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It’s been a long and embarrassing issue of mine that I’ve never been able to do a pushup. At six foot five and over 100 kilos I'm a big guy with weak shoulders. And I’ve never been able to do a push up. Not in high school, not when I was a kid, never. So three weeks into my six week challenge which has been alternating weight lifting and running six nights a week (or trying to at least) I tried and managed to do a push up. I was pretty damn excited with myself. Then last night, after my run I came in the door, got down on the floor and did five push ups, then did five more, then after a breather a final shakey five. Then I basically lay there, floating in a sea of golden liquid satisfaction. Also getting back up off the floor was really hard. I can’t remember the last time anything felt that awesome. Next on my list of things I thought I would never ever be able to do, a pull up!

Wooo! It was more like 7 seconds going up instead of 1 second, but I don't care, it still counts lol. Now, to double my chin-up count for next week... XD EDIT, April 22 THREAD NECROMANCY! So I did my second un-assisted chin-up. Last week. April 17 I think it was? That's right. After that first one almost two months before, my body flat-out refused to go up past halfway until last week. I don't even know. I did another one this morning, so I'm assuming that I'll be able to do them more regularly from now on. It's just...WTF. How does one explain this lack of upper-body cooperation? (I only have access to a pull-up bar at the gym--the doorframes at my place are too low and flimsy to accomodate a pull-up bar, sadly.)

From the very start (Oct 2013), it's been a dream of mine to post here and join amongst the greats of the Rebellion, and today, this dream has been realised. *PR-Voice-Activated* I'm proud to announce that, today, I've burned off 45.3lbs since starting on the 3rd October 2013, going from 264.5lbs to 219.4lbs! (First Pic from Start) (Picture upon reaching my 5th month in) UPDATE!: Changed it to 6th month in pic! I managed to achieve this by following the principles set by Steve Kamb and his amazing articles (and references!), as well as working my way to embedding new habits into my life, including: - Intermittent Fasting (19hr) 6x a week, with one or two of those days being Extended to 24hrs - Eating Healthy and Balanced/Nutritious Foods 6x a week, and eating more leniently on Sundays - 3 Days of Rebel Fitness workouts a week and 3 Days Interval Jogging (Current Level 3 Outcast) and just so you know, this was all achieved without going to the gym (all done in my room with a dumbbell, a pull up bar and a exercise mat) and without protein shakes (as my body doesn't seem to agree with them). Additionally, I'm vegetarian so I've had to become more reliant on protein rich foods in this time such as quinoa, buckwheat and meat-free soya-based products. It's truly been an amazing experience, upon stumbling into NerdFitness via the ArtofManliness podcast, I didn't think that I would be able to figure out the knowledge and discipline to turn my life around, but what can I say, the Rebellion has allowed for that to happen! I've always been obese for my age for most of my 23-year old life and have failed a, and now with Nerd Fitness, I haven't weighed this amount (219.4lbs) since the age of 16! I'm now also the strongest and healthiest I've ever been, as a product/design enthusiast, I've associated myself with being hardware (bodyware if you will) where it's no different to a computer or gadget, except I have the ability to "upgrade" by discovering and leading, what has been, a superior lifestyle for me. Instead of just dedicating my life to appreciating objects of-the-time, I've turned my attention towards myself and have had the realisation that it's arguably my most important one to take care of. At 265lbs, life was difficult, I had asthma, and I was depressed and didn't think I could progress or even muster the strength to. So from that realisation, I've set everyday to be the "better than the day before", and every month I would "level up" in the form of a firmware update. I'm currently at v.1.5 and the list of improvements that I've experienced have been extensive, from asthma to doing proper push ups! A list of all of them are written in my intro thread here: http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/38293-cmon-people-were-making-now-my-design-4-life-os/ I'm committed to reaching my final goals and getting my asthma to the best it's ever been. Here's the progress weight-tree (star wars references incoming!): Weight Tracker:"Welcome to the Days of History..." A Nimble Thought... 03/10/2013 264.5lbs The Quarter of Hope: 13/10/2013 260.5lbs (-4) 20/10/2013 258.8lbs (-1.7) 27/10/2013 257.2lbs (-1.8) 03/11/2013 254.0lbs (-3.2) (Total=10.7lbs) 10/11/2013 251.8lbs (-2.2) 17/11/2013 249.0lbs (-2.8) 24/11/2013 247.2lbs (-1.8) 01/12/2013 244.2lbs (-3) (Total=9.8lbs) 08/12/2013 241.8lbs (-2.4) F: 35.9% W: 44.8% 15/12/2013 239.0lbs (-2.8) 22/12/2013 239.0lbs (0) F: 34.6% 29/12/2013 237.4lbs (-1.6) (Total=6.8lbs) The Quarter vs. The Empire: 05/01/2014 234.2lbs (-3.2) F: 33.5% 12/01/2014 231.4lbs (-2.8) F: 32.6% 19/01/2014 228.0lbs (-3.4) F: 31.7% 28/01/2014 228.0lbs (0) F: 31.8% (Total=9.4lbs) 02/02/2014 225.6lbs (-2.4) F: 31.0% 09/02/2014 223.2lbs (-2.4) F: 30.7% 16/02/2014 220.2lbs (-3.0) F: 29.7% M: 35.6% 22/02/2014 221.4lbs (+1.2) F: 29.9% M: 35.5% (Total=6.6lbs) 02/03/2014 219.4lbs (-2.0) F: 29.3% M: 35.6% *Halfway Checkpoint* Thank you for reading, and "you know what they say, the THIRD STRIKE is what counts!, and you can get it too" if you're willing to try and be the best you can be! Final note: I want to thank those who've traversed with me onto this journey (Deftona, Ninja_Mermaid, ReachingForTheStars, Rocky555, SillyAnneh) you guys are the best, I could not of made all this progress without you, in addition to all the INFECTIOUSLY INSPIRING members of the rebellion and in the woot thread. NerdFitness is paradise. And now excuse me, I've got 44.7lbs to burn (or if my BMI screws up in progress, then about 15%ish Body-Fat) and I'll see you later! ;-)

