Search the Community

Let's have a snowball fight! Tag someone you want to "throw" a snowball at, and they have to "dodge" it by doing one burpee for each snowball thrown at them! Everyone starts with two snowballs. Each snowball dodged = two snowballs to throw. Dodge as many snowballs as you can. If you can't do a burpee, feel free to sub squats or push-ups. You can "throw" a snowball at anyone you want by tagging them; not everyone will respond, and that's okay. If you're tagged but don't want to participate, simply don't respond to the mentions. Have fun! (idea borrowed from the Darebee Hive)

The guild has been collecting dust over the past few months, and those cobwebs in the corner are getting a little too big for comfort. Or maybe it's the spider that's getting too big for comfort... And when was the last time anyone used that? It's time for a little Spring Cleaning!* (Or Fall Cleaning, depending on where you are.) This mini challenge has no spreadsheet. You can participate in all of it, or just part of it (or even none of it). It's all up to you. Complete the quests at your own pace. You can post your responses here, or just keep them saved somewhere for yourself. This is open to anyone from any guild, and you don't need a four week challenge to participate. Questions? Just ask here or message me! *Actual cleaning may or may not be involved.

TIME REBELS The Dino Age! It sounded like easy money. The University needed to test something or other that sounded like it had every letter in the alphabet in its name. All you had to do was sign a release form, and then hang out in the room with the other participants. And not touch the device in the center of the room. And that was it. But when someone is offering you easy money, and a lot of it, there's always a catch isn't there? For a moment, things got weird. Like, really weird. And then everything was normal. And you would be tempted to say that nothing happened. That was too weird to be real, right? Except everyone else was looking just as confused as you. And smoke was coming from the device. A lot of smoke. There’s no windows, so all you could do was open the door... Last time you checked, dinosaurs were extinct. ~~~ To join this mini challenge, click on the link below. You’ll be taken to a short survey. Once it’s submitted you’ll be added to the list and assigned a team. SIGN UP Your team assignments will be announced on Monday (the 19th). The spreadsheet link and challenge directions will also be posted at that time. There will be two or three teams (depending on the number of participants). Sometimes, you might cooperate with the other team(s). And at other times, you may be competing. Each team will have their own thread in the guild, where you can get to know your teammates better and find ways to help keep each other accountable. If you have any questions, you can post here or PM me. Mini challenges are completely optional. They are not meant to detract from or compete with your personal challenges. If you need to drop out for whatever reason, that’s fine. Life happens and we understand. But please tell your teammates! If there are goals you cannot do because of an injury or other restrictions, let me know and we’ll see if we can find an alternative for you. Remember, this is for fun. Participate responsibly!

Hello scout mini challenge #1! 2018! What!? Oh it is on! We are gonna bring it 110%

Ash Raine kicks open the door to reveal.... her first assassin's challenge. \o/\o/\o/ In true assassin style I'm aiming to start to transform my body into a lean, mean, sneak-from-the-shadows machine. Or at least a leaner, meaner, sneakier one I'd like to reduce my body fat percentage and increase my strength, and I'll be doing this through a focus on nutrition, body weight exercise, and walking. Oh, and handstands, because they make me happy. I'll be incorporating elements from my newbie challenge and changing up the scoring to make it more interesting. Quest 1: Strength Following on from my Newbie quest I'm going to continue the BBWW, but upping it to twice a week (Wed and Sat). Scoring: 10 points per round completed. Plus 1 point for each rep over the goal in the third round. Quest 2: Stamina I've enjoyed my daily walks and seeing how far I've walked in the last challenge. For this quest I'll continue to walk everyday, hopefully moving to a run jog wog (walk/jog) for some of them. I'll get 10 point for every km above 20km across the full 4 weeks. I'll also get 10 additional points for every km I run wog. Quest 3: Nutrition Veggie powered! I'll get 10 points for every day I eat vegetables. Defeat the evil sugar overlord: I'll get 10 points for every day I skip a sweet treat. As it is my birthday on Dec 14th I'm not aiming for 100% daily completion (also, I know myself), but I'd like to come out with at least 200 points for this by the end of the challenge (20/28 days) Quest 4: Handstands Daily handstands. Points for every second above 5 seconds on a free handstand, or 10 points for a 30-second hold against the wall. Mini Challenge I've been playing along with the Batman Mini even though I technically wasn't an assassin last time, and have been loving it. So I aim to continue to help track down Gotham's super villains with a sub goal of making a contribution to each villain's capture. <smokebomb> </smokebomb>

Fruit Toss (Rebel Mini-challenge) This mini-challenge is here to help ease you into the forums and give you some extra challenges along the way. This is by no means compulsory, but you may find it fun, or helpful, or a good way to meet fellow rebels. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask here (if it's relevant to the mini challenge), to the Juice Bar, or message me directly. There you have it, enjoy the challenges to come! Week 1 : SMART Challenge Week 2 : Support a fellow Rebel Week 3 : Exercise Experiment Week 4 : Foodie Also, if you find this challenge too basic or want to focus specifically on food, then I ask you to check out the Veggie Chop Off Advanced Mini (HERE).

