For lack of a better title: hello

[Dresirus]

Hi everyone,

I have finally decided to post on these boards after spending far too long lurking on them. (I first discovered NF about two years ago, and the boards about six months ago.)

I'm no great storyteller, but here are some details about me:

Male

Age: 19

Height: 5'7"

Weight: ~136lbs (~62kg)

BF%: ~9% [i think, based off rough measurements (don't own a set of callipers)]

I'm from the UK and about to start my second year at university, studying Chemistry.

I really want to improve my overall endurance, and overall strength. I am currently exercising roughly three times a week, doing body weight exercises. I'm working through the hundred pushups exercises (although I seem to have plateaued on a particular exercise, and have not improved for a month or so now). The only other exercise I do, in addition to bodyweight routines, is play Quidditch (well, it is Nerd Fitness for a reason ) when I'm at uni. I feel that my main problem is that I can sprint in very short bursts, but get very tired, very quickly (could have something to do with asthma that I've had since I was a lot younger, but I don't really consider it to be that bad, it is probably just a lack of fitness.) I recently started to try and follow a paleo/primal (not sure where the difference lies) diet, a week in, and I feel I have less energy and feel more tired than I had before .

If I had to set goals for myself I would say that I want to:

-Perform 100 pushups in a single set. (I can currently do about 50)

-Perform 10 pullups in a single set. (I'm currently on 6, but that hasn't changed for a while)

-Start learning a martial art. I don't really know what to choose though. My uni has some clubs associated with it (posting in the Monk section should hopefully give me some ideas).

-Improve my general fitness. (Adding specificity, I would say, play a game of Quidditch without getting as worn out as I currently do)

Thank you to anyone who has taken the time to read all of this. I seem to become shy online for some reason, and so am usually reluctant to post, but the help and advice offered by the NF community are something too great to miss out on.

Dresirus

[Thilde]

Welcome!! I really enjoyed reading your intro post. Your goals sound great. I am envious of your mad pushup skills...I am currently working toward being able to do one completely perfect pushup, so being able to 50 pretty much gives you super elite status in my book. I have to ask....HOW do you play Quidditch? I am a ginormous HP fan, and if I knew people had come up with a way to play Quidditch in real life I'd have been all over that a long time ago. This is the first I'm hearing of it!

Looking forward to seeing you around the forums!

[D_chelyst]

I recently started to try and follow a paleo/primal (not sure where the difference lies) diet, a week in, and I feel I have less energy and feel more tired than I had before .

Dresirus

Welcome, Dresirus! I thought that primal meant including some dairy while Paleo was anti-dairy...then I did a quick search to make sure I knew what I was talking about before trying to help you out...and then I got a massive headache from all of the conflicting information I found (here, here, and here if you're interested....have "fun" ).

As for the tiredness thing, check out the Day 6-7 part of the timeline on this website. Whole30, to my understanding, is an über-strict Paleo 30-day thing. Since you've switched your diet to eating the good stuff, could this maybe relate to how you're feeling?