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Hello. I have reached a point in my fitness journey were I don't know what to do. I have always been very slender (5'8", 115lbs) I have started my weight gain journey consuming weight gain shakes both Optimum Nutrition Mass and sometimes Boost Plus and eating a moderate protein based diet. I do weight training (occasionally) and natural cardio (walking, cycling and stairs) I have noticed some weight gain as I am now fluctuating around 120lbs. Problem I am having is that some of the weight went to my belly and waist. I'm sure it has alot to do with the sugar content in the shakes. I don't want to have to lose body weight just to get a flat stomach as I am already too slender (bmi 17.48) Are there any tips to get a flat stomach while gaining body weight? I'd like more weight everywhere but not my stomach. I've added a few photos for reference. Some days are worst than others (sorry for clarity)

I started weight lifting about 6 weeks ago. My focus is on my legs and back and I would get on the torso rotation machine as a start to get my middle area ready to do some harder stuff eventually. 3 days ago I got on 2 different ab machines with very little weight to just get a feel for it. I only did 2 sets on each machine and my abs have been sore. Today I hit the gym and got back on the same machines and I would get super sharp pain inside where my c section scar is when i tried doing my sets. I only did 2 reps on each. It hurt So bad i wanted to cry. Its been 4 years since the c section happened and im wondering if anyone has gone through something like this after so long?? After i went to the torso rotation where i usually do 110lbs and i had to bring it down to 90 because it was very uncomfortable. Im very disappointed because i got excited after trying out the machines 3 days ago and my scar did not hurt then and now it does but only when i try using the ab machines. Any advice please??

Hello! I am a new lifter trying to get a smaller waist and bigger booty and bigger shoulders and back. I’ve been doing research on formulating a plan, but I don’t know if I put too much in. I couldn’t decide between exercises, so it was hard to choose. I do three or four full body workouts a week, here is an example of one. Warmup, then Squat- 4x10 reps Pushups- 4x10 Pullups- 4x10 assisted Hip thrusts- 5x8 Fly- 3x10-12 Row- 4x8-10 Split squats- 3x12 Plank or side plank Side lunges- 3x15 I barely finish within an hour, and I always feel uncertain if I should’ve put more time into the moves instead of doing so many. I rarely get sore. Any advice is appreciated.

I had a checkup with my new family doctor last week. She was matter-of-fact that yes, it would be healthy for me to lose 30 pounds before trying to get pregnant. It seems like such a big number. I feel intimidated. She also reiterated the possible pros and cons of staying on my anti-anxiety medication during pregnancy, ultimately telling me that it is up to me to decide what is best. All things equal, I would stay on my medication. It's been such a good thing for me, I feel so much more stable and happy when I am on it. But I absolutely do not want to go courting unnecessary risk during pregnancy. I feel scared about withdrawal and what life will feel like without the meds. It's been a few years. So these are things I am thinking about right now. Today I did Nerd Fitness workout 2A to get back on the exercise bandwagon. I feel good! Sincerely, Laura AKA Gleagor

Hi All, I am pushing myself to post here because I have foresworn Facebook and I need a fitness community if I am going to go anywhere with this. I am 32 and live in Athens, GA (shout-out to any fellow Athenians out there!). I would like to lose 30 pounds and wean myself off my anxiety medication to better my chances of getting pregnant/having a healthy pregnancy when we start trying this fall. The other part of me says "Eh, that sounds hard and unpleasant, let's just watch YouTube videos and eat cookies all day." I know once I titrate off my meds, I am going to need exercise more than ever to stay chill. So here I am. I am grateful to have found this community. Sincerely, Laura

So I've had a weird bumpy thing just above my stomach since December, and I finally went to an internal medicine specialist to get it checked out. While I'm still waiting for final test results, the doctor is 90% sure it's a hernia from lifting (I deadlift and squat at least once a week at my community center, in addition to doing kung fu). Have any of you experienced anything like this? The doc said while it doesn't hurt and it's coming and going, I should just take it easy and wait to see if it goes away on its own, but if it does start to hurt (which it doesn't at all right now, it's just a weird pressure sometimes), then I'll have to have surgery