Fruit Toss (Rebel Mini-challenge) You've just come onto the website and you've been bombarded by information from all sides. PvP, Accountability, Guilds, Challenges, People, Quests, ..... It's a lot of overwhelming information, but you have no need to worry. This mini-challenge is here to help ease you into the forums and give you some extra challenges along the way. This is by no means compulsory, but you may find it fun, or helpful, or a good way to meet fellow rebels. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask here (if it's relevant to the mini challenge), to the Juice Bar, or message me directly. There you have it, enjoy the challenges to come! Week 1 : SMART Challenges Week 2 : Try something Week 3 : Diet Week 4 :

Howdy everyone!! I'm coming in halfway for a mini challenge because I don't really feel like waiting for the next challenge before getting myself in gear (and writing it out with you guys always helps ) and because the goals I have planned for next challenge require a little prep work. 1: Rehab the Neck!!! A few weeks ago I started learning the Helicoptero move, and I'd like to finally land it after next challenge. However, this week, I slept like a moron on Saturday night and gave myself the worst crimp in my neck. I haven't been able to even turn my head let alone work on any sort of cartwheel-esque moves. Plan of action: Remove offending head and footboard: the bed is too short for me, which meant my head and feet would touch both ends, causing me to squash my neck up on the headboard in my sleep. This was how I woke up the day I ruined everything. Get to chiropracter to re-align anything I threw out of whack Heat and stretch this thing until it feels 100% ready (do not want to be injuring the neck, nope nope nope.) Why it's a challenge: I have to call the chiropracter (AGGGHH phone calls), remember an appointment, and make sure not to be over-eagar and damage myself. Why I want to do it anyway: Because it's my frelling NECK. Where important nerves go. 2. Figure out when and how to cook in this house I'm starting a Whole30 on July 1st, and I'll really need to be able to cook for myself. Plan of action: Speak with my mother to determine when she'd like me in the kitchen. Find cookware Perhaps talk her into doing Whole30 with me. Why it's a challenge: My mother is very possesive of her kitchen and doesn't like me cooking in there or using her pots and pans, doesn't want me making noise after 7pm, and doesn't see why I can't just eat whatever the family is eating every day at 6pm on the dot. Why I want to do it anyway: I can't always eat what she cooks, I'm actually allergic to some of it. Also several nights a week I'm not home before 6pm and thus miss my window of opportunity for dinner. 3: Actually prep for Whole30 This is sort of a continuation of the last one but the last one is more of a mental challenge and this one is more of a practical one. I need to actually have food to eat for the upcoming month. Plan of action: Make a list and go grocery shopping like an adult Plan what i'm going to bring to work so I don't skip lunch. Why It's a challenge: Since changing jobs, I'm quite low on funds. Buying a whole separate set of groceries from my family is going to require planning. When I lived by myself, the fridge looked like that picture at least once a week. That needs to change. Why I want to do it anyway: I need to have something to eat for July. And if I don't plan it well, it's not going to happen.

WELCOME TO ASSASSIN SUPERPOWER TRAINING Sign-ups are now closed. >>>Team Roster<<< Welcome to Assassin Superpower Training! Over the course of the month of May, we're all going to be leveling up our superpowers of choice! We Assassins are a diverse bunch, but we do have the following in common: Most of us probably haven't been bitten by radioactive spiders. Most of us aren't genius billionaires. However, we also have the following things in common: We know how to work hard and play hard. We have tenacity in spades. What does all of this mean? Maybe we have to work a little harder than the average super mutant, but we can be super awesome. And we will! When you signed up, you picked your areas of focus for this mini challenge. This mini is meant to be complementary to your overall challenge goals! How do you get better at something? You work on it. And work on it. And work on it. So that's what we're going to do. Available super powers: So what is this team thing about? On the mini challenge spreadsheet, you'll see that you've been assigned to a team. Teams of superheroes and supervillains will be facing off in bracket format throughout the mini challenge - eventually, one team will emerge victorious! Wait, but I don't see a chat thread? That's right! There are 8 small teams. Each team has an assigned leader. The leader should start a team PM. Get to know each other. Make friends. Poke your teammates when they don't check in... So what do we do, though? Train in your chosen superpowers at your own pace. Each superpower will be scored separately as they have varying degrees of difficulty. Enter the amount of time trained. What counts as training? The time you spend working out counts as training. You don't have to pause a timer between sets - rest periods are a sensible and healthy part of any regimen. However, please be sensible: if you're doing GtG training every hour on the hour, you did not train 8 hours. Dedicated training time only, please. For simplicity's sake, warm-up and cool-down may be counted as long as they're done in the context of warming up for (and cooling down from) your main superpower workout. Don't count anything twice though (i.e. if your strength workout cooldown is mobility, you can count the cooldown for super strength OR shapeshifting, but not both). Similarly, if you're doing nutrition, you should count actual prep time - NOT time something sits in the crock pot, not time spent washing dishes, not time spent grpocery shpopping, and not time spent eating. Oh, so I should just train like 6 hours a day every day so my team can win, right? Assassins can be overzealous, but please, be sensible and remain aware of overtraining. Strength training at high difficulty 6 days in a row will not only hinder your progress - you may very well get hurt. So if you're working on walking and walk every day, by all means, log 7 hours a week. If you're working on something more taxing, use your common sense. Rest days are good for you. Your main goal is to become super - winning is just a bonus. So how are you scoring this, since these superpowers are all pretty different? Each power will be judged individually. You'll be awarded points based on your ranking in each power you've chosen (the most training time earns the most points, second gets the second most, etc). More common powers will be worth more points, but will also have more competition. Individual scores will be averaged to determine the team score and team scores will be compared to determine the winner of each weekly matchup. You and your spreadsheets. Where exactly do I mark how long I trained? On the spreadsheet, pick the tab correstponding to your chosen superpower. You will find your name on this tab. Enter your time trained next to your name. Update continuously as the challenge goes on. Hold on, I don't get it. What about _______? Ask away and we will answer!

