Search the Community

After doing well for many years 2020 got the better of me. Heaviest I've ever been and first time over 100kg, I'm aiming to reestablish a walking habit and create a healthier relationship with booze. Limiting my goals so i can focus and get some momentum going. Goals: 1. No alcohol in January 2. Walk 20km a week 3. Avoid obvious sugar Side goal: 1. Complete part 1 of the weight loss pvp Weigh-ins: Start: 101.8kg (224 lbs) Week 1: 99.0kg Week 2: 97.5kg Week 3: 97.3kg Week 4:96.9kg Week 5: 95.4kg (210 lbs)

Who Am I?: Hi, I'm Rubble. I like cats, musical theater, coffee (way too much coffee), plants, and dumb movies. I'm a teacher who won't return to school until the end of August, and I have no idea what my district's plan will be. As you might imagine, I'm nervous as all hell. I'm currently teaching summer school (live Zoom classes, remotely) and trying to spend as much time in my little bubble with my immediate family until... well, I won't be able to see my parents if I'm teaching in person. So, I'm soaking it up now. About My Journey: I've lost 100+ pounds over the last two years. Before *gestures vaguely* happened, I was at -120 pounds. Now I'm at -105. I'm still proud, and not terribly concerned; we are in the midst of a crisis, after all. However, I do want to get back on track. My loose goal is to lose another 50 pounds or so (I am still "obese" by BMI standards... which we know are bull.) In general, I am going to try to build up my DnD stats for myself with 1 goal for each stat. I will award myself +1-5 for completing that goal, depending on how challenging it is for me and if I meet the goal completely). Physical Fitness = STRENGTH Stretching/Dance/ = DEXTERITY Food/Diet/Wellness = CONSTITUTION Personal Growth/Learning = INTELLIGENCE Organization/Surroundings = WISDOM Relationships/Self Care = CHARISMA My Goals: Physical Health (STR, DEX, CON) Move/Work Out for 20-30 minutes 3x per week (STR + 3) Stretch for 10-15 minutes 5x per week (DEX +2) Track my food intake daily on my app (completely) (CON +3) Mental Health (INT, WIS, CHA) Continue reading anti-racist literature / articles daily (INT +2) Adhere to my weekly cleaning/organizing schedule (WIS +5) Check in to NF at least 3x per week to update progress (CHA +4) I hope some of you will join me on my journey! I used to be an NF member, and I'm glad to be back (with a new account because I felt like a fresh start). #AssassinForLife.

Hey, as my gym membership comes to an end in little more than a month I'm becoming more positive that it would be best to get some stuff and start lifting heavy, at home. Now, are there any specifics I have to pay attention to? I've been looking around on internet shops and found some nice gear but I'm not really sure what to look out for. The bench of my desire is adjustable in 3 different heights, 4 different positions (making it suitable for flat bench press, incline and even decline! ) with a max loadabilty of 250kg (conside my bw at roughly 80kg and that's more than enough for some time). The pricing should be fine with 80€ The squat rack is 87x120cm and 7x adjustable in the height between 100 and 170cm, weight 25kg itself and has a loadability of 350kg. There are also 3 holder on lower positions and you can put keep your weights on a mounting. Price 140€ and gummi feet. A 187cm barbell with 30mm. I don't have a lot of space but I was told that a long bar is important if you want to rack up weight. 30€ A neck pad 14€ a chair mat that covers the space where I'd lower the weight ~20€ regular weights 130kg; 170€ I already have some dumbbells with up to 15kg weight that would fit. The overall price would be little more than an other year in the gym and probably more worthwile. Are there things I have to consider purchasing these articles that I'm not aware of? It might be wort mentioning that my max bench press is roughly 85kg, with the deadlift at 80kg and the squat at 100 (although I have to go lower again to get better form). There's probably some imbalance between my lifts, I started squatting and dl-ing quite late. Thanks for any input, I can't provide links to these articles right now so I made the description. And sorry if there will be some inconvenience with the kg/ cm data

