My Upcoming Plans for World Domination

by Steve on April 5, 2010

Rebellion_Wide

Yup, the next two months are going to be effing crazy.

Remember a few weeks back when I said that “everything happens for a reason”? It’s true.  I just had one of the busiest, most productive, and inspiring weekends of my life, and I’m really excited to share it with you.  The next few months of my life are going to be probably busier than they’ve ever been, and I can’t wait to dive right in.

Let’s go over what’s happening in my life these days.  Sorry for this post being kind of long – if you have to browse, read the first section “Rebel Fitness Guide” and the last section “Help Me Nerd Fitness Readers.”  I REALLY need your feedback on this.

Rebel Fitness Guide

This past Tuesday, I received a phone call from my mentor/yoda/fitness guru Mike Rickett. He told me that he was going to be in town this weekend and asked if I wanted to get together Thursday night to workout and grab some dinner.  Considering I would have been on a cruise had my vacation worked out and never got this phone call, I had a hunch that something great was going to come out of this meeting.

I was right.

After exercising with Mike, I shared a plan with him that I had been working on for months – a day-by-day fitness guide for Nerd Fitness readers.  I told him that I get tons of emails from people looking for super-specific advice on how to get in shape – what exercises, how many sets and reps, what kind of warm-up and cool down.  I explained that I had the passion and desire to help, I just didn’t feel comfortable creating workout routines for readers that would produce results because I didn’t have enough experience in training individuals.

I asked Mike if he was interested in creating some fitness routines for Nerd Fitness (backed by his 27 years of experience), which I could then nerdify and turn into a kick-ass guide. 

His eyes lit up and said “hell yeah, let’s do this.”

Mike and I spent two hours yesterday at a local park filming and shooting myself doing all of the exercises that we’ll be using in the guide – no gym necessary.  The only equipment I used was a set of dumbbells and some resistance bands, both of which I picked up at Walmart yesterday morning for CHEAP.  I wanted to introduce you all to Mike so you know where the information is coming from.  I trust him with my life, which is why I trust him to help you turn yours around.  This video was shot on the back porch of Nerd Fitness HQ (my apartment) in Atlanta, GA:


Mike Rickett and Steve talk Rebel Fitness Guide

As of right now, this is what we expect to have in the plan:

  • Three or four 4-week, day-by-day, exercise-by-exercise guides, each increasing in difficulty.
  • A few interviews in mp3 format between Mike and Steve discussing tips and tricks on how to best get in shape
  • A full diet plan, including insight from Mike and Steve on methods that will get results if you stick with it.
  • Videos, pictures, and description of every exercise used.
  • Full 100% money back guarantee.  If it doesn’t work for you, I will give you all of your money back.
  • No gym required – just your surroundings and some exercise bands and/or dumbbells.

That’s where we’re at currently. After fifteen months of writing for this site daily, I felt like this weekend seemed like the right time to take it to the next level by creating a product for sale that will provide people with a great way to get in shape.

Don’t worry, if you have absolutely no desire in buying this product or can’t afford it now, nothing else is going to change.  I’ll still be writing two articles a week, I’ll still be spending way too much time over on the Nerd Fitness Rebellion Headquarters, and I’ll still answer all of your emails (when I have time, sorry for the delays).  Hell, I’m even going to try and do more videos so you can get to know me more.  More pictures on the site too…get some personality up in this site.

This product is a long time in the making, it just took this weekend for it to finally come together.  I’m really excited about it and I really think it can help quite a few people turn their lives around.  Expect a lot more information and updates coming up in the near future.

New Design

Rebellion_CSo yeah, how BAD ASS is that new NF logo and color scheme?

I’ve probably spent a good seven hours (slight exaggeration) just staring at it because it’s so damn good looking.  When I told my friend Joe to help me design an NF logo with the rebellion in it, I never expected it to look THIS good.  Joe, you’re the freaking man, thanks.

Joe even redid the artwork for my Facebook Fan Page too. If you’re not a fan on there already, you definitely should be, because it would make me happy.  I’m going to work on incorporating this artwork and color scheme more into the blog on a short term basis until I can get the site fully redesigned, which should start happening in the next few months.