FINAL ASSASSIN FANTASY Welcome to the Challenge #48 Assassin Mini Challenge! The fate of all the worlds rests in your hands. Will you band together and emerge triumphant as heroes, or will the forces of Chaos tear the cosmos apart? The clock is ticking! BAND TOGETHER TO STOP THE FORCES OF CHAOS! How It Works: This mini is open to all who wish to participate, with a few restrictions: All Assassins of all levels are eligible to participate. Members of other guilds are also welcome to join the party as special guest party members. If this is your first NF challenge, we encourage you to focus on your challenge goals and NOT join this mini challenge. Mini challenges can be very demanding and can take you off track if your habits are still in the process of being solidified. Please consider carefully before joining in. No sign up is necessary. You may drop in and out at any time. Participants must complete four battles of increasing difficulty in which they will face a total of 11 enemies. Once these 11 enemies are defeated, participants must defeat Chaos, the god of discord. Participants will have the option to choose their battle class. Different classes will have different powers. Participants will be able to change classes between battles. There will be options available for participants of all fitness levels as well as for people with injuries or other physical issues. The party will have HP and your enemies WILL ATTACK YOU. If party HP drops to 0, you must restart the battle. Yes, there will be a healer class available. This thread is meant for coordination and strategizing. There will also be a BATTLE THREAD posted once your first challengers appear. All battles must be completed before April 30th, 11:59pm EST, OR ELSE CHAOS WINS.

FINAL ASSASSIN FANTASY BATTLE RULES Basic Rules: You may pick one class per battle. This means that if you start the battle as a Berserker, YOU MUST COMPLETE THE BATTLE AS A BERSERKER. No reclassing to White Mage or Black Mage mid-fight. Please do not hoard your reps. Make a reasonable attempt to keep a running tally. Once a day for updates would be a good cadence. Your team members can help you if you have an issue updating gdocs. Please make a NEW entry every time you add reps/sets/seconds. DO NOT update your previous entry. You may change your attack (within the limits of your class) or your target with every entry. You will not be told the threshold at which the Ninja steal ability is activated, nor will you know which attack you are stealing until you receive it. You will then be able to save that attack and activate it at any time. You will not be told the threshold at which the Summoner summon ability activated, though you will know which summon you will receive. Once the ability activates, the summon appears immediately. You will not be able to hold the summon in reserve for a later time. Offensive classes (Berserker, Black Mage) and thief class (Ninja) should always target AN ENEMY. Defensive classes (White Mage, Summoner) should always target THE PARTY. Keep in mind that different enemies may react differently to different types of damage. Experiment with targets and skills until you find your best strategy. This thread will be kept exclusively for battle announcements, Summon appearances, and villain attacks. Please post all conversation, strategy, and questions on the Party Strategy Thread.

The Final Battle You have prepared for this. You have trained yourself in the ways of the Force. Now it is time to decide once and for all which side will triumph. Are you ready to take up your lightsabers? Each Padawan or Acolyte who wishes to participate: Perform the same exercises you completed for your initiation to test your mettle against your rivals. HOW TO PLAY: Only those who have been previously assigned teams may participate. If you have not yet been assigned to a team, you must wait until April to join the mini challenge fun. Complete reps in the same exercises you scored for your initiation. You may do as many sets as you like - this is NOT an AMRAP test. If you completed modified exercises for your initiation, please just use those. If you have been injured between the time of your initiation and today, leading to an inability to do your original exercise, please contact the GLs for an alternative. Scoring is based on several criteria. There are bonuses in play for all lightsaber components that you have completed (vs. received off the shelf) as well as for any mini challenges won by your team in the last seven weeks. The team with the highest final score at 11:59pm on Friday, March 25th, will emerge triumphant! This mini-challenge lasts until Friday, March 25, 11:59pm EST! >>Final Battle<< Normal Mini-Challenge Rules: - Mini-challenges are not mandatory, feel free to ignore this one if you don't want to participate. Don't let mini-challenges hinder your own goals. - If you're not sure how to register something, post it here. - Keep it simple! - Don't hurt yourself! Assassins, remember to be safe and have fun!

