Hello!

[haushinka]

Hello!

First off, I am so F@*&king glad I have found NF. It's already taught me so much about strength training it's unbelievable.

4 years ago I hadn't done any physical excercise in about 5 years. I was busting my ass as a chef and exhausted all the time. Then I met the Auld Reekie Roller Girls and immediately joined. To begin with we were super lame and very unprofessional in our attitude to training- 10 mins of endurance 3 times a week, and 2 hours of hitting after that. I realised pretty quickly that I was incredibly unfit (I was always under the impression that the physicality of my work was enough to keep me going) and that the people who were doing really well at derby were the ones who were dancers, runners, cyclists and martial artists.

I bought myself a fixie and started cycling hilly Edinburgh every day. My legs got stronger and I felt amazing. I've always been a relatively slight person and it felt amazing to be able to feel muscles growing in my legs. I joined a gym and did everything wrong, and though it did benefit me physically to at least be doing some strength training, I wasn't getting strong as fast as I wanted.

Then a year ago I was sexually assaulted in a bus stop late at night. I was all on my own, there was three of them, I immediately moved to protect myself- I turned round and socked the guy who had grabbed me right in the face. His nose exploded with blood. His friends started calling the Police. I got to work shaking with rage and was interviewed by the police. I had broken the guys nose and cheek. I was facing assault charges and it was my word against the three of them!

Now I am not proud of what I did but it was instinct. For about a month I was so completely disillusioned at the fact that the Police and society in general didn't give a crap about what had happened and that it happens all too frequently. I took on the mindset that I needed to be completely able to look after and defend myself. I took up Muay Thai and fell in love. I obsessed about being physically able to take down a guy 2 or 3 times my size if I needed to. My attitude at that point wasn't great.

2 months after the incident CCTV was found of the incident and I was cleared. My workmates all started calling me punchy as a joke, rather than skirting the issue. Which was nice, because I thought everybody hated me. I had been very bitter.

Around that point I found this website and started working with my body weight. I wanted to turn up to muay thai having already done all my strength training and just work on technique. I added protein shakes to my diet. I started tracking my workouts. I also started thinking very seriously about surviving the zombie apocalypse. I've been doing really well.

BUT I STILL NEED HELP.

I still, after months and months of trying, cannot do a pull up.

%^&*!

So that's why I'm here.

Cat.

[ihulke]

.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Try this link. It's what I'm working on to do a pull-up. Amzaing story, welcome to the rebellion.

[haushinka]

After looking at this link, I've taking my bar and positioned it 30 inches off the floor- gonna do the rows for a few weeks, then try again. Thank you!

[Laureleye]

Biking in Edinburgh...you sound awsome! Welcome.

[haushinka]

Well, not so much right now- It's very icy. I had to buy a bloody gym membership to make up for that missing from my life.