Search the Community

I started taking bjj and kickboxing classes about 3 months ago and love it. But I realized recently that my initial growth will slow rapidly if I don't start training outside of class. That's where drills come into play! I'm setting up a space in my home this week to run through striking, footwork, and foundational bjj movements on a regular basis. I'm also trying to regain my focus when it comes to my writing. Currently, a lot of time gets wasted each day doing "research", i.e. searching the internet until something shiny comes along to distract me. So I'll be implementing the pomodoro technique (25 minutes on task followed by 5 minute breaks) to stay on task. My breaks need to be computer-free time, so some stretching, simple bodyweight movements, or trips downstairs for more tea are all fair game. Last, but certainly not the least challenging, is giving better care to my diet. Historically, tracking calories is obnoxious to me. I'm going to switch things up a little an give myself a daily protein goal that increases as the challenge progresses. I'll start it at 60g for the first two weeks and add 20g to the daily goal every two weeks. So week 3 & 4 will be 80g and week 5 & 6 will be 100g. My hope is that trying to reach a certain number, instead of trying to stay under a caloric one, will be the positive mindset shift I've been missing. To summarize: Challenge Goals BJJ Drills x 2 per weekKickboxing Drills x 2 per weekPomodoro Writing Sessions w/ Breaks away from the computer x 15 per weekMeet Daily Protein Goal (starting at 60g)But wait, there's more! Side Quest - Rescue the short story from certain doom! I have several promising short stories that are hanging out in the doldrums while I work on my novel. To claim victory over the side quest I must pick one of these stories and get it submission worthy by the end of the challenge. So, I think that's everything. I plan to assign points/grading at some point, but really that feels like more than I can handle this evening. Any suggestions for a not-elaborate method of counting are welcome!

I've had a bit of trouble starting my thread for this challenge. The thing is: I have a long-term plan in place, but I couldn't think of a clever/interesting/pop-culture-referencing theme to use for this particular 6 week span. Then it hit me. Just stick with the plan! My overall goal is to add muscle to my skinny frame. My long-term goal is to put on about 10 pounds of muscle by my 40th birthday (Dec 2016). I have been working for the last 5 months to lose a bit of belly fat and achieve a "lean base". I have a new intermediate goal, which is to have a beach-ready body by the end of March 2016 when I am planning to head to Jamaica for a few days with several friends who are all celebrating our 10th wedding anniversaries. So, having lost about 12 pounds and 2 inches from my belly since May, my plan is to eat at maintenance for a month to let things stabilize and then start eating at a surplus in December and January to try and bulk up. I'll then probably go back to eating at maintenance or below for a few weeks before the Jamaica trip to burn any fat I pick up. Having laid that out, here are my goals for this challenge: Goal 1: Consistent strength gains on my "marriage" lifts I re-started the 242 Method of working out back in July, where I dedicate 2 workouts a week to 6 "marriage" lifts that I never stray from: Deadlift, Overhead Press, Dips, Squat, Floor Press, and Pull-ups. I split these over Monday and Friday and then have Wednesday to "flirt" with other exercises. It's been 4 months now and I've seen consistent progress in those key lifts without the program hopping that I used to do every 6 weeks. I want to keep making consistent gains by bumping up the reps or weight on each lift each week. Goal 2: Consistent progress on my bodyweight skills There are a few bodyweight skills that I've wanted to achieve for a long time. Pistol Squats, Handstand Push-ups, One-Arm Push-ups, and L-sits. I've worked on each of these at various points over the last 3 years to varying degrees of success. This time around, I'm going to dedicate my Wednesday workouts to progressing on each of these bodyweight skills. I've got a different progression for each skill: Pistol Squats - Neat StrengthHandstand Push-ups - Kinobody Bodyweight Mastery ProgramOne-arm Push-ups - KinobodyLeg Raises (as a precursor to L-sits) - Gold Medal BodiesGoal 3: Maintain (or decrease) my weight and midsection measurement As I said above, I've been working on losing some belly fat since the end of May and I'm happy with the level of success I've had. Even though I've still got another inch or two I could stand to lose, I'm at a weight that I consider about as low as I'd like to go. So, instead of just jumping right back into a traditional bulk (where I traditionally add an few inches to my waist) I'm going to take it slow and just hang out at maintenance for a month. As I look back at my last 3 and half years on Nerd Fitness, I've bounced around a lot - eating a ton in an attempt to gain weight, but then reversing course because I gained too much in my midsection. I've never really spent time at a consistent weight. I plan to accomplish this by bumping my daily calorie intake up to about 2000 per day, but I'll rely on my Jawbone UP tracker to keep a count of my steps and how many calories I've really burned. If I'm successful in maintaining my weight and waistline for a month, I'll shift into a calorie surplus. My grading will be a variation of a method I'm stealing from Raptron's challenge: Hitting my daily protein goal will be good for 1/2 a point.Hitting my daily calorie range will be good for 1/2 a point.Alternatively, I'll be weighing myself daily and taking a midsection measurement on Monday mornings.If my seven-day average weight is at or below my starting weight or if my midsection measurement is at or below my starting measurement, I'll get all 7 points for the week.Total of 28 possible points for November Goal 4: Average 7 hours of sleep a night One thing I'm told over and over again is that you need rest to recover and build muscle, so I'm making sleep a priority once again. I will aim for drinking a cup of Natural Calm and getting to bed by 10:30 on weeknights and getting up by 5 for my workouts 3 days a week. My Jawbone UP also tracks my sleep, so I'll just take an average for the week rather than grade based on number of days I hit 7 hours. Okay, so typing this all out has taken longer than I thought it would, so I'm going to spare you all my proof that these goals have been vetted against Steve's 9 Mistakes Skinny People Make Trying To Get Bigger. Let the challenge begin!

