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I want your input on whether the following diet can result in a slimmed down appearence: Breakfast: protein shake (like this one) Lunch: quinoa lentils avocado Dinner: refried beans corn tortillas black olives nutritional yeast hot sauce

Hello! I've just started Muay Thai, a few weeks ago. I was wondering if I could have some tips on strength training, mainly bodyweight stuff? This would be for striking power, but I also would like to just be a stronger person, in general. Help me, Strength-trainers Kenobi, etc., and so forth.

I just had my 5th class. It's super fun! However, I'm extremely out of shape. A positive thing, though, it's that I started this to motivate me to exercise, and it's working. There are a couple of things that I'm wanting to do, to get better in my classes: 1. Become Staminus Maximus, the god of stamina. 2. Inject Hulk serum into my limbs, to improve my strength. 3. Get better at eating the right things. Any tips for the kinds of exercise I would be doing, and food I should be eating, outside of class? For perspective, I haven't exercise for a full year, before starting Muay Thai.

Hi! My names Emily and I'm new to NerdFitness. I'm just want to make easy health choices and turn them into life habits. I've started my first Challenge and would like some tips and encouragement! thanks!!!

Hi guys! I alternate a 3 day routine, 5-6 times a week, (never less than 3 on a bad week). Day One - Arms, Chest & Shoulders Flat bench 25kg (3 sets x 8) Incline bench 20kg (3 sets x 8) Pec Flys 5kg per arm on a flat bench (3 sets x 8) Dips with a resistance band (3 sets x 5-8, depending on strength) Superset: Shoulder Press (10kg) and Dumbell Lateral Raises (2kg on either arm) at (3 x 8) Push ups (3 sets of 8) (1 set being Diamond Variation) Day 2 - Back & Arms Dumbell Curls (5kg on each arm) (3 sets of 8) Reverse Fly (5kg on each arm) (3 sets of 8) Chin Ups (bodyweight resistance band on a bar) (3 sets of 8) Pull Ups (bodyweight resistance band on a bar) (3 sets of 8) T-bar row (20kg) (3 sets of 8) One-Arm Bent Over Dumbbell Row (9kg) (3 sets of 8 both arms) Day Three - Legs Squats Smith Machine (30kg) (3 sets of 8) Lunge Smith Machine (30kg) (3 sets of 8) Leg Press (80-100kg) (3 sets of 8) Calf Raises (60kg) (3 sets of 8) (different variation: toe pointing inwards, outwards and forwards for each set) Deadlifts Trap Bar (36kg) (3 sets of 8) Hip Thrust (20kg) (3 x 8) I'm 5"5 and 9 stone 9 pounds. I used to be 8 stone 9 pounds. I followed the same routine, but also ran regularly (20 minutes 5 days a week) and ate better and was interested in calisthenics, so pursued that a lot too. I'm looking to lose weight but it's not as important to me for the moment as building strength. I'm on the brink of being able to do an unassisted chin up! I'm concerned my workout isn't what it could be...I would appreciate anyone's advice about how I could build on my strength and fitness. Thank you!