Hello All! A year and a half ago I took a journey to Thailand that kick started my health goals. I lost 20lbs in 3 months. Now a year and a half later, I've lost 60lbs altogether! I've went from 197lbs down to 137lbs I'm in the best shape of my life and I even was a featured speaker at an anime convention to teach other people how they can use anime to help them meet their fitness goals. I did it all through portion control and lots of exercise, no fads, tricks, pills, or gimmicks here! I even run a little facebook page for anime fitness memes I'm also a freelance writer with a few fitness articles under my belt. Now I'm looking to go a step further and really increase my muscle mass, lifting power, and cardio-respiratory endurance. Like most people though, I want to find a way to balance it all with work and play. I'm hoping that by coming to this forum I can tap a new wealth of ideas and maybe help out a few people along the way on their quest for success! I love anime, am a huge rpg fan, and I also nerd out about outdoorsy stuff and travel. I hope we can all push each other to new heights and break the bad health stereotype for nerds everywhere! Let's do this! Hello and welcome all!

What are the benefits strength training for women? Does it works for women?

Coffee has been consumed, and words are forthcoming. Mostly, I think. Background: This past Saturday I went in to have a DEXA scan performed, as I was told it was the most accurate form of body weight testing available. I'm not looking to do anything particularly nutters, but I really wanted a good starting point for my exercise. So I established a baseline of where I currently am. Then we'll do it 6 months down the road after consistent training to see how it pans out. The dilemma: As an American, we're obsessed with numbers. Particularly that pesky body fat percentage, and what it could possibly mean for our overall health, attractiveness, and y'know, whether we'll die alone. (Answer: We won't. That shit is all hype. Everyone is capable of, and deserving of, love.) I find myself turning my body fat percentage over in my head. (It's a total of 35% body fat, with 33.5% being android fat, and 41.9% being gynoid fat.) I cannot tell you how frustrating it is to not know what that means! Anyone in the forum have a clue of how to interpret this thing? Stats: Sex: Female Age: 27 Height: 70" Weight: 157 lbs Body fat: 35% (33.5% android, 41.9% gynoid) Mood: Confused.

Where to start. This is sort of a respawn for me, as I was pretty active here in 2013-2014 (making great gains I might add). Then we adopted our son from China, I was transferred to a new position where I basically had to learn a brand new job right before a series of inspections, and it was all I could do to fit work and family into my daily grind without collapsing from exhaustion. Personal PT goals were put on hold, and even when I did have time to train my heart and mind weren't in it. We are an active duty Navy family and just moved from Sicily, Italy to our new duty station in Florida. Steve's latest article on "no excuses" was the kick in the pants I needed just to dig up my password and log back into the site. They've made some updates since I was here last and all my old battle logs are gone. It's just as well, since I'd like to start fresh anyway. My goals are more holistic now than they were 2 years ago. My priorities have been a little out of whack and I'd like to get them realigned, so here goes: 2016 Goals: 1. Get more involved -- I will find a church family and spend more time in meditation, worship, and community service. When my mind is right, my body follows. 2. Spend time with my son -- I will spend purposeful time doing adventurous/creative/artistic/educational things with my son. I will not let work be an excuse. 3. Get stronger -- I will strength train at least 3 times/week focusing on the big three (squat, deadlift, bench). 4. Eat smarter -- I will pay closer attention to what goes in my body in order to fuel my training progress and be a better role model for my son. I'm going to go ahead and call myself out on all my old excuses in hope they will no longer hold power over me. Old Excuses: 1. I worked long hours today. 2. I'm too tired to get up an extra hour early and I need my rest. 3. It's not convenient. 4. I don't feel like cooking. Medical Conditions: 1. Chronic migraines. Sometimes it's a true reason for not working out. Sometimes it's an excuse. I have been getting migraines since I was 12. They have steadily increased over the years to the point of being chronic (14-15 headache days per month). Lifting weights during a migraine is brutal, as it makes the throbbing more intense. The medication I take for the migraines makes me feel tired and weak. You can see the issue here. Headache - don't work out. Post-headache - don't feel like working out. At an average of 1 headache every other day, that just about rules out every day of the week, and doesn't just affect working out, but also every other aspect of an active social life. At some point I even stopped making hard plans with friends, because I never knew if I would feel good enough to go out on any given day until that day arrived. Migraines are an insidious lifesuck. Last October I started yet another (I've been on just about everything under the sun to no avail) daily prophylactic medication in hopes of decreasing the frequency of the headaches. It appears to be working. The new meds have almost decreased the number of headache days in half (~8/month), which is a huge gain in quality of life. However the new meds also decrease my blood pressure which pretty much zaps all the extra energy and motivation I used to have. I am experimenting with the dosage in order to find balance, but as long as I am on this medication daily, I will have to work harder and dig deeper in order to find the drive to do what needs to be done. (And possibly drink more coffee.) Last but not least goal of 2016: I will not dwell on, or allow, the headaches to be an excuse for not living a joyful, active, and fruitful life.

