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NOW. Where did I put that challenge..... ....Oh. There it is. Goal: Becoming a Warrior: Doing it right. As some of you know, at the very end of the last challenge my boxing coach, who had grown very dear to me, passed away suddenly. Part of my life that was quickly growing came to an abrupt halt. But I am a fighter. I pick myself back up and join you guys the battlefield; here among other warriors who are gaining strength, preparing for their own battles. I need to re-gain focus. So I come here. I come to gain strength. I come to fight. I come to win. I Come to Gain: As part of my last challenge, I began starting strength and ended with some....eh...satisfactory gains. During The Holidays I back tracked (haven't lifted in 3 weeks...and ate all the things....oops). Strength Goals: Continue Starting Strength (need to finish the book...)3X week have strength building focused workout (in addition to lifting)Start serious progressions to get a barbell snatch by 4T. (so close I can tas......No. Not going there.) um..+4... STR...duh? I Come to Fight: Wait...warriors fight?? I can't spend all day PREPARING for battle. Let's do this. (Monk at heart) TaeKwon-Do 3X weekBag work (preparing for competition in March)Boxing (remembering Coach's drills) STA: 3, Dex: 2 I Come To Win: I am my own worst enemy. Last challenge, I decided to try a Primal diet. Failed. Miserably. Like 50% compliance. (Milk Stout WHY YOU SO GOOOOOOOOOOD) This time....oh, this time. I will WIN. I will conquer my eating habits (always the hardest for me). Primal dietexcepting 4T because, who am I kidding, I'll have all the alcohols. +3 CON Side Quest: One thing Richie's death taught me was that you can impact people in any aspect of your life. I still maintain that your relationships with others during your time here on earth are a huge part, if not THE Meaning of Life. (...and something about 42). I need to take advantage of my seemingly infinite series of "nows" of time. I don't want to waste it; not with so much potential benefit. I have come to find the more I impact others, the more fulfilling MY life is. Isn't it weird how selflessness can lead to so much self fulfillment? *shrugs* We are a social people; I guess it follows, logically. I have felt a bit lost lately....and I think I found a way to find me. I exist only to the extent I actualize myself. I am, in a sense, my actions. Time to act. This is mostly my take on Sartre, by the way ... (and a bit of Kierkegaard). I am not that clever. I just eat this stuff up. Fave quote alert: "Man...exists only to the extent that he fulfills himself; he is therefore nothing else but the ensemble of his acts, nothing else than his life." - Jean-Paul Sartre Ok, now I'm rambling. *Cough* My life quest is to impact someone, somehow, weekly. Who? Not sure What? Not sure But I will be scoping out opportunities. Maybe telling someone I care about what they mean to me. Very hard. Maybe going out of my way to do a selfless act. I probably won't post my achievements here because a) It may involve someone of which is none of your business b ) I'm not looking to get any pats on the back....searching for personal fulfillment. I will, for accountability's sake, post some vague description. So you guys can remind me when I'm losing faith in humanity... Again. I'm not doing this for Richie, though he impacted me greatly. I'm doing it because that's the kind of person I wish to be. So act already. + 2 CHA. +1 WIS Here we go....

Hey Everyone! So this will be my 2nd challenge. I'm an undergrad studying at university looking to get a B.S. in biomedical engineering. I originally thought I was going to go to med school and then the difficulty of classes (and the amount of time it takes) hit, so right now I'm exploring options and looking into internships. Anyways with fitness, I've really been thinking about getting into weight training and the more I read about it the more excited I am to get into it. I'm not that sure on how to start, but luckily my school offers a weight training gym class and I'm taking that this spring (It starts on Jan 13th and is Mondays and Wednesdays). I'm hoping that will teach me some of the basics and I can learn the rest from research. So onto the goals! Main Goal: Start lifting and get fit! [this is kind of vague, but I've been thinking about this for so long, and I want to do it right. This goal would mean that I'm working on lifting regularly and know how to do some of the basic lifts by the end of the challenge. EDIT: for measuring sake, I would like a pair of jeans I own to fit comfortably again] Missions: Workout at least 2 times a week [2 pts STA, 2 pts CHA] [i'm purposefully leaving this unassigned so that, as I learn more about lifting I can add more of that into my workouts and I also have the ability to decide to do a cardio day] Only have at the most 1 grain a day [3 pts CON] [i'm really interested in starting Paleo, but I'm in love with dairy and I do like to snack on edamame (soybeans). I'm keeping the restriction small because when I'm at school it's really hard to keep myself to my workouts AND keep up with a diet when I have all this stress bombarding me, so that's why I'm just trying one thing slowly. I also have a lack of options for food which makes it really difficult to cut main food groups out so I have hope this will go well.] Learn how to do the basic lifts with Starting Strength program [3 pts STR, 2 pts WIS] [by the end of the challenge, I want to be able to properly do the workout outlined in the Starting Strength 3rd ed. I ordered the book on amazon and should be getting it by Jan 7th!] Life Quest: Do all my homework [3 pts WIS] [This sounds silly when you first read it, but I think it's a necessary goal. I had a lot of classes last semester that had daily homework--it all became too much, and I started skipping assignments when I was overwhelmed. I lost a lot of points that could have given me more leeway when it came to finals and I probably could have gotten some better final grades if I had done all my assignments. So, for this semester, come what may, I will do every homework assignment. God help me.] Looking forward to the new challenge! Starting Measurements 140 pounds [using the right side of the body] wrist: 5 3/4 in upper arm: 9 11/16 in 2 in above the knee: 17 1/2 in 3 in below hip joint: 23 9/16 in hips: 40 3/4 in waist: 28 6/8 in bust: 36 9/16 in

I've done the last 2 challenges and decided I need a more permanent place to log my progress. I'm a 39 year old female looking to lose weight and get stronger. My goal is to finish my weight loss by May 2014 with a fuzzy goal weight of 125 -130 pounds. This is not set in stone, especially since I'm lifting weights and getting stronger at the same time. I began following the Starting Strength program in November. I'm currently on week six. Although I did have a set back for the past 4 weeks while I was nursing a shoulder with tendonitis. So I've mostly been squatting and have just started adding back the presses and deadlift into my program. Here are my goals: 1. Do strength training 3 times per week. 2. Do cardio for 30 minutes 2 times a week. 3. Eat within my daily calorie and macro goals: Calories: 1400-1700 Protein: 103-128 grams Fiber: 25 - 30 grams Fat: < 60 grams Carbs: 125 - 175 grams . I'm mainly tracking calories, protein, and fiber. I'm not so strict with carbs and fat unless weight loss stops or I have issues with the strength training progress. I'll mostly be using this to log my daily workouts. I'll probably use it to check my calories/macros once a week. My current statistics: Age | 39 years 11 months | Height | 60 | Date | 12/22/2013 | Weight 161.2 | BF % | 34.8 |(not sure how accurate this is) Bust | 39.5 | Chest | 34.25 | Waist | 35.5 | Hips | 42.5 | L Thigh | 26 | L Calf | 15 | L Upper Arm | 13 | Neck | 14 |

