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QUEST 1 Maintain deficit: Adjusted a bit, removed an extra 100 KCAL/day. I gained a little weight during my vacation, and with summer season coming i'm preferring getting rid of the excess fat even it means i will lose some muscle in the progress. I want to get to that baseline! Plus i think it will benefit me greatly on the OCR, lowering my BW to maximize my efficiency on all those BW-exercises i will encounter there. QUEST 2 Keep up protein: Of course i will try to do my best to keep as much muscle as possible. I'm still doing lots of stuff to enhance my body and it needs the right kind of fuel, so protein is gonna be a big part of my diet. QUEST 3 Minimize beer input: I thought about removing this quest since i'm doing quite nice, except, seasons are changing. And well, next two seasons it's gonna be: "'Tis the season to be jolly, Fa la la la la la la la la. Fill the meadcup, drain the barrel," So just to keep grinding-in this habit i'm gonna stick with it at least for the upcoming challenge(s). QUEST 4 MIndfully choose a meal: Just to keep as clean as possible i'm forcing myself to think (in advance) about every meal i eat. Easier to keep in line with the KCAL and better to fuel my body with the "best" option available. QUEST 5 Act like a MadCow: Lifting, it's my main thing at this moment, i love doing it, it's good for me, so i'm not planning on not doing it. It's here to stay in the foreseeable future. QUEST 6 Find my Inner-Ape: I will be focusing on upperbody-bodyweight-exercises. Probably a lot of chin ups (no pull ups yet because of sore tendon on the outside of my elbow). Pushups and burpees will also be part of the program. (I'm slowly dreaming about doing the 300 workout) QUEST 7 Stamina: Running has lost it's interest. Though i have entered myself in a run within this challenge (2,5 weeks). I entered the 12K (7.5 miles) on April 20th. I need the stamina, because the OCR has a distance of 19K (12 miles). So besides all the obstacles we also got a shitload of ground to cover. I need my stamina back! DST has kicked in, evenings are getting longer, weather is getting better, less excuses not to run. I'm even gonna go to my gym, and tune my subscription down from unlimited to once a week. This is better for my wallet, it's easier on my schedule, and it gives me more room to go running. QUEST 8 Accountability: I need all of you beautiful people to keep me in line. I'm growing discipline by the day but it's a slow process. Every extra nudge is very welcome. This is the main reason for the existence of this thread, my sheet and all other aids i use. This quest is about the M in sMart, and the (first) S in kiSs (i've already got the the second S covered ). ... Vacation hit in the 0-week, this was very welcome. I needed a break. Even without admitting it, i really needed it. Vacation was an excuse to let go. I didn't run (though i brought my apparel and clothing), i didn't lift (though i brought my dumbbell and about 50 lbs worth of small plates). Rest week, vacation, that's what it was. I ate everything i wanted, i drank everything i wanted. I did the thing i wanted to do, and more important, i didn't do the things i didn't felt like. 3 consecutive challenges worth of creating habits, i needed to let go. Vacation and 0 week merging into one week of "Frozen" (let it go!). Funny thing now, when looking back. What did i do during my 0 week / vacation. Drink some beer, but also no KCAL drinks beside that. Eat what everybody was eating, but always choosing the best option. Still no desserts / pastrie etc.The only thing i would have should have could have done better was refrain from chips and salty nuts, but that was hell-a-hard when you are playing cards and your drinking a few beers, and someones places a few dishes of those under your nose. Even though i was nowhere near as good as i have been on the last challenge i was also doing a decent job on a "let-it-go-type of week". I haven't weighed myself the first day when i came back, and was a bit off. Probably the start of a cold, but i deployed Plague Protocols at the first hint of it. No lifting, no running, just, rest. Last day of the vacation, the one where we drove home in the morning, i wasn't feeling all that great. (I think one of the more chilly/windy hikes has gotten to me) So when we got back home we had some things we had to check off. My nephews birthday, seeing my mom to tell about vacation and eating with the inlaws, to officially close the vacation and tell my BIL how the vacation was. After that it was lights out. Couch time for about 36 hours straight, with only two 8-hour breaks for sleeping in my bed. No eating, just drinking. Friday after dinner till sundaymorning was very passive. Sunday was a slow day, with it's highlight being a nice family party and a small tour on my bike (which is gonna be an added lifequest probably). So now my willpower-porgressbar has been overcharged by a fantastic 0-week/Vacation. Ready to kick some butt this challenge!

I have been cutting for far too long, it's time to regain my size and strength. So what better theme than the Mightiest of the Avengers, the Strength of Asgard, the Odinson: Thor! The Strength of Thor: Lift thrice weekly: On the Moon's day, Tyr's day and Thor's Day Feasting with the Frost Giants: Consume calories of the count of Three Thousand Four Hundred daily. Say nay to grains and sweet cakes when possible. The Chariot of Thor: Threaten the dwarves into forging a helm worthy of the Son of Odin. Then ride mine chariot to and from Midgard twice weekly: on Odin's day and Frigg's day. Odin's Teachings: While in Midgard, endeavor to learn the ways of magic and do works that please Odin. Onward! For the Glory of Asgard! ((I decided midway through writing this post to attempt to stay in character for the remainder of the challenge, we'll see how that works out))