Assassin Force Academy An ominous shadow hangs over the galaxy, as Jedi Masters and Sith Lords both mysteriously disappear, leaving their orders in chaos. On a forgotten space station, an elite group gathers to answer the call of the Force, each sensing the approach of a great battle to decide the fate of the galaxy. All now seek training to prepare for the coming conflict, but only those willing to choose a side and fight for what they believe will have a chance to prevail... >>Choose Your Allegiance<< This mini challenge will last for 2 challenge cycles, completing on March 25th. There will be an option for new Assassins to join midway once they have completed their Rebel challenge.All Assassins, regardless of fitness level, are eligible and welcome to enroll.Members of other guilds who wish to play along may do so - however, please note that you must have completed AT LEAST ONE FULL CHALLENGE on NF (Recruit/Rebel challenge) to participate. If this is your first challenge with Nerd Fitness, please come join us in April.Please follow this main thread to ensure you are aware of updates and new challenges as they happen.Challenge cadence may not be weekly. However, there will always be something to work on, as certain assignments may be done concurrently and take more time to complete.No equipment is strictly required, however access to a pull-up bar or something comparable will be greatly beneficial at certain times.Modifications for injuries or other physical issues will be provided on a case by case basis whenever possible.This challenge is not meant to keep you from completing your own goals. Participation in these mini challenges should always take a back seat to working on your own challenge. IF YOU ARE NEW TO THE ASSISSINS ON FEBRUARY 29TH, PLEASE READ THIS: Welcome to the guild and the Force Academy mini! It has been going since the start of the February challenge, but as mentioned, you are welcome to join us midway. In order to catch up, please fill out the form linked above to be assigned a team. Then, follow the links in the post directly below this one to complete initiation and your 4 lightsaber components. Lightsaber mini challenges are available until March 11th. If you do not have enough time to complete a component, you will be given a basic lightsaber in time to participate in the final battle. May the Force be with you!

Sith thrive on competition, understanding that only those who constantly test themselves can ever become the best. They rely on personal capability and seek out those with superior abilities to further challenge themselves. THE DARK SIDE DOES NOT TOLERATE SLACKERS.

Jedi nurture teamwork and cooperation, knowing that a group is more than the sum of its parts. Through gentle encouragement, they surround themselves with like-minded, positive people. THE LIGHT SIDE WELCOMES ALL WHO DEDICATE THEMSELVES.

Lightsaber Construction Proper alignment and connection of the components within a lightsaber are critical to its function. Only those with a clear and focused mind can direct the Force subtly enough to establish the pathways necessary for the weapon to operate correctly. Each Padawan or Acolyte who wishes to construct their lightsaber may perform the task below: To perform final assembly of your lightsaber, you must perform 30 minutes of meditation. Any components not already completed will be provided to you for this task. Once construction has begun, you will be unable to continue work on the individual components. HOW TO PLAY: If you have not already Chosen Your Allegiance, please use the link to do so. A Guild Leader will assign you a faction at their earliest opportunity (allow at least 24 hours). Check the sheets (Jedi Padawan and Sith Acolytes) to see where you have been assigned. A datasheet for construction can be found here. Find your name (under your faction). Record the total number of minutes spent in meditation. Fractions of a minute may be recorded, at the individual’s discretion. This is cumulative, so take as many sessions as you need to reach your final goal. Once an individual has begun this portion of the mini-challenge, they may no longer submit results for any lightsaber components. If all components have not been completed at this time, they will receive a basic, standard version of each missing component with which to complete their lightsaber. Any non-component challenges (i.e. "Finding Allies") are unrelated to construction and can be completed concurrently. If you wish to finish your components before beginning construction, that is fine - you may work on components until 3/11 and begin construction after that date. Each Padawan or Acolyte will be awarded their completed lightsaber once they reach their individual goal, and earn their faction 1 point. An individual’s percent completion may go past 100%. This mini-challenge lasts until March 19th! >>Assemble Your Lightsaber<< Normal Mini-Challenge Rules: - Mini-challenges are not mandatory, feel free to ignore this one if you don't want to participate. Don't let mini-challenges hinder your own goals. - If you're not sure how to register something, post it here. - Keep it simple! - Don't hurt yourself! Assassins, remember to be safe and have fun!