. Sarrlac digestion Intermittent fasting: only eat in the five hours between 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM -Studies suggest that intermittent fasting - independent of calorie restriction - can prolong life, though the mechanism is not entirely understood. The working theory is somewhere between "Maybe it's free radicals," and "Meh?" The results are fairly conclusive, though so I think it's worth a try. This also hopefully make me feel hungry before I eat, as I've gotten into the bad habit of never, ever letting myself get hungry. Grading: Fairly binary. Will detract points by percentage of daily calories consumed outside of hours. Sta +1, Con +2, Wis +1 Han Swolo -Continuing Rippetoe's Starting Strength 3x, a week. Looking to maintain mostly linear gains in strength. Starting at deadlift: 275, bench 150, shoulder press 115, squat 265 Grading: By days in which the full series of lifts are completed +1 str, +1 con, +1 cha Run, Luke! Now stand on your head. -More zombierun, 3x a week, even though it's cold. I have the North in my veins. -stretching: 15min in the mornings, focus on legs -50 pushups, 25 pullups in the morning Dex +2, Sta +2 --- Life Quest: Face the Dark Side I've spent too long not trying because I'm afraid that my best won't be good enough, and I can't afford to do that anymore, so for this challenge, I'll try to tackle that by... 1) Writing out my fears and the things that make me unhappy. (by Nov. 29th) (30%) 2) Figuring out what will change/fix those things. (by Dec. 6th) (30%) 3) Plan a process and begin? Grade by completion at each date. +2 Wis, +2 Cha I'll return to document as I progress. EDIT: Dec. 1st: Progressed well until Wednesday - turns out the hotel gym wasn't very well-equipped, so I swapped out Rippetoe's Starting Strength for a progression of bodyweight exercises. I can now do three one-arm pushups in a row on each arm with good form before I tank out, so I'll count that as progress. Stretching has been spot on; I'm starting to notice progress. Watched The Expendables 2 again; was disappointed by Van Damme's lack of doing anything cool. Diet didn't tank as badly as I feared it would over thanksgiving; my macros were around 40fat/35 protein/25 carbs, instead of 60/35/5, but that's still not up to snuff. As for the fasting, it was oddly successful, given when my family eats meals. I feel compelled to subtract points because of the sheer volume of food I ate. As for my life quest, I've got a good working theory; I think I'll have some ideas by the 6th. Eating: 75% Lifting: 100% Running/calisthenics/stretching: 85% Life quest: 100% Misc stuff: -weight went up 10(!) lbs. Forgot my calipers at school, so no bf% this week, but I'd estimate 16% -Benched 75lb dumbells this week -Got my workout playlist up and running; it's full of nerdy stuff.

New Challenge and Re-newed Focus for Jefro. I still want to look awesome with my shirt off. My first challenge addressed that and the simplicity worked. I have a lot of other, maybe more nobel motivations, but this is the reason to keep working at it every day. I am lifting weights to burn fat. Goal 1: Lift Monday, Wednesday and Friday I get to log this on this thread and feel awesome as I see the numbers get bigger. I am eating to fuel muscle. Goal 2: Eat Paleo on a "Holiday Sensitive" schedule. I have had great success eating paleo and loosing fat. I still have plenty of fat fuel to run the weights that I am capable of lifting at this point. I do eat fruit or sweet potato after workouts for the glycogen. I have scheduled the food cycle so that I don't give myself the option of the "one more day" excuse after Thanksgiving or after Christmas. Those a big family events for me and I am choosing to indulge with my family. I also trust myself more than I used to- I will not make completely stupid food choices, I just won't be intentionally monitoring myself. I think the schedule will make all the difference. Nov 12-27 - Paleo Nov 29- Dec 24 - Paleo I am going to start tracking macros after Christmas and I am hoping my body fat percentage will be around 15%. Gaining the mental edge Goal 3: New Software I have a new side job that will hopefully develop into a full-time gig. I have to work on some new software. I am going to do something toward mastery every night! Reading, small problem, I'm not yet sure exactly what this will look like. I just know that I want to take this on and have to move toward it with the smaller pieces of time in my schedule. Another part of being present for this challenge will be posting regularly. I want to have something to talk about every day- so I'm thinking about what I'm doing and why I'm doing it. This has really benefited me in the past few months and I am looking forward to MORE!

First off, a GIANT Thank you to everyone who supported me through my first challenge and hi again to everyone who followed me over here. You guys are the best and you made last challenge so much easier! Also, HI to anyone who is coming to visit for the first time. Main life quest: To turn myself into a better person on all fronts: Stronger, healthier, smarter, nicer, and at a better place in life. Goal 1: Avoid the unknown edibles a la Mrs. Lovett! My biggest vice is pop, but do I really know what I’m taking in when I drink that stuff? Nope, not a clue, but probably it isn’t good for me. Same with junk food, although that isn’t the focus this time around. Ever seen Sweeny Todd? If you think about it, drinking a can of pop is kind of like going to Mrs. Lovett’s for a meat pie, you haven’t a clue what is in it, you probably don’t want to know what is in it, and you don’t really want to be putting it in your body. So for this challenge I have 2 parts 1: drinking fewer than 21 pops in the challenge (that is one every other day and is more than I want but I also don’t want to set myself up for failure) and I give myself 1 CON and 1 CHA point for that. The second part of this is 2 weeks straight of no pop at all! Presumably the last two weeks of the challenge but if I can nail this one down earlier I will! Also 1 CON and 1 CHA point. Total 2 CON and 2 CHA points. Goal 2: Lift all the heavy things like Jean Val Jean! I love to lift but things are a little crazy right now with all the house repairs and moving scheduled. Lifting therefore can be any of the heavy things like boxes, furniture, floor tiles, barbells, or whatever else I can wrap my arms around and move. Could Les Mis have really been a story worth singing about if Jean Val Jean had been a scrawny weakling? Nope! So I will lift all the heavy things too! 2 times of lifting the heavy things a week for a total of 2 STR points. I had wanted to make this a pull-up challenge but with the move I decided to broaden it. Still, I want to work on my pull-up so I also want to get in 2 times of pull-up work a week or until I get 1 pull-up for 2 more STR points. Total 4 STR points. Goal 3: Go the Distance with C25K! Hercules went from Zero to Hero just like that, and I’m not Hercules but I’ve got to get going on this running thing. I’ll be taking the police exam in December and running is part of the test and I’m terrible at it. I’m starting week 4 of C25K now, my goal is to finish C25K during this challenge and run the distance just like Herc! It has been slow going because I am terrible at running but being bad at it isn’t an option anymore. 2 DEX and 2 STA points for this. (Thanks to Batwoman for the idea for using Hercules Go the Distance for this goal.) Goal 4: Defy Gravity and work on savings and debt. Student loan debt is holding me down. Me and most other kids in my generation, it is true, but I’m determined not to let it hold me down anymore! Last challenge I made the move to not transfer any money out of savings. I am going to continue that this challenge (with the exception of money for a plane ticket for a wedding, maybe a new dress for the wedding, and maybe emergencies but that is what savings is for) and expand that to include not using my credit card at all. 2 WIS points for this. The big goal is to get a smashing dress for the wedding without having to transfer monies from savings or bust out the cc. If I can manage that then I get 1 WIS point. Total 3 WIS points Beginning measurements and maybe photos coming soon (Don't let me forget)