I found this video this morning, and she makes a whole lot of sense. I'm not suggesting we all jump up from the couch, turn off the Lifetime movie, and run out to do power lifting RIGHT NOW. But it's sound advice once you're at the level of fitness where you can tolerate the heavier lifting. Give it a look if you're interested.

I love seeing success stories posted all over NF. It is inspiring no matter what the starting weight! Even the smallest victory is a victory to be praised! However, I am getting a little discouraged that I can't find anyone who is anywhere near my level of (un)fitness. Even in the weight loss category... So I am posting here in hopes of finding someone else who has found themselves in a similar position, hiding in a suit of fat and unable to recognize themselves in the mirror. Here is a little about me and some stats. I have been obese since I was 5 years old. I am an emotional eater. I binge. I struggle with depression. I feed my emotions. It's sad. And it needs to stop! Age: 26 Height: 5"8' Weight: 300 BMI:45.61 I have a punching bag, some resistance bands and an elliptical in my basement and I've joined a gym to have close access to more free weights and other workout equipment. I am so thankful for the encouragement and awesomeness provided by Steve and NF. I am making progress and would love to hear from anyone else about their journey.

Hey yo! I'm new around here and looking for a little support in the trying-something-new-and-potentially-dangerous realm About me: I'm a petite mid thirties girl (and Minecraft freak), and have spent the past 4 months loosing about 20 lbs. When I started I was doing HIIT workouts 3x a week, but that only lasted about 6 weeks before I had to put it on hold due to an unrelated injury. Fortunately, eating clean and walking was enough to keep the weight loss going through the holidays, but I'm all healed up now and doing basic, (mostly) body weight circuits at home regularly. (Some KBs, some hand weights & bands.) I'm pretty close to my goal weight, maybe 5 more lbs to go, and am interested in getting started at a gym for heavy lifting to tighten up. As much as I don't want to admit it to myself, I'm intimidated by the weight room. I've been doing my research here and all over, but I've never done any lifting and don't really know what I'm looking at. I'm also new to my area and don't know anyone I can buddy up with to make the whole thing seem less scary. I don't want to hurt myself, but I'm ready to take things to a new level (and maybe make some new gym friends...?) Has anyone had this experience? Any advise for a weight room noob? I have a gym in mind where I dig the atmosphere, but haven't committed yet. Any advise would be greatly appreciated! ~Cheers! (edited for typos!)

Greetings, Nerds. My quests are basically a copy of last month. Lift 3 x per week. Post numbers here. Continue to follow stronglifts with DB row modification. Lift smart and deload or repeat when poor form or ROM occurs. Last challenge I earned a perfect score on working out, so I think that lifting is my jam. Oh, hot Food. Last time I completely failed my tracking challenge. So I am trying again. (Once more, with feeling?) Walking. I mean, it's just one darn foot in front of the other - WHY CAN'T I MAKE THIS A HABIT? I desperately need cardio in my life. I have considered hitting the gym on T/Th mornings for cardio, since early+gym is already a habit. The husband is willing to accompany, I just...I just need to grow up and do the thing. But I kinda just...don't wanna. So...I will walk TWO times per week. 5 minutes or more. I will substitute cardio at the gym for this at least one time. LUYL: I am hoping to do the NF WL competition and the preparatory minis - I am just awaiting the details. So there you have it.

I'm new to this program and have chosen to be a Druid because, well, I am always drawn to that role in RPGs and like the intellectual/mindfulness aspect of it. My concerns are about doing the exercises such as yoga, tai chi, etc. in my current body. I am 400+lbs and only 5'2", so it's hard to get into a lot of poses. I also have back pain due to an injury years ago. I know there are modifications and alternative types of movement geared towards larger bodies, but I can't help but feel I can't count any of them until I can actually fulfill the quests I've been given - like going to a yoga class. I'm not even sure I will ever set foot in a yoga studio, but what about online yoga classes or the NF yoga program (which I also have questions about)? How do I do this, complete quests, level up, and still perform within my limitations? Any advice?