Bonus Challenge 4: Relic Hunt Lost temples, hidden fortresses, and forgotten tombs all hide artifacts of great power that can aid you, if you can navigate the treacherous passages and make your way past the traps that still guard them. Each Padawan or Acolyte who wishes to participate: Find the list of yoga poses on the scoring sheet. Complete poses to avoid the defenses, but don’t get too far ahead of your teammates to avoid getting lost. HOW TO PLAY: If you have not already Chosen Your Allegiance, please use the link to do so. A Guild Leader will assign you a faction at their earliest opportunity (allow at least 24 hours). Check the sheets (Jedi Padawan and Sith Acolytes) to see where you have been assigned. Log the number of poses completed with GOOD FORM. If you are unable to perform a pose with good form, do not count it. The poses range from very simple to very difficult, so choose your poses based on what your body can safely do. Individual scores are limited to 2x their team’s average poses scored. (For example, there are 20 people on Anim’s team. If he logs 10 poses, the team average will be ½ and he will earn 1 point for his team. As his teammates log poses of their own, the team average will increase and his additional poses will automatically be scored.) You may count each pose only once. If you have an injury that means you cannot perform any poses safely please contact your Guild Leaders for an alternative challenge. You are encouraged to share photos or videos of your efforts, although these are not required for scoring purposes. This challenge will end on Friday, March 18th, at 11:59pm EST. The team with the most traps defeated will have also found the most relics, earning a bonus for the final battle. This mini-challenge lasts until March 18th, 11:59pm EST! >>Relic Hunt<< Normal Mini-Challenge Rules: - Mini-challenges are not mandatory, feel free to ignore this one if you don't want to participate. Don't let mini-challenges hinder your own goals. - If you're not sure how to register something, post it here. - Keep it simple! - Don't hurt yourself! Assassins, remember to be safe and have fun!

Lightsaber Components: Beam Emitter The beam emitter shapes the magnetic field, creating the lightsaber’s blade with the plasma stream from the focus crystal. By adjusting the beam emitter design, the final blade length may be determined. Each Padawan or Acolyte who wishes to construct their own beam emitter may perform the task below to select their blade length: A standard lightsaber blade is approximately 1-meter long. A longer blade provides reach on an opponent, while a shorter blade allows faster reactions. However, the usefulness of each depends on the individual application and combat style. To construct your beam emitter, you will complete reps in each of the four progression lists (Push, Pull, Legs, and Core). If you perform an exercise of a higher difficulty than your baseline (on the appropriate list), your blade will lengthen. If you perform an exercise of a lower difficulty than your baseline, your blade will shorten. Performing the same exercise as you did for your baseline will leave your blade unchanged. Your final lightsaber blade length will be determined by the balance of exercise difficulties you perform. HOW TO PLAY: If you have not already Chosen Your Allegiance, please use the link to do so. A Guild Leader will assign you a faction at their earliest opportunity (allow at least 24 hours). Check the sheets (Jedi Padawan and Sith Acolytes) to see where you have been assigned. If you have not completed your Initiation, please do so before starting this component. A datasheet for this component can be found here. Find your name (under your faction); a goal for this component will be displayed (the sum of your baseline score in each progression). Select one exercise from each of the four progression lists (Push, Pull, Legs, and Core) and enter its difficulty level in the proper column. Complete reps in the chosen exercises. You may only submit reps in a single variation for each progression list. Points will be earned based on the relative difficulty of the exercise and the number of reps performed. The individual goal equals the total of the individual’s baseline score in all progressions (from their Initiation). Reps may be divided as desired (any combination of sets, rest time, workouts, etc). AMRAP sets are not required. For single limb variants, use whichever limb you like, or alternate. Partial reps are NOT permitted. Only full reps with good form may be scored. Reps used for this component may not be counted towards progress in any other portion of this mini-challenge (such as the focus crystal component or bonus challenges). Each Padawan or Acolyte will be awarded their beam emitter once they reach their individual goal, and earn their faction 1 point. An individual’s percent completion may go past 100%, for purposes of earning the weekly bonus (see below). If you have an injury that means you cannot do any of these exercises safely please contact your Guild Leaders for an alternative challenge. BONUS: At a random time each week (5 times throughout the challenge), the individual with the highest PERCENT complete FOR THE WEEK (most progress) will be awarded a dual-phase emitter adjustable to a second blade length of their choice. This award may only be earned once, and will pass to the second highest, and so on, if necessary in later weeks. This mini-challenge lasts until March 11th! >>Build Your Emitter<< Normal Mini-Challenge Rules: - Mini-challenges are not mandatory, feel free to ignore this one if you don't want to participate. Don't let mini-challenges hinder your own goals. - If you're not sure how to register something, post it here. - Keep it simple! - Don't hurt yourself! Assassins, remember to be safe and have fun!

