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Challenge 3 begins! I feel like I'm getting back on track with this one. Right now I'm at a place where I don't want to look at the scale so, while there won't be measurements, there will still be a starting photo up soon enough. I do have measurements on my previous two challenges and on the photos in my album if you're interested. Motivation: I need to love my body in order to accept the love that others give me, as well as to allow myself to love others more freely. Challenge Goals: Sleep. 3 STA, 2 CON I didn't do well on this one last challenge, so it's back again. I need to get to bed at 10:30 pm regularly to get up at 6:30 am. I've also put my foot down with my husband - he's not allowed sleeping in the bed until he stops snoring. Harsh, I know, but I've been asking him to drop enough weight to stop snoring for a long time now and it really affect my sleep. It makes me sad and embarrassed to share this, but I'm finally sleeping through the night. I need to learn how to wind down at the end of the day and get myself into bed. Prevent evening snack attacks. 2 WIS, 2 CHA Have better/larger meals/snacks during the day, have dinner ready when I get home (crock pot, left-overs), get sufficient sleep, have snacks in a small bowl, chew gum or have tea in the evening, etc. Run. 2 STA, 2 DEX Daily, before work, I'll be up at 6:30 am to get in a quick jog on the treadmill. This will realistically range 15-23 minutes depending on how long it takes me to get downstairs. I want to make the run non-negotiable. I may take a break from it on weekends. Life Side Quest: Plan a vacation. 2 CHA I've booked tickets to Iceland and London, and returning from Paris. August 16-30. Eek! I have the stopover in Iceland all planned out at this moment, now I need to figure out the rest. Please provide any feedback, advice, etc. you may have for my challenge!

Mission: Start my journey out of the 200 club once and for all - step out of that comfort zone! My last challenge focused on getting myself somewhat in the mindset of losing weight with minimal failure - discovering myself, my strengths and weaknesses, what I like and dislike, etc. Well, now it's the time to put on my cowgirl boots and get to work. I'm also going to up my grading scale so it'll be a bit more challenging. Quests: #1: Create a routine I'm not saying a daily routine from the time I wake up until I go to bed, but a routine. You know, the routine you have when you shower and brush your teeth and eat lunch and dinner and all of that daily stuff. It isn't scheduled, but it just happens. I'm sure there are some people out there that look at the clock and scream "Oh gosh! It's 10:01pm!! I'm a minute and twenty seconds late in brushing my teeth!!!" But I'll be okay with looking outside, noticing that it's dark, and thinking to myself "Hmm, I need to brush my teeth soon" and go ahead and do so after killing the dragon I'm fighting in Skyrim. So lets throw some of these bad boys into my "daily routine": - brushing teeth - going for a small walk - cleaning the pool/hot tub - going to the gym - fixing up my face - reading - dishes - keeping up with my bedroom, bathroom, and office room - relaxation time! - go back to logging my food, since I've been neglecting that majorly Grading: A - I successfully incorporated at least 7/10 of these into my daily routine! (+2 CON, +3 WIS) C - I incorporated a few of these into my daily routine, but could have done better work. (+1 CON, +1 WIS) F - I didn't do crap. (+0 CON, +0 WIS) Yeah, I don't take good care of myself when it comes to brushing teeth. THAT'LL CHANGE THOUGH!! I'm already a week or so into this "habit" and have been doing good! Onward... #2: STEP INTO THE GYM Sending myself to the gym is like pulling teeth, and that'll only happen if A ) I'm heavily drugged. or B ) I stop letting this damn social anxiety eat me alive and go. I just need to GO. Rianne, you have been building yourself up mentally to the EXTREME to get to this point, and this may be the opportunity for you to finally do this! June 13th (hahaah friday the 13th, a day of a full moon as well) I'll set my foot into the gym, scope around and see where everything is set up, and do some work. As long as I exercise for as long as it took me to get there and back home, I'll be happy. After I take that initial step, I'll begin to incorporate that into my ritual and make it into a habit. I will go for at least 21 days during this challenge. I will be greatly rewarded, much happiness. Grading - A - Yay! I went at least 21 days - actually, I went above and beyond 21 days and am kinda sorta okay with going now! (+2 STR, +2 STA, +1 CHA) B - Yay! I went at least 21 days! (+2 STR, +2 STA) C - Hey, baby steps, right? I went between 5-10 days and am damn proud of it! (+1 STR, +1 STA) D - I still have a lot of work to do. That's okay. I went, I tried to conquer, I somewhat failed, but I still get a shiny point! (+1 STA) F - I didn't go. sadface. (+0 STA) #3: Get sum smarts - more books, more brownie points! I have some of these on my list of books-to-read and books-to-finish: 21st century yoga - culture, politics, & practicewill grayson, will graysonit starts with fooda unified theory of happinessIf I can get through all of these, I'll be a super happy camper, since they're been on my back burner for a while and I keep saying I have no time to read, or do anything else for that matter... Grading: A - I read 4 books! (+5 WIS) B - I read 3 books! (+4 WIS) C - I read 2 books! (+3 WIS) D - I read 1 book! (+2 WIS) F - Yeah... not this time. (+0 WIS)

