'd better to turn to Lego for some instructions. As I said, my last 3 challenges have been pretty successful, so I want to keep the momentum going. I've built some good habits and found a workout routine that works for me, so I want to stick with those. For this challenge, I'll be adding some goals to accentuate what I've already accomplished as well as build some more assassin-y skills. Goal 1: Strike a balance There are a variety of bodyweight skills I'd like to learn, and while striking the pose pictured here would be awesome, my immediate goal is a bit humbler. I really want to master the pistol squat. I found this tutorial on Rowan's thread this past summer and will be following the progressions. I can currently perform 20 good form narrow squats with my arms in front. My next step will be 20 narrow squats with my hands behind my head. I tried these this week and found my balance to be severely lacking, so I don't anticipate mastering the pistol during this six weeks, but I want to continue to progress. Edited to write out the progression so I don't have to keep referring to the external link: 30 second Grok Squat50 bodyweight squats20 Narrow squats20 clean deep narrow squats with hands behind my head10 Seated Pistols10-15 Assisted Pistols Goal 2: Sculpt some muscle My last few challenges have focused on getting lean and building strength, which I will continue to do, but I also want to address some of my lagging body parts. My current workout routine includes 2 "work" days and 1 "play" day, based on Anthony Mychal's 242 method. So on my "work" days, I'll focus on my 6 main lifts and I'll use my "play" day to give some extra attention to areas like my calves and triceps. For this particular goal, I'm actually going to try this calf raise workout every day. The goal will be 6 weeks of single-leg calf raises, 3 times a day. Goal 3: Use the right building blocks I was very happy with the results of my goal last challenge to lose 5 pounds in an effort to take an inch off my midsection. I'm going to continue to follow Kinobody's intermittent fasting scheme in hopes of losing another inch. However, if I do lose another 5 pounds, I'll be down to about 150 and the last time I was that light, I lost a lot of muscle, too. So, in an effort to keep muscle and just lose fat, I'm going to focus this goal on THE muscle building block - protein. Greg from Kinobody recommends 0.82 grams of protein per pound of body fat. I'll be shooting for about 120 g/day and then balance out fats and carbs depending on my training vs rest schedule. This goal will be graded based on number of days I hit my protein number. Goal 4: Be buddies! My last goal is a social one. I've been super busy at work for a while now and unfortunately it looks like it will not slow down for at least the duration of this challenge, so I'm setting a goal of having at least 2 date nights with my wife and 2 guys' nights over the next 6 weeks. It will take some effort and planning to pull off, but I think it's do-able and very necessary for my sanity and IRL relationships. Double decker couch optional. There you have it! I'm anticipating another successful 6 weeks with the Assassins. Thanks to all who stop by and I look forward to all the impending awesomeness I'll see on your threads!

Okay, I thought I knew a fair bit about nutrition, and then I came to ask myself the title of this post: can you lose fat while gaining muscle? First, you have to have a calorie excess (protein) to build muscle, right? But to lose weight, you need to run at a deficit. So you can't do both at once? Does this mean that if you're doing strength training while trying to lose fat (running at a calorie deficit, eating good quality meals and protein), that you're just maintaining the strength and size of the muscles? If you want to get stronger, can you strengthen muscles without growing their size? Obviously, my goal is to lose fat, and gain strength - as a woman I'm not interested in aesthetically larger muscles, as long as they're stronger (i.e. if they need to get bigger, they do, but that's not my goal in itself). I'd love if someone can help fill me in and explain what I'm sure I'm missing!

Hi, guys! Hope the weekend is treating you all well! I have a question: How do you know how much you're supposed to weight? I'm 5'7". In high school I weighed about 185 lbs, and I was fairly fit. Not built, just fit. Right now I'm 26, same height, and last time I weighed myself I was 207 (down from 215 woohoo!). How do I know how much I'm supposed to weigh? I'm also interested in building my upper body muscle (or I guess everywhere on my body), and I know muscle weighs more than fat. Tips? Also, I'm doing the beginner's body weight workout. Is this a good step in the right direction if I want to build a bit more muscle? I'm not trying to be Leonidas. More like LeeSin or Ezio or Jackie Chan.