Seriously, just realised now (4 May) is International Star Wars Day May the fourth be with you! (A trying to be funny tall tale, made up on the fly. Don't think too much if you read it, just go with the flow...) ... ... Moving to the Moon (This is the house I bought on the Moon in the House Flipper game) I have to work out a new routine for my responsibilities, old and new: My usual To Do's: Bible study/Pray/Quiet time; [every day] Weight (and measurements when I remember) (there is artificial gravity, I don't need extra weight ); [Monday weigh] Sleep (before 21h45, preferably 21h30); [every night] Cleaning (No vacuuming when Brandt has to talk online with colleagues - we have more of an idea of their schedule now) [vacuum Sunday - dust Monday]. New Moon Duties: Shooting (dry fire practice for security) [Monday] Chosen workout (modified from Darebee's Chosen One workout) [Tuesday] SpaceLann workout (modified from Darebee's Spaceman, and Lannister workouts) [Thursday] Gardening/DIY [Friday and Saturday] Chosen Workout (modified to suite me better): Jumping Jacks 10x High Knees Twist 10x Reverse Lunges 4x (each leg) Side-to-Side Lunges 2x (each leg) Side Leg Raises 5x (each leg) Reverse Lunges 4x (each leg) Calf Raises 4x Plank Rotations 4x (each side) Mountain Climbers 10x (each leg) (put foot down in front, no foot touch) Sit-Twist stretch Butterfly stretch Butterfly fold over stretch Rest 2min. after this set, before continuing on with the 2nd set. SpaceLann Workout (modified to suite me better): Jumping Jacks 10x High Knees Twist 10x Wide hands Push ups 5x Diamond hands Push ups 5x Shoulder taps (no push ups) 5x (each side) Jumping Jacks 10x Side-to-Side chops 10x (each arm) Straight Punches 10x Standing Band Row 10x Sit-Twist stretch On Knees in ball hold (5 count) Superman hold (5 count) Rest 2min. after this set, before continuing on with the 2nd set. Dry Fire Training (Shooting): Unholster/Holster firearm (f.a.) Practice Israeli grip and point Magazine load, unload from f.a. Garden/DIY: We are still not allowed to buy any DIY things if we are not a registered builder, plumber or electrician with a valid permit. We don't have a lot of things left to do DIY with (paint, varnish, seal...) but we'll go on with what we can. My main focus will be in the garden, pulling out weeds, cutting back, mowing (last month before winter). Things in that line. Welcome to my Moon Base!

Initial post removed because user is 15.

12 Week Hypertrophy Quest Quest Goals: 1) Increase Muscle Mass 2) Decrease BF% 3) Increase Strength In All Lifts Overview/Details Each working set should be performed to near failure with 12 being the most reps you should perform and 6 being the lowest. This workout utilizes supersets.Take a 1 minute break between each superset. Supersets are grouped by letter before them. See Quest Objectives for context. Increase weight on each set by at least 5lbs. Increase weight from week to week as well. By the end of the 12 weeks, you should be 10lbs+ stronger in many lifts. This program can be repeated with endless variation. If you begin to plateau, seek ways of making the workouts harder. An example could be adding some dropsets. SPLIT CHEST/BACK SHOULDERS/ARMS LEGS Quest Objectives: Day 1: Chest/Back | Warm-up 5 minutes of cardio A1) Bench Press 2x6 warm-up, 3x12 working A2) DB Row 2x6 warm-up, 3x12 working 1 - 2 minute rest B1) Hammerstrength incline Chest Press 3x12 working B2) Hammerstrength lat pulldown 3x12 working 1 - 2 minute rest C1) Cable Crossovers 5-7x12 working C2) Reverse Flye 5-7x12 working Day 2: Active Rest | Start with 5 minutes of cardio if you normally don't do cardio, and add 5 minutes to your average time of the cardio you do regularly. Increase total time by 5 minutes every other week. By Week 12 you should be doing 30 extra minutes of cardio. For the sake of this program, cardio is considered 150bpm+ for the whole session. Day 3: Shoulders/Arms | Warm-up 5 minutes of cardio A1) DB Shoulder Press 2x6 warm-up, 3x12 working A2) Standing DB Curl 2x6 warm-up, 3x12 working 1 - 2 minute rest B1) DB Front Raise 2x6 warm-up, 3x12 working B2) Tricep Extension 2x6 warm-up, 3x12 working 1 - 2 minute rest C1) Reverse Flye Machine 2x6 warm-up, 3x12 working C2) Barbell Curl 2x6 warm-up, 3x12 working 1 minute rest D) Skull Crusher 2x6 warm-up, 3x12 working Day 4: Active Rest | Do the same amount of cardio as you did on your first active rest day this week. Day 5: Legs | Warm-up 5 minutes of cardio A1) Squat 2x6 warm-up, 3x12 working A2) Leg Curl 1x6 warmup , 3x12 working 2 - 3 minute rest between A and B B1) Leg Extensions 3x12 working B2) Standing Calf Raises 3x12 working 2 - 3 minute rest between B and C C1) Weighted Walking Lunge 3x12 working C2) Lower Back Extensions 3x12 failure Day 6: REST Day 7: REST Let me know what you think below!

