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I have been lifting weights (I started a new program where I am lifting a lot heavier than I was before) and doing cardio 4-5 days a week. I swap out upper and lower body days,and do some light cardio on rest days (hiking or a long walk with the dogs, etc...). I've also been monitoring my diet closely. I don't necessarily need to lose weight, but I would like to decrease my body fat percentage. I can tell that I am definitely stronger, but I haven't lost any weight or seen any change in measurements. A lot of the stuff I've read says that it's normal for body fluid retention to obscure fat loss or muscle gains for a while, but I've been on this program for more than 2 months, and I'm not seeing any visible results. I'm in no big hurry, but I can't tell if what I'm doing is working or if I should make some changes to my diet and exercise routine. Has anyone else had similar experiences?

IT'S DOCTOR WHO TIME! The Doctor is a Time Lord. He is able to travel in time and space and, along the way he helps people in need. Well, I’m in need of a reset and I’m hoping the good Doctor can help me with it. Let’s go back in time and start from scratch. Strength to do what is right (STR +3) I used to be really diligent about weight lifting but I have strayed. It is time to get back to being a badass. Big muscles won’t grow themselves. Challenge: Lift 3 times a week (Mon, Wed, Fri) 12 days = STR +3 9 days = STR +2 6 days = STR +1 I don’t need a sword! (DEX +3) Instead, I have arms and legs to do my bidding. Unfortunately, I’ve neglected their conditioning and now I have to catch up. A lot. Since I am grossly out of shape I now have to make sure I participate in as many kickboxing classes as I can. Challenge: Kickboxing 3 times a week (Tue, Thur, Sat) DEX +3 = 12 days DEX +2 = 9 days DEX +1 = 6 days Bonus, if I do at least 12 days a month, I get $20 from my insurance I’m down with extra money! I like bananas. Bananas are good. (CON +3) In order to lose the pudge I’ve gained over the past 3 months I have to really clean up my diet. No more crappy food, we’re going full on clean eating. Primal diet, here we go. Challenge: Keep strict Primal for the entirety of this challenge CON +3 = 4 cheat days or less CON +2 = 6 cheat days or less CON +1 = 8 cheat days or less I am accounting for the fact that I have a cheesecake challenge going on this year and I don’t plan on taking a break from it. Let’s hope a tiny slice a week doesn’t derail change If you see water on Mars, run. (CON +3) I have an incredibly hard time drinking enough water every day. I live in an arid state so I still dehydrate myself on regular basis. It’s time for a reset. Let's hope this reset will help make this better. Challenge: Drink a minimum of 90oz of water per day CON +3 = within 90% of the goal CON +2 = within 80% of the goal CON +1 = within 70% of the goal This will require some detailed tracking. I am hoping it will help get me in gear. Why do dreams have to fade so quickly? (CON +3) This is always the most difficult one to accomplish for me because I am super addicted to watching things. Once I get on YouTube, it’s at least an hour that gets wasted and I get easily addicted. Let’s hope I can make a change. Challenge: Go to bed by 10:30 on work night and by 11:30 on off night. CON +3 = 6 days/week or more CON +2 = 5 days/week or more CON +1 = 4 days/week or more Hello Sweetie! (Extra Credit) Cheesecake challenge continues! I have religiously (almost) made a cheesecake a week for the past 8 weeks and I’ve made some really interesting recipes. This trend will continue here. As a note, this isn’t a part of my challenge, but it will be a good place to keep things in order. I’ll be making the following: Cookie Dough Cheesecake Mint Oreo Cheesecake Cheesecake Brownie Swirl Low Carb Coconut Cheesecake

☆☆☆ ☆ Main Story, Goal 1: get back to pre-wedding weight (Goal 2: Pass avg fitness test Goal 3: 25% or less body fat Goal 4: gain post apocalyptic survivalist fitness level Goal 5: ???) Quest 1: Workout 3x a week! (09/12 +3STR, 07/12 +2STR, 05/12 +1STR) Quest 2: Primal 80/20 + 90g max weekly avg + 1500 max weekly avg! (3/4 +3CON/1CHA, 2/4 +2CON/1CHA, 1/4 +1CON) Quest 3: Weening off dairy! 10oz max weekly. (3/4 +3CHA, 2/4 +2CHA, 1/4 +1CHA) ☆☆☆ My motivation ☆☆☆ 1. I want to be a good example for my sisters and future children 2. To optimally manage my mental health 3. I want a healthy relationship with food 4. I want to be more comfortable in my skin 5. To be able to better participate in walks, hikes, and other outdoorsy things I once enjoyed 6. To be able to be pregnant safely and have the energy to play with my child (disclaimer: I have jacked up ankles and very literally weak core muscles that don't even activate properly when exercised, so if I got pregnant while being in my current physical condition I likely could render myself immobile) 7. I want to be able to protect myself 8. To better my chances at having a long and healthy life with my loved ones 9. My husband 10. Myself ☆☆☆

My last challenge I crashed and burned, because my entire family kept getting sick. One thing after another, sometimes all of us at once. Not fun. I have also had a bit of trouble recently coming up with good challenges, mostly through a combination of not really knowing where to set my goal and having some trouble laying out a solid plan that works with my life. I have a plan to fix that this time! This challenge won't really be a challenge. It will be a month of data gathering. I'm going to list all of the many things I would like to work on, do my best to work on them as life allows, and record every day how I did. After that, I can see what's going well, what I have a long way to go on, and where I can best start making improvements to get things rolling with the small changes. I will set my next challenge based on all of that. Scoring for this one is going to be solely based on recording things. Each day I record how I did will get me 3.85 points (for a total of 100 by the end of the challenge). 50% of my level-up points will go into wisdom, the rest will be distributed based on what I did best. List of stuff I want to work on: Roller derby Cycling Taking the bus to work on non-roller derby practice days Eating better Getting more sleep/getting to bed earlier Improved flexibility Weight lifting Fat loss Pullups Let the data-gathering commence!