Goal 1 Continue bodyweight workout 3x weekly. Last challenge I put the L-sit as a goal, which I still want. Most of the workouts I did last challenge involved push-ups, pull/chin-ups and dips. I gained reps on all of them, and was very pleased with the way things turned out, especially with the dips. I want to continue my success by doing BW workout three times a week, with a goal of an L-sit someday. Goal 2 Learn Jitterbug Stroll I went swing dancing several weeks ago, as I am wont to do. I saw a group dance I don't know. I know Tranky Doo and two types of Shim Shams. This was the Jitterbug Stroll, and now I gotta learn it. I learned the Tranky Doo on a previous challenge, so this seems appropriate to continue the swing-dance-learning process! This goal will be a success if I accomplish the Jitterbug Stroll by the end of the challenge. Video will be posted. This is Jitterbug Stroll.... Goal 3 Paleo (!) Woah. I've been toying with Paleo for many challenges now. Couldn't seem to give up the dairy. But my aunt has been Paleo for many years due to digestive issues, and she recommended it for me since I have psoriatic arthritis - both inflammation and skin issues. My aunt swears by it, and she's talked me into it. The goal will be to go Paleo for 30 days. I began full Paleo, with no dairy, no grains, etc. about 10 days ago. I've already lost some weight. I don't really want to lose too much, though. Maintaining where I am would be great. So If I can keep with the Paleo foodstuffs for another 20 days, we'll be good. I'm looking forward to making cauliflower "potatoes" and "rice" and other goodies. Goal 4 (Life Goal) Routine, continued Last challenge I wanted to keep a routine. Particularly, I wanted to get up early, and do prayer time in the evenings at 9 pm. It went pretty well, and I want to keep it going. I've had an alarm set for a while at 5:30 am and 9:00 pm to get these done. I won't follow this routine on weekends, but work days, yes. This goal will be a success if I follow the routine on my week days. Let's punch it.

Swing, brother, swing! Don't stop to dilly-dally. Last challenge ended with a whimper, but I don't wanna stop to dilly-dally. Back to work. GOAL 1 - Practice L-Sit Progression from GMB (http://goldmedalbodies.com/how-to-do-an-l-sit/) L-sit has been on my goal list for a while, and I've decided this is a skill I want to work on this go-round. It's a progression, so I'm not going to grade on a successful L-sit by the end of the challenge. I may need more time, but I will have success if I practice three times weekly. GOAL 2 - Dance. I'm a swing dancer, and have enjoyed past challenges by moving to music, practicing musicality, interpreting music and practicing moves. I'll continue previous goals by moving to music three times weekly for 10 minutes. This will be a success if I spend 10 minutes. 3 times weekly practicing dancing. (And I'll post swing videos) GOAL 3 - Balance and flexibility. At one time I was skilled with hand balancing poses: crow, half-crow, scissors, elbow lever, etc. I also want to do stretching/flexibility work. Ideally this will be attached to other workout days. The goal will be a success if I spend 10 minutes practicing these three times weekly. LIFE GOAL: Routine. Two things I want to have a priority in my life these next six weeks. 1. Doing the above goals. Keeping with the challenge. Keeping on the boards, etc. 2. Reading scripture / prayer / unplugging. The routine will be workouts and activity in the morning. Quiet time, scripture, etc. in the evening. I want to get up early to have time to move in the morning. And I want to dedicate 9 pm as time to spend in quiet... if just for a little while. I'll call this goal a success if I do this on work days. Weekends will be free. So, if you have 12 minutes of free time, watch this: you will not be disappointed.

Yesterday was my 22nd birthday and because I'm a nerd I did a total of 22 reps of everything, so 7/7/8. And it got me wondering if any of you guys have routines or something you do for yourself that's workout related on your birthday. Unless it's just in in which case... whoo!

Main Quest - Become more aware of movements and mental status. Related Missions - Keep a daily log of food and beverages consumed. Include calorie intake. Keep a daily log of time spent on fitness. Note duration and exercises. Begin writing in a journal, at least twice weekly. Monitor stress and results. Life Quest - Improve visual accuracy and general hygiene. Related Missions - Take visual exam, and purchase upgraded eye-ware in an updated form. Improve nail health by using special polish weekly, and not biting. Improve oral health by cutting out soda and finding a new dentist. Current Information: Lvl 0 - Human/Hobbit - Aspiring Assassin STR: 0 CON: 0 DEX: 0 WIS: 0 STA: 0 CHA: 0