I don't know much about protein powders, but I'm looking for something that wont upset my stomach. I'm lactose intolerant and mildly allergic to almonds. Right now I'm on hiatus from regular workouts until early-mid November (in the process of having surgery done on my eyes), but I'd like to have something for when I start back up. Any suggestions? Thanks!

Placeholder. Teagarden's 13th Challenge Stubborn Like a Rock Current Quests Pass Fresh Meat Beat the 27/5 Motivation Spring & summer's arrival More Strength = Better Derby More Protein = More Strength Less Sugar = More Energy to Exercise (1) Nutrition Eat my bodyweight in Protein. Or, just about. 140g a day should do the trick (0.9g*my bodyweight in lbs) Cut 1tsp of sugar out of somewhere in my life every week. Use 1 day a week to prep food to make life easier. (2) Mind Meditate. Whenever, just do it. xD Post a gratitude / reflection weekly on the past week or whatever needs reflecting on. (3) Fitness Go to all mandatory derby training sessions (Mon, Wed) 1 HIIT session or 30min run p/week (Between derby sessions, skating sessions also count) 1 Body Weight routine p/week (Thurs/Fri) 1 Yoga session p/week (Thurs/Fri, can be done w BW session) I'm feeling very calm about this challenge; like I know I can achieve these things and I have reason to do all the things planned; I just need to prove to myself how consistent I can be.

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!

Hey Rebels. I've been attempting to re-work my diet a bit after coming back from CAMP NERD FITNESS! (In case you couldn't tell, I'm still sort of excited about camp) Something that one of the coaches - Anthony - mentioned during the Advanced Nutrition class was consuming about 1 g of protein per lb of bodyweight to maintain muscle while attempting to lose fat. I've heard this recommendation elsewhere, but never thought too much about it. In my case, this would be about 175 g of protein every day - a little more than 30% of my calories. The 30% seems pretty reasonable, but I've been tracking my intake for a while and that's a tough number to reach without going way over my caloric goals. I eat some meat with almost every meal - sometimes I'll just do eggs - but don't get that much protein every day. I'm curious if there are any rebels out there who track their macros and aim for 1g/lb. If so, how do you usually hit that ratio? Do you just double down on lean meats and fish? Or do you use Protein powder? Something I haven't thought of? Thanks in Advance, all!

I don't really eat chicken breast any more because unless I'm grilling it it turns out dry. I like to think I'm a fairly competent cook, usually I can make some pretty decent food. But for some reason I can't do chicken breast. I can cook chicken hearts, those are awesome. But if I'm trying to prep meals for the week, I stopped trying to do the chicken breast because I can't keep it edible for more than a few minutes.

HELLO. I'm Cody. Since I'm a first-time Druid, allow me to re-introduce myself. I started yoga about two years ago to offset the strain of my job as a baker. Yoga definitely soothes my sore muscles, but I'd hit a bit of a wall, as far as strength and stamina. I've since added Pilates and bodyweight exercises, and am starting to feel a lot better. My first challenge was designed to increase my strength and stamina by increasing my workout lengths, and by tracking my food to make sure I'm getting enough fuel. Currently, my challenge is similar, but I will not be pushing forward as much as I had expected, and will instead be working on maintaining the habits I had started to develop last time. While I passed my first challenge, I had enough of a lifestyle shakeup during those six weeks that I think now is a better time to focus on building a routine, rather than push myself to my limits. And so... Strength of the Bull, Grace of the Cat [+ 2 STR, + 2 DEX] Unlike my previous challenge, I will not be pushing myself for longer workouts this time around. I am still aiming for three sessions per week, but am giving myself a more lenient "45ish minutes" goal. My workouts consist mostly of yoga, with some Pilates and bodyweight strength training. Head over to my Battle Log for full recaps of my workouts. A = 16 - 18 sessions B = 14 - 15 sessions C = 12 - 13 sessions Feast of the Gods [+2 CON, + 2 STA] While tracking my food intake as well as my exercise, I had recently discovered that I am not eating enough to properly fuel my body through my physically-demanding job, my walk to/from work, and my workouts. I was especially lacking in protein. My goal is to pay closer attention to what I eat and make sure I'm giving my body what it needs on a daily basis. I'll be carrying over my goal from last time, which was 70g of protein per day. I'd like to push the number closer to 100g, but it was incredibly difficult last time around, so I am grading on the bare-minimum for now. My non-graded goal is to also get around 2,600 calories per day. A = 38 - 42 days B = 33 - 37 days C = 28 - 32 days Call of the Pack [+ 3 CHA] I have recently found myself living alone, and don't have many (any) friends outside of the internet. Normally, I don't mind having work friends, internet friends, and my partner... but, remove the last one and, well... My goal is to get out and do something among the people at least once per week. I have recently started to volunteer at the local food bank's community kitchen, and hope to continue each week. I would also like to try to get to a yoga class a few times during this 6WC, and find a book club to join. A = 6 or more outings B = 4 or 5 outings C = 2 or 3 outings Breaking the Spell [+ 2 CON, + 2 WIS] While I would like to keep my original goal of meeting or exceeding my Goodreads challenge during this 6WC, I have realized time and time again that the biggest issue I have with not doing the things I want to do (reading, baking, crafting) is that I tend to scroll the internet for ages doing absolutely nothing. I would like to put a stop to that. (Plus, I'm re-reading Harry Potter right now and "challenging" myself to finish 3 - 6 seems a little indulgent.) I've installed an internet tracker, and I will be limiting myself to one hour of non-productive internet time per day. Non-productive internet time includes, but is not limited to; Tumblr, IMDB, Cracked, Facebook, link bait, endlessly checking in on and refreshing NerdFitness, Googling random thoughts I have while reading or cooking, that thing where I read reviews of books and movies to see if anyone agrees with me, looking up fanfiction just to see if a genre exists (it does,) planning vacations I do not intend to take within the next year, reading comments on news articles just to find someone who is wrong, internet stalking the guy who works at the pet food store before remembering that LinkedIn logs visitors, determining how much it would cost to replace the Lego Pirates sets from my childhood, and consulting Dr. Google about every sensation in my body. A = 38 - 42 days B = 33 - 37 days C = 28 - 32 days Grading: In order to "pass" this level, I need to get a C or higher on each of my goals. Reward: I Love Me mug. Because I Love Me. (Must pass with A's and B's.) Progress: Week One Week Two Week Three Mid-Challenge Week Four Week Five Week Six FINAL REPORT