Helo a chroeso! Dw i dysgu Cymraeg! Main Quest To live a healthy and balanced life by exercising and trying to eat healthy. My motivation I've successfully dropped weight by counting calories so my diet will mostly be staying the same with 1200 calories per day M-F and then blow meals on the weekends. I've managed to put on some muscle in an effort to become stronger by weightlifting and I’ve discovered that I love lifting heavy things! In May of this year, my husband and I are going on one of my bucket-list vacations: Scotland and Wales! We’re spending two glorious weeks exploring the highlands and Edinburgh in Scotland and the castles of northern Wales. I’m so excited!!! Smaller Quests 1. Walking I need to be in the best walking shape I can be for Scotland; walking up and down the hills in Edinburgh will require lots of endurance. My easy/slightly sweaty pace seems to be about 3 miles per hour. Scoring: x/30 miles in 4 weeks (7.5 miles per week) Reward: +3 STA & +2 DEX 2. Weights No matter what else I do in my challenges here, I still always come back to lifting the heavy things. I like it, it makes me feel better about myself and it’s got practical, real-world purposes. Plus, with diving every other weekend now, I need to be in top physical shape to be able to lift the tanks. I tried backing off on the weights for about 5 weeks to see if that’s what was causing my neck and shoulder pain. I still have the pain, so it’s likely not the weights. So I can get back into increasing my poundage. Scoring: x/4 (1 for each weight achieved) Chest Press: 60lbs → 85lbsSquat Machine: 200lbs → 250lbsBarbell Curls: 25lbs → 35lbsShoulder Shrugs: ??? → 50lbsReward: +3 STR & +2 CON 3. Welsh Like when I went to Cozumel, Mexico, I want to have a basic understanding of the local language. Enough to be able to communicate in a simple conversation with the locals. In Scotland they generally speak English or Scots-Gaelic, but in Wales, they obviously speak Welsh. I’ve already started studying this language and it's hard! I intend to practice it every week day during the four weeks of this challenge. Scoring: x/20 Reward: +3 WIS & +2 CHA

Hello to the Nerd Fitness Rebellion, please allow me to introduce myself as I join your ranks. While I am not new to Nerd Fitness, I am finally taking the plunge into joining the rebellion to assist my latest attempt at working out and overall fitness. While I am no stranger to being active (played soccer and ran track throughout high school), working out outside of going to a sports practice has always been difficult for me. I can't count the number of times I've tried to start a new workout routine. Well that is going to end today. I decided that I need to make the change to my life to become someone who is fit, and to do that I need to become someone who works out. Following high school, I started to gain a lot of excess weight, partially since my eating habits never caught up with the fact that I stopped playing organized sports, and partially because who eats well in college? For a long time, running seemed to be my only option for trying to lose that weight, however I quickly realized that running can get very boring. Gyms had always been intimidating, especially since I had never lifted before I went to college. Upon discovering NF, I tried following many of the bodyweight workouts, but always found myself wanting more than what they've offered. Although I have little experience with lifting, what workouts I have done have always given me the satisfaction of a good workout. Where I am today: I am a 5'11" male weighing ~230lbs. I'm a recent college grad (and as a result, unemployed), also recently moved to Florida from upstate New York (hooray for sunshine year-round). I have already begun the process of changing my habits and diet to allow me to level up my life. My diet in the last 3 years has seen more vegetables than the first 20 combined. I make a majority of my own meals and rarely have fast food, but recently have fallen into the habit of making meals that look better than they are healthy (all of the cheese), or ordering pizza at least once/week (half of a large pizza in a single meal is no problem). Where I want to be: While my weight itself is not of much concern to me, I know that i can stand to lose some weight. Right now, I'm shooting for the 200-215lb range. My main goals are to trade my excess belly fat for increased muscle mass. Once I have started lifting, I can come up with more specific goals for what weights I want to hit, but for now I want to strive for lifting my body weight in at least one lift (from what I can tell, deadlift will be the first lift I hit this in, as most people seem to lift more with this than any other). For now, my primary goal is to establish a habit of going to the gym and working out 3-4 times a week. While running is by no means my cup of tea, I also hope to be able to eventually complete a 5k. For now I'm shooting for a sub-30 minute time. How I hope to accomplish these goals: I've started tracking my caloric intake using MyFitnessPal. For now, I do not have a gym to go to since I am waiting until I get a job to add that expense. So in the meantime, I am going to build the habit of working out 4-5 days/week. I have 2 sets of dumbells (15lbs & 25lbs) that I can use for home workouts, so I'll alternate 'heavy' workout days with active recovery days. Active recovery will be spent as a combination of a couch to 5k running program, along with yoga and other mobility exercises. And of course now I have all of you rebels to keep me honest and on track. So this is me, anything I forgot I'll add in later posts, or feel free to ask me. Here's looking forward to a good rebellion!

So, I’m about as noob as can be when it comes to having a proper healthy lifestyle. I used to never have issues with my weight. Being 5’0†and petite with my mom’s Filipino frame I could eat anything I wanted without worries. I was an "unhealthy-skinny" person; where my metabolism happened to offset my terrible diet of soda and chips. That being said, I was never fit. I was that stereotypical inconsistent-gym-go’er who sat on various machines because it looked about right. I didn't have a plan, no predetermined amount of sets or reps; I had absolutely no clue what I was doing. So I would do a few of the machines, walk a few laps, give myself a pat on the back and grab a venti latte from Starbucks as a reward. Then the inevitable: Hello 30s. Having three babies within 5 years took a toll on my body. The yo-yo weight gain & loss, a pesky hyperthyroid condition that would creep up and then disappear, the lack of sleep and mediocre nutrition has left me at the heaviest I’ve ever been. So here I am at 5’0†carrying 145 pounds on a frame meant to carry significantly less fat. I began my research since everything I had tried prior (including the calorie counting + run until you faint diet) resulted in no change. I hate distance/treadmill running with a passion; it’s really difficult for me to just run long periods of time before wanting to burst into tears. I had set myself up for failure and discouragement. In my desperation of frantic fitness site link hopping I once again stumbled upon Nerd Fitness. I found this website a few years ago, signed up but forgot all about it. However, something clicked this time with the introduction to strength training and I immediately became hooked. I’ve decided that strength training to become stronger + burn fat + better diet is the direction I want to go. I’ve dropped calorie counting and picked up a modified primal diet. I’ve opted for strength training + interval training which is what I think makes me fall into the warrior (with a dash of ranger) way of life. So this is me getting raid ready... TL;DR? I'm not happy with myself. I'm finally making changes. For the Horde. Updates Here: Stats Here:

The time has come again Warriors, it's time to test our strength on the platform. All the workouts we put our bodies through, sometimes fun, sometimes painful, and sometimes monotonous, have all led up to this, showing what you've got and how you've progressed in those maximal displays of strength and power. Go dust off your armor, sharpen your blades, and prepare to grip it and rip it. Every 4 months, the Warriors come out to play and hold our virtual lifting competitions, which the whole forum is welcome to come participate in. When we start the actual Virtual Competition, a link will be posted here. This mini-challenge is about getting ready to lift those heaviest of heavy loads. Preparing your armor. Before you go into battle, you need to know what it is you're up against. What you'll need to defend against and what type of armor to wear. If you plan on competing in any federation sanctioned powerlifting competition, you'll need to be a bit stricter about what you wear. During the virtual competition, you will not be forced to wear a singlet but in real competitions, these are a requirement. Here is a list of the equipment that you can use in order to still be considered eligible for a "raw" lift. You also want to know exactly what it means to successfully complete one of your lifts. These also become a bit stricter than your usual day at the gym, and it's also one of the biggest reasons we harp on you hitting at least parallel in your squats. Each of the three big lifts are described here and success requirements for each lift are laid out on pages 9 & 10. Your Challenge: Familiarize yourself with the rules of powerlifting meets, especially when it comes to what ranges of motion you need to hit and where you need to pause in the lifts in order for them to count. +1 Wisdom for those who do. Preparing your weapons. Now that you know what you're up against, it's time we gave ourselves some weapons. The virtual lifting meet and sanctioned meets follow the same format: you get 3 attempts to lift as much as possible in Squat, then Bench, then Deadlift. 3 attempts, that's it. So, we need to know exactly what we want to try to hit on each of those attempts. The first step is knowing what your theoretical 1 Rep Max (1RM) is for each of the three lifts. The easiest way to do this is to find a rep max for a lighter weight (say for 4 reps, but no way you'd get 5), and use a calculator like one of these: EXRX.net or T Nation(slightly nsfw). You can now use this number to plan out your three attempts. First Lift / Your Opener: Let's get one thing straight, you're not going to put up great numbers if you don't hit your opener. This lift should be heavy enough to inspire confidence in you but light enough that you could roll out of bed with a hangover and hit it. What could you hit for a double or triple? Think somewhere around the 90-92% range. Second Lift: This is not where you go big. This is where you hit a lift that you are 100% convinced that you can make that will raise your total score. This should be a hard lift, but not so hard that you risk losing it. Think somewhere in the range of 94-98% of your 1RM. Third Lift: Here's where we go big. Time to try for a new personal best. How did the last lift feel? Good? Go for your 1RM + 5lbs. Great? Go for your 1RM + 10-15lbs. Cake? Throw a gorram plate on there. Here's the thing, you still want to hit this lift. You don't want to try and fail, so if the day is feeling crappy, it's also completely acceptable and smart to take a bit off your final planned attempt if you're just not in the groove. Make the last attempt, be happy you increased your score, and move on to the next lift. Examples My current 1RM for squats is around 475; I plan on looking for 485 at the end of the day. My attempts will look something like this: 1st: (475) @ 92% = 435 2nd: (475) @ 97% = 460 3rd: (475) @ 102% = 485 Reading material: Maryland Powerlifting writeupAndy Bolton, simple tipYour Challenge: Plan out your three attempts for each lift. +1 Wisdom to those who do. Prepare Your Body Part of participating in a competition is making sure you are going in fresh so that you are at 100%. Lifting heavy weights takes a toll on the body and it needs to be prepared for that stress. The further along you are in your lifting journey, the larger the toll. As you become more adapt at lifting consistently, your body will become accustomed to certain levels of stress. That said, prepping for a competition is nothing like your regular "heavy" days. For you novices, the workout before the competition should be a light day. Reduce your working loads by 20-30% and just get the reps in, keep the movement patterns ingrained and get the blood flowing. Avoid anything that requires work set level effort. This will give your body more time to recover before the competition and make sure it is ready to exert 100% effort rather than maybe 90-95%. For you intermediates, in addition to the light workout before the competition, the two before that should also be light or medium. If you are on a weekly periodization program like the Texas Method, this is especially true. You have learned to put such effort into the lifts and take your body to such a level of exertion that it takes more than just 1 light workout for your body to fully recover. While a light day is 30% lighter than working sets, a medium day may only be 15% lighter. This allows you to still get work in and maintain strength, but does not put as high of a recovery toll on the body. Personally, I like to do a light workout at 3 sets of 5 reps for each lift at around 50% 1RM 3-5 days before the competition, then take the rest off, focusing on getting really good sleep and food intake and making sure I'm at 100% for those lifts. Your challenge: Take it easy, rest up, and prepare yourself as best you can to put in an all out effort on the day you put in your entry. +1 Constitution to those who do. This mini is copied word for word from Gainsdalf who borrowed it from the two Seth did back in early 2013. Since, I was called out for not citing my sources last time, so make sure you read it in Gainsdalf's voice. This Challenge will end on 26 FEB

MAIN QUEST: Lose Weight Feel Great! To hit my goal range of 125-135 and do it in a healthy way! Goals (diet and fitness related) that will help me achieve Main Quest: I have managed to GAIN some weight back. I need to get back on track!! I am doing a Challenge Du Jour for workouts until we get our home gym set up, and then I am doing the Master's Hammer & Chisel, if anyone wants to join me in the Challenge Du Jour, here's the link: https://www.teambeac...ingRepId=558773. Update: I am now doing a month of CIZE! 1. #KickSugar - I have started cutting back on candy, because I was eating a LOT of candy at work daily, so I will continue that this challenge. If my secret pal at work brings me Dove chocolates, I am allowing myself ONE per day, but that's it. I am also switching from coffee with lots of sweetened cream to Bulletproof coffee. A: 24-26 days B: 20-23 days C: 15-19 days D: 12-14 days F: <14 days Ability to earn 3 CON points. 2. #FitGirl - CIZE workout every day, with one rest day a week as an option A: 22-24 days B: 19-21 days C: 15-18 days D: 12-14 days F: <14 days Ability to earn 2 STA, 2 STR points, 1 DEX points. 3. #Hydrate - drink all the water!!! At least 3 (32 ounce) bottles a day! A: 24-26 days B: 20-23 days C: 15-19 days D: 12-14 days F: <14 days Ability to earn 3 CON points PICK YOUR SIDE QUESTS Side Quest 1: #ArtsyFartsy - I want to get back into art, so I will be working on the following each day: -handlettering -brushlettering -drawing -coloring with Copics and colored pencils Grading: A: 24-26 days B: 20-23 days C: 15-19 days D: 12-14 days F: <14 days Ability to earn 1 WIS and 1 CHA point. Side Quest 2: #SAVERS I have been reading the book, The Miracle Morning, and am really trying to implement what I have learned. S - Silence: meditation/prayer A - Affirmations V - Visualization E - Exercise R - Reading: personal development S - Scribing: journaling Grading: A: 24-26 days B: 20-23 days C: 15-19 days D: 12-14 days F: <14 days Ability to earn 1 WIS point, 1 CHA point #FitGirl - 0/6 - 0/6 - 06 - 0/6 - 0/24 #KickSugar - 0/7 - 0/7 - 0/7 - 0/5 - 0/26 #SAVERS - 0/7 - 0/7 - 0/7 - 0/5 - 0/26 #ArtsyFartsy - 0/7 - 0/7 - 0/7 - 0/5 - 0/26 #Hydrate - 0/7 - 0/7 - 0/7 - 0/5 - 0/26 Mini Challenges: Mini 1: Mini 2: Mini 3: Mini 4 Mini 5 Mini 6: Rewards(these might change... especially if I just end up buying the stuff before I lose the weight. I'm awful lol): Start: 219 Goal 1: -30 lbs: 190 or waist size 35" - Lightboard Goal 2: -40 lbs: 180 or Waist size 34" - Jane Davenport Supplies Me Drawing Course Goal 3: waist size 33" - New Pair of Cross Trainers Goal 4: -50 lbs: 170 or Waist size 32" - Copic Clothing Kit & Clowder Course Goal 5: Waist size 31" - IKEA desk chair Goal 6: -60 lbs: 160 or Waist size 30" - Blackwing Subscription Goal 7: -70 lbs: 150 or Waist size 29" - Anchor tattoo and wrist quotes Goal 8: -80 lbs: 140 or Waist size 28" - Lionheart tattoo Goal 9: -90 lbs: 130 or Waist size 27" - New wardrobe - shopping spree!! STATS: Female/41 Start Weight: 219 (BMI 40.1) Current Weight: 207 - UGH!! Goal Weight: 125-135 Height: 5'2" Jeans size: 14-16 Diet: 21 Day Fix I reserve the right to change my challenge week to week if I get bored!! 03/11/13 04/22/13 09/18/13 10/02/13 10/23/13 11/11/14 Bust: 38" 38" 38" 38" 36" 37" Breasts: 45" 45" 45" 44" 42.25" 43" Belly: 42" 40.5" 39.5" 38" 37" 38" Hips: 45" 43" 43.75" 43" 43" 44" Thigh: 27" 27" 27" 26.5" 27" 26.75" Calf: 17" 16.5" 17.5" 17.25" 16.5" 16" Bicep 13" 14" Wrist 6" 6" Neck 14" 14.5" Butt (lol) 47" 47.5" Ankle 9" Forearm 8.5" 02/02/2015 02/10/2015 02/22/2015 04/10/2015 07/21/15 Total inches lost from 3-11-13: Chest: 39" 39" 38.25" 38" 39" 0" Waist: 40" 39" 38.25" 35" 34.5" 7.5" Hips: 41" 41" 39.5" 39.5" 39" 6" Right Thigh: 26" 25.5" 25.5" 25.5" 25" 2" Left Thigh: 26.5" 25.75" 26" 25.5" 25" 2" Right Bicep: 14" 13.5" 13.5" 13" 12.75" 0.25" Left Bicep: 14" 14" 13.5" 13.25" 13" 0" Right Calf: 17" 16.5" 0.5 Left Calf: 16.5" 16.25" 0.25" Total: 200.5" 197.75" 194.5" 189.75" -18.5"

