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Welcome to the 2024 challenge...on Jan 2nd it will be 10 years since I joined the forums... My main goal was then and still is weight loss, for health reasons as well as I want to look good (to me) naked. I’ve learned this doesn't get easier when you get older. I don’t want this to be a focus for the rest of my life, I want to build some habits/routines so it becomes second nature and I don’t have to think about it. I also want to be around to watch my grandkids grow up and be able to do things with them, as well as continue to do things I enjoy well into the future! In 2023 it was all about the struggle. This year, I’m going to be set, I’m simplifying things for consistency and I need less clutter in my life, also working on my mindset. I don’t have to track “all the things”. The three most important things for me regarding weight loss are sleep, exercise (though that’s debatable) and what you fuel your body with (tracking). Exercise is debatable because you can lose weight without it, but I feel better when I do it. I know not everyone needs to track what they eat, and I no longer use an app to do this because it got to the point it was too much, but I do put it on my spreadsheet to keep myself accountable, and it also helps with meal planning and creating my grocery list. All SET ( S )leep - ( E )xercise ( T )rack - And because it wouldn’t be an RES challenge without some 5k’s Upcoming Items 12/16 - Reindeer Run 5k - Done, 54 Minutes 12/17 - Candy Cane Course 5k - skipped 01/27 - Java Jog 5k 02/11 - Couple Shuffle 5k 03/09 - Time to Paddy 5k 06/22 - Hometown Half 10k 07/07 - Firecracker 4mi 08/10 - Summer Sizzler 15k 09/28 - Donot Stop 10k 10/20 - Spooky Sprint 10k 11/10 - Turkey Trails 10k

Keeping it simple this challenge. I started the Darebee IronBorn workout program last week, so I am 7 days into that. I am also using the Power Up program as a warmup and have been regularly completing the Darebee Daily Dare, as well as the Easy Arms Challenge. So my goals this challenge are simple: complete IronBorn complete Power Up complete Easy Arms Challenge I am aware that IronBorn is a Game of Thrones reference, even though I haven't watched Game of Thrones, nor have I read the books, so my reason has nothing to do with GoT. I started IronBorn for two reasons: 1) my upper body needs a lot of work and 2) my teaching position was cut, so after May I will not have access to the campus gym and wanted to start a program that uses dumbbells. Yeah... that's news I perhaps haven't announced yet. They are cutting the teaching positions at our program. We will be on transfer, which means we aren't losing our jobs as teachers, just our current teaching positions. There are four of us who have to either find a teaching position at another school or we will be placed at a school with an available position. This may feel like an ending, but... Honestly, I guess this is the "nudge out of the door" I needed to start looking for school administrator positions. It sucks that our solid team of teachers has been broken by bureaucratic bullshit (our supervisor actually said, "It's not personal. It's about money and budget."). So... I really need to keep things simple this challenge. The main go is to stay consistent and not skip a day. This weekend I did not have access to the gym, so I modified the program. For day 6 I was able to use cinderblocks instead of dumbbells, and for Day 7 I borrowed Day 8, which is an ab day that doesn't require dumbbells. Basically, every four days you get an ab workout. Well, I'm going to save some of those for weekends. If I can do the same movements with a cinderblock then substitution won't be necessary. I also started watching Reacher on Amazon Prime, and while I have no plans to bulk up as much as Alan Ritchson, it did motivate me to get serious about building some upper body lean muscle. Ritchson was always fit (not something I can say), but he has put in the work and clearly it paid off. In an Instagram post from 2020, Ritchson said, "There is no substitute for hard work; no powders, no goos, no fancy shoes will get you where you want to go without it. If you want to lose weight or lean out - put out more than you take in and make your heart beat harder than it did yesterday. It’s that simple. Doesn’t matter how you get there. If you’re trying to bulk or add strength, put more strain on your muscles than you did yesterday. It doesn’t matter how you get there. It’s my suspicion that most people ask for 'the secret' because 'not having it' gives them an excuse to wait. But what you need, you all already have. It’s not sold in stores. The only way to get it is to start doing it. Work." In January of this year, Ritchson posted: "... Move something that fatigues your body and heart most days of the week. But here’s a fun fact - hypertrophy and strength training are two different things. Usually they compliment each other. High weight low reps (think - 4-6) will increase strength. Some growth in size (hypertrophy) will occur. But not as fast as if you did lower weight and higher reps (think - you can’t do more reps than 15-25 each set for 4 sets). Body weight exercise like push-ups, pull-ups and dips can add plenty of size if you don’t have access to a gym. All you really need is you and the discipline to push... Just be patient and do the things today the you ten years from now needed you to do. Don’t expect the you two months from now to be the you you want to be in ten years." Solid advice. I would like to say that my efforts paid off, that I am doing the work, the work that me from ten years from now needs me to do. But first I need simplicity and consistency.