For most of the last four-ish years (might actually be longer...) I've been chiefly over with the Monks. Boxing, BJJ, MMA, most of my fitness goals had been built around combat sports. It was pretty much my favorite thing. I loved having something that allowed me to actually demonstrate whatever physical skills and abilities I had. I loved the competition, and always getting better at something that I enjoyed. A couple weeks ago, I had what will probably be my last amateur boxing match. I didn't train nearly as hard as I could have for that fight, and I know I could have done better, but the thing is... I think I'm hitting that point in my life where I enjoy watching it more than I enjoy doing it. Only took 25 years. And now, in my advancing age (I turn 38 this year! Get off my lawn!) I really need to focus more on general mobility, bodyweight exercises, whole-body fitness, running, and maybe more recreational sporting. If my wife were here, she'd also probably point out that American Ninja Warrior is my favorite television show at this time of year, and then she'd poke me in the belly and laugh. So! If you'll have me, this monk is going to be swapping out the brass knuckles for some nice skintight black spandex. Sneaky sneaky. Working out quantities of each of the following, per day, per week, to be determined. Challenge #1 - Aerial Combat Bodyweight squats combined and jumps. Hockey jumps (side to sides). Jumping split squats (sort of like lunges). My hips and knees are in terrible shape. Challenge #2 - That Upper Body Pushups. The bane of my existence. Double-arm army crawls. Triceps and shoulders. Negatives, IF I can figure out some way to hang a bar at my house. Challenge #3 - Zero-G Combat Practicing handstands. Against the wall, to start. Probably for the entire challenge. I've never managed any success with these. THAT WILL CHANGE. Challenge #4 - Core Meltdown The picture is only tangentially related. Planks, and side-plank shifts. Maybe baseball slides, as well. Core, abs, obliques, lower back. Lotta repair work to do. Bonus Challenge - Wibbly-Wobbly Timey-Wimey Flexibility Wall splits. Pigeon stretches. Heel to butt stretch. I stiffen up easy, especially the hips and legs. I'm just using this challenge to sort of get me up to the level where I can set some REAL challenges for the NEXT challenge. I hope that's all right! Howdy!

I want your input on whether the following diet can result in a slimmed down appearence: Breakfast: protein shake (like this one) Lunch: quinoa lentils avocado Dinner: refried beans corn tortillas black olives nutritional yeast hot sauce

Hi there. I have an issue that I suppose isn’t really a big deal but was wondering if anybody had advice. I’m female and of very slight stature: very short and very slim. I’ve always been very slim my whole life even though I’ve always had a healthy appetite. I have broad but bony shoulders and my upper torso has always been what gives off the illusion that I’m underweight to people that wish to mention it to me. My lower half (legs, butt, thighs) have always been larger which I understand is common for ladies because of hormones and whatnot. I’m quite ectomorphic on top. I’ve never much gained weight on my upper body, my arms stay very bony and my waist doesn’t gain weight easily either - though more easily than my arms. My upper torso has always been very weak and hard to gain strength in. My lower half however has always been strong. I’ve always had powerful legs and gain muscle on them very easily. I can squat and lunge for days but have never once completed a push up and even when trying simplified versions, my strength just doesn’t increase up top. I suppose I’m trying to find a way to balance myself out but so far nothing works for me. I like my large legs, and I’d actually like to maintain them and hopefully add healthy mass on top to balance my body out. However, when trying to eat healthily (following paleo for example), no matter how many calories I get, I find myself losing far too much weight, even on my legs which is starting to make me look deathly. Even though my appetite is healthy, I just can’t eat enough to maintain mass on my legs without eating junk and start driving again when eating paleo, and my upper torso just doesn’t change at all. I’ve noticed my jeans are all hanging off me now and no matter how much more I eat, I just keep getting smaller. I’m a bit lost and I’m not sure if there are exercises I could do to maintain my legs and hopefully build at least some upper body strength. Even things I could do as I go about my day to provide some small regular challenges (for example I walk everywhere instead of driving now - but I’m just losing even more weight!) Here’s the big problem though, I have a spine problem which has been detrimental to my physical health and it means I can’t lift weights. I can confirm I definitely don’t have any thyroid problems by the way. I’d really appreciate any advice on my half-and-half body. Thank you!

Hello there! I had an old dial scale at my house. I started losing weight since January and I was tracking my progress with the old scale. I was like: Well, it looks rickety and dusted, but it will tell me what I need, right? Anyway, I was on my whey to buy a new digital scale to make a comparison between weights and find out if one of them was faulty. Also, I made a control test using a health store paid-to-weight scale to get a control number before casting old scaley to oblivion or regretting buying the new scale (Yeah, I know. Why didn't you weight yourself on the commercial one to ensure old scaley was faulty before buying the new scale? Well... It came to me in a dream and, I already bought the new scale ) Anyway, I got my numbers and proceed it to test old scaley and new scaley... Oh boy! Was I wrong! Turns out that old scaley there had lost its previous calibration. It was 10 POUNDS OFF! Old scaley there was messing with my mind. I got the new one and test it ok. So, old scaly is there... dreading its future. But, I won't get rid of it just yet. I might found a good use for it, all 10 pounds off and everything. And yes, I'm actually 280 lbs. now! Because... gravity.

