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I don't really have time to write an RPG backstory for this theme, but maybe I will add that later. Anyway, I am combining my two longest running and/or recurring themes in this one: the bladesinger and the phoenix, both of which I relate to so strongly. I will pretty much never say no to a theme involving a Phoenix. When I first started using the forums, I even had it as part of my username. Anyway, life has been kind of crazy. Well, a lot of crazy. My dad was diagnosed with congestive heart failure, which has brought nothing but bad news the more tests they do, most of my family got covid (not me, I was not around them), I was diagnosed with bipolar II when I got locked into a not so fun mixed episode that involved lots of insomnia (which required starting a new medication and treatment process), things at work kinda started to spin out there for a second, and the crazy amount of stress and instability made my long-standing body dysmorphia worse, which started triggering old eating-disorder thoughts. So, I stepped back from fitness and anything related to diet, which I have just recently started getting back into over the last week or so, now that I feel like I am in a good mental place to re-engage. And, I started my new medication, which thus far does seem to be helping quite a bit. And I made it through both of my covid vaccines, though the second vaccine did knock me out for a day or two. And things have settled down at work and my working relationship with my boss is actually much better than it was prior to all of this. So, everything kind of crashed and burned, and now I am rising from the ashes like the true phoenix I am, haha. I am fairly behind with a lot of my goals for this year, but I finally feel like I am back in a place to seriously commit to building consistency and sticking to a real schedule again. These goals are going to be a little different from my previous Bladesinger challenges, because some things I have to focus on catching up on (due to external deadlines), and some areas will just take some work to rebuild the routine I had before, so I am setting the bar a little lower in those areas for this challenge. Bladesinger - Phoenix Edition - (STR) Strength and Agility: Bodyweight workouts 2x/week - (DEX) Balance and Coordination: Yoga and/or stretching 2x/week - (CON) Stamina: 20min+ walks 3x/week - (INT) Intelligence: Read 7 books - (INT) Intelligence: Complete 8 modules of certification course - (INT/CHA) CPR/AED Certification: Register and completed certification by end of challenge

Hi everyone, I'm newish to the area and I'm looking to set up a group hike in the Phoenix area. If anyone is interested let me know so we can find good times/dates/etc.

Phoenix is probably my favorite character, so Imma channel her this round. Strength 2 NFA workouts + warmup/cooldown per week. I am still level 1, but I am going to bump up the difficulty of a few of the exercises as I can for this challenge. At 2 weeks, I'm going to try to beat General DOMS again. Total 8pts Cardio/Toning 2 classes per week - preferably 1 Zumba and 1 Pound, however that will depend on babysitter availability. I love having an excuse to get out of the house and get moving doing someting *other* than go for a walk. Total 8pts PT 3 PT leg exercises per week - not on class days. The knee I injured and ultimately needed surgery is not happy with my newfound movement. I need to get back into the habit of doing my band exercises to strengthen the small muscles around my knees so I don't reinjure myself. That would be bad. Total 12pts Food I am adding a goal of 1 serving of fruit per day with a minimum of 5 per week. Total 20-28pts Random Bonuses Since the Cardio and PT aspects focus so much on my lower body, I'm going to give myself bonus points for any upper body workouts I do that aren't a part of the NFA ones. This may include a random set of doorway rows, stair push-ups, baby presses or curls, or anything else that's just a standalone arm exercise. Not more than 1pt per day None of the at-home exercises (NFA, PT) take a super long period of time, so I just need to willpower myself to take care of it when baby naps those days. Everything will be logged in my journal (new journal coming soon because I wanted to give the dot-layouts a try for ease with design and trackers and whatnot, so pictures forthcoming!)