Per Request 😉 The Plan.... Conscientious: Make 24 hour plan, eat on plan when hungry, stop when full. Unconventional: Rides, 5k's, events, and any other random stuff goes here Time: Get 7 hours of sleep a night, post at least 3 times a week in my thread. Exercise: Weights 1x week, 6,000 steps a day, 3 days treadmill workout (when no work event) I have a bad habit this time of year of hiding away...I want to go to all the things then when the time comes I make excuses and don't do them...this isn't starting off too well since I've already bailed on two plans this weekend. In my defense they conflicted so I canceled one, then the other got rained out...blame Florida weather 🙄

During the last challenge I made the decision to stay with my job, need to work on being able to talk about an ask for things that I want or feel like I deserve (personal as well as professional) I really do love where I work so this is not a bad thing, was just a tough year on everyone. I stopped doing the weight training program I was working on about two weeks ago, my joints were informing me they had had enough...I'm still doing weight training once a week (a combination of several things from the program) my joints and I are both happy about this. I've started doing 'minimum training' on the treadmill again, basically making a deal that if I do 10 minutes I can say I'm done, going to work up from there. The Plan.... Conscientious: Make 24 hour plan, eat on plan when hungry, stop when full. Unconventional: Rides, 5k's, events, and any other random stuff goes here (at least one item from two "lists") Time: Get 7 hours of sleep a night, post at least 3 times a week in my thread. Exercise: Weights 1x week, 6,000 steps a day, 3 days treadmill workout (when no work event) I also have 4 "to-do" lists encompassing different areas of what is my life: To-do to start own business (this is kind of on hold) To-do general (things that need to be done that I don't want to forget) To-do personal (includes things like re-staining the cabinet I use as an altar, etc...) To-do work (includes things I need to do at work that are out of the norm that I don't want to forget) Complete one thing from two lists each week (and yes, I do have actual lists saved in Google Keep...I know what works for me ) Last week of October we will be in Oklahoma for part of it, seeing my granddaughter and two of my boys. Not sure what we're doing for the rest of it but it IS my birthday that week, though I would be shocked if D does anything out of what I have planned for it...

I've had an exciting month! So during lockdown, I kinda had to switch from leg press machines to squats. I had some dumbells that I'd been using at home for this, and now our covid situation has largely improved (current local blip notwithstanding) and our gyms have reopened. I switched to using the bags, but having found the 15kg now to be too light, I had to go up. Only I couldn't shift the 20kg one onto my shoulders. I had no choice - I had to learn how to use the barbell. So, under instruction, I set foot in a squat cage for the first time and did my squats with a 20kg olympic bar. Like a grownup!! I'm not gonna lie, this is thrilling for me! I've now added weights gradually as I got used to it so I'm now doing 5x5 with a total of 27.5kg on my shoulders. I've also finally got the hang of deadlifts. I'd tried before but wound up getting back pain, so I did a bit of research and found that I wasn't bending my legs enough. I've changed my posture and this seems to have improved things massively. I'm doing 8x4 with 35kg now, and it feels great! I'm loving finally being able to play with barbells! Hoping to level up to 30kg and 40kg respectively next week.

Restarting after a few years away from this site! This year is not off to quite the start I had planned. I had gone off keto from thanksgiving to new years because I can't go through December without egg nog, but I had planned to go right back on Jan 1. Then the start of the new decade rolled around and I came down with a nasty head cold, preventing me from being active, following any sort of diet, or even posting here until now. Oh well, better late than never, right? I will probably add some sort of fiction to my posts as things go along, but I want to get something posted so I don't use this as an excuse to push things off any further. GOAL1: Nutrition. I tried keto last year and found that while it was a difficult adjustment, I felt significantly better. I want to get back into that, cooking regularly, planning my meals out ahead of time, and being very conscious about what I put in my body. I will be using Cronometer.com to track everything I eat and drink. A bonus would be if I could put on a couple pounds, as it has been historically difficult for me to gain any weight at all. GOAL 2: Sleep. My default is nocturnal. Unfortunately, this does not lend itself well to working or otherwise being a functional person. The first thing I'm tackling is my sleep, starting tonight. For now, I am going to aim for a 2am bed time, waking at 10am, no snoozing (this might not sound like much, but last 'night' I went to bed at 6am). GOAl 3: Strength Training. I plan to get back on track with my regular workouts, shooting for 3 days a week. Once I get this re-established I am hoping to add in 2 days a week of cardio, most likely on my indoor bike trainer. LEVEL UP MY LIFE: Finances I am going to die in debt due to student loans, there is nothing I can do about that (I have already consulted a bankruptcy lawyer), but there are things I can do to get my finances in better shape than what they are currently. Part of this will mean continuing to build my case load at work, part will be resisting impulse buys or 'retail therapy' when I am having a bad day, and part will fit in well with my nutrition goal because if I plan my food out ahead of time I have no excuse to eat out. At some point I will need to contact the bank that manages my federal student loans and set up some sort of payment plan with them. I am still hoping to find something I can do about my private student loans, but it looks unlikely that Ii have any options but to just let them default.