Hey all, uh... I am trying to put on some weight and a friend mentioned this might be a place to get some encouragement. Just because of location it's actually pretty easy to get rest, eat right and exercise. I already don't drink coffee, soda, non-smoker, eat veg and fruit, no fast food and avoid most processed snacks. Goals: DIET: (1) Rule of threes / 5XP: I am not in the habit of tracking calories so how about this, 3 meals a day. I need to eat 3 full meals every day. (2) Treat yourself / 4XP: While trying to put on weight I have stopped enjoying food. I haven't been eating dessert for a while not as a conscious decision but just because eating has become a chore. I need to eat 1 dessert a week. FITNESS: (3) Consistency is key / 10XP: As a novice lifter I tried doing SS daily instead of taking rest days and that nearly killed my motivation after only a week (not to mention my joints). I have been doing the day on day off pattern for a few weeks, the real test is going to be going a full month. I need to get to the end of the month without skipping any workouts or trying to "beat the system" by skipping rest days. LUYL: (4) Feed the brain / 1XP: Read for fun, 5 minutes a day. Actual dead-tree reading, not forums! Bonus XP!: (5) Worth it's weight... / 5XP: Well, if my goal is to put on weight, I may as well celebrate any small wins. 1XP per pound gained to a max of 5XP. Starting weight is 176lbs. Wish me luck. Pics now attached.

Hey rangers. Again, it's been a while. just got over a sub scapula tear with an impinged nerve that severely affected my trapezius muscle. But now after a month of recuperation and yoga I'm back. And I'm a schmuck. First day back and let me tell you what happened: Came out of the gate hard. DEADLIFTS!!! YEAH. Did I mention I'm a schmuck? Sumo deadlifts up to 275 lbs. THEN 5 RFT 8 deadlifts at 135 lbs Kettlebell offset farmer carries in the half rack position 44 lbs and 53 lbs 20 KB swings 53 lbs 10 Zercher sandbag squats 15 Toes to Bar SCHMUCK!!! Oh yeah, and I cut out all my sugar. So now I'm REALLY dizzy. Did I mention....Schmuck? I feel like I've been shot at and missed, shit at and hit. What was I thinking? SCHMUCK! Well I can't have all the looks and the brains I guess. I'll check back tomorrow and let you know if I can walk without looking like I was taken advantage of by a gorilla. Have a good day, and be smarter than me (although I'm pretty sure that is easy to do)