Hello everybody, I switched from weights to bodyweight 2 months ago and this is my push/pull-like split workout program. Maybe not 100% push/pull routine, but more or less functions the same. I appreciate your comments and I also recommend this to any intermediate-advanced bodyweight athletes. Beginners can also do this routine with regressed versions of the exercises. My references and inspirations for this program include Al Kavadlo, Paul Wade, Mike Fitch and Bruce Lee : ) The idea is that pulling movements facilitates back, side/rear delts, biceps and forearm muscles, whereas push movements do chest, triceps and front delts. The aim is not to target all the muscle groups separately like in conventional bodybuilding, but to involve those muscle groups in the same day so the routine has a higher intensity and there are longer resting periods for each group. I also added core exercise to the push day cause dragon flags seriously hit my triceps and chest like a pull-over motion, besides planks and push ups also work core muscles. Squats are in the pull day because they fit well with the back levers and bridges as a complete leg exercise. ROUTINE Mon- Push Tue- Cardio Wed- Pull Thu- Cardio Fri- Push Sat- Cardio Sun- Rest *Begin with Pull instead of push next week. PULL Day - Pull up --- For overall back, I do them overhand grip - Squat (superset with pull ups) ----For overall legs, I do pistol-squats - Inverse row (on rings with a face-pull-like motion) --- Great for upper back, rear delts and chest posture - Bridge (superset with inverse row) --- For lower back and glutes, I do full bridge - Upside-down pull up --- Good for side delts and traps inverse balance, works like dumbell raise - Back lever (superset with upside-down pull ups) - For lower back, hams and glutes, can be substituted with elbow lever PUSH Day - Dips --- Overall chest, triceps and shoulders, I do them with weights - Dragon Flag (superset with dips) --- Super-good for the whole trunk as well as chest, I do them one-legged - Handstand Push up --- For shoulders and upper chest, I do them wall-assisted - Side Plank (superset with HS-push up) --- For obliques and rotator cuff, I do them dynamic, not isometric - Push up --- For hitting the chest even more, I do them one-handed, incline on a box and I lift my arm a little bit to target upper chest a bit more - Frog Stand (superset with Push up) - For hand balancing, wrist and arm strength progression to free handstand. CARDIO Day This is actually the active rest day. I either run or swim for 15-30 mins. This way I try to increase my aerobic performance so I can have better endurance with anaerobic exercises. It also works calfs like a king. Besides, it's fun! Neat Version of the routine for obsessive minds: - Pull up + Squat - Row + Bridge - Upside-down Pull up + Back lever - Run/Swim/Cycle/Row - Dips + Dragon flag - HS push up + Side plank - Push up + Frog stand -Eat -Rest -Do it again Have fun trying this first post of mine and please hit me hard with your comments!

Hi everyone. I'm new to the forums. This looks like a nice place to start my fitness career. First of all, I want an opinion, I have looked into fitness programs such as P90X and Kyle Leon's Somanabolic Muscle Maximizer... Have these worked for anyone here? Are these worth trying? I'm usually super skeptical about these things, but I'm getting desperate. I need a simple guide to get myself into shape, I have a gym membership, I just never go... I've learned so far about eating healthy, I need a good nutrition plan (this is said to be the most important thing and I think that's true). I think I can handle this part. I don't know what to do at the gym... What do I work out? How long do I work out? When do I work out? What areas are best to train? I'm really trying to lower my belly and love-handles, that's my biggest issue. Could anyone help me build a workout plan, point me the in the right direction or give advice? I'm 18-years-old (I meet the website regulations!), about 171cm tall and 180 pounds if that helps. I would like to start fresh. Thanks.

I'm 18 years of age, 5'1" and weigh around 53 kgs (like...117 pounds). I'm basically clueless whenever I decide to workout. Using my most recent workout as an example, I'd start off with the jump rope (for about a minute or so) before moving on to push ups (10 reps...whether I got the right form or not, I'll never know) then shadow box (throwing certain sets of punches in both stances). I'd go to the gym, if I wasn't so easily intimidated by buff dudes who probably knows what they're doing and that I knew which machine does what...that means at-home workouts are my preference. As for the duration of the workouts, 30 minutes to an hour would be good since my job has 2 shifts (morning and evening shift, with the evening shift being done close to midnight) and that it changes every week. My goals are to be able to run without feeling like dropping dead after 10 seconds or so, and to take up a martial art sometime next year.

I'd like to design a workout that fits the following criteria for me and my fiance. 15-20 minutes per day in the mornings. Maybe also 60 minutes once per week.At home, indoors. We have weights.Alternate from day to day. Maybe 3 days cardio, 3 days strength, 1 day 60 minute something else. (I get bored with the same thing every single day, and I know muscles need to rest)I need *something* to do every single day, otherwise I know we won't stick to the routine. Any suggestions?