Last month didn't go so well, I let timer get away from me and ended up doing very little to further my goals. Near the end of last challenge I decided to treat my challenge like a 12 round fight, me versus my shadow. Last round went to my shadow, but it was just a warm up. Time to embrace my inner Rocky and turn this fight around. I'm prepping to move, even though I'm not sure when, so my heavy bag has been taken down and my gym membership is canceled. Train Like Thor Time to train like Rocky in Russia. I'm going to do a strength training workout 4-6 days a week. Most of it will be bodyweight work. Depending on the weather (they're calling for more snow and ice this week) I will try to get outside and use my jump rope and do some sand bag work. Eat like an Einherjar Last challenge I did well maybe 70% of the time on my nutrition. This challenge I am aiming to up that to 90-95% of the time. I won't eat anything I haven't prepared at least 6/7 times a week and will choose the healthiest option the times I deviate from preparing my own food. Knowledge of Mimir Some of the Doodlies are working on the Khan academy course "Crash Course: World History" I will continue with this course but as it is short and covers a lot of history in small videos I will spend at least an hour a day either on this course, checking out other courses, or reading books/articles that in some way improve my knowledge Monday through Friday, on weekends I will either strive to learn more knowledge or I will try to learn/re-learn physical skills that I have let grow rusty as I got caught up in life.

QUEST1: Get that Viking moving! On 5 days of the week one or more of the following: LiftingA combination of:RopeskippingSledgehammerBodyweight exercisesEllipticalRunningGrouplesson KickfunGrouplesson Circuit training QUEST2: Grow a big healthy Viking! Mindful: Eat as healthy as possible, no snacking Moderation: Do not binge on food or alcohol Slight deficit: Try to keep a slight deficit so i won't be gaining, but will (hopefully) lose some BF. QUEST3: A rested viking is a healthy Viking! Sunday to Wednesday, go to bed no later than 23:00 (sleep till 06:00) 7 hours of sleep A total of 50 hours sleep per week 1 resting day during the week, 1 resting day during the weekend. Sidenote: A resting day CAN be exchanged for a workout day, if the following is met: I can go to bed early that eveningNo outstanding "Domestic Rangering"TM tasksThere has been (or will be) enough Family-Time that week LIFEQUEST: Educate the Viking Weighttracking / MFP Tracking Spreadsheet building and tracking 1 spreadsheet per week which will help me out in my quests in one way or the other