"I'm late! I'm late! I'm oh-so-very late!" but a late Mouse is still a Mouse - and for that, she is a Tiger. Hey! I'm trying something very different this time around, folks. Zuel is fantastic for logging, and I'm afraid that my Mouse-like mind doesn't have the devotion (read: free-time at work, 'cause I've landed a fantastic job until graduation that is actually keeping me busy and putting my skills to work) to pull off the same kind of dedicated logging in-thread. However, I want to try "micro-logging", kinda like micro-blogging. So I'll be posting what I can (meals, activity, thoughts, etc) on Twitter using the hashtag #monklvl5 (and, if I've got the space, pairing it with #nf6wkchallenge, #keto, etc - though no more than 2 at a time!). My Twitter handle is @atienzac, so feel free to follow/search the hashtag and please, tell me if I'm Twittering wrong. I suck at using social media and it's part of my interest as a future HR-professional to see the impact social media has on recruitment and building one's online presence. And of course, I'm far from a social media expert. But hey, if Twitter can help me organize my info, then so be it! It shall be used! My plan is to update as often as I can on Twitter, then do a recap of my performance for the week, catch up on any comments and post a weigh-in every weekend or so. As for why I'm starting a week late, I was pretty disheartened by my lack of progress (though it wasn't entirely unexpected - in fact, I maintained weight and performance quite well despite my almost complete lack of both dietary and exercise discipline) and took a bit of a dive. I'm happy to say I'm more than back on the horse, though my back and neck have become seriously tight and I'm gonna have to see if I can book regular chiro/massage appointments to try to bring things back into shape. I feel the week of rest has helped me to reset and get my priorities straight. I've also identified that I want to start running again - it's the one thing that changed between the challenge where I lost 10lbs to the recent challenges where I've been struggling. THE MAIN QUEST Mouse, our intrepid Monk-in-Training, stumbles into the Town Square - nearly toppling the Bard as he sets up his wooden crate to sit on. She's haggard, tired, laden with endless reams of scrolls scrawled with plans and logs and dreams. Ink splashed across her face, she all but collapses onto one of the makeshift chairs slung together from bits of wood and rags in front of the Bard's meager stage. Brushing the obviously exhausted woman's entrance aside, the Bard began on his tale of the valley beyond the mountain ridge - the next stop for many of the Rebels in the courtyard, all eager to take the next steps on their dragon-slaying journeys. He strummed majestically, at first the tune sounding as up-lifting and inspiring as always, but his fingers shifted and the minor chords struck sent chills down the spines of those gathering to listen to him. He sang of a valley, filled with bones and corpses and rotting flesh - flesh that refused to lie still and rest. He sang of Rebels being chased, overrun and taken by the sheer masses of the Undead come to live again - taken by mere shambling masses of skin and bone that couldn't move but for a slow shuffle. Overrun and taken simply due to the numbers of them all. And how bursting through them - through maddening runs, terrified sprints, feats of sheer melee genius - only through those could Rebels hope to cross the Valley of the Undead to reach the Mountains of Passage. Mouse shivered - she was at once driven by every desire in her body to defeat her dragons, to blaze through the Valley, across the Mountains, crash through the Wall of Weakness to get to the Path of Adipox, and crush the dragon Flabxia in its Lair; and utterly terrified of anything remotely similar to horror. However, fear is simply another step to conquer, another experience to gain, another storm to be weathered. However much she feared zombies and the undead, she must blaze a trail of glorious victory through them to attain her goal. And so blaze she would. Eyes burning with determination (and more than her fair share of terror at the prospect of running through hordes of zombies), Mouse threw aside her scrolls, opting instead for a small blue bird to which she could attach snippets of parchment to send to her friends, adopting a lighter load out and set herself down the path to the Valley of the Undead. She would conquer this, she told herself, conquer it well. GOALS Run Like Zoms Are Chasing You... No, Srsly. They're Right Behind You. [DEX +2, STA +3] I hate myself for this, but I've started Zombies, Run! 5k Training. As someone who is both easily terrified of anything horror and easily addicted to anything storytelling, I'm at the mercy of my imagination when running to this thing. Fortunately, it works and I run fast, hard and for as long as I can. Unfortunately, I can't run anytime it's dark, so I have to run either inside on the track or outside when it's bright out - and in Alberta, Canada, that means I'm not running outside for much longer. But I will run 3x a week, aiming to complete 6 weeks of Z,R! by the end of the challenge (I'm already in W2). However, this can include going back and doing a week over - so essentially, I'm going to be running 3x a week. Grading: A: 3 Runs Per Week (total of 15 10)B: 2 Runs Per Week (total of 10 5)C: 1 Run Per Week (total of 5)Anything less is fail.Lift Like You're Killing Zoms By Throwing Heavy Things... Srsly, Throw. [sTR +2, STA +2, DEX +1] I joined my campus Powerlifting Club! And I'm throwing myself back into karate in full-force! And I joined a dance class! So essentially, I'mma be lifting, kicking and steppin' my way outta those Zoms' reaches. Hopefully. Gracefully. ...The way away from the Zombie Apocalypse is slow-slow-quickquick! (Fox Trot, anyone?) I aim to lift/dance 3x a week - if my legs feel tight again, I will reduce this to two and replace one of the workouts with stretching. I also aim to attend hot yoga once per week as a sort of flexibility and pre-emptive recovery. Still gotta work out the logistics, though. Grading: A: 3 Workouts (any combo of lifting/dancing) Per Week (total of 15)B: 2 Workouts (any combo) Per Week (total of 10)C: 1 Workout (either lifting/dance) Per Week (total of 5)Anything less is fail.Eat Like It's The Zombie Apocalypse... Srsly, Don't Poison Yourself. [CON +3, CHA +2] I find that 1,550 calories per day is an attainable goal, and that even eating much above that (probably close to 2k), I was able to stay within 2lbs of my "attained weight" (125lbs). This gave me hope that outside of keto is totally fine (though I hate what excessive water weight does to how my tummy feels while running - it feels so jiggly), and that I can recover some lost hair doing so. I may or may not eat keto, but I will not go off the deep end and drink/eat sugary crap just because. During my two week break, I found I could eat @ 1,550cal and not in keto and went down to 126.2lbs. Now, I'm likely in 125lb range, back to my lowest. So I hope to eat namely keto (breakfast+lunch) and stay strictly within my 1,550cal limit. Be advised: as I will start running and hot yoga, I may need to up this caloric limit. Grading: Pass/Fail​Pass: No more than 5 days above 1550cal, other than that it's based on feel.Fail: More than 5 days above 1550cal - must be a sizable difference (100cal+).​ The Life Quest I want to find myself a good job. And I want to be happy doing it. For this, I've checked off a big To Do: I've become a member of the Human Resources Institute of Alberta (HRIA) - this lets me access their workshops, and most importantly, their networking events. I want to do one principle thing: work towards developing my professional identity. This involves two steps: creating a personal brand and developing my online professional presence. Specifically for this challenge, I need to design a business card (design in mind, just need to finalize it and print it) and finish up my LinkedIn Profile (may not be possible, as I'm part of a test group for work that means I'll have to keep it unfinished for a bit, but I can at least draft all my information and arrange to have professional photos taken). The Starting Line Weight: 126.2lbs Neck: Bust: Arm: Waist: Stomach: Thigh: A Social Media Question Okay, I've got a question for you guys - as we all know, our fitness journeys are pretty personal things. We confide details on our deepest thoughts, our darkest hours and our most personal victories. So I'm wondering: Is it appropriate to have it all linked to our public, online selves? One of the things I liked about NF at the beginning was I could choose to be anonymous - I didn't have to reveal my name, my picture, anything. But I chose to because I feel safe with you guys. I'll be honest and confide: I'm a bit frightened that, given the personal nature of some of the stuff I've posted before and will post in the future, it would impact how future employers perceive me if they search my name. I have three questions for you: Do you think it will have an impact on how employers perceive me? Will the impact be positive or negative and why?Would it be best for me to have a separate "personal" Twitter to keep my fitness journey more anonymous?

I've been lifting on and off for about 2 years now, using Starting Strength, and I think I need to move beyond basic linear progression, so I was hoping for some input from the Rebels on where to go next. I'd like to keep working on a three day a week schedule, and continue to focus on the basic lifts: Squat, deadlift, overhead press, bench press and power clean, though I'd certainly be open to adding assistance work of some kind. My initial thought is that I could really use a ligher volume day, to really nail down my form (things tend to get unhinged when I squat over 165 or so). Current working sets: Squat: 175 Front squat: 135 OHP: 85 Bench: 100 Dead: 300 Stats: Female, 6'0, 27 years old, hovering around 215. I just ordered Rippetoe's other book, Practical Programming, but I love to get some thoughts from my fellow nerds on where they went after Starting Strength/Stronglifts. Texas Method? 5-3-1? Maybe just try Smolov jr on one lift at a time? So many options... HALP

I just finished my first challenge. I had a great experience dropping weight and body fat eating paleo and tracking the changes. Having the forum to check in with really gave me strength and allowed me to endure. I also benefit from having a condensed time frame to work inside- I need that focus! I want to get stronger so I thought this guild is where I should start. I am going to start working through Starting Strength on this challenge. I spent time in a gym lifting weights about 20 years ago, but I am a total newbie. I have EVERYTHING to learn. Mark Rippetoe's book was recommended to me so that is where I am starting. I also want to continue to loose fat and work on understanding nutrition so I look and feel as good as possible. The Paleo Solution has been really beneficial for me. I also have learned a lot from listening to Mat Lalonde. I just want to understand what is going on in my body and treat it right. I am a newbie with this too. My motivation comes from looking at myself and seeing my father. He has numerous health issues and is most recently dealing with lung cancer. I am going to avoid all of that! My family tends to be overweight and that stops here! Main Quest - get stronger Goal 1 - I am in the gym 3 times a week implementing Starting Strength Goal 2 - I am eating paleo/primal for 6 weeks and logging my food in a journal Goal 3 - I am loosing fat and building muscle mass. I will track this with weekly measurements and photos.