Hi guys, I'm new around here, and I would like your precious advice. I've been following the Start Bodyweight routine for 3 weeks now http://www.startbodyweight.com/p/some-sample-custom-programs.html (Simple weight loss program (6 days a week): DAY 1: Start Bodyweight basic routine (modified to: 3 sets of 8-12 reps ; 60s rest between sets)DAY 2: 35 min steady state cardio, stretchesDAY 3: Start Bodyweight basic routine (modified to: 3 sets of 8-12 reps ; 60s rest between sets)DAY 4: 35 min cardio (on rowing machine) including 3 sets of tabata intervals (3 sets of 8x 20s efforts, with 10s rest in between); stretchesDAY 5: Start Bodyweight basic routine (modified to: 3 sets of 8-12 reps ; 60s rest between sets)DAY 6: 35 min steady state cardio; stretchesDAY 7: rest day. For those who don't know, the basic routine is: EXERCISESETS/REPS/TIMEDynamic warm up10 minAppropriate variation from squat progression3 sets of between 4 and 8 repetitions;Rest between one and 2 min between setsAppropriate pull up variation3 sets of between 4 and 8 repetitions;Rest between one and 2 min between setsAppropriate handstand push up variation3 sets of between 4 and 8 repetitions;Rest between one and 2 min between setsAppropriate leg raises variation3 sets of between 4 and 8 repetitions;Rest between one and 2 min between setsAppropiate push up variation or dip variation(alternate between the two with every session)3 sets of between 4 and 8 repetitions;Rest between one and 2 min between setsAppropriate horizontal pull variation3 sets of between 4 and 8 repetitions;Rest between one and 2 min between setsAppropriate plank variationone plank between 30s and 60sStatic stretching10 min If you notice, the only change from the basic routine to the weight loss routine is the number of reps that is increased (8-12 vs. 4-8). Now browsing NF today I came across something totally different that made me consider if I was doing the right thing. Let me explain: When I do the basic routine I just do 10 push ups, then rest for 60 secs, then 10 push ups, rest 60 secs and a final set of 10 push ups. Then I go to the next exercise and repeat the same pattern. What I saw on NF today was this: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/ Where it is mentionned to do ''each exercise in succession without a break in between (if you’re able). Once you’ve finished all exercises in the circuit, you do it again. If you’re still able after the 2nd run through, go for a third.'' My question is: Am I doing the right thing with the Start Bodyweight Routine? Did I misunderstand something? Am I supposed to do this guy's routine the same way it is described on NF? Because I've also read an article here that once you finish your workout, ''if you're not sweating it's because you didn't push hard enough'' (or something similar)...There's the problem with my method, I'm not sweating at all! I mean I know I work hard, I can feel it, my heart rate goes up, but the resting period is so long that at the end of the workout, even though I can feel my muscles being sore, I don't really have the impression that I've worked hard enough and I feel that I have done more resting than training... So what do you think? Am I doing something wrong? Thanks for reading the long post and thanks for your knowledge.

Okay...I am 215 lbs with no muscle and only fat..my aim is to lose 20-25 pounds of fat in 2 months and gain muscle at the same time..after doing research on this site..I have made something for myself..beginner body workout one day and interval training the other...the thing is I have made a stupid bet of doing 150 pushups in a row and 250 sit ups in a row by the end of these 2 months..and so on the day of strength training I do as many "knee pushups" i can and try my way upto the real ones..the next day is a break and then the other day at first i do beginner body workout then pushups rest of the day with some situps..i m totally free but can only work at home..i can also get a punching bag if u think boxing can help or i can play basketball at my nearest court but i m very bad at this sport so its kind of embarassing when i play..Any suggestions guys???

Hello guys. I'm new to this forum but i have been reading NF for a while now! First of all. AWESOME site and community. You guys changed my life... A little about me I'm following the paleo diet for over 3 months now and i'm doing strength training for over 3 months too, but in the last month i added bodyweight workouts to my weekly routine. So this makes 3x weights exercises and 3x bodyweight exercises per week. The weight exercises are for burning fat and they're a full body routine. I already lost around 8kg. Went from 17% body fat to around 11% which is great for me. I'm not looking at gaining much mass, but i want that lean look. My main focus though is control of my body and being generally strong. If i had to choose how i would want to look i'd choose frank medrano I really like how he controls his whole body without a problem. He's the perfect example of how i want to be able to control my body. I know i have to add many calisthenics exercises to my routine but i can't right now. So i made a push/pull routine which is focused mainly on weights and some bodyweight exercises. I think it's ok, but i still want to hear some feedback. I looked around on the internetz for a good split routine which uses bodyweight and weight exercises and then i made this routine http://shrani.si/f/3...ka-2014-02-.png Thanks in advance! And i'm sorry if i posted this in the wrong thread

Hello guys. This is my first post on this forum but i have been reading NF for a while now! First of all. AWESOME site and community. You guys changed my life... A little about me I'm following the paleo diet for over 3 months now and i'm doing strength training for over 3 months too, but in the last month i added bodyweight workouts to my weekly routine. So this makes 3x weights exercises and 3x bodyweight exercises per week. The weight exercises are for burning fat and they're a full body routine. I already lost around 8kg. Went from 17% body fat to around 11% which is great for me. I'm not looking at gaining much mass, but i want that lean look. My main focus though is control of my body and being generally strong. If i had to choose how i would want to look i'd choose frank medrano I really like how he controls his whole body without a problem. He's the perfect example of how i want to be able to control my body. I know i have to add many calisthenics exercises to my routine but i can't right now. So i made a push/pull routine which i think is great, but i still want to hear some feedback. I looked around on the internetz for a good split routine which uses bodyweight and weight exercises and then i made this routine http://shrani.si/f/3x/J2/2pC0DnW1/1/zaslonska-slika-2014-02-.png Thanks in advance!