Lightsaber Components: Power Cell Power cells are common throughout the galaxy, finding use in everything from weapons to appliances and droids to starships. While power cells can be charged quickly with a wall charger, a more personal connection is achieved if the Padawan or Acolyte carries it on their person and allows it to charge from the latent power of the Force around them. Each Padawan or Acolyte who wishes to charge their own power cell may perform the task below: To properly charge your power cell, you must properly fuel your body. This requires forethought and planning prior to the meal and analysis and reflection following it. To fully charge your power cell, you must post four separate recipes and a review for each. HOW TO PLAY: If you have not already Chosen Your Allegiance, please use the link to do so. A Guild Leader will assign you a faction at their earliest opportunity (allow at least 24 hours). Check the sheets (Jedi Padawan and Sith Acolytes) to see where you have been assigned. If you have not completed your Initiation, please do so before starting this component. A datasheet for this component can be found here. Find your name (under your faction). Submissions should consist of a recipe and a review and be posted in this thread (or elsewhere and a link provided in this thread). Each recipe must contain at least one vegetable, of the submitter’s choice. The submitter is not required to be the taste tester for a submission, so long as the complete recipe is included, an honest assessment is provided, and the post is the submitter’s own work. Partial submissions are NOT permitted. However, if you run into time constraints, you may post the recipe and review in separate posts; do not score the submission until both parts have been posted. All submissions must be performed during this mini-challenge period (cooked and tasted). Submissions from previous posts may not be counted UNLESS the recipe is repeated and the review updated during this mini-challenge. Submissions used for this component may not be counted towards progress in any other portion of this mini-challenge (such as bonus challenges). Each Padawan or Acolyte will be awarded their power cell once they reach their individual goal, and earn their faction 1 point. An individual’s percent completion may go past 100%, for purposes of earning the weekly bonus (see below). BONUS: At a random time each week (5 times throughout the challenge), the individual with the highest PERCENT complete FOR THE WEEK (most progress) will be awarded an overcharged power cell. This award may only be earned once, and will pass to the second highest, and so on, if necessary in later weeks. This mini-challenge lasts until March 11th! >>Charge Your Power Cell<< Normal Mini-Challenge Rules: - Mini-challenges are not mandatory, feel free to ignore this one if you don't want to participate. Don't let mini-challenges hinder your own goals. - If you're not sure how to register something, post it here. - Keep it simple! - Don't hurt yourself! Assassins, remember to be safe and have fun!

Bonus Challenge 3: Finding Allies Staunch allies are one of the greatest advantages possible. The galaxy is populated by many peoples, from a wide variety of species and societies. Perhaps you can convince some of them to aid you in your cause. Each Padawan or Acolyte who wishes to participate: Look around the forums for fellow rebels you haven’t met and introduce yourself. If you find a connection and commit to following them for the remainder of the March challenge, you may count them as one of the following allies. Each participant may earn up to 3 points for recruiting allies. Mentor: A person on a path similar to your own, but further along it. They can offer advice and warn of possible pitfalls as you continue to progress. Examples: Yoda, Obi-wan Kenobi, Snoke. Your mentor should be on your team. Accomplice: A person with similar interests or goals to your own, who can offer support and encouragement. Examples: C-3PO and R2-D2, Han Solo and Chewbacca, Finn and Poe Dameron. Your accomplice should be on your team. Rival: A person of similar ability to your own, who will push you to better yourself. Examples: Han Solo and Boba Fett, Rey and Kylo Ren. Your rival should be on the opposite team from yours. Padawan/Acolyte: A person who asks you to be their mentor. **You may not seek out a padawan/acolyte; they must find you.** Examples: Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker, Rey. You may only take on a padawan/acolyte from your own team. HOW TO PLAY: If you have not already Chosen Your Allegiance, please use the link to do so. A Guild Leader will assign you a faction at their earliest opportunity (allow at least 24 hours). Check the sheets (Jedi Padawan and Sith Acolytes) to see where you have been assigned. Log allies recruited to your cause on the spreadsheet ONLY if you are committing to following them for the remainder of this challenge cycle (and hopefully beyond). This commitment entails at LEAST one comment on their thread every week (though please feel free to exceed that!). Only new allies may be logged for points, not allies from previous challenges. You should pick people who you would not have followed otherwise. Branch out! Meet someone new in the guild! Obviously, if someone approaches you, you can follow them back - you both win points. You may earn one point per category - that means you cannot claim 3 points for 3 accomplices or 3 mentors - no more than one of each for points. That said, you may claim as many new allies as you like if you would like to go above and beyond. Please enter the number of each type of ally into the spreadsheet to have your points counted (i.e. 1 mentor, 2 accomplices, 2 rivals, etc.). This challenge will end on Wednesday, March 9th at 12:00pm EST (~1 week from the time of this post). The team with the largest total number of new allies will get a bonus for the final battle. This mini-challenge lasts until 12:00pm EST on March 9th! >>Recruitment<< Normal Mini-Challenge Rules: - Mini-challenges are not mandatory, feel free to ignore this one if you don't want to participate. Don't let mini-challenges hinder your own goals. - If you're not sure how to register something, post it here. - Keep it simple! - Don't hurt yourself! Assassins, remember to be safe and have fun!