I’ll also be working with Joe to design some t-shirts that will be heavily influenced by this artwork. Unfortunately, the shirt plan has taken longer than expected to get off the ground, but I think I’ve found a solution that will keep costs down and allow me to actually afford to get the process started.

Stay tuned.

28-Day Challenge Winners

Last month, we had our first ever 28-Day Challenge, and to say it was a success is an understatement. I finally got a chance to read over everybody’s threads and picked my two winners.  Actually, I narrowed down to about four or five possible winners, after spending hours last night reading everybody’s stories and agonizing over the decision, and then had to pick two winners out of a hat because I just couldn’t decide.  Congrats to “Brendaisbored” and “RobotRogue” for winning the 1st ever 28-day Challenge!

  • Brenda managed to lose almost 8 pounds, most of which came in the last two weeks after switching her diet to be mostly Paleo.  She also bought a bike for the first time ever, discovered her passion for riding, lost a few inches off her waist, and blew straight past her goals of exercising three times a week.  Booyah.
  • RobotRogue has lost 13 pounds since March 4th (hope you don’t mind, I stole your stats from DailyBurn!), can now do four pull ups, and nearly completed all of his goals by the end of the month despite starting 10 days later than every else.  Freaking awesome.

Brenda and Robot, email me with your addresses and whenever I finally get around to making t-shirts (I swear they’re coming), I’ll be sending them to you.

The Next 28-Day Challenge

That’s right, people had so much fun with the first one that I had to do another one!  There are already 20 people signed up for the next challenge on the Message Boards here, so join the party!  There will be two more winners this month (who will get a NF t-shirt), but I have no idea how I’m going to pick them – if you guys have any ideas let me know…not that spending eight hours agonizing over message board posts isn’t the best use of my time, but I think we can do better.   I’m open to any idea that doesn’t require me to do what I had to go through last night.

Here are my goals for the next 28-days:

  • Gain another 5 pounds – It worked for me last month, let’s do it again – 5 pounds of muscle gain!
  • Work out 3 days a week – gonna stick with my plan from last time, heavy strength and power training to pack on some muscle.
  • Don’t fall apart! Honestly, the next two months of my life are going to be chaotic (and amazing).  I’ll be launching a new event at work, going on two cruises for work, attending three weddings, redesigning this site, taking a month long online seminar starting next Monday, launching the Nerd Fitness t-shirt line, launching and running a fundraiser for the Warrior Dash (details coming soon), and creating, building, promoting, and selling the Rebel Fitness Guide.  How I plan to fit sleeping, working out, and eating in there, I have no clue.

If you want to join in on the madness this month, head over to the Nerd Fitness Message Boards, and start a new thread with 2 or 3 things you hope to accomplish by May 3rd.

Help Me Nerd Fitness Readers, You’re My Only Hope.

Yeah, life is gonna get a little nuts until probably the end of June, and I’m fired up about it.  As you can see I’ll be quite busy, so if my email responses take longer than normal, please bear with me.  I do want your help though, specifically pertaining to the Rebel Fitness Guide:

  • What isn’t in this guide that you would like to see? 4 months worth of workouts, a full diet plan, videos of every exercise that you’ll be doing, and a 100% money back guarantee.  What else do you want in there?
  • How much do you think we should charge for it? I have a rough estimate in my head, but I want to see what it would be worth to you considering how much is going in it.
  • What should we call it?  Right now I’m going with Rebel Fitness Guide, but I’m not attached to it.  If you have any other suggestions, let me know!

PLEASE leave a comment and let me know your thoughts on the guide and how we can make it the best effing thing you’ve ever bought.

For the Rebellion,

Steve

###

If you want to stay up to date on all rebellion news, please sign up for the RSS Feed of Nerd Fitness, get NF posts via email, or join the kick-ass conversation over on the Nerd Fitness Message Boards!

Tagged as: Exercise, motivation, nerd fitness, News

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  • http://www.ronbarker.ca/ Ron

    Hey man. CONGRATS on soon to be getting things off the ground. It's pretty exciting!

    The Rebel Fitness Guide is an awesome name and I likes it. It should definitely be something along those lines and I think it's good as it is just so long as you explain what it is we're rebelling against. :-)

    The new logo is freakin' awesome and I plan on hotlinking it in my next post. So… uh… be forewarned?