Overview / Motivation: Following what was without a doubt a great 2 weeks abroad, I’ve crashed and burned in terms of my routine and focus on health and wellness. This challenge is very aggressive in terms of lifting, but I feel like I need to bring it and commit completely to rekindle the fire that got me through the 90 Day Body Beast workout program. Not much room for error here, but the carrot at the end of the tunnel will be a nice long weekend with my wife in New Orleans for an early 5 year anniversary celebration, so I better have all my lifts done before we fly out early on Sept 5th! Main Quest: Hit the following benchmarks in strength and dexterity/stamina: · Bench Press 300 lbs. · Squat 300 lbs. · Complete 20 Pull Ups · Complete 20 Minutes of Hill Sprints (NerdFitness Academy: Ranger Quest) Side Quests: Average 6 Weightlifting Routines per week – will be using the Body Beast Bulk Phase routine – 6 weeks with 6 days on, 1 day off Points Potential: STR +5 Grading: A= Average > 90% B= Average > 80% C= Average > 70% F= Average < 70% Complete 13,000 steps or more per day Points Potential: STA +2 Grading A= Average > 13,000 steps per day B= Average > 12,000 steps per day C= Average > 11,000 steps per day F= Average < 10,000 steps per day Consume 120 grams of protein per day and stretch daily Points Potential: CON +3 Grading A= Average >= 100 grams & average stretching > 90% B= Average > 90 grams & average stretching > 80% C= Average > 80 grams & average stretching > 70% D= Average > 70 grams & average stretching > 60% F= Average < 70 grams & average stretching < 60% Life Quest: Complete 3 Lumosity Trainings / Week & Meditate Nightly Points Potential: WIS +5 Grading A= Average > 90% B= Average > 80% C= Average > 70% F= Average < 70%

Hello fellow veg-heads. I'm in a bit of a pickle. Today I decided to track my Protein/Carbs/Fats today, just to get an idea of what my average consumption is. While I'm in range as far as Fats go (slightly over, but not too bad), and only a moderate amount over my daily carb allotment (within 15-18 grams), and I SUPER under the protein allotment. All my recipes which have high protein counts have equally high (usually more) carbs. Everything I've read suggests a higher protein to carb ration for folks doing weight-lifting routines. Now, I'm not lifting heavy at the moment, but I am doing body weight circuits with the goal of gaining muscle. With all this in mind... How do y'all get enough protein? I've been a veggie for 12ish years, so I'm fine at getting non-working out levels of protein. I have a protein smoothie every morning. I eat eggs and cheese, nuts and tofu. I love black beans & rice. But in an average day, I am under my protein goals by almost 100g!! (Assuming you take your body weight X 1.2 for daily protein intake; though, even with just X1, I'm still about 70g under). How do y'all up your protein without your carbs & fats skyrocketing? And without eating eggs every single day. I like eggs, but every day makes me feel wonky. Ideas?

Hey evreyone! I recently purchased 'sacha inchi protein', never tried it before. I'm intolerant to milk proteins, so whey or milk isolate are definitely not an option for me, and I can't use soy protein with my thyroid medication. Sacha inchi protein has a slightly nutty flavour, but it's quite strong (in shakes for example). I can't find a decent recipe for it because it seems like it's so new! Does anyone have any experience with this protein? I feel like it could be of good use in baking! Thank you and keep kicking ass!