I completed my first Nerd Fitness challenge yonks ago when I was just a baby lifter with a sub-200 pound deadlift. Since then, I've been making steady but sometimes slow progress adding to my lifts, with no real motivation to do another 6 week challenge. But now....now there's sibling rivalry in play. My baby sister, CaraStarbuck, thinks she has what it takes to be the swolest sister. (CaraStarbuck, on right, trying in vain to win the yearly sister arm-wrestling contest. Me, on left, toying with her) In the spirit of raising the stakes, whichever sister does better on her six week challenge goals will be gifted a new fitness item by the losing sister. So, if CaraStarbuck beats me (unlikely), I have to buy her a foam roller. I've been making decent strength gains over the summer, but long hours in the office and too many trips to the snacks in the breakroom mean I've been putting on more weight than I want to be carrying. Meanwhile, I've started taking Judo classes, and while my strength training gives me a definite advantage, I really need to do some more conditioning work if I want to kick ass at randori. With that in mind, my goals: Main Goal (+2 DEX, +3 STA, +2 CHA): Drop 15 pounds without compromising strength. I'll achieve this by 1) sticking to a primarily paleo diet; 2) adding short, high intensity conditioning workouts on my non-lifting days These will be barbell complexes with lighter weights and regular sprinting and HIIT rowing. 3) Continuing my main strength workouts 2-3 times a week. Side fitness quest (+3 STR): Add 15 pounds to my squat. I had some form issues early on, so my squat is much sadder than my deadlift (Currently 175 x 5, versus 300 x 5). I'd love to get it up over 200, but 15 pounds sounds like a reasonable, slightly stretching it goal for 6 weeks. I'd try to get someone to video my form so I can get some pointers from the Nerd Fitness crowd. Bonus side fitness quest (+3 DEX): Test for my first belt promotion in Judo. I'm one of two newbs in my class, and our instructors are potentially going to test us for promotion in late October. So that would be sweet. Life side quest (+2 WIS) : Finish the great closet/home purge of 2013, and sell an additional $300 of stuff on ebay. In my first go round, I hit $200, so I'd like to make it an even $500 to add to my travel fund. So that's my challenge. Bring it, little sister!

Hi all! Can't believe it's a new challenge already. Just came back from my holidays and now trying to get back into my routine. Difficult, it is. I'm already late for this challenge so no theme this time. Although I'm still slaying the White Walkers in my head. Before: This is my third NF challenge and I'm switching to the Warriors guild as strength training is all I can think about. Last time I was with Rangers and completely ignored my endurance goal so thought I might actually belong here I started kettlebells in June and barbell training in August. By the end of the last challenge I deadlifted my bodyweight and was pretty proud. Hoping to increase the weight this time. I'm now back at uni so this will definitely make everything harder so I'm keeping it simple this time. Also, as I said, I'm back from holidays which means I didn't do much strength training for the past two weeks and I need to get back on track. Main Quest: Get stronger, obviously I want to increase my weights in deadlift, squat and press. How: 1. Barbell training twice a week. I won't manage to do more with my work, studies and life. Also, my gym gets too crowded sometimes. My stats: deadlift 90kg (although I'll start with 80kg now), BP 35kg, OHP 32kg, squat 52,5kg. I'm not sure how much progress I'll be able to make (any suggestions to what healthy goals to set?) as I'm still a big n00b. 2. Kettlebells twice a week. I just love the class, I'm not leaving it. I now use a 16kg kettlebell, I want to use a 18kg one by the end of this challenge. 3. Paleo. I'm on and off with Paleo since June but I always fall back to my stupid habits. I'd like to eat Paleo 6 days a week. Maybe being broke student will help a bit. Fitness side goal: I know it's stupid but I still can't comfortably do a press up. So I'd like to learn that finally. Life side goal: Be social. I love being alone but it doesn't really help to level up my life. I want to join a few societies in uni, try to get a volunteering place in my department and just be more social in general. I'm not going to repeat my mistake in setting up too many goals so I'm keeping this simple too. I'll just be happy if I make a few more friends by the end of this. Side notes: First week will be a little different as it's the Freshers Week at uni and all the smart people keep out of gym during the Freshers Week. I'm studying full-time, working two jobs and trying to get fit at the same time. It gets hard sometimes so bear with me. Also, anyone in similar situation? Would be nice to see I'm not alone with crazy schedule I have so many tiny little goals but I feel like I'm already taking up too much (as my year at uni will be reeeeally busy). Anyway, here they are, it's entirely for myself so I could remember: re-learn how to cross stitch and crochet, paint something, sign up for Russian language courses, clean my flat, plan my 2014 summer.

A Brief Introduction Hello warriors! I just finished my first Nerd Fitness challenge and I'm ready to get swole. The focus was on strength training a little bit of weight loss and body recomposition. I am continuing on with these goals, but this time stepping it up. On the last challenge I managed to lose about 8 lbs and lost about 3 inches from my waist. A friend of mine, who I'll admit tends to exaggerate, said it looks like I'd lost about 20 lbs. I have lost about 15 over the summer, but we all know how weird and tricky weight by itself can be. Main Quest: Get in shape by the time I finish my PhD. About a year and a half from now, I hope to be: 40-50 lbs. lighter Swole A zen "master" - practice and live a more peaceful, mindful, and disciplined but balanced life Pushing my mind to its fullest potential so I can defend my dissertation and have a successful career. Current Goals on the Quest: Lose fat/weight Build more muscle Improve exercise knowledge and perfect my lifting form I am currently about 245-250 lbs. at 6' 0" tall. I have now done about 7 weeks of Strong Lifts 5x5 and will be continuing it on this challenge. My goals are to stick to that, eat healthy and get more protein, and to really focus on perfecting my lift form and technique. I've got my body fat calipers coming in the mail, hopefully by the end of week 1. I'll put up some measurements and starting photos soon. Goal 1: Workout at least three times a week emphasizing strength training by following the Strong Lifts 5x5 program. I should have at least 18 workouts during the challenge. I usually go every other day, so that gives me three extra workouts during the 6 weeks I can use to catch up on weights if needed. For goal 1 I will continue following the Strong Lifts 5x5 program as in my first challenge. Here are my current lifts and goals following the program: Lift Current lbs. Goal lbs. Pts. Squat 155 240 Bench Press 140 180 Barbell Row 140 180 Overhead Press 100 130 Deadlift 165 245 I calculated most of these goals using the stronglifts excel sheet to find the six week goal. For the overhead press goal, however, I calculated 65% of my bench goal. This turned out to be 120 lbs. which would result in only a gain of 20 lbs. which would be too easy. So I added 10 more to make it a worthy goal. I also add a short pilates routine and some stretching to the end of my lifts to help work on balance, coordination, core strength, and flexibility. It is the beginner's workout listed and described in The Complete Book of Pilates for Men by Daniel Lyon Jr.: The Hundred Roll-ups Single Leg Circles Rolling Like a Ball Single Leg Stretch Double Leg Stretch Spine Stretch Forward Grading: I will simply count 2 points for the number of workouts I get done. For grading strength gains, I will count 1 point for being within 10 lbs. of a goal, 2 points for meeting the goal, or 3 points if I exceed it. I will then divide by the total number of points: Points = ( 2* Number of workouts + lifting points ) / ( 36 + 15 ) Here is my grading scale. I have to get all my workouts in and hit at least one goal to pass. I get an A if I do all that and meet all goals and exceed at least one and/or get all three extra workouts in. A = 48-52 pts. B = 42-47 pts. C = 37-41 pts. F = <37 pts. Note: extra workouts will yield some bonus points for the extra effort. Attribute Points: +1 STA for 18/18 workouts +1 STR for each 5 lifting points earned (up to +3 STR) +1 CHA if I can squat my body weight or more by the end of the six weeks Goal 2: Consume Between 2400 and 2900 calories and at least 200g protein a day. My calorie intake for maintenance is calculated to be 2947. I'm aiming to burn off some fat so I'll be aiming for 500 cal. under maintenance. Getting the protein will take precedent over eating fewer calories so if I need a couple hundred extra calories to get the protein I need I'll add them up to 2900. Also, I will be avoiding sugar, and keep carbs to a minimum, and preferably only for workout recovery. I will allow myself three "free" days during the challenge. These are not excuses be a glutton, but just days when I reward myself for good work and take my mind off the challenge, maybe have a few drinks etc. Grading: I'll get one point for each day where calories fall in the specified range, and one point for each day my protein is above 200g; not counting "free" days. My grade will be the points divided by the total possible points. Attribute Points: +1 CON passing grade on calories +1 CON passing grade on protein +1 CON more than half of days have <40 g sugar and <100g carbs consumed Goal 3: Inspect and Improve form on Lifts I have a copy of starting strength coming in the mail. It should be here this week. The first component of this goal is to read all the chapters on the lifts. As I finish each I will use that knowledge to improve my form at the gym. Form-Checks: During the challenge, I will take form-check videos of myself doing the exercises and post them on my thread. The first video for each will be put up early in the challenge so that I can look at it and get initial feedback. A second video for each will be posted during the last week for a final assessment and grading. Grading: The end of challenge videos will be graded by members of the Nerd Fitness warrior guild. I expect they should be graded as follows: A - perfect form, maybe one very minor flaw that's easy to fix B - a few minor flaws that are easy to fix C - some flaws requiring some effort/attention to fix F - several flaws requiring significant effort/attention to fix, the exercise will result in injury if continued in this way Or something like that, it will be pretty subjective, and I don't have a specific points/checklist. Any warrior can grade me, and I will take all feedback into account and take an average, but I will weight your grades by your Levels so that experience of the grader is taken into account. Attribute Points: +1 WIS finish reading Starting Strength + 1 CON grade C or better on form, + 1 CON Grade of B on form + 1 STR grade A or better Life Goal: Follow a M-F routine that facilitates a more healthy, productive, and balanced lifestyle I often struggle with keeping myself on a regular schedule which makes it easy to lose track when on occasion life/shit happens. Also, I need to eliminate distractions like news, facebook, email, and NF. I will make time for each rather than randomly using them as distractions. And getting 8 hours of sleep will be a priority. I originally had a scheduled, daily agenda here, but I've changed it to more of a list of essentials. Some things will have scheduled times, but I just want to make sure most things just have a set amount of time reserved. Every day M-F should have the following essential elements: Before Work: 6:00 am - WAKE UP AND GET THE FUCK OUT OF BED! DO NOT TOUCH THE SNOOZE BUTTON! A good solid warrior breakfast On workout days - a morning workout, on rest days some light stretching in the morning At Work: Be at work by 9 am Write one hundred lines of code (or three functions/classes or equivalent) 1 hour Planning or analyzing experiments 1 hour Documenting/writing Read at least one paper 1 half hour reflecting on days work/lessons 1 Brunch and two lunches (each with lots of protein, try to take an hour or less for all three) Get it all done before 6pm At Home: Be home by 6:30. Spend 10-15 minutes cleaning/tidying the apartment Cook and eat a good dinner Read and study non-work stuff (this will be my time for reading starting strength) I am also studying actuarial science as a plan B for after the PhD. This will be when I read some math texts and work on practice problems for exam P. 8 hours of sleep Each day (any time I can): 1 hour Evening computer time (facebook, NF, news) 10-15 min meditation This is the essence of my most productive days when they exist. Fridays will require some flexibility since there are usually more meetings and, of course, drinks after work so I'll have to work around that. Weekends will be off the schedule and focus on catching up on things as needed then relaxing and doing fun stuff. Then Sunday afternoons/evenings will be for preparing for the week. I'll have to have meals prepped if I want to stick to such a tight schedule. Grading: I'll grade each of the 30 possible days as pass/fail. As long as I manage to get a little bit accomplished on these things each day and it doesn't seem like my day fell apart I will count the day as a pass. Its subjective, but I'm confident that the distinction will be pretty clear. A if > 25/30 days do not fall apart B if > 20/30 C if > 15/30 F if < 15/30 Attribute points: +1 CON grade of C or better +1 WIS grade of B or better +1 CHA grade of A (because strong leaders get shit done) Final Grade: I will take the average of all four goals using a 3 point scale: A = 3, B = 2, C = 1, F = 0. Motivation -- Fuck Entropy! I am going to live a happy, healthy, successful, and well-balanced lifestyle for the rest of my life. Wish me luck. This is going to be an intense 6 weeks.