    HUGE congrats are in order for those who won the previous 28 Day Challenge!! I'm pumped for the next one and I hope I can give people a run for their money! Er… free t-shirt. :D

    I think to pick the winners for the next challenge you should make it a vote. Set the criteria that each potential winner must achieve 2/3 goals to be considered eligible. Once you've narrowed down the field, put it up to a user vote as who they think should win! See? Easy.

    And finally, the pricing for the guide. Without knowing everything in it, it's hard to figure out a reasonable price point. Much like everything, it'll take some research. Figure out what other people are doing that's comparable and work from there. And because I'm so awesome, I would love an introductory early-adopter price of free for all of my suggestions! *coughs*

    Congrats again, man. I'm glad things are working out for you.

  • NerdFitness

    Thanks Ron!

    Glad to hear that you like the name – I think it works. And I'll definitely make sure it's completely clear what we're rebelling against.

    Yeah, Joe did a kick-ass job on the logo and design. Fits the current color scheme of the site too which is awesome.

    Love the idea of a vote.

    Good call on the pricing. I've actually purchased a few e-books from other fitness guys (which were quite annoying how many BUY NOW buttons they had and LIMITED TIME OFFER ONLY) and I think what I'll be offering is right in line with what they offer.

    -Steve

  • Niticu

    Hi Steve!

    I've been following your blog for a while now and I really like the philosophy behind your site.

    One thing it'd be great to see in the guide is how to deal with injuries. (a post covering the topic would also be awesome!). I've always had a passion for working out and I can truly say that there's nothing more annoying than wanting to exercise but not being able to do so!

    Some counsel on how to cope and recover from tendinitis and the alike would be great. Perhaps also some specific routines for those who can't exercise a specific part of their body (e.g. if your elbow if paining due to tendinitis, you can still exercise your chest by doing this other exercise, etc).

    Anyway, thanks a lot for all the effort involved! I can't wait to read your next post!

  • http://www.halfofjess.com/ Jess

    1) I am jealous you have your own personal Yoda. The only thing that makes me feel a bit better is that Mike isn't green. Or else I'd be REALLY jealous.

    2) Two cruises. What the. That's awesome.

    3) I think the Rebel Fitness Guide idea is great. You'll have tons of fun working on it. Plus, you'll be writing nerdly things, loving every minute of it, AND impacting lives. Digging the shirt too. Would probably need to be darker if you print it, but I like the design. Thumbs up to Joe.

    4) I hate that you're doing the Warrior Dash and I'm not. There's a huge mud run at Pendleton (10K) but it's all full. All 4 days of it. FULL.

    5) This comment basically sums up all my jealousies. Where's my light saber?!

  • ArnoVR

    Hey Steve! Loving the post man!

    Maybe you should put some motivation and/or celebrity workouts in there, just some stories of people who succeeded in changing their lives and health for the better.

    I'm with Ron on the price. Just see what's out there, and you'll be able to give a better and realistic book than anything the fitnessworld has ever seen for a good price.

  • http://www.265andfalling.com Steve

    Dude! Things are starting to fall into place, which is beyond awesome! Sorry the vacation didn't work out, but glad everything else did!

    As far as what to include in the guide? Really seems like you've covered all your bases, but I'm sure other commenters will have some good ideas

  • lghaman

    W00t! How exciting! I hearts me some nerdy fitness awesomeness! It sounds like you've got all the bases covered. As far as what to charge? It depends on the length, but I think the average price of a decent fitness book is about $30, so something along those lines would be fair.

  • NerdFitness

    Hey Niticu!

    Thanks for the comment and the nice words :)

    How to deal with injuries…interesting. I don't have a lot of expertise in that field, but I can certainly check in with Mike and see if he'd be interested in writing a guest post about it.

    Great suggestion!

    -Steve

  • NerdFitness

    Hey Jess,

    1)Yeah, Mike's the man. He lives in Colorado, but he travels the country teaching personal trainer certification classes. I only get to see him every other month or so, but the guy definitely knows his stuff and I always look forward to his visits.