Hi all, Below you can see my post of about 1 year ago regarding the fat losing problem of my (now recently) wife Sally Past year she adjusted her week plan to more powerlifting and cardio oriented since we read a lot about the benefits of lifting and eating protein rich food for fat-loss. But this hasn't resulted in any fat-loss whatsoever But Sally can't seem to lose her belly/hip-fat, whatever sport or diet she's doing. We tried Paleo, Crossfit, lifting, no sugars, ... for periods of 3 months each. Without any result. This all began after her miscarriage + surgery to her ovaries 4 years ago. Let me give you some background: Body: Sally Female 28 years old 155cm height (5 feet 1 inches) 54kg (124 pounds) Brown hair Small feet Relevant history: Had an eating disorder when she was 20-22 which damaged her intestines during that time Is gluten intolerant (she can eat gluten but when overdoing she feels really constipated) Had surgery to her uterus/oviduct after a miscarriage resulting in increase in menstruation problems (more headaches, more cramps, ...). This could have messed up her hormones? Current lifestyle (for past 5-6 months): wakes up at around 6:30am Go's to work by bicycle (10-20min ride) Office job for 8 hours a day Smokes 3-8 cigarettes a day (quit smoking and starting vaping with nicotine) Goes to bed at around 22:30-23:30 Enjoys reading Harry Potter books (like the whole series each year!) Food-Drinks 2 years: Breakfast: yoghurt, blueberries, nuts (cashew, hazelnuts, Brazilian, ..) Lunch: Salad = cucumber, paprika, spinach, cherry tomatoes, beans/chickpeas/rice/..., sausage/ham/salmon/Mozzarella/... Leftover from diner day before (see below) Snack: smoothie = avocado, spinach, banana, ... Banana pancakes Diner = Paleo Chicken, pork, beef, salmon, ... Lot's of veggies (paprika, tomatoes, zucchini, egg plant, ...) Rice/potatoes/ or no carbs 1 plate of 500-600gram Exercise 6 months: Monday-Wednesday-Friday = Crossfit Powerlifting Tuesday-Thursday = Running Saturday/Sunday = Crossfit or Swimming Results after 2 years of mixture of crossfit, lifting, running, cycling, swimming, ... She gains muscles (as her weights during Powerlifting increase) She gains overall fitness (her WOD times decrease) Her weight (54kg) is an all time high (probably due to muscle increase) She doesn't lose fat (+- 22-25% body fat) Goal: Be happy Working out Eat healthy Lose body fat Increase strength (she loves the looks of Crossfit athlete Lauren Fisher) Original post Thank you for your feedback and sorry for the long post