Ok, ya'll! I'm back and I'm READY TO GO! My last challenge was not as successful goal-wise as I would have liked, but it was successful "learning things"-wise. The scale made a little progress in the right direction, and my lifting made a LOT of progress. I was off all last week, because of the graduation festivities, and by Friday, I was really feeling the effects of eating out and not exercising. Ugh! For this challenge, I am keeping it simple and emphasizing the Four Pillars of Health: Nutrition, Exercise, Sleep, and Stress. Stay within my calorie range and try to hit my macros every day Complete weeks 2-5 of the Thinner Leaner Strong Phase 1 lifting plan Hot yoga once a week Lights out every week night at 9:00 De-stress daily: meditation, crafting, bubble bath, something relaxing To put the "Whaaa?" in witch, I am trying to learn my tarot cards, so I will be pulling a card once or twice a day. I have been doing this for a few days now, and have pulled the Queen of Pentacles 5 out of 13 times. Hmmm. The card set that I have gives me a great way to spend a little time reflecting on myself and my life, things I need to work, things that are going well, etc. For example, the Queen of Pentacles is about recognizing the abundance that is already around you. Of course, I forgot my lunch today (doh!)!

Grandkai joins the Ranger Campfire I've been a Assassin for most of my NF Rebellion journey and with my current goals i thought it was a nice chance to see how the Rangers are. Let me give a quick introduction to who i am: Dutch guy from the Netherlands and i've been a few years now on the NF Rebellion forums. Did a bunch of challenges, had a break and been back for a few challenges now. I like reading, playing games and 100% them on Xbox. Lets get to the goals: Strength training 2-3x a week Since i started going back to the gym i have a LOT better focus & comitment to staying fit. I'll be doing Stronglifts 3x5 with Dips & Chin-ups added. I have a goal of hitting BW Shoulder press before switching to a new program (current BW is 87kg and my 3x5 right now is 50kg, so long way to go ) Run 1-2 times a week for 3-5 km I used to be a regular runner but after a 10K run last year i stopped, decided after the race to take a week break and after that i didnt run at all. The weather here in the Netherlands is oke right now, decent temperature and a bit cloudy but not so much rain. I have a few nice paths to run near my house so i got enough choices to run. Eat healthier Last challenge i payed more attention to sugars and drinking water. This challenge i want to improve it a bit more. This challenge i'm going to track every meal/drink/snack i consume, Drink 2 liters of water everyday, eat more fruits or consume them as a drink. 100% Gaming hobby In my free time i like to spend a few hours everyday working on getting all the achievements for games i own. With Borderlands 3 coming out in roughly 3 months i'm going to play through the first 3 games (Borderlands 1 & 2 and the Pre-Sequel) and try to 100% them. For the moment without all the included DLC's cause those also add 40-50 hours each and i dont have the time to do all of those aswell. So thats my challenge and i'm curious to see how the Rangers are.

I am READY for a new 4-week challenge! I took last week as a bit of a rest week, so that I can dive in today! Last month was my first challenge and I learned some great lessons. Here are my goals for the next four weeks: weight train 4x a week hot yoga once a week 100 oz of water a day at least 5 days a week 8,000 steps a day on work days meditate at least 15 minutes 4 times a week journal 3 times a week read Thinner, Leaner, Stronger by Michael Matthews

Hey folks. Bardic Garlic here. Very bardic. Very garlicky. A professor. 30. I live in SE Asia after 12 years in the USA. At the end of this challenge, I will be in California for a conference. I need to get ready to dish it out. This bard of the orient is going to face the giants and the gods! (The American folks are literally giant for me. I'm 5'5 (165 cm)). To get to Asgard, I will need to get approval from each god. SACRIFICE: I sacrifice bubble tea for Odin. My replacement is black tea with no sugar. HEIMDALL of BIFROST: Eat the rainbow. Taste the rainbow. - Track a visual journal of my food. - Make sure that each week I eat the vegetables, fruits, or grains of all 5 colors: red, yellow, green, black/purple, and white. ODIN of the GALLOWS: For 9 days and 9 nights he hangs... in a dingy pub downtown. - Pull up + Chin up 90 times for 3 out of 4 weeks. - Run at least 9 km a week - Improve my bench press and squat to 99 kg by the end of the challenge. (Stuck at 90 kilos for a while. Tips highly appreciated) THOR of the HAMMER: They ask for his fists but not for his feels. - Each week, sympathize with people who make you upset. - Reconnect with at least 3 friends. LOKI of the TRICKS: Craft him the tales he won't forget until the rebeginning. - Spend 6 hours a week on my lab manual. - Spend at least 2 hours a week on creative writing. That's it. Looking forward to hear from you all!