Last time on as the Vikings Burn....I mean last challenge which had to drop to the wayside as I acclimated to a new schedule and fun Kara moaned as she burrowed deeper into her sleeping furs, trying to hide the light creeping through the window from her eyes, struggling to find a comfortable place to rest. It seemed her sore muscles had sore muscles after the week that had just gone by. Even now, laying in bed and sleeping (or trying to), there was no way to get comfortable with how aching and battered her body was. Closing her eyes to try and snatch a few more hours she let her thoughts drift to the week. While she had managed to get up every morning before the Old Goat wandered in with another bucket of water to freeze her with missing that first morning had set the tone for the week. Punishment. Clear and simple. The whole body was beaten and wracked and destroyed to build it back stronger. She knew at this rate she was going to spend the next few weeks aching and exhausted. But she felt hopeful. Better. Mayhaps even....excited about what was coming. The training the Goat had pushed her through had been maneuvers and actions her body was not used to. She had lifted, ran, contorted, twisted and put her body through exercises she had never even heard of before. When she was done working her body he had pushed her weapons on her. The hammer normally wielded to devastate enemies everywhere had been used to make her arms to turn to jello. Twisting. Lifting. Turning. The hammer had been swung, held, cradled, twisted and even flipped at some points. Then the weapon had been turned to a pile of leather off casts, beating them as if they were Sutr himself standing before her again and again. All of that she could handle. But the running. Allfather watch over her the running was almost too much. Full armor. Weapons and shield on her back as she ran through the woods. Through the halls of Valhalla. Through the plains where the souls of fallen warriors practiced for Ragnarok. It didn't matter where it was Kara had run through it, often being pointed at and laughed at by those who saw her training with the Goat as he was called by all. She gritted her teeth and endured, ignoring the laughter and comments about a Valkyrie trained by a Goat. She noticed none of them said a word when he was with her. They knew better than to try and ridicule him. He would trounce them and leave them begging to be done. There had been plans to begin training her on how to train without weapons but the tutor he had promised had not been able to make it on the day planned. She had been hopeful perhaps that ridiculous idea could be overlooked but it was not to be. In the weeks ahead she would be taught by this tutor she had never met multiple days a week instead of just once. The young Valkyrie wasn't even sure how she was going to survive the running and the lifting and all the cross training the Goat made her endure. Throw in taking a beating multiple days a week was no doubt going to put her over the edge. She winced and burrowed her face into her furs at the mere thought. Blessed sleep was disturbed only a short time later as her whole body was shaken. The Valkyrie merely cracked an eye open, not even bothering to leap out of bed. If this was an enemy she would provide little fight. But, as expected, she found the Goat standing there smirking at her. "Wake up Curly One, time to get out of bed." "Go. Away. You promised me a day to sleep today." "Yes, I did and I will keep my word. But the All Father summons you." Kara shot to her feet immediately at that statement and she moved to put her armor and gear on. "You should have said so at the start, fool!" "I thought that's what I just did." "You did not such thing." She hissed at him, a whirlwind of movement as she donned her attire and then raced from her room still lacing up boots and strapping on weapons. She slid along, moving through the halls as fastly as she could move, soon entering the great hall and bowing before the Allfather, face and forehead planted on the floor. "Rise, Valkyrie." Odin's voice boomed through the hall, echoing off the tall ceilings and stone walls. Kara lifted to herself to her feet, face set stoically to hide the pain she felt as she moved her body about at his bidding. Her eyes turned upwards and she regarded the King of the Gods and Asgard it's self. There was no denying that Odin was an imposing figure to behold. Two dark shapes sat silently on his shoulder, beady eyes fixated upon her and watching her intently with a shining intelligence no normal Raven should hold. She knew Huggin and Muggin had probably been the ones to report her actions to Odin and her lips thinned as she regarded them. Without actively doing so her eyes shifted from the ravens gracing his shoulder to the ruined mass of one eye, the price for the knowledge granted by those creatures alighted upon him. Scars radiated out from the center, marring his face and disappearing down into his hair and beard. The puckered flesh was laid bare for all to see, no attempt made to hide it. Odin was proud of his bargain, for his knowledge, and for the price paid. He wanted all to see it. Only years of exposure to such let her observe it without a reaction, she had grown accustomed to the sight over the years. Beard and hair were white, the color of winter and ice. Kara often considered that they reminded her of water poured over a statue then frozen in place. Harsh and unforgiving as the craggy face they covered, Odin spoke of age and time and battle. The white on white on white of his face and beard and the stark blackness of the Ravens on his shoulder said something about the God himself. It was a statement of many things, even if he was not aware of it. Blacks and whites. rights and wrongs. His words and those who opposed him. With a shake of her head Kara cleared her thoughts, not wanting them to be ehard or seen by any looking her way. "Thank you, majesty." "So, I hear you have begun training with the Goat this last week." She fidgeted at his words, wondering how he would take this. "Yes, Allfather. I have sought out his wisdom to learn to be a better Valkyrie for you." "And why seek him out and not myself or another of our vaunted warriors such as Thor?" He eyed her darkly with his one good eye, the scorn for her actions clear upon his face. The Valkyrie must tread carefully here, the Allfather was...well...the Allfather. Anger him and she could find herself like Loki. "I did not wish to disturb you or your son with my simple request, Allfather. I sought not to waste your time or his with someone such as myself. I can get training from the Goat and not burden you in anyway. I only sought the basics of such learning, not to master such skills yet as you do." A little flattery never hurt, perhaps. Odin peered intently at her and she kept her eyes downcast,r efusing to meet his gaze and let him see the falseness of her words. She had her own reasons for what she was doing and neither Odin nor Goat were going to stop her from what she was about. She stood motionless, letting him weigh her words. Time ticked by, the throne room of people shuffling and moving as they waited for a response. "I see. How....intriguing." She nodded, as if agreeing with him about his observation. She said nothing still and let the silence continue before even the Allfather himself finally stood and strode from the throne to stand before her. "And why pick Goat for such training, Valkyr?" "I have long heard of his prowess on the battle field, Allfather. His skill with the hammer and shield. His ability to best many of our warriors. I felt he could provide me with much to learn if he was half as good as the stories say of him." "And is he? Half as good?" "Yes, my lord. He is." "And you think he has knowledge to pass on that would aid you in your duties to me." "Yes, Allfather." A large hand reached out and took hold of her chin, forcing her head back and her eyes up to his face to meet his gaze. "I think you're lying Valkyrie. I think you're hiding something from me." Kara stilled all thoughts. All observations, working to keep her face devoid of anything but her devotion to Odin and Asgard. This was no lie. She was devoted to the people, the realm, and it's survival. "My lord....I am not. I simply sought to learn more, fight better, and be able to do my duties." This much was truth. Best to wrap the truth around her actions as a shield against observation and examination. It would keep things from being discovered. "We shall see, Valkyr. I will be watching you." At this statement both the birds on his shoulder shifted, ruffling their feathers and fixing beady eyes on her. They reminded her of Loki or the world serpent, all slick and dark and full of secrets. She refused to look at them too long, instead bowing before Odin once more. "Of course my Lord, I live to serve." "So you say, Valkyrie. Leave my sight." At the dismissal Kara left the throne room, moving as quickly as she could without it being obvious she was running. Once she crossed the threshold and was back outside Goat fell into step beside her, turning his head to regard her with the same probing gaze Odin had. She scoffed some and looked sidelong at him. "What?" "You're hiding something, Curly One." "You hide everything Old Goat." "This is true. But you...you're hiding something from me and Odin and others." "Mmm. Perhaps." His hand snaked out grabbing hers and yanking her to a stop. She winced and moved to yank her arm free but found his grip like iron upon her limb. He forced her to look at him much as Odin had done in the throne room, trying to divine intentions in her gaze. "Tell me or we will ceasae this training." "No. My secrets are my own! I will find another to teach me then." She shook her arm again to try and leave but he held tighter, fingers digging in deep enough to mark her pale flesh. "What game are you up to, Valkyrie?" "None, I merely wish to survive, Goat. Nothing more." She let the partial truth of her words be seen, knowing that while he may realize she still kept secrets that much was truth. She kept her face still as his fingers dug in deeper and deeper, his anger at not knowing what she was trying to do expressed through that grip. Finally he shook her violently and pushed her away, letting go. "Bah. You lie and keep secrets like those damnable birds. But I will keep you close until I am sure you are no threat." "I am not a threat, Goat. I am a Valkyrie. I serve Asgard and Valhalla. Nothing more." This was utterly true, even if he chose not to believe her. "Hmph. I will pry your secrets from you Valkyr, even if I have to flay it from your skin in training. Be ready, tomorrow you will learn what it is to lie and defy me." "I do not fear you, Goat. No more than I fear the, Allfather." "We will see, Curly One, we will see." With that he stalked off, leaving Kara to return to her room to try and regain some of the sleep she had been pulled from. Sleep was not forthcoming for Kara however and the young Valkyrie soon dressed for the day and headed out to the practice grounds with her shield and hammer upon her back and her armor upon her body. She ignored the sidelong looks sent her way, knowing that many were whispering and discussing her after the debacle in the throne room. No doubt many would be eagerly spying for the Allfather, in addition to those two blasted nosy birds. Not only that but some would be angry at her for what they perceived to be a betrayal in the making. How little they knew or realized was truly happening. However for the moment Kara ignored them all and set to work focusing on her practice. She worked the same moves that the Goat had been teaching her, pounding into leathers with her hammer. Swinging it and letting her body growing acclimated to using it. Then a run through the woods with full armor and weapons upon her back. Escaping the whispers and stares was exactly what was needed after the abysmal start to the day. The icy grounds and snow covered trees however did not help to make her run any easier. More than once she struggled to move through small snow drifts and across icy slicked ground that was already uneven from rocks and dirt and leaves hidden beneath the snow. Still, Kara struggled forward to race through the woods and complete her training, opting to work out her anger with events instead of resting. Though resting would probably have been the better choice with the way the day was going. Her body already ached from a weeks worth of activities. Now she was pushing it further than she should. Still, they didn't call it braving the elements for nothing. Though more like stupidly crazy is what the Valkyr mumbled to herself as she moved along the woods. She continued on bravely stubbornly and soon circled back to the outer fields of Valhalla. Making her way through the stone edifice and into the small room called hers the Valkyrie collapsed, aching and soaked to the skin. She barely managed to strip herself of her attire and find her warm furs before sleep claimed her. Tomorrow she would have to start again, after failing the Goat in his eyes, and she knew it would be murder. Perhaps literally. So last challenge blew up. I rocked out my first two hardcore, did total win and then...real life. Bam to the face. School started. New job working 6pm - 3am. Working out 7am. All of it combined to keep me offline except for intermittent pit stops here and there. I managed to maintain my workout schedule but flopped on eating Paleo with a snow storm, err two inches of snow are a storm here in the South I suppose, and not having supplies in the house. What I learned? Make a schedule and stick to it to make time for what you enjoy. I enjoy this site and you guys so I've scheduled NF into my week every week. (This morning before Crossfit) Two, always have emergency rations in case a light storm...I mean snowmageddon....hits. And finally we don't always ace everything we do. The true test is if we pull ourselves up, move forward having learned and continue to go forward. Ranger up! Fortunately I had planned my last challenge to continue into this one. I wanted my challenges to span two months, with small adjustments, to build lasting changes and affects. So my goals are much the same. Goal 1:Strength- Being born with the strength of the Gods is all well and good but when the Gods and other beings of the 9 realms are your enemy and are stronger than you that must change. You need to build that strength up to stand toe to toe with Giants. For this challenge I will do 3 strength exercises a week, a combo of Maces and Crossfit. Goal 2: Endurance- Being strong and facing down Frost Giants or a handsy drunken Thor is only one aspect. Valkyries live on battlefields and collecting souls sometimes means taking part. Being strong doesn't help if battles are long and drawn out (or if you're running around tables to elude Thor until Sif can knock him cold and drag him off.) To be the best Valkyrie you need the endurance to withstand enemies in battle. I will do four endurance/cardio based workouts a week, any mix of Rucking or C25K sessions. Goal 3: Defense- Knowing how to swing a hammer and block a shield is one step in being able to fight. Learning more than one way of fighting and moving is useful along with improving agility and flexibility. One can never say when they may be stripped of their weapons in battle. To this end I will do one Krav Maga session minimum a week. Preparing for battle of any kind is the task of a true Valkyr! Goal 4: Buck Furpees! - Preparation is a key to battle. Going into a fight means taking care of yourself, your armor, your supplies. It means knowing what you may face and being ready for whatever is thrown at you. Being prepared for me means facing the dreaded Burpee head on. I will be doing the Spartan in June and Burpees will inevitably be a part of that. I must prepare, even as I curse them. Every week I will do Burpees before bed and when I wake up. Each additional week I will add on 5 Burpees until I can easily do those I need to in preparation to become a Spartan Valkyrie! I am on 25 burpees....kill me now. Goal 5: Nutrition- Swilling wine and mead and beer is all good for any Cup Bearing Valkyrie. But feasting and drinking until one is swimming in it is not. The body must be ready for battle along with the mind and reflexes. Stuffing my face is not part of that. The holidays are over. Time to Ranger Up! I will eat 2 primal meals a day every day of the week, allowing myself one day to eat Primal only once. The day is my choosing but it does not mean I will gorge. Only that I can relax and let myself embrace my inner Valkyrie with a little good food and good drink. Life Goal: Live- Winning a battle is all well and good but one must learn life is not always about the next battle, the next fight. One must enjoy and live. Fear must not hold back your life. So every challenge I will pick one new thing to do, one thing I am uncertain of or afraid of. I will do it and will conquer it. I don't know what it will be each time. It may be something small and simple. It may be life changing. But it will be done and I will post in my wrap up what I did each challenge. Last month it was starting Krav, even being nervous about going and my fitness level. I enjoyed it all and still doing it. This month.....we shall see. The next morning Kara was pulled from bed by the Goat, his hand yanking her by the hair and throwing her to the floor. It was hours before she was normally up. But it seemed he was eager to punish her for her "lies" as he perceived them. "Up traitor, time to earn your beating and punishment from me. Let us see how much you are willing to betray Asgard this morning." He threw her aside as he snarled and stomped out, making Kara wonder why he even bothered. If he was truly this angry why even continue teaching her anything. Why give her more skills to betray Asgard and it's people if he thought that is what she was up to. With a sigh and groan she stood and began to dress, adding the mystery of his actions to the growing pile of worries and questions plaguing her on the path she had begun.