This is my third challenge. The reason I'm doing this as a first challenge is because I don't feel like I've been successful with a challenge so far. I have adjusted my goals, they now seem reasonable. Let's hope third time's a charm. Main quest: I want to be healthy. I want to be the best version of me that I can be in the time that I’ve been dealt. I need to be aware and conscious of the choices I make. 1 - No grains, sugars or legumes: Eat paleo. I know eating paleo really works for me, but lately haven’t really been too careful with what I’ve been eating. There have been a lot of sugars. Sugar is my biggest demon and I would like to be free of it. 2 - Meatless madness: At least one vegetarian day a week. This I want to do mostly because of environmental issues. Meat really takes it’s toll on the environment and eating paleo has increased my meat consumption. I don’t have the finances to buy local, grass-fed meat for all my meals. 3 - Building strength: Do Starting Strength 3 times a week. I want to have a strong, functional body and I believe SS will help me get that. Side quest: Finish my current GMB Movement Multivitamin (one week left) and keep moving when this is over.

Hey fellow NF members, I actually started about three weeks ago but I did want to start a log to keep myself accountable, and to possibly give some insight on the Starting Strength Program to any fellow members who might be interested. About Me: I'm a 26yo Male, 6'1", 176lbs, 18.4%BF taken by bioimpedance analysis. I may actually be a little lower than that, I felt pretty lean a few weeks ago, but I digress. I have floundered around in the world of fitness and diet for about 5 years now. I graduated high school at about 170lbs, very weak, and the epitome of skinny fat. I proceeded to pack on another 50lbs my freshman year of college through epic binge drinking and an all around awful diet. It was pretty bad, pics to come later. Moving out of the dorms and getting a job my sophomore year had me losing weight gradually, to a pretty stable 195, but still incredibly weak and with no muscle. It was about 5 years ago, that I made the decision to change my life. I started eating better, bought a bench, and the 90lb adjustable Bowflex Dumbbells, and began building a home gym. Over this span, I've added a decent amount of strength and muscle, and changed my body composition considerably. If I've missed anything, or if you're wondering anything else, fire a post down below and I'd be happy to answer it. The Program: For those of you that are unfamiliar with Starting Strength, it revolves around progressive overloading of the the main barbell lifts, Squats, Deads, Bench, and Overhead Press. I will start the program with the below two workouts performed three times a week. ABA one week, BAB the next. Since I've done these lifts in the past, I have an idea of what I've been capable of, and I'll be starting considerably lower to hammer out form, and allow for continued progressive overload for, hopefully, quite some time. Squats will increase by 10lbs per workout until bar speed slows, Deads by 10 until I hit 225, then I'll swap out a deadlift day with power cleans/chinups. OHP and BP will increase by 5lbs per lift. Workout A: Squats - 3x5 OHP - 3x5 Deadlift - 1x5 Workout B: Squats - 3x5 Bench Press - 3x5 Deadlift - 1x5 Previous 1RM: Squat - 190lbs Deadlift - 295 OHP - 95 Bench Press - 185 Starting Weights: Squat - 95 Deadlift - 135 OHP - 45 Bench Press - 95 Diet: I've made my MFP log available to everyone so you can get a handle on what I can eat. I've been at an overall caloric deficit for 5 years, I could not possibly be more excited to bulk. I'm going to start out shooting for roughly 3000 cals a day and see where that takes me as far as strength and fat gains. Hopefully I can bulk pretty cleanly. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/Bolson32 Target Macros: Carbs - 300 Fat - 117 Protein - 188 Pics: Might as well put some before and after pics up eh? Before: That's me at about 220. About 50% of my weight gain was in the jowls region. I liked to party, don't judge. Now: That was last October, I'm leaner now as well, probably 180ish though. I'll try and find something better, I clearly still like to party. Goals: I've written down the below goals and would like to be there by December 31st. End of year goals are all for 3 sets of 5 reps (3x5). Power Cleans are 5x3. Deadlift – 315 Squat – 225 Bench – 185 OHP – 135 Power Clean – 150 End of Bulk Goals - 1RM - end date TBD Deadlift - 400lbs Squat - 300 Bench - 225 OHP - 165 Power Clean - 185 Motivation: Why not really? I've always wanted to be stronger, now seems like the right time. Also, the more muscle I add, the less chance I'll have of looking like that fatty above. Finally, I have a pretty fantastic girlfriend who has only further pushed me into the world of fitness, and she's done some amazing things, so it's safe to say she's a big part of my motivation. All that aside, I'm a pretty avid sports guy, play softball and basketball leagues, golf etc, and getting stronger and in better shape has really helped in those ventures. Furthering that strength should only help. I'm sure I've missed something, that after someone else reads(hopefully someone will) will be glaring. So feel free to ask anything, I'm a pretty open book after all these years of being at it. Oh, one last thing, I've got softball on wed and some full weekends the next month or two, therefore my lifts won't be M W F or S T TH right away, so I'll keep the logs coming as they come in. I will however, get at least 2 lifts in per week, and never have a back to back week with only two lifts.