Inspirational as bleep. So I've packed on some weight. It's been a rough couple of months. I can't really complain that much, because in general, my life is really good. It's just been... hectic, I guess is the best word, with all of my time being taken up by my various other responsibilities. My wife is full-time in university, my kids have activities all week, my dog needs walks at 5am and 5pm, and I'm still working full time and trying to make it as a writer. I probably bitch about this every time, but I have ALL of this energy going out into the world, and I have no energy coming IN to my life. I am the nice, sturdy foundation of my world: I'm solid, dependable, blocky, and always there. And like most foundations, you kinda forget it's there and just assume it'll always be there. I've been in my routine, and my routine doesn't leave a lot of room for exercise (outside of walking the dog, which is probably all that's kept me alive so far!). I've been treating my depression with food, as I always do, and an impressive pattern of telling myself I'll stop tomorrow. And just the other week, I noticed, I REALLY NOTICED that I'm significantly fatter and more out of shape than just a few months ago. My back hurts, my knees hurt, my wrists and elbows hurt, and five minutes on the heavy bag was my total limit. So right now, I'm going to start some small steps in order to build some better habits, some better routines. I'm going to be on autopilot, with my daily routines, for the next eight months at least (after which, I'll probably be on another new routine). I can't BREAK the routine... there's too much to do. But I can tweak the routine. Try and shape it to be more productive. Challenge #1 - 30 Minutes With The Kettlebells I'm up early every morning, just because my dog REALLY wants to come in. It used to be she only wanted in when it got light around 6am, and then as the days got shorter she would want in around 6:15am, or 6:30am. But now, she's going backwards, and she wants in around 5am. So I'm gonna be up anyways, and I can't sit when it's that early, because I just stiffen up. So I want my NEW ROUTINE to be making my big morning coffee, hanging with the dog, stretching out, then 30 minutes with the kettlebells, mostly legs and back. Then walk the dog when she wakes up again (she always comes in then passes out for a bit), then home to clean up the house and make lunches before the kids wake up. I'm ALREADY UP, so lets use some of that time better. Challenge #2 - 30 Minutes Bag Work At Night I sleep better if I burn off some energy at night. There's usually some time between when the kids go to bed, and when I go to bed, that I either write or I play a couple video games and try to unwind. Every time I play video games to unwind, I wish afterwards that I'd done anything else. So now I'm gonna do anything else. 30 MINUTES OF BAG WORK. Not power shots, since I don't need a POWER WORKOUT at night, but speed, stance, ducking and weaving and pulling and shifting, and really working the core and throwing fast combinations. Work up a sweat, then stretch, and off to bed. Challenge #3 - Better Eating At Work I need to get back into eating sensible food at work. No getting frustrated and driving around aimlessly until I find whatever fast food joint appeals to me that day. No more going grocery shopping, and throwing a bag of chips or a bag of chocolate almonds into the cart and then leaving them in the van 'for work', rather than bringing them into the house. Sensible food, at work. Bring sandwiches, bring leftovers, and keep a case of soup under my desk again like the old days. BE HUNGRY at work. Not starving, but that level of hunger that tells me to drink more water. I don't need to be full 24/7. Challenge #4 - Self Care This one... I don't really know how to cover. Writing makes me happy, and I have been writing a lot more. I've been prepping two novels, and of course getting ready for NaNoWriMo. I'm still up in the air about working on a web serial, because my writing is inconsistent and I have a hard time writing THE SAME THING for an entire week, let alone every week for a year or two. But I need simple things that make me happy, that make me hopeful. When I figure out what those are, I will try and update this challenge. On the flip side, though, another part of self care is significantly LESS social media. Less Facebook, by far. Less Internet, probably. My only friends are online, though, so I need to find some good habits where I can keep in touch with people, but where I don't need to constantly expose myself to the horribleness that has become the norm. Baby steps in this direction. Find the balance. ... there's not a lot of "Monk-ish-ness" here, but I'll get back there.

I'm male, 16, 259 LBs, and at 34% Body-fat. For fat loss I am considering consuming only 1800 calories (I'd go lower but I'm a teenager) Here are the details. Cal:1,800 Carbs: 90 Grams (Excluding added sugar) Protein: 180 Grams Fat: 80 Grams (Moderate saturated fats and unsaturated fats. No trans-fats) I will also be lifting and doing moderate cardio. Please let me know if this is good or not.

Is it possible to lose weight within 21 days ???

Hey y'all! I'm frustrated, and I think I've come here more so for a pat on the hand than advice. After my nightly drinking became concerning (for me), I stopped consuming alcohol for the next couple of months. In the past 6 months I've cut out alcohol, energy drinks and cigarette smoking. Yet I'm 12 lbs above my target weight. I know that part of that is that outside of rugby season I'm pretty sedentary. It's just frustrating that I've taken one step forward only to fall two back. I've decided to keep a daily food diary for the next month to see how my caloric consumption pans on on a day-to-day basis, and to be more firm with myself with regards to working out. It's only 12 lbs, and I know I can do it. But for now, I'm just tempted to kick a rock at the back-asswards frustration of it all.