I am back!!! I know I said I would be taking a tour around the guilds but we all know that Assassins do it crazier Also, there’s that whole “do the thing, win all the points†that I am oh-so-keen on. Anyway, I am back, the kickboxing ass-kicking sorta-Assassin When I chose to focus on lifting this challenge, I couldn’t make it any other challenge than my beloved Xena the Warrior Princess. Watching this woman growing up really gave me the idea that women can be kick-ass and stand on their own. So good. One of these days I will make this costume and I will cosplay as Xena. I have goals, ya’ll Be a strong warrior like Xena! +5 STR POW! BOOM! I’ve been wanting to start weight lifting for some time now, but I’ve decided it would be best if I made it a challenge. Enter StrongLifts 5x5. I am a complete beginner AND I don’t have access to proper barbells, so this will be a trial and error with dumbbells. I will most likely substitute rows with a pull up training, mostly because they work on the same muscles and I’ll get more out of a pull up At this point in time, I can only do negative pull ups. I will see how far I can go with it. Challenge: I will lift 3 times a week: Monday, Wednesday, Friday as broken down below. Week A: Squat 5x5 Squat 5x5 Squat 5x5 Bench Press 5x5 Overhead Press 5x5 Bench Press 5x5 Barbell Row 5x5 Deadlift 1x5 Barbell Row 5x5 Week B: Squat 5x5 Squat 5x5 Squat 5x5 Overhead Press 5x5 Bench Press 5x5 Overhead Press 5x5 Deadlift 1x5 Barbell Row 5x5 Deadlift 1x5 I feel really positive about this part of the challenge because I found a workout buddy at work and we will be lifting together. We are both really excited for this. This will be on a PASS/FAIL system; I either lift heavy things or I don’t. I will give myself 2 instances where I can skip lifting due to unforeseen obstacles (sickness, etc.). This needs to happen. Be rested in the arms of Morpheus +2 CON *yawn* I have serious issues getting enough rest every night. My alarm clock is set for 5:30am every morning and it’s always a struggle to stay awake throughout the day. Logically speaking I understand I should be going to sleep at a certain time, but then I get distracted by things and I spiral out of control. With autumn and winter months ahead of us, I figured this would be a good time to start a change for the better. I really doubt I’ll form a habit in mere 6 weeks (I know myself, change comes slowly to me), but I am starting now. Normally, I work 4x10 hour days, so I need to sleep 7+ hours on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. It’s much easier for me to sleep in on the weekends Challenge: Be in bed by 10pm on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Be in bed by 11:30pm on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. I will give myself four separate days to fail at this. I am trying to create a habit, which means that I cannot have too many passes. This challenge will be on PASS/FAIL system. Be tenacious like Callisto +2 CON Life changes ahead! (not so) Suddenly my car decided to give out. The expenditure will be large so I will be on a tight belt for a while. With that in mind, I also decided to put a hold on my gym membership until I can bounce back financially. I won't have access to Airdyne OR kickboxing for the duration of this challenge (I am heartbroken *sob*) That being said, I still want a good workout to happen. Cue FitnessBlender! Challenge: 1000-calorie workouts 2 times a week: Tuesday & Thursday I think they have 3 or 4 of them available so I might alternate which ones I do. I figure that if I interchange with lifting, I will have a decent workout schedule. Points: 2x week - +2 CON 1x week - +1 CON Challenge: Airdyne sessions 2 times a week: Tuesday & Thursday I will be using a routine I came up with myself: 2 x 3 minute sessions with 1 minute rest in between One session is alternating 30 seconds of over 75 rpms & over 30 rpms. Points: 2x week - +2 STA 1x week - +1 STA Edit: I am writing in an alternative to this quest because I have a feeling there might be issues getting to the gym to do Airdyne (again). Instead, if I can't do Airdyne, I will run a mile on a treadmill. I hate treadmill, but I need endurance work more. Let's hope Airdyne will be available Eat and drink well, but not like Bacchus +3 CON How the hell does she make eating pizza look sexy??? Since I am starting with weight-lifting, I need to make sure I eat properly. In my past challenges, I have mostly focused on keeping to Paleo, but I think this time around I need to go a different direction: more protein, less sugar. I have a terrible sweet tooth since I love chocolate and I eat a lot of fruit. This will be incredibly difficult for me, I am certain, but I am also convinced I need to get it done. Challenge: Eat less than 45g of sugar each day, with one day a week being a cheat day, if necessary. Eat more than 100g of protein on lifting days (3x week) Points: Eat 100g of protein 3x week - +2 CON Eat 100g of protein 1x week - +1 CON Eat less than 45g of sugar 6-7 days a week - +1 CON On top of proper nutrition, I need to make sure I drink enough water. After a previous challenge, I know I need at least 64oz of water a day, unless I’m working out (that usually adds another 30oz). I have a bottle that size so I will know exactly where I stand each day. Challenge: Drink a minimum of 64oz a day, pre-workout. Points: 5-7 days/week - +1 CON Be well-learned like Eli +2 WIS ...and I want to have more. It is time I finally learn Russian alphabet. That language is so close to Polish that it’s ridiculous I don’t know it yet. I firmly believe that the biggest hurdle would be learning the alphabet (cyrillic is a bit challenging, I suppose), so I will be focusing on that. I wish to be able to read and write this language, so let’s get down to basics. Challenge: Practice Russian alphabet twice a week, for up to an hour each time. Points: 2x week - +2 WIS 1x week - +1 WIS Be the voice of reason like Gabrielle +1 WIS Adult and reasonable, yo! Each week I will endeavor to do something that I really dread doing, or simply needs doing. It could mean cleaning the house, paying bills, organizing important paperwork, etc. Those things are always around and always need completing. Challenge: I will complete adult things once a week. Things to accomplish: Holiday presents shoppingClean out/organize the dresserOrganize the financial papers (sooooo behind)Plan/carry out the anniversary dinner (Bayou Bob’s)Pay off immediate debtPoints: This will be a PASS/FAIL. Measurements: [coming soon] Rewards: Texas de Brazil dinner. This will cost an arm and a leg but I am willing. I’ve heard so many good things about this place that I cannot wait to try it out. Also, all of the meat after all of the lifting!!!Carmel Macchiato from Starbucks. It’s my guilty pleasure and I only drink one in-between challenges This is me trying to be a good girl.

"Sov, I think I am going about this all wrong. I have researched all I could and thought myself in spirals, but nothing is happening." She stood shifting from foot to foot, staring down at the table covered in crooked stacks of foolscap, dusty books, pinned scrolls, and spell paraphernalia. "I need to be *doing* things. I have come farthest with this curse when circumstances have pushed me into adventures." She smiled remembering olden days when circumstances were often named Sovellis. "Huh, I suppose that makes sense," he agreed, picking his head up off the table and rubbing his face. "So what do we do? Become sell swords and take a job or something? Or I suppose I could go insult a king and you could try to rescue me again, but that didn't work out so well last time." His lips twisted into a tired smirk. "Sweet gods, please no royalty! I was thinking more about taking a journey up into the fey wilds and seeing what we can find. Its possible some of the lines of the riddle are referring to places after all." His brows arched sharply at her words. "The fey wilds? Wait wait wait, so royalty is out, but fey are a-okay? Have you lost your mind? Besides, there's no good taverns in the fey wilds." He had managed to finish the wine he had brought back to the hut rather more quickly than he planned, and the thought of not being able to replenish his stock was unpleasant to say the least. "I can hardly go to a tavern as I am anyhow." She cocked an eyebrow and motioned to her giant proportions. "besides, you can easily do without wine- you can prestidigitate your water if you miss it. Wine and trails do not mix unless you are a construct like Flotsam. No one needs to walk for hours with a hangover." "Prestidigitation only flavors the water," he grumbled, but she had a point. "As to the rest..." She crossed the cabin to the wall where the words of her curse were etched. "I don't know how to master fey magic. The only way I know to break through this is to go to a place where the fey are and ask them. Besides, you never know what we might find up in those mountains!" She grinned at him, the light of avarice shining in her eyes. "Heh, yeah, or what might try to eat us." Despite arguing, he smiled, happy to see that spark in his friend's eye. "So you plan to find a fey something, walk up to it, and just ask it? I'll admit that approach has worked for us before, but not with fey." "Well there was that Eagle that time, but no, I was thinking more that we would search for some of the things mentioned in the riddle Halfling's pride, Balefire, the rooftop Feydance, all of these seem to refer to acts I have to do or people I have to best. "Rooftop feydance sounds fun. Baelfire not so much." The thought it over for a moment, then shrugged. "Alright, I would still prefer to have access to taverns, but might do me some good. When do you want to take off?" "I want to be in the highlands by the end of the ride. As you can see, we are mostly provisioned already." She motioned to shelves in the cooking alcove now filled with the trail bars and jerkey made from all Noor's hunting. "You've been busy, that's for sure," he nodded, looking at the shelves full of trail foods. "And we have the supplies I brought, what's left of them anyway, so we have healing potions and things, and my quiver is full. I guess we should get packed." <------<<< Time for the next chapter in the Sovellis Saga! This challenge my goals are very similar to the last. 1. Do something school related every day, even if it's just a tiny thing. 2. Do something physical fitness related every day, even if it's just a tiny thing. 3. Do something adultish every day, be it chores, bills, making a phone call, whatever. 4. Do something related to spirituality every day. But this time around, all of these are going to play second fiddle to this last point: 5. No alcohol. None. For 6 weeks. I've done this sort of thing before, if not for this length of time, and I think it's time to do it again. Complete sobriety is not my ultimate goal, but going dry periodically seems to help me keep better control over my drinking habits, which have been slipping as of late. Not looking forward to the ups and downs I know are coming, but it'll be alright. I'll be alright. Between this and it finally starting to cool off, maybe I'll finally be able to make it back to the range or go slack lining again!

