The Dragon Rider Challenge: an 8-week live round, August 10–October 4.See the Challenge

Dragon Rider Training

An 8-week strength and endurance program where fantasy meets fierce fitness. Build power, agility, and grit through story-driven training inspired by the world of dragon riders. Your pace. Your schedule.

Live challenge · August 10–October 4

Join the Dragon Rider Challenge

Dragon Rider Training is the focus of our 8-week live round. Pick it up and you're in: shared quests, a squad, a leaderboard, and real prizes including ceremonial swords and steel for top performers.

See the Challenge →

What's Included

Dragon Rider Training is an 8-week home workout experience where fantasy meets fitness — and you become the hero. As a cadet in a dragon riding academy, you'll embark on daily missions to grow stronger, braver, and more unstoppable than ever.

Five days a week, 15–25 minutes per session. Upper body strength, agility and mobility, HIIT "Flight Day" cardio, lower body strength, and combat circuits — plus sword training and weekly skill challenges. Three difficulty tiers mean every workout meets you where you are.

A progressive training journey through three phases — Initiation, Ascension, and Threshing — each designed to forge your strength, agility, and endurance as you rise from cadet to full rider. No guesswork, no burnout. Just clear, cinematic progression.
Train at your own pace, on your own schedule. Every mission in Dragon Rider Training includes a cinematic follow-along video that guides your form, focus, and flow. Whether you're in your living room or on the go, you'll always have a mentor in your corner and the story unfolding beside you.
You won't ride alone. Train alongside your squad — others who share your love for fantasy and fierce determination. Swap encouragement, celebrate victories, and forge friendships that last long after the final mission — because even dragon riders need a squad.
Gain entry into the full Forge community — tutorials, book club, events, and fellow creators who believe fantasy isn't an escape but a way to become more of yourself.
You're not flying solo. Community prompts and weekly check-ins help you stay consistent, celebrate wins, and re-ignite motivation when life gets chaotic.
Every rider's journey deserves recognition. Earn exclusive rewards for consistency, creativity, and commitment — from digital badges to physical rewards and surprise giveaways within the Forge. Rise through the ranks, leave your mark, and let your dedication be seen.

How the journey unfolds

Three phases of training, each building on the last — from foundation to flight.

01

Initiation

Weeks 1–3 — Foundation & Endurance

Prove you can survive the Gauntlet. Master foundational movements, build muscular endurance and aerobic base, and improve mobility and posture. This is where you earn your place in the academy.

02

Ascension

Weeks 4–6 — Strength & Power

Power comes from pressure. Increase strength and muscle tone, develop speed, explosive power, and advanced agility. Sharpen mental focus and reaction time as the training intensifies.

03

Threshing

Weeks 7–8 — Resilience & Mastery

Only the strong survive bonding. Peak conditioning combining strength, endurance, and mental grit. Compete against your own limits, perform under fatigue and pressure, and rise as a full rider.

Dragon Rider Training Program

This program is for you if…

  • You want strength training that feels like an epic quest — with story-driven missions and themed challenges.
  • You want to build raw power, agility, and endurance through bodyweight training you can do at home.
  • You're drawn to the fierce, bonded-warrior energy of dragon riders and want training that matches.
  • You want a program with three difficulty tiers — 1st Years, 2nd Years, and 3rd Years — that meets you where you are.
  • You want sword training, combat circuits, pull-up and handstand progressions, and real functional strength.
  • You're more motivated when you train alongside a squad and want accountability built in.

What our Members are saying

"The community is amazing, and I really enjoyed the workout program and book club. I will definitely sign up for another program!"

Samantha H

"I started with the Assassin's Ascent Fitness Challenge, and now I'm in a book club, making craft projects, and feeling more inspired and creative than ever!"

Jamie B

"If you're debating joining, just do it. I joined the Assassin's Ascent fitness course and now I have virtual craft nights, a book club, my amazing fitness program and...people like me."