Well, am not Milo but am generally a big fan of progressive training philosophies. Super quick intro: am currently 39yo/M. Was in very good shape in my early years, where I competed in judo thru my high school days, and went to Officer School in the military after. In college though, started to deteriorate but still had good metabolism then. Subsequently spent 10 years in a cut-throat business where I flourished professionally and financially, but at the expense of my health. An insurance health check turned up so many red flags it wasn't funny, and I decided to take drastic steps to change my focus in life. Today, I generally eat well, drink very sensible amounts of alcohol, sleep alright (though I suspect I could do better here). I have rediscovered grappling, and had moderate success in competition at my age, and also run/lift on a regular training program. I have a roadmap to become (even more) kickass, and this is that story (hopefully). Objectives for May 2017 Starting Stats: 71kg, 15.1% bf, 53 RHR. <interesting how quickly it fell apart with just a cheat fortnight! I was 68kg, 14.3%, 49RHR just 2 weeks ago...> Fitness: Strength Focus. 2-3 days weights. A: SQT, OHP, Pullups. B: Bench Press, Deadlifts, Loaded Carries. BJJ Focus: X/SLX/Shin on Shin. Spiderman-type passes. Brabo/Darce chokes + Nearside Armbar. Endurance: None for this month except for weekly badminton + weekly 5km slow run. Injury Rehab: No pushups until wonky left wrist is fixed. No squats and deadlifts on same day to keep my piriformis syndrome at bay. Others: Get back to my Duolingo min 1x daily on Portuguese. Read the Stoic Meditations daily. Diet: Eat normally. 3rd May 2017 Shifting things around due to a fund-raiser dinner tonight. Fitness: Did my 1hr of badminton, doubles today. was in pretty good form though my service sucks hard. warm up with that next week. Weights: Bench Press 65kg x 3 x 7. Just doing the program. Wasn't tough. Pullups 13, followed by 11 after 3 min rest. Next session > 14 followed by AMRAP after 3 min. Others: Did 2x duolingo. Read 1 chapter of stoic med. Verdict: Done!

Overview / Motivation: My quest for a Spartan Trifecta continues with this challenge. I'll be taking on the Washington DC Spartan Sprint this June and am really looking forward to the challenge. Need to ramp up my training after prioritizing recovery throughout a busy month following the Beast. Let's get after it! Main Quest: Complete a Spartan Trifecta Side Quests: Complete the Spartan Sprint Points Potential: STA+3 Grading Pass / Fail Average 2 Weight Training Workouts / Week Points Potential: STR+3 Grading A= Average > 90% B= Average > 80% C= Average > 70% D= Average > 60% F= Average < 60% Run 30 Miles & Average 30 Burpees / Day [Sprint Prep] Points Potential: DEX+4 Grading A= Average > 90% B= Average > 80% C= Average > 70% D= Average > 60% F= Average < 60% Life Quest: Read "Mastering Leadership: An Integrated Framework for Breakthrough Performance and Extraordinary Business Results" Complete Module 5 (final module) of the Leadership Coaching for Organizational Well-Being Program Points Potential: WIS+5 Grading A= Average > 90% B= Average > 80% C= Average > 70% D= Average > 60% F= Average < 60%

Overview / Motivation: The time has finally come! As I write out this challenge I am 5 days away from my Spartan Beast. While my training hasn't gone quite to plan, I just wrapped up a successful 10 mile run yesterday which built my confidence for my upcoming 12-14 mile / 30+ obstacle challenge. I'm looking forward to the mental and physical battle that I will be going up against to push the bounds of what I thought I could do. It's going to be an incredible experience. Main Quest: Complete a Spartan Trifecta Side Quests: Complete the Spartan BEAST Points Potential: STA+5 Grading Pass / Fail Average 2 Weight Training Workouts / Week Points Potential: STR+3 Grading A= Average > 90% B= Average > 80% C= Average > 70% D= Average > 60% F= Average < 60% Foam Roll Daily [Recovery] Points Potential: DEX+2 Grading A= Average > 90% B= Average > 80% C= Average > 70% D= Average > 60% F= Average < 60% Life Quest: Read "The Resiliency Advantage: Master Change, Thrive Under Pressure, and Bounce Back from Setbacks" Complete Module 4 of the Leadership Coaching for Organizational Well-Being Program Points Potential: WIS+5 Grading A= Average > 90% B= Average > 80% C= Average > 70% D= Average > 60% F= Average < 60%