Hi, I'm fairly new to the fitness world: I started off in November doing Focus T25 5 days a week and started the startbodyweigth.com routine 4 weeks ago. It says that I should have a rest day between each training day, but last night it was very hard to resist not doing it as I would like to see fastest results. I didn't do it as I know it is crucial for muscle recovery but I did not know what to do with my body! Since I started the bodyweight program I still do T25 once or twice a week on my rest days, but I kinda got bored with the T25, that's why I did absolutely nothing last night. So 3 questions: Is it ok to do that on a ''rest'' day or should I be in full rest? What do you guys do on a rest day? Knowing that I'm not a runner and it's fricking winter here (I don't like going outside in the winter and teh rest of the year I would normally go biking or walking) do you have anything to suggest that I could do inside? Any cardio stuff or another bodyweight program I could try that would not interfere with my current program?

Name: Andrew Williams (Artinum) Race: Vinyl Motto: "Ummm..." Winter is coming, and not just for the House of Stark. It will not be long until I must hang up my trainers for the winter - running and icy conditions are not a good combination. With this in mind, now is not the time to seriously attempt the Rebel Running Guide (at least, not the running parts). As my last challenge collapsed entirely - depression and general upheaval both contributed to this - I've decided to return to the fundamentals, focusing on a few simple goals rather than something big and magnificent. As I'm not really doing anything that fits anywhere else, I've returned to the Adventurers. The Quest: Building Arms And Habits. Fitness 1: Pull-ups (5 STR) A while ago I managed the impossible and did a pull-up. Then other things got in the way and I somehow lost the knack. I've already started working on those reverse pull-ups and chin-ups again, and my goal is simple - to continue pushing on these, three times a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday). By the end of the challenge I hope to be able to crank out at least one pull-up again. Fitness 2: Exercises (2 STR, 2 DEX) I've fallen out of practice with my exercise routine. This is bad. During the last challenge they became highly erratic, dropped to just two circuits rather than three and sometimes stopped altogether. This goal is also simple - to return to two sets of three circuits every week. The exact days will have to fit around other commitments. Diet: Building Up (2 STR, 2 CON) I've lost weight recently and my stomach has flattened a little more. Yay! But I'm worried I'm losing muscle as well. My pull-up failure seems to suggest this. It's time to reverse the trend - an average of 2400 calories a day and at least 100g of protein a day - preferably 150g. Life: Meditation (2 WIS) Something I really should do regularly and seldom do. Every morning I will spend five minutes in quiet meditation.

I am going to properly fill this in when I have a bit more time so this is more of a placeholder as I want to at least get my goals set down seeing as the challenge has now started. Goal 1: get back into the routine if doing bodyweight exercises 3 times a week and for this six weeks I'm going to focus on upping my endurance so high number of reps for smaller number of sets. My targets will be for 2 sets of 20 push-ups, 2sets of 20 assisted one leg squats, 2 sets of 20 assisted pull ups and 2sets of 15 hanging knee raises. Of course, if I hit those targets before 6 weeks, I will move on to harder variations but I'd like to be getting some good rep numbers in first. My actual success with the goal though will be measured by the number of workouts per week rather than reaching certain rep counts as I want this challenge to be more about building good habits rather than hitting specific progress goals. STR +3, STA +2 Goal 2: continuing my already running 28 day handstand challenge, I hope to go beyond holding a one minute wall handstand which is the focus of that and try to get to 2 minutes and make some attempts at possibly managing some freestanding handstands. Like goal 1 though, my real target is to practice every day and establish the habit of getting upside down on a regular basis. DEX +3, Goal 3: increase my supple strength by doing active stretching every day. My introduction to bodyweight was through the first Convict Conditioning book so following on from that I'm going to be doing the three active stretches of the Trifecta in the second book- the various progressions towards bridges, L-sits and twists which tie in nicely with my longer term goals of eventually doing handstands, bridges and L-sits. CON +2, STA +2, Goal 4: get creative by doing some writing of any kind for at least 5 minutes every day. Some days it'll maybe sketching out ideas for stories, maybe I'll experiment with some poetry, whatever takes my fancy- I just want to do something creative. It may well be that my writing for the day will be an update to this thread, I certainly plan to update more often than in previous challenges, so in future I'm going to attempt to be more entertaining or interesting with my updates. I don't know how that'll end up or if there will be any kind of style running throughout them but I do hope that I'll have fun finding out. CHA +3 I'll try to do a bit more of a thorough explanation tomorrow, listing how I'll measure things and what I'll count as successes or failures and I might even try to find a way to link my title with what I'm actually doing as at the moment it's just really a mildly amusing misquotation of Spider-man rather than actually having anything to do with my goals. P.s. In future I'll also spell check before I post too!