So after much debate, I've decided that the rangers are where I should be right now. I started with the rangers then went to the warriors, but my goals are more aligned with the rangers, so here I am! Where I want to get: Although I don't usually do New Year's Resolutions, this year I thought I might so here it goes: This year I want to be more consistent. That's it. Seems simple enough, but it's going to be rough. Last year I made quite a bit of progress, but toward the end of the year I began caring less and therefore my progress halted. I would eat what I wanted when I wanted and had no problem with justifying it. There were times when my training was the only thing keeping me from gaining weight (and even then it didn't always stop it). I have also had a lot of problems with changing workout plans instead of sticking to one for a while, which makes results hard to see. This year I want to correct both of these things so I can finish the journey I started a year ago. That being said, my goals are going to be focused on this kind of thing. markmið ++ Increase Bench Press to 225 lbs (+4 STR) ++ Continue MetCon type training or Cardio (+4 CON) ++ Get down to 230 lbs (+3 CHA, +2 DEX) ++ Keep cheating down to 1 day or 3 meals per week. (+2 WIS) I've developed an interest in crossfit, but don't want to pay as much as they want to charge. I've been experimenting with something similar on my own though. I want to be functionally fit and a "Jack of all trades", but I'm also not happy with how low my numbers are for strength. I don't want to be a powerlifter or anything, but I have a few numbers in my head for the big 3 that I can't shake. Lately I've been doing the Starting Strength routine with some sort of circuit training or cardio afterward (One day I created a circuit to do 4 rounds, another day I ran on the treadmill for 10 minutes). The circuits have showed me how out of shape I still am and what I want to be able to do. I also tried the wod "Linda", but not at the rx weights. I got half way through and thought I was dying. I'm still getting better though. My goal was to do 3 chin-ups by Christmas and I can do 3x3 now. MY STORY

