'sup

[jtc]

Hey everyone - I've been lurking around here for a little while, and I'm fairly thrilled to have found this place. Fitness sites and forums are not, in my experience, usually as laid-back and welcoming as the folks here seem to be.

By way of introduction, I'm 24 and live in New York, and I work very happily at a small office at a big school. I've been lifting weights for (doing a bit of counting on my fingers here) something like 11 years off and on, but I've been a nerd way longer than that. I know my way around the gym pretty well and I'm in fairly good shape if I do say so myself, but being able to chat about this stuff helps enormously with motivation, as I'm sure plenty of you will agree.

I'm trying to get a little leaner though I'm not necessarily too concerned about losing weight per se--I've been at around 170 pounds, give or take a few, for years but I've gotten a little more or less doughy depending on what I've been eating and how hard I'm working out. I'm trying to drop a bit of gut while keeping my muscles working hard. I've sort of renewed my interest in getting my ass back on the grindstone lately which I'm quite happy about.

Yesterday I did 17 pullups in a row in my kitchen doorway, and sorry, but I have no shame in bragging because I've been working on that for a LONG time.

I'm totally gonna get in on the next 28 day challenge thingo.

[Guest tparker]

Welcome aboard. As anyone will tell you, even nerds already on the fitness progression are welcome here, as we're all in it together.

Lets see those goals you have planned, and go and get in on the 28 day challenge.

[titsworth]

You have 11 fingers?

[jtc]

I'm gifted in lots of ways.

[Steve]

Hahahahaha, welcome JTC!

And 17 straight pull ups is freaking awesome. Well done sir!

-Steve

[HerrFaucher]

Welcome to the thunderdome.

[jtc]

And 17 straight pull ups is freaking awesome. Well done sir!

Why thanks. I'm working on trying them weighted now. Uh, HARD.

And thanks again everyone for the kind welcome.

[Guest tparker]

Also, try utilizing the 21's theory of pull ups.

Go half way up, all the way down, all the way up, half way down, all the way up, all the way down. That's 1.

It will do wonders for your gains without adding weight because you have to focus so much on the muscle itself, rather than just getting up there.