FIRST SIX WEEK CHALLENGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Woohoo! The time has finally arrived and I am PUMPED! (If you couldn’t already tell…) This will be my first challenge. I will be grading myself on how well I follow the routines outlined here. The “defining moments†are proof to myself that I have actually made some progress for the main quest through these routines, and will not be part of how I grade myself at the end. However, I am including mini-prizes for myself for getting these done, just for fun. Also, I didn’t include diet related items because I’ve been doing pretty good with that already for last month. It’s been harder for me to remain consistently active. Let the battle begin! Motivator: Zombies HATE fast food! My motivator is more of a collage. I’m printing it and sticking it on the cover of my school planner, as well as my bathroom mirror. Main Quest: Become stronger and fitter! These are important attributes for surviving the zombie apocalypse! Weight loss ought to be a natural side effect of this, but my real main goal is to be strong and flexible. Three Goals for this Quest: 1) Do the Beginner Body Weight Workout twice a week, for at least 3 circuits each time. Working up to more would be awesome, but not the most important part at this point. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves! Related Stat: Strength Defining Moment: Doing 1 Unassisted Pull-Up DM Prize: NF (or other awesome) T-Shirt (priced $20 or less) 2) Attend Yoga or Pilates once a week, at least. Both is better, but in a pinch I think the routine of not missing a week completely is uber-important! Related Stat: Dexterity Defining Moment: Holding a Forward Bend for 60 Seconds (This doesn’t have to be all the way down – I’m not crazy! – but it must have correct form, with a straight back and neck. This has been a struggle thus far. Maybe I'll video it?) DM Prize: Cargo Pants (priced at $10 or less) 3) Run once a week, at least 1 mile. I used to walk 6 miles or more every day when I was car-free. So I’m hoping 1 mile a week is not too ambitious. It can be slow running at first, the goal is the activity and distance themselves. If I can increase that along the way, awesome! If not, no biggie. Related Stat: Stamina Defining Moment: Running 1 Uninterrupted Mile (This means no slowing down the pace – which doesn’t need to be too speedy or anything, just consistent - or stopping for water until the mile is complete.) DM Prize: Military Style Canteen (priced at $10 or less) Life Quest: Sell all my s***! Ok, maybe not all of it, but everything I can that I don’t use and that is of enough value to warrant the time and effort of selling it. Things that don’t meet the second criteria should be donated to charity or thrown away depending on how not-valuable they are. This will also be a nice way to get a little extra cash (to pay for prizes!). Goal for this Quest: Dispose of 10 items a week, everything counts except obvious sets (ie, a pair of shoes is one item, a chess set is one item). Selling, gifting, donating, and trashing all count. Related Stat: Wisdom Defining Moment: Free Space in the Spare Bedroom for My Workouts (I can currently do them in the living room, but I would like having the dedicated space!) DM Prize: Kindle eBook (priced at $10 or less) GRAND PRIZE Other than the awesomeness I will feel for doing these things, if I get an overall average of A at the end ("defining moments" not included) I will reward myself with a NerdFitness hoodie! Woot! Now that is motivation! Tally Sheets: uno, dos, tres, puntos medio!, cuatro, ... puntos final

This PDF is an 8 week workout program I am about to put two mates on who I have trained for a month or so and worked out their strength etc. Their goals are hypertrophy and just wanted to run it past you guys before getting them to start. Thanks for any constructive criticism in advance. 8 week Program.pdf

I try to work out 6 days a week. I'm new and I'm doing the Beginner's Body Weight Circuit one day, A little cardio + interval the next. I rest on Sundays. Today I'm really busy, and it isn't a rest day. I'm working all morning, jumping with an hour in between to go to night shift. Would it be ill advised to take a break today? I'm supposed to be doing some cardio/interval today. Should I squeeze in something in that hour, although I have to shower and change in that same time period. Or just wait til after my night shift?