So, this is this week so far in review. Monday, I ate poorly and worked a ten hour shift. I felt like crap when I got home. Did research paleo and decided that 10 Feb I will begin a paleo-ish diet. I will cut out almost all grains with a "cheat" day on Sundays. Tuesday- Ate a bit better, cut up and froze some veggies to make quick breakfasts without processed foods, went to my weightlifting class. Squatted 240 (machine squats, since the squat bars fill up quickly) three sets of twelve, 15 pound per hand dumbbell presses three sets of twelve, 90 pound flys which was 12-10-8, 40 pound upright rows three sets of twelve, and 15 pound per hand lateral raises 10-8-8. Walked a mile to my car Wednesday- Slob day. Woke up late, ate badly, worked, came home, went for boneless wings. Thursday- 15 minute walk with my wife, cereal bar for breakfast, a bad back/biceps/triceps day, and a mile walk home. Friday- So far, no food, four cups of coffee, and a 10 minute walk with my wife.

Guys! Guys. Guys and ladies. I barely ever visit this part of the forum because I forgot it exists. But now I remember, and I have to brag. Today I finished my first (intentional) weight loss program. Effing eff yeah. I went from 21% to 12% bodyfat in around 9 weeks. Progress photos below, stripey undies brought to you by my sense of humor. Relaxed Flexed Can I get a highfive??!!

Had an epic week this week and I just can't contain it anymore I need to shout out to the world how awesome I am (no one at home really cares) So you guys are it. So after ages of blah blah boring life and routine with nothing much changing. I have managed to PB sumo deadlift 62.5kg x5 (137lb) PB front squat 47.5kg x2 (104lb) boo-yeah!! Stand up on the clean bit of the wave and turn to miss someone while surfing wooo i'm still learning and generally catch the white wash and don't often stand so was super amazed with myself Rode a motorbike (for the 1st time) round a mates property and i didn't crash/hurt myself (which was my fear) in fact had an awesome time and can't wait to try again, hopefully today when the rain stops :D:D ps I'm not normally this full of myself

This morning, for the first time in a year, I had to tighten my belt. Eight weeks in on Focus T25 and two weeks with Shakeology... and I am FINALLY getting somewhere! I literally can't stop smiling. 4 inches down, 5 pounds down... Muscles starting to develop... BAMF.