Beast Mode – Defeat the Beast & Globetrot Challenge Overview / Motivation: So in full disclosure, I should have completed the 90 day Body Beast Workout plan during the off week between challenges, but due to Memorial Day, early morning baby wake ups and a pulled neck muscle I essentially took the week off. With that said, the beginning of this challenge will cap off the 90 day workout plan (plus some extra days) followed by a transition into a mix of leveraging the Body Beast guided workouts as well as some more standard workouts (i.e. I haven’t performed a legit bench press rep since I started the workout out routine.). I’ll be scaling back the number of workouts per week to give myself more time for recovery, and also because for 2 weeks during this challenge I will be traveling throughout the Scandinavia countries for a study abroad trip as part of my MBA. Since my access to a gym or time for exercise is a big unknown, this challenge will be a mix of working out and a bit of finding as much of a mental balance as I can (stretching, more walking, keeping a journal and meditating). Between my family, work, and school my mind is all over the place, and I need to take action to put at least my mind in better order. The two weeks away (while I will miss my family very much) will be a good opportunity to have a central focus on experiencing my time abroad and take some time between plane rides and bus trips to be a bit more introspective. Main Quest: Hit the following benchmarks in strength and dexterity/stamina: Bench Press 300 lbs.Squat 300 lbs.Complete 20 Pull UpsComplete 20 Minutes of Hill Sprints (NerdFitness Academy: Ranger Quest) Side Quests: Average 3 Weightlifting Routines per week Points Potential: STR +3 Grading: A= Average > 90% B= Average > 80% C= Average > 70% F= Average < 70% Complete 14,000 steps or more per day & perform 2 cardio activities per week (Body Beast Cardio or outdoor run) Points Potential: STA +5 Grading A= Average > 12,000 steps per day; Average > 90% cardio B= Average > 11,000 steps per day; Average > 80% C= Average > 10,000 steps per day; Average > 70% F= Average < 10000 steps per day; Average < 70% Consume 120 grams of protein per day and stretch daily Points Potential: CON +3 Grading A= Average >= 100 grams & average stretching > 95% B= Average > 90 grams & average stretching > 85% C= Average > 80 grams & average stretching > 75% D= Average > 70 grams & average stretching > 70% F= Average < 70 grams & average stretching > 60% Life Quest: Journal 3 times / Week & Meditate Nightly Points Potential: WIS +4 Grading A= Average > 90% B= Average > 80% C= Average > 70% F= Average < 70%

ABOUT ME: I'm Cody. I started yoga about two years ago to offset the strain of my job as a baker. Yoga definitely soothes my sore muscles, but I've hit a bit of a wall, as far as strength and stamina. I've since added Pilates and bodyweight exercises, and am starting to see a change. My goal is to continue to improve my strength and stamina by increasing the length of my workouts. Recently, I've begun tracking my food intake in order to see if I've been fueling my body appropriately, and it turns out I eat very little protein. I think after being vegetarian for nearly ten years, the moment I started eating meat again, I assumed my intake was "good enough." Turns out that I actually eat very little meat, and have almost completely stopped eating good vegetarian proteins. QUEST: To improve strength and stamina. OBJECTIVES: Increase length of workouts to 45 minutes for the first three weeks, and to 50 minutes for the last three. [sTA, STR] Currently, I am working out around 3x per week, at 40 minutes each. I will need to complete nine workouts each half of the challenge at the given length of time. Final: 13/18 workouts complete. A = 16 - 18 B = 13 - 15 C = 10 - 12 Eat at least 70 grams of protein per day. [WIS, CON] At first, this goal will be met with Clif Bars and Bolthouse drinks, until I find the right "real food" breakfasts and after-work snacks for myself. I will be tracking with SparkPeople (unless someone has a better tracker to suggest.) MyFitnessPal. (MyFitnessPal suggests that I should shoot for 135 grams of protein per day, but I'm taking the baby-steps approach.) Final: 34/42 days complete. A = 37 - 42 B = 31 - 36 C = 25 - 30 SIDE QUEST: Keep up with or exceed my Goodreads.com reading goal. Read at least three books during the six week challenge. [WIS] Final: 4/3 books read. A = 3+ B = 2 C = 1 MOTIVATION: To have the energy to both work and play. REWARD: oGorgeous Bow My Gawd! yoga bag. My boyfriend offered to buy me new gear as a reward. This was my choice. Though I already purchased it for fear of it selling out, it doesn't come out of the package until I finish a challenge with all A's and B's. MINIS: Mini 1: SMART Choices [+1 WIS]Mini 2: Making Friends [+1 CHA]Mini 3: The Library [+1 WIS]MID-CHALLENGE UPDATEMini 5: The Cafeteria [+1 CON]

Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger This challenge, the overarching goal is to get better. I've been doing pretty well for the last few challenges at just showing up and doing things. This time, that won't be enough. At the end, I'll outline the final grading criteria for this challenge. Quest 1: Harder Last challenge I simply did the same workout over and over. No additional reps, no progressing into harder iterations of a move. Well no longer! This time around, I will add reps or switch into a different version of an exercise each week. One point will be awarded for each week I add more reps (or hold time) or change up exercises. Not all exercises need to be added to or modified each week. Seven additional points will be awarded at the end for successfully adding reps or modifying all exercises in my bodyweight circuit (it has 7 exercises in it). This is all or nothing. Quest 2: Better Last challenge I added some paleo(ish) cooking to my weeks and watched my macros. That was great and all, but I noticed that my protein intake was usually not up to snuff. This time, I'll be watching two things: my macro and my protein gram count. Macro goal is still 50-30-20; protein goal is 85g on a regular day (the count goes up when I exercise since I'm adding calories back to my total) so that's what we'll shoot for. Macros will again be graded by week; protein will be graded by day. I will not deduct points in the event of going over on protein and under on both fat and carb. I will deduct points in the event of going over on protein and fat or carb. One point will be awarded for each day I meet my protein goal. Five points will be awarded for staying within 3% of macro; three points will be awarded for staying within 5% of macro; and one point will be awarded for staying within 7% of macro. Zero points for going outside of that. Quest 3: Faster At least one workout each week is to be a running workout by our apartment (with additional arm nonsense either before or after). It's a 5k route. Last time I did that, it took 42:28, average 12:53 min/mile (first mile was 11:45, second mile was 13:22, third mile was 14:01, change mile was 11:14). I want to get more awesome at that. Faster, if you will. I'd like to improve my minute/mile times, and by extension, the total time. I've been thinking about it, and I don't think I can run a 5k each week without other shorter runs in there too. So I do not have to run 5k each week, but I will do 5k on the last week for comparison. Point system below still counts for shorter-than-5k runs but I'll be grading myself against the last time I ran a particular route instead of the 5k numbers. One point will be awarded for each running workout. One additional point will be awarded for running faster/better than this posted time (for the first week) or the week previous (for all following weeks). I will also accept running a better first, second, or third mile as additional point opportunities. Life Quest: Stronger I'm going to learn to juggle! OK, so it doesn't quite fit in with "Stronger" but I basically covered that with "Harder" so... Just roll with it. I don't currently have juggling balls, but I do have k-cups! And they're actually a pretty good size and a light, forgiving weight. I'll carry 3 cups around with me and practice juggling when I have spare moments. I can currently toss one cup back and forth well. Two is iffy; they keep going not straight. Three is right out. At the end of this, I'll be juggling three. Two points will be awarded for each day I practice for ten minutes (to a total of 10 possible points per week). One point will be awarded for each day I just practice here and there for a few tosses at a time (no limit, but does not combine with above). Final Grading Total points up for grabs here is 109. 98-109 = A This is what we strive for 87-97 = B 76-86 = C 65-75 = D but that's basically failing Hitting in the 103-109 range calls for a piece of treasure to be determined before the challenge begins (so I don't cheat later). Hitting in the total A range calls for a slightly less lustrous piece of treasure, also tbd before the challenge begins. Couldn't figure out prizes before the challenge started, so we're not going to go with them. However, I may at the end purchase a new camelback for running and/or a foam roller since both of those have been on my list of things to get for a while. They are not rewards, but tools for my continuing advancement. (But who knows what finances will look like...ugh.) Nerdwarts OK, here are my AMRAP numbers for Nerdwarts. It's not specifically a quest this challenge, but I want to significantly increase my ability with each of these things over the course of the challenge. Each, or a variation thereon (like regular squats and foot-assisted pull ups) are included in my bodyweight routine. So each will be seeing improvement through Quest 1 (or should be). I don't know what the Leaders have in mind for Nerdwarts minis, but I look forward to challenging myself this challenge! standard floor push ups (7) jackknife pull ups (4) split squats (19 with left leg forward) elbow plank (42 sec) (Still on the fence about giving myself additional points for listening to "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" every time I wok out.) LET'S DO THIS! (OK, you got me. The quest images really don't have anything to do with the quests. What can I say? I really love Hawkeye.)

Oh man. Not only is this my FIFTH challenge... But I have successfully Druid-ed and am BACK with the Rangers for this one!! *yes!* *happy dance* As per a Shaarawy Style Challenge, each 6WC I do will run with a theme of something nerdy that is close to my heart - I’ve done Final Fantasy and Sailor Moon thus far, but this challenge will encompass the series that led to many late nights of reading, dressing up to go to movie premieres, and online journal-style roleplaying as my favorite characters (nerd cred +10) - Harry Potter. I’m predicting this challenge will be fairly... well, challenging (har har) for me. Moreso than any of them I’ve done before. There are certain quests in this challenge that I’d been side-eyeing for a while and gently avoiding... but it’s time to stop avoiding and get all Avada Kedavra on this stuff. *deep breath* I can be brave! Speaking of brave, let’s jump right into this. Quest 1 - Gryffindor (+4 STR) Gryffindors are brave and strong, thusly this quest will be about being brave and getting in that weight room (and getting up early to get there before work!), and being strong by working hard to lift more every day. It’s no secret that I’m loving lifting right now, so my goal here is to lift three times weekly. I’ve got a notebook to keep track of my lifts that has three different days planned out - legs, chest and back, shoulders and arms. (A note that to start I may do my leg day at home for convenience because it’s very “beginner†right now and I have the smaller weights I need at home.) Weekly Grades A - Lifting 3 days per week B - Lifting 2 days per week C - Lifting 1 day per week Due to the nature of the Gryffindor quest, MEASUREMENTS AND PROGRESS PHOTOS WILL BE REQUIRED!! (Remember that bit about being brave?..) I’ll also need them for the nature of the next quest... Quest 2 - Ravenclaw (+3 WIS, +1 CON) Boy oh boy am I gently terrified of this one. Up until now I’d been making fairly mindful choices about my nutrition, but it’s time to button down and really calculate my intake. In lieu of going full macros (because I’d end up breathing into a paper bag by the end of Week 1), I’m going to be monitoring my protein intake to make sure my progressing muscles get the proper building blocks to be awesome. Like a Ravenclaw, I need to be smart about this as well as strong. Right now I'm aiming to hit my protein within a range of 90g-110g per day, based on my height, weight, and BMI. (5'3", 133.2, 24% FWIW.) Weekly Grades A - Protein met 5 days a week B - Protein met 4 days a week C - Protein met <3 days a week Quest 3 - Slytherin (+2 DEX, +2 CON) To be a Slytherin you have to be cunning, ambitious, and... well, maybe a little snake-like. I had great success with my stretching and yoga in my last challenge, so here I’m going to continue on with it, but up the ante a little. (Like any good Slytherin would do.) I hate foam rolling y’all - I feel about as coordinated as a walrus balancing on a beach ball and oh, the pain, it hurts! But it works, and I KNOW this, so now it’s time to utilize it. Twice a week I will do a combo of restorative yoga plus foam rolling for the extra ouchy spots. This one will also be graded a bit more severely, because that’s how Snape would want it. Weekly Grades A - Yoga + foam rolling twice weekly B - Yoga + foam rolling once weekly F - Yoga + foam rolling... nonce weekly. (Is that a word?) Life Quest - Hufflepuff (+3 CHA) Oh, to be a Puff - loyal, hardworking, and ready to cheer their friends on at a moment’s notice. My LQ is definitely Puffey, as the Women’s World Cup is coming up in June, and much like the Inter-House Quidditch Cup, it’s time to cheer on our team in some fun and creative ways. I love soccer (duh, really?) and I’m one of the leaders of our local American Outlaws chapter (the official USA soccer supporter’s group). We have watch parties at our local AO-designated pub for every match, and the World Cup is BIG, y’all. Right now the USA has three matches -for sure- in June, however if they win big and get out of the group, there is potential for more. Why so much explanation, you ask? Well, in true Hufflepuff fashion, I’ve taken it upon myself to create fun and interactive fan events for each watch party we schedule - things like creating bingo cards for fans to fill out as the match goes, trivia challenges, costume challenges - and a reward for each of them because, prizes are pretty awesome. I’d ideally like to have 5 events created, so I have a little wiggle room for future games. Overall 6 Week Grades A - Five contests with rewards created B - Four contests with rewards created C - Three contests with rewards created Phew. Slightly daunting but with the powers of magic, friendship, and hard work on my side... I can't lose!!