2016 Year of the viking, Challenge 1 Preparing for the summer raids So now that i have your attention with that grand opening. For me 2016 willl be the year of the viking, what does this mean? Well it means i will run the strongman viking run on all 3 lengths, 7Kms, 13Km and 19Kms and earn my viking torque. http://strongviking.com/ To get this done i need to get in shape for the runs and thus the theme of this challenge will be preparing for the summer raids. Because the runs will be around summer. How does one prepare for the summer raids? There are 3 parts to preparing for the raids. Part 1 Strength. The strength part of this challenge will be fairly simple. It will be focussed at boddy weight training to increase my effective strength. I don't have to be superman strong but strong enough to lift myself over some obstacles. I set up a little training schedule for myself. it is based on 3 days a week boddyweight training and i have to stick to 2 times a week for half points and 3 times a week on average for full points. This is a steep Hill but i like to push myself Part 2 Endurance. The endurance part will be all about getting my ass ready to run the 7Km's. This challenge i will start with the zombies run c25K program to get myself ready to run 5kilometers at the end of 8 weeks, I figure that with a little extra training the 7km's should be a piece of cake. The gradation for this challenge is the same as the strength part. 2 out of 3 on avrage only means half of the points. Full points is 3 times a week average. Together with the strength part i have 6 days a week of training. Part 3 General well being. In order to keep myself happy there also is the general well being part. This holds up 2 goals wich are more personal and not really Strongmen related. 1 Lose weight. Starting this new year i will try something new regarding my diet. I will intermittent fast on a low carb diet. The fasting part will be the folowing, i can start eating as soon as lunch time has arrived. 12:00 and i can't eat after 20:00. This gives me an 8 hour eating window wich should help me regulate what i consume. Combine this with a low card diet except for friday (Because cheat day reasons) i should be able to lose some weight. Depending on the new rules i will ad scores. 2 Work on posture. Part of this is taken along in my training regime with Pilates excercises, the other part is very simple. Watch my back and force myself to sit straight and stand straight. Same goes here, as soon as the new system is released on the 4th i wll make scores for this.

Hello rangers! I am back after being gone/with the Adventurers for the last 2 years. Background I am a former Marine who has always been a bit on the larger side of the scale. When I got out of the corps I stopped running because I could and I hated it anyway. I went to Afghanistan for two years and did nothing but lift and circuit training. This is where I found NF in 2012. Other than not being able to run I was in the best shape since boot camp and was actually comfortable in my own skin (which was a first). So there I was getting ready to leave Afghanistan and stopped working out as I shipped everything home a few weeks before I left. I got back to the states and everything fell apart. I ate all the things!!! I also drank all the beer which I had very little of over the past two years. I also had a job that traveled across the country and world quite frequently while living out of hotels and working up to 18 hours a day (for 3 week spans). Add everything up and I gained close to 80 pounds in a year. 2015 was a new job and really no change in anything I had moments where things were going well, but then would go right back to the habits I developed in 2014. 2016 is the year of change and this first challenge is all about getting back to basics and setting a foundation. Starting off with the life quest as this is the most important part of this challenge at this time and is taken directly from my epic quest of 2016. Goal 1 Rebuild my wagon - I never fully got on the wagon in 2015, there were times were I was driving along nicely, but those were short and inconsistent. Finalize living situation AKA buy the damned house. This is starting to move and would like the majority of the process completed by JAN 19 AKA the day I become unemployed Get a job. woe is me I've lost my job. Time to grab my straw and suck it the fuck up and fix the situation.Goal 2 30 MINS of work everyday. this can be walking, running, rucking, lifting, mace work, or yoga. Doodlie yoga doesn't count towards this This is to build both a habit and basic foundation of exercising everyday. Goal 3 Meal planning/batch cooking. This is to stop wasting food mainly veggies. I need to figure out what to eat and when vice just eating whatever whenever. I will only buy things that I have a plan for and eat the food I buy for that week. This will also cut out all the eating out I've been doing in the past month or so. Goal 4 Mindful eating. this is a 3 part goal. 1. be aware of what eating and track food 80% of the time. 21/26 days 2. No alcohol (will allow the splitting of a bottle of wine with the wife when we move into the house) 3. stick to IF/IIFYM 90% of the time. 24/26 days Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 totals Edit: It was mentioned in chat last night that bribing myself could be a great motivation to stay on track. So here is my bribing list for this challenge. 90-100% of goals 2, 3, and 4. I can get one of these. shirt 1 shirt 2 80-89% of goals 2, 3, and 4. I get to get these two items for my rucksack. Item 1 Item 2 71-75% of goals 2, 3, and 4. A 6 pack of my choosing for weekend 0. 70% or less of goals 2, 3, and 4. must do two word workouts during weekend 0 as punishment for being a failure. each word must be between 4 and 8 letters long and the doodlies get to choose the words. PAIN RETAINS