Olivia W

From inside the guild

Real moments from cadets training inside Dragon Rider, shared with their permission.

Korin1 week ago

When I started training again in February after pregnancy, I could only hang for about 15 seconds. During the Guild of Trials, beating that already felt like a huge accomplishment. Now I’m getting so close to one full minute, and seeing that progress feels pretty amazing. Is it the longest hang in the group? Definitely not. But it’s the longest I’ve ever hung, and I pushed myself until I genuinely had nothing left. So instead of comparing my time to someone hanging there for seven minutes, I’m going to be gentle with myself and celebrate the fact that the person who started at 15 seconds is now knocking on the door of a minute. 🖤🐉

Nakita3 weeks ago

I’ve spent so long overestimating myself (then being disappointed) and being underestimated by others. Finally I’m somewhere I can find the results I expect and show I belong.

Peyton3 weeks ago

I wanted to find a group that allowed the little girl in me (the one who could only dream of fantasy worlds) to still exist in my adult life. Somewhere along the way, life got real, and she stopped allowing herself to play, be silly, and believe in a little bit of magic. A little nostalgic, a lot more confident, and finally giving myself permission to have fun with life again. ❤️

Victoria1 month ago

I chose to do the dragon rider program because the Valkyrie program didn’t appear to match my availability or fitness level at the beginning of the challenge. At the beginning of this, I was winded from going up one flight of stairs. I felt like I was breaking when I tried to help my husband work on our house. My knees hurt whenever I tried to run or jump. I had shoulder pain on the right side in conjunction with pushups and any overhead lifting. What I really wanted was functional fitness that would allow me to actually be helpful with the countless construction projects on our house, be able to keep up on annual backpacking trips with my daughter, and be able to confidently say yes to spur of the moment active play with my kids. I’d had trouble sticking to any other program, and so I saw fantasy training as a means of staying engaged as I chased functional fitness. I was a little concerned about the risk of injury, but I also trusted that there was something better on the other side. I was right to trust. Throughout this program I learned that there is long term pain relief as my muscles get stronger. As a direct result of the work done with this program I have helped my husband with the house as I carried countless 5 gallon buckets filled with rock and dirt and lifted and mixed 80lb bags of cement without pain or injury. I’ve camped and hiked and swam with my kids. I look and feel better. But also. My goals have shifted beyond functional fitness. Being part of this community helped me to catch a bigger picture and remember that fitness can be more than functional. It can be fun and badass and empowering. Now I have to keep training because I have bigger goals. I want the handstand, and the pull-ups, and ALL THE WEAPONS. I want to dress up and create magical moments. And I guess that last part may be due to the greater Whimsy Forge community, not specifically doing the Valkyrie challenge. I just know that the ads that drew me into this community and this fitness challenge promised “becoming the hero”, and I didn’t really expect to get sucked into that. But I did, and I’m really glad of it. At a time when the world feels topsy turvy, and it’s tempting to hunker down with tight budgeting and stick to what’s safe and necessary, I am seeing the necessity of whimsy and magic. And I think that’s an important lesson.

Samantha1 month ago

The last 7 weeks have been such a freeing experience. I kept trying different programs and gyms to get myself back into any consistent exercise, but nothing kept me engaged. With Whimsy Forge I’m not only excited for every day’s workout, I’m pushing myself to find new limits. I was bad about getting myself to keep pushing, but through this program I was able to find a new edge every day while still having fun. This community has been amazing and encouraging. You can feel how much everyone cares and how we support each other. I can’t wait to keep learning new skills and seeing just how strong I can become.

SeanaMay 2026

Cannot believe how fast these 8 weeks have gone! They may not be super noticeable to others but the strength and flexibility I’ve gained over the last 8 weeks is shocking to me and makes me excited to keep going. I got further with the splits than I ever thought possible and have so much more upper body strength. I am no stranger to working out and training but this was one of the first times doing something where I had to hold myself accountable and kept up with it even on the days I wanted to say “screw this” I have loved how open and supportive this group has been which has made me comfortable sharing progress pics and videos without worry of judgement. It’s so nice to have an online community that is nothing but positive. Even more this experience has rekindled my sense of whimsy and dressing up and having fun. We tend to lose that as adults. I’m so excited to start on my Manon Blackbeak costume using some of the dragon scale tutorials!

