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The new school year has started! Even though I don't really go to school myself, it's also a time for me to say good-bye to holidays, roll up my sleeves and get back to work! The last chance to get smarter and stronger before leaving my homeland and starting a new adventure! The Schedule: Defence Against The Dark Arts Wim Hof Method Meditation Journaling Core exercise Charms - the last chance to brush up on my German, I am gonna focus on listening and speaking because I feel that's most crucial to survive abroad. Flying - cardio, walking, stretching Ancient Studies - I am gonna read a book (in German) that tries to prove that the civilisation on Earth was built by aliens. Why such a weird choice? Well, this book is kind of special for me. It's very difficult, there is a lot of information about astronomy and history. My uncle presented it to me (he is obsessed about those aliens) when I barely could speak or read any German. Now, many years later I can finally do it. It's really satisfying. History of Magic - recently I bought a history book. It really disappointed me because it was written by a real fanatic (a traditional conservative, so you can imagine the content), but I feel like it's a pity to just throw it away and the pictures there are really nice, so I am gonna focus on the facts I can learn/review from this book and omit the bullshit (there was even a statement like: in vitro is bad because who could love children from a test tube? ). This book really should be in a forbidden section lol. And it was a textbook at school! Maybe I will burn it after I read it. And the last, but not the least, stop eating sweets! After coming back I eat them every day. Time to get off of that sugar high and quit this disastrous habit. From now on, one sweet snack 1-2 a week. That's it folks! Welcome on board and good luck with your challenges!

Hi Friends! Last challenge saw me go through a mood blip and my spending got pretty out of hand, an unfortunate Bipolar symptom that I don’t often have to deal with. I have tweaked my medication and things seem to be levelling out, which is excellent. But just to be sure that I am in control of things in a conscious way, I am choosing to take on this challenge as a no-spend cycle. I’ve never done this before so I have no idea what to expect. But I have been writing in my journal about how I want more creativity and less consumption so that is the balance I am hoping to strike over the next six weeks. Goals: 1) No-Spend: My parameters for this are: no casual spending and no online spending of any kind; no eating take out or fast food if I am alone and I can only have it if Dave suggests it (I can’t propose it to him), and no “add ons” for non-essential things when we are at places like WalMart that might have pens, etc., that tempt me. There is a No-Spend PVP thread Here if you are interested in that kind of thing. 2) Movement before Forums: I have been rehabilitating a bad case of plantar fasciitis since May and I think I might finally be out the other side of it. Yesterday I managed 5100 steps, my best day since the injury. Today I am at 5200 and the day isn’t over yet, thanks in part to a dedicated 30 minute treadmill session that seemed to go very well. I am making a commitment that I cannot come on here to post my daily update if I have not already completed a minimum of 15 minutes of movement. This can be a walk, weights, resistance bands, bodyweight stuff, whatever, it just needs to be done first. The forums are a huge part of my day because of how little I have to do at work that this will be a good motivator for me. 3) Eat food, not too much, mostly plants: This is a quote from Michael Pollan that has resonated with me for many years. I was doing a low carb modality for a while but I was finding it very hard to re-commit to tracking and measuring and all of that so I stopped that before I gave myself a complex. I am taking this challenge as a break from tracking and working with the knowledge I have from previous eating modalities (keto, paleo, etc) to choose plants first and then fill out my plate with healthy choices. Problem areas are traditionally game snacks (every Friday and Sunday) so I will be trying to eat snap peas, apple chips, etc., instead of regular chips and see if I can resist the chocolate and gummies completely. I am allowed to have chocolate and gummies, but it needs to be a moderate portion and I cannot feel like I am out of control with them. As soon as I feel out of control the rest go away. Mindfulness is going to be huge here. Other things that will be happening in the background: Latvian lessons on Mondly; daily Tarot and writing reflection; and daily writing/reading/game prep. All of these will be tracked in my Bullet Journal as per usual. The spread for this challenge has stickers from thecoffeemonsterzco on it which I find hugely delightful. The spread: Which brings me to my reward… thecoffeemonsterzco is having a huge annual sale on August 6th for the founder’s birthday. Helen sneak peeked Some of the new washi that is going to be for sale and it is wonderful and I really want it. So my plan is to set myself a budget of no more than $150 that I can spend during the sale on the condition that if I fail this challenge I will send those lovely treats to someone else to use. Given that the washi seems to only be a one-and-done sale, it means I will never get them if I make a hash of this. I am not normally susceptible to FOMO but it’s really weighing on my brain with these products for some reason. If successful I was going to give the parcel to Dave to hold for safekeeping but he leaves for Latvia again on August 19th so that isn’t going to work. Maybe I will give it to Nicole instead. I will check with her. So that is me for now! I hope that if you are resting for Zero Week it is high quality recovery and that if you are challenging you are off to the best possible start. Thank you for being here! ❤️

Art by Emma Oliver: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/GXVDyB Hi Friends! Last challenge wasn't so successful due to injury and travel. I am happy to be home now and looking forward to rebuilding my routine. I weighed myself this morning and I am up four pounds, which isn't exciting. I figure some of it is inflammation and water weight from all of the wheat and grain I ate while I was on holiday, but some of it might just be gain from restaurant food and snacks. I am not going to judge myself for it because I enjoyed everything with no regrets! All that is left is to get back on track. This challenge I want to lean into three main things: 1) Movement: Bodyweight and dumbbell workouts. I haven't decided if I am alternating days or doing everything on one day and taking a rest day. I need to make that decision quickly. 2) Words: I am going to do 15 minutes of reading, writing, worldbuilding, and/or game prep every day. I would like to do more, but 15 minutes is my starting point. Latvian lessons count separately for this challenge and are being tracked in the Bujo. 3) Witchcraft: I need to tie into my relationship with my kitchen if I am going to meet my nutrition goals while Dave is home this summer. I always struggle more with staying on track while he is around. To this end, I will invest more time into planning and prepping my meals, doing my dishes, cleaning the kitchen, clearing the fridge, tending my herbs, etc. Kitchen witchery it is! Nutrition goals stay the same for this challenge: <75g net carbs and 25+g fibre each day. I need to come up with new lunches as it is officially too hot for my soup. I am also doubling my water goal for this challenge from three of my large Starbucks cups to six. We will see how that goes. Tracking continues. I think this might be a difficult challenge for me as there is a lot to try to manage but I am game to try. I am going to give myself a few days of lower carb eating to reset some of this inflammation before getting the next InBody scan done, but I will try to get it done by the end of this week or possibly next Monday. Bujo set up for this challenge: I work tonight. I will spend some time today unpacking from the trip, putting things away, and cleaning the kitchen so it is ready for the week. I will also have to come up with some meals with what we have on hand for groceries because I can't get to the grocery store until possibly tomorrow after work. I am trying to decide if I am doing my workout today or if I will do that tomorrow. I think I will get the chores done first and then see where my time and energy is at before I have to head to the shop. I hope that if you are resting on your Zero Week it is high quality recuperation! If you are jumping right in or continuing merrily along, I wish you verve and success! Thanks for being here! ❤️