    2) The cruises are pretty awesome, but they're also extremely exhausting. I'm generally working for a good 12-14 hours each day that I'm on the event, but I wouldn't change it for anything. I pretty much have the best job ever.

    3) :)

    4) Wow – that's a lot of runners. Sorry you couldn't get in…it's amazing how many people love running for fun. I really wish I liked it more – luckily I'll be crawling through mud and jumping over random things.

    5) There was a slight delay in manufacturing, it's still coming!

    -Steve

  • NerdFitness

    Great call on the motivation…

    I'll see what I can do about adding in a bunch of those as well.

    -Steve

  • NerdFitness

    Hey Steve,

    Thanks man – as you can tell, I made the most out of my time when I should have been on vacation so it looks like things worked out in the end. There will be other vacations :)

    -Steve

  • NerdFitness

    Hey Lauren!

    Thanks for the insight! Yeah, it's gonna be a little tricky to figure out where to price this thing, as I want to make it way more interactive than a book and much more of an “experience” than just reading and watching.

    I got some pretty cool ideas on how to make it stand out and really deliver some kick ass results.

    -Steve

  • http://twitter.com/topherfangio Topher Fangio

    Steve,

    First off, congrats on everything going on! I know it's going to be tough, so if you need help, just ask :-) We are a community after all!

    Secondly, if you're trying to make a really interactive book, you may consider some of the approaches that the “big” magazine companies are taking. With some of the latest web technologies, you can make a book/magazine that is highly interactive with videos that are playable directly in the book and pictures that could show a slideshow of the workout or other random things. I can't find anything specific for you to look at at the moment, but I'll get you some links as I come across them.

    Thirdly, “Rebel Fitness Guide” rocks! I think that would be an awesome name.

  • NerdFitness

    Topher,

    Dude, absolutely. See if you can track something down that looks like that, as that's right in line with what I'd want to do.

    -Steve

  • lghaman

    Is this book/multimedia extravaganza going to be updated periodically like a magazine or is it a one-time publication sort of thing?

  • http://twitter.com/LoyalCarlon Loyal

    1. The only thing that would be cool is if once the tshirts are in, you had a bundle pack including this and the T. You could call it the Rebel Battle Gear or something along those lines.

    2. No idea.

    3. The name is pretty awesome but it would be cool if it was a bit more army jargon-ish. Maybe Rebel Fitness Manual? I dunno. Or Rebellion Battle Plans.

  • NerdFitness

    I think it'll probably be a one-time publication thing. As you can see, my time is kind of limited. So it's going to be a downloadable e-book/folder of awesome.

    -S

  • NerdFitness

    Hey Loyal!

    Glad to hear you're excited about it too. “Rebel Battle Gear.” Love it!

    3. Yeah, that's a good call. I don't want to make the title TOO generic, but I want people to know exactly what it is when they stumble across it on the interwebs. You've given me something to think about…

    -Steve

  • lghaman

    What kind of media are you looking to publish with? I'm assuming it'd be a flash based downloadable of some kind. Are you working with developers on it or are you doing it yourself?

  • http://twitter.com/KristiEllKay Kristi Lynn

    I absolutely back Loyal's suggestion for the Battle Gear. I effin' love it! Plus, I think I've established that I really really can't wait for t-shirts…. haha =p

  • curvygirly

    Hey Steve

    Your blog post was awesome. I am smiling from your excitement -it's purely contagious!! I'm glad you are going to create a book, that is friggin awesome. The only thing I could suggest is a problem I've had in the past with strength training routines. For instance if I can't do the recommended shoulder dumb bell exercise, I get frustrated and don't end up working them. Maybe you can throw in 2,3 different variations that work the same body part and get similar results.

    Congrats to the winners, and poor you having to go through all the figuring out. Maybe enlist in some volunteers, I'm more than happy to help to keep track of that stuff. Or like one of the comment posters suggested, have the nominees have ensured to reach 2/3 of their goals and then make it a vote! I'm so curious, who were the other potentials?

    Have an awesome cruise time dude, I really hope you spend more time having fun than being busy or stressed.