JenniferMay 2026

Through this journey I accomplished more than I thought I would! I began this with the hope that I could stick to something and maybe lose a little weight. Not only did I show up and complete every single day’s workout without fail - even on days I was sick (with modifications) or mentally feeling low - but I also lost 20 lbs in the process! On top of that, I leveled up my splits, high jumps, and dive rolls. I regained a lot of strength I hadn’t even realized I had lost and I’m motivated to keep going! I was able to feel like my warrior self again and had so much fun using my weapons for the sword combos. I feel so accomplished after this challenge - I really want to keep pushing my limits, getting back to an healthier body and mindset, and getting back to the fitness level I used to have. Thank you to everyone for all the support, encouragement, and competition!

AnnieMay 2026

Most importantly for me, the past 8 weeks have shown me that I don’t need to be afraid of HIIT workouts anymore. I really thought it was going to be difficult for me to stay committed because of those, but I think the dragon theme and the short workout time was just enough motivation for me to stick with it. And I learned that it’s ok to work toward the harder challenges (like the 30 min warrior workout) by first breaking it up into manageable segments. Finding those intermediate steps and modifications will give me the confidence to try the workouts that look exhausting next time around.

SunnyMay 2026

I joined this group because exercise in my past has always been linked to stressful life periods and punishment. I had hoped that the play aspect of the group would break me out of my mindset so that I could actually stick to a routine. And I did! Not 100%, not everyday, but I always came back. As much as I wanted to learn all the skills, I knew doing them all at once would be too much so I instead chose to focus on just showing up. And now? Instead of thinking of exercise and feeling insurmountable dread, I think of exercise and get excited. I am excited to go back through the weeks, to focus on each skill one at a time and keep working at them slowly, consistently. I’m excited to get a sword and actually do the drills! But for now? For now I’m proud of myself. Because I showed up. I stuck with it. And I WANT to continue to. So thank you Whimsy Forge, thank you Dragon Riders, thank you Obsidian Guard. This is only the beginning!

ArteMay 2026

It's certainly bittersweet each time one of these workouts comes to an end! I'm not going to lie, the Dragon Rider training kicked my butt (in the best way possible!). When V1 rolled out I got halfway through then had to stop due to illness. I was so upset with myself that I couldn't continue but my body was just not there. I decided to heal and wait until the Assassin's training came out. Even then I wasn't sure I could do it. But I was going to make every effort I could to show up this time. I successfully completed that training then moved onto Lunar Rise (probably my favorite). Feeling accomplished and in a good routine I completed Lunar Rise on time as well. Consistency was getting easier. My body getting stronger. Then Dragon Rider was here again. I stared this training down with a new sense of fire because damnit I was going to get through it this time. And while some movements were still a little challenging - I had built a foundation to tackle them head on. I celebrated new wins and things I couldn't get through before in V1. I'm so proud of myself for showing up, for strengthening my body, and for giving myself grace when I'm not quite there yet (looking at you handstands and pull ups!) But hey - I couldn't even hold myself up this time last year for a handstand so I will take it! Looking forward to what I'll be able to do in another year from now!

KaelynMay 2026

I can’t believe its been two months. I’ve never stuck with working out for this long before. I would try to start countless times, then go in too hard and get frustrated when I wasn’t as strong as I used to be. Any little thing was an excuse not to try: I was tired, had no time, was on my period, anything. This time though, I found the energy, I found the time, I pushed through discomfort and pain and frustration and I finally understand why people enjoy exercise. I can run more now without running out of breath, I feel so much stronger than I did before. It makes me want to keep pushing, to see how much farther I can go. I’ve even found the motivation to start eating better, even if it’s just baby steps for now. I learned I’m capable of so much more than I ever thought.