Recap of my Adventure: I'm Teros the satyr. I've been here for almost 3 years. Growing up, I was treated like shit and bullied. Got into a relationship as a teenager which started of ok but after about a year, there were issues that gradually got worse and worse. Stayed with her for 12 solid years and it became an enmeshed toxic relationship. I always felt alone my entire life. Extremely socially awkward, had no confidence, and a therapist said that I was probably high-functioning autistic. I was terrified to do ANYTHING outside of my very limited comfort zone. I binged on junk food and played videogames my whole life; wishing that I could be someone else. That 'else' became my gamertag - Teros. It was my ideal. Teros would do this. Teros wouldn't let that stop him. If I could just be like Teros and do ____. I ballooned up to 360 pounds, when my doctor said I should be 220. It got worse with my ex, as she was an enabler and sabotaged me. I lived a depressed and angry life for over 25 years. Then I found NF. Once I did a couple of challenges, I found my groove and found my people. I started working out with a sledgehammer and I identified with it. I started doing pushups as well wall-ups because I was too overweight to do regular pushups. I got more traction and built a homegym: My issue was always a mental one. I could be strong and I could work out. I wasn't afraid of pain and pushing myself. I kept trying and failing though - misdirection in media paired with lack of confidence and dealing with massive waves of anxiety and depression - I became desperate. Once people on here started believing in me, everything changed. I'm a visual person, so I decided to print out a ton of encouraging comments and created my wall of positivity: I also made an RPG character (which NF is about 2 years late to start implementing...) I was losing weight and it was in spite of my g/f at the time. I did a few whole 30s and kept dropping lbs. I was getting stronger. I upgraded my 10lb sledgehammer into a 20lb 'Warhammer', built the above homegym, progressed to incline pushups and then regular pushups. Then I tried a Spartan. The write up of it: http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/51002-teros-x-spartan/?p=1166122 I gave it .....everything. After that, there was a swell of support for the next one in a few months later. I was terrified and didn't want to do it but I signed up anyway. http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/55919-teros-xii-redemption/?p=1287162 (I'm the one that looks like Hagrid crossed with grumpy cat with glasses on the far left) That experience at Fenway made me realize something that had been eating away at me for years - I wasn't happy. What made me happy was when I was here. Unless I was with You. All of You. My relationship with my g/f was horrible. I never felt cared about or loved. Never felt like I mattered. Never felt like I was a priority. I had to make progress by fighting her most of the time. Being around people that made me feel like I felt that weekend.... I can't explain it. Words don't describe it. Everyone's lives took a drastic turn because of that experience. I was at a tipping point - for almost 2 years, I had been slowly becoming that person that I looked up to. The person that I wished I could be. I felt completely divided. 50% Mike and 50% Teros. That spartan race and being with people that made me feel alive and loved... it pushed me past the 50% mark. I knew what I had to do: I ended my 12 year toxic relationship. The following 9 months were a fucking disaster. She lived with me and it was a nightmare waiting for her to move out. So many emotions were churning. Everything was raw and painful to talk about and deal with. I pushed her out and made her stop making excuses. I helped her get a car, tried to help her learn how to drive (at 30...), gave her supplies she needed, etc. While this is happening (as in, while broken up), I start falling for a girl that I was friends with. I was scared about what I'm supposed to do about any of this. In the end, she 'agonizes' over the decision and cuts ties while still flip-flopping about things. I truly felt she was someone special. However, I think she was emotionally walled off and didn't give me a real chance, opting the 'safe' choice. After my g/f-now-ex has finally moved out, we had a few more fights. We had said that once things settle down, we were going to stay friends and try again; and we weren't going to go dating anyone. Give each other an 'adult chance'. Despite, in all honesty, me not thinking there was a goddamn thing that I did wrong in the relationship (Oh wow, love yourself and do something besides hate everyone and watch tv, and maybe snuggle with me - what a demanding slave driver I am...) I figured if she grew up, we could try again as 'new' people.... Then she goes onto a dating website and dates a guy while simultaneously fucking a manager at her new store she works at. It was like the entire relationship with her was a fat sack of shit where I felt like I was nothing to her. Her running off within DAYS of moving out was like the cherry on top of a raw shit sundae. Nail in the coffin - she obviously doesn't give a single fuck about me or the concept of 'us'. By August 2015, with my ex mostly out of the picture, and the girl that I admitted that I loved shooting me down; I had to do something that was eating away at me since the spartan race back in November. I had to purge. I wrote my entire life story and purged emotionally. Then I purged physically. 17 empty containers out of 19 which held my entire life... ...gone. This was the start of Project Phoenix and it is what I continue with today. I rebuilt the 'southeast corner' of my Satyr cave: Before: VS After: + Project Phoenix is a 3-6+ long challenge setup to kill off what remains of my old self. I hate my old self. Weak. Scared. Self-pitying. Anxious. Angry. Frustrated. Treated like shit. Made to feel worthless. Unloved. I started it with Satyr Begins. Then The Dark Satyr. Now, The Dark Satyr Rises. I Deserve Better. I Will Make Better. Because I Am Better. There are a ridiculous amount of parallels between myself and the Batman archetype. As I thought what I wanted to do over the next year, I realized that this Project was my future waiting for me. I need to be strong enough to take it - to build it. Last challenge, the Project started: Satyr Begins. The Project in it's entirety: Step #1) Purge: -Purge all negative emotions by telling my story. -Purge all possessions by razing 30 year's worth of memories to the ground. (Burn Wayne Manor) Step #2) Satyr-Cave: -Clean the entire cave (Southeast corner) -Prime/Paint Satyr-cave -Get new flooring -Building Project #1 Bookshelf -Building Project #2 Kitchen table -Building Project #3 ****** -Building Project #4 ****** Step #3) New Look: (Become a symbol) -Face fear of cut hair/beard after 3 years/9 months -Face fear of getting piercing -Face fear of getting tattoo -Face fear of getting hair procedure done -Replace the old NF Symbol -New wardrobe Step #4) Schedule: (The will to Act) -Create a week schedule for the following: -Master's Program homework -Master's Program classes -Socializing -Exercise -Work -Decide on secret Batman lessons Step #5) Train (Ongoing): -Whole 30 -Daily walks(or)bleachers / body-weights -Sledgehammer workouts -****Unlocked after Building Project #3 -****Unlocked after Building Project #4 & -Batman Lessons Step #6) Become the Dark Satyr (cryptic on purpose): -Satyr Suit Defense -Satyr Suit Offense -'Wayne' Lessons -Siren's Call -Facing the Past that never was -Defining who I am Forever This challenge I will be working on completing Step #2, Step #3, and continuing step #5. Whole 30 started. Went for a 2+ mile walk the past couple of days. I'll be doing some sledgehammer workout tomorrow after work most likely. Once the other 2 options are ....'unlocked', I will reevaluate. For now, it is daily walks and 3x for some bodyweights, total gym reps, and sledgehammering. This entire time in my life has been Dark Souls difficulty. In the past two years I have lost 80 pounds, beat a spartan race, went from never being able to do wall push-ups, to being able to do 50 wide-grip regular push-ups, went from swinging a 10 lb sledgehammer for a couple minutes and being a sweating mess - to instead wielding a 20 pound sledgehammer for hundreds of reps (and 20lb is too heavy to even sell in hardware stores.), I built an entire homegym - consisting of kettelbells, sandbags, 250lb tractor tire, and some custom 50lb dumbbells, I wrote two years worth of story for an accountability RPG-based group, and I am here with people that I would consider my family, I've broken out of my shell and can talk to people instead of being an Asperger stuttering mess, became a guild leader, have traveled outside of my comfort zone (trains, first time on a plane, went to different states, and even drove to different states - I used to travel within a 5 mile RADIUS), tried new foods, met people from all walks of life, I've shared with people inner secrets, I ended a 12-year toxic enmeshed relationship, took a gamble on love and was crushed but bounced back, got accepted into the Master's program for social work, burned everything that I owned to the ground in a massive bonfire, and have been rebuilding my satyr-cave from scratch. I created this symbol a while back to represent the Dark Satyr. Horns for a satyr and the chin braid bottom point at the bottom. Red background to represent the flames from burning everything. The Dark Satyr Rises