Lightsaber Components: Saber Hilt The saber hilt contains and protects all other lightsaber components, while acting as a handle for the lightsaber blade. Many styles exist, some standard and some customized to their wielder. Each Padawan or Acolyte who wishes to construct their own saber hilt may select one (and only one) of the styles below: Two-handed Hilt - The most basic style of lightsaber, a two-handed lightsaber provides the best grip and leverage, making it well suited to defensive fighting styles or those who wish to overpower their opponents. To construct a two-handed saber hilt, you must perform 50 basic burpees. One-handed Hilt - A slight adaption on the basic lightsaber, a one-handed hilt provides better balance and response when held in one hand. This hilt lends itself to both offensive and defensive styles that rely on finesse. To construct a one-handed saber hilt, you must perform 50 burpee pushups. Double-bladed Hilt - Double-bladed hilts, sometimes called saber staffs, are large enough to accommodate a blade on each side. Their wielders tend towards aggressive, acrobatic styles to make best use of this design. To construct a double-bladed hilt, you must perform 50 burpee box jumps. Twin Saber Hilts - The most difficult design to learn, twin saber hilt wielders carry a one-handed lightsaber in each hand. This style provides additional options, both offensively and defensively, but also carries additional risk in coordinating two beams of pure energy. To construct twin saber hilts, you must perform 50 burpee pullups. HOW TO PLAY: If you have not already Chosen Your Allegiance, please use the link to do so. A Guild Leader will assign you a faction at their earliest opportunity (allow at least 24 hours). Check the sheets (Jedi Padawan and Sith Acolytes) to see where you have been assigned. If you have not completed your Initiation, please do so before starting this component. A datasheet for this component can be found here. Find your name (under your faction) and select your desired style. Complete reps in the chosen burpee variant. Partial reps are NOT permitted. Only full reps with good form may be scored. Reps used for this component may not be counted towards progress in any other portion of this mini-challenge (such as bonus challenges). Each Padawan or Acolyte will be awarded their saber hilt once they reach their individual goal, and earn their faction 1 point. An individual’s percent completion may go past 100%, for purposes of earning the weekly bonus (see below). If you have an injury that means you cannot do any of these exercises safely please contact your Guild Leaders for an alternative challenge. BONUS: At a random time each week (5 times throughout the challenge), the individual with the highest PERCENT complete FOR THE WEEK (most progress) will be awarded the choice of a hilt customization. This award may only be earned once, and will pass to the second highest, and so on, if necessary in later weeks. This mini-challenge lasts until March 11th! >>Select Your Hilt<< Normal Mini-Challenge Rules: - Mini-challenges are not mandatory, feel free to ignore this one if you don't want to participate. Don't let mini-challenges hinder your own goals. - If you're not sure how to register something, post it here. - Keep it simple! - Don't hurt yourself! Assassins, remember to be safe and have fun!

Initiation With their allegiance determined, the newest Padawans and Acolytes begin testing their new abilities. No progress can be made without first having a starting point... As a new Force User, your abilities will fall into one of four categories. In order to ensure that each trainee is properly challenged, you will need to complete a baseline in each area before proceeding. This is only required once during the challenge and may be completed at any point. HOW TO PLAY: If you have not already Chosen Your Allegiance, please use the link to do so. A Guild Leader will assign you a faction at their earliest opportunity (allow at least 24 hours). Check the sheet to see where you have been assigned. A list of possible exercises, with associated difficulty, has been provided here. Each trainee should complete a single AMRAP set in one exercise from each list of their choice. Jedi Padawan and Sith Acolytes each have a sheet to record their results and track progress in future training.AMRAP (As Many Repetitions As Possible) is defined as a the maximum reps completed *with good form* in a single set with minimal restFor single limb variants, use whichever limb you like. Feel free to use Google sheets' "add note" feature to add notes to the spreadsheetPartial reps are NOT permitted.A score will be calculated for each exercise based on the exercise chosen and reps performed. This score will be used in later training activities. Please test ONLY ONCE PER CATEGORY.If you don't have access to a pull-up bar, you can do bodyweight rows or door pulls (if you have access to a place for either) OR dumbbell/other heavy object rows and count them as the level 1 exercise for pulls. Stick to the flat variants for core, which require no equipment.For the pull category, any grip on the bar is fine (pull/chin/neutral).If you have an injury that means you cannot do any of these exercises safely please contact your Guild Leaders for an alternative challenge. This mini-challenge lasts until March 11th! >>Begin Your Training<< Jedi Padawan Sith Acolytes Normal Mini-Challenge Rules: - Mini-challenges are not mandatory, feel free to ignore this one if you don't want to participate. Don't let mini-challenges hinder your own goals. - If you're not sure how to register something, post it here. - Keep it simple! - Don't hurt yourself! Assassins, remember to be safe and have fun!