As a Zelda fanatic, I have to theme this in Tears of the Kingdom, so here we go! So, lately I've been struggling... bad... with food cravings and I feel out of control of my eating. I've been eating the same as I was right before I was diagnosed with diabetes a year and a half ago (I reversed it and am afraid of getting back to that point). Long story short, I finally got with my doctor and she prescribed me some medication that is supposed to help. I took my first dose on Friday, and already it's helping immensely. I haven't had any cravings and I feel so much more in control of what I am eating. I'm starting my challenge today to change habits and get back to a place where I feel healthy and have energy. I'm only going to have two goals right now. I know that with the medication, I'm probably going to knock one out of the water, but I'm going to stick with the goals I had in mind before I got the medication. Goal 1: Eat only when hungry. I am going to try and learn to listen to hunger cues. Right now I'm not having cravings, but often I can't tell the difference between a craving and being hungry. The cravings are so bad sometimes that I can feel that my stomach is full and it hurts, but I can't stop eating. So for now, I'm going to try and make sure that I only eat when I actually feel hungry. Goal 2: Move for 20 minutes, 3x per week. Doesn't matter what form of movement I do, but I must move for a straight 20 minutes 3 times a week. My plan is to do the elliptical at my work gym 3 times a week, but if for some reason I'm unable to do that all three times I can substitute another form of movement. I've struggled so hard with having to exercise "perfectly" or not at all. Like, if I couldn't do a full workout, I just wouldn't do it. Now I'm going to start by not "working out" but just getting movement in. Maybe if I look at it that way I will feel more comfortable doing it.

Hi Everyone! I have been reading today as a reward for finishing NaNo yesterday and I stumbled across my word for 2023 in this article: Lagom. It is Swedish, and means "just enough" as in the Goldilocks philosophy of things being "just right". This concept feels like exactly what I need right now and I am glad that I crossed paths with it while I was in an open-hearted mentality. My goals for this mini challenge are "just enough" Movement: Aiming for 15-30 minutes of moving around a day. This can be cleaning, Supernatural, walking, dancing, pacing, anything as long as I am not sitting. Food: Aiming for 2-3 meals a day, or two meals and a snack. Giving up on breakfast for now because it just doesn't seem to be working. Plants: Aiming for a decent sized portion of non-starch plant foods in two meals a day. Creativity: Aiming for 30+ minutes of creative work a day. This can be continuing Halcyon, prepping D&D, painting minis, working with my new Tarot, starting up a new journal/sketchbook, baking, etc, as long as I am creating something. Expansion: Looking for other jobs as they come up in the job search database and applying to the ones I am interested in. Luxury: It is the holidays! So there will be lovely food and drink, movies, hot baths, good music, time with friends... all the celebratory things. But I need to be sure that I am having just enough and not too much of the delicious, sedentary, or social. My Gramparents are coming up to see us and the house either December 11th or December 18th and then my Parents will come up after Christmas for two days. I want the house to be presentable and to have some baking done that I can share. I need to make and action plans for those things to happen. I also would like to get my holiday cards sorted out sooner rather than later. I think that is it! Looking forward to celebrating the season with you! Let me know if you want a card! ❤️

Hi Everyone! Last challenge was about doing the minimum to try and sustain myself while Dave was overseas. I didn’t manage my goals but I came out of it intact and well, so I am calling it a win. This challenge Dave will be gone about three weeks, so I will need to embrace that again and look toward meal prep to keep away the peanut butter sandwiches and Supernatural to get (and keep) me moving. I have noticed that I am starting to slow down as the days shorten and the leaves drop here and I crave cozy burrowing rather than movement and the elongation of muscles. I have often been nicknamed “Bear” in my life and I feel that energy strongly in the fall: consume and get ready to rest. But hibernation is not the world I live in, so I must build the world and habits I want to winter in. Nourish: -Eat breakfast. Include some protein from dairy, nuts, seeds, eggs, or meat. Peanut butter does not count for breakfast. -Pack something to take to work. This doesn’t have to be a whole meal, but needs to be something other than simple carbs. I was doing well with my veggie boxes over the summer but now that the weather has gotten colder I want something warm. Time for soup? -Cook the GoodFood meals (3) each week without them going to waste. -Eat fridge leftovers so they don’t go to waste. -“Game snacks” only on Fridays. -Bake something from my new cookbook once a week. Den: -Set up my SAD lamp at my desk and have my first cup of coffee in my office in the morning with the lamp on. -Wear cloud socks while at home for cozy toes. -Keep the dishes done so the kitchen is more pleasant to be in. -Update the Oculus to Meta so I can play Supernatural. -Continue recycling the living room boxes to reclaim that space. -Exchange the box springs and get the old one to the dump. -Figure out the top-down camera for D&D combat now that I have the articulating arm. Move: -Play Supernatural for 15 minutes a day 3x a week. More often and longer is better, but the challenge is getting the headset on lately. -Wear my FitBit and aim for 30 minutes of movement a day by its calculations. This can be Supernatural, walking, yard work, vacuuming, etc. -More work on the house while Dave is gone: decluttering, tidying, nesting. -Fine Motor: Host Paint Nights on Wednesdays. I am hoping to take more pictures this challenge as well as I find that they really help me to stay motivated. Thank your for being here! I appreciate your support! ❤️ Sax for tax!

Eat and Move I was going to have slightly loftier goals for this challenge than my previous one but then my old illness came barrelling back out of nowhere. Although if I'm honest the signs have been there for a couple of months that it was getting worse. I'm finding it extremely hard to function right now. I just want to curl up into a ball and sleep. During the course of this challenge I'll be having a bunch of medical tests and exams. One of these includes and awkward encounter with a camera. I'm seriously not looking forward to that but I want answers. This challenge has two very simple goals: Eat and Move. I need to eat better. It's very simple but it's very hard when anything solid is extremely unappealing. I just want to try and eat better so I'll say what I've eaten every day. Move Get out and move once a day. It doesn't matter if it's running, cycling or walking. The goal is just to keep active and moving.

