A long, long time ago...

[bluberry]

Hi all.

I've been reading the nerd fitness blog posts and lurking on the forums for a month or so now and figured it was time i joined properly.

Brief History:

My name is Adam and I live in a town called Basingstoke in the UK. I was very skinny as a kid and didn't do much sport or exercise (I preferred playing console games like sonic the hedgehog and final fantasy).

I ballooned up a bit (from 11 to 13 stone) when I went to uni (oddly enough about the same time I started playing world of warcraft, I doubt that's a coincidence) and have been dieting and then piling it back on (and more) ever since.

My new years resolution this year was to reach a fairly healthy weight and then put on as much lean muscle as possible.

To achieve this goal I have simply reduced my carb intake and generally paid more attention to what I eat (i still eat crap just less of it). I also bought some dumbells, a 5kg kettlebell and a pullup bar.

I have been using the dumbells fairly regularly but I rarely use my kettlebell and I can still only do a maximum of one pullup (not just in a set, once I have done one I cant do another for a few hours).

I have since gone from about 210 pounds to 180 pounds (i'm 5'11 by the way) and have some muscle mass to work with.

Current goals:

I am looking to start taking my exercise and diet more seriously in order to achieve my current fitness goals which have evolved somewhat.

I no longer want to be particularly muscly, but I do want to be nice and strong and have decent muscular endurance. (i'd like to be fit enough to do some parkour/free running)

I also want to be more flexible and fitter in the cardiovascular sense.

I know it's a lot to ask, but i'd quite like a six pack. Even if you can only just make them out when I tense really hard and only in a certain light, that'd be enough for me.

I have been trying various types of exercise/workouts to reach my current goals but nothing so far has stuck. I read a lot about various workouts and exercises and they generally seem to insist that they are the best way to achieve your goals and that everything else is a waste of time and this leads me to try new exercises for a week or two but never stick to anything. (Side Note: I found the Nerd Fitness beginner bodyweight routine really easy but the advanced one too difficult, i'm gonna try the angry birds routine next).

I also started wing chun kung fu lessons recently which i'm hoping will fit rather nicely with my goals as practicing kung fu is meant to help develop strength, flexibility and cardiovascular endurance. I like learning the techniques but the sparring is a bit rough sometimes (i currently have a massive bruise going down my left forearm from the force of the punches i was trying to block, it's rather hard to tan sau an incoming punch at that speed without forearms clashing)

Diet wise i have done very little extra so far, i eat a lot of meat and try to minimise carbs but i really need to focus more on getting enough veggies and cutting out my various indulgences (energy drinks being the biggest).

Long story short, the name's Adam and i'm happy to be here!

[Ja_rossjr]

Glad you have you among us! When it comes to getting a routine, you just have to try different things until you find what works best for you. It took me a few months to pin down that full body workouts are best for me, and now that is what I stick to, varying exercises, light and heavy days (differing the rep counts). So try stuff out until you find something that sticks. As for changing the diet, it is all about control. I have a killer sweet tooth from hell, but have been shunning sweets for going on about a week now (aside from the day I completed a fitness goal). Changing diet is hard, but worth it. Since I have been changing mine from eating whatever the hell I want, going to paleo one step at a time my body has felt better, and I have more energy.

Basically, try new things until you find what is best for you, and stay dedicated. We are always here to motivate and give you that tough love whenever it is needed!

Remember, have fun and lets level up our lives!

[Thilde]

Welcome!! I can relate to your goals. Someday I want to have the endurance (not to mention the fearlessness) to learn some parkour. There is a TON of helpful information on this forum...and a ton of helpful people! Browse around and don't be afraid to ask questions. Happy to have you here!