Hey hey, just starting a post thread for my battle log. I'm currently on the starting strength program, using madcow programming. Current maxes Squat - 265 x 5 Bench - 195 x 5 Deadlift - 295 x 5 Press - 135 x 5 Monday 19th Workout Squat - 135 x 5, 165 x 5, 200 x 5, 230 x 5, 265 x 5 Bench - 100 x 5, 120 x 5, 145 x 5, 170 x 5, 195 x 5 Instead of just cleaning, I did some hang clean technique drills to work on my form a bit. I did a hang clean from mid thigh, just below the knee, then from the ground using 95lbs, 115lbs, and 135lbs for 2 sets each. I'm having a bit of trouble with my hip drive on the heaver weights, I can't seem to get the bar moving fast enough. It's possible that I was just starting to get tired since it was near the end of my workout though. I also did two sets of 1 arm rows using 40lbs, for 20 reps and 2 sets of 10 dips. I felt pretty good afterwards, getting the dips was tough for me, I could barely do 3 of them a couple months ago. Progress!

I've really been working on DL form, seemingly to no avail. Today I filmed a warmup set and a work set. Obviously my back is way too rounded. Which part of the setup am I doing wrong? I've watched Rip's video about three times this week and I think I have the steps down. Is it a mobility issue re: getting my chest up? Or am I missing a step? I had previously been trying the setup advocated by K. Star in Becoming a Supple Leopard. But I felt in that setup I wasn't hitting it either, so I switched back to RIp's steps. This is my work set from two weeks ago attempting the K. Star method: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bd0LPTI60x0 I apologize for how long the videos are. Forgot to trim on my phone. Here are my warmup and work sets today: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XWtWsZSP4A http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LELdiyCP8Ds Also today was like the second time that I've ever yelled like that while lifitng. It felt really hard, but that's likely because I was essentially lifting with my back. Anyway, thanks in advance for any help!

About Me Hello everyone. I've been following the site for the longest time and have posted very minimally in the forums up until now. Let me start by talking a little bit about myself. I discovered my love for weight lifting back in February of 2012 and jumped from program to program. At first, I had no idea what I was doing or even where to being, so I'm choosing Starting Strength as my first weight training program. I want to establish a baseline for myself so after I finish with SS, I will have an idea of where I am strength-wise and will be able to carry what I've learned and how far I've pushed myself into other programs in the future. Stats Age: 27 Sex: Male Height: 5'8" Weight: 215 Body Fat %: ~30% Maintenance Calories: 2,795 Calories for Weight Loss: 2,495 Goals A) Body Fat % 1) 20% Body Fat 2) 15% Body Fat

Wait for me! I realize this is late, but I still have 24 days! This was created from this thread: http://nerdfitnessrebellion.com/index.php?/topic/28648-short-workout-ideas/ This is a keep it simple challenge. And it's going to be pass/try again. Here's the fitness background: I completed a triathlon in April and crushed my time goals (woot!). Now I'm just kind of in a funk because I trained for months and my body still looks the same despite healthy eating and 2 hours in the gym. What am I doing wrong? (Answer: you're not doing anything wrong) ... which leads into the personal background: I started therapy recently to deal with the lack of a relationship between me and my mother. Long story short, she's an addict, and I grew up 2nd to drugs and alcohol. I learned through her behaviors that I'm not worthy, I'm never good enough, and I shouldn't even try. (I realize this is not true). So here's the challenge: 1. Starting Strength 3x a week - I actually really enjoy this because I can watch progression happen EVERY workout. Positive reinforcement is huge right now in my life. I did this for about 3 weeks and then I was traveling and then my grandmother died, so I just started up again Monday (and without much loss in strength!) 2. Cardio/other 2x a week - I'd like this to be HIIT one day and some steady-state the other day (i.e. swimming which is incredibly relaxing, therapeutic, and tiring). I need help or ideas of HIIT other than "go run fast". Perhaps I'll go back to Zuzka Light for some suggestions. 3. Pushups and pullups Tues/Thurs/Sat - This is the same from last challenge because I've regressed, but I know now that I can get to floor pushups. I'm currently working on kitchen counter pushups and today will start chair-assisted pullups. Right now on the pullups I am going for volume. I might structure it just like the pushups, once I get to 4 sets of 20, I move to negatives. I can't hang from the pullup bar for more than a few seconds right now. Personal: 4. Dive headfirst into therapy. I bought the recommended books last night. I really need to spend time on me because I am the common denominator in all my relationships (friends, boyfriend, family, coworkers). I need to spend some time (1-2 hours) reading from those books during the week (possibly after sessions) to keep me engaged in healing. I am also writing in my journal after each session to get down some ideas that stuck with me and things I'd like to talk about next time. The overall fitness goal is to get strong. That means continual progression on my lifts AND if I stall, I don't quit. I deload and try to figure out what's going on. You know that saying, "If you don't want to keep starting over, stop quitting" Yeah... that's me. No quitting! Only reassessing! If I'm still stepping up to a barbell in 24 days, that's a pass. If I'm happy to do the "other" exercise I've chosen for myself on Tues/Sat, that's a pass. I have to be excited and "can't wait to get my goggles" happy. Or "oh man I'm going to do all the lunges and I can't wait" (Yes I do get excited about swimming and lunges). If I do 1 floor pushup, that's a pass. If I can do one slow negative, that's a pass. The overall personal goal is to gain some kind of inner peace. I honestly think this is the key to my negative attitude, my negative self-talk, my relationship with food, my relationship with my body, etc. This is going to be hard with all this emotional, personal stuff and I just need to roll with it. There's a great idea about treating your moods like the weather. So it's rainy today, so what? Wear a raincoat and get to it. If it's sunny today, go out and enjoy it. You can't control it, all you can do is react. As long as I haven't quit therapy in 24 days, that's a pass. Thoughts? Suggestions?

Greetings, fearsome warriors! I'm a ranger, set to embark on a mini-challenge, that involves bridging the gap between guilds. I could use a buddy (or two) to help me along with my lifting! I've been doing the Starting Strengths program for the past few weeks (consistently since the beginning of the current challenge). I've never really done any lifting before, so I'm sort of at a loss. And today, I had a rather humiliating day, failing on the second sets of both my squat and my deadlift. The kicker? Both were at lower weights than I was managing last week. What do I do here? Do I just continue on my next lifting day like this morning never happened (keeping the same weights), or do I lower the weight down again?

Hey All, Wanted to get some feedback on people's experiences/thoughts on returning to a linear progression program (a la Starting Strength or StrongLifts) after being off of one. When I started, I used a linear progression (think SS with rows instead of cleans) and made good progress, even while cutting. Eventually (after about 4 months consistent use), I maxed out...then kept grinding away for 3-4 more months but had no improvements to show for it (generally still in a caloric deficit, although not as consistently as the previous 4 months). Technique started to suffer, I was demotivated...all was not well in the world I switched to 5/3/1 and have been using it for the last 4 months or so (still cutting), and I have been pleased. I haven't progressed on any of the big lifts at all (to be expected given the cut - 3500 cal/week deficit), but I really enjoy the program. However, I'm looking at go into calorie surplus in about a month (1750 cal/week surplus), with the goal of working towards a 1000 lbs total (squat/bench/dead). Currently I'm at about 825 lbs (275 squat, 225 bench, 325 deadlift - all estimated 1RMs based on current 3-5RMs). My biggest issue (I think) looking back at my logs and the timing of my stalls on SS, was my recovery. I wasn't eating enough or sleeping enough (had a newborn, at the time). Additionally, I was bike commuting to/from work a couple of times per week (46km/28 miles round trip), and those rides really took a lot out of me. The situation has now changed - will be eating at a slight surplus, sleep is better, and bike commute is significantly smaller (24 km/14 mile round-trip), although frequency will go up from 2x week to 4-5x week. So my question is, is it likely that I still have gains to be made from following a linear progression model? I had planned on continuing 5/3/1, but after some discussions on these boards re: pros and cons of 5/3/1, I'm wondering if using it would be sub-optimal for my upcoming situation and goals. Has anyone been in a similar situation? Can some of the strength-oriented folks chime in (well, anyone's welcome to chime in, really ) and let me know your thoughts? I'm 34, male, 6'5", and will be approx. 215 lbs with 15% bf when I start. Thanks!