And no, I don't mean the painter's/welder's mask I use to protect myself from the pandemic! But seriously though. Now that I'm (mostly) recovered from surgery, I need to start building up my mind and body again. I've gotten too tired, too soft, too blah. So it's time to fight back and try some new things... as if I have time for all that, on top of everything else! #1 MUSIC Last June, my in-laws bought my daughter and I an entry-level digital piano (88 weighted keys). It is not too much to say that it has actually changed my life. I've been playing the guitar for two decades, but the past half-year has revolutionized my understanding and feel for musical composition. Maybe it's the piano, maybe it's just exactly the right time... I dunno. Can't be sure. What I CAN be sure of, though, is that I'm finally able to bring some original music to life! And it's about gosh-darn time, too. I've created a SoundCloud account where I am posting original instrumental songs under a CC-BY license. These are learning, study pieces. They're not intended to be revolutionary, or mind-bendingly awesome and technical. Over the past few years I've developed a deep and abiding joy in simple melancholy and ambient instrumentals. "Meditation music", if you will. Quiet, textural pieces that evoke a mood or a feeling, instead of songs with direction and purpose (though I do love some of those too). I'm posting them as CC-BY because I like the idea of giving art to the world without trying to make a buck off of it. Of course, that has a lot to do with the fact that I have a job that pays me enough to live, which I realize is a privilege not everyone enjoys. So, I want to post a minimum of one new piece for every week of this Challenge. Doesn't have to be long or complicated, just something new. Here's my most recent one. #2 MEDITATION It's time for meditation again. Right now I'll settle for five minutes of quite respite per day. That should be achievable. #3 MOVEMENT This one's the trickiest. I need to get my body moving again, and I need to not take it too fast. It's arctic cold where I am, which is keeping me inside and away from my wonderful 4-mile walks (oh how I miss the walks). I have a whole house, but few rooms with actual room to move in them. (My personal space has steep eaves, for example, meaning that I can't even stand up in the middle without hunching my neck). So, for Week 1, I'm going to figure out WHAT I can do inside and WHERE I can do it in order to facilitate movement. After that I'll figure out a goal of actual working time. That's it for now. Back to work. WEEK 1 MUSIC [ X ] MEDITATION [ X ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] MOVEMENT [ ]

Hi there It's been a while ... and I'm not sure I can call this a comeback or resurrection or whatever, because I've been absent from the forums quite a few times already and then come back and then fallen off the planet again and ... oh well you know what I mean What I love is that so many of the friends I made here are STILL HERE - you guys are absolutely amazing 😍 I was looking for a little re-inspiration and it makes me so happy to see Lady Hatter, the Lady of the Shay, Elize and Elastigirl and so many more still rocking on - ahhh the joy of coming to a fabulous place that still is Funny how my itch to check back in collided with the 10 year anniversary, so of course I have to be in for this again and tbh it's really high time again anyway!!! RECAP: I'll try to do a thorough recap here in honor of the 10 year anniversary thing, so it might get a bit long, sorrrrrrrrry I joined the NF Forums in November 2014 when I had started dabbling in pole dance and wanted to level up my game, plus find a better work-family-fitness life balance. Also I wanted to shed some more of my mummy-tummy that seemed to grow with the kids instead of diminishing with time 😉 I had a job I passionately loved and that kept me very busy and the challenges helped me to prioritize movement as much and enjoy it with a community of absolutely lovely people. Over the years I did loose the mummy tummy (mostly) and gained a lot of strength (up to two full pull ups from hanging woot woot and lots of push ups and inversions, whooooheeeeee) I struggled more at work and had some stuff creep in that took the joy out more and more, so eventually I stopped a big part of it and "only" continued working in my own praxis as a healing practitioner. Started diving deeper into meditation and found a solid ground in that, that will always catch me now no matter how deep I fall (even if I don't feel the improvement straight away everytime - it does come and I am learning to trust it) Due to the work shift, my budget changed, I stopped taking pole classes and as a result trained less and less on the pole overall. Sad thing that, but we won't dwell on that. My weight kept piling up again and then I'd manage to get it down for a while, but it does still nag at me, because the ease with which I gain has increased a LOT over the past few years. What bugs me about it, is that it's visceral fat mostly and I am not keen on developing a metabolic syndrome or have it develop any further if that is what's already happening here. In October 2018 I started going to the gym with hubby and picked up strength training where, which is great fun and I am super happy to do it together with him. By now our boy even joins us from time to time, when he's not working (time flies!! Can't believe one of my babies is studying already, the other working as an apprentice and youngest already a teenager in grade 8 ) Also started playing a bit with Intermittent Fasting but not very consistently and fell off again later on in the year. In spring 2019 I had gotten down to 67 kg which is not my ideal weight, but still feels quite fine to me, managed to keep it at 68 - 69 kg over summer but from October to December my weight went up to 74,5 kg and that was NOT going to go on!!! So end of December I started experimenting with Intermittent Fasting more seriously again - I'll expand on that a bit more later, if you don't mind - and am thrilled to be at about 70 kg again at the moment. Best part being that the dreaded belly fat reduced significantly. After 7 weeks of IF I am hitting a motivational slow down and even though I can see the continuous improvements, I somehow don't get that excited about them and am feeling a bit tired of the whole effort and all. I think part of it is the lack of inspiration and knowledge about what I WANT to eat when I eat and what would be ideal for my body. Also I have taken on a new job beside my healing work again - and it's awesome, I absolutely love it, buuuuuuuuut it's a lot of desk work and I am becoming too stagnant again. So frustration might also just stem from inertia and how unfit I feel when I do exercise. I find myself out of breath on hikes, that used to be a walk in the park and unable to do even a single full on push up what is this?!! What now: I want to enjoy my days thoroughly with a healthy body, happy spirit and plenty of fun time as well as productive work time - is that doable? I don't know, but I'll keep going for it My goals for this challenge are therefor: DO SOMETHING Do some form of exercise 6 days out of 7 Be it a workout at the gym, a walk, a hike, using the 7 minute app - whatever - do SOMETHING EAT NOTHING Stick to those fasting hours!!! Eat nothing an average of 18h / day over the course of each week keep tracking my stats and progress on that EAT AND GROW ALL THE THINGS Make sure I get plenty of goodies into my dear body when I do eat Grow all kinds of sprouts and nut seeds to eat Keep tending my Scoby for Kombucha and try to eat mooooore veggies (how hard can it be?) LIFE GOAL uncluttering the basement to free my pole from all the clutter monsters and get it ready for a new challenge to come That's my plan for now and I guess I will only find out if it makes sense, if I stick to it for long enough 😛 I can promise pics of sprouts and scoby, haha, and hopefully of the occasional hike. Next challenge after this might be more exciting again

Time really moves fast. Here we are with a new challenge and am almost two days behind. No sense on focusing on missing those two days since I can't get them back but at least I did workout both days. This time around, my focus is all about moving better and as always, improving my Karate. I feel that I am making small improvements but my Achilles is causing some issues. It's not too bad overall but I can feel it and I need to get it straightened out. 1. Karate training - 5 days a week Kihon or kata, five days a week, it's that simple. Anything less than five katas doesn't count. 2. Mobility training - 5 days a week The warm up that I do before my Karate training has been working well and I expect it to keep working. 3. All other stuff - 2 days a week Kettlebell swings, dumbbell and barbell complexes, band work, TRX, landmine or any other type of resistance training is the goal. Extra credit: Just one blog post I started a new blog post over the last challenge but, it just didn't reach the finish line. This time, it will be different.

Hello nerds! I'm annyshay! Here are my goals for the next 6 weeks... Pass my boards Win NaNoWriMo Go Deeper with Health Coaching There's been a lot of upheaval in my life in the recent past from moving across country to the death of my Grandpa to a lot of traveling, but things are starting to mellow out just in time for... my boards and NaNoWriMo. Hehe. That's right, within the span of this challenge, I will be taking two sets of medical boards and trying to write 50,000 words in one month. So, I want to try to lean on my community here a little bit harder instead of just phoning in my updates. So, I have overarching goals and will give narrative reports within those about what's going on for me at the moment. I hope to continue to post consistently and wander among other nerds threads a bit more than I have been doing lately. We'll see how it goes, and everything is open to tweaking as necessary to help support my goals. Sound good? Let's do this thing!