This challenge is my anniversary as a NF challenger (I was a lurker for about 2 months before) and i've had a wonderful journey so far, learning about myself. I've learnt some really awesome things, but the biggest things i've learnt are my stumbling blocks. Recently I've rediscovered my passion for food - not just eating it, but making it and experimenting with it and the overall feeling of comfort and relaxation that being *active* in the kitchen gives me - which i think has now contributed more than anything to my weightloss these past few weeks. The biggest stumbling block now is: I lack self discipline. Ok! I don't necessarily lack discipline but I get lazy and either don't do something or totally procrastinate until there's just no point in doing it anymore. Also I have this fear-mongering little devil on my shoulder - that has all but beaten my happy angel into pulp - who regularly whispers words of fear and doubt and anxiety into my ear reminding me that it's easier to be lazy than to work at something. How am I ever going to make all the positive changes if I don't learn discipline? The crazy thing is, that the minute I do something, I do it really well. So the Mission this challenge: To accomplish a higher level of discipline in my life through the following quests: 1. Beat the Laziness Demon, by putting boxing gloves on the Discipline Angel. I literally plan on getting into a ring to fight. I've been doing research on gyms/schools in the area that offer Kick Boxing and MMA (I don't know which one I want to do, yet). I think I've settled on a school, but I need to sign up by 4 August and start attending classes at least one evening a week. This will be on top of my 5k running PVP with Nuala that I'm doing and my lifting that I love (don't even think of asking me to stop doing this). Quest Complete: Sign up for classes with a trainer, get the necessary equipment and attend a minimum of 7 sessions Goal: A = signed up + 7 classes, B = signed up + 5 classes, C = signed up + 3 classes Reward: New hairstyle 2. Nurture the Discipline Angel back to health by +50gr daily protein intake and -30gr daily carb intake by 9 Sept. Over the past two challenges, I developed a really good habit of stopping the binge eating and both keeping my calories no more than 5% above/below my recommended daily intake and spreading them across at least 2 meals a day. However, I noticed that I was still not eating enough protein (by a long shot) and eating carbs at a maintenance level. So in order to make this stick, i'm going to gradually increase protein & decrease carbs weekly until i'm at a good level for this challenge (my saturated fat levels are relatively low and the rest are pretty normal). Week 1: Protein +15gr; Carbs -5gr Week 2: Protein +15gr; Carbs -10gr Week 3: Protein +30gr; Carbs -15gr Week 4: Protein +30gr; Carbs -20gr Week 5: Protein +50gr; Carbs -25gr Week 6: Protein + 50gr; Carbs -30gr Quest Complete: Reached weekly goal for at least 4 full different meals. Goal: A = 4 meals, B = 3 meals, C = 2 meal Reward: New Designer Bra 3. Weaken the Laziness Demon by reaching and maintaining a 90-100% snack free day. Sheesh, who doesn't have a snacking problem?! Funny thing is that I don't have a sweet tooth and generally don't like chocolate or candy or cake etc, but towards the end of the last challenge it was like I was possessed and I couldn't get through a day without a cookie and it got worse from there. I didn't recognise this person. I have put in the 90% in order to allow for sharkweek - which is the only time I actually want to eat or enjoy eating chocolate. damn you hormones - and for taste testing my own baking creations on a Sunday night, if the desire takes me (it hasn't yet). All snacks that are banished from my day are on this list and I lose % points for every snack that I consume (as in if i eat 4 cookies, that's 20% gone). In order to actually make this work, I have to have other healthier snacks on hand. I need to get off my lazy butt and prepare these in advance (see, some discipline). I make my own biltong (kinda like jerky but better) and dried fruit and I need to make time to get to the farmer's market to pick up enough nuts for the challenge. Quest Complete: 90 - 100% snack free daily. Goal: A = 90%+, B = 85 - 89%, C = 80-84% Reward: A Pair of Designer Heels Life Quest: Get the Discipline Angel ready to fight by following a set routine It's not surprising that my life goal follows my mission. I feel that I cope better when I have a routine to follow and a lot of the items on my routine are crucial in achieving my quests (packing in lunch and snacks; getting clothes and bags ready for the next day etc). I have a list of routine items that need to be met and I will garner points for each item. Some items are more points than others and that is because they are vital to the mission. Others are relatively low because I already do them or they aren't entirely crucial if missed/skipped. Quest Complete: 85 - 100% routines completed daily. Goal: A = 85%+, B = 75-84%, C = 70-74% Reward: 2x Professional House Cleans Why would I do any of this to myself? It's simple, really! I have an extremely long term goal of being healthy enough to see my nephews grow up and have healthy kids of their own; to be able to slide into a leotard without looking like a marshmallow and (potentially) train other dancers again; to comfortably slip into a wetsuit without looking like a whale and go back to surfing; to just feel physically comfortable when I participate in the sports I love or when I travel around the world; and to outlive my parents (1 month and I beat my mum who had both diabetes and emphysema when she died of meningitis). I don't want to miss out on anything that life has to offer, especially because I already know how sweet it tastes. *THAT* is why I need to learn discipline now!! Starting Measurements: Weight: 127.50kg Neck: 39cm Bicep: 35cm Breast: 131cm Underbust: 104cm Waist: 110cm Hip: 141cm Thigh: 73cm

Hey everyone! So, I've been creating my own work out routines for a month or so now, and I just wanted to post it and see if anyone had suggestions on how to improve it, or if I am going in the right direction and so on. I start with a 10 minute cardio warm-up, then start a circuit with the following moves: Squats - 8 at 80lbs BW Dips 3-4 Deadlifts 8 at 110 lbs Inverted Rows 5-6 at BW Plank 25-30 secs I do this routine 4-5 times, and then stretch and cool down. I've been adding weight and/or more reps almost every week to these (I've increased my deadlift by 50+lbs so far!). This is the first time I have created my own routine (I used to just do workout DVDs), and I just wanted to get some thoughts on it! Am I heading in the right direction for overall strengthening of the body? Is there something else I should be doing? Thank you in advance for your help! -Copo