Hey guys! In for another challenge. Having trouble deciding on a theme, so that may happen later. I really want to do a witcher theme again, but I'm not sure if repeats are allowed. Edit: Apparently I was being sillly, and it's totally allowed. So since I don't feel like rewriting goals, I'm just going to add fun gifs. Last challenge went well, there was some food tracking, some protein goals, some new recipes... But I really missed having a workout component. So that's making a comeback. Quest 1: Track all the food - 6/7 days a week. I got this. Quest 2: Hit protein/calorie goals (which is usually not a problem when I track. It's the tracking part I have issues with. And it isn't a mental block, it's a 'I forgot to track and it's my bedtime, so I'm just going to go to sleep'. Laziness is a terrible excuse) Oh, Ciri Quest 3: Accomplish these things every week: -Lift 3 times -Upper back yoga routine -Wrist flexibility yoga routine -3.1 miles running/walking (note: normal walking, i.e. to class, does NOT count. This must be dedicated workout time. Also, 3.1 miles does not have to be done in a block, I can run a mile a day for 3 days, and that totally counts.) *bonus points for an extra yoga routine OR a massage There is a whole world of yoga/activities waiting for me to explore them Side note on Quest 2: I have changed my MyFitnessPal goals. Rather than set MFP at 2,000 (where I basically should be), I'm setting it at 1,600 (the goal I'm trying to hit more consistently and failing). As the challenge goes on, I will likely bump this up to 1,700, 1,800, etc. This will make it easier on me to see how much more I need to eat in order to hit my goal, which eliminates some of the 'Math is hard' excuses. Also, this lets me have more accountability. If anyone on MFP sees that I 'completed my food and exercise diary and was under my calorie goal' PLEASE YELL AT ME. That means I ate less than 1600 calories which is NOT good. And even if no one does that, the thought that they might may help. Currently, food goals are: 1600 calories, 80g of protein There will be gifs! I promise! Eventually! I don't know why I find this so funny, but I do.

Hello! So this is my first challenge, so tell me if I'm doing it wrong... _______________________________________________________ From my Intro Post: A bit about me: My name is Beth; I am 33 in November; I am an American living in Australia, and I am a SAHM with a soon to be 4 yo and triplets that just turned two. I am currently 87.9 kg on Day 1, with some fused vertebrae from a car accident ages ago and some military service, and a deep seated need to do this right this time, despite the fact that I have been a 'bare minimum' type of person my whole life. Why I'm doing this: I'm doing this because I'm tired of using my current life (a billion kids and no sleep) as a reason not to like myself. I want to feel attractive, be proud of what my body can do, and when my kids say they want to be like me, I want that to be a good thing. _______________________________________________________ I joined right in the middle of the last 6-week Challenge, so I am super excited to finally start this one! My Main Quest: I know that wieght is not the be-all, end-all, but I need to drop a few kg to make my knees and joints less prone to injury. So my quest is to lose 6 kg in the 6-week Challenge. However, I want to do it in a way that improves my life in the long run... more activity, better nutrition! Part 1 - I want to consume NO LIQUID CALORIES for 5 days out of every week. I've already cut soda, and cut milk out of my coffees, but no alchohol, no juice... I really need to focus on water intake. Part 2 - I want to start running... so 3 times a week, I'm going to run... it doesn't really matter how long, as long as I give it an honest go, but I have downloaded Zombies, Run! so that will be fun. Part 3 - I want to branch out and try one new class every week. I am trying Zumba next week, and rock wall climbing the one after... I'm also thinking a martial arts, a yoga, and a sword fighting... I have to see what's available and plan ahead. My Side Quest: I have so many things hanging out around the place that need to be put together or built. So, that is my side goal. I am going to build the trampoline for the kids, the new bike for my son, the brand new kitchen that is going in, and the new garden beds out back. IF i finish those too early in the challenge, I will move on to all the crafting projects I have half started and dying slow, stifled deaths. Wish me luck! I'm a recruit because this is my first challenge, but once I'm seeing some results I am looking at the Assassins Guild