Since Spring is on its way in and the weather is getting warmer, I feel it is time to get back in touch with my love of nature and the outdoors without neglecting my current goals and the progress I have made so far. The first thing you may have noticed is the name change. Two reasons for this: I am WolfDreamer at most of my social media, and because spring is a season of growth and rebirth, I felt this challenge needed to be about transformation. Not total transformation, but enough to bring new life and energy, to be healed from the drag of winter, to breathe in change and breathe out pain, to reach towards the sky while rooting deeply into the earth, to grow. The name WolfDreamer has an origin, which I plan to share on here in a later post. This also means my goals might not stay consistent since transformation is also about change. I need to be willing to me gracious when goals aren't working out and make changes towards newer or modified goals. But there are a few things I can guarantee: this challenge will be an amalgamation of things that inspire me and bring me joy: music, art, literature, nature, wildlife, movement, faith, poetry, and lots of quotes from people who inspire me. However, in the interest of giving myself some structure, here are a few tangible goals to start the challenge off: wake up at 0430-0445 M-F (20 points total) say the Lord's Prayer out loud every day (28 points total) listen to or read a daily devotional/meditation/prayer (28 points total) do some kind of vigorous movement every morning to wake my body up (28 points total) complete at least one Wim Hof Method breath rotation, exercise, and cold shower every day (28 points total) get at least 30 minutes daily outside in nature (barefoot if possible). (28 points total) eat intuitively and mindfully (28 points total) walk at least 12,000 steps/day (28 points total) run at least three days/week; this can include sprints (12 points total) read for at least 20 minutes every day (in this instance, audiobooks do not count; it is about sitting still and focusing on one thing for at least 20 minutes). (28 points total) continue working toward Masters degree And that about does it for now. Hope you'll follow along; I feel so much stronger when friends come along on the adventure.

Hello everyone! I'm going to do an extended summer challenge in this thread that will run for roughly 7 weeks. This will include prep week, the four week challenge, and the two week summer vacation that the nerd fitness forums have planned. It feels a bit nostalgic for the old days of nerd fitness when we did six week challenges on these forums. I'm a thirty something single woman with a cat named Dragon. There's a lot going on in my life currently in terms of my mental health and recovery, and it can all feel pretty intense and heavy. I've decided to make my next challenged centered on something that I can always use more of in my life... PLAY! I don't intend to have any rigid goals, but will post regularly with my experiences and experiments in several domains of life. More may open up as we go along, but currently I'm thinking about these areas. Annyshay plays with her movement, food, friends, and imagination. Music, gifs, and other shenanigans as well as really intense and/or nerdy discussion is always encouraged and appreciated. Let's play!

"Merry, Merry," Annyshay shook him gently. She was on the edge of throwing the remnants of his own ale in his face, but he shook his head and seemed to snap out of it. "I'm not ready to talk about them yet," Merry breathed. Annyshay had never seen Merry scared. Ever. She was quite inclined to trust his judgment here as ever, "whatever you say, cousin. Drink your ale." "Yes, quite." After a few more swigs on both sides, Merry's face lit up a bit. "You may have noticed some... changes, since our return," he began by way of introduction. Annyshay was noncommittal in her response, "mmmhmmm." "Well, I imagine the four of us riding in on ponies in armor covered in insignia and other marks not before seen in the Shire was quite the spectacle," Merry continued to fish for a reaction, but Annyshay just held his gaze. "In any case, I'm sure it was obvious pretty quickly that Pippin and I were the only two hobbits of our party that had grown taller in addition to thinner." "My first thought was certainly that you all needed at least a week of home cooking before you would be fit for pleasant company. Your bones were sticking out all over the place!" "Surely you noticed that I grew," Merry threatened a pout, "me and Pippin that is?" "It may have crossed a few people's lips, aye" Annyshay conceded. "Well that is as good a story as any to show how different things can be outside of the Shire," Merry prattled onwards. "Indeed if I manage to tell it right it should come back around to the ash and my concerns that something is amiss in the Old Forest." Annyshay took a noisy slurp from the end of her pint. Merry, ever the good host returned to the barman to get a half pint for each of them. Annyshay raised her smaller glass and Merry reciprocated the gesture before taking a large swig and settling himself in to spin a good yarn. "You see, Annyshay," Merry continued to preamble, "this story is all to do with Ents." "Ents?" Annyshay assumed that Merry's thinner frame made it more difficult for him to hold his ale however tall he may have grown. "What in Middle Earth is Ents?" "First off," Merry put down his glass and became his old self for a moment. He was clearly confident in whatever story he was about to unfold and thought that it was something Annyshay best pay attention to. His whole appearance reminded her of many previous lectures. "An Ent is a who, not a what." "A who?" Annyshay nearly choked on her beer. "Now you're really pulling my leg." "By the Master's wine cellars," Merry responded solemnly, "there are many creatures you've not heard of here even from Bree." Annyshay just stared at him, unsure what to ask next to get to the meat of the tale. "Yes, Ents," Merry pressed on fortified with more ale. "Ents are the Shepherds of the Trees. Probably the oldest creatures in Middle Earth, except maybe Tom." "Is Tom a what then?" Annyshay scoffed. "Your ale's gone to your head Merry. Talking nonsense, you are." "No no no," Merry waved her protests away. "Just listen to me. All will become clear in due course." "Well, you're stringing me along something awful," Annyshay protested. "Get on to the tale, ya scamp!" "A skeptical audience, I see. Well, all the better," Merry took a bit more liquid sustenance before he finally got down to business. "To really understand this story, you must be patient, cousin. There's a lot you have to learn Annyshay - concerning Ents."

Last month I tried to measure ALL THE THINGS. It was hard. I was hoping to feel a sense of increased achievement, but I actually just felt the pressure, and then like a failure for missing bits. Lesson learned (in science, it’s all about learning what DOESN’T work too). Now... I haven't climbed since May, and I keep telling myself to go once more, before my membership ends in August, to say I gave it a solid go, but the very idea of having to take clothes, change, park, walk in (no on-site parking), then hope someone else is there so I can ‘legally’ climb, but not more than about 6 people as it’s too cramped, then I leave after 15-20 minutes ANYWAY…. It just doesn’t feel ‘worth it’ for me. However, if I can commit to going once, Ill have gone 6 times in 6 months, which will make me feel less like a quitter. POSSIBLE CLIMBING DATES: - 27-29Jun - 3-5Jul - 17Jul - 20-23Jul So for this challenge, I’m dialling it back. I want to take part in the Mini, because exercise is almost the last thing I’m actually progressing in. I found 'daily' check-ins just failed, so removing all the 'daily' ones, except writing, which has been a daily goal for about 2.5 years. So this month, I’m keeping it simple. It’s my last month of University, so that has to come first. Equally, I want to launch my business at the end of the Summer, so that needs to get moving. My Five Week Goals: * Finish COP 1-9 Entirely (9) * Finish Portfolio Entirely(1) Finish Course Plan (4 weeks, intro/ending) for Business (5) Three Workouts a Week. MINIS COUNT. Yoga counts. Dance counts. (15) Three 'Meditates' a week (15) Clean kitchen once a week (5) Write fiction daily (35) Log Extra Exercise (5) That’s a weekly target of 10 points + Uni assignments completed (10 points overall). The Uni stuff is all due by July 26th so... Pressures on! Let's do this.