Last challenge I got really stressed out. It was my 6th challenge in a row and I ended up scrapping it on purpose on week 3. I had to cut myself a break, or I was going to lose my mind. A lot of stuff about my life changed. I gave up paleo. I gave up running. I started walking. I started eating whatever I want, and wouldn't you know after 9 months of clean eating, what I want is mostly clean food. Huh. I gave up body-comp, size, and weight goals. I realized I like my body the shape that it is. I also realized I spend a whole lot of time screaming at my body that it's terrible and it better shape up or else, and no time acknowledging that my body is healthy, it works properly, I can't remember the last time I had an illness of any kind, and I can do the things I want to do with my time. All this time, while I've been berating it, my body has been quietly doing what it does so I can do what I want to do. Who knew. My ultimate goal for the next 6 weeks is to live my life as it is right now, and find all the little nooks and crannies of happiness that are already there. I have chosen 2 goals instead of the traditional 4. I do not have a diet goal; after 9 months of strict paleo, my dietary habits are pretty much above reproach. I can trust myself around food. I am not running or doing bodyweight exercises right now. I need a break from them for a short while, so I have chosen to walk and do yoga instead. If you sleep for 8 hours and work for 8 hours, that leaves 8 hours left on weekdays (and more on weekends) to do whatever you want. When the walking and the yoga sessions are done each day, I will be spending the rest of my hours getting outside and into the community to enjoy summer 2013. And blogging about it. This is my 7th challenge. I will be settling back into the shadows to heal and recover, getting mentally stronger and physically more balanced. I am planning to resume traditional 4-goal challenges with challenge #8 (which I'm already planning, and it's going to be epic). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [sambieWlks] Chapter the Seventh: Now Goal 1: Walk 1 mile daily I measured a one-mile loop on the back roads by my house, and I want to walk this circuit each morning. If I miss a morning walk, I can do it later in the day. Scoring: Tally (42 days = 100%) XP: +3 STA, +3 CON, +2 WIS Goal 2: Complete the DoYogaWithMe 6-Week Beginner Program I have been using DoYogaWithMe's free online videos for several months now and I love them. I just discovered they have a new 6-week introductory program that combines their tutorials with the routines in an organized progression. I'm not a super beginner with yoga, but the structure and content of this program really appeals to me. And, most of the routines are ones I've not done before, so I am really excited to dive in. Scoring: Total Weeks Completed (6 weeks completed = 100%) XP: +3 DEX, +2 CHA, +2 WIS Bonus: Participate in the weekly mini-challenges in the Assassins' forum. Secret goals: Accomplishing these goals are like getting a chipmunk to eat out of my hand*. Right now, I'm sitting veeeery still with a pile of birdseed in my hand and the chipmunk is RIGHT THERE MAN. I'm already doing these goals on autopilot; the last thing I want to do is Make It A Big Deal and jinx the streak. So shhhh don't look at these goals directly in the eyes, don't make any sudden movements, don't make a lot of noise, and hopefully they won't run away. **Meditate daily. 1 minute will do, 7 minutes is better (my current level), 10 minutes is great. **Take my herbs and supplements daily. I hate swallowing pills. It's such a big to-do, and herby supplement pills always seem to be the size of a baby carrot. But, gots to do it to get the benefits. *Based on a true story - when I was little I found a chipmunk hole in the ground and I wanted that chipmunk to be my friend. So one day I sat on the ground next to the hole, dumped a bucket of sunflower seeds on my legs to completely cover my lap, and waited. I sat more still than any child has ever sat in the history of children and/or sitting, and I was rewarded with a chipmunk sitting on my leg eating seeds. Until my brother snuck up behind me and yelled ON PURPOSE to scare it away. Brothers. Man. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- These are the weekly updates you're looking for: Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6

Would it be better to focus on move each day, really pushing it to the max, and then do a different exercise the next day throughout the week? Or would it be better to have a circuit including various moves and do it a few times a week? Why? I would like to get serious about bodyweight training. I am fairly good at squats and push ups, but my back needs a lot of work. Thanks in advance!

1. Walk for at least 20-30 min 3x's a week. I have a desk job, which i am still adjusting to and on my lunch I would like to continually walk 20-30min at least 2-3 times during the week. I am use to a more active job environment and I don't want to loose that activity and become a desk statue with my inactive new job. 2. "Salad its what's for Dinner" With kids and a full-time job its tough for me to eat right during dinner. On a typical day I have a light breakfast, light lunch, then a heavy dinner. I would like to reverse that routing by having heavier/moderate meals during breakfast and lunch while I am still active, and a light dinner during my less active time of the day. I want to become a High Elf instead of a Half-Elf! 3. Building those Muscles During alternate days (2-3x's a week) when I am not walking I would like to practice strength training through the beginner body workout here on nerd-fitness. I have been "half-elving" it (lol..get it?...never-mind) with this workout, I enjoy it and it is relatively easy I just have to keep up with it making it a routine. I Muffin87 will make my strength training a routine..not a "when I have time to"! 4. Water.......Water...... Now I dirink 2-3 glasses of water a day. I want to build up to 8 glasses a day....here is my plan: Wk 1: 3 Glasses * Wk 2: 4 Glasses * Wk 3: 5 Glasses* Wk 4: 6 Glasses* Wk 5: 7 Glasses* Wk 6: 8 Glasses *Glasses= 8oz Water Daily I want some body strength and muscle definition..."to infinity and beyond!"