Just a small woot, but today marks my second week of gym sessions after a two year hiatus (lack of funds!)- last summer I lost over 3 stone without a gym membership and as a result, lost as much muscle as I did fat. I looked exactly the same at 14 stone as I did at 17.5, I just took up less space! It feels great to be back doing what I love, and of course adding 30KG to my deadlift in the space of a week feels glorious, gotta love beginner gains/muscle memory. Cheers to everyone on here for keeping me motivated with your success stories, your all awesome lads and lasses, Matt

Hullo rebels! Some what new around these parts, but wanted to share a sweet woot. Spent the week helping my mum sort 22,000lbs of all our belongings (she and dad divorcing, he doesn't want anything, she's moving to the US at the end of the month) and I ate on track all week. Emotional eating is a big Achilles heel for me, and dealing with the physical and emotional exhaustion of the week with not a single binge is epic. Aaaannnnd, I lifted and organized thousands of pounds, so got a bit of a crazy workout in each day too, hustling boxes to the dump and goodwill

After three months of yoga, today I did a backbend for the first time ever!! You know, the one where you stand up on your hands and feet with your hips in the air? YEAH! I haven't been able to do that since I was like, 8! I also bent all the way forwards and got my forehead to touch my shins! (With only a little adjustment by my teacher) (shut up, it counts!) I had to stop myself from yelling in happiness in the middle of class, probably would have messed up some people's zen. But that's why we have the woot room! YAAY!

Guys, I did a chin up! A real, live legitimate chin up, from fully extended arms, to chin above the bar, with NO help! I even have a witness This was a goal in my first challenge which got waylaid by an injury, so I made it a goal again this time (3rd challenge) and I FREAKING DID IT! I am officially, absolutely and incontrovertibly stronger than I was. WOOT!

Well, for the last few months, I've been lifting between 45-50 lbs for deadlifts. Today, I was certain I was going to bump it up to sixty. I did and... it felt just like doing fifty, so I put the sixty pound bar back and grabbed a seventy. Yeah, that felt like I was doing something, and my 5x5 felt like WORK! It was RAD. I'd also been doing weighted squats (behind the neck), so on a fellow Rebel's suggestion, I tried goblet squats with a 35 lb dumbbell. I made it through two sets, dropped to 32.5 for two more, then 30 for two more. It's definitely a lot more work holding it in front than letting it rest on my shoulders, so I'm going to be incorporating that in, too. Other good thing? I looked in the mirror and saw a different person than when I started months ago. =)

So, tonight was my fitness instructor specialization practical exam. I was super worried, nervous to the point I almost wanted to vomit. The beginning was a bit shakey with me introducing the exercises but once we got into the swing of things it all came together. Perfect cueing, music matched the intensity level, gave awesome alternate exercises and I had a lot of fun while doing it. Just those few seconds waiting till the test were terrifying <3. I DID IT!!!

Ok first and foremost you look at me now I look like the nerd stereotype glasses shy etc I used to be athletic played baseball in HS but too much time sedentary killed my desire and body . This week to me saw a huge upswing for me in my weightlifting I tried deadlifts for the first time slaughtered it was scared to try it honestly but it turned out to be easier than I thought Also set a new PR on my bench 165 still less than my bodyweight but I will get there Mark my words I will also finding a new bit of motivation in an unlikely place an anime Dragon BallZ to be exact. I'm just watching the series itself for the first time thru so please no spoilers lol So psyched for the new PRs and cant wait to get back to work and raise the bar even further WOOT WOOT