In the last months I have been pretty much absent from the forums. I participated relatively frequently in the Facebook group, though. But after achieving my goal of 85 kg in November or so, I was absolutely clueless where to go next. I want to make sport/fitness a more active part of my life, but I'm unsure in which way. Right now I'm bouncing between 88 kg and 90 kg. That's okay; my size M shirts still fit nice nicely and I feel good. But I'd like to get back below 85 kg. And about five weeks ago I started to have back problems again. When I was on a walk with my girlfirend the pain in my bach became so bad that I almost collapsed. Right now it's okay, but I still feel it in the morning and when squating. I have a new prescription for physical therapy and I have four sessions to come. Anything else that happend or is relevant I will tell along the way. But feel free to ask things. Now, on to the challenge! I am ABSOLUTELY HOOKED by The Legend of Zelda -- Breath Of The Wild. I finished the main story two weeks after the launch, but I still play once or twice per week for a couple of hours. I have completed the game for about 25%, so there are still many things to do. Because of that, I will probably do Zelda-themed challenges for the rest of the year. With this it will be easier to fit the theme to the challenge rather than the other way around. (It also helps with getting attention here in the forums.) MILD BREATH OF THE WILD SPOILERS AHEAD! NO STORY SPOILERS! . .. ... .... ..... In order to "celebrate" my respawn I will do a Breath-Of-The-Wild challenge, since the whole game is basically a respawn for Link. And the main mechanic of the game is to collect stuff. So my goal is: Focussing on the same categories of items as Link! Swords Rule of 3: Plan to do three things every workday and then do them. In order to attack my enemies, I might not need the best weapon, but a very good strategy. So I will plan for three things to do the next day, mostly at work, and then I will do them no matter what. Additionally, I will be content when I finished my three tasks. Even when "should do" more. Shields Go running twice a week. A good defense will prevent me from harm. And shields are an active way defending myself. Therefore I will build my stamina by going for a run twice a week. It will usually be for about 30 minutes. The main focus here will be to get out in my running clothes, even when I feel bad/sick/tired and only walk around the block. Bows Do back exercises three times a week. The most important skill for surviving the dangers in Hyrule is snipping everything wtih an arrow. (At least, the way I plax it.) To do so I need a strong back and strong shoulders. So I will do my back exercises three times a week. I'm not sure yet which exercises I want to do. But I plan for 20 to 30 minutes per session. Nothing intense, more focus on movement, mobilisation and stretching. Armour Walk at least 8000 steps six times a week. Just like shields, my armour protects me. But it does so passively. So I will do a fundamental "movement diet" (cf. Katy Bowman) of walking a lot. I usually get 6000 steps done, except on Sundays. So this will be rather easy. But I want to step it up in the next challenge. (Pun intended.) Resources Track all "unregular" expenses. The single most important thing for surviving in Hyrule is to find lots of recsources and to plan ahead how to use them. As I struggle a lot with my money, I want to track it while thinking about a plan on how to budget reasonably. I'm soing this for three weeks now, so no "real" challenge there. Meals No sweets and no alcohol six times a week. Keeping many healthy meals on you when you fight Guardians and those fricking silver lynels is super important. The focus lies, of course, on "healthy". I'm more or less satisfied with my diet, but I have to cut back sweets. At least in the first iteration. And, even though I have no problem drinking two beers in front of the TV each night, I don't want to do this regularly. So, for the next four weeks at least I go cold turkey. Key items Write something positive every day in the Academy Facebook group. Finding a key item usually means that you will have to use it later, but for a very specific purpose. About a month ago I started to write a one-liner on the Facebook group. The main reason is that our rebel leader Steve told me that people active in the group tend to do better with their quests. So I wanted to participate in a low-effort way. I'm still unsure how I want to proceed with that. So, in order to try something, I will only write about positive things, focussing on gratitute and mindfulness. I might complanin and whine in additional posts.

First, some mood music: This challenge is based on the Na'vi from James Cameron's Avatar. It's an epic one, but it blends well with habits I have already developed. Connect With Environment: The Na'vi are deeply connected to the natural world around them and they take care of it. When completing each of these challenges, engage all of your senses and stay mindful of the impact nature has on your body and your spirit. At least 30 minutes outdoors/day in a natural setting Go barefoot at least 30 minutes/day; wear minimalist shoes when necessary. Explore an unfamiliar outdoor area, or explore a familiar one as if seeing it for the first time. At least one wild swim/week At least one tree climb/week Give at least 5 minutes/day of your attention to a life form other than human (pets, wildlife, plants, etc.). Download Joulebug and complete at least one challenge/day. Do a litter cleanup in a natural area at least once/week. Avoid using plastics of any kind (unless impossible). 1 hike/week Connect With Food: The Na'vi are omnivorous hunter-gatherers with a deep connection to the available provisions that surrounded them, both meat and plant. When completing these challenges, savor each bite, eat mindfully and pay close attention to how this affects your body and spirit. Eat full vegetarian at least one day/week Eat at least 1 vegetable/day Eat fresh meat instead of processed/boxed/canned meat at least 3 days/week; this includes fish (BONUS: game meat when possible). Forage at least once/week (dandelion, plantains, onion, etc.) Intermittent fasting Eat locally at least once/week (Farmer's market?) Connect With Body: The Na'vi need their body to be in top shape in order to survive such a harsh environment. When completing this challenge, use a variety of "wild fitness"/primal/paleo natural movements and be mindful of how this impacts your body and spirit. At least 5 minutes deep squat/day Drink at least 1/2 gallon of water/day. Balance at least 10 yards on a narrow surface 3 days/week At least 10,000 steps/day Dead hang for at least 30 seconds 3 days/week. At least 2 minutes of planking/day at least 3 days/week. 75 pushups/day At least 15 minutes of free-running/sprints 3 days/week on uneven terrain (barefoot if possible). "Natural" movement HIIT with plenty of variety 3 days/week (see Mark Sisson's WOWs for ideas). Connect With Tribe: The Na'vi have a deep connection with members of their tribe, especially family but also tribal elders and leaders. For this challenge, be mindful of your relationships and how you strengthen them. Spend every afternoon with your daughters ('ite); at least one technology-free playtime/week. Use intimate physical touch with tribal members (for family: hugs, kisses, holding hands, tickling, snuggling; handshakes/hugs for friends). At least one uninterrupted/technology free evening with wife (muntxate) Call your mother (sa'nok). Visit your grandfather. Connect With Self: In spite of living in a savage environment, the Na'vi are very self-aware and practice a disciplined self-control and humble appreciation of all life, including their own. Become toruk makto: tame the beast and take control of your temper by pausing and being mindful of your emotions. Seek wisdom: read works written by great tribal leaders and elders who have come before you. Choose your words: be mindful of when to speak and when to be silent; don't waste words, but choose them wisely. Be grateful: keep a log each day of things for which you are grateful. Connect With Eywa (God): The Na'vi believe in and commune with a being greater than themselves. This is the essence of their culture and it drives their actions and lifestyle. While completing these challenges, be mindful of where your heart and spirit rest on these issues. Greet each morning with a grateful smile and a spoken "Thank you." Pray/meditate in silence at least 10 minutes/day. Integrate prayer throughout the day. Treat each person you meet as spiritually connected and as image-bearers of God; treat all lifeforms as God's creation. Practice agape love (unconditional love). Bonus Challenges: Learn Na'vi language. Spend at least one night outside (in a hammock, if possible). Take a long hike deep into the woods (off trail, if possible). Ride a horse. Learn to shoot a bow. Harvest spring water. The Hallelujah Mountains: Go rock climbing (freestyle). Obviously, I will need all the support I can get. I look forward to hearing your input and words of encouragement.