What's up guys. I've been using Nerd Fitness for awhile but I just got on the forums. I had a question about bent over dumbbell rows. So I started working out again, I have a gym membership now and 3 times a week I've been going in and doing this sites "Beginner Workout." I've had to do it exercise by exercise in sets rather than as circuits cause I wait for first a bench to open up (for my 3 sets of rows) then for the Smith's to open up (I do 4 sets of incline assisted pushups cause I'm pretty bad at real ones atm). My ultimate goal at the moment is to be able to do 1 pullup which is definitely a ways off as I am currently weighing in at about 268 and should be closer to 190-200 (I'm 6'1"). As the members here I'm sure are aware, there's a great article on exercises working up to a pullup on this site and that's what I've been following in addition to the beginners workout. I've been doing my bent over rows pretty much like Steve does in the video, with my back as close to parallel as I can get to the bench and my pulling arm straight down, then I pull the dumbbell toward me and sort of out to the side of the area below my chest. Here's my question--today, in between sets, I noticed another dude in the bench area doing bent over rows only instead of angling his pulling (dumbbell) arm straight down, he had it held out at arm's length in front of him about a 45 degree angle from the ground and he was pulling all the way back to his lower chest/side area then out to arm's length keeping the same angle. Curiosity got the better of me so I decided to try a set and right away I noticed it was quite a bit more strenuous doing it this way--I had been using a 20lb dumbbell the other way and, after trying just a couple reps, had to go all the way down to 12lb doing it this way to do a full set. The other thing I noticed was, doing it the straight down way oftentimes I feel like the exercise is too easy and if I do feel a pinch in my back or shoulders its less isolated and kind of distributed over the length of my arm whereas this way I felt a definite worked-out feeling in my shoulder/upper back area (or at least that's where I think it was, I'm not an expert on the various muscle groups I just started working out, but I know from the pullup article this exercise should be targetting your back). Ok so sorry for my long-windedness, but I guess my question is this: do you guys know if there's a substantial difference between what gets hit in terms of muscles in the traditional way I've been doing it (as shown in Steve's video) and the way I tried it today? Is there a greater risk of injury/not hitting the right muscles doing it the new way? I'm tempted to keep doing it this way because I feel like I got a much better workout for the row sets than I normally do. I already mentioned I'm pretty tall so maybe this other way would work better... ? Anyway peeps, gimme your thoughts and experience on this, again I'm pretty new but I appreciate this community here that Steve has built up, seems like a great place. - Adam

I am a littler over a week into my Nerd Fitness journey and have to say that I am a big fan of the site/community that it provides. I have a long way to go till I reach my ultimate goal but truly believe that everything is sinking in. The idea that this has to be a lifestyle change and not a diet is understood. My week 1 results were a huge motivator (11.5lbs) and can tell that I am doing better this week (won't know for sure till next Monday). For the time being I won't lie... I am dieting so that I can get down to a weight that will make exercise easier. I am for the most part on the Paleo diet, but am still having some dairy (low fat greek yogurt) and occasional sushi (once a week but not fried and smaller portion sizes than I am accustomed to). I am preparing 90 percent of my own food and have found many ways to season chicken. Maybe next week I will move to fish, then turkey. I am doing good at eating more vegetables than fruit.

I am a littler over a week into my Nerd Fitness journey and have to say that I am a big fan of the site/community that it provides. I have a long way to go till I reach my ultimate goal but truly believe that everything is sinking in. The idea that this has to be a lifestyle change and not a diet is understood. My week 1 results were a huge motivator (11.5lbs) and can tell that I am doing better this week (won't know for sure till next Monday). For the time being I won't lie... I am dieting so that I can get down to a weight that will make exercise easier. I am for the most part on the Paleo diet, but am still having some dairy (low fat greek yogurt) and occasional sushi (once a week but not fried and smaller portion sizes than I am accustomed to). I am preparing 90 percent of my own food and have found many ways to season chicken. Maybe next week I will move to fish, then turkey. I am doing good at eating more vegetables than fruit.

Battle Log 1 Measurements: Weight = 96 lbs Waist = 27in Neck = 12in Chest = 31in Biceps = Left= 9in Right= 9in Hips = 33.5in Thigh: Right= 18.5in Left = 18.5in Calf: Right= 12.5in Left = 12.5in Goal Weight is 115 - 120 lbs Oddly my right and left sides are the same size. At least I won't have to worry about a dominant arm or leg (: Calorie Intake: Goal = 2445 per day I have 1 week calculated on by fitbit app no point in adding in a whole week on the first check in. 5/7 days with the right amount of calories. I'm proud of the accomplishments I have done so far. Going from 1 meal a day and never drinking water besides once a month usually if that xD Who know's how I am still alive. Unhealthy as hell but I'm working on it. I will also be adding any recipes that I've tried out that I think are good. If you have any yummy recipes you want to share i'm all ears; I get bored with tastes easily and always have to have flavor or I just won't finish eating it. The paleo diet was made for me I love me some veggies(: Water: Goal = 64 oz or 8 cups per day 3/7 days ): This is one thing I definitely need to work on even if I have set reminders on my phone while at work. Workouts: Basic for now until I gain strength A= 3 rounds total Step Up - 5 reps per side Bodyweight Pushup - 5 reps Pull ups- 8 reps Finish With: Side Plank - 2 sets of 40+ seconds per side B= 4 rounds total Assisted One Leg Squat - 10 reps Assisted Straight Arm Support - 15+ second hold Wall Slides - 8 reps Finish With: Bar Hang - 2 sets 30+ second hang C= 4 rounds total Start With: Jump Rope Singles - 3 sets of max consecutive reps Lateral Jumping Squat - 6 reps Bodyweight Pushup - 5 reps Assisted Chin Up - 8 reps Finish With: Hanging Scapular Retraction - 2 sets of 10 I mix up my own thing in between workouts If I'm not satisfied with how much I've done. Always pushing harder (: I will be working on barbell bench press, flat-bench dumbbell press, rows, etc. later on; once I've accomplished my basic goals for gaining strength. Not drinking water and never eating can do that on your body. I miss how I used to workout with my dad all the time. I was a lot healthier back then; lol my dad was in the military so he didn't take no for an answer when it came to working out. R.I.P John Wayne Johnson; I will be visiting him this memorial weekend. He will have been gone 1 year coming up this august. That's all I have for now; Time for some dinner.