Phoenix Riviera | The First Avenger Whatever happens tomorrow you must promise me one thing. That you will stay who you are. Not a perfect soldier, but a good man. This will be my first mission as a Ranger. I know it will take a lot of courage, heart & determination but I wouldn't have it any other way. Goal One | Super-Soldier Serum I need to monitor my dietary intake more closely. This is a big part of the transformation. I can't mess this up or it won't work. For this goal, I will use MyFitnessPal everyday to make sure I eat less than 70g of sugar. Less than 70 g = A 70 g - 80 g= B 80g - 90 g = C Over 90 = F +3 Wisdom for eating smarter +2 Charisma for looking goooood when I'm done Goal Two | Train For War Anything can be thrown at you in a war. I need to have speed, agility and strength. I will complete strength training 3x a week plus cardio 1x a week. Strength x3 + Cardio x1 = A Strength x2 + Cardio x1 = B Strength x1 + Cardio x1 = C Less than Strength x1 + Cardio x1 = F +3 Strength +1 Stamina +1 Dexterity Goal Three | Shield To protect oneself, one must acquire a shield... can also be useful when a boost is needed. I will take Vitamin B Complex, Calcium & Magnesium everyday. This will assist with energy levels, bone strength and muscle relaxation. Vitamins taken everyday = A Vitamins 5 or more days = B Vitamins 3 or more days = C Vitamins less than 3 days = F +3 Constitution +1 Stamina +1 Wisdom Me at the end of this mission: Not finishing this challenge was frustrating... It goes to show how important keeping your immunity up is... I have been sick on and off for like a month now! SO NOT GOOD! Based on that, and not to be too harsh on myself I have still awarded points as follows: Goal One | Super-Soldier Serum Less than 70 g = A 70 g - 80 g= B 80g - 90 g = C Over 90 = F +2 Wisdom +1 Charisma Goal Two | Train For War Strength x3 + Cardio x1 = A Strength x2 + Cardio x1 = B Strength x1 + Cardio x1 = C Less than Strength x1 + Cardio x1 = F +1 Strength +1 Stamina Goal Three | Shield Vitamins taken everyday = A Vitamins 5 or more days = B Vitamins 3 or more days = C Vitamins less than 3 days = F +2 Constitution

Anyone here from the Phoenix area? Since joining NF a couple weeks ago I've been thinking of how beneficial it could be to have another person lift with me while I learn how to properly get under the barbell and make it move. And if lifting weights isn't your thing, hello anyhow.