I tried to find a good gif or even a pic of T H E V O I D but there aren't any. You can't take a pic of T H E V O I D because it's nothing. Just nothing. Interesting that there are gifs of nothing, but not T H E V O I D. This one is close though. I briefly considered making my challenge theme T H E V O I D but that wouldn't be right either. T H E V O I D is not a theme. It's not anything at all. A little like this, but not really. My challenge isn't going to be nothing. It's going to be more challengey than my last two challenges, which were just battle logs. Not that I regret that. There is no regret in T H E V O I D. Like this, only more, and less. My challenge to myself is to become more than I am now. More strong - weight training and pull-ups will happen. More comfortable - my house needs work. More inspired - I want to read something for fun. More peaceful - ukulele will be played. And I realized that T H E V O I D isn't just nothing. T H E V O I D is the potential. It's what isn't there the instant before something brilliant and beautiful happens. Sometimes T H E V O I D is big, and sometimes T H E V O I D is small. But any time we push, and stretch, and grow, even just a little, we push it back. The tiniest flame beats back great darkness. A little hope heals. A little faith moves mountains. And with just a little effort, I am going to conquer T H E V O I D. Here I go.

Overview / Motivation: Fresh off a productive and successful 4-week challenge, I'm ready to continue my preparation for the Spartan Beast on April 28th. I'm maintaining my strength training, mindset preparation and core work while increasing my stamina and mileage. During this challenge I'll be ramping up my long run from 7 miles to 9 miles. Let's do it! Main Quest: Complete a Spartan Trifecta Side Quests: Complete 60 miles worth of runs this challenge Points Potential: STA+5 Grading A= Average > 90% B= Average > 80% C= Average > 70% D= Average > 60% F= Average < 60% Average 210 Burpees / Week & Complete Daily Front & Side Plank [2:15 Minute Front Plank with 1 Minute Side Plank] Points Potential: DEX+2 Grading: A= Average > 90% B= Average > 80% C= Average > 70% D= Average > 60% F= Average < 60% Average 2 Weight Training Workouts / Week Points Potential: STR+3 Grading A= Average > 90% B= Average > 80% C= Average > 70% D= Average > 60% F= Average < 60% Life Quest: Read "Language and the Pursuit of Leadership Excellence" Complete Module 2 of the Leadership Coaching for Organizational Well-Being Program Points Potential: WIS+5 Grading A= Average > 90% B= Average > 80% C= Average > 70% D= Average > 60% F= Average < 60%

Whoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo lives in a pineapple under the sea? Gurdris the Imbiber! Flimsy and flabby and lazy is she! Gurdris the Imbiber! If nerdical fitness be something you wish Gurdris the Imbiber! Then drop in the gym, and sweat like a bitch! GURDRIS THE IMBIBER! GURDRIS THE IMBIBER! GURDRIS THE IMBIBER! GURDRIS THE IMBIBER! GURDRIIIIIIIIS THE IMBIBER! Yarr, now that the musical number is out of the way... Main Goal: Become Wonder Woman and maintain the weight loss streak I started when I needed to make my shiny new engagement ring fit. Challenge Goal: Stick to a routine of exercise, fitness and keeping on top of laundry. No more collecting underpants - my fiance needs clean ones. Fitness Complete a streak of 10 unmissed workouts, totalling 20 with my trainer. Workout days are Tuesday and Thursday after work, Sunday morning. Loot: trainer and the co-worker who works out with me offered to pay for my dinner if we go out together after 10 workouts. Nutrition Follow my trainer's diet plan (lean meat and veg, low carb, low fat, no junk). Loot: additional plates, knives and forks for our understocked kitchen Mental Read before bed for at least 30 mins every day, instead of Facebooking in bed. Loot: art supplies Life Do laundry twice a week (folded and put away) Loot: new clothes Bonus challenge: Complete listening to an 8hr audiobook (Foundation by Isaac Asimov). However, it may only be listened to underwater, while swimming laps. No swim, no book. No book... No loot. Loot: Full body massage at the spa. Ohhhh yessssss... I've done challenges before but I'm doing this one after a long time away, so consider it a respawn but I'm adding in the extra 2 because I've already been able to maintain some of these goals for most of a month. Scoring: Mental 20xp Fitness 25xp Nutrition 25xp Life 15xp Bonus 15xp -------------------- Total: 100xp Accountibility: I'll update this Challenge log daily with my successes and/or failures and/or spongebob gifs and/or other gifs/all the gifs / no jifs only gifs.