Kamek's starting stats: Height: 5'9 Weight: 240 pounds Race: Freckled but not a ginger Skills: Oversized legs good for car pushes and making it difficult to buy jeans Fitness Goals: 1. Go to BJJ 3x a week 2. Lift Heavy 2-3x a week 3. Lose 10 pounds to get to 230 (Currently 240) Life Goal: - Aside from one free hour a day, only use my computer for school assignments (this has more to do with correcting my posture than avoiding wasting time). For about the last year, I've worked out at home with a 35 pound KB and bodyweight, usually doing interval circuits. I also boxed for about five months until a reoccurring wrist injury forced me to stop, heal and start BJJ. But, I've already noticed how hard my back, core and neck are working when grappling and I want to avoid "snapping my shit" so to speak. My goal is to build a strong body with structural integrity. So, I'm going to start a slightly amended Starting Strength program. Instead of doing Bench 2x a week, I'm going to add heavy dips. And for my neck and grip, I'm going to add farmer's carries/holds 2x a week. I'll probably be posting a lot in the form check forum soon. I have an appointment to tour a nearby gym on Wednesday. WORK-OUT: MONDAY) Squat 3x5 Bench 3x5 Pull-Up 3xF Farmer's Carry 3x90 seconds Neck Exercises 1-2 sets of push-up progression 100 burpees WEDNESDAY) Squat 3x5 Overhead Press 3x5 Deadlift 3x1 Neck Exercises 100 Burpees FRIDAY) Squat 3x5 Dips 3x5 Chin-up 3xF Farmer's Carry 3x90secs Neck Exercises 1-2 sets of push-up progression 100 Burpees As far as BJJ goes, my plan is to go, soak it up, roll, and make sure I get there at least 3x a week. If I'm particularly beat up, I'll drop a heavy lift day, not BJJ. I also started writing down all the techniques I'm learning in a book since there's a lot more stuff to remember than jab-right cross-left hook-roll under-left hook. ... Although, I'm sure after six months of grappling, I'll probably be craving to hit a heavy bag or do focus mitt drills. I'd really like to be able to compete once I get skilled enough, but I know I'd have to start going like 5x a week if that becomes a real goal. As for losing weight, I'm going to try my best to stay to a whole foods diet, avoiding wheat and sugar -- mostly paleo, but I'm going to eat dairy like cheese and real, high fat yogurt, as well as peanut butter (I'm still not convinced 100% organic peanut butter is full of anti-nutrients and bad for me). I may use a calorie counter since the last time I went paleo, I under-ate for my activity level by about 600-800 calories -- I just wasn't hungry most of the time.

SLAYER TRAINING 101 session A1, spring 2013 [picture to come, hopefully] Let me tell you a story... So, I play TeraOnline occasionally (just for fun - until WildStar comes out), and my first character was a male Castanic Slayer. He's this lithe guy who wields a greatsword about the size of his body and can easily knock down giant opponents. It's a ton of fun to play that class - they're a perfect storm of mobility (how, with a giant sword, I don't know) and strength. A wonderful inspiration for training. While I can't exactly run around killing giant scaly lizard-dog things with a giant-ass sword (most likely illegal), I can at least train my body to handle that kind of thing. Or, y'know, lie to myself that lifting a bar is exactly the same as cleaving a sword... Shh! Let me enjoy my fantasy! It makes me bench harder! Personal Stats At the beginning of this challenge, this is what I look like. [Picture link to come] [info to come!] Height: 5' 1/4" Weight: 134lbs (1lb lost over the break, ha ha!) Neck: 14 Bust: 36 Waist: 36.25 Thigh: 21 Bicep: 10.5 BF: 33% Vanity Measure (Biggest part of the Belly): 37" A note on eating: I will be continuing my ketogenic diet. It's been an amazing boon to me so far, and it's proving very sustainable (which is why I'll dedicate this challenge to things that aren't so easy to keep). I will continue my goal of 3 cheat meals allowed during the course of the challenge - this may transform into a side-quest with some non-stat reward. GOALS Wield the Greatsword [sTR +2, +1*] *if I add 50lbs total spread across all my lifts, I get this, too. A slayer brandishes a weapon the length and width of his body with ease. Powerful slashes, brutal thrusts, ruthless knockdowns. The strength and power needed to wield such a weapon is astonishing. Lift. Lift heavy. And do it twice a week at least, following the SS program I built. Including inverse rows instead of overhead press and plank instead of powercleans (still don't know how to do those). A: 12 workouts+B: 10 workoutsC: 8 workoutsF: <8 workouts It Takes Endurance [sTA +2, DEX+1] Between towns and on training runs, Slayers sheath theirs swords and run swiftly to their next destination. There is no walk, there isn't always a horse to ride - but you always have your feet. In the last two weeks of my previous challenge, I developed right Achilles tendinitis and extremely tight hamstrings. Tight in a bad way. I've been told to lay off running for a while, so I won't start my running challenge until halfway through the challenge, but I will go to karate and if I have a particularly intense session, I may also count that towards my "running" amount, but usually they'll just be counted separately. ** The reason why I'll be counting karate sessions as running sessions is because some of the work we do in the dojo puts a lot of strain on my leg and ankle, so I don't want to ruin a second challenge by over doing it - if I count an intense session, it's more a way for me to tell myself not to over do it than an attempt to get ahead. I plan to do the Zombies, Run! 5k Training Program halfway through the challenge - it incorporates a lot of stops, some rests and stretching as well as a mix of running and walking which should enable me to be safe in getting back into running. I'll be aiming at two sessions a week come week 3 of the challenge. To make this more intense a goal, I'll make it Pass/Fail. Pass: 6+ running sessions (remember that intense karate sessions can count towards this)Fail: <6 sessions Focus on Flexibility [DEX +2, STA +1, CON +2] Dealing intense damage while looking sleek and graceful isn't easy. A slayer must maintain her flexibility in order to draw upon the necessary acrobatic ability to make full use of her mobile attacks. I suck at stretching - and I was this close to touching my toes before my hamstrings tightened on me and my legs borked. So now I start again - as much for injury prevention as for increasing my ability to do well in the dojo and in my strength. And to touch my toes. For this goal, I will commit 15 minutes of every workout to stretching and stretch 15 minutes or more on non-workout days. Ideally, I'll be working out 5 days a week: M W lifting, R running, T S karate. A: Every workout!B: -1 weekC: -2 weeksD: -3 weeksF: <3 weeks Always Clean Your Sword [CON +2, WIS +2] On the battlefield, the Slayer isn't afraid to get her hands dirty. Bloodied opponents are no consequence, and things aren't going well unless they're well and messy. But once off the field, the Slayer promptly cleans her sword - a sword's performance and a Slayer's life depend on a pristine blade. Last challenge, this was my worst performing goal. So I want to give it another shot, with two specific goals in mind and both relating to one project. I want to chuck out everything I'm not using (my books/notepads/papers/magazines/whatever) and put it in storage or garbage it. Period. No wish-washy but-I'll-miss-this-thing-I-didn't-know-I-still-had. Just throw it. I don't need it. This aspect will be Pass/Fail. Pass: It's all goneFail: Some of it is leftI also want to clear space and reorganize my low bookshelf (I want to get rid of my tall bookshelf, or at least all the stuff that's in it). I want half of it to be a personal wellness library - nutrition and fitness books, cookbooks, personal philosophy books and some favourite works of fiction - and the other half to contain a healthy "snack bar" of sorts - containers of various nuts (pecans, almonds, macadamias), keto gummies (maybe - these might have to go in the fridge - maybe I can build one?!), pre-portioned protein powder packs and my various sweeteners. If I get a dehydrator, it'll go in here, too. Also Pass/Fail Pass: Bookshelf organized (some unrelated books are related - they will be replaced when the new books come in)Fail: Bookshelf still a disaster zoneFinally, I want to keep doing building a habit of keeping my room clean. All the little things. Do a quick clean up on Wednesdays and Saturdays after I put my loads in the laundry. Do some clean up every day and clean as I go. A: 5 weeks of cleaning awesomeB: 3-4 weeksF: <3 weeks Party Formed! Boyfriend has joined the challenge! Well, not really - but he's decided he wants to join me unofficially in this challenge. He's given me permission to post on his goals weekly, so I'll pester him for his specific goals and post them once I've gotten them. [:\\System Start Boot:\\TERAONLINE loading**** online CHARACTERSELECT:\\THEMOUSE RebellionServer L24 SLAYER\\CASTANIC transportingtoSLAYERTRAINING ]yesimanerd G A M E S T A R T