Quick place holder for zero week. Preview: Suburi will be maintained, and if the weather cooperates, may involve naginata suburi outside, so I can actually swing a blade without knocking things off shelves, knocking over fireplace tools, or putting holes in the ceiling. Measurements will be taken. They may even be recorded. Metrics baby, yeah. Travel plans...they are a happenin' Weight will be lessened. Pratchett will be quoted. Also - hell dropped a couple of degrees - I actually went for a walk today.

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

... so this last year didn't exactly end on a high note. Dammit, Thrillho, we talked about this... It wasn't all bad! I got to spend a lot of time with my kids, we got to go sledding quite often and we played a lot of board games, and we had a pretty awesome and quiet Christmas at home, without any ridiculous northern Canadian mid-winter travelling (except when we got snowed in at my sister's during a freak storm for two days... which was actually still kind of awesome.) That said, I was sick almost literally from the first day of vacation until... yesterday. I exercised almost less than zero times. I ate like someone was going to take it away from me (they might have! No point taking any chances, right?) I really enjoyed my whisky, and all of the cheese I was consuming helped to soak up any negative effects from the hangovers. So I'm basically starting 2016 about as fat as I've been since BEFORE 2015. Not an auspicious start. So listen up, fruit cup! I ain't saying this twice! I've got eleven weeks from today until the Tiger Balms. That's about, what, two and a half challenges under the new system? That sounds pretty good to me. I think this is going to be a bit of a 'warmup' challenge anyways, while I turn myself around and try to develop some new habits. Some of those habits have already started... I made hummus and guacamole today so I can actually have a snack that's kind of sort of healthy, and they're both great additions to my wraps. I've got a turkey vegetable crock pot thing going to keep me in meals all this week. Back at the gym tomorrow morning, and MMA tomorrow night. And perhaps most excitingly, my Creative Writing course at the university starts Wednesday evening. Creative Writing? You're paying someone to tell you why the curtains were blue? Shut up, Titus. All of those inspirational memes with bullshit platitudes posted over blurry landscape photography that tell you to follow your dreams now and that things will always be difficult? They're kinda right, in a way. So this is my way of actually lighting a fire underneath myself to try and follow my dreams This course is the Tiger Balms of my artistic creativity. Even if I crash and burn and fail (which I may very well do at the Tiger Balms), it will still be something that I chose to do, and that I attempted. If I didn't do something just because there was a chance I would fail, then I would never do anything. Correction: I would CONTINUE never doing anything. So we're turning that around in 2016. On with the challenges! Thrillho's Neverlution Challenge #1 - Working Out Alone I have a punching bag and stand in my basement. I have weights, I have kettlebells, I have pads and wraps and gloves and pretty much everything else any decently motivated individual needs to turn themselves into a beast. That said, I also have a couch with blankets and I have three televisions with functioning remote controls, so those weights and kettlebells and things hardly ever get used. I work out at MMA because I'm in a class full of people, I work out at the gym because I have to take my son for his physio, and I work out when my wife's friend comes over to work out because they need someone there to keep them on track. But I don't work out when I'm alone, even when I have free time and nothing to do. I find reasons and excuses and distractions, and while nearly all of them are things that I CAN do and some even NEED to be done, they don't need to be done RIGHT THAT SECOND. I can be honest enough with myself that there are enough slack minutes in my home life that I can work out. Quite a lot. And I need to start doing that. (I think my last challenge had this, and I failed miserably.) Work out at home 3x a week (morning or night, doesn't matter)Work out for at least 30 minutesWork up a decent sweat Seems pretty easy when you spell it out like that, huh? Dumbass. Thrillho's Neverlution Challenge #2 - Proper Diet And Supplements Eleven weeks isn't a lot of time, but I can do a lot. I lost 20 lbs in only six weeks for Ellismania, and that wasn't really REALLY trying too hard. Salad wraps and blue cheese and eggs and laying off the carbs, and switching to green and black teas... it's amazing what you can do. But I need more than just weight loss for this challenge (since the weight classes are very accomodating), I also need muscle building. Protein after workouts is important. Creatine for recovery is important. I splurged a little bit and got some of the Onnit supplements recommended by pretty much everyone I know, and I'll be test-driving those all through the month of January (T+ and Shroomtech). Not nearly as concerned about weight