Beast Mode – Bulk Challenge Overview / Motivation: Building on the momentum from the Body Beast Build Phase and beginning of the Bulk Phase. During this challenge I should wrap up the Bulk Phase and begin the Beast Phase (combination of the workouts from the first 2 phases). I feel stronger since starting and more ‘athletic’ if that makes any sense. For this challenge I will incorporate other goals that better facilitate my progress in terms of diet and flexibility. Main Quest: This quest will go beyond this challenge (and probably the next few), but my main quest is to hit the following benchmarks in strength and dexterity/stamina: · Bench Press 300 lbs. · Squat 300 lbs. · Complete 20 Pull Ups · Complete 20 Minutes of Hill Sprints (NerdFitness Academy: Ranger Quest) Side Quests: Average 5 Weightlifting Routines per wek Points Potential: STR +5 Grading: A= Average > 90% B= Average > 80% C= Average > 70% F= Average < 70% Complete 12,000 steps or more per day Points Potential: STA +5 Grading A= Average > 12,000 steps per day B= Average > 11,000 steps per day C= Average > 10,000 steps per day D= Average > 9000 steps per day F= Average < 9000 steps per day Consume 100 grams of protein per day and stretch daily Points Potential: CON +3 Grading A= Average >= 100 grams & average stretching > 95% B= Average > 90 grams & average stretching > 85% C= Average > 80 grams & average stretching > 75% D= Average > 70 grams & average stretching > 70% F= Average < 70 grams & average stretching > 60% Life Quest: Read 20 minutes a day Points Potential: WIS +2 Grading Pass / Fail

(Note: I had a much better introduction but my first post was eaten by the inter-webs) Main Quest : Unassisted Pull Up Strength Goal: More pull-ups than week before. Test myself every Saturday. Starting with 3. .5 strength points for each week I have more band-assisted pull-ups.Can be:longer hang-timemore band-assisted pull upsmore negative pull-ups (let downs)3 strength pts Stamina Goal: longer workouts than the work beforeCan be total weekly mileage (runs)Total weekly mileage (bike)Total weekly distance rowed (metric)Total amount of time spent doing cardio3 stamina pts Constitution Goal: Hero's JourneyDo workout everydayTime spent can also count towards Stamina goal3 Dexterity pts Nutrition: Veggies / Fruit at every meal (tracked through Lose It! app)90g protein / day (tracked through Lose It! app)3 constitution pts Lifestyle Goal: Blog at least once a week (and resurrect my blog).3 Charisma pts

CHALLENGE 4 - Getting Fit for the Show Soooo, I waited until the last moment to post my challenge because today was the Open Meeting to be a performer at the Beltane Fire Festival, and I waited to make sure I could sign up. Now it's done and - unless something goes wrong - I'll be performing in the show on April 30th! Yay!! The team I'm joining describes itself as follows: We are an intensive group, both physically and mentally, incorporating acrobatics and acrobalance with a lot of character and vocal work. You don’t need to be super-fit to try out for the group, but we work hard and play hard, so you must be willing to work to get there over next 2 months. So yep, that's basically my fitness challenge made up for me! I'm going to focus on building strength, we'll be rehearsing 7 hours a week (!), so what I'll really have to pay attention to is my protein intake. On top of that, I'd like to do a bit of yoga (nothing hardcore) and stretching, to feel good. For extra motivation, we'll be performing almost completely naked, so the "looking good naked" is a plus Here is the plan... 1. Body Weight Training 3x/week + 5 STR +3 DEX - Rehearsal 2x (4 STR and 2,5 DEX) - Yoga 1x (I'll use Shilpa's Yoga for Flexibility) and/or Origami Workout 1x (1 STR and 0,5 DEX) 2. Full Body Stretching 2x/week +1 DEX With Blogilates Stretching Routines 3. Proteins 3x /day +2 STR +2 CON Protein powder, eggs, meat, fish, lentils, beans, peanut... 4. One paleo meal /day +2 CON 1 cheat day /week. ----------------------------------- Bonuses: ** For every day in bed before 21:30 + 0,2 CHA + 0,5 CON ** 7km brisk walk 4x/week +0,5 STA