Cutebug's Survival Skills Challenge! During the last challenge, I made amazing progress in strength training. 12 weeks ago I started to go to the gym for the first time in YEARS, 7 weeks ago I started going to the gym twice a week. I posted my progress from beginning to end: Squat is up by 15 lbs Deadlift is up by 15 lbs Wall Sit variable, but up 20 seconds at its best. Hang from pull-up bar up 5 seconds I started barbell rows and renegade rows, instead of the bent over dumbbell rows I started with. Punches went from 140/min with 3 lb dumbbells to 101/40sec with 8lb dumbells. I had a great challenge, did all the Feats from the optional mini challenges, and also did the extra Rangering Skills from Rangers Gonna Ranger. It was pretty epic. The major stumbling block? I got nowhere nearer my overall goal of losing weight. During the last challenge, I lost NO weight at all. That will be my focus for this new challenge. I've named it Survival Skills because every single little thing is more difficult when you're carrying around extra weight. Being a healthy weight helps you live better in every way. It makes life easier. It makes tying your shoes easier! Walking, running, climbing, pushing, pulling, squatting.... EVERYTHING. So why not make my life easier and be able to do more things? Let's DO this thing! Here's my "before" (which is actually a before, during, AND after, depending on how you look at it) I'm around 195lbs, I guess: Here is me riding a unicorn at Ikea, oh yeah, and it's also my "for now" goal weight (around 180lbs?): Longer Term Goal (about 160lbs): And EVENTUAL loooong term goal is 145lbs, and then re-assess. If I'm super muscly and strong, then 145 is probably juuuuust right, even if I'd still a little squishy in some areas. As long as I am strong and feel healthy and can tie my shoes without having to hold my breath, I'd good SO, on to GOALS for this Challenge! GOAL 1: Stop Eating Garbage! Keep the Fridge Stocked! Take Lunch to Work! When I make a home-cooked meal, it's more often than not very healthy. Piles of vegetables and a lean meat. I stopped buying potatoes and now only have sweet potatoes and squashes in the house. I eat mainly paleo-ish home cooked meals. It's when I eat out, order in, or have snacks that I fail miserably. I know how to cook, I am good at cooking, I have someone to cook for that loves my healthy cooking, so WHY am I still eating crap? Because it's yummy and I lack willpower. To Do: I will review Steve's article about Willpower. I will keep the fridge stocked with healthy food. I will not go shopping while hungry. I will not order in for lunch. I will pack my lunch. I DON'T EAT CRAP. GOAL 2: I will stay accountable to myself, my NF community, and my Facebook Friends, by weighing in weekly and measuring myself weekly. Photos monthly. I have never done the measurements before. I always went by the scale and my clothing. Clothing can be a good indicator of fat loss, but because I was so uncomfortable in my old clothes, I bought lots of big, stretchy things to live in. All the clothes I would *like* to fit into are for the 160lb me, not the 195 or 185lb me. So now it's about measurements and photos. Photos were SUPER helpful last time I lost 30 pounds. I could SEE the difference and it encouraged me immensely. To Do: Take measurements and photos on Monday, September 14th. Take measurements weekly thereafter; take photos monthly thereafter. Post to Thread and Facebook. Record all information in Excel for easy reference. GOAL 3: Focus on Primal Workouts to target certain goals - Core strength, grip strength, Pull/Push & lower body, Cardio/Endurance (Rangering FTW) Core is SO important and EVERYONE should ALWAYS be focused on this. I will be exploring any and all core strength exercises that aren't sit-ups and crunches. I'm LOVING my hanging knee raises. My abs HURT after just a few. Plus that exercise helps with grip AND pull. Yipee! To Do: Steering Wheels with plates, Rolling Bridges, planks, deadlifts... After *FINALLY* getting to try out deadlifting after hearing Steve go on about how great it is, I found out that I really like it too, but I have one thing holding me back: Grip Strength. My hands are weak and I need to improve that to excel in other areas. To Do: Pick up heavy things, climb stuff, pull, carry, crush, pinch, claw grip, drag, wrench, extend... Continue working on Pull-Up training and get back to push-ups. Do more Deadlifts and Squats, but focus more on form than weight with squats. Do the Squat Challenge (get up to 30 mins flat-footed squatting per day). To Do: Bent Over Barbell Rows, Bent Over dumbbell Rows, Deadlifts, Bodyweight Squats, barbell Squats, Holding Flat-Footed Resting Squat, Hanging From Pull-Up Bar, Knee Raises, Dips I always slack a bit on cardio in the fall and winter, because despite living in a temperate rain forest my entire life, I dislike rain. I WILL get out hiking as much as I can, but I will also be adding in indoor swimming and Muay Thai training. A coworker convinced me to purchase gloves and he got some pads. He's going to teach me Muay Thai boxing. I'd love to get a punching bag at some point, but for now I will just hit my coworker To Do: Swimming (let's say every 2 weeks), Muay Thai Training 1-2x per week, hiking 2-4x per month. Personal Goals: 1. Crafting, Creating and Building Combine Art and Ranger Skills - Build with clay and cement. Learn soldering. Whittle, Sand. Leather embossing. Create art from found objects/ nature. Conduct experiments - growing crystals. 2. Sell my Creations Open Etsy Store, research local artisan markets, place ads on CL. Sell paintings, ring dishes, candle holders, earring racks, doily bowls, and other creations. Use profits to purchase more supplies and continue creating and selling.