I found a really good walking stick; but that's not what this is all about. Before I get started with the story I'm going to explain why the following was a big deal for me. It may sound like a sob story at first but you'll just have to bear with me. I was born with a genetic disorder known as Marfan Syndrome. Now, if you Google this condition you're going to get a lot of pictures of very deformed individuals. I, however have a mild case of the disease in comparison to the advanced cases you are likely to see. I have multiple skeletal deformities which have caused scoliosis and hip dysfunction. These are the important things to remember about my condition. Everything else would just be adding to the pity pile. I decided I wanted to go backpacking. Yeah. Now knowing that I have scoliosis and hip problems you're probably wondering why I would ever want to hike for days with a heavy backpack. The answer starts with a video game and Nerd Fitness. I was a lot like Steve whenever he came to the wonderful affinity that eventually led him to creating this community. My game of choice, however, was Skyrim. Hopefully anyone reading this is familiar with Skryim or has invested hundreds of hours into the game since it has been released. If you have, you know how easy this is to do. The game is incredibly immersive, and very modable. I downloaded mods that enhanced the immersion of the game even higher. Backpacks, camping, basic needs, anything that made me feel like I was there, or being that character. Something to take me away from the life I was living. The fact that I needed pain killers just to make it through a work day (I work as a retail manager so I walk briskly on concrete floors all day). I had always been an outdoorsmen so these types of mods appealed to me. I loved to camp and practice survival skills, but my conditions 'prevented' me from putting everything together. I stumbled upon Nerd Fitness whenever I had had enough. I had been broken. I just recovered from a kidney stone and I was in more pain physically than just about any other time in my life. I was smoking heavily and basically living on energy drinks and Aleve. I read some of the articles and my first reaction was basically; “Holy **** this guy is awesome!†So I continued reading, found the basic body weight exercises and got motivated. It sucked. The first week of doing these circuits was very painful, but I had the willpower to push hard. I felt worse than I did before I started, but there was a feeling right after the workout that told me it would all work out in the end. So I pushed even harder. I tracked my progress, how many reps I did, how long it took me. I also started eating better. I cut the energy drinks out and only drank water, milk, and green tea. I cut out crap food and replaced it with more nutritious filling foods like almonds and dried fruit for snacks. I also quit smoking after a few weeks, which was obviously the best cardio exercise I could have possibly done. Eventually I started to feel good, and then I felt a lot better. I had more energy, I felt stronger and more in control. I wasn't having migraines and my kidneys were operating as designed. My lower back felt better, with the exception of a few flare-ups. I eventually found a way to stabilize my hip using exercises several times a day. So one night playing Skyrim I was unpacking my tent, setting up my camp fire. And then it hit me. Like getting Fus Ro Dah'd off the Throat of the World. I could be doing this for real. I had the skills, I had a lot of the equipment. I just needed a proper pack, and I would be set! Now, don't assume that I just jumped into this without doing any research. I spent hours researching backpacking in general, and where to backpack. I spend a good deal of money updating my equipment, too, which has an interesting motivational effect. It's harder to not do something whenever you're spending a ton of money on it. At least it is for me. Right, so I had my gear, had my route, just needed to work out the logistics. This is actually where my first 'beast mode' moment comes. I know; logistics and 'beast mode' don't always go together. Originally I was going to have my girlfriend follow me to where I was going to get off the trail, park my car, then have her drive me to where I was going to get on the trail, then just hike to my car. Well, due to travel time and when she got off work I wouldn't hit the trial until evening and have three hours to hike six miles to the shelter area, set up camp, and cook dinner before nightfall. I wasn't so sure about that. So then I had two options. I could drive out solo and park where I was going to start, hike six miles, camp, then hike six miles back. That didn't sound like it would be worth it to me. I wanted something I would be proud of doing. My other option would be to park at the end, hike eleven miles, camp, then hike the eleven miles back. That sounded more like an accomplishment. I pulled up the elevation profile for that section of the trail and it didn't seem so bad (elevation profiles don't really tell you a whole lot about a trail unless you really know what you're looking for). I made the plans for the weekend, reserved my site at the shelter area and waited. When I got to the trailhead I parked, got my gear out, put my pack on (which took forever to adjust to my oddly shaped long thin torso) and turned on my camera to take pictures of the signs at the trailhead. Long story short the card was junk and I left my camera in my trunk. I figured I would be thankful without the