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Big goal: complete one unassisted pistol squat with each leg I'm currently on Level 5 of the NFA bodyweight workouts. This is where I was placed after the initial benchmark test when I joined back in June. I was doing my own workout routine at the time and wanted to keep going on it, so I didn't follow along with the prescribed workouts. I ended up giving them a shot last week and was humbled a bit. After looking them over a few times, I had been pretty confident that I could do everything except the unassisted pistols. They actually ended up being tougher than I expected! So, my plan is to follow the level 5 workouts 3 times a week, with a planned rest week in the middle. I'm also going to try and incorporate some of the tips found here: http://ashotofadrenaline.net/pistol-squat/ here: http://www.startbodyweight.com/p/squat-progression.html and here: https://breakingmuscle.com/learn/whats-preventing-you-from-doing-pistol-squats-how-to-progress-pistols I'm also going to be working on my mobility, focusing on my ankles and calves, following the mobility prescriptions in Kelly Starrett's Deskbound. My life goal is to complete my continuing education credits to maintain my professional engineering license.

I'm back! I just got back from a month long holiday to the US that contained Camp Nerd Fitness (hooray!) lots of food (delicious!) and a shit tonne of walking. Plus some YogaQuest, which is like yoga but nerdy. But I am back and ready to jump into the Nerd Fitness habit building wagon face first. I think. I know it doesn't make sense, I'm still jetlagged, deal with it. Small steps mean big changes --NF Academy bodyweight workout x 2 per week --ride my bike to work x 1 per week Say no to cake --meal prep x 1 per week --practice mindful eating x 1 meal per day Life changes --complete first five quests in Mindset Module of the Nerd Fitness Academy --clean up my batcave/bedroom This week I'm going to be reading up on the Academy and starting up the challenge (in fact, if I complete the first five quests in the Mindset Module this week, I'll have to come back and edit this, which will be awesome) but I need accountability so feel free to comment/help me out!

"Without change something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken." -Frank Herbert, Dune --- Hey, all-- It's my first challenge since my Birthday Respawn, and I'm super excited for some structure in my NF life. Slowly (so slowly), I've built a really good water drinking habit (96 oz per day), workout habit (2 bodyweight workouts per week) and sleep habit (at least 8 hours every night). So I'd like to stretch just a little farther and get a little better. I feel impatient for improvement because I feel like I've been stalled out, but I'm trying to find the middle path between stalled out and burned out. I just finished a really big month of change (lots of travel and learning) and re-read Dune for the umpteenth time, so I figured that would be the theme for my challenge. September 26 - October 23 Here's the short version (full agonizing detail to follow): Diet/Fitness SPICE MUST FLOW: Eat a vegetable or fruit with lunch 3 days a week, as a side (e.g. a cup of roasted/steamed veggies, an apple, 2 slices of melon, a cup of baby carrots). BENE GESSERIT TRAINING: Complete the NF Mindset module. (currently on Quest 3: Find Your Big Why). SWORDMASTER TRAINING: Complete the NF Bodyweight Level 3 workout 3 times per week. (currently doing 2/week). Level Up My Life MENTAT TRAINING: Finish my PHP class (I am at 17% completion). EDITED: Reach 50% completion on the class and finish my first Drupal 8 module. --- Details/concerns: 1) SPICE MUST FLOW: I work from home and have been really stressed lately looking for a new job. This has led to a sad amount of macaroni and cheese lunches. Some day, I will have fancy, healthy, protein-rich lunches, but for now, this still seems a little bit challenging (mostly because I have tried a variation of this challenge before without success). I made it a smaller challenge than I have in the past (only three days per week) and I'm enlisting the help of my partner. Worst case, I'll steam some frozen veggies! 2) BENE GESSERIT TRAINING: I respawned back in JULY but have been slow to work through the various NF Academy modules. I will focus on getting through those--I was struggling to find quests I could believe in and going through the rest of the Mindset Module would get me in the right headspace. Called this BG training because they are masters of the mindset. 3) SWORDMASTER TRAINING: I've been reliably doing 2 workouts/week for several months now. I've been wanting to move up to 3/week but felt like I didn't quite have the momentum behind me....until now! LQ/MENTAT TRAINING: I also have been struggling to get through this PHP class I'm taking online, mostly because I only give it a few minutes every night. I really need to get through this class. I'll feel better about myself when I've done it, and bonus, I'll know something I didn't know before and will be far more employable! I'm going to be setting aside larger chunks of time to focus on this, instead of leaving it to the end of the day. The last two diet/fitness quests and my LQ will all take extra time I don't currently spend. I will proactively schedule the NF and PHP studying times, and I have already scheduled in my workouts. I've recently started playing an addictive phone game, and that might need to go, or perhaps I will use it as a motivator. I also need to plan so that I make sure we have veggies/fruit around for lunches.