AvilouMay 2026

I'm so freaking proud of myself for following all the way through The Dragon Riders program from start to finish 🥳 The first program I did was Assasin's Ascent and I wasn't able to keep up because I kept getting sick, injuries happened and my hypermobility was making it really difficult for especially my knees. But not giving up paid off and this time around I could follow along without my body stopping me. I've learned so much about myself throughout this journey and I'm motivated to keep going 🔥 I've discovered how important daily exercise and movement is not just for my physical well-being but also for my mental health, nervous system regulation and balancing my neurodivergency. The routine and consistency with the added playfulness makes all the difference 🤸🏼‍♀️ I can feel and see that my body is getting stronger and I'm motivated to see if I can level up and find new ways of progressing 🪜 This community makes all the difference in the world and I'm so happy to always feel supported and cheered on! 🥰 Dragon Rider Cadet signing out but continuing on to new adventures! I'm planning to restart Lunar Rise and hope to see a lot of you guys in that space 🌙

MakaylaMay 2026

This training not only made me more confident in my body and movements, but also has inspired me to do things I loved as a kid with all the crafts and make my heart happy. Everyone in my life notices a difference that has happened this year and I think a big part of it is the forge. Thank you to the whole team for putting this together as well as all the participants and team mates, especially my squad mates of The Thirteen 🖤⚔️

ShannonMay 2026

Whimsy Forge has been the only workout program I've been able to stick to ever. I completed my second 8-week program when other programs I would stop after a couple days. What's the difference? Maybe the bad ass instructor. Maybe the promise of playing with weapons. Maybe a mid life life crisis. Who knows. The process hasn't always been fun. The progress is hard for me to see. At times I felt weaker than when I started. However, I have had progress in areas I did not expect. My balance has improved dramatically. It has helped my chronic neck and back pain. I look forward to seeing what continued consistently will bring.

MichailiaMay 2026

The last eight weeks have been incredible! I achieved so many goals and feel like a new person! I started feeling like all the goals were so far away from achievable and struggling through the week one workout barely able to jog the thirty second intervals on a walk/jog. I now can run a whole mile!! My deadhangs started at about 5seconds and now I can hold over thirty, do scapular pull ups, lift my knees five times for skin the cat prep, and do the reverse pull ups! I am incredibly proud! I could only struggle through knee pushups at the beginning and now I can do the whole variety of pushups and planks from week 7&8 without modification! My splits couldn’t touch the tallest side of a block and now I can go all the way to them on their side! I can do handstands against the wall and back bends walking down the wall! I feel so empowered!! First sword combo: (I wanted to record another one later on but ran out of time and I had so much fun with this one) Deadhang challenge:

TeaganMay 2026

Wow, I cannot believe we are here! Final day of Week 8 & now my submission for Quest VIII. This has been such an amazing time with my fellow riders as well as our competition. 😉 This program has made me feel so strong and badass like I can conquer anything. It has let me feel like I’m on my way to being one of my badass FMC that I look up to (Nesta/Violet/Bryce). I have worked a lot on my form during dragon riders and even though it doesn’t seem like I’ve come a long way I see the little wins and those matter too ❤️‍🔥

JenniferMay 2026

After doing these videos the past 8 weeks, I’ve realized it’s not about the number on the scale that reflects strength or how I look at myself positively. I am really proud of my progress even though I cannot do a full pull up or hand stand but I am certainly much closer to my goals. I am also so impressed that I can do a proper split squat all the way to the floor. That’s not something I was able to do months ago. I am so grateful for this program because I play the videos in front of my 3 kids but mostly my 3 year old daughter and she not only sees what her mother is capable of but she joins in on the fun. My sons have enjoyed watching me make every quest challenge video and have been my biggest fans. I want them to know that strength and power will always be better than being skinny. Lastly, I memorized a sword combo. I cannot even remember what I wore yesterday! I’ve made this challenge a priority and showed up to every video and really tried doing every skill and had fun doing it all. Can’t wait for the next one!