as I am concerned about proper fitness, energy levels and a well-functioning system of mighty organs. Take my T+ and Shroomtech before every workoutTake my protein and creatine after every workout, and protein after MMANo empty breakfast carbsNo more work lattes (tea with one sugar cube is acceptable)No more tasty, tasty dessertsSmall dinners Ask your doctor if Getoffyourassadone is right for you! Thrillho's Neverlution Challenge #3 - Stretching and Flexibility One thing I don't do nearly enough of is stretching. In December, while I was at MMA before my body and life went to hell, I would start every class with inverted wall splits, back arches and wall-assisted handstands. I noticed improvements almost immediately, especially regarding balance, footwork and hip flexibility. Naturally these all stopped when I was no longer attending classes, even though I have more than enough room in my basement to pull this off. Heck, I have a huge wall next to my bed. I could do all of these when I get up and when I go to sleep. And it's about time I started. Stretching in the mornings, especially before workout days. EVERY DAY.Stretching in the evenings, especially after MMA nights. EVERY DAY.Attempted wall-assist handstands every day. 10 times or 10 minutes. Are a man's hips supposed to do that, Thrillho? Thrillho's Neverlution Lifestyle Challenge - Writing Always the biggest one, and yet the smallest one. I have a desktop. I have a laptop. I have a tablet. I have a phone. And yet, most of the writing I do is in my little notebooks when I;m at gymnastics with the girls or when I'm waiting to pick my son up from HIS MMA classes. Because any time I settle down to do some writing, there's always more things that need to be done on my computer... like idlegames. And organizing my music. And posting on NF. Or heck, maybe just watching something dumb on YouTube. There's always something to distract me. Which is a cruel irony, since the only thing I want to do when I'm working, or driving, or cleaning, or otherwise occupied, is write! I have all these great ideas when I'm in bed or when I'm in the shower or when I'm shovelling the driveway (Canada, hello), but at best I jot down a few core concepts and then goof off. When I do write, it's never anything 'serious', for various definitions of that loaded word, but just something silly to amuse me. But I've got a writing course coming up, and I'm assuming I'm going to need to write something for it. I know how much I can write when I put my mind to it, so it's about time I fill up the remainder of my silly free minutes with words, words, words. Attend every writing class, even if you're really sleepy and can make it up with the online webinarWrite at least 500 words per day (1000 always seems daunting, while 500 always seems super easy... but 500 might get done)Try to read what OTHER people are writingDownload and listen to "The Next Chapter" podcasts, at least once per day (CBC, amazing show all about writing)The podcast one might seem strange, but it's super inspiring to actually hear other writers talk about their craft. I want to be like that. Stretching, supplements and words? Oh yeah. Your life is real hard, buddy. It might not be that hard, but that doesn't mean it's easy. The easy road is always the road of sitting and letting life pass you by. Maybe you move your lawn chair so an overpass shields you from the sun by the freeway of life, but that's just putting in the bare minimum of effort to make your laziness that much more bearable. I'm 35 and I'm pretty sick of saying that I'll have time when I'm older. When the bills are paid off. When the kids move out. When I get into shape. When I finally have free time. Because it's been thirteen years and I'm still saying it. Teenaged me would dickpunch current me without a second thought. And he'd be right. Viva la revolucion.

I'm not very ripped but fit and follow calisthenics as a beginner. The thing is that due to the extensive amount of resources available online, it is hard for me to follow one. I'd like to create a workout plan for me to get a proportional and functional body like the Assassins and I'd like the community to help with that. I prefer bodyweight exercises over weight training so please try keeping the workout plan bodyweight based. thanks.

Hi I am trying to gain weight because I am fairly skinny. I work out all the time and I am in good shape I am just not as heavy as I would like to be. I have done a lot of research and I know I need to eat more calories but with school and work I do not have enough time for all the meals. I found this survival bar that has 3600 calories and it is broken into pieces of 400 calories. I was wondering if it was ok to eat one or two of these pieces everyday to get the calories I need. Thanks!

Hi.... silly question..... When you're adding up the weight you're lifting (say, in a deadlift), do you count the bar? For example, does the below photo equal 20lbs, or approximately 65lbs (depending on the weight of the bar)? I'm trying to figure out how much to start with and aim for, but I need to know how to count first! I slapped a couple 25lb "thingers" on the bar last week and deadlifted that NP....