I am Rab397 and some of you might already know me. The adventurers are my guild for the coming challenges i want work on general strength, endurance and weightloss. Thanks to the doodlies i got this guild recomended and i am looking forward to starting my next challenge here. Why the viking part, well that is easy. There is a strongman run here called the viking run and i want to run it If you have anny questions about me just ask.

Hey guys, I missed the last 6 week challenge by about a week. My progress so far: I've lost 105 lbs since last November. I've gone from a size XXXL shirt to a size L, and a size 48 waist to a size 36-38. I've been taking it pretty easy on my diet and everything for a month or two now and have found that if I lift 3 days a week and eat whatever I want, I maintain my weight. I'm ready to get back to losing weight, although I've found self control and willpower are my biggest problems. I'm hoping that doing the 6 week challenge again and fellow warriors to help keep me accountable will help me get my nutrition back in check. I suppose that means I'm asking for your help in keeping me accountable. markmið ++ Increase Bench Press to 225 lbs (+4 STR) ++ Perform cardio on rest days (+4 CON) ++ Get down to 230 lbs (+3 CHA, +2 DEX) ++ Learn some Icelandic every day (+2 INT)

The Avenger The Wolf-warrior rushes through the night. He lacks not breath despite of the long run, nor do his limbs ache. He’s trained past those nuisances. He reaches the gates of the fort where he’s been left for dead only to find it blocked by logs and a few big rocks: Remains of a fallen watchtower. It’ would wise to stop and figure out a way around the blockade but the rage has put wings on his feet and fire in his soul. He’s pushed himself up in full battle gear a thousand times; he’s carried chainmail-wearing comrades out of the battlefield. A couple of pebbles and sticks shall not stand on his way. With a roar he tosses the last piece of wood away and kicks the door open feeling the beast inside trying to take over his reasoning. He is driven by the smell of blood still on his nose… and the lust for revenge. S.M.A.R.T Goals for this Challenge Do a full 30sec frog stand(+3Str)(+2Dex) Practice Handstands at least twice a week(+3Dex)(+2Str) Swim 1k once a week(+5Sta) From now on my challenges will be oriented towards the acquisition of the skills and feats that would make an Ulfhedinn according to my own interpretation. Skills and feats of an Ulfhendinn Strength Dexterity Endurance Martial Prowess Survival Skills Beast-mode This challenge will based on the primarily physical skills (Strength, Dexterity, Endurance) focusing especially on Strength. I couldn’t leave the other skills out of the goals without messing with the XP system but as you can see they are mostly feats of strength. In future challenges I’ll focus on other skills (e.g. attempting freestanding handstands for Dex. or go rucking for End.)

I've said before that I want to be Odinson. Now, granted, I don't have the hair for it. Or the muscles. Or the axe. Or [droppin sum troof on myself here] the dedication to being the strongest version of myself. Really, the hair isn't that big a deal and I can make an axe. So it's down to the muscles and the character. I believe that the pursuit of one can lead me to both. Mr. Rollins was on to something. Let's find some perspective. With that said, here are my goals for the challenge: I will lift three days a week and do cardio (running, stairs, walking, biking) three days a week. Sunday will be my day of rest. Reward: STR+3, STA+2 I will track all of my food and drink every single day. Period. While calories and macros still are not a priority, I'm paying attention to get an idea of how to zero in on my goals. Reward: WIS+2 CON+2 I will do yoga three days a week. Stiff muscles and limited mobility suck. DDP, teach me. Reward: Dex +2 I will study/watch instructional videos/listen to personal development audios in any combination for 60 minutes or more each day. It's time to add more furniture to my mind castle. WIS+2 CHA+2I'm going to try the spreadsheet thing again, and we'll see how it goes. Edit: Added a note re: calories and macros in goal 2.