Placeholder, because I have a marathon [I did not train enough for] in three days. Goal is to finish my GymnasticBodies Foundation One course (because I've been slacking on my Hollows) while working on those elusive Handstands and some Tumbling (both modules I also purchased). My gym membership just ended and I'm going full-Assassin this challenge. BUILDING THE ASSASSIN BODY Log GB exercises (foundation core and upper body, handstand, and movement) once a week, kettlebells once a week. SKILLS BJJ twice a week, 21-day Dry Fire Practice modules. CHARM I joined the 30-day Art Of Charm challenge, and I have 10 modules to complete in it. LIFESTYLE Slowly working on becoming antifragile, and I'm starting with getting rid of trash around the apartment.

Checklists are great. Just ask Captain America. After having pretty much the same challenge format for over a year (time flies!) I've decided to mix it up this time and have a checklist instead of the usual 4 quest layout. Not just any checklist though, a checklist of doom. So, basically just a checklist. I have a pretty solid workout programme going and my diet is pretty well sorted out, so these goals are mainly going to be life stuff and little adjustments. Given that I have a lot of free time right now I decided this would be a great opportunity to really tie up loose ends and get more organised with life in general. And play a lot of Pokemon Go. The Checklist is thusly: Learn how to do Turkish Get Up properly. I'm ashamed to say I've never learned this movement. Time to fix that. Have a trial session at local gym to check out facilities. Really all I need is some sort of TRX frame, somewhere to do parallel dips, and something to do box jumps on. Rowing machines and stationary bikes are a given. Sign up for my next Open University module. Get at least 2 job interviews. Finish reading my mindfulness book. Trade in or sell my old guitar that never gets played. Fix the pickup alignment issue with my Precision Bass. I think the foam has just got soft and needs replacing, hopefully nothing is broken in there. Organise storage shelves in bedroom. Weekly - Share the awesome: Highlight Reel. At the end of each week post a list of highlights from the week, for usual mood uplifting and such. Daily Quests Movement skill practice everyday. Current focus areas - Crow pose, kip-up, TGU, and forwards/backwards rolls. Do something productive everyday. Do something creative and/or relaxing everyday. Wash face everyday. My skin sucks right now. Real men steal their girlfriend's facial care products,right? Let's do this!

Well what do you know?? I actually am ALIVE!!!! It's been a few months since I've spent a goodly amount of time here and rightly so, I've also not been spending a goodly amount of time and energy of my health and wellness. Let's just call it my summertime hibernation Now that that's over, time for me to get my rear back moving and get this body into shape that doesn't involve keeping it in an awkward state. On that note, let's point to what I'm going to use as a focus, a show I haven't fully watched yet: Stargate SG-1 I had seen a couple of seasons and a little of Stargate Universe but the one I didn't touch enough of was Stargate Atlantis and at this point I've now powered through the first season. So, what better source of motivation to get my journeys going again?! Step One: Learning to Power the Gate When they left Earth for Atlantis, the expedition team needed the power of a ZPM (Zero Point Module) to have enough energy to get them from our galaxy to the Pegasus Galaxy. So the way I need to properly prepare for the adventures is to make sure I'm properly powered. Which means I need to very much lessen the amount of junk I'm putting into my body. While macros would probably be best, I'm going to start with something simplier, two meals per week that are cooked from scratch. Now, making food just for myself is sometimes very hard because you don't want to make too much so this might involve a lot of crock pot recipes that will then just turn into the same meal for dinner a couple of times in a row (but if it's cheaper and better for me so be it). Two Meals per week goal. Step Two: Being Combat Ready If I'm going to step out there into the big bad universe, I need to be ready for anything (that we know of). So what I need to do is get down and work on this form, get it to something more like a healthy, functional human being. So the plan is to get 30 minutes in total on days that I work out. Goal is three days per week but more are perfectly acceptable. I'm thinking variations on walking (possibly using the Zombie Run app), squats and lower body workouts, pushups and upper body work. Step Three: Staying Sane Simple goal here, a tired mind is a flawed mind and mistakes can and will be made. So what I need to do, for the sake of my sanity and some consistency, is to make sure that I start following guidelines for getting quality sleep. Now days off work I'm not too concerned with but the workdays are critical. So, typically I will wake up starting at 7 AM for early morning shifts and 8:30 for late morning shifts. The goal here is simple: seven hours of sleep on work nights. With five days of work each week, that means I will be in bed resting by midnight on early days and 1:30 on later days. That is my step in the right direction, to get me back on this path to where I need to be. Let's get this adventure ready!!!

[Important note: I'm posting now, and may be around a little for week 1, but I'm on stay-cation this week and won't officially start challenge activities until everyone else is on week 2. I'll make up for it on the break before the next challenge... probably. ^^;] Breaking news from the Goodfellow Cluster! Early this morning employees of the Ettin Conglomerate arrived for work at asteroid mining facility H414n and were surprised to find a group of heavily armed mobile frames guarding the docks. A representative for the group claimed to be acting on the collective will of laborers throughout Ettin territory who have been demanding improved wages and working conditions to no avail for several years. They stated an intent to guard the entrance to this mine against all intrusion until their demands are met, and have called on workers in other Ettin Conglomerate facilities to rise up in solidarity. While rumors of dissatisfaction within the Conglomerate have circulated since it severed ties with the Free Allied Ergotacrocies over 25 years ago, this is the first such act of open rebellion. You may recall our report last week regarding a shipment of advanced charged particle weaponry and SK-1 "Imp" mobile frames that had been reported by manufacturer Phayze Fructification, inc as "seized by pirates" during transport to the Oberon Tvier Solar Energy Collection Array. We reached out to PFi to ask if these could be those same units, and executive spokesman Destin Puck had this to say: Puck: "There is simply no way of identifying the stolen units short of examining the serial numbers etched onto the inner frame on the left underarm, and I'm certain that the thieves burned those off with a plasma welder long before selling the frames to whoever has them now. Even if these were the same units, PFi bears no responsibility for what may be done with property that's been stolen from us." More on this story as it develops, but for now let's turn to Alex for the latest on the Trundleball Quarterfinals! Alex? -- TL;DNR: Pointman - Ring Row/Bridge Progressions 4x/week GWACS - Post 2x/week to this thread + 4x/week in other threads Ground - Movement 15min 4x/week Pound - Meditate 10min 5x/week Let's get rebellious!

