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Lucky fire dragon levels up her Dance Quest 1: Level up my dance (+1STR +3DEX) - train 3x/week on the pole, signed up for LEVEL 2 course block starting beginning of March and am super excited as it took me a year to feel confident in Level 1+, literally levelling up here, wheeeeeee - keep up 15min or more of yoga 5x/ week chill-out sessions, flexibility and easing into the morning count as well Bonus level: train one new pose/week, either yoga or pole The bonus level won't get any points, but will feel good, therefore - bonus Quest 2: Level up my strength (+2STR +3STA) - train 2x/week with dumbbells am a total newbie with this, only tried it out once so far, but loved it and am curious what it will do for my strength to make the pole moves easier, plus hoping for a little weight loss, which will also make the pole moves easier got us good training plan (seems to me) and will start with 50% of max weight to ease into it and make sure technique is good before adding more weight - does that sound right to you guys?? - train 3x/week HIIT with skipping rope for heart strength did my second training with that today, 3sets of 1 minute fast skipping with 1 min slow skipping for rest in-between. Am proud to say this time I managed better and counted 110 skips/min, let's see how many I can do at the end of this challenge, let's gain some speeeeeeeeeeed Bonus level: add foam rolling for more mobility 2-3x/week This is, if there is time, but I could add it in after the HIIT sessions as they really don't take long or maybe after pole training at home, too, to prevent DOMS, will have to see what works best Quest 3: Level up my balance (+1WIS +2CON) - keep up the email ninja 5x/week being in and out so quickly no one can even see me - loved it during the last challenge, definite keeper - level up the water intake to 2 liters/day for 4x/week and 2,5 liters for 3x/week 2 Liters is good, but 2,5 is often better, don't want to do this too strict but give my body room for day-to-day feedback in its needs. It's just if I drink any less than those 2 liters, I don't feel my natural thirst so much any more whereas if I do drink those 2 liters regularly I do feel when I need more Bonus level: be pro-active on a medium or long-term work project for 30min 3x/week they tend to be left aside, but every time I kick my ass to proceed on them it gives me a huge boost overall. Plus they mean more income long-term Quest 4: Level up my joy (+1WIS +2CHA) - keep up the daily meditation - spend 15min or more on something fun and creative (drawing, baking, playing games with kids, playing my harp again - which I haven't done in years, try new recipe, embroidery, gardening, rearranging a part of the house,...) Bonus level: spend daily quality time with at least one family member or good friend I spend so much of my day being there for other people that this part can come short and I really don't want it to. These are the most important people in my life, I will treasure them more consciously again Sooooooooo, here's to new powers and joy, fellow rebels, let's take off into a GRAND Challenge!! Before pics and measurements will follow still, although I might be lazy and just use the after ones from last challenge as the one week probably didn't make that much difference... Will rather feed the thread with up-to-date pole achievements throughout the challenge

After 2years with the Rebellion I've succeed in completing a lot of goals in my challenges. Learned a ton. Gained muscle, lost muscle. Established healthy habits, lost healthy habits. So it was brewing & brewing in my head for some time now that when I look at myself in the mirror & compare with the pictures I took along the way : Nothing has changed. So I set out a main-quest to get rid of 'the belly of the beast'. With all I've learned so far & hoping some old habits will kick in along the way: I take I can do this in 6months. Hence the reason of this thread : I need a container to keep track over multiple Challenges. So this wont be a daily log, but more like a weekly log.I need a place to hide my progress pics (ehm.. fail ? )extra motivation So without further delay : A summary of my first Challenge in the main-quest : Main Quest : Get rid of the belly. Motivational : Stigmata of Ministry ok: I'm seriously tired of my fat belly & all the problems it brings with it. time to tackle it head on. I anticipate it'll take me 6months or 3 Challenges. I'm skinny fat: This evenings measurement : belly 108cm; chest 100cm. The pics of me with my one day old smartphone stressing not to drop it. (I put them on a free-online thing, no idea how long they'll last there) there's 2things to it : Eat more. Build mass. (proper mass that is ^^ ) Goals: Diet : Fix breakfast The fail safe basis of my breakfast the coming challenge, and 6months, will be : Oatmeal. There is no excuse but lack of will for not eating it. Bring half a cup in Tupperware to work, add hot water : eat bomb of fibers. It will protect me half a day from white grains & the fiber will hopefully heal my intestines which are giving me a hard time sleeping. measurement : every single day fitness : Rope Skipping. I think it'll be a good a idea to build some grit at the start of this main-quest , by going outside in the winter & do some rope-skipping: which will be cold and way out of my comfort zone. and it will reap me, if I ever get it done, some much needed points on +STA .. measurement : 2weekdays / 1weekend day fitness : steady yoga It's the only thing in the last 3years that could win the mind battle vs the booze devil: I cant do yoga if I pop a beer after work. and half the time I'd rather do yoga. Which would be a big win vs a beer-belly .. measurement : 3weekdays / 2weekend day

How many people in the NFA community jump rope? Why I ask? I've been googling through the web and I can't really find a solid answer to my dilemna. I found a new love for jump roping (for the Americans) or skipping rope (for the British). As soon as I wake up in the morning, I want to go outside and start jump roping. However, there is something I am very confused about. Do I have to warm up before jump roping? Some people jump rope as a warm up, right? So, if I jump roped as soon as I woke up, wouldn't I be warming up and working out at the same time? Or, does the intensity of my rope skipping determines it being a warm up or a work out? Will I injure myself if I skipped rope as soon as I woke up (I'm an early bird, morning makes me super perky... it's almost like a drug... morning that is)? For well seasoned jump ropers dwelling in the crevices of NFA, what say you on this matter? Is warm up necessary? Can I warm up using the jump rope and just increase my velocity to turn it to a workout? Nightbrother wrote a thread on jump roping, but he was talking about his core too and not really on jump roping itself. So, I am just writing this thread to speak only about jump roping/skipping rope. I hope that is okay. Beginner jump ropers are also welcome to chime in. What advices do you have to share with me, who is also starting out with jump roping (and developing a passion for it)?