Hey fellow recruits! I started working out a little later in life than everyone else. I turned 35 and wanted to finally look like I had a grown-up body. After a successful "Biggest Gainer" competition at my gym (where you compete to gain the most lean body mass) and plenty of hard work after that, I went from 168 pounds to 206 in the height of my gaining phase. Now I'm looking for the next bit of motivation. Hopefully this community can keep me accountable to my next set of goals. Main Quest: Look better naked Get down to 13% body fat. I'm running about 17% according to the measurement device at the gym. Get my first visible abs ever. Keep on my cardiovascular health and get back to running up to 6 miles a day. Promises to myself Eat lean meat, vegetables, and good carbs for every meal. Prepare my meals for the week every Sunday. Keep on my supplements. Make sure I'm taking my supplements when they need to be taken. Do 20 minutes of cardio every day. The life quest Since I moved to Florida, I haven't really made my apartment an awesome, comfortable place to live. I'm going to get my apartment feeling like a home by the end of these six weeks. Motivation: It about time I start seeing some abs! I don't get to see my husband as he lives in Seattle and I live in Fort Lauderdale. (New job challenges.) When I do see every other week, I want him to be crazy impressed with my progress since he last saw me. I love the feeling of running fast and want to feel that power once again. Stats: Height: 6' 1" Current weight: 194 lbs Current body fat: 17.2% Current lean body mass: 160.6 lbs Goal lean body mass: 170.0 lbs

Hi everyone! My lower back is bruised, I'm 99% sure it's because of an intensive plank workout I did yesterday (pushing my arms forwards as much as possible) which made me work that area quite intensively, I did 4 sets of 30 seconds with 1 minute breaks between sets. This morning my back was hurting, when I looked in the mirror I had dark bruises all the way down my lower back on both sides. I found this quite worrying, so I have a few questions: -Is this normal? I assume that it just means I worked too intensively which I'm not too worried about since it's the first time it's happened in that area. -What can I do to fix it ASAP? -What should I avoid doing in the future? -How long should I wait before doing the exercise again? Do I have to actually wait until the bruises are completely gone? I should probably mention that I ate quite a lot of garlic with a meal yesterday, and I've read that garlic thins the blood which makes bruising easier, I also get bruises very easily in general, my forearms are usually spattered with yellow after a karate class even if I don't remember any impacts on them. Thanks in advance for any help, Pierre

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

5'11 (1.8 metres) 150lbs (68kg) I currently have a 3 months gym membership and after the 3 months the membership expires and I want to get fit before May. My week goes like this: Monday: basketball training (2 hours) Tuesday: Gym (weights) Wednesday: rest Thursday: Gym (weights) Friday: basketball training (2 hours) Saturday: Gym (weights) Sunday: Rest My workout plan for the gym is a full body workout: Legs - 2 sets each Leg press Calve raises Leg curl Chest 2 sets each Smith press Dumbbell press Dumbbell fly Shoulders 2 sets each Lat pull down Dumbbell incline press Lat raises Back 2 sets each Pec deck Row lat pull down Arms 2 sets each bicep curls machine arm extension dumbbell bicep curls Abs 2 sets each Ab machine Will this workout along with the other exercise I do outside of the gym, help me loose weight and get more muscular? I want to loose fat in my chest and get build more muscle overall. Thanks a lot! I really appreciate any replies or advice given!

So for the last two years, my focus hasn't been specifically on "weight loss", but on general fitness, strength, endurance, diet and exercise, with the faith that the excess flabby-weight would eventually fall off. And even if it didn't, my sturdy mesomorph body type can do just fine below that nice layer of insulation, even if it jiggles more than I want it to. But for the next... four and a half months, approximately, my goal IS weight loss. Very, very specifically, weight loss. In October, I will be arriving in Vegas, at Ellismania 10, as a contestant in the co-main event, the Biggest Loser Bout. Approximately twenty other such individuals, with weights between 270 lbs and 450 lbs, have entered with me, and the TWO BIGGEST LOSERS (which will be significantly easier for the 350+ lb dudes, that's unavoidable) will compete for the year's Heavyweight Title Belt. It might be made out of tin foil, but we don't care... this is a fight for glory. I lost nine pounds pretty fast as soon as I put my mind to it... and over the last three weeks, with my diet and exercise and running and lifting and everything I'm doing, my weight has gone back up by a pound. At this rate, I'm pricing myself right out of the market. I need to lose approx 2 lbs a week until Vegas to be in real contention, and that was happening no problem right up until now. Three days a week, I'm at the gym, doing mostly upper-body exercises (my upper body is very weak), and walking/jogging. I know I'm building some muscle, and some of it is even visible (forearms, shoulders, a little bit of bicep), and I don't want to QUIT that, but I need to change my focus. I do a lot of walking, when I need to go to the store, walking at lunch, walking in the mornings if I wake up early. Weight loss. Cardio. Fat loss. I still have a LOT of weight around the midsection. I'm eating eggs after my workouts. I'm eating tasty soups at work every day. I'm not having seconds at dinner, I've cut desserts and pop almost entirely out of my diet. With my Fitbit and the website, I've got my calories down to ~2000 per day, maybe ~2500 on serious workout days, when I'm burning ~3500 according to the calculations. Once a week I'll have a big dinner with the family, once a week I'll have a restaurant lunch with my office crew, but that shouldn't be completely derailing my weight loss. Just looking for tips. Help. Advice. Focus. Whatever. Cheers!