weight. And so I started off. The first thing I noticed was that the trail was very eroded and the rocks had my ankles sore after a few miles. I was feeling pretty good, regardless. The ridge in the morning was beautiful and I got to explore some awesome rock formations. I tracked my pace at about two miles per hours which was pretty fast for a beginner backpacker. The thirty pounds on my back started to dig in after about five miles, and I found myself desperate to see the next mile marker. It felt damn good to reach the half-way point. Here, I knew that it wouldn't matter if I turned back or pressed on. It was the same distance, and if I was going to hike six miles I would rather be victorious at the end. I had lunch and kept moving. The last four miles were the hardest. My feet were starting to get sore, I knew I had blisters but I didn't want to stop long enough to mend them. I figured I would have plenty of time to deal with them whenever I got to camp. They weren’t going anywhere. The trail grew more varied, and going downhill was almost as bad as going uphill because I had the weight of the backpack trying to push me faster down the hill. I was still in high hopes. I was accomplishing something. The more suck I drug myself through, the bigger my smile would be at the end. At two points the trail was so steep it zig-zagged up the ridge. I was fairly beat by the time I made it to the shelter area, but I spent some time checking out my surroundings. I even made it there two hours before I thought I would (which I later realized wasn't really a good thing). No one was in the lean-to like shelters but it was early yet. I found the tent site fireplace and set up my Hennessy Hammock near it but far enough away to avoid sparks and a particularly nasty looking dead limb on one of the trees. I had run out of water, and the pump at the shelter site didn't work or the water level was too low, so I hiked about a mile back to get water from a stream. My blisters were very apparent at this point and it was a challenge to get back up the hill to camp. I set about purifying the water and getting dinner ready while I looked at my feet. One foot had three blisters the size of quarters and the other had two smaller blisters. It was bad. I knew then that I should have worn different boots or different socks. My first aid kit was well stocked with everything but foot care. My best solution was band-aids and duct tape. For the next few hours I ate, nursed my fire, and just kind of hung out, reflecting on what I'd done. I was beat, but I felt good. I was doing this. The next morning I rolled out of my hammock later than I wanted to. The night was full of broken sleep. The widowmaker I purposely avoided fell in the middle of the night, so I woke up every time there was a gust of wind after that. When I put my feet in my boots and stood I almost went to my knees. The blisters on my feet felt worse than before. I wasn't sure if I could go on, but as I was pondering this I was putting fresh bandages and tape on my blisters, slipping on fresh socks and putting my boots on. For me the trick to staying motivated is momentum. It makes the world go round after all. If I stay moving it is easier to stay moving. I hurried up with breakfast, repacked my bag and headed out. My feet were feeling better, but that could have been a bit of mind over matter. Being that my return trip would be a mirror of my first trip I knew what to expect. Dispite my feet being in the condition they were in I felt good. I felt at once worn out and worn in. I was tired, but my body was starting to understand what was expected of it. Again, the final four miles were the hardest, but I pushed through them, taking breaks every mile to have a drink, or just take a breather. Never more than five or ten minutes. It was all about momentum. I found a walking stick that made the climbs and descents a bit easier. When I saw my ridiculously yellow car parked in the nearest spot to the trail-head I found a bit more energy to push harder. When I eased my pack into my trunk it felt like I was letting go a thousand pounds from my shoulders. It was more than my gear (which I have since shaved a few pounds from) I was shrugging off years of thinking I was too broken to do anything. Years of excuses and justifications. I sat down on my bumper and pulled my boots off to rest in the sun for a bit. I found who I was out there. No longer would my life be defined by the deformities that make my body different. The things that are different about me would henceforth become my armor, a shield to protect me from the hardships in life. You could say that the ridge reforged me into a new man, but I'd like to take the credit for that. I'm proud of the 22 miles I did during those two days, and there is no one that would take that from me. I plan on working my way up to doing all 70 miles of the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail in a five day trip. It's going to be hard, but if I just maintain momentum I'll be fine. Those miles taught me a lot; what I needed to do differently, and what I needed to invest in (better boots and socks mainly). I'll be stronger next time, better prepared. I hope to do a weekend on the trail before winter hits, and I hike a few miles with my gear on days that I'm not doing strength training. I guess what I want people to take from this is that sometimes things have to be broken in order to be rebuilt, and that most of the time YOU have to be the one that does the rebuilding. You'll thank yourself for it afterward.