About Swoop Just a simple Viking. Work with IT and do Crossfit. Prefer to have everything neat and simple. Try to make things efficient in both work and personal life. Recently started tracking sleep using Misfit Flash, and also logging food using MyFitnessPal. Hoping this habit will last and that the 6 week challenge helps me do that. I rarely have problems motivating myself to workout, but rather have a problem maintaining my food discipline i'm afraid. I love good food, and often the good food is not good for my belly. Not terrible overweight or anything. Around average and i good shape with reasonable amount of muscle. Just want to trim the belly fat (i know spot reduction doesnt happen btw ). Main Quest My main quest is broad atm. I don't have any numbers, but i want to lower by body fat. I have several motivating factors, the primary being my upcoming wedding to my girlfriend in 3 months time. So i want to drop as much as possible before she gets here. I'm aware that my goals is non-specific, but i have not way ot measuring my current body fat accurately nor tracking it well enough atm. But i can log my food and weight to indicate this. This excerpt is from my previous log that i never got around to using i'm afraid "From what i figure my BMR is around 2000 (30 years and around 91-92 kg and 180cm tall). So from this figure i need ~3000 kcal a day to maintain my weight with my activity level (2000 x 1.55 approx). So just because i think 3000 sounds kind of high for me i will try to put my meals at around 2000-2400 range. That gives me the 500 kcal lower at least." SMART Goals 1. I will follow proper diet 6 days of the week I have a regular delivery of lowcarb food case every Monday morning. This is my dinner for the week. Usually the meals are heavy in greens and very low in carbs. I eat the same meal two days in a row and the final day is a relaxed day with little more lax food. For breakfast and lunch i have a cafeteria at work that allows me to get what I want. so my breakfast and lunch are pretty set. Just need to load on the salad and meat and avoid too much carbs and sauce. Breakfast is yogurt w. musli and 1-2 eggs. I log everything in MyFitnessPal and try to maintain my intake to ~2000 kcal a day. The above diet and numbers are from a previously personalized meal plan so i know it works for me from experience. 2. I will workout at least 3 times a week. I track this via MyFitnessPal and regularly schedule the same workouts. Normally a Monday morning, Thursday morning and either a cardio workout on Tuesdays or a team workout Saturday. But always at least 3 times a week booked in advance. It's already a habit i just need to keep it and make sure i don't strain my ankle too much as i had a sprain recently. 3. I will sleep 7 hours a night. I monitor my sleep amount through my Misfit tracker. The goal is set for 7 hours a day. Also set an alarm on my phone to 22:00 so i HAVE to get ready for bed at that time from now on. As an added help i try to not drink any caffeinated drinks after 19:00 and additional take a magnesium pill as it previously have shown to help me relax for sleep. Finally i will read a chapter in a book before bed rather than watch TV. Side Quest My side quest is simple. A nice simple routine of cleaning my kitchen every evening after dinner. I have no dishwasher so i have to do by hand. But keeping it down every night is a pleasure and helps me feel ready to cook my low carb meals every night. Hope you guys will forgive me for posting a lot of information in my thread as i think i will use this log heavily. I might post small things and insignificant things, but posting and talking about it helps me be motivated and feel good about all the small things i manage everyday Glad to be here and please please hold me accountable to my goals as i have been meaning to post here for a long long time and just got away from it.

From the all-knowing Wikipedia: Though I prefer the term Úlfheðinn (ulf-r = 'wolf', heðinn = 'jacket of fur or skin'), I went with "berserker" in the title because it is an accepted English word and doesn’t have funny letters. The letter eth, à (capital) or ð (lower case), is pronounced with a voiced “thâ€, as in “this†and “thoseâ€, and is often transliterated as a “d†or “dhâ€. (And thus ends our language nerd lesson.) For more historical berserker details, please visit the Viking Answer Lady. Currently my favorite literary berserker is Soren, in Tessa Gratton's "United States of Asgard" books. Goal 1: Calorie Tracking From Egil’s Saga: To start my transformation into one of “the hardest of menâ€, I am tracking my calories with myfitnesspal. Target is 1.5 pounds of fat loss per week. Goal 2: Daily Training I have set aside a half-hour each day in the early morning for training. In general, I expect to alternate between strength-based and running-based days. I am trying to work in some weapon-training as well. On Sunday, I plan to walk for one hour instead, as an active rest day. Goal 3: Weekly Saving I have recently been trying to rein in my impulsive spending, especially on food and treats. At the end of each successful week, I will put $10 in my saving jar next to my bed. Mission: Wear a silver arm ring at Castle Wars, November 2015, earned through valiant effort in losing 30 pounds of body fat, and purchased with Danegeld from the subjugation of my bad spending habits.

Holle enters, quietly, Jedi shields up, so no one will see her. "What are you doing here?" she mutters to herself, looking around nervously. "I've got a really bad feeling about this," the Raven on her shoulder mutters. "Shut up!" she snaps, a little too loudly. People turn to look. "Now look what you've done!" she chastises the bird. He cackles a laugh, almost falling off her shoulder. Feeling him shift, she gently puts her hand up to steady him. Holle sighs, then swallows hard as a dark haired woman glides across the room towards them. In silence, the two watch her close in on them. "Welcome," she says, quite pleasantly. "I didn't know if you were going to show up or not." Holle paused, trying to find words that wouldn't make her sound too stupid in this uncommon territory. "uh, neither did I." * fail * "Relax, have you formulated a goal?" Holle sighed, nervously, "To start making goals," she shrugged. "All my life I've just been doing what I was told.. I think it's time to start thinking for myself, and actually WANT something. " The woman laughed, "Don't you want anything?" Holle shrugged, "All my needs are met. But I cannot help but wonder... The Herald cries that I should level-up my life, not just "settle."" "Are you ready to grow, then?" she smiled. "I.. I don't think I have a choice." "Very well, then. Do you have a physical goal?" "To not be so pathetic.. I'm not very strong, and I get out of breath too easily." "So you wish to begin with strength and endurance, perhaps.?" Holle nods, grateful that she could put it into words for her. "So how is your eating?" "Well, it could be better. I think I will try to cut out more of the sugar. I usually avoid it pretty well, but there is still room for improvement. And no more butter or cheese." "So, you want to cut out sugar & dairy, how about allowing 1 carb item per day as your maximum?" "That sounds like something attainable." Holle nods in agreement. "How much exercise do you get?" "I am on my feet all day..." She tried to tuck in the exasperation she felt at that response, but Holle could feel it. "I'm sorry, I was whining, wasn't I?" Holle regrouped, "it was my New Years resolution to stop whining. I stretch in the mornings, but I wouldn't call it a workout. I have lots of routines left by The Herald, but I never seem to actually do one." "So, can you try to do a full work out, say, once a week?" she offered. Holle thought about it. "That sounds so lame.... " She shook her head, gently, "Once is more than zero." she offered. "Very well then. Actually work out once a week for 6 weeks. Maybe then I will see that it's not as big a deal as I'm making it in my head." "We are making progress! One more goal for now, to make it 3. What would you like to work on?" Holle shifted & looked around the room. There were a lot of people, with a lot of different conversations going on. "How about if we get you in here, about every other day, and you make some friends!" "Friends?" Holle squeaked. She nodded, "yes Ma'am. You need some accountability." "Very well... actually talk to other people.." "It's not as dangerous as it sounds," she soothed. Holle was emboldened by her new friends' straight forward attitude. "And you know what, I think I'm ready for a career change. I'm going to start looking around for something a little more fulfilling than my hum-drum just-settle line of work." "There you go! You're thinking higher already!" "Now if I can just maintain this.." Holle thought to herself.