Jan 21 I started strong lifts with a 55 lb squat, and Friday I hit a 1 rep PR of 175 lbs. I think I can put a few more lbs on there, but I didn't have a spot and didn't want to make a scene at the gym, lol. I am well on my way to 200 by the end of the year

I'm a frequent poster on Mark's Daily Apple, but I've been wanting a change of scenery. For now, I'll just post stuff about food & workouts. Goals: get strong. Be able to run around & lift things without much hindrance. Be able to do a pull-up. Deadlift my own bodyweight (closest I ever got was within 25 pounds). Carry my husband on my back 50m (I was able to do this when I did CrossFit, so I know I can get back to it). Food history: Started eating primal 4 years ago, switched to paleo when I realized that dairy wasn't doing me any favors (RIP). I'm about 90% adherent. I have a tendency to undereat and that always messes me up mood-wise. Physical history: I was not super active as a kid, but naturally very thin. I'm well within a normal/healthy weight range now. I've felt tired for years (since puberty hit? around age 13), no answers to that. I bicycled to work (7 miles per day) for 2 summers, but was unable to this year. I did CrossFit over the winter and that started an interest in barbell training. I got Carpal Tunnel Syndrome & bilateral tendonitis in my wrists this winter from shoveling, then weakened my wrists and shoulders during that healing period. Now doing PT for my shoulders, my wrists are healing up finally w/ very light wrist workouts (3lb hand weights). It's been a very slow process. Mental history: Generalized anxiety disorder and depression. Mostly under control these days, but I used 5-HTP periodically to get through bad episodes. I prefer not to use prescription meds, I've been down that road before and I'm not a fan. Nerd history: I'm a Linux systems admin, as of last November, so still relatively new to it. Prior to that, lots of Windows work. I'm a PC gamer, love Fallout III & NV, Elder Scrolls Oblivion & Skyrim, Diablo III, used to play WoW. Started playing Witcher 3 and am hooked, even despite the rampant gross sexism. Star Wars, Star Trek, LotR, Hellboy... all that good stuff --- I have a free week membership at the gym closest to my office. Sadly, the barbell area only has Olympic bars, which I can't use yet. 45 pounds is too heavy for me except to deadlift. I made due with kettlebells. 5 min Warm-up w/ some kind of elliptical thing (plus warm-ups with lighter weights before each lift) Squat 5x3 25# 5x2 35# OHP 5x3 20# 5x2 25# DL 2x5 45# 4 min on the rowing machine I'll go again on Wednesday morning as long as my wrists feel okay. They're a bit sore/tired today and I don't want to set myself back in this very slow recovery. I'll do some kind of dumbbell bench press instead of the overhead press. After I finish reading Starting Strength, I'm going to join a local weight lifting club that has a lot more equipment. They're right up the street from my apartment, only open on weeknights. --- Food so far today Breakfast: shredded chicken & green beans Lunch: pork chop, mixed veg, sweet potato Snack: two Larabars Dinner: will probably be more pork chop, veg, & sweet potato I don't like to count food, so that seems a bit light, but I really have no idea. I'll be prepping for some beef stew tonight. I think I'll use russet potatoes, since my husband doesn't like sweet potatoes.

Hello, Tricia here! *awkward Zuko voice* This is my first challenge and my first post in the forums so here goes nothing. My main goal is to get STRONG. I'm really short (5' 0") and hope one day to shock the hell out of people by picking them up over my head, because let's face it, that would be hysterical. Anyhoo, my main goal for the following weeks is to add more weight to my bench press. My current PR is 65lbs, and I only managed 4 reps at that weight. I'm hoping to get it up to 80lbs by the end of this challenge. Steps to get there include Keep track of how much weight I'm actually lifting each workout and add accordingly (the first few weeks back when I started I never did this and didn't make much progress as a result), so I'll take physical notes after each workout.Keep a close eye on what I'm eating/drinking. The past couple weeks have been rough so I've been turning to the sweets again. Cut those out and focus on quality food to make my body stronger.Stick to my workout plan and do strength training 3 times a week. None of that "I'm too tired" stuff. Just yesterday I shifted my workout time to earlier in the morning than usual, so no excuses!My side quest is to learn to walk in stiletto heels. I love the way they look (and that extra height doesn't hurt) but I've never taken the time to learn how to work them. I just bought an adorable pair so better get it done or I'll have wasted my money! Practice walking in heels at least 10 minutes per dayAnyway, that's about all I've got for the moment. I tried to figure out a way to grade myself but I couldn't quite come up with anything. Any suggestions would be welcome. Let's do this!

Hi guys I started doing bodyweight about 5 months ago and i was making progress, then I decide to move on to barbell training and I do progress too, but the thing is, it is very weird for me, it seems I lost some strength. before lifting I was able to do 6 pullups and 10 dips in good form now after a month of lifting I hardly get to 4 pullups and 3 dips. the weird thing is that I've been progresing on my lifts. do you guys know something about this? Thanks

Well, I've been sitting here at my desk for the past hour or so trying to figure out where to start with all of this so I guess I'll go from the beginning since that would make the most sense. Firstly, good morning/afternoon/evening to all you folks who might be reading and thanks for taking a look at lowly newb's first attempt at communicating with everyone. If I ramble or get long-winded I apologize ahead of time (I'm Canadian so apologies are a given with me). I guess this all started about a little over a year and a half ago. Feeling that my health was starting to get worse and not being happy with myself anytime I looked in the mirror I took it upon myself to make a change. So, at the start of 2014 I signed up for a martial arts class. The first one I have ever done since I was 7 years old really. I wound up joining a class for Haidong Gumdo which specializes in sword training. I am well aware of the dubious history surrounding this particular martial art but I have a love of swords and don't subscribe to the history of it nor do I consider myself a Samurang/Samurai in any shape or form. Just someone wanting to get healthy and has found something that I'm drawn to and have a love for. My instructor is a patient and kind man from Korea and to be completely honest feels like the complete opposite of what I was expecting with the class. He points out similarities and origins of things from other martial arts, doesn't down talk them (even goes so far as to praise them for things) and just has an overall positive attitude all around which is incredibly infectious as it keeps making me want to push myself. Which I guess brings me here. I started out weighing in at 326 lbs and since then I have been able to get myself to a point where I keep hovering around 290-285. I'm 6 feet tall and sadly an endomorph for a body type. The weight loss came gradually over the first 6-7 months or so of me starting the classes. Obviously this is still not the ideal place I want to be. I've noticed a change in how clothes fit, flexibility and overall stamina and strength but being the stubborn mule of a nerd I am I want to get even better. I certainly don't have any expectation of looking like Chris Pratt in Guardians of the Galaxy (hell, I'd take early season Parks and Rec Chris Pratt if I could get that small) but I want to be healthy for not only my sake but my family. In a normal week I'm going 3-4 times in the evening for an hour class. Normal class consists of warm up (stretching, jumping jacks, leg raises, lunges, etc) and then we go into forms for a good chunk, then some paper cutting/candle extinguishing and then a few cutting/sparing drills to finish up class. I always get a great sweat going and my heart rate up (and I stay hydrated!). But I feel like I should be doing more. This fall I'll be going for my black belt and I still can't wrap my belt around me twice. I feel like I should be trying to do something else on off days or looking into how I should be working out. Another problem I guess is my diet. I've slowly been trying to wean myself off of sugars and cutting way down on carbs and increasing my veggie/fruit intake and I of course love meat but I am absolutely horrid when it comes to portion sizing and calorie counting and I've got myfitnesspal installed on my phone and never use it consistently. As well, I've bought a small food scale that is sitting in my cupboard at home that I never seem to get up the drive to use. I'm sure I would see my plateau problem start to get rectified if I could get myself into a habit with my diet but I always seem to have the best of intentions with no follow through. Which brings me here. I frequent another forum online (Penny-Arcade, hi everybody it's Gonmun finally taking some advice!). Many have suggested to me the nerd fitness workouts and I've taken a look at them and am very interested in starting to try and do them but have no sweet clue on how to go about setting up an sort of a workout plan, nor a diet. And the other thing I guess I'm looking for is to hold my butt accountable and having looked through this forums for a little bit I like that you are all very supportive of one another while trying to push each other to stick with it. I guess I'm looking to hopefully become a part of that and get myself healthy and happier with myself. So, if anyone has any suggestions/advice/direction/etc to offer, please feel free. I'm all ears and open to doing what I can to continue working towards improving myself. So thank you in advance for anything you can provide and I look forward to being a part of the community and the rebellion.