So I just completed my entry for yesterday in My Fitness Pal, and it gave me an error message that said 'You are likely not eating enough'. When an program that is clearly designed to help people lose weight tells you that you aren't eating enough, LISTEN! (In my defense, I've been feeling like I'm getting a cold, which kills my appetite. But still. I really need to eat more than 1,000 calories a day.) Okay, so I'm ElvenEngineer. I'm a 22 year old female grad student in civil/structural engineering. Contrary to the above, I am not trying to lose weight. I am quite comfortable at 135#, size 2 pants, and size 4 shirts (because biceps - duh). My problems with eating are that I forget about it. No bueno. If I track MFP throughout the day, I'm better at knowing where I am, and am better able to hit goals. My goals this challenge will be focused on food. Because who doesn't love food? You know who does love food? HOBBITS! I promise there will be gifs. Many gifs. (I think I always promise this. I might fail on the gifs.) Quest 1:Track in MFP. Like seriously. It isn’t that hard. JUST DO IT SILLY. No calorie things, though I would like to be 1500+ every day. At least.Track ALL the food for 5/7 days= A [+4 STA]Track ALL the food for 4/7 days= B [+3 STA]Track ALL the food for 3/7 days= C [+2 STA]Track ALL the food for 2/7 days = D [+1 STA]Track NONE of the food = F Quest 2: Get at least 75g of protein a day. Bonus points for >100g. Eat ALL the protein for 5/7 days= A [+4 STR]Eat ALL the protein for 4/7 days= B [+3 STR]Eat ALL the protein for 3/7 days= C [+2 STR]Eat ALL the protein for 2/7 days= D [+1 STR]Eat NONE of the protein = F Quest 3:Try one new (dairy-free) recipe a week(ish). I will be buying a cookbook to make this easier.Cook 6/6 new recipes this challenge = A [+4 CON]Cook 5/6 new recipes this challenge = B [+3 CON]Cook 4/6 new recipes this challenge = C [+2 CON]Cook 3/6 new recipes this challenge = D [+1 CON]Cook <3 new recipes = F Life Quests: -Toast Masters meetings [+1 CHA for each meeting attended (Max +3)]-Don’t slack off on thesis-Keep putting 20%+ into savings-etc. etc. Dairy-free reasoning: Basically, it makes me feel bad. I haven't had a migraine since I cut it out, and I am feeling generally better. Good enough for me! I'm not vegan, I eat meat. I just don't eat/drink dairy. No, I haven't gone to the doctor. I might, when I have free time (which is non-existent). Rather than spend time specifying what in dairy my body doesn't like, it's faster and simpler to just avoid it altogether.

I’m pretty much going to cut mandated workouts out of my challenges. I feel like that is a habit that’s fairly ingrained now, and I don’t find myself benefiting from it all too much. [see my straight A’s in this last challenge.] For this challenge I’m going to focus more on eating/mindfulness. I need to figure out a caloric range that works for me, and maybe some macros to hit. When I get busy and stressed, I will and have eaten pasta for every meal just because it’s easy and fast. If I have a protein goal though, I know that doesn’t work out. Quest 1: Track everything in MFP. No minimums, no maximums for now. I may readjust as needed. [i’m probably going to subconsciously try to keep with my fruit or veggie with every meal or one paleo meal per day thing. But I won’t be tracking it] Track ALL the food for 5/7 days= A [+3 STA] Track ALL the food for 4/7 days= B [+2 STA] Track ALL the food for 3/7 days= C [+1 STA] Track ALL the food for 2/7= D [+0.5 STA] Track NONE of the food = F Quest 2: Journal and meditate(or do mobility work) each night before bed. The hard part with this will be my desire to sleep overcoming my desire to journal/meditate/mobilize. Requirements include - Journal must discuss one thing I learned that day - Journal must include how I felt as an AVERAGE that day (this will be a number from 0-10. 0=death, 10=lifted/kicked ass in ALL the things). Also, did I get super hungry? Did I feel like I didn’t have enough energy? Did I feel AWESOME? - Meditation/mobility must be at least 5 minutes Completed 5/7: A [+3 DEX] Completed 4/7: B [+2 DEX] Completed 3/7: C [+1 DEX] Completed 2/7: D [+0.5 DEX] Completed <2/7: F Also, at the end of each week I will take the raw data from MFP and manually put it into excel. It is SO lame that you can’t just export into CSV. But details. Data will include Calories, fat, carbs, protein, and my numbers from Quest 2. Quest 3: Electronics OFF by 8:30 every night, in bed with lights off by 9:30. One exception is allowed per week. But the exception must still let me sleep for 8 hours from the time I turn lights off. (so basically it has to be a Friday or Saturday night) Completed 7/7: A [+3 CHA] Completed 6/7: B [+2 CHA] Completed 5/7: C [+1 CHA] Completed 4/7: D [+0.5 CHA] Completed <4/7: F Quest 4: Adulting: Do 5 minutes of something to clean apartment every day. This can be done in the hour between 8:30 and 9:30. Completed 5/7: A [+3 WIS] Completed 4/7: B [+2 WIS] Completed 3/7: C [+1 WIS] Completed 2/7: D [+0.5 WIS] Completed <2/7: F Quest 5: I haven’t (typically) had issues with self image, but lately for some reason it’s becoming a problem. Like, I know I went up a pants size because my quads are becoming more awesome, but…. the number on the scale kinda hurts. Combined with the pants size thing. So I’m stealing Alanna’s Love Your Body challenge from her last challenge. Well I guess technically it’s Molly Galbraith’s challenge. Details. Will be doing this in a Google Doc. Edit: Adding Little Green Dot's 'How to become a morning person' challenge. It's the same # of days as the LYB challenge, so I'm just going to split the scoring of the points between then. [ALL THE POINTS!] Completed 28/28: A [+3 STR] Completed 21/28: B [+2 STR] Completed 14/28: C [+1 STR] Completed 7/28: D [+0.5 STR] Completed 0/28: F Life Quests: Improve deadlift (must… reach… wookie….) Attend 4 Toastmaster’s sessions over the 7 weeks. I always seem to want to wimp out, but I have fun and learn a lot while I’m there. This is to keep me accountable. Work on Thesis for 15 hours a week. I have been slacking on this SO much. I want to get it over with, but not enough to actually… do it. No scoring for these. But they do get a gif...