This Viking explorer goes beserk on the bad habits and gets further in shape. This time there are no excuses. This time it's full-blown war. Will rape and plunder... or... something. The overall goal is still to participate in an adventure race before September 1st, which will be an incredible adventure but also requires a lot in regards to both physical and mental strength. Goal 1: Move An explorer needs to be fast and he needs to find the way through treacherous waters, deep forests and muddy roads. This goal is all about moving the war-machine; by low-intensity means like biking, inline skating, swimming, mountain biking and kayaking and by high-intensity means like running, orienteering and dancing. Weekly goals: Biking: 75 km (incl. transportation) Running: 15 km Low-intensity moving: 5 hours/week High-intensity moving: 3 hours/week Stat-points: DEX +2 STA +2 Goal 2: Attack The warrior also need to be strong to carry heavy armor and weapons across the wast lands. This goal is mainly about physical strength. For this challenge focus will be on core and upper-body, but also with room for general body-weight and flexibility training. Weekly goals: 3 hours of strength training Participate in mini-challenges 1 hour adventurous challenge (it could be the above or just something I haven't tried before) Stat-points: STR +2 CON +2 Goal 3: Feast A great viking is well fed. This is really going to be the hardest challenge this time around breaking bad eating habits. Will determination and mental strength is needed to say no to all the bad foods. Some weaning is needed so the first weeks won't be perfect but hopefully mid-way through the challenge the weekly goals can be fulfilled. Weekly goals: No soda No sugary snacks, candy, cakes and the like 80 % paleo Stat points: CON +2 WIS +2 (couldn't find a Viking scientist and even though I don't do research on mice this picture was just plain fun) Life-goal: Will be work related again this time and not all that Viking: Finish scientific paper, outline next paper. Read a paper everyday. Be good at work. Stat points: WIS +2 Diet side-quest: Lose 2.5 kg during this challenge. Stat points: CHA +1 Exploring the world by a little of everything and the secret weapon of... my fellow assassins. Lets rock this challenge guys!

Hi, I'm Tipwel, a Norse Adventurer. For the last 8 years or so, I was gaining weight every years because of lazyness, staying on my butt and not doing much physical activities. The Fat Evil God of Lazyness as all over my mind and body. Seven weeks ago, I woke up a morning and said to myself, "This is over !". I took my shield, my helmet and my axe and went out of town searching for a way to kill that Evil God. My journey started there. One week later, after wandering with no specific path, I found am awesome hidden community. The Nerd Fitness community. That was a warm welcome. I went to the tavern and started listening to other adventurers. What they were saying, what they were doing. I took every pieces I could gather and learned how to defeat the Fat Evil God of Lazyness. Before this journey, there was a challenge. My challenge was to kill that Fat Evil God. I knew I was able to do this soon or later so I went to the community blacksmith and bought a new axe, a new shield and a new armor. I started to eat really well and doing some workout. Stoped going to tavern completely and passed my evenings training myself with only one goal in mind, defeat that Fat Evil God. I found him easily and that was a hard fight. My plan was to defeat him in 6 weeks, but I was well prepared. I took him down in 4. I've leaned a lot of stuff from that fight and along the challenge and also helped a lot of my fellow Norse friends to do the same. That was a double win for me. Now, with the Fat Evil God of Lazyness is defeated, my journey continues. My new goal is to be able to fight better and be stronger if I ever encounter another evil monster. ---------------- MAIN QUEST My ultimate quest is still to be at 10-12% body fat with muscle definition. Six weeks ago, I was aroung 20%. Now after 6 weeks, with 3 differents "sources" of calculation, it looks like I'm around 17%. My main quest for this challenge is to be more fit and healthier. So I want to lose at least 1% bodyfat. I'm now at something like 15.5% body fat. GOALS - Do a homemade twisted bodyweight level 3 with negative pull-ups, chin-ups, rows, etc, every two days. - Go to the gym at work every 2 days. (STR) A - Haven't missed one workout. +4 STR - Still do my 20 minutes of cardio training every other days (STA) A - Same here +3 STA - Meditate 10 minutes per day or every two days. (WIS) FAIL - Well, I totally failed this part. That was not really a priority... +0 ! - Do 5 pull-ups in a row (STR) Achieved on march 2nd +3 STR SIDE QUESTS - Still eating Paleo every meal except 1 or 2 (I don't want to lose it and become crazy) - Do the 30/30 Squat PVP challenge. - All the accountabilibuddies mini-quest MOTIVATIONS - Now, it's me and especialy my firends/co-workers. I'm auto motivating myself when I look at me in the mirror. I lost 20 pounds in 6 weeks and SO MANY people told me how incredible my "melt down" was.