Hi friends! I'm looking for an online sidekick (or multiple sidekicks)! I would love to just chat, encourage, and keep each other accountable. I'm new to the forum, but a longtime Nerd Fitness fan. Here's some stuff about me: 20 Years Old College StudentMarvel Comics fan (been reading them since I was 6 years old!) Some Other Things I Love: Doctor Who, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Firefly, Sherlock, and DisneyHobbies: Musical Theatre, animation, and cooking. I know, I'm weird. My fitness goals/info: I'm trying to gain muscle and stamina. Losing weight isn't a huge need for me - I'm an "Elf" looking to become an "Assassin". But I'd be totally okay with shedding a few pounds! I have been on a Paleo diet for 2 years. (I'm allergic to gluten and lactose intolerant, so it kind of made sense. ) I have tons of paleo recipes and tips if you're looking to join the club!I'd LOVE to get into parkour, but haven't figured out how yet. What I'm looking for in sidekicks: People who want to work together and motivate each other to reach our goals and be healthy. Gender doesn't matter. (Although I especially love to meet other SuperWomen!) Similar health goals would be great, but is definitely not a necessity. I prefer people around my own age. (18-25ish) Would be good with e-mail/forum/pm conversation. Just wants to make friends and get fit!Sorry I know that's a lot! lol But if you're interested, just let me know. I love to virtually "meet" new people so don't be shy.

Such a newbie at gaining muscle, so I'm not even sure if my question will make sense. I hear people on the board talk about bulking and losing, and I really didn't even pay much attention. I lost the weight I wanted, and then basically worked at maintaining. Over Christmas I gained a little fluff, that I am working on losing this challenge. My goals are to get stronger and healthy. My short term quantifiable goal is to be able to do 5 (each side) Turkish Get Ups with 35# and 100 44# KB one handed swings in 5 minute. Right now I am working on 30# TGUs and two handed 44# KB swings, so I need to gain strength to do this. Also working on pull ups and pistols. Do I need to just focus on maintaining my workouts, and not do any increases while I focus on losing? I thought we were always supposed to be getting stronger? After I lose the weight (next challenge I'm just looking for about 5 pound loss) then should I eat to bulk if I want to hit my goals? How do you bulk if you are a middle age woman without it coming on as fat? Edit to add: I eat Paleo. I weigh 128 lbs would like to lose about 5 of those. I was eating about 120 grams protein, but I cut back a little to see if that would help my weight and now eat about 90-100 grams of protein.

Hey everyone, I'm new to the forum and wanted to introduce myself. This past year I got back into fitness, working out, and eating clean. In Jan 2014, I lost 20lbs in 90 days (pic below) and gained significant muscle and strength through P90X3, supplementing with a little running here and there. Happy to be a part of the community and look forward to offering my two cents! Jason jfrofitness.com

Ok, so off the bat I want to tell everyone that I strength train for weight loss. I hate cardio, hate it with such an intense passion I probably could melt the treadmills if I focused hard enough on them when IM in the gym. Anyway, my question involves the eat more/gain more proposal behind muscle growth. I know powerlifters and bodybuilders feed their faces almost constantly in order to build those super ginormous muscles (on top of heavy weight lifting), but my question is what about those of us who want strength while losing weight? Does eating more simply increase muscle SIZE (ie the appearance of bulging ripply muscles), or does it also build muscle STRENGTH (denser, thicker musculature that might not look big but is super strong)? I want nice big muscles but I need to lose weight too! Always appreciate the insight. P.S. I know you need to sleep well too, but right now Im focusing more on the diet aspect. Like Steve says, you cant outrun your fork

I was just wondering if anyone knew anything about the effects of alcohol on weight and muscle building? Will it cause weight gain (fat) or affect my muscle building if I drink? To what degree? Say, how about a glass of wine 4x a week?