Ok, so this is my first post...but most definitely not my first rodeo when it comes to fitness. I used to be pretty good at maintaining a healthy weight and a decent workout routine. Then, as Steve would say SH** happened, and it all got away from me. It's true as you get older, it gets harder...unless of course you never stopped. Unfortunately, I did stop..gained lots of weight and am now struggling to get it off. I lost 50 lbs, but have another 50 to go, and am struggling with working a steady program into my crazy work schedule. That's my story...that and the fact that I have been a nerd since before the word was coined and most certainly since before nerdness was cool.

So in 2014 Tough Mudder is going to be in the Phoenix area April 4th & 5th, on April 12th (aka the next weekend) is the Warrior Dash. Both will be my last chance to do one of these types of races before my birthday. Any recommendations for someone who has done an "adventure" race as to which one might be a better choice for a beginner?

Hey all, I'm looking for a person (or people) to keep accountable with, online only works as well. I do a lot of exercise classes and am now trying to get into weightlifting, body weight exercises, and so on. I find that with weights I'm very ignorant, though I am trying to rectify that, and am worried about hurting myself. I also get tired really easily or get caught up with other things (I'm a husband and a father, my time isn't as free as I'd like) and tend to make excuses for myself about why I can't exercise. So if you'd like to exercise and have someone help you keep accountable as well as vice-versa, let me know. We could even form a small group of accountability partners.

I am looking for on-line or offline sidekick to keep me motivated and acountable I have multipule ways of comunication lol I live in north phoenix area I work out @ planet fitness for now {lol i know i know}

I actually signed up for NF awhile back but had a lot of stuff come up so I left for a while. I'm back again, though, and am read to go! Here's an abridgment of my story: I was obese most of my life, never exercised, sat down all day, and ate awful (lots of fast food, instant noodles, canned meat, etc.) I tried exercising sometimes, but nothing jived well with me. I moved to a new city and stumbled across an exercise class that, for once, I actually really enjoyed and became gung-ho about exercising. I started doing nearly everything I could including various aerobics, dances, Pilates and so on. I was exercising an average of 2-4 hours a day and dropped about 70lbs over a year, but I still ate just as badly (if not worse). Eventually, this caught up to me and I fell ill (the actual reasons are still a mystery, but I suspect overexercising/awful eating was the source) and was pretty much bedridden for about 3 months. I did a 30-day detox where I went raw vegan and took herbal supplements, which actually did help me recover. However, I never quite got back into a good routine of exercising so I gained all that weight back. I did start eating healthier though and noticed a huge difference in my energy and mood when I ate organic foods at home and when I ate fast food. So, here I am now, trying to get back into shape again but balancing eating healthy with exercising, but with higher quality and less time. I'd rather do 30 min to an hour of good, healthy, intense exercising that will get me into shape than what I was doing before of 2-4 hours where I was burning myself out. I'd like to be a better ranger-type as 1) my previous skill set fits well with it (I was good at a wide variety of things, but a master of very few) and 2) Aragorn is one of my favorite characters, so being a ranger like him (though impossible IRL) is a cool idea. Any tips or advice for me? Thankfully with nutrition, I'm pretty knowledgable and will be able to do well there. However, with exercising outside of classes, I'm not really sure what to do. I tried walking 2-3 miles a day, but I got shin splints and had to stop for a couple of weeks. I have almost zero idea what to do with weights. I'm in need of tips and advice with exercises. I did read some articles from NF and have set some things up from what I got from them as well as still doing some classes. Here's the workout regiment I'm planning on doing so far: Mon/Wed/Fri 3 Sets: Squats: 20 Push-Ups: 10 Lunges: 10 Plank: 15-Seconds Jumping Jacks: 30 Increase Per Week (Per set): + 2 Squats + 1 Push Up + 2 Lunges + 2 Seconds to Plank + 2 Jumping Jacks Tue/Thu/Sat: 5 Minutes of light walking. 6 Sets of: 30 seconds of increased pace. 2 minutes of decreased pace. 5 minutes of light jogging and stretching. Increase: + 1 minute per week of light jogging. Classes: Monday/Wednesday: 1 hour of Belly Dance and Yoga (2 hours total). Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday 1 hour of Aerobics. I signed up for a 3-year membership at LA Fitness back before I discovered this site, so I now realize that I've pretty much wasted my money as most things I can do to get into shape are things that I can do outside of the gym. However, I was hoping that there might be some tips people can give me for what kinds of exercises I can do there? I'm unsure as to what I should focus on, more weights, more bodyweight types, less cardio, and so on. I have lessened how much exercising I was doing a day from an average of 2-4 hours to 1-2 hours, but I still don't have weights in there. This is pretty much a rough draft for the exercise portion of the challenge that starts next time. I'll do these routines for now and will listen to advice and tips to modify/add to them.