So… After the last challenge I took the plunge and joined Nerd Fitness Academy, and my Benchmark came out at… Level 1. No surprise there. My goals are therefore mostly Academy related. Oh, one important note is that, because it works easier for me with uni and work, my challenge will begin on Monday this time around, not Sunday. Therefore, Week 0 for me begins on Monday 19th. Exercise: Prepare for Battle with Eowyn Eowyn, Shield Maiden of Rohan, has looked fear in the eye and cut down her enemies, even as she expected death in return. But before that battle, she was a King’s niece, training in her own way, learning from those around her but not receiving formal training. 1. Workout on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. 2. Continue to go to Karate on Friday for two hours. 3. Walk on all other days for a minimum of half an hour at a brisk pace. I almost made this a Walk to Mordor challenge but decided I want to save that for when I actually have nice places to walk to and in, like the Lakes, not just around town. Diet: Curb the Hobbit’s over-eating habits with Aragorn Aragorn may be a seasoned Ranger, but his travelling companions on the journey from Bree to Rivendell were not. Apt to eat more than they needed, it was up to Aragorn to guide them away from dangerous habits and show them how to survive in the wild 1. No more sugary drinks. I can survive without Diet Coke and even Fanta Lemon. I just got lazy. On the bright side, this gives me more opportunity to drink more tea. 2. No more mindless snacking. By which I mean work snacking because I’m bored, or eating in front of the TV because I feel like it, or because the adverts came on and I wander to the kitchen on reflex. I’ll try no snacks for a couple days and if necessary, add in scheduled snacks, like a small amount of nuts or fruit. Life: Study the past with Gandalf Gandalf is different things to different people, but always is at hand with advice and wisdom aplenty. Usually on the road, it is Gandalf that tells his companions the history of the place they are in, or of events that unfolded many many years before. To gain this wisdom, he reads widely, listens to old tales, and is never late. He arrives precisely when he means to. 1. All class prep to be done at least the night before its due. Make it a daily priority. No uni work = no gaming. I’m working on the system of writing everything that needs to be done in my week-to-view diary and will work on at least one of them for at least an hour every day Mon-Fri. No slacking off and cramming at the end. And hopefully no more reading 30 page articles in the corridor outside a room before class begins, hoping to cram it all in my head. - Keep up with driving lessons. Driving = Independence. I won’t have to ask my bf for lifts everywhere, no more taking 2 hours on trains back to London for family, more if the trains are delayed as usual, etc. So, not letting these fall by the wayside is important for me.

It is very simple, this challenge, ja? I vill be abstainink from the V-vord (vakefulness). Not vun drop after midnight. There is no future in de old-fashioned children off der night business. I am joinink de Ankh-Monkpork League of Temperance. Und that is it, really. Okay, okay, okay, also there vill be doink some Nerd Fitness Academy vorkouts und maybe some yoga. Vun needs a routine, the League is very clear on the benefits of regimentation. Und I vill gather points for things I do that are right and good, and very orderly and not at all late at night. Und some meditation to overcome my desire for vay... for vake... for the v-vord. How do they say, oh yes, I haff gott this.