I am so tired of the up/down party my body is throwing... I don't know what I need, but maybe knowing it's not just me will help? Please share if you feel the same... Not only does my female body naturally avoid making the muscles happen, therefore using less stored fuel ("ESTROGEN!!!" read like Captain Kirk), but I also get to fight a battle with my will to go on every month when my body decides it needs to keep ALL OF THE WATER and that chocolate is the only way to avoid doing the murders to people. You could say "that is why you shouldn't focus solely on the scale", but yeah, but my body feels giant and my clothes fit tighter and my head wants to cry at ALL available times, so... those are all of the metrics I have been told to use and I can't find one thing to hold onto right now to remind myself of how far I have come and how I am capable of getting to the place I want to be... Mostly because all I can see is a pile of chips and candy bars and buffalo chicken wings... and I want them all in my face... Does anyone feel the same? Has anyone here overcome this pattern? Does anyone want to share? Men, feel free to chime in if you have a similar struggle...

*For those who know me, this is really similar to my last challenge, but since I skipped a challenge I’m trying to go back to the basics a bit* Also, I just bought an Xbox One, primarily so I could play the new Witcher game. I love it, but NO SPOILERS PLEASE! So that may or may not be taking over my life. Just so you know. (Some of my challenge may or may not be witcher themed….). Introduction: Hi, I’m elvenengineer and this is my third challenge. I really want to get stronger so that I could theoretically swing a giant sword to fight monsters and save people. I started the StrongLifts 5x5 program in my first or second challenge, but had some issues with injuries throughout my fitness journey. It mostly bothers me that my injuries are never from working out, but they affect my workouts. My right wrist is just not happy. Ever. I really need to develop healing through meditation or eating. If I healed when I ate, I would never have any issues. Why can’t we use game mechanics in real life? Main Quest: Get stronger in my upper body! 3 sets of 5 pull-ups or chin-ups is the overall goal, along with 3x20 pushups (where I was several years ago – but I had horrible form) Quest 1: Workout 4 days a week Do SOMETHING everyday- StrongLifts for 3 workouts preferably, but if I get sick or injured, running/walking* for all is acceptable. I started Zombies, Run, and I’m loving it! I’d like to do one longish run a week. I also really like StrongLifts, but I’ve fallen off the wagon a bit due to a wrist injury. That’s why I took up running again. However, for a gym incentive, I’ll give myself one bonus point for strength if I can deadlift my body weight by the end of the challenge! I need to be able to pick up the enormous piles of money I make from playing gwent. Also, my favorite witcher fighting tactic is the ability to dodge and/or run away in between sword swings. So there’s that. Measurement: A = 4 days/week, B = 2 days/week, C = 1 day/week, D = None Reward: A = +1 STR, +1 STA B = +1 STR, C = +1 STA *Note: for a run/walk to count, it must be ≥ 20 minutes Quest 2: Eat better! Okay, I know that’s really vague, so this is how it’s going to go (quantifiably – I am an official engineer now!). Each day I can either: eat a fruit or veggie with every meal OR eat one meal completely paleoOkay, I know this is a little wimpy but I’m giving myself a lot of slack as points go. If I do get 7 days per week consistently for the challenge, I will add a point to each of my rewards. But I want to focus on achievable goals this time, and 5 days/week is achievable to me J [can’t figure out how to tie into the witcher… feel free to give suggestions anyone] Measurement: A = 5 days/week, B = 4 days/week, C = 3 days/week, D = ≤ 2 days/week Reward: A = +2 CON, B = +1 CON, C = +0.5 CON, D=0 Quest 3: Get 8+ hours of sleep per night. I keep leaving this in my challenges because I feel like it really makes a difference in my life, but for some reason if I don’t make it a goal it falls by the wayside. i.e “Oh, I can play the Witcher another hour….