My goal is to definitely chatter in here on a daily basis. Even if it's to say "Hi! I took a nap today!" or that I managed to finish four loads of laundry when I'm not posting things about the gym/working out/general health hubbub! So, back in February, my Step-dad and I joined our local gym. Since then, we were going every other day. I did skip a few days because 1) I wasn't feeling all that great mentally or physically or 2) I was feeling lazy. Lately, I have been far more diligent at pushing myself to go. Even if I'm feeling mentally exhausted or gross, I go because it actually makes me feel better. Much of my first month was cardio on the treadmill. Walking for 20-35 minutes and I liked it! Then I decided to do some weight training on the various machines they have there. I LOVE that. So, I'm going to find a happy medium as we are talking about working on going every day. Which I believe means I would do weight/cardio/weight/cardio throughout the week, or weight/cardio/cardio/weight. I think. I do know that tonight I am going to do some cardio because my muscles are ACHING after probably overdoing it the other night at the gym. Here is some info that I have either written down or recorded: February 3, 2018 Treadmill Work 199 calories burned 35 minutes 0.8 miles February 9, 2018 Treadmill Work 133 calories burned 25 minutes 0.63 miles February 12, 2018 Treadmill Work 136 calories burned 25 minutes 0.7 miles February 17, 2018 Treadmill Work 227 calories burned 35 minutes 1.17 miles February 19, 2018 Treadmill Work 154 calories burned 25:04 minutes 0.74 miles February 22 Treadmill Work 242 calories burned 35 minutes 1.06 miles February 27, 2018 Treadmill Work 229 calories burned 35 minutes 1.23 miles March 6, 2018 I want to note that some of the weight amounts may not be correct as I did not realize the weights have an adjustable handle to set it to 0, 5, or 10 lbs on top of what you have the lock bar set to. Therefore, these could be greater, equal, or less than what I wrote down. I also did not realize how you should set the weights when doing these as this was my first time going through them. I'm better informed now, I hope! 10 10lb leg extensions x 2 10 75lb seated leg curls x 2 10 10lb seated leg press x 3 10 75lb back extension x 2 10 35 lb chest press x 2 10 35lb pull down x 2 10 140??lb seated leg curl x 2 10 75lb calf extension x 2 10 35lb shoulder press x 1+5 Treadmill Work 78 calories burned 13 minutes 0.38 miles March 7, 2018 10 leg extensions 130lb x 2 10 seated leg curl 130lbs x 2 10 back extensions 180lbs x 2 10 seated leg press 130lbs x 2 10 calf extensions 130lbs x 1 10 calf extensions 180lbs x 1 March 10, 2018 10 pull down 75lbs x 1 10 pull down 85lbs x 1 10 pull down 90lbs x 2 10 chest press 75lbs x 2 6 shoulder press 20lbs x2 10 triceps press 210lbs x 2 10 bicep curls 85lbs x 1 6 bicep curls 85lbs x 1 10 row 75lbs x 2 10 seated leg press 140lbs x 2 My Step-Dad and I have become a great gym team and I'm really enjoying it!

Overview / Motivation: I finally did it... during the off week I built up my 5 seconds of courage and bought my 2018 Spartan Trifecta pass. Then I signed up for my first of the Trifecta runs - the Beast. After running my first Spartan race last year, I knew I had to prove to myself that I could push beyond what I believed I could physically and mentally do - I knew I had to complete a Trifecta. This challenge starts my focused preparation and training towards the Tri-State Spartan Beast at the end of April. It is time... I'm also starting my 5 month Professional Coaching Program this month which will conclude in June. It is going to take me way outside my comfort zone, and I'm excited and scared as hell to get started! Main Quest: Complete a Spartan Trifecta Side Quests: Complete 40 miles worth of runs this challenge Points Potential: STA+5 Grading A= Average > 90% B= Average > 80% C= Average > 70% D= Average > 60% F= Average < 60% Average 210 Burpees / Week & Complete Daily Front & Side Plank [2:15 Minute Front Plank with 1 Minute Side Plank] Points Potential: DEX+2 Grading: A= Average > 90% B= Average > 80% C= Average > 70% D= Average > 60% F= Average < 60% Average 2 Weight Training Workouts / Week Points Potential: STR+3 Grading A= Average > 90% B= Average > 80% C= Average > 70% D= Average > 60% F= Average < 60% Life Quest: Read "Start Here: Master the Lifelong Habit of Wellbeing" Complete Module 1 of the Leadership Coaching for Organizational Well-Being Program Points Potential: WIS+5 Grading A= Average > 90% B= Average > 80% C= Average > 70% D= Average > 60% F= Average < 60%