Boss Quest - Part 1/4 111 Days Until Fight (Looking for Boss Pic to represent a Warrior Dash) Hey ya'll, lovely missions below. I'm personally happy that I'm still here. The most active I've been toward a site for personal goals, and happy I'm starting a bit of a community. Had refreshed my motivation in Mid-March. Signed up for a Warrior Dash that is happening near my hometown this July, and I want to see if I can make my body able to get there in 4 months. Last month, I mainly started NF Academy Recruit workout, this week finally hitting the 3 sets. Which I will be working on. Starting off this challenge, I also got a bit of perspective. Did my measurements for the 2nd time this year (last ones in the 2nd week of January). And I gained 10 lbs, and they ended up mainly in my waist and bottom. Good part my thighs and my biceps stayed steady, which I think helped with me toning them. This month I hope to gain the "real groundwork" so I can advance and get out of 240 by May. My hope is that if I follow NFA close enough this month, I won't ever see 240 on my scale again(my main steady weight since 11th grade). Along with getting strong enough, and mentally ready for all the adventures I want to hit up. Profile/Background: (Figured I keep all this in 1 place since I personally like personal background... I'm weird like that. Lot's of words, but categorized). Epic Fitness Summer Quest: (Where the Beer and the Cool Hat may have been an incentive to do something that terrifies me) -Attempt to Complete Warrior Dash for the 1st Time, Able to Attempt Every Obstacle while Running In between -Single Player Quest (at the moment) -July 23rd, 2016 -- Le Sueur, MN Main Goals of April 3rd - April 30th -Workout 6 out of 7 days a week (3 strength, 3 endurance/cardio) -- Reward: 1 New Song after 6 days of Working out Strength for at least first 2 weeks will be NFA Recruit workout of 3 sets Endurance/Cardio is working on learning to warm up for walking/running and going for a walk/hike for a hour (I wake up 5 am workouts, to prevents excuses of time management and anxiety stays in bed till 6:30 most days) -Follow Nerd Fitness Academy Mindset & Nutrition in order -- Reward: To be determined Bought NFA on New Year's Eve this last year, finally taking Steve's advice and going to start from the beginning journals for each part for myself and you all to read, will try to Update here on where I'm at -"Home Sweet Nomad" -- Reward: To be determined I'm getting mentally healthier compared to the last year, I feel changes ahead. Need to have my apartment picked up and everything have a place to be packed up. Moving equals huge amount of stress and change, getting ahead will be better for my health. Will Involve Weekly Pictures (Sunday) of my Apartment. Since I am visual, and it is something similar I do in my video games (picture of main base progress). Kind of tips off of my love for hard beginnings of Sims and Minecraft. -Open for use -- N/A The past two months, during the 2nd week something happens that changes all my goals. (Could be anything, could be me being hired, could be me finding an opportunity, or me finding something totally amazing about myself and shift my goals. This will be here to allow that breathing room). Bonus: "Use Budget Program that I started Paying for.... get my money's worth before I started earning my own darn Money". Other goals: Update Daily, Link Updates to the Week's Update post for easy keeping track in the future. Need to get the gear! (Don't have the right gear to start training for running yet, update when I have an income source)

Mindset Measurements 1 Mar 2015 [8:45am] Height: 171 cm Weight: 62 kg Neck: 32 cm Chest: 95.5 cm Waist: 75.6 cm Hips: 94.6 cm Biceps: R27.6 cm L27.3 cm Thighs: R58.5 cm L58.5 cm Calves: R32.9 cm L32.8 cm The Big Why I don't want to look in the mirror for the next 30 years and see a forgettable human being. I want to be someone I would notice, be attracted to and admire. Every day I live pointlessly, I feel lost, anxious and miserable. I want to be comfortable in my own skin, happy with the life I'm living, and proud of the choices and progress I've made.

not sure if this is the best place to post this but I'd really like some feedback about the Nerd Fitness Academy, please! The academy sounds like a really fun way to keep myself motivated and I am thinking about rewarding myself when I finish my first challenge by signing up. I am hoping that anyone who has signed up can give me a little feedback. I am still a super beginner when it comes to fitness so I assumed the academy would be a good program for me what do you guys think? One other thing is I am wondering about the differences between the men's academy and the women's academy. It seems like there are some cool extras for the ladies but (and I know these worries are totally dumb and unfounded) I have this nagging worry I might miss out something magical that the dudes get. I think this is some subconscious conditioning from seeing so many gym programs specifically for men and wimpy lame cardio aerobics classes for women. I know this is silly so someone please just reassure me and tell me I am wrong. Thank you!

I signed up for the nerd fitness academy and it looks wonderful. I'm going to form my goals around some of the first lessons in the course. Goal 1: Charting what you eat isn't for everybody, but it might be for me. In order to find out I'm going to chart calories every day for 6 weeks. A = charting all food on 40+ days B = charting for 30-39 days of the challenge C = charting for 20-29 days D = 10-19 days F = 9- days Goal 2: Get tons of protein. I'm going to try to up my protein intake. A = 90-100g daily B = 80-89g daily C = 70-79g daily D = 60-69g daily F = less than 60g daily Goal 3: 3 body weight workouts weekly. A = 15+ workouts B = 12-14 workouts C = 9-11 workouts D = 6-8 workouts F = 5- workouts My life goal is to log on twice a week to update my progress and encourage others. I dropped off during the last half of the last challenge and didn't even post a summary when I had finished. I'm really proud of how I did in that challenge, but I think it will be more meaningful if I become more a part of the community. A = post on this site 10+ times B = post 8-9 times C = 6-7 times D = 4-5 F = less than 4