Hi everybody! So a coworker has been working out with me lately which is great to have someone to chat with at the gym. But we're both pretty motivated so we don't sit there and gossip. So that's a +1 I started Starting Strength and I'm on day 3. It's great so far, still working out kinks in my form. But today was the day that I was attempting to bench the bar. And I did. And it was awesome!!! So that's +2 Then, right before my last bench set a guy came over to me. I had seen him earlier doing barbell rows in the squat rack (which forced me to use another kind of rack, but that's okay). Anyway, I thought he was asking for the bench because I had been kind of camping out and there was a shortage of benches. But instead he said, "are you doing Stronglifts" and I said no, Starting Strength" and then he complimented my squat form and basically said, "you're the only person I see in here going all the way down" And I brought up some things like, "I feel like I'm leaning forward and my butt is coming up first" And he was like, "stick your chest out more and that will help". So yay! New gym buddy to geek out with! +3 It's going to be a good day

Hello there Nerds and welcome to yet another 6-week Challenge with Shukar. This time around I'm diversifying a bit dipping into some Warrior stuff and some Druid stuff to help supplement my running ambitions, and some random stuff that just seems like it should be fun to really round stuff out. So a little bit about me for those new to the area. I'm Shukar, I'm a Scout, I love running and have found I really enjoy bodyweight strength work. I used to be a big fat guy, now I'm just freakishly tall at 6'5". Still a little on the heavier side probably but I've stopped caring so much about weight and moved on to caring about what I can do, how I feel day to day, and just trying to be the best me I can be. I'm one of the moderators for this Guild so if you have questions, comments, or concerns feel free to message me on here or pop into the IRC channel and see if I'm around, I try and be as much as I can. I have a happy life, sometimes it's just boring. That's why I have you guys. Running Goal: Rhythm of the Feet/Heat I've been keeping up a somewhat consistent, if limited, running schedule since my marathon and now it's time to up the ante a bit. I always feel better and more level in my life when I'm running more often so that's a part of this goal. The other major part is that I'd like to throw in some sprinting to my mix for a variety of reasons. Also, to help with the limited mileage I did last challenge apart from my marathon, I'd like to shoot for a run of at least 5 miles this challenge and see how things go. So that's the running goal.•Run 3-4 days a week•Get in at least 3 sprint sessions during the challenge, shoot for one every other week at a minimum•Longest run of at least 5 miles Strength Goal: Warrior/Resistance Goal Last challenge I did pretty well with my strength goals and I'm hoping to carry that momentum into some new directions. Last challenge I read Starting Strength and I'd like to try and get into doing some lifting. The goal for this challenge is strength workouts 3 days a week, whether they be in the weight room or at the living room. Get it done, get stronger. Full body, compound movements with a large range of motion. That's the main plan. In addition to this I'm going to keep up the pushup and squat streaks from the previous Streak Club Challenges and either add the new challenge if one is posted or if not start up my own appropriate one. The last item I'm going to throw into here is that I am going to shoot for daily work on handstands in hopes of by the end of the challenge being able to maintain a freestanding handstand, or at least a good time flat against the wall.•3 days a week specific strength activity, either bodyweight or hopefully Starting Strength•daily Streak Club participation, keep up the pushups and squats from the last two and add more•New Skill: Work on Handstands every day for at least 1 minute of time inverted. In the event I accomplish this easier than I really expect I'll upgrade to a harder variation. Update: Due to circumstances beyond my control (ie reality) I'm making some changes. Iron will wait, in the interim streaking with squats/pushups/planks/handstands will get me a decent workout in every day with 2-3 times a week of additional items to try and mix things up. Mobility Goal: Yoga/Druid GoalSo the previous goal was very Warrior like and this one will be very Druid like instead. Last challenge I also did some reading about yoga and got into my head to give it a shot, it was actually rather enjoyable and I suspect it'll be good for me to do in the long run so I'm making doing it regularly a priority. •Yoga 2-3 times a week -The goal here is to expand from the Sun Salutation (variation I think) that I'm doing to more repetitions of that for a warmup and slowly add in poses from the primary sequence over time.•Some stretching every day in addition to the yoga - do some kind of mobility, whether it be with the ball, some stretches, etc.•New Skill: Toe Touches, gain ability to touch toes - Working up to being able to touch my toes with knees fully extended, I'd say at least halfway there. If it turns out too easy there will be other projects. Life Goal: Stupid Human TricksSometimes you get bored sitting around during any old day, you need a hobby something to do with your hands, some neat skills to show off to win bets, pass the time or what not. That's where this goal comes in, Stupid Human Tricks. For my life goal this challenge I'm gonna work on picking up random, and mostly useless, skills one or two at a time through the whole challenge. Below are a list of the ones to start with:•Rubik's Cube - I used to be able to solve a cube in around 2 minutes consistently, I'm hoping during this challenge to at least get under 3, but we shall see.•Juggling - I've wanted to learn to juggle for years now and never actually taken the time to do it, so now is the time.•Pen Spinning/contact juggling - Contact juggling, Sphereplay, pen spinning. The first two are mostly just different names for the same thing and the third seems (to me at least) related to the others. I'm hoping I can pick up some skills here after regular juggling. I've done some minor levels of it in the past but nothing recent and nothing particularly good.•Chain Mail? - I kind of want to learn how to weave chain mail, I think it would be pretty awesome for costuming for the Ren Faire if nothing else. Not as full of songs as last time sadly, but that may change during the challenge who knows. I'll see about more songs and adding the RPG points later on, maybe a couple other edits as well.

I have a real problem with authority, just ask my boss. The more I tell myself I can't have something or I'm not allowed something, the more my internal monologue says "eff you, eat ALL the things! Stay in bed all morning! Skip the gym!" So for my third challenge, I'm allowing myself to do whatever I want to do, but I'm choosing to make some changes. Goal 1) I could remain weak but I choose not to. Some day I'll grow up into a full fledged Warrior because I likes the iron. Starting Strength 3x/week. Grades 3x = A, 2x = B, 1x = C, 0x = F. +4 STR Goal 2) I could slip meekly into middle age with creaky joints but I choose not to. I'm going to work on mobility for at least 1/2 hour, 3x/week. I'll be drawing from MWOD, doing a lot of foam rolling, some shoulder exercises to strengthen around a bad rotator cuff, stretching, maybe some yoga. Grades 3x = A, 2x = B, 1x = C, 0x = F. +3 DEX Goal 3) I could eat Reese's PB Cups and Coke Zero for lunch every day but I choose not to. Yeah, I really have done that in the past. More than once. I'm going to work on quitting the processed sugar and soda. For this challenge I'm going to diligently track calories using My Fitness Pal. I'm aiming for 2200 cals/day. Grading shamelessly stolen from AngelBlaidd. Goal 15,400 cals/week. Within 5% = A, within 10% = B, within 15% = C. +3 CON, +1 CHA Goal 4) You snooze, you lose and I choose not to. I got an app for my phone that requires me to do arithmetic to be able to disable the alarm. I have successfully trained myself to do arithmetic in my sleep. To support my ultimate goal of getting around in the morning, I'm going to prepare my gym bag, lay out work clothes, prepare lunch/breakfast/snacks and set my alarm for the time I need to get up the night before. I'm allowing myself one snooze button and one only per day. This one snooze/day does not accrue. This goal only applies to work days. Grades: 90% = A, 80% = B, 70% = C. +4 WIS