"I’m here to start a one girl revolution, I’m not a perfect ten, paper thin, Hollywood illusion. I thought I told ya, I’m a soldier, And I’m not leaving ‘til the party’s over..." I love me some tough, multifaceted ladies. I especially love them when they can swing swords and hurl fireballs. For my fifth (wow!) NerdFitness challenge, I’ve decided to take my inspiration from a few of my favorite Final Fantasy females, because if there’s one thing I know, it’s that these girls kick serious butt in a lot of different ways - and I personally aspire to look half as fabulous while being just as awesome. (Minus the fireballs, unfortunately.) MAIN QUEST: Live the dream! No, but seriously. I'm in the best shape of my life, getting stronger all the time, rocking my goal dress size, and LOOKING FORWARD to stripping down to a swimsuit this summer. Who is this woman??? I barely recognize her from a year ago! In any case, this challenge is a bit of a hodgepodge ultimately aimed at being smarter about upping my badass cred.... in my own particular aerialist way. Not kidding about the smarter thing… as I wrote these goals, I realized each of the fitness goals has wisdom points attached to it, ha! The (semi-serious) tagline seems to be, "Train Like a Tank, Look Like a Princess." QUEST 1: INSPIRATION: FANG (fuel my inner tank) - (+3 CON, +1 STR, +1 WIS) Tanks are strong, and I bet you they fuel themselves accordingly. This goal is two-pronged: first, I need to eat more protein to aid in continued muscle development. Second, I'm really good at eating at a deficit. Maybe... a little too good? I hit my goal size and started working up to maintenance calories, but keep getting spooked and not eating quite enough. And then losing more weight. Nice problem to have, only not really - much smaller, and I'll look unhealthy. Thus, two objectives: Eat at least 100 grams of protein a minimum of 5 days a week (my lean mass is estimated at 109lbs).A: 5 days, B: 4 days, C: 3 days Calculate my average daily gross calories at the end of the week. If more than .5lb was lost, the next week's daily average MUST BE at minimum 100 calories higher. If weight was gained but measurements dropped/remained the same, average should remain within 50 of the previous week (yay, true maintenance!). If weight was gained and measurements went up, I may drop back to the prior week's average.A: Followed guidelines 100%, B: Followed guidelines but was short of required average by <30, C: Followed guidelines but was short of required average by <50 QUEST 2: INSPIRATION: QUISTIS (work smarter, not harder) - (+1 STR, +1 DEX, +2 WIS) Everything is planning and planning is everything. I get access to one aerial open gym a week, 1.5 hours of silks time that I really need to be using to better effect. Accordingly, my goal will be to make a weekly open gym plan including tricks and number of attempts per side, and STICK TO IT. I'll try to post the plan here in advance, though my class and open gym happen on the same day, a few hours apart, so that may not always be possible. I'll be on the honor system if I just can't get to a computer. I hate trying to navigate the forums from my phone. A: Made a plan and stuck to it*, THERE IS NO TRY, SO THERE IS NO B OR C *If I ran out of time to complete everything, it does not count against me QUEST 3: INSPIRATION: RIKKU (dextrous hands sans sticky fingers) - (+2 DEX, +1 WIS) I don’t anticipate I’ll be picking any pockets or tinkering with airship parts anytime soon, but there are a few things that can be learned from a nimble thief/machinist. I don't get quite the horrid hand DOMS that I had when I first started aerial, but I still wake up with achy finger joints sometimes, and I know this is at least partially due to the fact that I don't always take the time for hand/grip exercises, despite having thera-putty in my bag and resistance hand grips in my office. Thus, I will commit to daily sessions of at least 5 minutes of hand exercises. A: 7 days, B: 6 days, C: 5 days LIFE QUEST: INSPIRATION: GARNET (pamper my inner princess) - (+3 CHA) Sometimes, a girl just wants to be pretty (or at least this girl does), and a little bit of pampering never hurt anyone, right? I’d like to get to the point where skincare becomes automatic - sometimes, I’m still lazy about it (especially when I’m sleepy), but I’m not 15 anymore, so really, I need to remember to make this a habit. Plus, I like how my skin feels when I take care of it, so this will hopefully be a feel-good little challenge for me. I’ll always count from the night prior and into the morning, and for a day to count, the following steps must all be followed: evening: cleanse and moisturize; morning: cleanse or use toner, brightening serum, and moisturize; one at-home facial a week. A: 7 days, B: 5-6 days, C: 3-4 days Skipping the facial drops me one letter grade BONUS: MAKING MEMORIES! No points for this, but as a bonus, I’d like to try to fit in something fun on a weekly basis - fun that isn’t necessarily “LET’S GO TO THE AERIAL GYM! ” and take some photos of said good times. I want to do more of this, but I’m not quite ready to commit to a full life goal around this. So, I’ll do my best to fit it in, and we’ll see how it goes. As a bonus, that means I may have some fun snapshots to share with all of you. The points thus come out like this, assuming I mathed correctly: STR : 2 (A=2, B=1, C=.5) DEX : 3 (A=3, B=2, C=1) STA: 0 CON: 3 (A=3, B=2, C=1) WIS : 4 (A=4, B=3, C=2) CHA : 3 (A=3, B=2, C=1) I'll be keeping track of daily accomplishments in a gdoc, publicly available HERE. The spreadsheet does all the fancy math for me (I love technology). REWARDS: What would an epic quest be without treasure? If I succeed, I will reward myself with something nice (that isn't food). Rewards are stacking, meaning I get the A, B, and C rewards if I get to an A grade, the B and C rewards for B grade, and just the C reward for C grade. Rewards are as follows: A overall: HQ UPGRADE! If I earn an A overall, I will engage a cleaning service for a one-time deep scrubdown of my house. B overall: REVITALIZING ELIXIR! If I earn a B overall, I’ll book myself a hot stone massage at that place I keep seeing on the way to work. C overall: ACCESSORY UPGRADE! If I earn a C overall, I’ll buy myself a pretty new leather wallet, because I’ve been coveting one for awhile. Before pictures: Measurements: Neck: 12.9" Waist: 26.8" Hips: 37" Chest: 35.4" Thigh: R: 22.2" L: 21.8" Calf: R: 14.7" L: 14.5" Bicep: R: 11" L: 11" Weight: 141.4lbs Dress/pants size: 4/2