Hey everyone! So this is my second challenge and I hope that I am in the right place. If not, I suppose everything is a journey to enjoy until we are where we need to be. So I am going to be keeping this one rather simple. Still focusing on lifting heavy weights and healthy eating choices because I am on the road to a good looking lean ass body! I have come kind of far, but still have a long way to go and many obstacles to overcome. I have 2 Quests to concentrate on and 4 goals in total which I intend to hit each and every week of this 4 week challenge! QUEST: HEALTHY MUNCHIES GOALS: - Plan dinners at least one day ahead. - Meal prep lunches for the week every Sunday. QUEST: LOSE THE WEIGHT - Weight Train/Lift 4 - 5 times per week. - Add 2 - 4kg onto barbell within the next 4 weeks. I think that these goals and quests are more than attainable and I have full courage in myself that I will be crushing these goals every week! I am super excited and amped! Let's go, let's go!

Overview / Motivation: I am fired up for 2018. No resolutions. Simply time to recommit to excellence and level up my life. Keeping the same approach that I wrapped up 2017 with but will be increasing my running distance and adding in side planks. I have big aspirations of completing a Spartan Trifecta this year and will need to redefine what I think I can actually accomplish physically. Let's light that fire and get after it! #unleash Main Quest: Work towards building my bench and squats to 250 pounds Side Quests: Average 8 Miles of Running / Week Points Potential: STA+4 Grading A= Average > 90% B= Average > 80% C= Average > 70% D= Average > 60% F= Average < 60% Average 210 Burpees / Week & Complete Daily Front & Side Plank [Week 1-3: 2:00 Minutes, Week 4 & 5: 2:15 Minutes with 30 Second Side Planks Week 1-5] Points Potential: DEX+3 Grading: A= Average > 90% B= Average > 80% C= Average > 70% D= Average > 60% F= Average < 60% Average 3 Weight Training Workouts / Week Points Potential: STR+5 Grading A= Average > 90% B= Average > 80% C= Average > 70% D= Average > 60% F= Average < 60% Life Quest: Read "Language and the Pursuit of Leadership Excellence" Points Potential: WIS+3 Grading A= Average > 90% B= Average > 80% C= Average > 70% D= Average > 60% F= Average < 60%

Overview / Motivation: Well, as with most holidays when everyone is home and the routines are thrown off, the fitness and nutrition drops off... While I've been able to focus on nutrition, but fitness routine was lacking. I'll be using this challenge to burn off the bird and all the pumpkin pie I've been eating since Thanksgiving - ramping up the burpees and planks this time around while maintaining my running and lifting goals. Also looking forward to checking out 'Think and Grow Rich' - seems like a must-read in the personal development arena. Good luck to all the rebels as we get back on track following Turkey Day! Main Quest: Work towards building my bench and squats to 250 pounds Side Quests: Average 6 Miles of Running / Week Points Potential: STA+3 Grading A= Average > 90% B= Average > 80% C= Average > 70% D= Average > 60% F= Average < 60% Average 210 Burpees / Week & Complete Daily Plank [Week 1 & 2: 1:15 Minutes, Week 3 & 4: 2 Minutes] Points Potential: DEX+4 Grading: A= Average > 90% B= Average > 80% C= Average > 70% D= Average > 60% F= Average < 60% Average 3 Weight Training Workouts / Week Points Potential: STR+5 Grading A= Average > 90% B= Average > 80% C= Average > 70% D= Average > 60% F= Average < 60% Life Quest: Read "Think & Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill Points Potential: WIS+3 Grading A= Average > 90% B= Average > 80% C= Average > 70% D= Average > 60% F= Average < 60%

Hey yall back again! Last one was kinda mediocre but I've finally kicked the snot out of my goal of cooking 1x a week!! Challenges: Go to the GYM at least 2x a week!! I haven't actually signed up at the gym yet? But that's bc there's the one that i was thinking of going to and then there's a new one opening soon but no eta? So I decided to just go for the one I was gonna go to until the new one opens lol. I'm gonna do the free week this week P: Also I found a workout plan I want to follow on bodybuilding.com so I have an idea of what to do at the gym lol. Stay under 1500 calories 6x a week According to myfitnesspal this is the number of calories for me to lose weight on. ( y'all can follow me there, I'm still RoachRex ). 7th day is cheat day! (saturday is my cheat day). I am starting to learn about macros but tracking is a pain so I think I'll stick with this version for the time being. Learn a new cooking skill! I cook as often as possible so my challenge this time will be learning to fry! Sure this could be a #dangerous skill to learn, but I want to make chicken heart karaage or buffalo chicken hearts and stop spending so much money on groceries so >> Clean the room This is an ongoing project tbh. I've realized part of the problem is that i start projects and just straight up don't finish them and leave them out all over so I'm going to be working on that this time to help with this goal!