†Must be like Geralt and recover from the day. Well I guess he just meditates. Details. Measurement: A = 7 days/week, B = 5 days/week, C = 3 days/week, D = 1 day/week, F = None Reward: A = +1 CHA, B = +0.5 CHA Life Quest: Consistently put 20% of income in savings, and transition from paying a car note to putting money in my investment accounts. Finally paid off my car, but since I’m used to paying it, might as well continue and benefit from it! I wish you could earn interest in video games. Maybe per hour of playing time? That would be awesome, I would have so much gold because I just run around doing side quests and talking to people more than half the time when I play anything. Completed: +1 WIS Motivation: Working/studying in a male dominated field means that physical strength often equals respect. People are surprisingly impressed and automatically assume me more capable when I can help them lift and move things. Also, I just love the idea of being able to lift my bodyweight someday and being able to move things heavier than I am (like giant swords)!

I'm starting out on a new path in my strength journey. I got a little anxious about finding the next step when I "broke up" with my last modality (not without giving it a good honest try), but I have to say as soon as I started lining up my options, I felt exceited and liberated. And I'm extremely glad I found Convict Conditining & really hope this will work out, seen as every coach out there really competent on bodyweight exercises is probably working with crossfit (it's really getting big out here now and there's massive money to be made on it). So here I am, with a little experience gained on bodyweight movements from my six months of crossfit and a self-help book. And NFR. Aka you guys I'm really really excited about starting, I see lots of benefits to be gained there and I can't wait to do my workout the way I like it again, which I didn't get to do in the box: slowly, focusing on form & thinking about what I'm doing, having some control over my own process and, best of all: BAREfoot! I love doing stuff barefoot and I had to use trainers in the box! Worse: as all my money was mobilized on paying the fees for the box, I couldn't afford flashy gear, and as crossfit is a very expensive modality, it attracted lots of rich people, which paraded several hundrend bucks worth of feet gear alone. And me in my rundown chucks. (I really felt like I didn't belong. I meant to stay longer, over a year, so I could learn more and use that knowledge later on my training carreer. But my back couldn't hold it. Nor could my self-respect. I got really tired of finishing last every damn WOD.) Tomorrow will be my first workou of Convict Conditioning. Due to some injuries I bring from my weakling time and my clumsy attempts, I'll start right at the beginning. (Even though I am able to perform several dozen reps of full squats and full pushups, like all crossfitters... but with what quality form?) Also, I'm just waiting on some money that's about to come and I'll go see a PT regarding my back pain. I got real responsibility with my body, don't worry. Have a great week all of you! Let's all end it stronger than we started it off!

Hello! So I have read a lot about Paleo and IF and they both sound great. But for women, there seems to be some downsides, ESPECIALLY with IF. Does any of my fellow female rebels have experience with Paleo and IF, particularly the later? I would greatly appreciate your experience, advice, knowledge, and expertise!

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

Hello ladies, so I recently noticed that when I do long runs (which for me are about 5 miles) I get "headlights" (perky nips!) which show through my sports bra AND shirt. When I discovered this during cool down stretches I was mortified. Any recommendations? Has anyone else experienced this? I'm kind of a shy person, so this makes me uncomfortable... :/