DayMay 2026

I've had so much fun being a dragon rider! I still have a week of training left (surgery kinda halted me for two weeks), but I've felt myself get stronger both physically and mentally. I'm glad to have a morning routine I look forward to every day now! My most improved skill has been the splits, I have really tight hip flexors and hamstrings so getting to where I have is a major improvement. Also I found sword combo 2 really fun!

Why I made this Program

Movement has always been part of my life. not because I had to, but because I wanted to. From Ninja Warrior to dance and strength training, movement has always felt like play, expression, and freedom.

As life got busier - work, family, shifting seasons - I kept hearing something familiar: this is where people slow down. But I never believed that meant we needed to stop moving with joy or purpose.

What kept me going was not pressure or perfection. It was curiosity, play, and the little wins that come from showing up again and again, even on the hard days.

I made this program for women who want movement that feels energizing, not exhausting. Who want strength that supports real life, not competes with it. Who want workouts that feel joyful, expressive, and empowering, not rigid or punishing.

I also made it for women who want real strength, the kind that unlocks handstands, supports dance, and prepares you for whatever adventure comes next. This isn't a gentle-only program pretending to be fitness. It's serious training wrapped in intention, rhythm, and play.

You'll sweat. You'll shake. You'll also flow and soften and restore.

That's the balance. That's the magic.

You don't need to be "in shape." You don't need to have it all figured out. You just need to show up as you are.

I'll be right there with you.

Signature of Charity Grace
Charity Grace

Start your journey

Choose the path that matches how you want to train.

Choose your plan

Full access to all courses and challenges
Full access to community spaces
Full access to all of our tutorials
Special discounts and early access

FAQ

Dragon Rider Training is designed to challenge and empower you at your level. Each workout includes three difficulty tiers — 1st Years (beginners), 2nd Years (intermediate), and 3rd Years (advanced) — so whether you're just starting your training or already battle-tested, you'll find the right level of challenge.
If you have an injury or medical condition, we always recommend checking with your healthcare provider before starting. That said, Dragon Rider Training offers three scalable difficulty tiers, so you can adapt each workout to your needs and move safely at your own pace.
That's completely okay. All sessions are on-demand, so you can move at your own pace. Life happens — you can pause, return, or repeat sessions whenever you need. This is an 8-week journey, not a race. Consistency matters more than perfection.
Most sessions take 15–25 minutes, depending on the day and your level. You'll train five days per week — upper body, agility and mobility, HIIT cardio, lower body, and combat circuits — with optional recovery on Saturday and full rest on Sunday.
Minimal gear required! A yoga mat is helpful, and light weights or resistance bands are optional. Some sessions include sword training — a broomstick or practice sword works great. Everything can be modified with what you already have at home. No gym required.
Assassin's Ascent leans into stealth and explosive power — speed, agility, and combative energy. Lunar Rise is mobility-focused — yoga flows, core stability, and celestial rhythm. Dragon Rider Training is about raw strength and endurance — bodyweight power, sword training, combat circuits, and the grit of a bonded warrior. Many members do all three. They complement each other beautifully.
Each week blends multiple modalities: upper body power and core strength, agility and mobility flows, HIIT "Flight Day" cardio, lower body strength circuits, and full-body combat training. Plus weekly skill challenges — pull-ups, handstands, splits, sword combos, and more. It's a full-spectrum program designed to make you stronger, more capable, and more connected to your body.
Every week includes skill challenges scaled to all three tiers. You'll work on pull-up progressions, splits, a 1-mile run, handstand training, sword practice, back bends, box jumps, and more. 1st Years start with foundations (dead hangs, wall walks, seated stretches), while 3rd Years tackle full pull-ups, handstand kick-ups, and advanced combos.

Still have questions?

Reach out to the Whimsy Forge team anytime.

Contact Us