Good morning, good afternoon and good evening everyone. As I'm new here I figure I'll give a very brief background of my physical activity history. Birth-2013: Any physical activity was virtually non-existent. I hate to single somebody out because of their weight, but in 2012 I began dating somebody who was incredibly "out of shape", and sufficed to say she brought me down with her. But this isn't a complaint, prior to 2012 I was your average guy that didn't exercise very often, when my year-long relationship ended in 2013 I had gained 3 stone, I was unhappy with my body and it was exactly the push I needed to do something about it. 2014 January-June: With a newfound incentive to increase my physical fitness and lose weight, but very little knowledge on how to do so, I set off on my adventure. At first it was gradual, I'd walk my dog for two or three times longer than I had in the past (he was a big old thing so he loved it). Weight began to shift, and I started paying more attention to my diet, removing most junk food and increasing the chicken, tuna, fruit and veg. When the weight loss slowed down I took up running every morning. Unfortunately I must admit I went too far the other direction, I lost all three stone I'd gained and then some, ending up too skinny. June-Today: With a new newfound incentive to increase my physical fitness and gain weight, I started reading more into it, learning how to build muscle and the best methods for it. At the start I was so skinny I struggled with 2.5kg dumbbells, but the more I read the better became my techniques, I began to build back up my weight in largely muscle. By August I was doing compound lifts with equipment Id bought and stored in the shed, with my max lifting being around a 20kg barbell. In August I began seeing a personal trainer, who smoothed out the rough edges in my diet and exercise. Now I'm slightly heavier than I was in 2012 but much healthier, and lifting over 50kg in a lot of my exercises. I may not be the most muscular or the fastest runner, but I shook off 4 stone in 5 months and then managed to gain a stone in muscle (and a little fat on the side) in 2-3 months. I'm healthier and stronger than I've ever been and improving. Now that I'm at university I don't have a high budget, but I have managed to plan so that I can eat healthy and train regularly without getting myself a ton of (more) debt. If anybody's in the same boat I'd love to hear how your fitness has been going since moving to uni. Thanks for reading, -SB

So, the new semester of school is starting at my college, and I'm looking to be in the gym more this semester. My plan so far is: Monday: Yoga in the morning, then swim laps in the evening Tuesday: Weight lifting in the morning, then rock climbing in the evening. Wednesday: Yoga in the morning, then swim laps in the evening Thursday: Weight lifting int he morning. Nothing else planned. Friday: Yoga at noon, rock climbing in the evening. Saturday and Sunday are mostly off days/free days. Will this be conducive to building muscle and getting my body toned and strong? Is there anything that won't work recovery-wise or something I should be careful of? Thank you for any and all help.

I'm 5'1 and 150lbs, I want to loose weight & Pack on muscle. If I start the doing the beginner bodyweight workout every other day and clean up my diet, how long will it take for me to up my level and do the advanced bodyweight workout.

ã¿ã‚“ãªã•ã‚“ã€ã“ã‚“ã«ã¡ã¯ï¼ I'm a 28 year old mom of two who's still carrying around that baby weight, hovering right around 160 pounds with little to no muscle strength. We live in Japan right now, the land of effortlessly thin people, and after the third person in two weeks asked me if I'm pregnant (and rubbed my stomach!!), I decided to jump back on the wagon. I was heading to all the normal websites, full of hot jocks with the bodies of the Schwarzenegger, when I randomly decided to search for body weight exercises. And fate did arrange for us to meet. Nerd Fitness was one of my top results, and it was love at first sight. I can do this without trying to join a Japanese gym? I can do what I enjoy and leave what I don't? Steve is a Boston fan? The site is run by nerds so it actually looks good? Normal people can get fit, too? I'm all in. But not in my typical gung-ho-two-week-blast-before-failure-way. After spending hours in the depths of the site, I feel genuinely prepared to make a life change, one small quest at a time, for good. How exciting is that? A little about me: The Elder Scrolls are my game of choice. I never thought I liked video games until my husband begged convinced me to buy a PS3 and Elder Scrolls. Come to think of it, that's about the time I gained all that weight...I grew up thinking that milkshakes were a normal part of everyone's balanced breakfast.I've lived in Japan for a total of 2 years and 9 months now. My youngest was born here. I love it.Chocolate is my downfall.I asked my 5 year old daughter what she would do if she ever got lost. She told me, "I would call to the Gundam and I would hop inside him so he could bring me back to you." Winning.

Hello to all! I have been struggling with writing my goals for a bit, but after reading some of the great posts here I am inspired to get started with my first challenge Overall goal: to be the fittest I can be. This includes dropping fat and gaining muscle to drop one full dress size. Life goal: more organization in my home. I have a few baby steps I am working on to this end. Measured steps: by the end of the challenge I will have done or be doing the following-- 1. continue my paleo transition -- shift to only one cheat meal a week 2. increase body weight workout from one (current level) to three complete circuits twice weekly 3. sprint two times a week, (3- one minute sprints each session) 4. Do a set of three chin ups (can't do one now) My motivation is my family. I want to be my healthiest so I can enjoy every minute with them and set a good example for my children. Hopefully this makes sense to someone other than me. Best wishes and luck to all starting a new challenge!