Hey guys! So, in a really disappointing turn of events the gym I lifted at closed and I am now gymless. I have had some really great strength gains and nutrition guidance the past few months and I really don't want to lose any of it! I was curious if anyone was doing or knew of any great 3-Day split weight lifting programs that they've seen great results with! This is something I will have to do at my home gym. I have a barbell, squat rack, dumbbells, and a bowflex (basic model). I'm sitting at about 25%BF right now and looking to lose about 4% more. Any program recommendations would be great! I love reading and researching new programs but it can be tricky to choose something that isn't a gimmick. I'm straight forward with my lifting and ready to continue. Thanks guys !!!

I think I am finally ready to set myself some goals and stick to them. I want to feel strong and fierce, but after my most recent vacation and minor injury, I'm not where I want to be. That will change and it starts now. The only challenge I set myself here is that I endeavor to do a challenge in each camp on NF, even though I identify with Monks the most. At the end of all that, I should be ready for my ultimate goal: Spartan Sprint 2016. Here's what my standard workout schedule looks like: Monday: muay thai/combatives Tuesday: fitness kickboxing Wednesday: muay thai/combatives Thursday: fitness kickboxing/private training Friday: muay thai/combatives I sometimes will alternate, where instead of Friday I will do Saturday morning fitness kickboxing. Yes, I'm addicted to working out May the odds be ever in my favor! Ps. Don't expect daily updates. My life isn't exciting enough to do that

Alright! I'm diving in. Am I even doing this right? Main Quest. To do a single proper pushup. SMART quests - Strength train 3 days a week (don't push too hard, be safe) and walk at least a mile the other days. If I am ill, I am allowed to rest. Drink at least 1 liter of water a day. Figure out how to eat healthier within capabilities. Choose a motivation. I'm tired of a flight of stairs exhausting me. I'm done with constantly worrying that one misstep will cause me to injure myself. I want to get strong and healthy. I need to strengthen the muscles around my joints to hold them steady, since they aren't going to do it themselves.

Fellow Recruits - I received this mission file via a thumb drive placed in the drivers seat of my vehicle at 0700 hours. I had previously been a member of an agency that was corrupted and rightfully dismantled (you can access my previous mission logs below) and was working on re-legitimizing our work when certain life events forced me to drop out of active duty. I have not made contact with anyone from that life until now. I have no choice but to accept the mission below and would appreciate any support or intel you can afford me. Wish me luck - I have been working at an office job during my forced time off and have allowed my skills to stagnate. MISSION REBOUND: Infiltrate the bad guys, gather intelligence, don't blow your cover. Main Objective: Infiltrate the elite group known as "The Fits." Goals: 1) Familiarize yourself with the home base of "The Fits" henceforth known as "The Gym." Spend at least 3 times a week becoming familiar with the tools of their trade. Utilize whatever resources you have available to become one of them. (3x a week = 3pts, 2x = 2 pts, 1x = 1pt, 0x = 0pts) 2) Retain your true identity. Remember to center yourself and remain conscious of your objective. Complete a 30 day yoga challenge. Use this time to reflect on your objectives and your cover. (1 day of yoga = 1/7pt. Miss a day - lose all previous points and begin again.) 3) Train your willpower to match that of those you are infiltrating. Record everything (you eat and any activity you take part in). (< v = 1 = 1/7 pt.) Secondary Objective: Gather Intelligence Goals: 1) Maintain your commitment to intelligence gathering. Spend AT LEAST 1 hour per day studying. This includes language and LSAT preparation. (1 hr/day = 1/7pt) CRITICAL: MAINTAIN COVER BY ALL MEANS NECESSARY 1) DO NOT SHOW FEAR 2) DO NOT ABANDON MISSION 3) GAIN CONFIDENCE IN COVER - The more you spend time among those you are infiltrating, the more you will become comfortable being among them. Use this to your advantage. NOTE: Agent Pond - if you successfully complete this mission within the time-frame of 6 weeks, you will be welcomed back in the agency. You had ambition and talent prior to your unfortunate situation - we want you back. Good Luck. - PC WELCOME TO ASA POND'S MISSION REBOUND LOG [Follow my goal tracker HERE.]

Hey everyone, this is my first challenge with the Warriors and I am both really excited and nervous. I tend to get a "little" geeky with my challenge designs FYI, but tends to be the only way I can have fun with them. Please share your thoughts and comments! I wish everyone a great challenge! Also, I am super stoked for ESO on PS4 Becoming the Dragonborn In this challenge all main quests reward XP and all side quests reward Rep the goal of this challenge is to get enough XP to level up: XP to level up: 717/1,000 XP 71.7%71.7% Stats for Leveling Up: STR-4 DEX-2 STA-4 CON-2 WIS-2 CHA-1 Healing Quest: Expansion Pack: Defeating Miraak PLP Challenge Starting weight: 173.6 Starting Pic: Ending Weight 161 Ending Pic: Quest Log Blood's Honor Glory of the Dead The College of Winterhold Traversing Skyrim The Dawnguard The Blades Also, to be accountable I have been a tool with money. Through the last challenge I ran up my Credit Card, by lying and justifying to myself. So as a bonus- at the end of the challenge: for every $100 paid of my CC I will give myself 20 bonus XP Bonus #2: If I reach Rivendell during the challenge=50XP I finally settled on a reward! I will be buying a steel mace for ancient Hindu warrior/wrestling training next challenge This thing is awesome! Check out the article on it on the blog: The Art of Manliness The Mace I will be buying

I have missed a few Challenges, but that's ok, I have been ticking along in a Daily Battle Log. I went away over the Christmas break and have finally got the lifting back on track...........more or less. Now it's time to start mindful eating and dialling back into full Paleo. So main goal is to keep those noob gains coming as long as I can ( coming into 12 months of SL, this has got to slow down pretty soon ) and watch what goes into the Pie Hole to maximise every lift I do. The main reason for this Challenge thread is to log food as well as workouts, and let's see how we go with some accountability on my back. Seven.......Shut Your Pie Hole and Lift!