Hey! I want advice, tips, clever hacks, and we can all share them! I am flying to Japan in a few weeks, and I am bringing ONE BAG, it looks like it's going to be the Ebags' Weekender Convertible 2.0, if you care. And NO PERSONAL ITEM. This means literally EVERYTHING is going in there. For two weeks. So, got any advice? Here's some ideas I've had so far: I'm packing a superlight 60L folding duffel to check for the trip home. I am rolling my clothes. Speaking of clothes, I'm wearing/layering heavier clothes on the trip, and what's in my suitcase are older underoos and socks that are seeing their last days. I'm going to dispose of them before returning home. Then I get to buy fancy new socks and undies at home! Same for clothes only if they are in nice enough condition, I'm donating them before I leave, thus freeing up room in my carry-on for souvenirs see: the good stuff. The nicer clothes I am keeping I'll wear out of the country, or roll up and shove in the checked bag. I am taking a 1x2x1" (rough estimate) cut of a Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap bar, which is super multipurpose, and peppermint is refreshing, I've found it's helpful when you feel bedraggled or under the weather. It can be soap, shampoo, laundry detergents, whatevs. It's wrapped in a cut of old towel. Instant washcloth. I just ordered some cash at my bank, in advance, so now I have about $500 worth of spending yen. I am bringing my favourite travel pillow, which is a cylinder of memory foam, and embedded in it is segmented pipe, so I can wrap it in whatever position works (I think I'm stuck in the middle seat, most likely, as my flight got changed so... them's the breaks. I'm wearing boots, packing low profile sneakers... I am also bringing a back up phone! It has no sim card, I am using it as a camera, I can change out the Micro SD cards, and I can recharge the phone/camera via USB, even better, I have a powerbank. I am grumpy that swank cameras don't have this ability, but my old Samsung G5 worked fine as a camera, and it shall again. I also have a 360 camera now, which I am hoping to make a shared online archive of immersive photos of neat places. I think it's a cool idea, but I am not totally comfortable with making it work yet, and it sucks battery pretty hard. That's sort of my plan, and some of it is clever travel hacking, that maybe will help someone else in the future. Does anyone else have any tricks for travel, especially light packing crazy travel? I want to geek out on insoles or soaps, or foldable microfiber towels... Let's talk! I used to tour around for a small living, and learned a bunch about traveling domestic, etc, in a band, and often it translates over great for international travel, but I am always looking for new ideas. Problems or issues I'd like help with: I have a Surface Pro 3 laptop I am split on taking. I sort of think it's a good idea, I'd keep it in a waterproof bag, and it's a fully functioning laptop, and drawing surface (I'm an illustrator), it'd be massively helpful for the 21 hours or so of travel to and fro, but then I have to haul it around everywhere. It's small for a laptop, but had a charger, and such. Just looking for input. Air China is pretty strict on economy carry-on restrictions, namely my carry-on shouldn't be more than 11kg. I am hoping no one takes my bag away to weigh it, but I am trying to keep my belongings down to around the 15lb mark, and I am afraid that might be super difficult. We'll see.

Welcome to the Loft Hey there everyone! I decided to follow a little thread I had in one of my challenges and create a Accountbilbuddies group for Rebels who have creative based quests on their challenges, who like to craft, write or draw in some of their spare time, or who just really like following along artists, writers, sculptors, and various other awesome crafters! I wanted to have a space for people to also hold each other accountable (well...hold myself accountable) for their creative-based quests. Also, I wanted to make a space so I can share some tips on my preferred creative craft (Digital Art), so if anyone was curious or had questions, here is a place where questions can be asked! If anyone else wanted to share tips they have picked up during their craft, that'll be awesome as well! We're here to level up our life, and for me that also includes my art :D. No matter what level, what skill, what craft, if you're looking for a space to share your work, share you ideas, or just hang out with, the Loft doors are open!

So I swim a couple of times a week at the moment before work, and I am a proficient swimmer (though not that fast). I was wondering if anyone can suggest any drills or tips to improve my technique, or whether I can improve technique without getting a trainer to actually watch my current form? As a guide, a typical swim session for me looks roughly like this at the moment: 400m Breaststroke warm-up Stretch ~£1k Front Crawl With any leftover time Crawl sprint/Breaststroke set/Backstroke (though rarely; I don't really like not seeing where I'm going). Any and all advice appreciated. Cheers!

Tomorrow I'm starting my diet/less eating plan. I decided to go for mainly fruit, but I would like to have a hot meal once a day. I actually want to make it Paleo, but with a focus on fruit, do you have tips for that? The reason behind this is I tried the Atkins/low-carb diet, but after 3 days I just stop eating and start feeling ill, craving fruit. So, I'm just gonna eat fruit for breakfast, lunch and possible snacks while trying to make myself a healthy, warm dinner. I would also like some nice smoothie or fruity recipes to go with it. So, if you happen to have advices on a fruit-focused Paleo diet or smoothie/fruity recipes, please do tell! ~Renn