  • curvygirly

    PS- I love the logo, the colors , the design. Sweet

  • Suse

    it all sounds good steve. I think you definitely need to have something in your manual about recovering from aching muscles for beginners. Even if your beginner workout is quite easy, different people will suffer at different levels. (eg me when I first started to exercise and couldnt walk or sit down for days, yooooowwwwwww. I did FAR too much!) In fact I'm wondering if you should have a “strictly first time” workout. Maybe even a “what should you expect to feel next day” bit or something. Just my two cents worth from a person that was reluctant to exercise and finally found her mojo! :-)

  • TurdBurglar

    Dude…totally excited about this aswell. I think its a great idea. As for more ideas for you:

    The category section (beginner, intermediate, advance), I don't know how you are going to work that exactly, but from what I've seen in a lot of other fitness media sources, they would give you basic work outs to do and max out on them, and that particular number would put you in a specific category. For instance, if one exercise was push-ups, and I can only do 2 push-ups to failure, then I would move onto pull-up, squats etc. I would then tally up all your numbers, which would put me in a category.

    A good place to put our progress would be helpful.

    Another thing that would be great is if we could throw this on our mp3 player as well.

    As for the dieting, it would be nice to see a way that people with very busy schedules could diet. Me, for instance, I am in the USMC (Oh my God! A Marine that is looking for fitness advice?!?!). It is very easy to find time to exercise (obviously), but when it comes to food, its difficult to find the time to eat. Maybe some preparation for the day. Like let me know what I need to make/buy the day before so I can prepare it, and have it ready when its time to eat.

    And I would pay good money for this…if its 4 months (and hopefully, this would become a Vol. 1, Vol. 2 kinda deal) I would pay $40 min.

    And the name I think is epic. But like Loyal was saying, making it a bit more military orientated would be sweet. The Fitness Manual idea is pretty cool, cause FM also means Field Manual. So something like “Fitness Manual: Rebellion” aka “FM: Rebellion”

    Hope everything comes out well Steve. Take it easy.

  • http://twitter.com/brendaisbored brendaisbored

    Wow, thanks for selecting me…there were a lot of great successes out of this challenge. Thanks for organizing and continuing to motivate everyone. I look forward to kicking butt as a part of the rebellion!

  • http://kylewoodfitness.com/ Kyle Wood

    Congrats on the progress mate! You're doing some really great things.

    2. Most of these guides start out around $50, but if it contains diet and 4 months of workouts that's worth $100-$200. Especially if there is support available on the forums. Perhaps run a coupon offer for the release.

    3. “Official Rebellion Training Manual” – From Nerd To Buff In Just 4 Months

    Good luck,
    Kyle

  • toddhelmkamp

    Excellent. I have no idea how to price it, but I'm definitely interested. I would love a shirt, too. SWEET ACTION!

  • barber88

    Steve,
    I have been following your blog, it's great. Keep it up, you have an engaged audience.
    I work in advertising and do a lot of work in direct response (selling direct to consumer).

    Don't get too cute with the name. You have a great brand in Nerd Fitness. Play on that and advance the brand. The Nerd Fitness Plan, Nerd Workout or Nerd Fit. Something along those lines. So when I tell people how I got so in shape, I can say, “Nerd Fitness”. Done, easy to remember. That person goes to the site or googles, etc.

    I like the philosophy of your site, pick a name that represents that.
    Good Luck, can't wait to get it.

  • JT

    hmm interesting idea..I guess my suggestion in regards to the Fitness Guide is to keep it simple in terms of what your trying to accomplish and remember who your audience is.

    1) Keep the marketing simple and more on the nerd and less on the fitness..and what I mean is that you won your web audience by being just a regular guy trying to be fit and healthy without going through the motions of other fitness sites,blogs, and magazines who promote an ideal with images and muscle shots …. the everyday ease of doing some exercise everyday as a regular joe. We dont need pictures of girls in tank tops doing exercises with you…we can get that already from the other guides. So focus in on who you are targeting and keep it simple.
    2) You can make it interactive by creating videos online and that are linked inside your ebook
    3) I agree with above comment from TurdBurglar in terms of diet. I need ideas. Im a guy and really cooking is not my thing. I need something quick and easy but I guess healthy to meet my health goals for the summer beach weather.
    4) I see some of the prices mentioned already and I think they are abit high. If your looking to sell volume than you need to price it between $10-20. Its a ebook, and I wouldnt pay alot of money for something I couldnt preview and could in theory get from a variety of sources. Price it right, and you should do alright.
    Good luck.