So I tracked the last few days in MFP and realized that, left to my own devices, I eat a low protein, low carb, HIGH fat diet. Which is actually kind of miserable because I don't feel very full at all but I also don't feel like I'm recovering well from my workouts. I love my fats but I'm an endurance athlete and I need carbs. And I also need protein to maintain muscle mass. So... what are some good ways to incorporate more carbs and more protein into my diet? I'm not looking for things like, "eat rice and chicken breasts", I'm looking more for snack type things that I can eat at work (portable). I already eat usually a protein shake and a banana before my workout and 2 eggs and a bowl of oatmeal after. I'd prefer not to eat more eggs as snacks. Thanks for any input!! Some ideas so far: Protein: Greek Yogurt ...? Carbs: Carrots? Sweet potatoes Apples?

So my friend got a couple tubs of this Raw Fit vegan protein powder. One tub has ground up roasted coffee beans in it, the other has ground up green coffee beans. Neither container mentions anything about a 'flavor' or 'taste.' I found this highly suspicious, as protein powders are usually either 'unflavored' or flavored with chocolate, peanut butter, fruit (as you all well know). I tried the roasted coffee one tonight before work. The first thing I noticed was that it had a fairly smooth coffee flavor to it, not too bad. The second thing I noticed immediately following the coffee taste was the HORRIBLE SAND TEXTURE WASHING AROUND IN MY MOUTH. This stuff is awful. It's like drinking a half water half sand castle-bucket from the beach. All the macros are awesome, low fat, high protein, high fiber, vitamins, etc. On paper this stuff kicks ass. But once it's in your mouth, egads. I will be trying the green coffee one tomorrow but I cannot imagine it's going to be any better. I will be finishing both tubs as I don't believe in wasting food. I imagine putting this powder into something that isn't a beverage would be fine. But it is downright unpleasant to drink. I might try mixing it in with something the next time I use it and post an update.

Hi everyone, Okay, that's a late start. Now let's try to make up for it. Main goal : Gain 5 kg of healthy, functional muscle! I'm a light weight and would like gain weight by adding muscle while increasing range of movement! Goal 1 : Train 2 out of 3 days I follow a 3 day rotation program just after waking up (that's the only time I am sure to have for myself) : Kettlebell : Simple and sinister from Pavel Tsatsouline Kettlebell : Simple and sinister from Pavel Tsatsouline Mobility drills and strechingGrading : A= followed the program for 23 days, B= 20 days, C= 17 days, D= 14 days Goal 2 : Eat a protein shake every day Grading : A= 23 days, B= 20 days, C= 17 days, D= 14 days Goal 3 : Practice mobility and steching 1 day out of 3 Following the program in goal n°1, the grading will be A= 8 times, B=6 times, C= 5 times, D= 3 times.

This is a video (Mini-Documentary) to inspire all and to show what you can do with your body in only 28 days when you quit drinking, change your diet, and are active everyday!

Background: I live in a very active community where fitness is weaved into the average person's day. This community is also very social, and most bars/pubs are kid friendly. ...which means I drink frequently, which means I crave carbs in the morning, which means I don't feel like working out... = weight gain. My goal is to lose 10 lbs by September. My plan over the next 6 weeks is to drink only 1 night per week. At the beginning of each week I will plan which night I can drink I will eat at least 1 protein item every morning for breakfast. ...and we will see where that gets me. Pretty sure I can't lose out by doing this.

Hi everyone! Happy New Year! This challenge is going to be SUPER SPECIFIC. After two challenges, I barely improved my push-ups. I could do 3x10 knee push-ups then, I still can't do a full push-up now (not even one, I tried xD). Sure, I do them much better now, fast and neat, I only really suffer for the last set, and I pretty much always have been skin and bones on my upper body. It's not so bad. Yet, I might be slightly annoyed. So I have only ONE goal for this challenge: do 3 full push-ups in a row. To be honest, I'll be pretty happy when I can do one. Also, my energy level is a bit low after the Holiday, so simple is good. I'm joining the monks because my goal is to get back to Kung Fu classes (as soon as my finances allow it). So right now, I consider myself in pre-training building strength and stamina can only help, especially focusing on strong arms and core (not that legs aren't important, it's just that they are always strong no matter what I do or don't do). And I'm sure I can find good advice for that in the Courtyard #3 CHALLENGE : 3 FULL PUSH-UPS IN A ROW 1. Strength and stamina => Push-ups 3 times /week. +3 STR => 30 minutes of cardio (aka walking at brisk pace) twice a week. +3 STA 2. Muscle Up! => Eat quality proteins twice a day (eggs, fish, meat or red lentils). +1 STR + 2 CON => Eat 1 paleo meal /day (one cheat day /week). +2 CON 3. Personal life goals => Save £50 /month +2 WIS => Apply to 2 jobs /week (or 8 /month) +2 CHA ---------------------------------------- Exceptions: - If I study 9+ hours in a day, I can skip a workout (until 22/01, last day of exams). - If I start a job that requires a lot of arm strength, I'll rethink my push-up goals. Bonuses: - 1 BWW per week +1 STR - 1 act of self-care per day +1 WIS ----------------------------------------- Let's do this!