Hello Assassins, I'm back!!! Well, actually... I'm in Uganda... But I think I've emerged from my recent rage stress spiral. Also, my internet access is surprisingly good (except apparently, I'm unable to post gifs.... Grrrrrr)? So, it's time to resume my badassery... And who better to learn from than the Dragon of the West? Uncle Iroh and his wisdom will be my guide! Main Quest - Resilient and Radiant "No! Zuko! You must never give into despair. Allow yourself to slip down that road and you surrender to your lowest instincts. In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength." I'll talk more about this during the challenge, but my mental strength and spiritual health are my focus. My healthy choices will continue to rebuild me into the awesome badass woman that I am meant to be. "You can't always see the light at the end of the tunnel, but if you keep moving, you will come to a better place." Moving - enjoy some type of movement every day for at least two minutes "A man needs his rest." Rest - electronics off for 60 minutes before bed "Sick of tea? That's like being sick of breathing." Tea and Breathing - tea is an opportunity to mindfully enjoy one of my favorite things

so the last challenges haven't been so good, I kept making excuses and virsa versa. So its time to make some small changes. Lifestyle goal: Write a daily post on this topic (can use the time i have in the train in the morning. Fitness goal. 1: Make a small movement session in the morning before school or lunch break at school: I arrive around 35 min before the class start every morning at the university, so I want to use the time better. the last two days I have used in the small gym before classes and I tend to keep that one going. 2: Daily Head to toe stretch I just need to do it no reason not too. 3: Daily upside down time. Even if its just a single attempt. Need to get my habit back. as you can see, small easy manageable steps .

Introduction: My name is Sandra. This is my first challenge, and I think I need it. A couple years ago I embarked on a weight loss journey and lost 70 lbs. It felt good, but over the last several months its been creeping back on as I've become sedentary again and forgot about tracking my food etc. I'm also sleeping like crap. Not only that, but as I've become more sedentary all the old aches and pains are back, and worse than ever. I've been telling myself all summer I need to 'get more active', but apart from a few brief spurts here and there, I've mostly been sitting/lying around telling myself I hurt too much to move. I need the focus of a challenge, and other people to help me stay on track. My goals are fairly modest, but I'm going from zero again. Once I've mastered this hill I can look to climbing a mountain again. Main Quest: Move regularly again and use exercise and movement to regain stamina, endurance, flexibility, and reduce stress and joint pain. Hopefully that will also lead to some weight loss so I can fit into my clothes again and not look like a stuffed sausage. Weight lost matters less than how I feel - less pain, less stiffness, less exhaustion. Will be creating a 'pain/stiffness/exhaustion' scale from 1 (=none) to 10 (=most), with a goal to go from about an 8 (now) to a 2. Quest 1: Get Good Rest Getting enough sleep is crucial to feeling rested the next day, and also helps avoid overeating (using food to replace energy that wasn't gained through rest). a. Go to bed during work nights between 10 and 11 pm (goal to fall asleep by 11 pm). This will ideally mean 7 hours of sleep a night. If insomnia hits, I will NOT turn on the computer or play on my phone, but read quietly in a dim room until sleepy again. b. Make the bed every morning so that it is welcoming and ready for sleep at night. This includes clearing off bags, clothes, books, etc. Quest 2: Move it, Move it Avoiding stiffness and joint pain requires movement. I know this works for me, because it has worked in the past. Ideally this movement is low impact and regular, and includes a variety of movement so I don't get bored. a. Five times a week, go for at least a ten minute walk. If this becomes routine after a couple of weeks, add a day, and/or increase the minimum walk to fifteen minutes. If its cold or rainy or miserably hot, walk in the back halls (at work), or go to the mall. b. Work out for 20 minutes three times a week. One yoga or pilates, one cardio, and one strength, to work on flexibility, stamina, and muscle strength. I have dumbbells and a resistance band and a yoga mat and various exercise DVDs and youtube videos saved - its time to use them again. Quest 3: Track that Food Eating mindlessly is my biggest enemy. I like healthy foods and eat them regularly; but I also get sucked into eating far too many snacks and sweets, and all without thinking about it. My best success in avoiding this, while still getting to enjoy treats, was to track my food intake. Hauling extra weight on my joints is not good. Being mindful is good. a. At least five times a week, track all food eaten that day (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks). No matter what it is, no matter how much, and no matter when. Tracking food helps minimize mindless snacking and leads to better awareness of portion sizes. b. No snacks from the vending machine at work. If I feel like snacking at work, go for a walk in the back halls instead. Any other snacks get tracked (see point a.) Quest 4: Prep for the new Cats Now that Icarus is gone, its time to get the apartment ready for new arrivals. In the next few weeks of the challenge I will go through all the cat stuff, purge what is old and broken. Carriers, cat beds, etc. will be cleaned and aired out. The floors will be cleaned thoroughly, and as much of the old cat hair will be removed from all furniture and other surfaces. Make sure the apartment is clean and welcoming to new cats. Reward: new cats! Very tangible, and very wanted. The golden goose at the top of the beanstalk. I *will* need help - buddies - to keep me on track. Without someone to be accountable too, its all too easy to fall into the procrastination trap of 'I'll start tomorrow', or 'It can wait'. Anyone who wants to be my buddy, let me know! And I will be your buddy too.