  • http://www.amateurnetworker.com/ Shauna Stacy

    This is exciting! I'm interested to see what you come up with… Although you might have to change the name. Based on this video, I don't see the nerdy. I see a ridiculously handsome dude.

    PS: I totally lost 5 lbs *since* the 28 days were over :) Thanks for the motivation!

  • NerdFitness

    Great call Kristi…I think I'm gonna go with Battle Gear as the name for the shirt store :)

    -Steve

  • NerdFitness

    Hey Curvygirly, there are definitely going to be a few different alternatives for each muscle group (hence the 100 exercises filmed). You were definitely close to being one of the other winners, I just didn't happen to pick your name out of the hat.

    Stick with it this month and you might be up there :)

    -Steve

  • NerdFitness

    Great call Suse!

    I'm definitely gonna have a “COMPLETE NEWBIE” workout, and then beginner and intermediate”

    And I'll see about adding in a recovery section and how to stay un-sore on off days :)

    -steve

  • NerdFitness

    Love the idea of getting it onto an MP3, maybe make it iPhone compatible…I'll see what kind of resources i'm messing with.

    Yeah, it's gonna be a good 3-4 months (3 if you have a base level of fitness, 4 if you're a complete newbie). There will be future ones i hope, as long as this one does relatively well and helps some people!.

    Thanks for the suggestions. Love having a place to record progress too, whether on printable sheets or giving excel sheets for resources.

    -S

  • NerdFitness

    Congrats Brenda!

    You did a great job, now keep it up.

    -Steve

  • NerdFitness

    Thanks Kyle!

    -S

  • NerdFitness

    Thanks Todd, the shirts are coming, I swear. This whole one-man operation makes things a little difficult, but I'm not complaining.

    -S

  • NerdFitness

    That's a great point.

    I like the idea of giving it a good name, but I won't make it so obscure that it gets ridiculous and nobody knows what the hell I'm selling. I can brand the book cover and taglines and such, but keeping the name simple is important.

    Thank you!

    -Steve

  • NerdFitness

    Awww, gee. Thanks Shauna…but I swear I'm a nerd :)

    I don't know if there's a Nerd test I can take or something to prove it, hahaha.

    Congrats on your success too, that's freaking awesome.

    -steve

  • NerdFitness

    Hey JT

    Good call on keeping it simple. Don't worry, all the exercises were filmed at a kid's playground…with me doing dips while kids are on the swings behind me, doing pull ups on tree branches, etc. It's gonna be straight forward, but it's still gonna be me, and it's still gonna be nerdy!

    2) That's the plan, trying to think through the logistics of that now.

    3) Ideas for the diet is a great call. I'm not much of a chef and I generally cook the same 3 or 4 things a week, but it's definitely a start.

    4) I definitely haven't set the price yet, but it's probably true that all of this stuff is available online elsewhere for free – the internet's a pretty big place. I'm just trying to make it more of an experience and more enjoyable than having to find all of that stuff and sift through the fake garbage sites out there that only want your money. The whole thing will be 100% refundable if it's not what you're looking for though – I want people to feel like they got their moneys worth when they buy it.

    -Steve

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  • http://www.geekfitclub.com/ Geek Fit Club

    Steve,
    If you haven't heard of it before, there's a great crowd sourcing site called kickstarter.com. From what I've learned of your attitude, level of commitment, and the numbers of the NF 'Army' you would make raising some funds (and awareness) a breeze for this project. Worth checking out.

    I love the idea of having a fitness regiment laid out for me in every detail. Can't wait to see the end result!

    Michael

  • http://www.geekfitclub.com/ Geek Fit Club

    Steve,
    If you haven't heard of it before, there's a great crowd sourcing site called kickstarter.com. From what I've learned of your attitude, level of commitment, and the numbers of the NF 'Army' you would make raising some funds (and awareness) a breeze for this project. Worth checking out.

    I love the idea of having a fitness regiment laid out for me in every detail. Can't wait to see the end result!

    Michael

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