Useless twig arms!

[kshark]

Hello all!

My name is Katie, and I am currently stationed (USAF) in the swamp in southern Georgia. I am married to an awesome guy (also in the USAF), who happens to be my work out partner too. Sadly, he is currently deployed, so I need to learn to brave the weight room solo.

I stumbled across NF while doing some research on the paleo diet, and I have been reading all of the awesome articles and whatnot for the past couple weeks. I have been running in VFF for over 2 years and have been running barefoot for about a year. I don't do every run BF, usually a couple times a week. Being mediocre has been my standard for a long time. I am not the best, but not the worst either. I am not too much overweight, but not in very good shape. I eat sort of healthy, but not enough to get any results. Usually workouts are running, biking, or swimming laps, followed by an ab workout and a sad amount of push ups (I hate push ups). I have very little upper body strength. I have been trying to train for my upcoming Tough Mudder event (just one more week to go!), and I know I should have been doing less running and more strength training. We shall see how the Mudder goes. Then its to the gym with me!

Currently I have a streak planned, to work out every day from Thanksgiving to New Years (not the fun kind of streaking I know). My agreement with myself is at least one mile per day! So far so good.

I have decided to become awesome. This is it! My first goal is to be able to do a pull up. Just one to start with, then eventually enough to put the guys to shame! Also I have a fitness test coming up in Jan and I would really like to score over a 97%! Ultimate goals include being able to do dips, learn how and actually perform a deadlift, a marathon, Olympic distance triathlon, and (if I survive it) more Tough Mudders!

I can't wait to start completing challenges! I am a recovered WOW addict, and I still long for a good quest. And whats even better is they will take place in real life rather than in the Barrens. Super pumped!

Any advice for someone new to the weight room, or new to being flat out awesome is greatly appreciated!

[Laureleye]

If you don't want to brave the weight room alone while your husband's deployed, you can do body weight training, like the beginners (or advanced) body weight. You could do that plus your pull-up work one day, and your running the next. My husband is a (now retired) Marine, so I've done the home-alone thing. The holidays are the worst. By the way, you can join the challenge now, even if you can't "win". It would help you commit to concrete goals and plans - very helpful if you have problems in that area. But whether you join this one or the next, welcome and good luck on your TM.

[kshark]

Thank you! I wasn't sure if I should join the challenge since I am so late. Since you encouraged me, I just joined =) yay! I am really hoping to surprise my hubby with how much weight I have lost and how toned I am when he gets home! We are racing to see who can get 6 pack abs first. Even if he wins, I will be happy with being able to do pull ups. I am going to focus mostly on body weight exercises first, because if I can't do 3 sets of 20 squats un-weighted, I really have no business throwing some weight on my shoulders. Per my challenge goals, I will be doing at least one pull up and 3 sets of 20 push ups by Christmas!

[Omnibard]

If you want, I'll brave the weight room with you for dumb-bell rows, since I'll need to go, anyway.