Yes I did. Turned down Chinese takeout. Didn't know I could do that. Eating some peaches to celebrate. YEAH! I can do this healthy thing!

Leg pressed more than my weight yesterday (180lbs 40 times). I can finally see some progress in the weight lifting arena and I am feeling awesome! NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE!

Not exactly weight or fitness related but here it is, I am 19 years old and up to a few months ago i never knew how to ride a bike, i always wanted to learn but never did and I went out and spent hard earned money on this really nice brand new mountain bike. i learned to ride, i love it, i ride to work and back ( used to just walk its only about a mile away) and its something that im really happy about. woot! learned to ride a bike, now i need to find some bike trails to ride around on. and my second woot which even bigger, i got accepted into my school of choice! went to community college for a little out of highschool and i just got accepted into my school of choice in NYC. gunna take alot of hard work to make the commute and do well but its going to be so worth it. thanks for taking the time to listen to my woot.

I ran my fastest 5k tonight, just under 30 minutes. Feeling pretty proud of myself and the progress I've made towards my challenge.

So, two years ago my friend Marisa broke up with her boyfriend and as a result had to get rid of a ton of her clothing to fit into a new apartment she was moving into. I, as her best friend, found it my duty to make sure those items of clothing found a good home, namely with me. One of them was this awesome blue and green plaid dress that screamed to be paired with combat boots and be shown off to the world. The only issue was I couldn't zip the front up past my bosom. Ended up putting a cute belt below the chest an had a cute cami under fixing the issue and to make it wearable. Many a concert was seen and good times were had by all. Recently I've been having issues with pants, mainly having a plumbers butt and not being able to fit into some of my skinny jeans because my thighs are getting too big. Dresses and skirts float around that or hug curves so they've become my items of choice. Tried the dress on today, it fits like a glove and zipped up all the way. I don't need a scale I tell me my body is changing :-)

Two minutes ago, I just came in from the most exciting physical thing I've ever done: I RAN 20 MINUTES WITHOUT STOPPING. I was a swimmer in high school, so running's never been particularly easy for me, and this workout, the Cool Running Couch to 5K week 5 day 3, has stumped me every.freaking.time. I've attempted it. It was actually one of my goals for the most recent challenge. If it had been a 7 week challenge, I would've gotten a A for this goal (and a B for my 5 lb weight loss goal, since I was at 138.4 this morning, down 4.6 lbs). I got home saying (couldn't really yell, too out of breath) "I did it I did it I did it". I'm pretty sure my neighbors think I'm really weird now, but I DON'T CARE I RAN FOR TWENTY MINUTES WITHOUT STOPPING.

I Deadlifted my bodyweight!!! ... Twice! I get that this is still a pretty small number compared to what a lot of people are lifting, but I only really just started Deadlifts properly last week and I though it would take longer then this to hit that target. It gives me hope of increasing my lifts much more in the near future. Very happy I am also loving deadlifts and squats - Im sitting here at work wishing i was at the gym. That is definitely not something that I would have thought possible a couple of months ago WOOT!!

Joined the rebellion just last week, and made my workout goal for week one. Beginners Strength Training, one circuit with proper warm-up and stretching, 3x last week. Like I said, tiny woot for me! This week, two circuits! Happy Monday, all!

Almost two months ago, I started meeting a friend of mine at the gym for strength training 5 days a week. In that time, I've missed 7 days total. 5 of them stem from a cross-country drive, and the other two were a result of my partner cancelling. Today was one of those days, but as I walked the halls at work, I caught myself thinking, "I just want to be bench-pressing right now." WOOT! Two months ago I would never have had that thought! Now, here's the thing that I'm really celebrating -- On my lunch break, I suddenly realized that the gym closes at 9 on Fridays, and I was going to miss the night workout I had planned, so I took a long lunch and squeezed in my workout. Double WOOT! These are minor changes in mentality, but a major victory for me, as for once I'm beginning to value hard work and progress over the relative ease of staying sedentary.

SO I just lost 1.2kg, and my gut has started receding, Now how to keep it off?