Lightsaber Components: Focus Crystal The focus crystal takes energy from the power cell and converts it to a stream of plasma that will create the lightsaber’s blade. The type of crystal also determines the color of the blade. Each Padawan or Acolyte who wishes to obtain their own focus crystal may undertake one (and only one) of the quests below: Ilum - A barren, icy world, those who search Ilum for their crystal will brave fierce predators and fiercer snow storms, but those who exhibit LEG strength and dedication will be rewarded with a Blue Focus Crystal. Halm - A mining colony on a desert world, those who travel to Halm must PULL their crystal from the earth itself. Those who persevere will be rewarded with a Green Focus Crystal. Synthetic - Through a gruelling ritual, it is possible to shape a crystal from its base elements. Those who engage their CORE and willpower will be rewarded with a Red Focus Crystal. Dantooine - Dantooine’s crystal cave houses many gems and the Kinrath that protect them. Those who PUSH past the poisonous beasts will be rewarded with a Yellow Focus Crystal. HOW TO PLAY: If you have not already Chosen Your Allegiance, please use the link to do so. A Guild Leader will assign you a faction at their earliest opportunity (allow at least 24 hours). Check the sheets (Jedi Padawan and Sith Acolytes) to see where you have been assigned.If you have not completed your Initiation, please do so before starting this component.Complete reps in the chosen progression. Any level may be performed, though it is recommended that you limit yourself to one step above or below your baseline. You are limited to up to 3 levels for this quest, but you may choose any 3 from within your chosen progression (i.e. you can choose basic squats, intermediate shrimp squats, and pistol squats as your 3, but at that point you MAY NOT earn more points by adding advanced shrimp squats). You may also prefer to stick to only 1 exercise and earn all your points from that one alone. The choice is yours. Points will be earned based on the relative difficulty of the exercise and the number of reps performed. The individual goal equals 5x the individual’s baseline score in that progression (from their Initiation). Reps may be divided as desired (any combination of sets, rest time, workouts, etc).For single limb variants, use whichever limb you like, or alternate. Partial reps are NOT permitted. Only full reps with good form may be scored.Reps used for this component may not be counted towards progress in any other portion of this mini-challenge (such as other components or bonus challenges). i.e. if you choose the blue crystal, you will not be able to use your legs AMRAP for future challenges, if you choose the red, you will not be able to use your core AMRAP, etc.Each Padawan or Acolyte will be awarded their focus crystal once they reach their individual goal, and earn their faction 1 point. An individual’s percent completion may go past 100%, for purposes of earning the weekly bonus (see below).If you have an injury that means you cannot do any of these exercises safely please contact your Guild Leaders for an alternative challenge.BONUS: At a random time each week (5 times throughout the challenge), the individual with the highest PERCENT complete FOR THE WEEK (most progress) will be awarded the choice of a custom color crystal. This award may only be earned once, and will pass to the second highest, and so on, if necessary in later weeks. This mini-challenge lasts until March 11th! >>Claim Your Crystal<< Normal Mini-Challenge Rules: - Mini-challenges are not mandatory, feel free to ignore this one if you don't want to participate. Don't let mini-challenges hinder your own goals. - If you're not sure how to register something, post it here. - Keep it simple! - Don't hurt yourself! Assassins, remember to be safe and have fun!

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

Bonus Challenge 2: Beast Taming Many wild beasts populate the galaxy, some more friendly than others. Their strength can aid you in the coming battle, but only if you can capture and tame them in time. Each Padawan or Acolyte who wishes to participate: Padawans and Acolytes should divide themselves into a search team and a strike team. Those on the Search Team will scour the galaxy for appropriate beasts by performing Mountain Climbers. Those on the Strike Team must subdue the beasts with Punches and Kicks before their training can begin. HOW TO PLAY: If you have not already Chosen Your Allegiance, please use the link to do so. A Guild Leader will assign you a faction at their earliest opportunity (allow at least 24 hours). Check the sheets (Jedi Padawan and Sith Acolytes) to see where you have been assigned. Select your team (either Search or Strike). You may change teams as many times as you wish, however your score must be reset to zero (0) each time, even if you are changing to a team for which you had a score previously. (Example: Anim starts on the Search team and scores 10 reps, then changes to the Strike team. His score is reset to 0 reps. He then changes back to the Search team. His score is again reset to 0 reps, even though he had previously performed 10 reps for Search.) 1 rep = both sides (i.e. punch with left and right hand in succession). You may do punches AND/OR kicks in any combination for the strike team. Log your cumulative reps for your chosen team WITH GOOD FORM. If and only if you are unable to perform any of these exercises safely, please contact your guild leaders for an alternative exercise. This challenge will end on Thursday, 2/25, at 11:00pm EST. Individual reps will be totalled to determine the total score for each team. The final faction score will be the lower of their two team scores, and the winner will receive a bonus during the final battle. This mini-challenge lasts until 11:00pm EST on Thursday, 2/25! >>Call of the Wild<< Normal Mini-Challenge Rules: - Mini-challenges are not mandatory, feel free to ignore this one if you don't want to participate. Don't let mini-challenges hinder your own goals. - If you're not sure how to register something, post it here. - Keep it simple! - Don't hurt yourself! Assassins, remember to be safe and have fun!