Hi fellow Assassins! I'm Godnattish. If you don’t know me, I’m the young, somewhat cocky guy with huge goals . Welcome! Here is a link to my previous challenge. I did some pretty awesome stuff, but nothing compared to what you’re about to witness! My Main Quest: "To Free My Body" Everything society and our environment tells us is making us less free, we are slaves, and it's getting worse every single second you're not actively doing something to prevent it. If you just go along like everyone else, work 9-5, get wife, achieve kids, buy what society tells you to buy, watch what you're told to watch, YOU ARE A SLAVE. You need to break free. This is my quest, and it's not something you ever reach, because the moment you think you achieved it and consider yourself "done" or "content", you are by definition a slave again. It's a process and the closest you can ever come towards the goal is to keep pursuing. Free your body. The practical application and pursuit of this is to improve myself every day, in every aspect. To do something that takes me towards my goal, and be done with it, wake up the next day without any worry about yesterday, do something that moves me towards my goal, and be done with it. A necessity for this is to be open-minded, there is NO progress or improvement if you're not open-minded. It's so easy to get stuck in comfort, in a routine, a lifestyle etc. If you ever find yourself doing the same thing every day, CHANGE IT COMPLETELY. There is nothing worse than being stagnant. I’m in a weird phase of my life. I worked as a (bloody) salesman for a couple of months last year, and earned way too much money (using skills, not lies, I might add). Luckily, I’m a clever young man, and I got out of the business before I got stuck. This has resulted in me not â€having†to work. I plan on studying (Sports Science) this fall. So for now, I train. That’s it. I invest all my time & energy into growing as a human being, physically & mentally. I’m happy to say that my previous challenge made me a full-on Assassin. I was the gym guy lifting weights, but somewhere during my last challenge I completely fell in love with training outdoors. I’ve been training outdoors 2x/day for weeks now, and I certainly won't stop! I also fell in love with using gymnastic rings, and I’ve seen great progress with them, so expect a lot of my challenges to be connected to the almighty rings ! I do, however, still fucking love lifting heavy shit. The more I fall in love with training outdoors, the more I love the feel of the barbell back at the gym. I believe I’ve found the perfect training recipe (for me). I use rings for upper body, and I use weight & plyometrics for lower body (for strength training, that is). As Ido Portal says: â€The upper body craves complexity, the lower body intensityâ€. I have found this to be very true. I will use weights for my lower body training, and I will have some goals for this, as-well! I’m following GMBs programs at the moment. Ring training, floor training (hand-balancing, tumbling etc), movement practice, stretching. All GMB. I love GMB:D. Well, I’ll stop ranting and get into my goals for this challenge. Brace yourselves. Yang:Goal 1 - 200kg (440lbs) Deadlift. (2 STR (+1 CHA if done beautifully, decided by you!))The deadlift is my favorite lift, which is convenient, since it’s also (by far) the most important. I’m a strong deadlifter. For a couple of months I’ve been working with sub-maximal weights to develop my deadlift speed (mostly because of my focus for the previous challenge). My all time PR for the deadlift is 190kg (418lbs), that was back in February when I weighted 86kg (190lbs). I weight around 78kg (172lbs) now. I don’t want to â€grind†a 200kg deadlift, I want it to look pretty, and FAST. That’s what I’ve been working on since February, and now it’s time to get back to lifting heavy & pushing my boundaries, while maintaining the explosiveness & speed. LET’S GET IT! Goal 2 - Rebalance myself using Front Squats. (2 CON, 1 STR, 1 CHA)I realized that I've been doing the low-bar squat exclusively for almost a year. The low-bar position works the posterior chain. This coupled with deadlifts (which also works the posterior chain mostly) has developed a pretty bad imbalance. I also realized that deadlifting & squatting very heavy each week is more detrimental than beneficial considering my other goals. My goal for this challenge will therefore be to work the Front Squat. The front squat is superior to the back squat for posture, flexibility and teaching proper form. It's impossible to do the Front Squat if you're imbalanced, it will highlight your weaknesses big-time! I want to become very good at front squats, because that will carry over greatly when I go back to heavy squats again, and will ensure I have proper form and no imbalances! The goal is not necessarily to increase the weight on Front Squats, but to learn absolutely perfect form, then increase the weight while maintaining that perfect form! Goal 3 - Bent Arm Stand. (2 STR, 1 DEX, 1 WIS)I’m a member of GMBs â€Alpha Posseâ€. They have monthly challenges with awesome prices. This months challenge was just released and I quickly decided that I’m going to win. The challenge is on the Bent Arm Stand. Most progress in 4 weeks wins. The challenge ends 30th June. Goal 4 - (Ring) Muscle-Up -> L-Sit -> Shoulder-Stand -> L-Sit. (2 STR, 1 DEX, 1 STA)This is the big one. I see little to no use in having a single skill if you can’t apply it probably. This is the basis of GMBs philosophy. The last phase of every GMB program they have a couple of weeks called â€flow masteryâ€. This means putting everything you learned from the program together into a â€flowâ€. This mini-flow starts at the bottom. You do a Muscle-Up to get above the rings, then go straight into a L-Sit, you immediately â€roll†back into a full shoulder stand, then back to the L-Sit. Very beautiful, very impressive, very hard. I look forward to being able to do this! Goal 5 - Improve overall conditioning & 60m time. (1-4 STA)I’ve been slacking on my conditioning lately. It’s still great, don’t get me wrong. 2 session daily with gymnastic style training goes a long way conditioning wise, but I want more. I’ll be combining sprints with longer distance running. I’ll measure my time before the challenge in a 60m (65yards) sprint. Stat points awarded depends on my progress! Sprint time. Before: 8.9s, After: Yin:Goal 6 - 30s Freestanding Handstand. (1 DEX, 1 STA, 2 WIS, 1 CHA)What’s strength if you can’t control your own body? I believe balance is the most underrated aspect in fitness. I follow GMBs â€Floor 1†which is all about motor control. Tumbling, jumps & hand-balancing to name a few aspects. I’ve seen great improvements in my handstands lately. I was very scared to do them a month ago, now I can kick-up against the wall with ease and â€float†of the wall for 5-10s. I’ve yet to nail the freestanding consistently, but with all the preparation work GMB focuses on (holding a perfect handstand 60s+ against the wall before progressing etc), I’m certain I will get good at a freestanding handstand once it's time for that progression, and all the drilling of the basic will pay off. Goal 7 - Pistol Squat. (1 DEX, 1 CON) My ankle flexibility sucks. It has improved lately, but it’s still my weakest link. Working towards the Pistol Squat forces me to get good ankle flexibility, hence, it's a great goal for me. Goal 8 - Front Split Progression. (1-3 CON)My previous flexibility oriented challenge was the Full Bridge, I nailed it. I feel like it's time to tackle them splits. It will be completely humiliating but I want to achieve both splits this year. For this challenge I'll start working on the Front Split. It's certainly nothing you achieve in 6 weeks, so I'll award stat points depending on my progress. Expect before & after photos! Goal 9 - Meditation. (2 WIS)I want to meditate more. For this challenge I'll meditate 2 times every day, preferably after each of my training sessions (as part of cool-down, after stretches). No set time, but aiming for above 10min per session! Side goals:Get & stay below 7% body-fatVery straight forward. I track my body-fat weekly & count my macros daily. I’m currently at 7.4% body-fat (not accurate numbers). My goal is to get below 7% (on my caliper) and stay below for the entire challenge. Find an apartment for this fallAs I mentioned above, I’m going to study this fall. I want to find my own apartment in the city where the school is located. I’ll know if I’m accepted to my program by June/July, and I’ll start looking for an apartment right away! Finish another round of ElementsElements was the first program I did from GMB. It's the foundation, the very basics that you then build upon. I've chose to restart this & really master & perfect the basics. The importance of having a bullet-proof foundation cannot be stressed enough! There it is friends! Same as last challenge, a video (of me) demonstrating every single goal must be uploaded on this thread prior to 19th July for me to pass this challenge. I'm honored if you choose to follow me for this challenge! I promise active updates with videos of me and my progress towards my goals. Let's smash this! Godnattish!