Overview / Motivation: I want to up my game with my overall fitness - strength, stamina and dexterity. I am still building up to my 5 seconds of courage to buy my Spartan Trifecta pass for 2018 so I want to keep building a solid foundation to be able to attack that massive challenge head on. I'm leveraging my challenge goals from last time and adding in some additional planks and increasing as many of my core lifts as possible to start breaking through some comfort zones. Main Quest: Work towards building my bench and squats to 250 pounds Side Quests: Average 6 Miles of Running / Week Points Potential: STA+3 Grading A= Average > 90% B= Average > 80% C= Average > 70% D= Average > 60% F= Average < 60% Average 180 Burpees / Week & Complete Daily Plank [Week 1: 1 Minute, Week 2: 1:15 Minutes, Week 3 1:30 Minutes, Week 4: 1:45 Minutes] Points Potential: DEX+4 Grading: A= Average > 90% B= Average > 80% C= Average > 70% D= Average > 60% F= Average < 60% Average 3 Weight Training Workouts / Week Points Potential: STR+5 Grading A= Average > 90% B= Average > 80% C= Average > 70% D= Average > 60% F= Average < 60% Life Quest: Read "On Becoming A Leadership Coach: A Holistic Approach to Coaching Excellence" Points Potential: WIS+3 Grading A= Average > 90% B= Average > 80% C= Average > 70% D= Average > 60% F= Average < 60%

Hi there, Sorry if this is in the wrong place. I joined this forum a while ago but this is my first time posting here. I'm a 5'9", 29 year old guy and currently weigh 56kg/8 st 12 lbs. In the past few weeks I've been thinking of getting more into weight training and powerlifting. I'm not looking to compete or anything but I want to get stronger and build a bit more muscle. I'm not completely new to lifting weights as I had been doing bodypump classes twice a week. Whilst this helped me get lean I'm not seeing the results I'd like. I stumbled across the Stronglifts 5x5 program. This week I took the plunge and switched gyms from the small gym in my local leisure centre to a gym with a dedicated weight training and functional strength training areas. I am genuinely enjoying the Stronglifts program but I do have a few concerns about how much food to eat and how low the workout frequency is. Everything I read about building muscle states that you need to eat a lot. The Stronglifts program also suggests only working out 3 times a week with little to no cardio. About 8-9 years ago I used to weigh 89kg/14 st. I was really unhappy and had no self confidence. Between changing my diet and doing a lot of cardio (at one point I was cycling 13 miles a day) I started losing weight and managed to get down to a healthy 67kg/10 st 10 lbs for my wedding day. I maintained this weight until I joined the gym at my local leisure centre last year and reached my current weight. My worry is that by eating more and doing less cardio the weight will just go back on to my stomach and face. Is this worry completely unfounded? Everything I've read suggests that as long as I eat right (whole foods, high protein, etc) that I won't regain the fat I had before but instead will go to fuelling muscle growth. In the days between heavy weight sessions should I do any cardio? Currently I'm going on 4-5 mile runs but I'm not sure if this is too much. Thanks for taking the time to read this. Any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated. James

Overview / Motivation: This challenge will primarily focus on attacking my lingering low back pain / discomfort that I've been dealing with for way too long now. After some research, I came across some content on pelvic tilt which seems to be a big cause if not the sole cause of what I'm dealing with - too much time sitting in a chair at work all these years... I'm ramping down my training a bit to focus on yoga and some exercises to counterbalance the tilt. Fingers crossed I make some progress. Main Quest: Defeat my lower back pain and pelvic tilt Side Quests: Average 2 Weight Training Sessions / Week Points Potential: STR+4 Grading A= Average > 90% B= Average > 80% C= Average > 70% D= Average > 60% F= Average < 60% Complete 10 minutes of foam roller / stretching daily Points Potential: DEX+4 Grading: A= Average > 90% B= Average > 80% C= Average > 70% D= Average > 60% F= Average < 60% Complete 3 Core-focused Yoga Sessions / Week Points Potential: CON+5 Grading A= Average > 90% B= Average > 80% C= Average > 70% D= Average > 60% F= Average < 60% Life Quest: Complete my application to the 'Leadership Coaching for Organizational Well-Being' Program at George Mason by July 21 Points Potential: WIS+2 Grading: Pass / Fail