Hello! I am Michelle, online usually known as Renn. I am 19 years old, and I have been quite unhappy about my body for years now. Now that I have gotten medical help for my joint and muscle problems, I decided it was time for a change. So here I am! My goal is to lose 20 kilos/about 40 pounds, a pure loss of body fat and condition improvement - I don't care about muscle. As for now I don't have a deadline. What I like to do: Game - World of Warcraft, Minecraft, Skyrim, Garry's mod, Sims 3, Heroes of the Storm, Pokémon - those kind of things. Mostly PC, although I'm a nintendo fan too. Dogs - Doges are love, doges are life - seriously though, one of the reasons I really want to lose weight is because I want to own and train many dogs, and I need to be able to give them what they need. Archery - I have actually only done a beginner course once, but as soon as I got money to spare, I want to just buy a longbow (traditional) and start shooting some arrows again! Books - Whenever my butt isn't stuck to my pc-chair, you can find me lying in my bed reading a book - Fantasy and Sci-Fi; Hunger Games, Eragon, Wolf Brother, Game of Thrones, that sort of stuff. I really want to make an RPG-style achievement system, goals and rewards, so if you happen to have suggestions for that or for Really easy-mode fat-loss workouts, please do tell me. Keep in mind that I haven't done the slightest of excersises in years, so my condition is at an absolute zero, and I'm not the healthiest of persons - I mainly suffer from hypermobility, wich means I'm quite flexible, but it also gives many joint issues and pains. (For example, I can't do squats. My ankles just can't make that bend.) Have a good day! ~Renn

This may seem kind of nerdy, but hey, this is nerd fitness so what the heck. I myself am not a big fan of superheroes (sorry) so when I read about these things like “be like Captain Americaâ€, although I understand, it’s not really my thing. So I was struggling with the notion of channeling a ‘super’ version of myself in order to get hyped. I realized that maybe it wasn’t my way of doing things. I felt like didn’t have any powers, any abilities, I was just a simple girl, but I could feel the potential. What I needed was someone who believed in me and could tap into that potential and help me become my awesome self. What I needed was a mentor. Now, maybe I shouldn’t have used Yoda in the title, because what I’m a really huge fan of is, not Star Wars, but Game of Thrones. Seriously I love that show. One of my favorite characters is Jorah Mormont, who, in all fairness is not exactly the most awesome warrior in the show. But he is a great advisor. So… I decided to imagine he was training me. Like whenever I’m working out I imagine he’s there trying to turn me into a soldier who can fight in the intense fights of Westeros and who can overcome any obstacle, someone who is trustworthy and loyal, maybe enough to be in the personal queen’s guard of Daenerys. It’s helped me so much. Having and awesome personal trainer has motivated me way more. I don’t know if this could help anyone out there, but to me it’s been wonderful. Now I feel this sort of pressure to not let him down and it keeps me going. Sorry for the long post, but I was so happy with the results I thought I’d share it. Maybe what someone out there needs is a mentor

Hi all, What I find most difficult by far in doing dumbbell presses is getting the weights into position, I feel like I have to settle with lighter weights than I could because of this. Are there any tricks that can make this easier? Thanks in advance!

Now that 2013 is over, what small nuggets of knowledge did you learn, re-learn, affirm or basically discover during the year that you can share here? I'll start, for me: Mobility is as important to fitness and resilience as strength and cardio That ladders on lifts are a great way to lift, especially for the average person. Consistency beats intensity in the long run.

Hi there! Ok so my routine does not really consist of muscle building but im geared to that(i still do my cardio and watch my diet). Lately though my friends and I have been arguing on this topic, with one side saying that building muscle for muscle is bs, while the other saying that fat people should build muscle to gain more metabolism=more fat loss. Im stuck at between and im confused here, so could someone help me out?

So, as most of you ladies already know, finding articles on lifting or strength training can be hard to find. And sometimes the ones you find aren't quite accurate or what you were looking for. And then there's articles like this one: http://bretcontreras.com/strength-training-for-women/ Is this guy serious?! Here are some of the 'tips' from this guys article: -Most women think there’s some magic fitness secret out there and therefore try to juggle every fitness methodology under the sun, which results in being mediocre at a variety of things rather than highly skilled in one or just a few areas -Women in general complain about pain more frequently than men (by the way, the notion that women have higher pain tolerances than men is not supported in the literature) -It is common for women, however, to have poor ankle mobility – just as it is for men -Women often bring drama to the gym and have more trouble detaching from everyday life-struggles when training Seriously guy? As if going to the gym wasn't hard enough!

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

Oops, originally posted this in the wrong section. Moved it to the right one. Sorry about that!